The Casain Empire
This page is for the lore book by this name, found in Athrah. For a summary of the empire itself including other sources, see Casain Empire.
This book can be found in a chest in the Athrah library, and tells a detailed history of the Casain Empire.
Coordinates¶
| X | Y | Z |
|---|---|---|
| -2725 | 54 | -1826 |
Transcription¶
The city of Athrah was founded sometime around Av2 1189 along the northern edges of the Redsteps. It was centered around the northern shores of Lake Athrah. A fierce warrior from the Zarha tribe of Southern Casai, Athrah Zarha, envisioned a grand kingdom that spanned across the Casain peninsula. The city of Athrah was the first step towards that goal.
The next phase came as tribes that were not a part of Athrah's growing kingdom were denied trade with the kingdom unless they swore fealty. After a series of skirmishes and negotiations, the Casain Empire was finally born in Av2 1255. Unfortunately, Athrah Zarha did not live to see the coronation of the first Emperor, as he perished on the final day of battle against the last resisting northern tribe.
Upon unifying, Casai under Emperor Zahad Alnah turned its newly unified attention to an ancient enemy, the tribes of Western Merijool in Av2 1445. This conflict became known as the Zephyr War, as it was primarily fought for control over the plains south of Zephyr Sound. Though rapid, the war was a resounding defeat for the young empire at the hands of a surprisingly powerful force of forest arcanists.
After the young Emperor's humiliation to the east, the clans turned south. Founding towns in the river valleys of the Ebony Veldt and along the western coastline, the only powers which prevented further expansion were the six Tharhan kingdoms and thousands of acres of marshland in the Ebony Veldt.
Yet, even this was not the zenith of Casain expansion. The next Emperor, Sazan Akhir, returned from a sojourn at the Perishing Well claiming to have heard a prophecy from Voynahla that the Six Kingdoms would die on the end of Casain spears. And so the clans would marshal once more for war.
Two forces left Casain lands seeking glory. One, led by the Emperor, his trusted guard, and most of the general soldiery, cut directly north, seeking to pass between the highlands of Nimahj and Loraga and Lake Nimahj to invade Salahnar and Erxsival. The other went to a relatively sleepy Casain port town along the western coast, Izan. Following rumors from the locals which were promptly hushed by governing officials in Izan, the company under command of General Azhar proceeded through a long tunnel which eventually opened out on an overlook high on the cliffs of Iloh. There, they set up camp next to an oasis in the center of a gigantic butte- a decision which carried huge ramifications for both the war and the course of Casai as an empire.
Months passed, and just as the war began to stall on the northern front, Azhar revealed his hand. Down from the butte in great numbers came Casain, clutched in the talons of gigantic kohlohmah. And the Tharhan Kingdom of Avakea, nestled in the oases on the desert floor, stood no chance. The next week was the deadliest in the West since the days of the Deity War. Azhar cut a bloody swathe through the heart of Tharhan. But the Emperor and his men were outfoxed at their own game, for behind the troops came a Tharhan ambush which turned the tide in that arena.
In the end, it was clear that Casai had not won. But neither had it lost everything. In exchange for peace, the newly crowned Tharhan Empress allowed Casai to keep its holdings in the Golden Sands and secured favorable trade relations between the two new Western states.
Though Emperor Sazan and many other Casain soldiers perished, the War of Unification heralded the beginning of a relatively short but extremely successful period for Casai, known today as the Casain Golden Age.