The Ironian Empire lasted from approximately 5,000 DE to 2,000 DE.
From "Legendary Empires" Joachim Brandolian, 48 NDE. There are a handful of copies of this book located in Ximes (Anverone ) and Halos. This book is forbidden in the Great Republic . See also: the Great Book Burnings .
It was said that the first city of Vheld was Irone. As the decades passed, civilization slowly advanced and other cities began appearing in the fertile land. It wasn’t long before explorers, and then settlers, were traveling the seas to distant lands. This peaceful period of expansion could only last so long.
When Pantrus I, then King of Irone, witnessed the rich es of the port city of Molese growing more vast than his own he launched a viscous attack and conquered the city. Thus began The Annexation Wars which quickly spread across the continent of Orulon. After 400 years of bitter war, King Caelis IV or Irone crowned himself Emperor of the Ironian Empire. Save a few pocket of resistance, all Orulon was his. It did not take long for the Ironian Empire to consolidate its power. Within the span of three Emperors the chaotic and war-torn provinces were rebuilt and retooled to support the Imperial machine. A parliament wa s created and filled with nobles from each province in order to let the Emperor know the needs of his people.
Slavery, a common practice since the birth of cities, became and Imperial mandate in order to insure that labor was both cheap and plentiful. Life in the Empire was fairly good if you weren’t a slave…food was plentiful, disease was less frequent, and banditry was all but eliminated by Imperial patrols. Nobles and the rich led heady, decadent lifestyles f illed with fine foods, opulent goods, and rich drinks.
During the Annexation Wars, the wayward colonies and settlements were all but forgotten. With their new independence, these cities grew into c ountries and nations. Some fought their own wars while others dwelt in peace, seeking knowledge among the many and varied lands. The one thing they all had in common was their love for their new independence.
And so, 700 years after the beginning of the Annexation Wars, the Ironian Empire turned its attention to its abandoned colonies. Scouting parties were sent far and wide, but attempts at diplomacy almost completely failed, as few of the colonies wanted to be back under the iron boot of the Empire. In response the war furnaces were ignited, soldiers were mustered, and entire fleets were built on a ll coats of the as the Empire prepared for conquest.
The Empire was confident that th is war would be over quickly once the Free Lands witnessed the power of the army, the power of their navy, and the power of their newfound weapon…sorcery . The Free Lands would have been crushed quickly indeed had the Ironian Empire taken its time and attacked each land in turn with grea t force. So confident were they, however, that they spread themselves too thin. Their initial invasion gave them footholds in many of the lands and from their they launche d their assaults on the strongholds of the colonists. The first met success, but soon the supply lines could not s upport their efforts.
The fighting eventually reached a stalemate: the Ironians could push no further and the Free Lands could not completely oust the invaders. The Ironians moved fast to better manage their logistics and turned the captured cities into fortresses. Those they captured were sent back to Orulon as slaves.
After years of in tense fighting along the newly drawn borders, the Free Lands finally gained the upper hand…they had learned the secrets of sorcery from a captured Ironian. Led by the charismatic hero, Nisius, the nation of Pravono first drove out the Ironians from his lands. Soon, they were being defeated across the globe until they were fo ced to return to Orulon. Thus ended the First War of Refusal.
The next century and a half were relatively peaceful as the Free Lands rebuilt and
flourished. Great works were done across the globe as the art of sorcery was mastered
and put to use. Still wary of the Empire, many cities and nations banded into
confederations for their mutual protection.
When the Ironians returned, the very heavens shook. Huge armies equipped with strange
siege weapons and flying navies assaulted th e Free Lands in a lightning strike. Within
weeks they had many of the smaller nations under their control. Within months, even the
largest of confederations were under siege and struggling for their very survival. The
Ironians were unstoppable.
The Empire would have stood victorious too, if not for The Great Retreat.
It was said that at the first battle of the Second War of Refusal that the worst was made know…Horrors were being unleas hed into the world. These Creatures were composed of pure malevolence. Encounters with these Horrors were rare at the beginning of the war but their menace grew with the passing months. After much study, the sage Marcelin of Irone realized that the imbalance that brought forth this “Scourge” would first become far worse, but should eventually reach a crescendo and then equilibrium. His studies al so revealed that Horrors were unable to pass through True Earth. Planning for a uncertain future, Marcelin devised a great underground retreat that would last for centuries. Being a benevolent man, Marcelin spread his message even to the Free Lands in the hope of preserving the knowledge and lives of all peoples. For this treason he was put to death.
Marcelin's message took deep roots in the Free Lands, but in the Ironian Empire was deaf. Many Ironians went to the Free Lands in a self imposed exile.Across the land, the people carved underground homes for each city, town, and village that heeded the advice of Marcelin. Sages taught communities how to survive underground and constructed artifacts that would shed light from darkness and pull water from deep within the earth. Each of these Cairns was also given a device that could let them gauge when it was safe to return to the world above.
The Ironian Empire fell under the presence of the Horrors. What happen then, no one knows. The onec fertile lands of Orulon became the Ironian Badlands
Now, Irone is home to little more than an empty landscape of scorched earth and dozens of warring city-states dot the landscap. The people of Irone are uncivilized and savage, showing little of the vast civilization and intelligence their empire once possessed.