The Forming of the Empire

At the dawn of the Fubarnii Empire the fubarnii were scattered across the continent of Anyaral. They hid in natural caves, dug holes and tunnels beneath the ground, or stayed in small mobile groups to avoid predation from the hungers of the devanu. The devanu initially ruled over all the lands in small packs, hunting unwary fubarnii for food or sport, much as they would the other beasts that roamed the lands. However, over time the devanu learned to train and use all manner of beasts. Some of the devanu saw that the fubarnii could be useful and they came to enslave the fubarnii, forcing them to build and create that which the devanu primal minds and vicious claws could not. That was the time when the devanu forced the fubarnii to build great towers to show their prowess and to mark their territories as their own. The fubarnii lived as slaves for countless generations. The powerful devanu tribes had their slaves build towers that grew ever taller and more impressive. Industrious fubarnii weaponsmiths proved their value by building forges and crafting beautiful armour and weaponry to placate their masters. There are true horror stories from that age, like that of Arak Amora the Glutton, but Empire historians generally agree that for the most part the devanu were not cruel masters. They left the fubarnii to live in the shadow of their towers, even going so far as to protect them from other predators, treating them much as we would our precious livestock.

But not all our ancestors were happy as slaves. There were those who wanted to tear down the masters from their towers and to live in freedom. One of those was Gehran. Gehran was a brilliant fubarnii with a knack for chemistry who lived within the walls of one of the greatest towers in Anyaral. The tower of Tark Loren once stood where Emperor’s mighty palace and the surrounding city of Gar Loren has now grown. It is hard to say what prompted his actions, but the legends hold that he had suffered a grievous wound at the hands of a young devanu master, but as he lay in the dirt, watching his dark blood mingling with rivulets of rain that flowed past him and disappearing into the darkness between the stones of the walls Gehran’s mind began to race. The equations formed almost instinctively and soon everything he looked at was coloured by thoughts of freedom and revolution. Collecting various plants from around the tower and trading for more distant herbs and chemicals, Gehran took months to create the devices that he saw in his genius plan. He packed specific stones in the Tark Loren’s tower with explosive packets and poured sticky tar down into the structures. When his plan was ready, he smashed a torch against the stones and watched flames as tore through the tower, triggering mighty explosions that produced the most spectacular show of defiance we fubarnii had ever seen. The destruction of the tower burned and crushed the savage overlords as well as hundreds of his fellow fubarnii that could not escape. Gehran was also engulfed in the flames and fubarnii legends tell that he was carried to Enar alongside those he martyred. The fall of the first tower ignited the local fubarnii and the spirit of revolt spread like a brushfire through the warrens. Fubarnii across Anyaral began to rally against the devanu using Gehran’s brave sacrifice as an example of what they were capable of, and the cost worth paying to achieve their goal. The image of Gehran became the figurehead all fubarnii rallied under, the leaders decorating themselves in his honour when urging on their brothers and sisters.

It was at this time that Dimor the first rose to prominence. He rose up calling the fubarnii together in Gehran’s name. Dimor’s warriors turned the disorganised mobs into an army, the downtrodden fear into zealous hatred. A core of well-trained warriors gathered around Dimor on a crusade to oust the former masters. With their massive weight of numbers, the fubarnii destroyed tower after tower, sending the once mighty predators fleeing before them. The lands once held by the slavers were soon controlled by the former slaves. The tall towers built on labouring backs were toppled, the resulting rubble left as a reminder to future generations. Their hold on the continent broken, scattered remnant bands of devanu scooped up what fubarnii captives they could and fled to the far corners of Anyaral, fighting bitter battles wherever they tried to claim new territories. Dimor was heralded as the true leader of the fubarnii and the rest of his lifetime was spent organising the families and warbands into a new civilisation of larger clans. These newly founded clans numbered thirty-seven, each granted a protectorate of land to tend and call their own. From the coasts of the Gethlon Sea and the dark forested stretches of Naralon, to the dangerous sprawl of the Argoran Wastes and the icy passages of the Setir Mountains… it all belonged to the fubarnii. Each clan was given a titled leader, all of whom answered to the pinnacle leadership of the entire culture - the first liege lord of the Fubarnii Empire, Emperor Dimor the First.

Under the rule of the Emperors who have followed Dimor, the fubarnii have become the undisputed lords of the continent. However, the devanu still lurk on the outskirts of the Empire or within the depths of the Argoran Wastes, their savage families occasionally growing strong and bold enough to risk raids on outlying settlements, ever a threat to the unready. To counter this persistent threat, the Knightly Orders station their knights throughout the Empire, their sole purpose to ensure that all devanu shall perish if they choose to threaten the lands of the Emperor.