The Artanes Empire. An empire that has stood against the tide called time for thousands of years. One of the only two empires on the Andawil Continent and the larger one, many times over. Unlike empires that may have come before, or even their neighboring Dragomir Empire, they had a peaceful history.
There was no war or carnage to unite the land, nor was there any child of prophecy destined to do so. In fact, one might say they had a boring beginning. One that lacks the dramatic flair that people desire from a story. The only part of history that could be said to be entertaining was the tragic outcome of their children's lives and the resulting series of incidents. Perhaps that is another reason why the Festival of Agapi was celebrated with such fervor.
As the humans slowly developed, the lands continued to be wild and mostly uncharted. Demons roamed the land freely, killing anyone and everything in their path. Beasts were found at any corner, dragons roamed the skies, and humans lived in small tribes, not daring to leave their villages after dark. Just as a mouse would not show itself to an eagle, neither would humans leave their villages at night when they roamed. The constant fear of attacks made it impossible for them to advance as a society.
Fear was the most prevalent emotion, which they then channeled into their prayers. There were many Gods they prayed to. Among them, apart from the Sun and Moon Gods who are still worshipped to this day, were:
The God of Death, Styxx, the progenitor of vampires, believed to ferry the souls of the dead. It was believed that those who worshipped him would receive his favor in their next life and thus live long lives.
The God of the Underworld, Stygian, the Demon King. No one knew whether he created the Demon race or not, but he was believed to judge souls and reward or punish them accordingly. His worshippers believed that he would help them into a better reincarnation.
The Dragon God, Arandor, progenitor of the Dragon race. Worshipped for his strength and power. They believed that they would gain strength and power by worshipping him.
And last, but not least, Demeter, the Goddess of Harvest for the food they ate.
The scattered prayers continued until Nuwa, despairing at the way mankind was living in fear, asked Selene and Aether to help her solve the biggest threat to her creations, the demons. And so, they worked together to drive back millions of demons and seal them away at the entrance of the Underworld. Mankind was overjoyed at the thought that they would no longer have to deal with the demons. In gratitude to them, they began worshipping only them, ignoring the rest. What could be better than the problem being solved for them? Nothing, so of course, they were grateful.
At that time, the land was still divided into a multitude of tribes, each having one particular thing in common. The fact that they worshipped the Sun and Moon Gods. Each tribe had a village chief who worshipped one of the Gods. In dedication to their worship and fervent belief, the chief would join the temple dedicated to the God they worshipped. After the death of their children, when Selene and Aether blessed their believers with their power, they were overjoyed. The fact that they had to obey a particular bloodline was of no consequence to them compared to having the power required to take care of their village.
As such bloodlines became the new benchmark of what would become the Artanes empire. Those who possessed power personally bestowed upon them by the Gods were termed lineal descendants of the Gods themselves; as they possessed a part of their power, in turn making them direct descendants. Their line was the most powerful one and as such, they were regarded as royalty.
They were also the only line to maintain its purity no matter how much time passes because the power of the Gods themselves flowed through them. The high priestess blessed by Selene was called the Lunar Queen. in honor of the Moon Goddess. while the High Priest, blessed by Aether was called the Solar King.
And so, as the tribes connected through the village chiefs, little by little over the span of a hundred years, the embryonic form of the Artanes Empire was formed. Over time, the first Lunar Queen and Solar King slowly solidified their reigns, unifying their empire. They pressed for advancement into uncharted territory and gradually expanded until almost all of the continent fell under the banner of the Artanes Empire.
They established laws to govern and ensure equitable treatment for all of races within their empire. Discrimination against others was strictly prohibited, and due to the educational policies put in place, most citizens grew up with the mindset that they were all equal. However, there were of course those who still suffered from mistreatment. There are no perfect people nor was there ever a perfect empire. That was where enforcement of laws came into place.
While it wasn't perfect, the subsequent Lunar Queens and Solar Kings continued to expand on it, making it the empire that it is today. It wasn't the most exciting history, but it was a history that the citizens were proud of.
Thanks to the safety and peace of mind the seal on the Underworld, and the establishment of empire provided, mankind's technology advanced by leaps and bounds. Using mana as an energy source which was found in the atmosphere, and mages who were able to harness it, they created televisions that used mana stones to save images, cameras powered by stones, phones which could be used for communication and even teleportation stations for long distance travel. Many conveniences were invented.
Appliances, recreational devices, medical equipment and various aspects of technology which made life more convenient, were created within these 5000 years. Mana used by devices would be reabsorbed into the ground and then recycled back into the air. Due to this, mana was a renewable resource that they would never see a need for them to have to worry about it running out, or polluting the environment.
The empire was made of contrasting themes due to their culture and origins. Their building structures, attire and way of life remained as though they were in ancient times while their homes and daily life incorporated modern technology. To them, maintaining this contrast was an essential part of their lives as it was done to show respect to Selene and Aether. Their robes were fashioned after the style of the Gods and generally remained that way. It was not forbidden to wear modernized clothing for convenience, except in an official capacity as official events required the use of traditional wear particularly when working, but it was rarely done.
Indeed, after a full 5000 years, the technological age of man was in full swing. There was one city however, which appeared unmarked by time or technology.
Within the Artanes Empire was a land characterized by its gorgeous scenery. Its large oak-brown forests with their evergreen leaves. If one was to walk through at this time, the grasses stepped on would crackle beneath their feet because of the recent dry spell. The mere size and majesty of the trees would have one staring in awe. Their intertwined branches rose ever upwards, as far as the eyes could see. They stood proudly as the main feature as an orchestra of birdsong could be heard.
A teal-blue stream wound its way merrily through the forest. Gurgling and burbling, it sprung over the rocks in its way. Cobbles whisked about in its belly like pieces of glitter. Streams were the liquid core of the forest, and this one glowed as if imbued with its own light. Beams of sunlight filtered through the trees, bathing its surface in amber as it glinted and refracted the light onto the trees.
As one roamed through the forest, at the other end was a gorgeous turquoise-blue waterfall that seemed magical. It swished over the rocks enthusiastically as it thundered down into the pool like a gigantic water spout. When it toppled into the pool, it foamed at the bottom. The rest of the pool was crystal, enabling one to see into its rocky bottom. From there scores of forest-green plants waved gently in the depths.
Further north, the powder-white serrated mountains stand guard in the distance, bordering the ends of the empire. The heaven-touching apex of the mountain was drenched in brilliant light. As far as the eye could see, tips of the mountain range stuck up like a row of thorns. Enveloped around them were necklaces of powdery snow. The air became arctic-cold the closer one got to the peak, making it the perfect training grounds for young magic users and shapeshifters.
Yes, indeed, Lamia was known for its picturesque scenery. The idyllic nature of the capital made for numerous visits from other areas of the Empire as well as from the Dragomir Empire. In addition to its scenery, it was also known as the home of the ruler of the empire.
The Artanes Empire had its ruler. However, 1000 years ago, the then Solar King and Lunar Queen who ruled equal parts of the land decided to change the system by which the empire existed. Due to the actions of the heir apparent at that time, who treated humans as cattle and stole and r*ped women along with a few 'noble' children, they feared for a future in which a descendant would abuse their power to harm others. Thst being the case, they decided on a complete systemic overhaul.
Instead of a simple monarchy where each decision was made under the ruler, each city would be appointed a City Lord. City Lords could be changed every ten years through a vote among the citizens. Each City Lord would then be under the purview of the Overseer for that region. The Overseer as well could be changed every ten years through a vote of the City Lord's subordinates, as well as his own subordinates. Each Overseer would then report to the Minister appointed to each group of regions. Voting processes would be the same and in turn, they would then report to the King and Queen. While the King and Queen could not be changed, all citizens would now have more of a say within the empire. Corrupt officials could be ousted, and it would assist in curbing the "power is everything" mentality that some citizens had.
Some may say that regardless, the king and queen would still be in charge of their respective halves of the empire, which would be true to an extent. However, they were no longer able to affect the day to day lives of citizens without justifiable reason or they would be "removed" for their positions. While others may not be able to rule besides their bloodline, their child would then inherit the throne. If they don't have an heir, then a sibling of the same bloodline will temporarily take over until they do. If neither of those things existed, they would be required to swear an oath that prevented them from particular actions.
It was not impossible for them to refuse, but it would surely cause an unnecessary uprising. Even if they had won in the end, they would have still lost thanks to the effects the actions would have on the empire.
Each and every one of these processes was enforced by binding oaths which could not be broken. Such oaths were not to be taken lightly, since they are binding in nature. If broken, the laws of heaven themselves would descend and the person in question could even have their soul instead extinguished depending on the severity. Even the Gods themselves were subject to the binding that it entails.
As such the rulers generally preferred to remain in the dark, silently overseeing the empire and ensuring that none of their people abused these rules. Of course, it wasn't as simple as only ensuring that the King and Queen, as well as the officials, didn't abuse their power. What also required enforcement was for the other races to comply as well.
The empire was made up of several races, most of which lived in harmony. Such as the vampires, patronized by Styxx, God of Death. Over 2000 years ago, Styxx had a son who was unfortunately born mortal. Since he could not bestow onto him godhood, he changed his physiological make up, thus creating the first vampire. They were allowed to enter contracts with willing humans who didn't mind being drunk since they would age slower and be provided for.
The hybrids and mages, patronized by Aether, the Sun God, Bringer of Light. They were ruled by the Solar King through his bloodline.
The shapeshifters, patronized by Selene, the Moon Goddess. As with the hybrids, they were ruled through bloodline by the Lunar Queen.
The humans, from where mages come from as well, patronized by Nuwa, the Creation Goddess and Aether for those who were born with the talent to become a mage.
Last but not least, the demons patronized by Stygian, the Demon King and God of the Underworld.
The humans fell under the rule of the King and Queen while the vampires had their own ruler. Regardless of that, they also followed the set rules of the empire since it was beneficial to them to do so. Disobeying would mean having to leave at best and war at worst. Who would want that? Adding in the fact that they would be outnumbered, and that they had genuine affection and friendship with other races, it would be foolish to flout the rules just because. Besides, everyone knew that the real enemy was the demon race.
They all had their roles. Mages were usually employed to help in the creation of devices as the mana they wielded was necessary to power them. Vampires assisted mostly in medical research. In fact, many of the top researchers were vampires as their blood had the ability to heal and even change the body.
Werewolves, both those who belonged to a clan and those who did not, tended to gravitate more to the army and official ministerial positions tended to be held by humans. The hybrids generally fell into whichever they were better at. It wasn't to say that each race could only participate in a set role. On the contrary, they were free to be a part of whatever they chose to and there were many of them who chose other things. It was simply that these positions were well suited to them.
For many millennia, they had been battling those who managed to escape from the seal or found cracks leading from the Underworld into theirs, to avoid them wreaking havoc onto the land. Noone wanted a repeat of the tragedy of Mycena which was a mostly human city. Only twenty of them escaped their seal and yet they managed to kill every single person in that city and rampaged the surrounding areas.
It was impossible for an army to guard all of Artanes, so the previous King established a Magic Association. This Magic Association consisted of vampires, mages, shapeshifters, hybrids and humans working together to make certain that all races were included and none were made to feel lesser. They established a system where missions were used as a medium to cull the areas where demons and demonic beasts appear, creating chaos for humans who were unable to defend themselves
By accomplishing these tasks, the myriad of races could establish prestige, earn rewards which could assist them in cultivating their skills or money which some of them desperately needed. The current King even added to this system by selecting young, promising talents and allowing them to join him if they so chose to. They would gain access to the resources necessary to train without having to venture far or put their lives in danger before they were able to take care of themselves. Best of all, even if they chose not to, they would still be nurtured to an extent as they were seen as people who would be valuable to the empire.
Emperor Lykofos Eklektós Ilios was young, but he was well loved by all for his fairness in dealing with matters of governance where necessary as well as his policies that helped persons below the poverty line provide for themselves and their families.
He established a school that was run solely on the empire so that tuition would not be required from families who were unable to pay. It was not unusual for positions to be offered to families with a brilliant child who was unable to afford uniforms to send them to school either. He was well-known for the fact that he allocated positions within the empire by capability rather than connections which had improved the overall quality of life in the empire.
He was rarely seen, but his actions have impacted many. This was particularly so since he was currently the sole ruler of Artanes whereas before there were always two. A King and a Queen who both ruled different parts. None of the common folk knew the full story of what happened besides the fact that both the Lunar Queen and the Solar King disappeared one after the other, but they all accepted it because they admired and loved him for his actions.