The Jadean Cataclysm[]
The Jadean Union was a once mighty magical empire in the Western Jadess, chief rival of the Western Horizon Empire, which imploded sin of its own hubris. Before it's untimely collapse the Jadean Union represented the pinnacle of magical, technological, and cultural advancement within the world of Aetherea. Around the same time that the Horizon Empire was collapsing in the Eastern Jadess, the Jadean Union met with a yet to be explained supernatural cataclysm the caused its highly centralized regime to collapse, its legions to evaporate, its cities to hollow out and its foreign connections to abruptly cease. Those who now traverse its heartland find an apocalyptic landscape of scorched, fractured earth, hazy, choked skies - a preternatural miasma enveloping the contours of the land.
Several legends persist as to why the Jadean Union met its untimely tragedy - all center around the common thread of hubris. The Jadean Union flew too close the sun and got burned.
Mageoclasty[]
One legends lays blame at the feet of a great council of magi that ruled over the Jadean Union. While the Union's government from its imperial era is not well understood (most of records being destroyed in the Cataclysm), high ranking magi are well attested visiting the courts of it's international rivals, especially the Blue Elven City of Lume and the Eastern Horizon Empire. It is said that the Council of Magi became divided into factions and a great civil war ensued, unleashing world-breaking power as the factions strove to wipe out their rivals - proving all to potent and effective. The spells deployed being so powerful that they scared the very fabric of existence - which sages say explains why some high level spells that were once common places are difficult, if not impossible in the present day.
Planarclasty[]
Another legend credits demise of the Jadean Union to a great transplanar rift that unleased untold destructive energy upon its heartland. Some variants of this legend describe it as a blast of planar energy issuing forth from the rift, subsuming all in its path. Other variants describe it as an indominable extraplanar horde (sometimes hellish, sometime abyssal) spewing forth to destroy everything in its wake. The common thread the planar tear was created by ambitious leaders plotting for control of the realm and unleashing more than they anticipated. This is held up as an explanation why rogue fiends still commonly curse the land, blight its fauna and flora, and plague its people to this very day. Sages often compare this legend to the confirmed demonic upwellings that occured around in the same era in Alamastra, known as the Rivenwar Upheavals.
Dracomachy[]
The Jadeans are remembered as great society mages and dragonmasters. Famous legends abound concerning it's dragonriders, drake air cavalry units and its feared Dragon Carriers - skyships that acted as mobile, airborne dragon ayries. Another popular legend is that their dragons turned against them and scourged the empire before migrating to Mount Celestia and submitting as vassals to the Dragon Emperor, himself. Some versions even go so far as to claim the dragon armies of Mount Celestia intervened in the conflict magnifying the destruction a thousand fold. This is supported by the remains of the Trogan Kingdom that exists to this day in the wreckage of the Jadean Union. The Trogans passionately disavow the suzerainty the Dragon Emperor of Mount Celestia and the Brood Sire of Thangodrim for the woes these rulers are said to have visited in their kind in times forgotten. Sages often compare this legend to the confirmed dragomachy that occurred in during the throwing down of Thangodrim - one of Morgoth's chief strongholds. In this instance, Morgoth created his own lineages of dragons which when to war against Mount Celestia.
Theomachy[]
Rival empires, such as the Alamastran, Horizon or Amyran knew the Jadeans by the pejorative phrase Illunambas, which roughly translates to Idol Smashers, God Killers. And arch magi frequented these imperial courts bearing grandioso, blasphemous surnames, such as Godsbane, Uncreator, Iconoclast and the like. A popular set of legends centers around how the Jadeans crossed the threshold from offense into blasphemy in their ascendance, inviting the doom of the gods upon their empire. Most variations of this legend involve the Jadeans marching to war against the gods, for instance invading one of the heavenly outer planes of existence or trying to occupy the Undying Lands of the Valar in Valinor, inviting the direct reprisals of celestial legions. Other variations describe how the Jadeans got swept up in war between the gods, perhaps by attempting to awaken slumbering or return banished evil deities. Sages hold up as supporting evidence in that to this day, no Jadean is said to be able to access divine magic - evil or good. Scholars often compare this set of legends to confirmed instances of theomachy - for instance the Fire Throne's invasion of the transplanar city of Union (which happened roughly in the age of the Jadean Cataclysm). They are also often compared to attempts by Sauron and Set to recall Morgoth from the Outer Darkness.
Mass Apotheosis[]
Several Jadeans are known to have achieved status as Greater Immortals or demidieties. Another set of legends centers around how ascending to complete godhood became a popular pursuit in Jadean high society and the velocity and scale with which apotheosis occurred created a great cosmic unbalance which unleashed the Jadean Cataclysm, effectively wiping the slate clean. A confirmed instance of something similar occurring is the Aesir sacrificing themselves to neutralize the Wild Brood near the Nord city of Witten. Sages hold up as supporting evidence of these legends that fiends that now plague the land are not of abyssal or hellish origin - instead, they are deeply rooted in the land and its people. Sages speculate that these beings may be those who failed in their pursuit of deification, or a malign after effect of their failure.
Chicxulub the World Eater[]
A small collection of legends center Jadean magi attempting to remake the world in their own image. They hoped to summon a worldseed from beyond the stars that would replant creation - instead they were answered by an extraterrestrial eldritch horror who fell from the stars, leaving a deep impact crater in the heart of the Jadean Union. Chicxulub was bent on consuming Atherea as opposed to replanting it and unleashed a plague of star spawn within the empire-wide blast radius to feast until all vitality and life were leached away. Sages hold up as evidence a confirmed, massive impact crater high in the mountains of the Jadean Union where the League of Death Lords now resides. this impact crater is so deep, it creates direct exposure to the Underdark - where the Death Lords have carved out their independent realms.
Devolution of the Crown[]
The aftermath of the Jadean Cataclysm cast this empire at the pinnacle of its power deep into a dark age of chaos and anarchy. Former centers of power collapsed as local warlords carved out localized spheres of influence, consolidated their power and imposed a new feudal order across the land. Many of the former great holds and cities reemerged as the warlords recaptured or reinhabited the ruins seeking to legitimize their rule and lay claim to imperial titles. Over the century that followed, the people of the Jadean Union did not forget their imperial legacy and the idea of a reunited empire lived on in the dreams and ambitions of these warlords grew as they into regional hegemons claiming the imperial title of Lord Seneschal. The Lords Seneschal grew weary of the perpetual anarchy sewn by the reaving and rivaly between their houses. Coming together in a great council, they attempted to hammer out an agreement between themselves to reestablish the empire and elect an emperor from among their number. As many claims were heard, it became increasingly apparent that a new solution needed to be found if the empire was going to hold together. The Lords Seneschal came up with three tiered system to hold together the empire, while preserving their rights and interests as hegemons. This new imperial system was comprised of the Small Council of Trustees, the Order of Lords Seneschal and the Order of the Baillwicks.
Small Council of Trustees[]
It was decided that the role, functions and vestments of imperial power possessed by the emperor would devolve to small council of trustees that would fulfill the governing and executive roles of the emperor, until such as time as the Lords Seneschal could agree on who should be elected. Trustees must be elected from among their number and would serve for life. The Small Council of Trustees would be a permanent standing body that governed the realm in the name of the Lords Seneschal (which would only meet from time to time to take up major questions of the realm). This Small Council had existed in the days of the empire and had advised the emperor and ran day to day government - so had historical precent and legitimacy as an institution. Over the next century following the reconsitution of the imperial system under the Lords Seneshal, the Small Council became the permanent executive body of the empire and Trustees became as imperial viceroys and regents holding imperial power in trust until the day a conscenus emperor might be elected. Trustees took on imperial roles such as, Master of Ships, Imperial Treasurer, Grand Marshal, etc.
The Order of Lords Seneschal[]
The Lords Seneschal formally enshrined their role in the imperial system by constituting themselves as an order of high peers of the realm that would come together in a parliment to consent to major questions of the realm. They assumed the role of electors of Trustees and retained the right to raise revenue for the imperial treasury, declare war and ascent to treaties with foreign powers. Individually the Lords Seneschal each continued to reign over their regional hegemony with near complete sovereignty over their region.
Bailiwicks & Bailiffs[]
The third key piece of the reconstituted imperial system was the requirement that each Lord Seneschal cede to the Small Council of Trustees a former imperial stronghold within their hegemony to hold in imperial trust as an assurance against insurrection and commitment to maintaining the imperial peace. These ceded strongholds became known as Bailiwicks and were placed under the command of an imperial functionary known as Bailiff. The Baliwicks were constituted into a third order of the ream, with the Bailiffs gathering in council to assist with key annual activities of the imperial government, such as census, tax and mustering to arms. Bailiffs were appointed by the Small Council of Trustees and served at their pleasure. They could be appointed from any of the peoples of the Jadean Union, but tradition dictated that they were appointed from among the people who resided in and around the imperial Bailiwick.
Sizzling Dragon[]
The Sizzling Dragon is all that remains of wreckage of former imperial capital. In imperial times, it was a humble stone alehouse. During the anarchy that followed the Jadean Cataclysm - it was occupied, fortified and expanded, being one of the few stone structures still standing in the city. During the two centuries of anarchy and reconstituion, the Sizzling Dragon grew into a major holdfast and center of commerce. In the present day, it is a bustling walled city, built among the imperial ruins with a mighty holdfast at its center and a large guildhold where the Jadean Merchants Guild is headquartered along with its private army of mercenaries.
Dwarven Wall[]
North of the Sizzling Dragon, there are the ruins of a once mighty wall, built to guard a major mountain pass that served as one of the main approaches to the imperial capital. This ruin has been reoccupied, repaired and reinforced by a might clan of mountain dwarves, who have built submontane strongholds into the face of the mountains on either side of the pass.
League of Death Lords[]
In the mountain plateau to the north of the Dwarven Wall lies a massive impact crater - rumored in some legends to be ground zero of the Jadean Catacylsm. The land is scarred so deeply here, that the Underdark is exposed directly to the surface. The miasma is strong and the environs cursed. Within exposed labyrinth, a cabal of liches and necromancers, known as the Death Lords, has carved out their own realm. They have ceded a portion of their Underdark domain to the Small Council of Trustees - and only the bravest Bailiffs travel their to assert the claim.
The Northern Tiers[]
To the northeast of the Sizzling Dragon, across the mountains are the remains of an imperial citadel that rises up on the eastern slopes of the mountain range in three great, fortified tiers. This massive stronghold was a major dragon keep in imperial times. The dragons are now long gone from the land, but in its reoccupation, the Trustees have established a griffon colony here and are seeking to build an air cavalry wing based in this great former imperial stronghold.
The Corridor[]
To the west of the Sizzling Dragon, south of the League of Death Lords, there is an ancient imperial highway that was a major trade corridor. It runs through a forest of Elven Ancients, massive trees revered as the ancestors of the wood elfs of this region. The wood elves have reinhabited this forest and built a living stockade to enclose and protect the imperial highway, the one safe route through their enchanted realm. This stockade has been ceded to the Trustees as bailiwick and occupied by night elf mercenaries under their employ.
The Pirate Ports[]
Far to the southeast of the Sizzling Dragon, the Pirate Ports are a series of coastal cities governed by pirate princelings. These princelings have built their own private navies which prowl on the shipping lanes of the Yamarei Ocean - having become fabulously wealthy. The princelings have ceded a key port as a bailiwick, and with it an armada of contract privateers. The fiercely independent princelings seek to protect their cities from their young, belecose neighbor, Balray.
Night Elf Realm[]
Far to the west of the Sizzling Dragon, the Night Elf Realm is on the marches of empire, bordering the Amyran Preserve. The Night Elf Realm is a dense, lightless forest ruled over by the mysterious Night Elf King - considered to be the most powerful Lord Seneschal of the realm. The Night Elves ceded the entrance fortifications to their enchanted forest as a bailiwick. It is currently occupied by a company of Night Elf mercenaries - the Trustees favored choice of mercenary troupe.
Southern Mithryl Gate[]
Directly south of the Sizzling Dragon, stands an ancient dwarven gate to a vast gem mine and city. The gate is made of solid mythryl. A clan of Silver Dwarves has reinhabited the city and brought its mines back into operation. The Silver Dwarves have ceded the gate, bastions and outer defense works guarding the approach to the city as a bailiwick to the Trustees.
The Night Elf Ruins[]
At the easter edge of the Night Elf Realm stands the massive ruins of a city that in times past was the capital of the Night Elves. A Night Elf Lord Seneschal has refortifed parts of the city and established a Night Elf colony there. A ruined city district has been ceded to the Trustees and occupied by a contingent of Night Elf mercenaries.
Western Plantation[]
To the south of the Night Elf Realm, a colony of humans has established a realm based on plantation agriculture. It is a eager customer of the Pirate Ports, buying up all of the slaves the Pirate Princelings are able to supply. Their perferred fare is orc. The planters have ceded a large plantation in the farwest of the realm to the Trustees as a bailiwick.
Citia Docia[]
To the north of the Pirate Ports, nestled against the coastal mountains, a series of cities has grown up, thriving in trade with the Amyran Empire to the south and west. These are merchant cities, run and controlled by fiercely independent merchant guilds. The Trustees invaded this realm, when it refused to cede the promised coastal city. The entire realm is now held as a bailiwick in imperial trust - giving the Trustees a stronger power base that in in the previous century.
The Ayrie[]
The Ayrie lies to the north of the Norther Tiers. This is the last place where drakes are bred and kept within an empire that was once a realm of great dragon masters. The Ayrie is a mountain stronghold ceded by the drakeriders of these mountains.
Orc Pits[]
The Orc Pits are