Recent & Relevant History

History
''This article details history after the vanishing of the Almighty and Enkai. To read about the history of Rhodenia preceding this, please cf. the main Rhodenia page. ''

The World at Large
In an age largely forgotten by all but priests and scholars, Rhodenia was ruled by a handful of wizard-kings. These monarchs worshipped a deity known as Enkai, god of sorcery and secrets. Although Enkai was neither a good nor evil god, the nature of his domain led to a world of constant struggle and conflict; secrets, after all, only hold power if their knowledge rests in the hands of few, and as the wizard-kings plumbed the mysteries of magic and waged war to secure ever more sources of power, so did the common lot suffer as they were caught in the fray.

Upon such a world was the truth of the Almighty revealed. A goddess of light, peace, justice, and temperance, the Almighty promised a world free of the conflict and fear consequent to mortals seeking power beyond their nature. The Almighty’s teachings quickly took root upon the common lot, and a priesthood formed to spread her ways throughout Rhodenia. Fearful of their magic being taken away from them, the wizard-kings and queens attempted to stamp out the burgeoning faith - a move that only emboldened the Almighty's followers. Despite the steady growth of the new faith, it nonetheless remained the cause of the lower castes until the Almighty found converts in the House of Pelletier - the rulers of the city-state of Sairis. Although the Pelletiers were themselves part of the wizard-kings of Rhodenia, theirs was among the lesser realms, and the royal family hoped that by adopting the new faith, they might gain favor in the eyes of its goddess. Thus in Sairis did the decentralized priesthood become the Church of the Almighty.

Their faith now reinforced as a formalized religion, the priests and crusaders of the Church set out to bring low the wizard-kings and abolish sorcerous magic from Rhodenia. In a series of wars said to last nearly a hundred years, the magic-wielding monarchs of the world were either dethroned or forced to convert - but the Church’s triumph did not come without a cost. During one of the war’s final battles, the Almighty and Enkai themselves took to the field, and in an act of self-sacrifice, the goddess banished the god to the nether realms at the price of her own physical manifestation.

Nearly a thousand years have passed since the defeat of Enkai and the loss of the Almighty. The city-state of Sairis, once a bit player on the world stage, has become its principal actor: the Empire of Vllaistrae. The Almighty fulfilled her promise: for centuries, Rhodenia has enjoyed relative peace. The Almighty's emphasis on temperance, stability, and the natural order of the world—with the arcane beyond the reach of mortals—has led to a world that is peaceful and plentiful, though riddled by inequity and a rigid feudal social structure. The freedom of the days of Enkai were replaced by a society with duties rather than mobility, in exchange for peace. However, the sudden collapse of the Kingdom of Athttania and the rise of a republican democracy in its place has threatened to destabilize the geopolitical terrain. Furthermore, as of late, there have come whispers from those who dwell in the shadows of the Church’s light - whispers that the old god’s return is at hand. ..

Jasper the Tyrant
Although Vllaistrae has, for nearly seven-hundred years, stood as the most powerful empire in Rhodenia, its dominance has not been without tribulations. The reign of Jasper II was marked by a great deal of tension between church and state, and saw the weakening of imperial power both within and without Vllaistrae’s borders. Despite possessing no magical prowess himself, Emperor Jasper II had a fascination with the occult - one that led to conflict with the Church when they refused to sanction his proposed marriage to a witch of Athttanian origin. Jasper II spent the rest of his rule attempting to purge the clergy of those who had opposed him, and even went as far as to revoke the tithe - the ancient laws that required Vllaistraean citizens to pay a portion of their income directly to the Church. Emboldened by the Emperor’s actions, many long-dormant followers of Enkai began to pronounce their faith in public. Over the course of his sixty-year reign, several towns on the fringes of the empire effectively came under control of those who adhered to the ways of the old god. Furthermore, due to his cruelty toward both the Church and peasantry, a great deal of anti-royalist sentiment fermented into small-cell revolutionary activity.

Adalacia the Beloved
At the age of eighty-one, Jasper II died, and his first daughter, Adalacia, took the throne. A deeply religious woman of iron will tempered by a kind heart, Adalacia took measures to undo the damage her predecessor had done to the empire. Casting out many of the sorcerers her father kept at court, she reinstituted the tithe, and through a series of edicts and reforms bolstered the strength of the clergy. One of the most noteworthy decisions Adalacia made during her reign was the appointment of her cousin, Galinn de Vaissiere, to lead the Vllaistrae Imperial Company in a campaign to suppress anti-royalist and pro-Enkai sentiment on the southwestern border towns of the Empire. Under his leadership, imperial authority was reasserted, and the damage done by Emperor Jasper II's negligence largely repaired. As a result of his heroism, Gale became a national hero, and was promoted to the rank of Lord General of the Vllaistrae Royal Company.

Adalacia was widely approved of throughout Vllaistrae, and her reign was believed to be one of peace and prosperity, a return to the order that characterized the empire before her father. Despite her conviction to return Vllaistrae to its state as a thoroughly faithful nation, Adalacia also implemented a number of liberalizing reforms: she declared the four sentient races—human, elf, orc, dwarf—equal, and abolished slavery throughout Vllaistrae. Royal historians have speculated that, had tragedy not befallen her, Adalacia might have ranked among the greatest rulers in Vllaistraean history; as history unfolded, she died of a mysterious illness at the age of thirty, having only reigned for six years. Although the evidence is murky at best, many among the Church believe that the Empress was murdered by someone adept in the arcane. Adalacia was succeeded by her sister, Velucia.

Velucia the Bountiful
Although she was his second-born daughter, Velucia was by far Jasper’s favorite. Enrolled at the Sairis College of Magic as a young woman, Velucia became the first Empress of Vllaistrae to openly practice sorcerous magic since the time of the wizard-kings. Reveling in her magical powers, Velucia has championed the arcane sciences as the panacea to Vllaistrae’s woes, and issued several edicts that have empowered the College of Magic - a move that has given the Church a great deal of anxiety. Domestically, Velucia has embarked upon an ambitious campaign of public works, many of which make use of arcane science, and are funded by revenues generated from the discovery of Florentinum in the Armaline Mountains. She is a great patron of the arts, and the beau monde has flourished under her reign. Under Velucia's rule, the future of the Empire seems brighter than it has in generations - yet in the shadows lurk troubles that threaten Vllaistrae’s hegemony.

Dark Clouds on the Horizon
Despite Vllaistrae’s prosperity under Velucia's rule, the Empress has not been without her critics. Her vast campaign of public works has proven widely popular, but some ministers of state believe it may bankrupt the treasury. Other advisors fear the immense amount of power Velucia has concentrated in herself, and that her notions of absolute monarchy may prompt a backlash from nobles excluded from her inner circle. Still others have expressed concern over her arcane pursuits, particularly members of the Church. The appointment of Merula to the position of Court Sorceress - the foremost authority on magical matters in the Empire - has proven controversial, as many believe the sorceress wields undue influence over the Empress, and credit the relaxation of Church oversight of the College of Magic to her meddling. However, the greatest threat to Vllaistraean dominance comes not from within, but rather from its neighbor to the west; the fall of Athttania to republican revolutionaries threatens to destabilize Rhodenia if not addressed.

The Athttanian Revolution
When two equally unpopular heirs to the throne threatened to tear the Kingdom of Athttania apart, many prominent nobles began to advocate for political reform - a movement that quickly grew and just as rapidly spiralled out of control. What began as a push for moderate monarchical reform led to calls for the dissolution of the monarchy itself, and a civil war broke out over control of Athttania between republican and royalist forces. This bloody conflict has led to the division of the country into two separate states: The Republic of Athttania and the Kingdom of Athttania - the latter fully being expected to fall within a year's time. As the republican forces have shown no hesitance in bringing the sword to nobles, gentry, and anyone who questions their revolutionary zeal, should the Kingdom fall, the union of the Athttanian state under their flag would have dire consequences for not only Vllaistrae, but all Rhodenia as well.

Murmurs of the Deceased
Under the reign of Emperor Jasper II, long-dormant followers of Enkai took advantage of the Church's weakened authority and began to openly worship the ancient god. In several towns on the borders of Vllaistrae, these cultists effectively seized control, and in some cases even went as far as to deface the Almighty’s cathedrals. For the most part, these heretics were subdued during the reign of Empress Adalacia; however, the collapse of Athttanian state has provided worshippers of Enkai with a new stage upon which to act. As Athttania was the ancient seat of the wizard-kings’ power, the many temples dotting its landscape have become havens for those who seek to return Enkai to the world. Furthermore, as the armies of the Athttanian Republic employ magic to an extent which has not been seen in centuries, questions as to the role of magic in the contemporary world have become more commonplace - with some even questioning whether it ought be practiced at all.

These are, as they say, interesting times.