Lore Spotlight: Grahtian Empire

Happy Memorial Day Weekend! This weekend we honor and thank those who serve, especially those who gave their lives in the line of duty. For this week’s post we have a special Lore Spotlight about Planet Zale’s largest military, the Grahtian Empire. Keep scrolling to read how the Empire came to be and how it rose to power. Is there a loved one you’re honoring this weekend? We’d love to hear a story or two! Feel free to talk about them in the comment section below. And now, here’s more about the Grahtian Empire.

[The Waterfall Palace of Sudineen, Capital of the Grahtian Empire - Art Generated with Adobe Firefly]

The Grahtian Empire was first founded by Varen Valystyre the First. With the fall of the Eternal Empire, after the Awakening of Magic, a new power gained strength in the Umbral Marshes, a human power by the name of the Kyden Imperium. The Kyden Imperium, like the Eternals before them, ruled with an overhanded ironfist in an attempt to control the populace in the midst of being overrun by monsters. 

Towards the end of the first age, Varen Valstyre would gather a great number of people to leave the Imperium and start a new life in the Western Reaches. On arrival, Varen found the Western Reaches decimated by a near century-long war between the over-industrial dwarves and the elven savages. With his and his people’s mastery over Eternal conjuration magic, they quickly subdued both sides of the conflict, rapidly tamed the Western Reaches, and at the same time established many human-dominated nations, including the country of Grahtia. 

With the Western Reaches under new control, the newly standardized Grahtian Calendar quickly took hold, marking the beginning of the second age. The human countries spread across the Reaches, prosperity rained across the lands, and the once-threatening Kyden Imperium appeared to fall to chaos and ruin.

In the earliest days of Grahtia, the country of Femala—and soon after Cornellia—voluntarily signed subservience to Grahtia and established the Grahtian Empire. In the early centuries that followed, Züstand resisted pressure to join the empire, though the country was deemed far too great of value to let go. By way of subterfuge, manipulation, and a little bit of force, Züstand ultimately joined the imperial banner. After watching Züstand be taken, Tuthenia would sign themselves away peacefully. 

The only lands to refuse Grahtian control included the country of Alva, who managed to defend against a weakened Grahtian military after the annexation of Züstand; Vergar, who held a superior naval force and was geographically isolated with the aid of Alva; and finally the wild lands of Skjörvunn, who’s people even the Grahtian Empire could never tame. By the time of the early 9th century, the Grahtian Empire held the strongest military presence in the eastern hemisphere… supposedly.

We hope you enjoyed this week’s Lore Spotlight and we hope you have a safe Memorial Day weekend! Is there a loved one you’re honoring this weekend? We’d love to hear a story or two! Feel free to tell us more in the comments below. Make sure you come back for all things War & Aether.