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There have been 28 Emperors in total in the entire history of Regalia, all the way from 5 AC until the present day, just over 300 years. While Emperors rule absolute and with religious primacy during their lives, their divine nature passes on to their successor upon death as only the sitting Emperor may be considered divine, being the active vessel of the Imperial Spirit. As such, a movement known as Imperial Revisionism exists in Regalia which goes into great lengths to review the works of past Emperors in a less religiously biased manner to establish whether they were good or bad Emperors in light of Unionism and the fate of the Regalian Empire. For three hundred years, the Emperors have varied greatly in virtue and vice. Regalia has seen capable Emperors such as Theomar I or Henri III, but also horrible rulers like Justinian I as well as the passing of the Imperial lineage from the Ivrae de Sange to the Kade Dynasty following the act of succession. This page presents an honest review of the Emperors without religious or historical bias, with the information presented through credible sources and factual events.
| List of Regalian Emperors | |
|---|---|
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| Notable Person | |
| Full Name | various |
| Race | Ailor |
| Claim to Fame | Regalian Emperors |
Holy Emperor Theomar I (5-67 AC)
Theomar the Holy was the first Emperor of the Regalian Empire, founder of the Unionist Faith, and common ancestor to all future Emperors. An Alt-Regalian by culture, he was known as Thulric Ivrist before the Five Family Rebellion, and was the ringleader of the coup d'etat that overthrew the Regalian Kingdom in the wake of the Cataclysm. While an accomplished battle commander in his early life, revisionist histories view Theomar as one obsessed with his fledgling Unionist Cult, and was known to distance himself from Imperial governance, content with allowing the Kade Chancellors to handle affairs in his name. While generally a hands-off Emperor in regards to secular ruling, he is still universally praised as being the one who revealed the Unionist message to Aloria, and as such is viewed as a good Emperor.
Lilienmar I (67-69 AC)
Lilienmar I was the eldest son of Theomar I and also an Alt-Regalian in culture. While only serving for three years, Lilienmar played a key role in the shaping of the Unionist Faith by calling the Diet of 67 AC. This gathering of the Unionist clergy ultimately saw the Evintarians branded as heretics and exiled to the Isle of Etosil, an action which would later go down in Unionist history as the First Schism. Beyond the Diet, Lilienmar focused most of his rule on religious affairs and setting the framework for future Imperial Succession, most notably by establishing the Electorate titles which were given to House Kade, van Sherburne, and Cadar. Finally, the later years of his rule would see the start of the Skagger Wars, a military conflict that would take more than a century to end. Historians often view Lilienmar as a continuation of his father’s legacy, though due to his short reign he is often seen as a footnote in Regalian history.
Lilienmar II (69-79 AC)
Lilienmar II was the eldest child of Lilienmar I and grandson of Theomar I, and an Alt-Regalian in culture. His rule saw the absorption of the Iltar Kingdom into the Regalian Empire in 69 AC, which would serve as the headquarters of the Sancella of Union for centuries to come. He also saw more territory annexed from the Hacarian Kingdom, thus paving the way for greater Regalian influence. Lilienmar would die childless, which saw the Imperial Throne pass on to his brother, Henri I. Overall, Lilienmar II was seen as a capable Emperor due to the territorial expansions made during his reign, but whose legacy was eclipsed by future Emperors.
Honorable Henri I (79-96 AC)
Henri I was the second son of Lilienmar I and the brother of Lilienmar II. Unlike past Emperors, Henri was an Ithanian by culture, brought on due to his membership in the Viridian Order. Henri’s rule would see large swathes of the western Regalian Archipelago join the growing Empire. The Bergerlander War of 87 AC would see the formation of the Imperial Navy, while the Second Hecarian Conflict saw the absorption of the Hacarian and Vularian Kingdoms into the Empire. While Henri’s rule proved to be a time of much expansion, it also saw the Emperor focused inwards to the Viridian Order, granting honorific court positions to many brothers-in-arms and promoting knightly conduct in the Imperial Court. Henri was the first Emperor to never marry, instead having multiple bastards through palace courtesans, which confirmed that any blood descendant of Theomar I could inherit the throne. His death would mark the period of Regalian history known as the Years of the Three Emperors. Although many retrospective accounts blame Henri for the next several years of rapid succession on the Imperial Throne, he is still considered one of the better Emperors due to his formation of the Imperial Navy and focus on knightly discipline in his court.
Years of the Three Emperors (96-99 AC)
The Years of the Three Emperors was an unstable period for the Imperial Throne. It saw the ascension and subsequent deaths of three of Henri I’s children (Bartholomeaux I, Carvallais I, and Maxelle I) in short succession, with each Emperor found to be the victim of assassination. While never proven, even into the modern day, there are heavy implications that the Viridian Order played a hand in removing these Emperors from power. Though with the ascension of Leomar I and the destruction of the Viridian Castle archives during the Lo Occupation centuries later, all reports on the assassinations have been lost to time. As many can suspect, very little occurred during these chaotic years, as each Emperor was assassinated before they could begin to rule properly.
Leomar I (99-114 AC)
Leomar I was the fourth bastard son of Henri I and an Ithanian by culture. While not a Viridian like his father, Leomar was an avid supporter of the military order, enamored by their services to his father and their endurance of security during his youth. As a consequence, Leomar followed much in his father's footsteps, granting honorifics to Viridian Knights and dismissing anyone who claimed favoritism from the Imperial Court. In the realm of geopolitics, Leomar saw the Sudlander Principality join the Regalian Empire freely in 112 AC, and also saw several border marches of the fallen Wirtemcaller Kingdom swear fealty to him, urging for the Empire to take back their former kingdom’s territory from the Skagger Horde. Despite these gains, Leomar is seen as a Viridian puppet on the throne, and only lived as long as he did due to the Order’s contentment of his rule.
Justeux I (114 AC)
Justeux I was the eldest son of Leomar I and an Ithanian in nature. Having grown up during the Years of the Three Emperors, Justeux held high suspicions about the Viridian Order and tried to open up an inquisition directed at the matter. However, this investigation would be cut short, as Justeux would be found assassinated in much the same way as his uncles, leading to his brother Henri II to ascend to the throne.
Hedonistic Henri II (114-121 AC)
Henri II was the brother of Justeux I and second son of Leomar I. An Ithanian by culture, Henri was considerably paranoid of the Viridian Order upon his ascension. Fearful that he would be assasinated, Henri II turned to his courtesans for comfort, throwing lavish parties at the Imperial Palace and turning it into a brothel for him and the Viridians. While many historians point to Henri II as a debaucherous disgrace of an Emperor, others believe that his lavish lifestyle was all an act to get the Viridian Order distracted enough to remove them from power. Whatever his reason, Henri II would be found dead at an Imperial Gala after allegedly choking on a grape, with the Viridian Order nowhere in sight.
Blessed Henri III (121-166 AC)
Henri III was the eldest son of Henri II, and also a bastard product of his father’s hedonist activities. An Ithanian by culture, Henri made no secret of his disdain for the Viridian Order, choosing to reshuffle the Royal Guard chapter and revoke several honorific titles from the Knights. This would all come to a climax at the start of the year 122 AC, which would go down in history as the Viridian Coup Attempt. What followed was the execution of the entire Viridian Leadership and stripping of the Order’s positions in the City Guard, Royal Guard, and Regalian Army. As replacements, Henri III established the Violet and Tyrian Orders, as well as saw the formation of the Bloodcast, Lion Pelt, and Turall Orders. Within 48 hours, the Imperial Seat went from being the pawn of the Viridian Order into an authority that was to be feared and respected as absolute.
After removing the root of past Emperors’ downfalls, Henri III ruled for an impressive 45 years, and also saw the rise of his Chancellor Vlaas Kade into the spotlight. Historians often consider Henri III’s rule to be the Blessed Reign, as it saw the Regalian Empire go through its first golden age by extending its territorial hegemony beyond the Regalian Archipelago. During his reign, Henri saw the formation of Greater Calemberg under the oversight of House Cadar, the inclusion of Etosil and Ithania as the first Suzerain states, and the start of the Ithanian Gem Boom. Overall, there is very little to say negative about Henri III, and he has gone down in history as one of the best Emperors that ever lived, and one who saw House Ivrae’s imperial prestige restored.
Lilienmar III (166-174 AC)
Lilienmar III was the eldest son of Henri III and was a New Regalian in culture. Sent as a ward to House Cadar after the Viridian Coup Attempt, Lilienmar was groomed to one day see the integration of the Wirtemcaller military structure into the Regalian Empire. However, Liliemar’s reign would prove rather lackluster. Focused on removing the last holdouts of the Skagger Horde, the Emperor would spend most of his reign campaigning in Greater Drixagh, ultimately dying of pneumonia before siring any heirs.
Witful Allamaria I (174-195 AC)
Allamaria I was the brother of Lilienmar III and second son to Henri III. Also a New Regalian in culture, Allamaria often went by the name Allamarich as a nod to his Cadar upbringing. Upon his ascension to the Imperial Throne, Allamaria immediately went to work restructuring the Regalian Navy, creating the Regalian Army and establishing the School of Marshalry. He also saw the consolidation of all remaining lands within the Regalian Archipelago, with the Eerstwald Kingdom annexed in 178 AC and the Skagger Horde driven off in 179 AC to the North Skags. Finally, Allamaria established the Regalian Judiciary alongside Vlaas Kade, setting down a system of legal codes and law books which still have implications to this day. Overall, Allamaria I is considered a stable continuation of his father’s Blessed Reign, though some critics do note that the Emperor was mostly concerned with military reforms and codefying every facet of Regalian Governance.
Handorien I (195-207 AC)
Handorien I was the eldest son of Allamaria I and an Ithanian in culture. While most of his reign was relatively peaceful, Handorien was a hands-off Emperor who allowed the aging Vlaas Kade to handle the behemoth of the Regalian State as he had for decades. Unfortunately, Handorien would also see the Glorious Chancellor’s death in 205 AC, alongside the death of his son, the One Day Chancellor Arnold II. Eventually, Handorien would see the rise of Dual Chancellors Cedmir I and Alexander I, which ended the short term crisis of the Chancellery’s Succession. With his only notable actions being the implementation of the Codes of Chivalry to various military orders, Handorien I’s rule is often seen as one of general irrelevancy towards the Imperial Seat, with the death of Vlaas Kade overshadowing the Emperor’s entire reign.
Strong Allestrain I (207-211 AC)
Allestrain I was the eldest son of Handorien I and an Ithanian in culture. Together with Dual Chancellors Cedmir I and Alexander I, the Emperor’s reign saw Regalian military expansion throughout the other Ailor states of Aloria. His tactic would see the Regalian Military sail to the shores of various states, send out missionaries to convert to the local rulers, and then depart with diplomatic channels set up. Over time, the Unionist Faith would spread to the next generation, who would then willingly join the Regalian Empire. Rulers that resisted were met in battle by the Emperor, who would personally command from the generals’ tent. All of this culminated in the creation of the Acts of Navigation which helped codify the Empire's economic zones around Aloria. While his tenure was cut short due to suffering a mortal wound, Allestarin is often celebrated as the first Marshal Emperor, with the only criticism levied against him due to the contrast between him and future Emperor Cedromar I, who fought directly on the front lines. He sired no sons during his life, with the Imperial Throne passing to his brother Handorien II.
Handorien II (211-219 AC)
Handorien II was the second born son of Handorien I and brother to Allestrain I. An Ithanian in culture, his reign is often considered the end of the stability started under his great-grandfather Henri III, in which the military expenses of his brother's campaigns began to burden the State coffers. It would be Handorien that would sign the Imperial Edict that decreed all Imperial debts voided by virtue of the Imperial Spirit. With this edict began the Purple Bleeding, a period where anti-Imperial sentiments and rebellions ran rampant, with the military brutally suppressing those who were owed their money. Many noble houses went extinct during this time, replaced with military officers commonly referred to as the “Brass Blood Nobility.” While he attempted to maintain his power, Handorien ultimately lost his only allies when Chancellor Alexander I was killed during a failed conquest of Nordskag, with his brother Cedmir resigning from the Chancellery soon after. With the ascension of the Golden Sun Chancellor Morgann I, Handorien was forced to abdicate the Imperial Throne, becoming the first Emperor to do so.
Unfortunate Justinian I (219-224 AC)
Justinian I was the only son of Handorien II and an Ithanian by culture. There is very little positive to say about Justinian, as he is considered to be the worst Emperor in Regalian history, even more so than his father Handorien II. He was a frail, sickly child, suffering from epileptic seizures for most of his childhood. He ascended to the throne at the age of 16, though from the start it was clear that Morgann I was the one calling the shots. The only action Justinian is known for is his signing away of religious authority to the Chancellor, creating the system of Seasonal Emperors that lasted for the remainder of Morgann’s tenure. Justinian I died without producing any children, forcing the Imperial Throne to jump to his uncle Handorien III.
The Seasonal Emperors (224-255 AC)
The Seasonal Emperors were figurehead Emperors that sat on the Imperial Throne, but lacked any authority, with Chancellor Morgann Kade holding all the real power. To the common man, everything seemed to be normal, with the Golden Sun Chancellor fabricating various statements to explain the quick succession of the Imperial Throne. At the Palace, everyone knew that Morgann was simply picking Emperors that were amicable to his rule before they would mysteriously disappear one day after a minor confrontation with the Chancellor. There were seven Seasonal Emperors, each listed as follows:
- Handorien III was the uncle of Justinian I and brother to Handorien II. A Burdigala by culture, he sat on the Imperial Throne from 224-227 AC.
- Ottomar I was the cousin of Handorien III and a Burdigala by culture, who sat on the Imperial Throne from 227-231 AC.
- Balthezar I was the brother of Ottomar I and a Burdigala by culture, who sat on the Imperial Throne from 231-235 AC.
- Handorien IV was the son of Handorien III and a Burdigala by culture, who sat on the Imperial Throne from 235-240 AC.
- Handorien V was the son of Balthezar I and a Burdigala by culture, who sat on the Imperial Throne from 240-244 AC.
- Allestrain II was the cousin of Handorien V and an Ithanian by culture, who sat on the Imperial Throne from 244-249 AC.
- Allestrain III was the brother of Handorien IV and an Ithanian by culture, who sat on the Imperial Throne from 249-255 AC.
Absolute Emperor Vilgemar I (255-269 AC)
Vilgemar I was the son of Handorien III and brother to Handorien IV and Allestrain III. A Leutz-Vixe by culture, Vilgemar was often known as a rebel child growing up, and having a strong disdain for authority. It would be this desire to be the one in charge that saw him publicly execute Morgann Kade during an Imperial Diet after the two shared a heated argument over Vilgemar’s appointment of his Viridian brothers-in-arms as Imperial Guards. After the Chancellor’s swift end, the position of Chancellor was dissolved, investing the Emperor with the power not seen since Alestrain I. Unfortunately, the execution would see the Regalian Empire enter a financial downturn, and eventually, the Kade Chancellery was restored via Aliandre I, who convinced Vilgemar that the Empire needed a Chancellor to undo the financial spiral. Overall, Vilgemar’s reign is hotly contested amongst historians, with some praising his execution of Morgann as a restoration of Imperial prestige, while others blame him for causing the financial downturn that caused the Regalian Pessimism.
Righteous Emperor Justinian II (269-302 AC)
Justinian II was the eldest son of Vilgemar I and an Ithanian in culture. Together with Norn Kade, the Emperor entered his reign facing the consequences of his predecessor’s actions. Justinian would attempt to consolidate the Empire, but ultimately would have his plans cut short when the Drachenwald Crisis flared up. Forced to concede power to the Regalian Senate, he would spend the first half of his rule maneuvering the Empire through its darkest hour alongside Moriarty Kade, whose position as Chancellor was just as honorary. Fortunately, the Chrysant War would see Imperial favor soar, allowing Justinian to dissolve the Imperial Senate after they restored his absolute power. Following the war, Justinian would pass the Tenpenny Act, which created the first professional armies of the Regalian Empire. He would also organize the Purist Movement during his reign, and intervene in the Ranger Crisis. Unfortunately, an Undead outbreak in Regalia would leave Justinian with no male heirs, and when his brother Charles died in 286 AC, the Ivrae male line was extinguished. Ultimately, Justinian would sign the Imperial Succession Act, which allowed the passage of the Imperial title through females, permitting the ascension of the Kade Dynasty when he passed away in 302 AC. To this day, many still fondly remember Justinian II as the man who ended the Pessimism, dissolved the disaster that was the Regalian Senate, and brought the Empire into its modern form.
Alexander I (302-305 AC)
Alexander I was the first Emperor of the Kade (or Alltmeister) Dynasty to ascend to the throne, and an Imperial Anglian in culture. During his first tenure as Emperor, Alexander saw many liberal reforms in society, such as the Humanum Legislation which granted Elves and Dwarves the same citizenship rights as Ailor. His reign also saw the Empire participate in many conflicts over known Aloria, with the Elven War of 302 AC seeing the Crown of the World seized from the Altalar and brought back to Regalia. Unfortunately, Alexander was also known to gauge the nobility and rule on consensus, with his progressive reforms and preference to intellectuals causing sections of the military to lose faith in the Crown. Eventually, this all climaxed in a coup attempt led by Ulric Typhonus following the Lo Occupation, which was foiled by William Howlester. While the Emperor’s position was retained, Alexander still opted to abdicate the throne, but not before establishing that the current Emperor could select their successor instead of passing to the eldest son and being approved by the Electors. The throne would pass to Alexander’s brother, Cedric Kade. Alexander I retired to Axford for several years until his re-enthronement in 307 AC.
Soldier Emperor Cedromar I (305-306 AC)
Cedromar Kade was the second Alltmeister Emperor and an Imperial Anglian in culture. Cedromar was never destined to become Emperor, and was selected by his brother following the failed Typhonus coup. Unlike his brother, Cedromar was known to be one of the most aggressive and temperamental Emperors, even despite his smaller stature of 5’6.’’ Cedromar’s rule revolved heavily on the military and discipline, in which he used excessive threats to force the nobility to fall in line to his rule. He was also the first openly homosexual Emperor, who was once married to Percival Ravenstad before the latter’s supposed disappearance. In regards to geopolitics, his rule saw the outbreak of the Second Songaskian War and Long Elven War, before the Dragon Crisis revealed his heritage as a Dragonblood, able to transform into the Imperial Blue Crown Dragon. Cedromar’s reign would continue to focus on military pursuits until the Ascension of Unionism took place. When the Imperial Spirit departed his body, Cedromar immediately declared the dissolution of the Imperial Seat, before retreating from public life. For such a short tenure, Cedromar’s legacy as Emperor is not fully explored, owing largely to the fact that he is still alive. However, the consensus is that he was a relatively good, albeit unconventional, Emperor.
The Interregnum (306-307 AC)
The Interregnum was a year-long period where the Imperial Seat remained vacant until Alexander I’s re-enthronement. While the period started well, with a State Council managing affairs, political machinations soon took over. When the Anglian Mist Crisis began in late 306, the secular and religious bodies schemed for securing the most power, leading to local instability from all corners of the Empire. Eventually, Alexander was rescued from the Anglian Mist and was subsequently re-enthroned as Emperor, the first to reign for two separate tenures.
Rethroned Alexander I (307 AC-Present)
Alexander’s second tenure as Emperor has been relatively different compared to his earlier reign. With the Ascension of Unionism and the revelation of the Tenth Creed, the Emperor has taken a hands-off approach to his rule, and instead serves as the religious mouthpiece of the Imperial Spirit, echoing Theomar I is his conduct. At present, his government is run by a Noble Assembly with a Chancellor executive, though Alexander stills keep a careful eye on secular affairs, ensuring that the Regalian Empire continues down a stable path.
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