encyclopediamalazica

Human First Empire

Page history last edited by D Morin 1 yr ago

Human First Empire

The Human First Empire was a direct descendant of the T'lan Imass First Empire from which it took its name. It existed at the same time as the Kallorian Empire.

"Blood had for generations soaked countless altars in worship of him. The nascent cities were wreathed in the smoke of forges, pyres, the red glow of humanity's dawn. The First Empire had risen, on a continent a half a world away from where K'rul now walked. An empire of humans, born from the legacy of the T'lan Imass, from whom it took its name."

MoI, Uk mmpb, p.36

"The First Empire, from which vast fleets had sailed forth to map the world. The coasts of all six continents had been charted, eight hundred and eleven islands scattered in the vast oceans, ruins and riches discovered, ancient sorceries and fierce, ignorant tribes encountered. Other peoples, not human, all of whom bled easily enough. Barghast, Trell, Tartheno, Fenn, Mare, Jhag, Krinn, Jheck . . . Colonies had been established on foreign coasts. Wars and conquests, always conquests. Until . . . all was brought down, all was destroyed. The First Empire collapsed in upon itself. Beasts rose in the midst of its cities, a nightmare burgeoning like plague...The Emperor who was One was now Seven, and the Seven were scattered, lost in madness. The great cities burned. And people died in the millions."

MT, UK Trade, p.421

"Seven main avenues within each city of the First Empire. The Sky Spirits look down upon the holy number, seven scorpion tails, seven stings facing the circle of sand. To all would make offerings to the Seven Holies, look to the circle of sand.

...

The seven scorpion-sting thrones had once towered over the enclosure, each seventy-seven arm-spans high."

DG, UK mmpb, p.646

note: on a First Empire road (see Tremorlor for description), temporarily exposed because of the Whirlwind Wall, Fiddler, Crokus and Apsalar encounter chariot wheels amongst the artifacts. Seems likely that the human First Empire employed chariots DG, UK MMPB, p.257

"Her daughter chose the Path of the Soletaken, a fraught journey, that. She was hardly unique, the twisted route was a popular alternative to Ascension. More...earthly, they claimed. And older, and that which was old was in high favour in the last days of the First Empire...It was understandable that Elders of the day sought to ease their children's chosen path. Sought to create a new version of the old, risk-laden one - for that had crumbled, weakened, was cancerous. Too many of the Empire's young were being lost - and never mind the wars to the west-'

- Heboric on the Human First Empire and Soletaken

DG, UK MMPB, p.514

The Beast Ritual and subsequent Fall of the First Empire

"The final days - so long ago, now - had been chaotic. The ritual had unravelled, unexpectedly, unpredictably. Madness gripped the Soletaken. Madness splintered the more powerful of its kin, broke one into many, the burgeoning power wild, blood-hungry, birthing the D'ivers. The Empire was tearing itself apart...

I (Treach) was there at the end, one of the few survivors once the T'lan Imass were done with us. Brutal, merciful slaughter. They had no choice - I see that now, though none of us were prepared to forgive. Not then. The wounds were too fresh.

Gods, we tore a warren to pieces on that distant continent. Turned the eastlands into molten stone that cooked and became something that defied sorcery. The T'lan Imass sacrificed thousands to cut away the cancer we had become. It was the end, the end of all that promise, all that bright glory. The end of the First Empire. Hubris, to have claimed a name that rightly belonged to the T'lan Imass...

We fled, a handful of survivors. Ryllandaras...Messremb...'

MoI, UK MMPB, p.313-4

"Soletaken and D'ivers...The ritual unleashed powers that ran wild. Like a plague, shapeshifting claimed thousands, unwelcomed, no initiation - many went mad. Death filled the city, every street, every house. Families were torn apart by their own...All within but a handful of hours'

DG, UK MMPB, p.516-7

First Empire Miscellaneous Info

"The pool lay in the centre of a garden. Pale undergrowth carpeted the cracked flagstones on the footpath, white and pink leaves like shreds of flesh, colourless globes of some kind of fruit depending from vines wrapping stone columns and fossilized tree trunks. A garden thriving in darkness...Eyeless white fish darted in the pool, seeking shadows...Kulp: Is this fruit edible?...Heboric: It was when it was bright red, nine thousand years ago.'

DG, UK MMPB, p.518

First Empire Alchemies

"Alchemies that slowed ageing...Six, seven centuries for each citizen. The ritual killed them, yet the alchemies remained potent."

DG, UK MMPB, p.515

"(Felisin) reached trembling hands down, slipped them into the cool water. The sensation rushed through her like ecstacy...Heboric: 'Residue of alchemies...There will be...benefits to drinking this nectar."

DG, UK MMPB, p.518