Aeranid Empire

Aeranid Empire
Tlāna Aerānïda (Aeranir)
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2104bnia—1266bnia
Capital	Telrhamir
Common languages	Aeranir Dalitian
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Population
1530 BNIA	58,000,000
Government	Semi-elective republic
Legislature	Senate
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Preceeded by	Aeranid Kingdom
Succeeded by	Southern Aeranid Empire, Eastern Aeranid Empire, Antine Kingdom, Fasser

The Aeranid Empire (Aeranir: tlāna aerānïda, Classical Aeranir [ˈtɬaː.na ɛːˈraː.nɨ.da]) was the post-kingdom period of the ancient Aeranid culture, consisting of large territorial holdings throughout Epehenia, Eastern Eubora, and Northern Suria, ruled by a Senate representing the Schools of Telrhamir. The Empire eventually came to an abrupt end in 1266bnia with the Collapse, which devastated central Ephenia, creating the Great Desert, and entrapped the capital within the impenetrable Wall of Severence. There were some efforts made by the remains of the Empire to reconsolidate power, however these attempts disintegrated as local landlords, administrators, and tribal councils rose to power. In the south, the so-called 'Southern Aeranid Empire,' made mostly of Anderian tribes, devolved into a loose confederacy of constantly warring feudal states. Fyrdan invaders from the north flooded south, conquering much of Vall under the Antine Kingdom in 1140bnia. The Empire in Eubora and Suria lasted longer, holding out as the Eastern Aeranid Empire, until 827bnia, when its capital, Heirotophia, was taken by Fasser.

The previous Aeranid Kingdom began some time in the 23th or 24th century bnia, with the founding of the city of Telrhamir, although the exact date is unknown. The monarchy was overthrown in 2104bnia, and replaced with a Senate representing the ten Schools of Telhramir. As the Empire expanded under Senatorial rule, the number of Schools increased within the city, and subordinate School systems were adopted in the conquered territories. Eventually, one School, Motus Soniae, grained predominance through strategic intermarriage and through their leaders' successful military campaigns. In 1595bnia Cava Iliana enacted the Small Coup, enacting laws limiting Senate membership to Motus Soniae members. From there the Empire came to resemble a semi-hereditary single-party state. This continued until the Collapse.

Due to the Aeranid Empire's vast extent and long endurance, its institutions and culture left a profound influence on the territories it governed, as well as outside of its borders, across all Avrid. Its language evolved into the Aeranid languages spoken throughout Ephenia, Eubora, and Suria. Aeranir has also remained an important language for art, philosophy, science and administration.

Religion

The Dim and the Rham

Aeranid religion distinguished broadly between two sets of gods; the Dim, or earthly gods (Aeranir: dīment), and the Rham, or celestial gods (rhament). Of the two, the Dim were much more frequently referred to and called upon in daily life and worship. They are associated mostly with nature, natural phenomena, places, animals, and peoples. The Rham however represented more abstract, cosmic forces, and were generally associated with heavenly bodies. They were understood to dwell in the stars, and were mostly occupied with cosmic matters.

There existed a third category as well for God’s that didn’t precisely fit into either the Dim or the Rham. These generally represented abstract and wumbo-centric concepts, such as love, justice, or war. They were called the ‘High Dim’ (dīment pactunt), or the ‘Half-Rham’ (tarrhïment).

This split is theorised by some to suggest the syncretism of two or more separate, earlier traditions amongst the ancestors of the Aerans. As the theory goes, the Dim descend from the gods worshipped by Maro-Ephenians migrating into Iscaria from Eubora, while the Rham descend from the religion of the earlier inhabitants of Iscaria. As the two groups intermingled and merged, so too were their religions combined. Critics of this theory point out that many of the basic beliefs and deities associated with the Rham are found in many other Maro-Ephenian cultures without the Dim/Rham distinction, suggesting these elements could not have originated in Iscaria. Proponents argue that these Early-Iscaric beliefs may have been more widespread than previously assumed, that they may have spread throughout Maro-Ephenian cultures after initial contact, or that many of the beliefs of the Maro-Ephenians were reanalysed and grafted onto the Early-Iscaric religion.

Creation myth, and the battle with Destruction

The fundemental focus of Aeranid theology was the battle between the universal forces of creation and destruction. Before the beginning of time, there was a massive battle between these two forces, with the Rham leading creation, which creation eventually won, casting all destruction out of the universe, however at a great loss of numbers. King of the Rham, Ixor, gathered the remaining Rham, and made his court in the centre of the universe, Satercas (satercās). From there they oversaw the creation of the universe as it is now known, and ruled over it. For a time, the universe was an absolute celestial paradise, however as time went on, the Rham became more and more powerful, and the greatest among them, including Ixor, were crushed under their own gravity, and gave into gluttony and desire. Through them destruction reentered the universe, and the remaining Rham again took up the battle against their former kings. However, with their ranks depleted, they were pushed out of Satercas, and unable to put up more than a stalemate against Ixor.

In one attempt to strengthen their ranks, the Rham decided to increase their numbers by seeding new creation outside of Ixor's reach. They sent out one among them, the sun god Odesser, away from the frontlines, to the lifeless planet of Avrid. There he used his power to create basic life on Avrid, giving rise to the Dim as well. He worked together with them to create more complex life, eventually creating intelligent wumbo, who could create for themselves new things even the gods could not imagine. It became the duty of the gods to cultivate wumbanity, so that one day it would be powerful enough to join the battle in the centre of the universe and defeat Ixor.

Because of Ixor's influence, all creations must eventually decay in time. This decay was seen as contrary to the fundemental force of life, aenun (aēnun), and objects or beings resistant to time's decay were considered to have more aenun than those that decayed quickly. Thus, under this concept, inanimate objects like rocks or trees are considered to be more alive than living things like wumbo and animals. However, many of these resistant beings were not particularly creative. These were considered eternal. The ideal was something that could create more than it was, or multiply itself, before it succumbed to time. These things were considered cyclical, or reproductive. Finally, things that easily succumbed to time were called temporary. This distinction was of the upmost important to Aeranid culture, and it can be found repeated across all aspects of Aeranid thought, including linguistics, where these distinctions gave rise to the names of the Aeranir grammatical genders.

The foundation of Telrhamir

According to Aeranid legend, the first Aerans were nomadic cast-outs from nnearby tribes, wandering through the arid regions of northern Iscaria in search of a place to settle. Arriving at a large mesa, their leader, Rhamanus, climbed it, and at its top beseeched the gods to show them a place where they could make a home. Their prayers were answered by Odesser, who told Rhamanus to build their city atop the mesa. Odesser then carved the river Traedus into the land beneath it, so that the city could be sustained. He told Rhamanus of the war in the center of the universe, and instructed them to use this city to cultivate wumbanity so that they would be ready when they were called upon to fight. Rhamanus was made the first king of this new city, which they called 'Telrhamir,' meaning 'mesa of the celestial gods' (Aeranir: tēlrhamir).