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Cathardis Empire was the first organized dominion
on Athallas come the Third Era. After the disappearance
of its first emperor, a Ca’alanoran named Cath
Duriel, the human Ardis Ocrier took the throne
and made an immediate push towards acquiring
more lands and developing new technologies.
Their stiffest opposition came from within –
the Serpent Order, a group of Ca’alanoran Wizards
who turned to Yveren after the War of Lies,
rose to convert many of the empire’s human tribes
to their foul religion. Their army grew, and
the fighting began. The empire triumphed in
the end, though the Order was never destroyed
and continued to plague Cathardis for generations
after, always limiting their expansion and development.
Seeming to be cursed, it appears that Cathardis
can never extend beyond the lands it currently
occupies. Any time an effort is made, the idea
is smashed by any number of hardships that befall
the empire – drought, plague, a new rise of
the Order, beasts from the wilderness, barbarians
from the north, or more recently, a lull in
activity and a massive recession. As evidenced
before, a new evil will surely strike the empire
and hone it to readiness and tune its strength
once again.
Cathardis Today
Today, the Cathardis Empire has destroyed the
Serpent Order and finally exists free of the
cult’s influence. Rather than embracing prosperity,
however, the lack of conflict has led the empire
into a recession. Its many soldiers have little
purpose other than keeping the peace, and there
are no lands to conquer save for a destabilizing
Tarislan. Enemies are slim, as even the Aa’shren
from Icebranch are quiet. Aside from the occasional
restless spirit or band of orcish bandits, the
Cathardis Empire is without a foe.
Historically, any low has been met with a high:
when one evil was eliminated, another rose to
take its place, the process keeping the empire
always on its toes. There was the Order in its
heyday, and then demons naming themselves Scarnce.
As they fell, a Darkwalker rose from the seemingly
harmless Cult of Yitesh and plunged Cathardis
into new darkness. Then, the Aa’shren came down
from the mountains and began their own reign
of terror. Now, it seems that the new threat
comes from Shae’daam, the Sand Kingdom, as its
rogue Mystics seek ancient Ca’alanoran treasures
and artifacts in the empire’s eastern lands.
In the west, Gra’dulm has been raiding crypts,
and the Flesheater Clan of orcs have emerged
from the forests like a swarm of locusts to
plunder any town in their path.
Through these new, hard times, Thademus Tircraen
IV sits at the head of the empire. Working closely
with the people’s senate, he has maintained
Cathardis as a sign of unity and strength throughout
not only Athallas, but all of Terrin. He is
a dedicated, caring soul who believes fully
in that the empire will one day see consistent
peace and prosperity. Though often referred
to as the Fourth Son of the Empire, and his
brother before him being similarly titled the
Third Son, Thademus IV is actually the second
son of Thademus II, who was the only son of
his father before him. Thademus IV's birth name
was Thadennon, though he took Thademus when
he accepted the emperor's seat.
Cathardis borders Tarislan and Asyrjari in the
west, with various landmarks indicating its
boundaries, including the Valley of Two Kings
and the Wide River. To the south, a range of
mountains known as Miles Border separates the
empire from Gilkhidar, the Untamed Lands. To
the north, the plains of Icebranch remain outside
the empire’s grasp and serve as the home to
many Aa’shren tribes. Finally, to the east,
Cathardis borders Guiron at the Hirsh River,
and Shinsu at Four Lakes and Mount Lucefan.
The Capital
Cathos City serves as the empire’s seat, and
is the largest city in all of Athallas. It sits
comfortably within the grasp of the Titan’s
Hand Mountains. Cathos City is of Ca’alanoran
design and features many great walls, towers,
and the immense Imperial Palace. The Imperial
Banner Guard serves as its protectors and police
force, with their numbers topping 3,500 capable
men and women.
Duan-cathos,
the Imperial Palace
Cathos City, Central Cathardis
Allies & Trade
Cathardis’ most prominent ally is the Triad
Church, to which it is home. The Church’s holy
city of Ediceo lies in the eastern lands of
the empire, amidst the Riverlands, where the
great Hirsh river splits into the High Arm and
the Low Leg. The Triad Church has maintained
strong ties the empire, and relies upon the
empire for security.
Cathardis keeps trade open with Guiron, Shinsu,
and the Sand Kingdom of Shae’daam, but does
not outsource any of its warriors – even for
the largest of sums. This is mostly due to the
empire’s continued troubles with any number
of beasts and villains and overly cautious rulers.
This policy has changed as of late, as noted
in Cathardis’ aid to Csagrada in its war against
Tarislan, though the emperor is still reluctant
to send troops away for any extended period
of time.
The Army
The Cathardis Imperial Army is the mightiest
in all the land, both in size and strength.
For many years, this army has been used to shield
the empire from such evils as the abyssal demons
and the Serpent Order. Men make up the majority
of the fighting ranks, though women are allowed
to serve as nurses and other auxiliary roles,
including scouts.
Footsoldier
- The bread and butter of the Cathardis Imperial
Army. These soldiers are organized into Aurons,
or groups of one thousand, and are all able-bodied
men. Their armor and weaponry is lightweight,
making their nickname of Gedfyr, or “Hawksfoot”
well deserved – they fly fast and strike quickly
with deadly accuracy in both the use of spears
and their broadswords.
Elite
- The elite soldiers of the empire are restricted
to groups of fifty. They represent the best
of the Imperial Army - veterans who have served
their time and continue to fight for the emperor.
They wear heavier armor than the common soldier,
brandish larger, sharper blades known as the
xarius, and carry large ‘tower’ shields, making
them the epitome of both offense and defense.
Patrolmen
- The Cathardis Imperial Patrol serves as the
empire’s main police force when the army is
off fighting. The CIP is mostly comprised of
non-uniformed men, though their higher-ranking
officers tend to don mail of hard leather or
plate, dyed or painted red. This has given them
the title of Dendorol, or “Blood Knights”, which
coincides with their ruthless nature. It has
been speculated at the Imperial Patrol has its
hands in the senate and the emperor’s personal
advisory staff, and may also be worshipers of
Slonovan or Yveren.
Drake Rider
- The Cathardis Drake Riders are mounted lancers.
Rather than using a horse like typical cavalry,
the drake riders employ Guirdrakes – saurianesque
beasts which have been trained to be docile
and take riders. The Drake Riders serve as heavy
support to Cathardis’ other armies, though their
steeds may also be used to speed scouts ahead
of the marching soldiers.
Imperial Knight
- The highest rank in the Cathardis Imperial
Army. Today, this is more of a title than a
division of fighting men, given to counts and
other dignitaries for their service to Cathardis.
The true Imperial Knights continue to operate,
however, and sometimes accompany Cathardis’
armies through more dangerous territories.
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