Kingdom of Emánuné

Emánuné [eh-MAN-oo-nay, imæn'uːeɪ] was an ancient kingdom occupying the fertile valley of the River Velun, in what is now modern Harthera.

It was an ancient Iskean theocracy, ruled by Priest-Kings. The nation existed in various forms from some time in Celadon Epoch, around 5000 BME. With the growth of the Empire of Dor-en-Sann into the east, in the 2nd century BME it became a buffer state between the empire and the Grand Palatinate of Saloya. In 128 BME political instability in the kingdom led to it became a client state of the Empire of Dor-en-Sann, and it was subsequently conquered by Saloya. The Saloyan palatines established Bahldoya (modern Vahltor) as their winter capital, which eventually became the capital of modern Harthera.

Following the fall of Traithe, refugees fled inland and up the navigable valley of the River Velun, founding cities along the way. Emanané became the greatest of them, holding sway over a vast territory, with powerful city-temples exercising authority over the many tribes of the region.

Emanuné was an elected theocratic kingdom, the king appointed from a select group of families by a conclave of priests, whose religious capital was Biyahl on the eastern bank of the Velun. A palace was built on a domed hill east of the river, the city a little to the north of it in an enclosure, fed by the rich fields that rolled down to the riverbanks. At the confluence of the rivers was the Temple Mount, an ancient religious site and centre of Emanuné religion.

By the 2960s HMplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigHirèrk Moonscale

The Hirèrk Moonscale [Hee-Rerrk] (HM) is a luni-solar calendar used at least since the time of Miyarris, which measures cycles based on the moons, solar years as well as the millennia-long cycles of global climate change. Today years HM are only seen in historic works and not considered accurate in historical accounts.HMHMepochsepochepochepochepochepochHMepochsME the kingdom was ageing and in decline, with a succession of young inept kings kept under the thumb of a gerontocracy of priests. Aggressive growth of the godless Saloya nation to the east threatened the destruction of Emanuné and its faith, and the priestly class feared war.

By the first century BMEplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigBME (Before Modern Epoch)

Used to date years Before the Modern Epoch., the grasp of the Empire of Dor-En-Sann extended as far as the borders of Emanuné. The river and surrounding viridplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigVirid

Referring to the Virid Kingdom of flora and fauna, toxic to human life. forests and marshlands had always formed a barrier to Imperial expansion, and the Velun had traditionally been the eastern boundary of the Empire for over five hundred years.

There had been peace between the Empire and Emanuné for more than sixty years, but Imperial ambassadors set about stirring up fear and suspicion against Saloya. The Empire highlighted the close religious sentiments between the two nations, and encouraged pilgrims from the downriver colonies of Alonorr (modern Harlon) to worship at Emanune religious sanctuaries, particularly at the Temple Mount. In 2972, ambassadors negotiated a treaty bringing the kingdom into union with the Empire. Like other Imperial client states, the rulership retained internal autonomy whilst paying a tax to the Empire. In return, an Imperial garrison town was built on the western bank of the river, with bridges linking the Imperial province to the kingdom. Within a hundred years the weak government had let the kingdom dwindle to essentially the status of a province, the king being reduced to nothing more than the most cursory puppet figurehead.

In 3069, perhaps fearing the Empire’s strong position, consolidating its bridgehead over the river in Emanune, the Saloyan Palatine launched a massive assault on the new province. A flotilla of barges unloaded Saloyan armies some way upriver from the new Imperial city of Bahl Dorr, just downriver from the old capital. Once unloaded, these barges, along with hundreds of captured vessels, were lashed together and set ablaze. They were left to drift downriver, preventing En-Sanni reinforcements from sailing upstream and causing panic, endangering Imperial colonies further downstream.

The Palatine’s Army fought three decisive battles. Ensanni troops were stationed in garrisons near the eastern frontier, expecting attack by land from the north and east. The sneaking his troops downriver by night, the Palatine managed to attack them from the west. A second Saloyan division followed in from the east, crushed the EnSanni force, after which six Saloyan divisions headed southwards, driving the remaining Imperial forces into the forests where they starved, were lost or fell victim to creatures and primitive tribes.

The Palatine ordered the Velun bridges destroyed and used some of the huge stone slabs to block the river, hampering enemy galleys from retreating or attacking.

In the following months Imperial forces were driven back and retreated. Reinforcements were drawn to Alonorr from the whole of the surrounding Imperial provinces, to defend the city and assemble a punitive mission. Imperial forces were stretched very thin. Harvests across the empire had failed dramatically, and there was unrest and mountain raids throughout Dor-en-Sann. Forces from elsewhere were not available.

In early 3070 a punitive force was hastily assembled which marched south into Emanuné, burning and pillaging everything on the way. The Palatine marched north to meet the enemy. Fierce fighting caused severe casualties on both sides, but the Imperial forces, though superior in number were ill-supplied and underfed, and were driven back mercilessly.

The 23rd Palatine renamed the city Vahldoya, and it became the Winter Capital of the Palatinate. While Pishahn was covered in winter snow, Vahldoya remained relatively mild, and the court settled here for the worst of the winter season. The Palatine also adopted Emanuné religious custom, taking the place of the religious kings in visiting the Temple Mount at the heart of winter, thus ensuring his authority in the eyes of the newly conquered people.

In the winter of 3101, the 24th Palatine withdrew to celebrate in the ancient royal palace. Unbeknown to him a massive Junda expeditionary fleet had landed at Nayn, a few hundred miles to the northeast, some weeks before and were ravaging the countryside. The Junda had suffered from droughts and failed crops, and so hearing that the great Palatine was nearby and relatively undefended, the Junda raided over the eastern hills. The troops were massacred and the Junda assaulted the palace, killing a large proportionate of the Palatinate’s leaders, lawmakers and generals – tearing out the heart of the Saloyan State.

In the Saloyan capital of Pishahn, news of the Palatine’s death inspired bloody power struggles between competing lords and military leaders, plunging the nation into a civil war from which it never truly recovered. The Junda returned, consolidating their position in Emanuné and attacking over the hills and upriver. For seventeen years, whilst the Saloyans fought amongst themselves, the nation was gradually eaten away on all sides. In 3118 HM, one single leader emerged as Saloyan Palatine, finally an absolute ruler to unite the nation against the invading threat. But with the collapse of the Empire in the east, and the war-weariness of the nation, the Junda were free to ravage the lands. In 3128 the capital Pishahn fell to the Chelidd, but the Palatine had already relocated the government to the mountains in the south. Though Saloya fought on for a seventy years, by 3200 the Palatinate had been conquered.