Emperor Arudor

The twelfth Emperor.

At the political and social centre of the Fubarnii Empire, Gar Loren, the self proclaimed greatest city in all Anyaral, pulses with power and opulence. Thousands of fubarnii live and work in the magnificent buildings and labyrinthine caves beneath the external splendour. Hundreds of thousands more travel from the outskirts of the Empire to make their fortune or to soak in the atmosphere and history emanating from within the city’s huge fortified walls.

At its heart, on the ruins of a once great devanu tower, stands the Emperor’s palace. An outstanding architectural achievement when built by the third Emperor, successive rulers have continued to build ever more elaborate towers, extensions and gardens to make their everlasting mark on its history. Only one part of the palace can never be touched, the huge and echoing Gehran Hall is the most important location in the whole of the Empire. It was here that the original clans came together and divided up their newly won kingdom. Now raised at its centre and overlooking the finely crafted map of Anyaral inlayed into the floor stands the Emperor’s throne. The current incumbent, Arudor, the twelfth Emperor, sits forward intently, his eyes fixed upon map of Anyaral and reflects upon his latest decision.

At the northern most reaches of the Empire lies the beginnings of the vast, frozen and foreboding Setir Mountain range. Within these virtually inhospitable surrounds live a race of grey-skinned fubarnii who call themselves the Delgon. These fubarnii have never felt the hand of the Empire, nor the enslavement of the devanu. They had never been hunted for sport, or forced to watch their kin die as they slaved to craft the fine towers for their vicious lords and masters. Instead they had lived in the safety of their icy palaces, ignored by the devanu, whose thin skins could not resist the deathly frost, and whose claws could not stand the clinging snow.

Only when the devanu were fleeing in terror from the might of the forming Empire did the Delgon truly come into contact with them. As the deposed and hungry race fell upon the outer territories, the Delgon were not prepared for the ensuing savagery and the resulting loss of life. It was then that the black-robed priests came to the newly claimed lands of the Empire demanding recompense and support from Arudor’s forefathers. Bitterness and the continued struggle with the devanu led the Emperor to send the Delgon back to their homeland without aid.

At that time the Delgon closed their borders.

Arudor would have preferred that they had stayed closed. However, at the beginning of his reign reports had started to reach Gar Loren that the black-robed priests had once again been seen beyond the Delgon borders. They spoke of the Enarii. They spoke of the Gods walking the lands of Bakahn. They spoke of the power of those Gods and how all the fubarnii must bow before them. Those that heard them laughed and sent them back to their cold mountains for they knew the Enarii would not come. The priests had now dared to come to Gar Loren and they had dared to stand before the Emperor, their black robes hiding their masked faces. They had claimed that the Enarii walk amongst them and threatened to attack his Empire. They had dared to demand that he and his Empire bow to the Gods.

The priests’ black robes are now hanging from the citadel gates, with the former occupants of those robes hanging beside them. Their mouths have been stitched shut to stop their preaching demands, although their whimpers can still be heard. Beneath their wretched, struggling forms it is written that all should know that the Fubarnii Empire has no need for false Gods.

Arudor, the twelfth Emperor, is concerned that he may have been too hasty with his response.