Part 2: The Height of the Empire

The early centuries of the Age of Wonders marked the height of the Thessaric Empire’s dominion and brilliance.
Thessaria’s marble spires gleamed beneath the first light of dawn, its avenues alive with the steady flow of trade caravans, robed scholars, artisans at their craft, and priests offering blessings in equal measure.
The discovery and refinement of Galarium transformed not only the Empire’s magic but daily life itself — from ever-burning lanterns illuminating streets of white stone, to Galarium-powered vessels gliding across the seas and carriages propelled along imperial causeways.

The Age of Galarium and Arcane Renaissance

This golden age spanned from roughly 1500 to 1100 BU, during which Galarium became the foundation of imperial supremacy, fueling magical devices, monumental public works, and grand defensive enchantments throughout Ethelra.
Great academies in Calvessa, Célaine, and Thessaria competed fiercely to develop ever more refined arcane theories, with disciplines such as Chronurgy and Graviturgy emerging from the minds of imperial scholars.
Cities flourished, woven with magic in every facet of life — fountains that flowed unceasingly, crystalline communication networks binding distant provinces, and public conveyances powered by Galarium energy cells gliding along immaculate streets.
Control over Galarium mines and ley-adjacent territories became the lifeblood of imperial politics, with noble houses and mage orders vying for influence and control.

Shadows on the Horizon

Yet even at the zenith of its grandeur, darker forces began to take root beneath the Empire’s polished surface.
The lure of immortality and forbidden knowledge tempted ambitious mages to delve into necromancy and blood magic.
From these clandestine experiments, the first vampires — the Antediluvians — were born, immortal manipulators who wove mortal affairs to their own inscrutable ends, spreading their influence like a slow poison.
Forbidden rites, hidden cults, and necromantic conspiracies began to fester in the outer provinces — especially in the untamed reaches of eastern Vashkova, where imperial banners had never flown, and no edict could purge the shadows that clung to forgotten corners.
In response, imperial paladins and zealous inquisitors rose to prominence, leading brutal purges in a desperate bid to preserve the Empire’s soul.

Strain Beneath the Splendor

Noble houses became entangled in webs of secret pacts with arcane circles and, in some cases, with forces that should never have been courted.
Mage orders, once dutiful, grew increasingly insular and arrogant, jealously guarding their secrets and political leverage.
Rumors whispered of Triad cults enduring in secret, sowing distrust and quiet sabotage along the Empire’s vast frontiers.
Philosophical and moral debates over the practice of blood magic and necromancy fractured unity within Thessaric society — with some demanding absolute suppression, and others championing the pursuit of forbidden knowledge, no matter the cost.

"At the height of its glory, the Thessaric Empire stood as a beacon of magic, commerce, and law… but beneath the marble arches of Thessaria and the golden banners of Myranthus, ambition festered, and corruption stirred. The first cracks had begun to form."