Ahlm-Ahri Empire

Founded in 70 AB under First Emperor Agustov Ahlm-Ahri, the Ahlm-Ahri Empire is currently the largest realm on the continent of Medehra. “The Empire,” as it is known by most of Medehra’s inhabitants, was born during a time of great fear and unrest.

Winstinius the Cruel earned his infamous title by experimenting with dark magic on the people of western Medehra. Various noble families of Medehra’s Western Kingdoms sent warriors and mages to confront the dark sorcerer. None came back. Mounds of melted armor can still be found across the western plains of Medehra.

A local mage named Selemerius sent himself thousands of miles east to the continent of Mur La’Gasee via a dangerous teleportation spell. He sought out the great Daya the Benevolent, a supposed demi-god worshipped by the La’Gaseean people. Selemerius explained the dire situation in Medehra and the threat Winstinius posed. Daya listened politely and gave the weary Selemerius food and a place to rest while she went off to meditate alone.

No one knows what Daya saw or experienced during her meditation, but she called her closest friends together at her tower in southern Mur La’Gasee once she was done. It is unknown exactly what was said during Daya’s last address. The various interpretations of what was said that day led to the formation of many modern religions such as Daya’s Light and the more militant Order of the Second Moon. After Daya gave her final speech to her friends, she asked Selemerius to re-cast his teleportation spell. They reappeared near Winstinius’ keep.

Daya challenged the dark sorcerer to a duel at the break of dawn while Selemerius left to gather the remaining mages of west Medehra. Their battle is said to have lasted the entire day and took place across several towns. Daya used most of her energy to protect the people of Medehra while Winstinius slaughtered them, taunting her every time she saved another life. The dark sorcerer perceived Daya’s actions as weak.

Selemerius returned before sunset with a cadre of mages. The mages went to work shielding the innocent lives Winstinius targeted. This turned the tide of the battle as it allowed Daya to focus all of her remaining energy on destroying Winstinius, which she did by calling down a column of light energy from Ehra’s second moon.

Daya died from exhaustion caused by the strain of the battle. Agustov Ahlm-Ahri, ruler of the realm that would eventually become the Empire’s capital city, Crown’s Throne, decreed that Daya’s body be brought to an ancient temple and entombed within. Ahlm-Ahri issued a declaration stating that he would expand his realm and create an empire where magic would be regulated, so as to prevent another dark magic user from rising to power. Ahlm-Ahri offered Selemerius and his fellow mages important positions in the new Ahlm-Ahri Empire. The mages agreed, mainly because they did not want Ahlm-Ahri’s promise of “magical regulation” to devolve into massacres of the few remaining magical communities in Medehra.

Thus, the Ahlm-Ahri Empire began its first expansion. Several smaller realms fell to their neighbor as the Imperial war machine pushed outward. This centuries-long expansion, along with the refusal to return Daya’s remains to Mur La’Gasee, made the Ahlm-Ahri Empire a popular target for local and foreign powers alike.