List of Regalian Emperors: Difference between revisions

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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.  
There have been 28 Emperors in total in the entire history of [[Regalia]], from 5 AC until the present day, a span of over 300 years. While Emperors rule absolutely 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 Everwatcher. As such, a movement known as Imperial Revisionism exists in Regalia which goes to 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]]. The Emperors have varied greatly in virtue and vice for three hundred years. Regalia has seen capable Emperors such as Theomar I or Henri III, but also horrible rulers like Justinian I in 302 AC, the Imperial lineage from the [[House Ivrae|Ivrae de Sange]] to the [[Imperial Family|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.


==Holy Emperor Theomar I (5-67 AC)==
==Ivrae Emperors==
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 more focused on steering the grown of [[Unionism]] with his leadership, content with allowing the [[Kade Chancellors]] to handle affairs of the State 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. After his death, Theomar was declared the first God Emperor of Unionism, and is worshipped to this day as the representative God of Fatherhood and Leadership, the Beginning of everything, and Founders.
===Holy Theomar I (5-67 AC)===
[[File:GodTheomar.png|220px|thumb|right|Theomar was a powerful Emperor who ruled the Regalian Empire over its formative early decades.]]
*Theomar I was born Thulric Ivrist-Kade prior to the [[Five Family Rebellion]] and was the ringleader of that uprising, which overthrew the [[Regalian Kingdom]] and established the Regalian Empire.
*He is considered the founder of the formal Unionist faith after visions compelled him to create the faith, and he wrote the influential text known as The Creed, which outlined many core ideas and philosophies of the religion.
*He was responsible for the initial divisions of power among the Five Families. He brought House Kade into the hereditary position of Arch Chancellor which would last for nearly three centuries. This was due to not only their role in the rebellion, but also their blood relation to them through the marriage of his Ivrae (then called Ivrist) father and his Kade mother, as well as his close friendship with Thedmir Kade.
*Upon his death, he was declared the first god of the Unionist pantheon and is broadly considered one of the greatest Ivrae Emperors while also being the longest living.


==Lilienmar I (67-69 AC)==
===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 first Diet of Deliberation in 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 Evintarian Schism. Beyond the Diet, Lilienmar focused most of his rule on religious affairs and setting the framework for future Imperial Succession, while 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 I was the eldest son of Theomar I and is best known for calling the first Diet of the Unionist faith in the wake of his father’s death.
*His rule oversaw the persecution of the [[Evintarian]]s by more hard-line dogmatic members of the faith in the wake of the Diet.
*The threat of the [[Skagger Horde]] also grew in the final year of Lilienmar I’s life, but sick and infirm by that time, he could do little directly. However, it was he who declared the first Holy War.
*Upon his death, the crown went to his eldest son who shared his name. Lilienmar I is considered worthy of little note by most, but he is worthy of being known as a failure in some respects for allowing Unionist religious violence to begin during his rule and taking no action to stop it. Those who see this negatively believe this set a precedent to allow Unionists to war with one another without reprisal.


==Lilienmar II (69-79 AC)==
===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.
*Lilienmar II was the eldest son of Lilienmari I and is best known for overseeing the beginning of Regalia’s broader expansion beyond the border regions of the old Regalian Kingdom.
*He directly sought to annex further territory from rival nations or local tribes, and many believe it was him over any other ruler who began the long march of the Regalian Empire to conquer all of [[Corontium]].
*He also pushed a project to reinforce various ports across the Regalian Empire to prevent their attack by [[Velheim]] marauders and continued the weaving of Unionist faith into the levies for the ongoing Holy War.
*Lilienmar II died childless, and the crown went to his younger brother, Henri I. He is broadly viewed as a capable Emperor, but one who was ultimately eclipsed by Emperors and events soon to follow his reign.


==Honorable Henri I (79-96 AC)==
===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.
*Henri I was the second son of Lilienmar I and the younger brother to Lilienmar II. He was the first Emperor to be educated and raised as an [[Ithanian]] but was also educated as a member of the [[Viridian Order]] before he released his responsibilities and became Emperor.
*Henri oversaw the growing push of the Regalian Empire across the south of Corontium and carried on the militarism of his predecessor, helping to found the [[Regalian Navy]]. However, Henri also lavished positions both in the military and government onto Viridian Knights, beginning a corruption that would only grow in time.
*Henri I married Nessaria van Sherburne early into his reign, and while she initially proved a controversial match, she later ascended to godhood under the name Ness after accepting the pleas of forgiveness from the assassins of her children.
*Henri I was succeeded by his three sons upon his death. However, their rapid demise was a horrible event unrepeated until many years later. He is praised as a militant man today, but also one blind to the flaws in those around him.


==Years of the Three Emperors (96-99 AC)==
===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.
*The Years of the Three Emperors was a horrific time, and saw the deaths of all three of Henri I’s sons within quick succession of each other.
*Bartholomeaux I was the eldest and loved the arts more than anything. Carvallais I was the middle child and was more focused on military matters. Young Maxelle I took after Bartholomeaux, but specifically loved music most out of all the arts.
*How all three died is a mystery, beyond the established fact of assassination (the records, while confirming the event at the time, have since been lost). The killers of each murder finally came forward after Maxelle’s death in the reign of Leomar I and pleaded for mercy from Ness, which she granted. However, it has long been suspected that certain Viridian Knights of that era were the men behind the payments to these killers.
*None of the Emperors had any children of their own, and the throne passed to their youngest sibling, Leomar I. History has judged all three as victims of politics and jealousy, with many elaborate plays and writings exploring the tumult of these three years in the decades since.


==Leomar I (99-114 AC)==
===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.
*Leomar I was the fourth son of Henri I and was initially kept in seclusion. When he left this state of affairs, he was found to be a proud, military-focused man who favored the Viridians in all things.
*His time spent in the military was largely logistical, ensuring conquered regions had rebuilt defenses and that borders were similarly secure. Just like his father, he also lavished positions on Viridians at all levels of government and military life.
*The Holy War against the Skaggers had long stalled, and despite urges from the [[Wirtem]] population now coming under the auspices of Regalian control, little was done to push against the Horde.
*Leomar I’s title went to his eldest son, Justeux I, upon his death. History has deemed Leomar as little more than a Viridian puppet, left alive as the most pliable of the heirs, and sadly blind to their abuses of power, or avoiding any address of them for fear of his life.


==Justeux I (114 AC)==
===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.
*Justeux I was the eldest son of Leomar I and matured during the Years of the Three Emperors.
*Now in power, and naturally suspicious of the Viridians, Justeux I began the process of opening up an inquisition on the murders of his kin, with the emphasis squarely placed on finally learning the identities of those who had bought the killers to perform their crimes.
*However, he died abruptly while away from the capital city in a “fall from his horse” despite the young man being considerably well-skilled in horsemanship.
*Justeux I had one son, but they were passed over for Justeux’s younger brother, the young man crowned Henri II. Despite their name, there is sadly little justice in the fate of Justeux, and their own efforts to find it were fruitless in the face of the Viridian conspiracy.


==Hedonistic Henri II (114-121 AC)==
===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.
*Henri II was the younger brother of Justeux I and the second son of Leomar I. Perfectly aware of the power firmly behind, around, and guarding the throne itself, Henri II slipped into debauchery and hedonism as a distraction from his lot in life.
*However, the comfort he found in the arms of his close companions, the fine foods, and more, seemed to have gradually corrupted him, and he sought to placate the Viridians by throwing grand parties with them as attendees.
*The circumstances of his death are highly mysterious and involve him supposedly choking to death on a grape at an Imperial Gala, in full view of dozens of nobles. No Viridian guards are said to have been in attendance for the event, instead situated outside, but it has long been suspected that the Viridians killed Henri II in a power move, in full view of those in attendance.
*Henri II had two daughters by his wife, but also a bastard son from an affair years prior. Henri II has been judged harshly in the past, but modern history has revised that while he was certainly liberal with his affections for the opposite sex (supposedly at least six other bastard children existed), many scholars now believe his plunge into the depths of slothfulness was an act to dull the Viridians and lull them into a false sense of security. The tactic did not work, and his heir took a far different tact to handling the Viridians.


==Blessed Henri III (121-166 AC)==
===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.
*As the eldest son of Henri II through an affair with an unknown woman, Julvus (crowned Henri III) was raised away from court, and it is strongly believed House Kade influenced his adolescence and young adulthood.
*Upon coming to the throne, Henri III worked swiftly to dismantle the Viridian Order’s control over the Imperial Seat. In 122 AC, the [[Viridian Coup Attempt]] was launched to stop his plans but miserably failed, and within 48 hours, the Order was defrocked of its greatest powers, spending several decades afterward working hard to win back favor and notoriety for anything honest.
*Henri III then spent years of hard, consistent work alongside the famed Chancellor, [[Nicholas Kade]], to repair the damage Viridian influence had imparted onto the entire Empire, and then to coordinate the annexation of many new lands for the Empire.
*Upon his death, Henri III was declared a god of Unionism and his rule is often called the Blessed Reign. This high watermark for the Regalian Empire remains well entrenched as the greatest era in the minds of most scholars.


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. After his death, Henri was declared the second God Emperor of Unionism, being known by the faithful by his deified name of [[Juvin]], the representing God of Piety and Virtue, the Perfection of Leaning, and Thinkers.
===Lilienmar III (166-174 AC)===
*Lilienmar III was the eldest son of Henri III and unlike his father’s line, was a Wirtem in upbringing. Following the Viridian Coup Attempt, he was sent as a ward to [[House Cadar]] overseeing the Empire’s new Wirtem possessions in a bid to assure his safety, and he quickly grew emblematic of the Culture.
*Lilienmar Ivrae Heiligenblut (the surname given to Wirtem Ivrae Emperors) initially planned the destruction of the Velheim north, as his Wirtem upbringing dictated, but age and Imperial councilors tempered these notions so that by the time he ascended to the throne, he was quite cooled on the idea.
*His reign oversaw the final days of the Skagger Horde’s power, pushing them back from almost all Wirtem territory while also incorporating the [[Krainivaya]] into Corontium.
*Lilienmar III ultimately died of illness away from the capital, a place he seldom lived in, and he also lacked any children. The crown passed to his younger brother.


==Lilienmar III (166-174 AC)==
===Witful Allamaria I (174-195 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 Ivrae Heiligenblut  (the surname given to New Regalian Ivrae Emperors) 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.
[[File:GodAlmar.png|220px|thumb|right|Emperor Allamaria's great focus on law brought stability to the Empire.]]
*Allamaria I was the brother of Lilienmar III and the second son of Henri III. Also raised with House Cadar, he proved a far different ward than his brother as an irresponsible youth with many love affairs and misadventures across the Empire.
*However, Imperial responsibility ultimately tempered him, and most peculiarly, Unionism-derived powers came to him in life. In acting as judge over trials, as a sort of personal penance for his own bending and breaking of laws across the realm in his youth, his powers allowed him to render almost perfect, accurate judgments each and every time.
*While this skill was great, he could not sit in on every case of the Empire. However, his passion for law and justice saw him make great strides in standardizing the systems of law across the Empire, though he retained exemptions for certain regions or cultural groups with systems different from that of the Empire.
*Allamaria I died peacefully at the end of a rich life and was succeeded by his eldest son, Handorien. A [[Eronidas|Half-Eronidas]], Handorien was the beginning of the Eronidas leadership of the Regalian Empire.


==Witful Allamaria I (174-195 AC)==
===Handorien I (195-207 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 Heiligenblut (the surname given to New Regalian Ivraes) as a nod to his Cadar upbringing. Unlike his elder brother Lilienmar III, Allamaria was never planned to ascend to the throne, which consequently saw him care very little of his Princely duties, often more interested in questioning his Cadar guardians and pursuing his own selfish goals in contrast to the Culture he was raised in. When his father Henri III died and Lilienmar III had not produced any heirs yet, the status of Crown Prince passed to Allamaria, who immediately began to turn his life around with the possible future of him becoming Emperor, which became fact when his brother was killed in battle.
*Handorien I was the eldest son of Allamaria I. A Half-Eronidas, he represented a significant departure for the Imperial Seat.
*Compared to previous Emperors, Handorien I stepped back from the everyday operations of the Empire and allowed the aging master statesman Nicholas Kade to steer the Regalian Empire as he had for decades. However, he integrated [[Eronidas]] closer in the Imperial Court, as well as contacted the various Eronidas nations across Aloria.
*Handorien thus oversaw the aged Arch Chancellor’s death, followed the next day by his aged son, the One Day Chancellor [[Arnold II]]. He also oversaw the appointment of Dual Chancellors [[Cedmir I & Alexander I]], brothers, though quite different from one another.
*Handorien’s death marked the end of one of the more uneventful reigns in Regalian history, most acts or plans he had being overshadowed by the death of Nicholas Kade. However, once again like his father, he produced an Eronidas son through his Eronidas Empress. Allestrain I, however, was not Half-Eron, but full Eron due to this bloodline, and he took the throne easily with support from House Kade.


Upon his ascension to the Imperial Throne, 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. 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 immediately went to work restructuring the Regalian Navy, creating the [[Regalian Army]] and establishing the Marshalry Academy on the Crown Isle. 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 legal and military reforms, codifying every facet of Regalian Governance. After his death, Allamaria was declared God Emperor [[Almar]], representative God of Justice, Law, Honesty, but also of Leisure, Entertainment, Vanity, and Ego.
===Strong Allestrain I (207-211 AC)===
[[File:GAYS.png|220px|thumb|right|Alexander I (left) and Allestrain I (right) were very close, including in physical size as both men towered over the average Ailor.]]
*Allestrain I was the eldest son of Handorien I and was a full Eronidas unlike his father. He had close connections with House Kade, given that his mother hailed from [[Anglia]], and he had developed first a repour, and then romance, with Alexander the Giant (who soon became Arch Chancellor).
*Together with the Dual Chancellors, Allestrain saw the Regalian Empire expand through military conquest, taking many of the kingdoms of [[Southwynd]], resistant regions of [[Westwynd]], and elsewhere, by force. To finalize such conquests, Allestrain and Alexander I’s brother and fellow Arch Chancellor, Cedmir I, oversaw the creation of the [[Navigation Acts]] to codify the Empire’s control over its holdings and political partners. Allestrain also founded the Regalian Marshalry and appointed the first Grand Marshal.
*Allestrain’s personal life was perhaps the most notable of an Emperor. Highly unorthodox for the era, rumors abounded of him and Alexander I being engaged in a romance, while Allestrain’s wife, Eolaria Cadar, was supposedly similarly engaged in a relationship with Alexander’s wife, Leona Kade. While confirmed today, at the time, the immense physical intimidation of all four figures involved silenced any open discussion of these relationships.
*A man who led from the front lines, and among those rare Unionist vessels blessed with his godly powers while in life, Allestrain I was said to be immune from all physical harm. He was nonetheless shockingly killed by an arrow while engaged in warfare with the [[Northbelt|Kingdom of Nordskag]]. As he lacked any heirs, an Ailor relative took to the throne after him, with Allestrain and his wife deified soon after.


==Handorien I (195-207 AC)==
===Handorien II (211-219 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.
*Handorien II was an Ailor relative to Allestrain I, breaking the Eronidas lineage of Emperors. He maintained the war footing of his uncle and his close allies, but the costs from constant conflict began to mount.
*Seeking an escape from these debts, Handorien signed the edict that decreed all Imperial and State debts voided by virtue of the Everwatcher. 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.
*A number of old noble families went extinct in this era, replaced with military officers commonly referred to as the “Brass Blood Nobility.” Additionally, Handorien II lost his greatest allies in the Dual Chancellors when Alexander I died in war with the Nordskaggers, and Cedmir quickly resigned.
*With the ascension of the future Golden Sun Chancellor [[Morgan I]], Handorien was forced to abdicate the Imperial Throne, becoming the first Emperor to do so. His seat went to his son Justinian I, with Handorien later dying a quiet death during The Seasonal Emperors Period. He is broadly considered one of the most inept Emperors, too easily cowed and convinced by those around him.


==Strong Allestrain I (207-211 AC)==
===Unfortunate Justinian I (219-224 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 many comparing him and future Emperor Cedromar I, both of whom fought directly on the front lines. He sired no sons during his life, with the Imperial Throne passing to his brother Handorien II. Following his death, Allestrain was declared God Emperor Almar, representative God of Conquest, Rule, Brotherhood, and Fame. His wife, Empress Eolaria Cadar, would become God Empress [[Elia]] of Fighting, Combat, Warfare, Victory, Love and Loss.
*Justinian I was the only son of Handorien II and a weak Imperial heir. However, he was a return to full Ailor blood after years of Eronidas or Half-Eronidas on the throne. Frail and sickly as a child, and prone to epileptic seizures, he was also one of the youngest Emperors to ascend to the Imperial Seat at only sixteen.
*Despite his decently long rule, Justinian I’s sole act of note was when he signed over his religious authority to Arch Chancellor Morgan I, a man with deep control over the government and the Imperial Court.
*With this act, Morgan I had the power to easily replace any Emperor to come, as theologically and politically, he held all of the power in the Empire. The system of Seasonal Emperors eventually followed this action, and Justinian I was pushed to near irrelevance in his own palace.
*Justinian I quietly died (some radicals insist Morgan had the Emperor killed though this is unlikely) and without any children, the appointment of the next Emperor fell to Morgan Kade.


==Handorien II (211-219 AC)==
===The Seasonal Emperors (224-255 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.
*The Seasonal Emperors were figurehead Emperors who sat on the Imperial Throne at the pleasure of Sun Chancellor Morgan Kade, a man who held all of the real power in the Empire.
*From the exterior, little had changed across the Empire, as Morgan in the role of Arch Chancellor successfully explained away the repeated changes in who sat on the throne. However, internally, the power dynamic was stark, but few had enough power, will or otherwise, to stand against Morgan.
*There were seven Seasonal Emperors, each listed as follows:
**Handorien III was the uncle of Justinian I. He sat on the Imperial Throne from 224-227 AC.
**Ottomar I was the cousin of Handorien III and sat on the Imperial Throne from 227-231 AC.
**Balthezar I was the brother of Ottomar I and sat on the Imperial Throne from 231-235 AC.
**Handorien IV was the son of Handorien III and sat on the Imperial Throne from 235-240 AC.
**Handorien V was the son of Balthezar I and sat on the Imperial Throne from 240-244 AC.
**Allestrain II was the cousin of Handorien V and sat on the Imperial Throne from 244-249 AC.
**Allestrain III was the brother of Handorien IV and sat on the Imperial Throne from 249-255 AC.
*Each and every Seasonal Emperor mysteriously vanished after what was often a minor but noticeable argument against some policy or action by Morgan, being replaced before even a full day had passed. While folktales and rumors speak of the many awful ends these men, young and old, suffered, in truth, there is little known about their fates.


==Unfortunate Justinian I (219-224 AC)==
===Absolute Emperor Vilgemar I (255-269 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.
[[File:Hfhdf.png|220px|thumb|right|Vilgemar I was a very unconventional Emperor.]]
*Vilgemar I was the son of Handorien III and a brother to Handorien IV and Allestrain III. A rebellious child with a distinct dislike for authority, they were always more interested in parties and pleasant times.
*Why Morgan Kade chose them to next succeed the throne is a mystery, as it proved a foolish error on his part. He might have assumed that “Vilgy” could be pacified and kept out of his affairs through parties, but instead, Morgan ended up executed during an Imperial Diet after the two shared a heated argument over Vilgemar’s appointment of their Viridian brother as an Imperial Guard.
*The abrupt, unforeseen end of Morgan Kade saw no Kade Chancellor for the early years of Vilgemar’s rule. They spent the rest of their reign freeing thousands of slaves, hosting celebrations, and fetes, and overall having an ecstatic time. However, their considerable spending, and the uprooting of Morgan’s many corrupt cronies, gradually began the decline of the Empire’s economy. He was forced to reinstate a Kade as Arch Chancellor, [[Aliandre I]], a woman who worked herself to the bone in tireless dedication to her task.
*Vilgemar I’s death marked an end to the constant party. They were followed to the Imperial Seat by their eldest son, Justinian II. Many modern overviews of Vilgemar’s reign find it impossible to avoid their role in starting the [[Regalian Pessimism]], though the praise they earn for ending the reign of Morgan Kade is often quite high.


==The Seasonal Emperors (224-255 AC)==
===Righteous Emperor Justinian II (269-302 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:
*Justinian II was the eldest son of Vilgemar I and came to the throne young with plenty of ambition. However, his grand plans were cut out from under him when the [[Drachenwald Crisis]] lost him both his (admittedly dithering) Arch Chancellor [[Norn Kade]], and much of his Imperial power in favor of the oligarchical [[Regalian Senate]].
*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.
*Forced to sit on his hands and rubber stamp pointless legislation for years, Justinian successfully plotted with Norn’s son, [[Moriarty Kade]], to change the status quo. This came through the [[Chrysant War]], and by the end of the conflict, the Emperor successfully abolished the Senate much to the relief of every non-Senator across the Empire.
*Ottomar I was the cousin of Handorien III and a Burdigala by culture, who sat on the Imperial Throne from 227-231 AC.
*Justinian II’s remaining life was spent in a flurry of activity, passing the Tenpenny Act to begin the professionalization of the military, and engaging in a more active foreign policy. However, the topic of succession began to loom. After the great personal tragedy in the Undead Scare robbed him of all three sons, and with the death of his brother, Charles, in 286 AC without a male heir, the male line of House Ivrae was extinguished.
*Balthezar I was the brother of Ottomar I and a Burdigala by culture, who sat on the Imperial Throne from 231-235 AC.
*Shortly before his death, Justinian II signed the Imperial Succession Act (also known as the Kade Settlement), which allowed the passage of the Imperial title through women, 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 Regalian Pessimism, dissolved the disaster that was the Regalian Senate, and brought the Empire into its modern form.
*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)==
==Kade Emperors==
Vilgemar I was the son of Handorien III and brother to Handorien IV and Allestrain III. An Ithanian by culture, Vilgemar was often known as a rebel child growing up, and having a strong disdain for authority, more interested in carefree events and having fun, generally seen as an always cheerful person when he had his way. It would be this desire to never be in a bad mood 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 brother as an Imperial Guard. After the Chancellor’s swift end, the position of Chancellor was dissolved, investing the Emperor with the power not seen since Allestrain I. Vilgimar would spend the rest of his reign undoing much of Morgann's tyrannical policies, freeing tens of thousands of slaves while hosting parties to celebrate the birth of a newly liberated Empire. Unfortunately, the execution of Morgann Kade coupled with Vilgemar's emanicpation and celebrations of freedom would see the Regalian Empire start 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]]. Despite this, Vilgemar was declared God Emperor Vess after his death, becoming the latest God Emperor to be deified ad the representative God of Happiness, Liberty, Liberation, and Freedom (specifically in regards to the breaking of chains and bondage).
===Alexander I (302-305 AC)===
*Alexander I was the first Emperor of the Kade Dynasty to ascend to the throne and was [[Regal]] [[Anglian]] in his upbringing. He was given an excellent and worldly education, with friends of all [[Races]] and origins found across the Empire due to travels undertaken in his younger years.
*During his first tenure as Emperor, Alexander oversaw many liberal reforms to society, an action which angered many traditionalists and conservatives in various parts of the Empire.
*Alexander also oversaw several conflicts, the first being the [[L'Elvellen War]] and the last being the conflict against the [[Bone Horror]]s. While not adverse to the military, his favoritism of intellectuals and diplomats saw a Wirtem-centered coup attempt against his throne, but this was quickly thwarted.
*While the crisis was averted, Alexander I chose to step down after establishing that the current Emperor could select their successor instead of passing it to their eldest son. He chose his brother Cedric for the role, soon titled Cedromar I, and retired from public life.


==Righteous Emperor Justinian II (269-302 AC)==
===Soldier Emperor Cedromar I (305-306 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.
[[File:Cedromartristan.png|220px|thumb|right|Cedromar I was close friends with Imperial Guard and controversial figure Tristan Lampero, later Kade through marriage into the Imperial Family. Their lives are matched by their deep complexity, and their mutual impact on the modern Empire.]]
*Cedromar I was the brother of Alexander I and a son of Moriarty Kade. Raised like his older sibling though of a very different mindset, Cedromar was a short, wild youth with many misadventures. These traits remained into adulthood and his time as Emperor.
*One of the most aggressive and temperamental Emperors in recent memory, Cedromar was a warrior leader through and through. His reign saw countless conflicts start and end, from the [[Second Songaskian War]] to his expedition abroad to [[Jadeheart]] to fight the [[Akula]].
*His short tenure came to an abrupt end seemingly of his own choice, though some today believe he was influenced by his discovery of latent Draconic power in his veins, as he became known as the Dragon Emperor, able to transform at will into such a being.
*Cedromar I was the first openly homosexual Emperor but did have children as part of doing his Imperial duty. However, he chose not to select a replacement from their number and left the throne open. His time as Emperor is so recent, that judgements remain hard to come by, but the consensus is that he was a relatively good, albeit unconventional, ruler for the Empire.


==[[Alexander I]] (302-305 AC)==
===The Interregnum (306-307 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.
*The Interregnum was a year-long period where the Imperial throne remained vacant. The period saw a State Council manage former Imperial affairs but came to an end following the strange Mist Crisis that afflicted [[Anglia]]. Alexander I was able to reclaim the throne in 307 AC.


==Soldier Emperor [[Cedromar I]] (305-306 AC)==
===Rethroned Alexander I (307 AC-Present)===
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.
*Alexander I’s second reign has so far seen him be more hands-off compared to his first. The Imperial Family has grown in importance as a result, with its various factions championing different causes, with consensus among them often seeing the Emperor act in their interest.
 
*However, since 310 AC, the Emperor has been missing. Revealed to have been replaced by a [[Slizzar]] during the invasion of the [[City of Regalia]] by the [[Bralona]], searches abroad turned up no clues or threads to follow on his possible whereabouts.  
==The Interregnum (306-307 AC)==
*While the [[Imperial Family]] has now fallen into an intense political squabble as Alexander’s throne is once again seen as vacant, they are not so bold as to declare him abdicated. Many subjects of the Empire today still hope for Alexander’s return, either to end the deteriorating politics or simply to ensure a great leader and icon of faith is restored to safety.
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.


==Trivia==
*History has unfortunately little to say on most of the Empresses of the Regalian Empire. While never “invisible,” most were women devoted to courtly matters and other duties out of sight from the public, and even most nobles. Broadly, Ivrae Emperors married one woman for their lifetime, though many had mistresses or private partners now lost to history, and the infinite realm of salacious courtly rumor.
*Many have forgotten the considerable power the Viridian Order once wielded in the Empire, though even in their recovery to a respectable standing as seen today, they do not come close to those old days of political dominance.
*Many believe today that Morgan Kade’s most effective method for disposing of the Seasonal Emperors was having his pet [[Marken]], Narsil, eat them. Such a horrible end is unthinkable today, but this rumor, combined with many incidents over the decades since, has resulted in potent anti-Marken sentiment in most regions of the Regalian Empire.
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[[category:People]] [[category:Regalian Emperors]]
[[category:People]] [[category:Regalian Emperors]]

Latest revision as of 23:26, 3 March 2024

List of Regalian Emperors
Empdaddy.png
Notable Person
Full Name Various
Race Ailor
Claim to Fame Regalian Emperors

There have been 28 Emperors in total in the entire history of Regalia, from 5 AC until the present day, a span of over 300 years. While Emperors rule absolutely 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 Everwatcher. As such, a movement known as Imperial Revisionism exists in Regalia which goes to 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. The Emperors have varied greatly in virtue and vice for three hundred years. Regalia has seen capable Emperors such as Theomar I or Henri III, but also horrible rulers like Justinian I in 302 AC, 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.

Ivrae Emperors

Holy Theomar I (5-67 AC)

Theomar was a powerful Emperor who ruled the Regalian Empire over its formative early decades.
  • Theomar I was born Thulric Ivrist-Kade prior to the Five Family Rebellion and was the ringleader of that uprising, which overthrew the Regalian Kingdom and established the Regalian Empire.
  • He is considered the founder of the formal Unionist faith after visions compelled him to create the faith, and he wrote the influential text known as The Creed, which outlined many core ideas and philosophies of the religion.
  • He was responsible for the initial divisions of power among the Five Families. He brought House Kade into the hereditary position of Arch Chancellor which would last for nearly three centuries. This was due to not only their role in the rebellion, but also their blood relation to them through the marriage of his Ivrae (then called Ivrist) father and his Kade mother, as well as his close friendship with Thedmir Kade.
  • Upon his death, he was declared the first god of the Unionist pantheon and is broadly considered one of the greatest Ivrae Emperors while also being the longest living.

Lilienmar I (67-69 AC)

  • Lilienmar I was the eldest son of Theomar I and is best known for calling the first Diet of the Unionist faith in the wake of his father’s death.
  • His rule oversaw the persecution of the Evintarians by more hard-line dogmatic members of the faith in the wake of the Diet.
  • The threat of the Skagger Horde also grew in the final year of Lilienmar I’s life, but sick and infirm by that time, he could do little directly. However, it was he who declared the first Holy War.
  • Upon his death, the crown went to his eldest son who shared his name. Lilienmar I is considered worthy of little note by most, but he is worthy of being known as a failure in some respects for allowing Unionist religious violence to begin during his rule and taking no action to stop it. Those who see this negatively believe this set a precedent to allow Unionists to war with one another without reprisal.

Lilienmar II (69-79 AC)

  • Lilienmar II was the eldest son of Lilienmari I and is best known for overseeing the beginning of Regalia’s broader expansion beyond the border regions of the old Regalian Kingdom.
  • He directly sought to annex further territory from rival nations or local tribes, and many believe it was him over any other ruler who began the long march of the Regalian Empire to conquer all of Corontium.
  • He also pushed a project to reinforce various ports across the Regalian Empire to prevent their attack by Velheim marauders and continued the weaving of Unionist faith into the levies for the ongoing Holy War.
  • Lilienmar II died childless, and the crown went to his younger brother, Henri I. He is broadly viewed as a capable Emperor, but one who was ultimately eclipsed by Emperors and events soon to follow his reign.

Honorable Henri I (79-96 AC)

  • Henri I was the second son of Lilienmar I and the younger brother to Lilienmar II. He was the first Emperor to be educated and raised as an Ithanian but was also educated as a member of the Viridian Order before he released his responsibilities and became Emperor.
  • Henri oversaw the growing push of the Regalian Empire across the south of Corontium and carried on the militarism of his predecessor, helping to found the Regalian Navy. However, Henri also lavished positions both in the military and government onto Viridian Knights, beginning a corruption that would only grow in time.
  • Henri I married Nessaria van Sherburne early into his reign, and while she initially proved a controversial match, she later ascended to godhood under the name Ness after accepting the pleas of forgiveness from the assassins of her children.
  • Henri I was succeeded by his three sons upon his death. However, their rapid demise was a horrible event unrepeated until many years later. He is praised as a militant man today, but also one blind to the flaws in those around him.

Years of the Three Emperors (96-99 AC)

  • The Years of the Three Emperors was a horrific time, and saw the deaths of all three of Henri I’s sons within quick succession of each other.
  • Bartholomeaux I was the eldest and loved the arts more than anything. Carvallais I was the middle child and was more focused on military matters. Young Maxelle I took after Bartholomeaux, but specifically loved music most out of all the arts.
  • How all three died is a mystery, beyond the established fact of assassination (the records, while confirming the event at the time, have since been lost). The killers of each murder finally came forward after Maxelle’s death in the reign of Leomar I and pleaded for mercy from Ness, which she granted. However, it has long been suspected that certain Viridian Knights of that era were the men behind the payments to these killers.
  • None of the Emperors had any children of their own, and the throne passed to their youngest sibling, Leomar I. History has judged all three as victims of politics and jealousy, with many elaborate plays and writings exploring the tumult of these three years in the decades since.

Leomar I (99-114 AC)

  • Leomar I was the fourth son of Henri I and was initially kept in seclusion. When he left this state of affairs, he was found to be a proud, military-focused man who favored the Viridians in all things.
  • His time spent in the military was largely logistical, ensuring conquered regions had rebuilt defenses and that borders were similarly secure. Just like his father, he also lavished positions on Viridians at all levels of government and military life.
  • The Holy War against the Skaggers had long stalled, and despite urges from the Wirtem population now coming under the auspices of Regalian control, little was done to push against the Horde.
  • Leomar I’s title went to his eldest son, Justeux I, upon his death. History has deemed Leomar as little more than a Viridian puppet, left alive as the most pliable of the heirs, and sadly blind to their abuses of power, or avoiding any address of them for fear of his life.

Justeux I (114 AC)

  • Justeux I was the eldest son of Leomar I and matured during the Years of the Three Emperors.
  • Now in power, and naturally suspicious of the Viridians, Justeux I began the process of opening up an inquisition on the murders of his kin, with the emphasis squarely placed on finally learning the identities of those who had bought the killers to perform their crimes.
  • However, he died abruptly while away from the capital city in a “fall from his horse” despite the young man being considerably well-skilled in horsemanship.
  • Justeux I had one son, but they were passed over for Justeux’s younger brother, the young man crowned Henri II. Despite their name, there is sadly little justice in the fate of Justeux, and their own efforts to find it were fruitless in the face of the Viridian conspiracy.

Hedonistic Henri II (114-121 AC)

  • Henri II was the younger brother of Justeux I and the second son of Leomar I. Perfectly aware of the power firmly behind, around, and guarding the throne itself, Henri II slipped into debauchery and hedonism as a distraction from his lot in life.
  • However, the comfort he found in the arms of his close companions, the fine foods, and more, seemed to have gradually corrupted him, and he sought to placate the Viridians by throwing grand parties with them as attendees.
  • The circumstances of his death are highly mysterious and involve him supposedly choking to death on a grape at an Imperial Gala, in full view of dozens of nobles. No Viridian guards are said to have been in attendance for the event, instead situated outside, but it has long been suspected that the Viridians killed Henri II in a power move, in full view of those in attendance.
  • Henri II had two daughters by his wife, but also a bastard son from an affair years prior. Henri II has been judged harshly in the past, but modern history has revised that while he was certainly liberal with his affections for the opposite sex (supposedly at least six other bastard children existed), many scholars now believe his plunge into the depths of slothfulness was an act to dull the Viridians and lull them into a false sense of security. The tactic did not work, and his heir took a far different tact to handling the Viridians.

Blessed Henri III (121-166 AC)

  • As the eldest son of Henri II through an affair with an unknown woman, Julvus (crowned Henri III) was raised away from court, and it is strongly believed House Kade influenced his adolescence and young adulthood.
  • Upon coming to the throne, Henri III worked swiftly to dismantle the Viridian Order’s control over the Imperial Seat. In 122 AC, the Viridian Coup Attempt was launched to stop his plans but miserably failed, and within 48 hours, the Order was defrocked of its greatest powers, spending several decades afterward working hard to win back favor and notoriety for anything honest.
  • Henri III then spent years of hard, consistent work alongside the famed Chancellor, Nicholas Kade, to repair the damage Viridian influence had imparted onto the entire Empire, and then to coordinate the annexation of many new lands for the Empire.
  • Upon his death, Henri III was declared a god of Unionism and his rule is often called the Blessed Reign. This high watermark for the Regalian Empire remains well entrenched as the greatest era in the minds of most scholars.

Lilienmar III (166-174 AC)

  • Lilienmar III was the eldest son of Henri III and unlike his father’s line, was a Wirtem in upbringing. Following the Viridian Coup Attempt, he was sent as a ward to House Cadar overseeing the Empire’s new Wirtem possessions in a bid to assure his safety, and he quickly grew emblematic of the Culture.
  • Lilienmar Ivrae Heiligenblut (the surname given to Wirtem Ivrae Emperors) initially planned the destruction of the Velheim north, as his Wirtem upbringing dictated, but age and Imperial councilors tempered these notions so that by the time he ascended to the throne, he was quite cooled on the idea.
  • His reign oversaw the final days of the Skagger Horde’s power, pushing them back from almost all Wirtem territory while also incorporating the Krainivaya into Corontium.
  • Lilienmar III ultimately died of illness away from the capital, a place he seldom lived in, and he also lacked any children. The crown passed to his younger brother.

Witful Allamaria I (174-195 AC)

Emperor Allamaria's great focus on law brought stability to the Empire.
  • Allamaria I was the brother of Lilienmar III and the second son of Henri III. Also raised with House Cadar, he proved a far different ward than his brother as an irresponsible youth with many love affairs and misadventures across the Empire.
  • However, Imperial responsibility ultimately tempered him, and most peculiarly, Unionism-derived powers came to him in life. In acting as judge over trials, as a sort of personal penance for his own bending and breaking of laws across the realm in his youth, his powers allowed him to render almost perfect, accurate judgments each and every time.
  • While this skill was great, he could not sit in on every case of the Empire. However, his passion for law and justice saw him make great strides in standardizing the systems of law across the Empire, though he retained exemptions for certain regions or cultural groups with systems different from that of the Empire.
  • Allamaria I died peacefully at the end of a rich life and was succeeded by his eldest son, Handorien. A Half-Eronidas, Handorien was the beginning of the Eronidas leadership of the Regalian Empire.

Handorien I (195-207 AC)

  • Handorien I was the eldest son of Allamaria I. A Half-Eronidas, he represented a significant departure for the Imperial Seat.
  • Compared to previous Emperors, Handorien I stepped back from the everyday operations of the Empire and allowed the aging master statesman Nicholas Kade to steer the Regalian Empire as he had for decades. However, he integrated Eronidas closer in the Imperial Court, as well as contacted the various Eronidas nations across Aloria.
  • Handorien thus oversaw the aged Arch Chancellor’s death, followed the next day by his aged son, the One Day Chancellor Arnold II. He also oversaw the appointment of Dual Chancellors Cedmir I & Alexander I, brothers, though quite different from one another.
  • Handorien’s death marked the end of one of the more uneventful reigns in Regalian history, most acts or plans he had being overshadowed by the death of Nicholas Kade. However, once again like his father, he produced an Eronidas son through his Eronidas Empress. Allestrain I, however, was not Half-Eron, but full Eron due to this bloodline, and he took the throne easily with support from House Kade.

Strong Allestrain I (207-211 AC)

Alexander I (left) and Allestrain I (right) were very close, including in physical size as both men towered over the average Ailor.
  • Allestrain I was the eldest son of Handorien I and was a full Eronidas unlike his father. He had close connections with House Kade, given that his mother hailed from Anglia, and he had developed first a repour, and then romance, with Alexander the Giant (who soon became Arch Chancellor).
  • Together with the Dual Chancellors, Allestrain saw the Regalian Empire expand through military conquest, taking many of the kingdoms of Southwynd, resistant regions of Westwynd, and elsewhere, by force. To finalize such conquests, Allestrain and Alexander I’s brother and fellow Arch Chancellor, Cedmir I, oversaw the creation of the Navigation Acts to codify the Empire’s control over its holdings and political partners. Allestrain also founded the Regalian Marshalry and appointed the first Grand Marshal.
  • Allestrain’s personal life was perhaps the most notable of an Emperor. Highly unorthodox for the era, rumors abounded of him and Alexander I being engaged in a romance, while Allestrain’s wife, Eolaria Cadar, was supposedly similarly engaged in a relationship with Alexander’s wife, Leona Kade. While confirmed today, at the time, the immense physical intimidation of all four figures involved silenced any open discussion of these relationships.
  • A man who led from the front lines, and among those rare Unionist vessels blessed with his godly powers while in life, Allestrain I was said to be immune from all physical harm. He was nonetheless shockingly killed by an arrow while engaged in warfare with the Kingdom of Nordskag. As he lacked any heirs, an Ailor relative took to the throne after him, with Allestrain and his wife deified soon after.

Handorien II (211-219 AC)

  • Handorien II was an Ailor relative to Allestrain I, breaking the Eronidas lineage of Emperors. He maintained the war footing of his uncle and his close allies, but the costs from constant conflict began to mount.
  • Seeking an escape from these debts, Handorien signed the edict that decreed all Imperial and State debts voided by virtue of the Everwatcher. 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.
  • A number of old noble families went extinct in this era, replaced with military officers commonly referred to as the “Brass Blood Nobility.” Additionally, Handorien II lost his greatest allies in the Dual Chancellors when Alexander I died in war with the Nordskaggers, and Cedmir quickly resigned.
  • With the ascension of the future Golden Sun Chancellor Morgan I, Handorien was forced to abdicate the Imperial Throne, becoming the first Emperor to do so. His seat went to his son Justinian I, with Handorien later dying a quiet death during The Seasonal Emperors Period. He is broadly considered one of the most inept Emperors, too easily cowed and convinced by those around him.

Unfortunate Justinian I (219-224 AC)

  • Justinian I was the only son of Handorien II and a weak Imperial heir. However, he was a return to full Ailor blood after years of Eronidas or Half-Eronidas on the throne. Frail and sickly as a child, and prone to epileptic seizures, he was also one of the youngest Emperors to ascend to the Imperial Seat at only sixteen.
  • Despite his decently long rule, Justinian I’s sole act of note was when he signed over his religious authority to Arch Chancellor Morgan I, a man with deep control over the government and the Imperial Court.
  • With this act, Morgan I had the power to easily replace any Emperor to come, as theologically and politically, he held all of the power in the Empire. The system of Seasonal Emperors eventually followed this action, and Justinian I was pushed to near irrelevance in his own palace.
  • Justinian I quietly died (some radicals insist Morgan had the Emperor killed though this is unlikely) and without any children, the appointment of the next Emperor fell to Morgan Kade.

The Seasonal Emperors (224-255 AC)

  • The Seasonal Emperors were figurehead Emperors who sat on the Imperial Throne at the pleasure of Sun Chancellor Morgan Kade, a man who held all of the real power in the Empire.
  • From the exterior, little had changed across the Empire, as Morgan in the role of Arch Chancellor successfully explained away the repeated changes in who sat on the throne. However, internally, the power dynamic was stark, but few had enough power, will or otherwise, to stand against Morgan.
  • There were seven Seasonal Emperors, each listed as follows:
    • Handorien III was the uncle of Justinian I. He sat on the Imperial Throne from 224-227 AC.
    • Ottomar I was the cousin of Handorien III and sat on the Imperial Throne from 227-231 AC.
    • Balthezar I was the brother of Ottomar I and sat on the Imperial Throne from 231-235 AC.
    • Handorien IV was the son of Handorien III and sat on the Imperial Throne from 235-240 AC.
    • Handorien V was the son of Balthezar I and sat on the Imperial Throne from 240-244 AC.
    • Allestrain II was the cousin of Handorien V and sat on the Imperial Throne from 244-249 AC.
    • Allestrain III was the brother of Handorien IV and sat on the Imperial Throne from 249-255 AC.
  • Each and every Seasonal Emperor mysteriously vanished after what was often a minor but noticeable argument against some policy or action by Morgan, being replaced before even a full day had passed. While folktales and rumors speak of the many awful ends these men, young and old, suffered, in truth, there is little known about their fates.

Absolute Emperor Vilgemar I (255-269 AC)

Vilgemar I was a very unconventional Emperor.
  • Vilgemar I was the son of Handorien III and a brother to Handorien IV and Allestrain III. A rebellious child with a distinct dislike for authority, they were always more interested in parties and pleasant times.
  • Why Morgan Kade chose them to next succeed the throne is a mystery, as it proved a foolish error on his part. He might have assumed that “Vilgy” could be pacified and kept out of his affairs through parties, but instead, Morgan ended up executed during an Imperial Diet after the two shared a heated argument over Vilgemar’s appointment of their Viridian brother as an Imperial Guard.
  • The abrupt, unforeseen end of Morgan Kade saw no Kade Chancellor for the early years of Vilgemar’s rule. They spent the rest of their reign freeing thousands of slaves, hosting celebrations, and fetes, and overall having an ecstatic time. However, their considerable spending, and the uprooting of Morgan’s many corrupt cronies, gradually began the decline of the Empire’s economy. He was forced to reinstate a Kade as Arch Chancellor, Aliandre I, a woman who worked herself to the bone in tireless dedication to her task.
  • Vilgemar I’s death marked an end to the constant party. They were followed to the Imperial Seat by their eldest son, Justinian II. Many modern overviews of Vilgemar’s reign find it impossible to avoid their role in starting the Regalian Pessimism, though the praise they earn for ending the reign of Morgan Kade is often quite high.

Righteous Emperor Justinian II (269-302 AC)

  • Justinian II was the eldest son of Vilgemar I and came to the throne young with plenty of ambition. However, his grand plans were cut out from under him when the Drachenwald Crisis lost him both his (admittedly dithering) Arch Chancellor Norn Kade, and much of his Imperial power in favor of the oligarchical Regalian Senate.
  • Forced to sit on his hands and rubber stamp pointless legislation for years, Justinian successfully plotted with Norn’s son, Moriarty Kade, to change the status quo. This came through the Chrysant War, and by the end of the conflict, the Emperor successfully abolished the Senate much to the relief of every non-Senator across the Empire.
  • Justinian II’s remaining life was spent in a flurry of activity, passing the Tenpenny Act to begin the professionalization of the military, and engaging in a more active foreign policy. However, the topic of succession began to loom. After the great personal tragedy in the Undead Scare robbed him of all three sons, and with the death of his brother, Charles, in 286 AC without a male heir, the male line of House Ivrae was extinguished.
  • Shortly before his death, Justinian II signed the Imperial Succession Act (also known as the Kade Settlement), which allowed the passage of the Imperial title through women, 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 Regalian Pessimism, dissolved the disaster that was the Regalian Senate, and brought the Empire into its modern form.

Kade Emperors

Alexander I (302-305 AC)

  • Alexander I was the first Emperor of the Kade Dynasty to ascend to the throne and was Regal Anglian in his upbringing. He was given an excellent and worldly education, with friends of all Races and origins found across the Empire due to travels undertaken in his younger years.
  • During his first tenure as Emperor, Alexander oversaw many liberal reforms to society, an action which angered many traditionalists and conservatives in various parts of the Empire.
  • Alexander also oversaw several conflicts, the first being the L'Elvellen War and the last being the conflict against the Bone Horrors. While not adverse to the military, his favoritism of intellectuals and diplomats saw a Wirtem-centered coup attempt against his throne, but this was quickly thwarted.
  • While the crisis was averted, Alexander I chose to step down after establishing that the current Emperor could select their successor instead of passing it to their eldest son. He chose his brother Cedric for the role, soon titled Cedromar I, and retired from public life.

Soldier Emperor Cedromar I (305-306 AC)

Cedromar I was close friends with Imperial Guard and controversial figure Tristan Lampero, later Kade through marriage into the Imperial Family. Their lives are matched by their deep complexity, and their mutual impact on the modern Empire.
  • Cedromar I was the brother of Alexander I and a son of Moriarty Kade. Raised like his older sibling though of a very different mindset, Cedromar was a short, wild youth with many misadventures. These traits remained into adulthood and his time as Emperor.
  • One of the most aggressive and temperamental Emperors in recent memory, Cedromar was a warrior leader through and through. His reign saw countless conflicts start and end, from the Second Songaskian War to his expedition abroad to Jadeheart to fight the Akula.
  • His short tenure came to an abrupt end seemingly of his own choice, though some today believe he was influenced by his discovery of latent Draconic power in his veins, as he became known as the Dragon Emperor, able to transform at will into such a being.
  • Cedromar I was the first openly homosexual Emperor but did have children as part of doing his Imperial duty. However, he chose not to select a replacement from their number and left the throne open. His time as Emperor is so recent, that judgements remain hard to come by, but the consensus is that he was a relatively good, albeit unconventional, ruler for the Empire.

The Interregnum (306-307 AC)

  • The Interregnum was a year-long period where the Imperial throne remained vacant. The period saw a State Council manage former Imperial affairs but came to an end following the strange Mist Crisis that afflicted Anglia. Alexander I was able to reclaim the throne in 307 AC.

Rethroned Alexander I (307 AC-Present)

  • Alexander I’s second reign has so far seen him be more hands-off compared to his first. The Imperial Family has grown in importance as a result, with its various factions championing different causes, with consensus among them often seeing the Emperor act in their interest.
  • However, since 310 AC, the Emperor has been missing. Revealed to have been replaced by a Slizzar during the invasion of the City of Regalia by the Bralona, searches abroad turned up no clues or threads to follow on his possible whereabouts.
  • While the Imperial Family has now fallen into an intense political squabble as Alexander’s throne is once again seen as vacant, they are not so bold as to declare him abdicated. Many subjects of the Empire today still hope for Alexander’s return, either to end the deteriorating politics or simply to ensure a great leader and icon of faith is restored to safety.

Trivia

  • History has unfortunately little to say on most of the Empresses of the Regalian Empire. While never “invisible,” most were women devoted to courtly matters and other duties out of sight from the public, and even most nobles. Broadly, Ivrae Emperors married one woman for their lifetime, though many had mistresses or private partners now lost to history, and the infinite realm of salacious courtly rumor.
  • Many have forgotten the considerable power the Viridian Order once wielded in the Empire, though even in their recovery to a respectable standing as seen today, they do not come close to those old days of political dominance.
  • Many believe today that Morgan Kade’s most effective method for disposing of the Seasonal Emperors was having his pet Marken, Narsil, eat them. Such a horrible end is unthinkable today, but this rumor, combined with many incidents over the decades since, has resulted in potent anti-Marken sentiment in most regions of the Regalian Empire.

Accreditation
Writers HydraLana
Artists MonMarty
Processors MantaRey
Last Editor Firefan96 on 03/3/2024.

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