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Fact Box for Khull
🕑 Added 2023-06-14 14:00:01 +0000 UTCHere are the fact boxes for the newly-mapped region known as Khull, to the south of the Sea of Orrida.
This will be the focus of the next high-res and textless atlas map that will be published next week, exclusively for Acolyte patrons and higher followed by the normal version the week after that.
The Encyclopaedia Elyden is already updated with all the relevant entries related to the regions and their history, so you can check them out there!
Thanks all for your support :)
As always, feel free to point out typos in the comments :)
Also, sorry for the history on this one. I went a bit overboard, so its quite long... there's also quite a bit of overlap with the Templar States, to its east
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A Timeline of the Ehrenisian Coast, including Khull.
c. -800 - 150 RM: the culture of Lin Gool emerges in the northwest of Sammaea, to the west of Ehrenisian Coast, in what are today the far north of the Vespertine League, and the northwest of Khull. They settle the ancient Fourth Age hypogea that they rediscovered. Their governments are called Hypogeal Court and convene in these subterranean chambers.
c. -100 - c. -20 RM: the rise of Aeloranism in the city of Therash. The teachings of the nameless late generation halfblood prophet captures the hearts of the people of Therash, and it is rapidly adopted by people from all classes. The mystic figure, until then nameless, is affectionately named Aelor, meaning ‘wise one’ in the region’s native tongue. After some opposition from the ruling classes, the philosophy becomes widely accepted.
82 RM: The philosophy of Aeloranism has become a powerful religion, not only worshipped in the city of Therash, which has continued to grow into a major political, cultural, economic and military power, but also in surrounding regions. The original dogma of Aeloranism has been corrupted into a powerful religion to further the goals of the city-state of Therash. An edict within the church sees hundreds of people who were exiled from Therash for their beliefs.
c. 100 RM: a subgroup of people from Therash go on to found various secretive monasteries that espouse the true tenets of the faith - knowledge and understanding. They eventually become known as the Order of Epistemic Esotery. They continue to practise the dogma of Aelor, believing that Therash and the empire that would later emerge from it have corrupted the church’s beliefs to further its own goals. Over the next centuries, these monks spread with the armies of the Therashian empire, founding multiple monasteries away from prying eyes, where they can study in peace. They make little effort to oppose the corrupted version of their beliefs that fuel the church of Aeloranism, particularly as it begins to spread with the borders of Therash over the coming decades.
c. 115 - 120 RM: Soni Vaphra, a soldier from the city of Therash rallies the people of the divided city to his cause, and he becomes their leader. Over the next years, he amasses a formidable army made of a core of well-trained professionals and many conscripts and begins a conquest of the surrounding lands, forming the Therashian empire.
c. 123 –130 RM: Lin Gool is subjugated by Therashian armies, which advance purposefully from the west. It becomes a vassal and is forced to pay hefty tithes to its parent state every year that cripples it even as the Therashian empire grows wealthy.
338 RM: Lin Gool is officially dissolved by the Therashian senate and is assimilated formally by Therash, ending its over 1,000-year history. Its culture would slowly disappear over the coming decades as that of Therash surpasses it.
c. 750 RM: the peak of the Therashian empire.
c. 750 - 902 RM: the fall of the Therashian empire. The overly bureaucratic and hierarchical governmental structure begins to strain under the large size of the empire, with many distant territories and marginalised regions suffering from underfunding and lawlessness as the government struggles to maintain order. Corruption becomes rife in the capital, leading to disorder and unrest. A series of volcanic eruptions in what is now the west of the Vespertine League between 872 and 895 RM left the heartland of the empire devastated, allowing control of various distant territories to falter amid riots and starvation in the capital. Various members of the ruling council were killed in 902 RM during mass riots in the capital, which eventually led to the fragmentation of the government amid various military coups that left the remnants of the empire divided among five warlords and tyrants.
902 - c. 1050 RM: the collapse of Therash leaves the entire northwest of Sammaea in disarray. The five rival warlords war amongst themselves along the arbitrary borders of their respective domains, which none can agree upon. The entire region becomes a hotbed of conflict and barbarism over the next century, becoming particularly dangerous to travellers, which serves to isolate the resultant demesnes from each other, leading to a degradation of knowledge, technology, and culture. During this time, the region once occupied by the Therashian empire becomes known as Old Therash.
The Order of Epistemic Esotery emerges as a neutral party, largely immune from the predations of the various states, with its members travelling across broken lands of old Therash, bringing news of current events and knowledge to the beleaguered people. They become respected by the common folk and feared by the warlords, who are weary of antagonising them as it would give rival warlords an excuse to publicly oppose them. This status quo lets the Order of Epistemic Esotery to grow unchecked.
By the end of this period, the region as a whole becomes commonly known as Old Therash, and the five warring states are known as Kethar, Satí, Aelor, Inghull, and Vesper, though Vesper took longer than the other regions to stabilise.
Despite the collapse of the Therashian empire, the church of Aeloranism remains relatively strong, and it is one of the few constants over the next centuries as the region recovers from collapse. Its priests seize on this and make sure that there are fortified chapels across the area, which by now has become known as Old Therash. This ensures that the church retains its power within the states that emerge towards the end of this period.
c. 1050 - 1126 RM: outside of the confines of the church, the Order of Epistemic Esotery continues to grow. The individual monasteries are small, though they maintain close contact with each other through travel and correspondence. Their monks travel across Old Therash as itinerants, spreading knowledge and news amongst the people they encounter. The monasteries are outlawed by the Aeloran church in 1126 RM, and church troops scour Old Therash for monks of the Epistemic Esotery. When found, they are forced to convert to Aeloranism or be killed as heretics. Most monasteries are razed, but a few of the more isolated ones remain hidden and escape the fate of the others.
c. 1075 RM: monks from an isolated monastery of the Order of Epistemic Esotery in Inghull become powerful in the region, teaching history and mathematics to its people. Some settle down in its more isolated towns, becoming invaluable advisors to the regional governors. They become known as suphets.
c. 1062 - 1110 RM: a series of consecutive dry seasons leaves Inghull devastated. The region has become unstable, and by 1100 RM the government has collapsed. Most of its cities are independent in all but name, forced to fend for themselves, defending themselves against roving mercenaries who steal grain and other food to sell to the highest bidder. Idyllic weather over the next growing seasons brings stability to the region, and the situation improves, though most cities remain independent by this point.
1124 RM: the regional warlord Asiphyal gains the upper hand in Inghull and creates a stronghold outside the city of Althita, where he establishes close ties with the Aeloran church, seeking its support. He forms a strong semi-professional force of militiamen who make the land safe to travel once more.
1131 RM: Asiphyal has become an influential figure and, with the full support of the Aeloran church, is crowned king of Inghull. There is little opposition due to his past victories against the mercenaries that had been terrorising Inghull, and the added support of the church legitimises his claims. A new time of prosperity dawns for Inghull.
c. 1140 RM: The esoteric orders are granted sanctuary by the court of Inghull, allowing monks persecuted by the Aeloran church to freely enter their lands without fear of reprisal. This forms a schism between the church and the monarchy.
c. 1200 RM: the suphets have grown in influence, spreading to most settlements in Inghull. They are now advisors to the royal house, and their advice has become invaluable and they are beloved by the common folk. Some in the court fear that they may be gaining too much power. They establish a series of libraries across Inghull that they slowly fill with the spoils of their travels. They begin to travel far from Inghull, searching for books that have been forbidden elsewhere to add to their collections.
It is also around this time that the custom of sending a second son to study at the monasteries of the Order of Epistemic Esotery becomes common.
1233 RM: a suphet travelling to the isle of Jiridun discovers a cache of three meticulously preserved copper-bound vellum sheets with ancient Atramental writings. The suphet takes them to the library of Qarin Ta’ where scholars begin the long work of translating them.
c. 1235 - 1312 RM: the suphets begin to make amendments to laws in Inghull, allowing them to gain more power, unbeknownst to both the general populace and the courts of the monarchy. Their actions further weaken the Aeloran church in Inghull, which does not go unnoticed.
The crowning of King Asiphyal III (the fifth king of Inghull) in 1263 RM brings with it a new outlook. He was brought up close with the Aeloran church and immediately upon taking control of the kingdom, he calls a council of his closest advisors, though conspicuously absent are the suphets. In this council, he decides that the power of the church is to be restored, and the monasteries of the Order of Epistemic Esotery are to no longer take the second son of Inghullan families to swell their ranks. The suphets are also stripped of their autonomy and must now answer to the Royal Inquisitor - a newly-created position that is filled by the king’s most trusted lieutenant, who polices them, causing them to lose a great deal of influence.
Within a few decades, the esoteric orders begin to falter in Inghull as they did decades earlier across the rest of Old Therash. With this loss in power so to do the suphets begin to decline. The ones that remain have become corrupted through indoctrination into puppets of King Asiphyal III, who by now is an old man. They spread propaganda on his behalf, and control the flow of information across Inghull. Asiphyal III dies in 1312 RM, leaving behind a stable kingdom under the control of his adult son Asiphyal IV, who takes on his father’s mantle with ease.
c. 1410 - 1480 RM: a succession of weak leaders coupled with the chaos wrought by the crusade of the Knights of St. Malichar in 1434 RM, sees Inghull suffer. The last Royal Inquisitor dies in 1428 RM and is not replaced, and the suphets later take advantage of the crusade against their people to usurp power from the king, who by the end of this period is a puppet in all but name. They slowly siphon power from the Aeloran church, weakening its hold, while indoctrinating the people into a cult of personality surrounding the monarch and the suphets themselves.
1434 - 1441 RM: the Knights of St. Malichar crusade against the Ehrenisian coast, bringing with them hundreds of exocrines, missionaries and Iconoclasts, and thousands of faithful conscripts to fight foreign heathens. The crusade lasts for over 7 years and ends in calamity for the imperial forces in the north of Vesper when they are wiped out by a band of Vesperi berserker-mages, which for the past decades have been a scourge upon the region. The Vesperi effectively sacrifice themselves to keep their homeland free of foreign invasion. This period sees the suphets continue to wrest control from the monarchy.
1519 RM: after centuries of work, scholars in Qarin Ta’ decipher the writings of the three copper-bound books, which they discover to be a single text, its Atramental writings the key to an ancient form of shaping that is studied meticulously by the seven suphets who translate it. It becomes known as the Sorcerous Codex, and in 1473 RM the suphets publicly make their position known
1521 RM: the Royal line in Inghull is made into a ceremonial position and the suphets declare themselves Sorcerer-kings, taking control of Inghull. The monarch retains some powers, though these are largely cultural, and members of the monarchy effectively become spokespersons of the court, which is now wholly under the purview of the Sorcerer-kings, who form a council that becomes known as the Sophic Conclave. They continue to travel across Elyden in search of ancient books, though now their search concentrates more on tomes of a magickal nature that they can use for their own ends.
1631 RM: the Aeloran church is finally expelled from Inghull after years of waning influence. The Order of Epistemic Esotery is allowed to remain, though by this time it is no longer associated with the church and is more concerned with hoarding knowledge than spreading it. Its monasteries are renowned for their libraries, and though most of their collections are open to the public, their relative isolation from most settled areas makes them difficult to reach.
2136 RM: the Sorcerer-kings dissolve the monarchy and the last monarch, Queen Atris IV, steps down on winter’s eve of 2136 RM. The royal family remains as noble sycophants of the Sophic Conclave, acting as governors and leeching off of their wealth and power. They serve as middlemen between the common folk and the Sorcerer-kings, who begin to distance themselves from the people in a bid to mythologise themselves, furthering the cult of personality that was cultivated by their ancestors.
2138 RM: a new capital is established in the city of Emek Ta’, and the Sophic Conclave moves there.
2256 RM: The traveller Cy Butau arrives in Inghull from Ughten. He spends most of his life here, before heading W into Thali in 2279 RM
C. 2500 - 2600 RM: A new regime in Vesper sees it become belligerent. It begins recruiting shapers to continue the ancient tradition of berserker-mages and beings amassing a vast army. This causes Inghull to fortify its western borders, which in turn causes Vesperi diplomats to accuse it of warmongering. This is a thinly-veiled ploy to legitimise its own mobilisation.
2534 RM: following three years of planning, the Church of the Undying Machine successfully initiates a new crusade to the W of Imperial territories, focusing on the Northwest Coast of Sammaea, known as the Ehrenisian Coast. The fortified port of St. Berrea is established on the island of Reddin, where future ships laden with supplies, crusaders, and settlers would be able to safely land.
2534 - c. 2590 RM: Korachani Crusaders pour onto the mainland into Inghull and Kargama from St. Berrea and St. And respectively, attacking sites of religious or cultural importance to the natives. The first attacks target coastal areas and are largely successful, though as time goes on, the native defence coordinates a united front, with the forces of the Sorcerer-kings at the forefront, pushing the crusaders back to their island fortresses. Korachani losses are great, but the fact only serves to fuel their hatred, causing more people to take up the call to crusade over the coming decades.
2563 RM: a large shrine to the Undying Machine is built in the northeast of Inghull (later to be absorbed by the neighbouring Templar States). This becomes known as the Shrine of the Shadow Triumphant, and it serves as the centre of a short-lived beachhead from which crusader armies can muster before setting out farther south. It is protected by a well-equipped order of templar knights.
c. 2570 RM -c. 2590 RM: interest in the crusade wanes in Korachan, though people continue to sign up, lured by false hopes. Tens of thousands of Korachani people have already died in pursuit of a target that has been largely forgotten by their Church, which silently turns its attention elsewhere, allowing the crusade to peter out.
2592 RM: the shrine of the Shadow Triumphant remains guarded by Templar Knights sworn to defend it. Aided by volunteers from the Church, they establish a small settlement that become known as Inderachan. Following some minor skirmishes, envoys from the Templar Knights travel to the Inghullan capital of Emek Ta’ to seek an audience with the Sorcerer-kings. It is unknown what was said there, but a tense accord was met, allowing the shrine to coexist as an exclave within Inghull.
2607 RM: Vesperi forces march into Inghull, devastating its forces. Fortresses are destroyed by its berserker-mages and large tracts of land are claimed as its own. This leads to a pyrrhic war that drags on for decades, consuming the resources of both nations. The Sorcerer-kings are forced into battle as they are the only individuals capable of opposing the berserker-mages.
2669 RM: desperate for a reprieve from incessant Vesperi attacks that are threatening to overtake the remaining Inghullan defence, The Sorcerer-king Rashaph performs a great Atramental ritual that he hopes will end the war. After sacrificing dozens of neophytes and using their souls to power the ritual, he unleashes an Atramental blast of such potent might that the earth itself is broken asunder in consecutive quakes that cause the ground to ripple and break asunder.
Every living creature in a 25-miles radius was obliterated. This includes both armies, as well as the Sorcerer-king Rashaph himself. A peace treaty is signed soon after, and the Vesperi army retreats, leaving Inghull to lick its wounds. The sacrifice of Rashaph does not go unnoticed, and the construction of a monolithic statue is commissioned in his honour in Emek Ta’, who goes on to become a cultural hero in Inghull, cementing the adulation poured upon the Sorcerer-kings. If ever there was any doubt that they were unfit rulers, the sacrifice of Rashaph dispels this. The event reaches the ears of Korachani colonists who come to fear the magickal prowess of the Sorcerer-kings.
c. 2670 - c. 2700 RM: Granite for the statue of Rashaph is sourced from the southeast of the nation, in the region of Imrarkhal. Worker villages are constructed to house labourers, and granite is transported north along the river Upinis in great numbers. Never treated well to begin with, as the years pass, the workers’ conditions become inhumane, and riots spread across the settlement of Naxar, leaving many overseers and guards dead. The riot is ultimately quelled, with most surviving workers punished. Over the months, word of this spreads across the rest of Inghull, and the people voice their concern to the Sorcerer-kings, who turn a blind eye.
2679 RM: the various Vesper people unite and form the Vespertine League.
c. 2680 - 2752 RM: several attempts are made by Korachan to colonise the Ehrenisian Coast in the N–W of Sammaea, hoping that the foothold gained by the founding of Inderachan will be an asset in establishing the colony. A major port is established in Inderachan in 2684 RM, where future settlers from the east will make landfall.
The Sorcerer-kings do not take kindly to this and begin fortifying their borders and attacking settlers as they move inland, breaking the uneasy truce they have cultivated with Inderachan. This forces most settlers to move east, into the Domains of Triskethia, whilst ignoring the established borders of Inghull.
2702 RM: Emek Ta’ stops receiving updates from Naxar. A delegation is sent there to investigate, and never returns. Another group, accompanied by a small army and two Sorcerer-kings follows months later, and it also disappears. A third larger force is sent late in 2702, which finds that Naxar has surrounded itself with expansive granite fortifications from which hang the remains of the previous delegations. They claim independence from the tyranny of the Sorcerer-kings and attack the newly-arrived delegation with war machines. Not wanting another war while the effects of the last one are still being felt, the Sorcerer-kings beseech the city to grant them an audience. The request is denied, forcing the Sorcerer-kings to attack. They encircle the city and besiege it, stopping any supplies of food from reaching the region.
2707 RM: the siege of Naxar is finally broken as the defence admits defeat. The forces of the Sorcerer-kings march into Naxar, though they do not find any leaders, and most of the people have disappeared. Those who remain are near death and starving. They are killed in a night of bloody executions, and the city is resettled by the army. Efforts are made to stop the spread of knowledge of what happens in Naxar, but it is too late. Word has reached the surrounding areas and tales of Inquisitors - the leaders of the defence - spreads across Inghull.
2707 - 2730 RM: the inquisitors work under the cover of darkness, preying on the Sorcerer-kings and their noble sycophants, assassinating those they can and weakening the power of others. Across Inghull they preach to anyone who will listen, educating people on the truth behind the corrupt rule of the Sorcerer-kings. The monks of the Order of Epistemic Esotery become allies of the Inquisitors slowly disseminate news across all corners of the nation regarding what is happening in Inghull, keeping even the most isolated people informed.
It is rumoured that the inquisitors are funded by Korachani benefactors, but this is never proven.
The Sorcerer-kings become ever more reclusive and come to operate via proxies. These proxies are picked off across Inghull, leaving the Sorcerer-kings isolated, their power severely weakened. By this time the rebels are calling themselves the Khullan Inquisition, using the name Khull, which in the dialect of the homeland means Inghull.
c. 2750 - 2790 RM: the Khullan Inquisition has gained a massed following across Inghull, threatening the powerbase of the Sorcerer-kings. Their lands are strongest in the southeast, but they have strongholds across Inghull, from where they launch guerrilla raids on supply caravans, poisoning water supplies, besieging cities to cut them off from receiving much-needed supplies, and generally wreaking havoc for the Sophic Conclave. The escalating war between Korachan, the Triskethian Domains, and Parthis in the east only serves to add further confusion to this period. During this time, it destroys dozens of Kargaman Idols that are scattered throughout the north of Inghull, quelling the ancient pagan customs that surround them.
In response, the Sorcerer-kings begin to destroy cities allied to the Khullan Inquisition, but this only serves to make them martyrs. It is only through the Atramental prowess of the Sorcerer-kings that their cities are able to maintain contact with each other, and even so, it is clear that they have become fearful and desperate of the opposition.
2752 RM: a Parthisan fleet appears off the Ehrenisian Coast, beginning a blockade of the islands of St. And, St. Berrea, as well as Inderachan and various ports in the Triskethian Domains. The Khullan Inquisition allies itself with Parthis, quelling rumours of Korachani funding, and allowing Parthisan forces to use its harbours.
2753 RM: Parthisan troops make landfall and begin besieging cities in the Triskethian Domains, clear that their goal is the city of Obyryth and its soulstones.
2753 - 2772 RM: the Ehrenisian Coast becomes consumed by a complex conflict between five sides - a loosely allied force made up of troops from Triskethia and Kargama, who are defending their lands from Korachani colonisers and Parthisan invaders, both of whom are also fighting each other. And on the periphery is the nation of Inghull, which is in the midst of its own civil war that has it divided into two - the Khullan Inquisition, who are loosely allied with Parthis, and the Sorcerer-kings, whose lands are rapidly dwindling.
The invaders are unable to gain the upper hand against the natives while quarrelling with each other, and eventually the war degenerates into a conflict between Parthis and Korachan, allowing the natives to fortify their own territories. Parthis is eventually defeated in 2772, and its fleet withdraws from the conflict, allowing Korachan to concentrate on the Ehrenisian Coast once more.
2772 - c. 2804 RM: the years of conflict with Parthis weakened Korachani morale, and funds that once were being put towards the war in the Ehrenisian Coast are needed elsewhere, leading to a loss of momentum. That, coupled with improved local defences meant that the Korachani colonists were unable to spread far from Inderachan. Despite this, private investors, as well as the Church of the Undying Machine, put their own resources into the war, and for over three decades persist in terrorising the region, though accomplishing little of note.
c. 2775 RM: taking advantage of the relative calm following the end of the Ehrenisian war, the Khullan Inquisition continues to amass a strong backing across Inghull and marches systematically against the remaining cities still held by the Sorcerer-king. The clavesignati - well-trained and equipped troops, who use the key as their emblem, become common in this period. The Inquisition’s objective is nothing short of the eradication of the Sorcerer caste, which it sees as an affront to the natural order, and whose tyranny has oppressed the people of Inghull for far too long.
c. 2804 - c. 2810 RM: the Ehrenisian alliance pushes back the Korachani settlers, destroying the fortresses of St. And and St. Berrea. By the end of this period all interest in establishing a Korachani colony here is lost, and Korachan retreats, leaving only a small force of Templar knights to defend the Shrine of the Shadow Triumphant. Seeing the Khullan Inquisition as the power in Inghull, Korachan signs a treaty in 2809 RM, granting the Templar Knights the right to live in the small exclave so long as they do not take offensive actions against surrounding areas and sever ties with Korachan.
c. 2810 - 2850 RM: the Sorcerer-kings are slowly defeated one-by-one through a mixture of covert operations and open warfare - most are executed without quarter. Their numbers are whittled down to a handful, making them the resistors as the Khullan Inquisition establishes its own police state across Inghull. It is during this time that the sorcerer-king Tal flees from persecution. He goes on to establish the small nation of Tal Zhaan to the southeast.
c. 2815 - 3128 RM: the Shrine of the Shadow Triumphant survives the failure of the Korachani colonies of the Ehrenisian Coast. Slowly, the teachings of the Templar Knights gain a foothold in the surrounding region, and they re-establish Inderachan as a settlement of itinerant monks who travel the Ehrenisian Coast, subtly spreading the word of the Undying Machine amongst natives.
The Khullan Inquisition staunchly opposes this and attacks missionaries passing through Inghull, using the word of the treaty of 2809 RM to back its actions. This forces the Templar Knights to spread their influence east into the Triskethian Domains.
2851 RM: the Sorcerer-kings are eradicated from Inghull and the Sophic Conclave is dissolved by the Khullan Inquisition. They instate martial law until a new government can be raised. The region is renamed Khull after the spread of the Inquisitions’ dialect across the entire area.
2853 RM: a ruling council is formed in Khull, with members drawn from all territories and social ranks. It is named the Eternal Assembly, after the hope that the Khullan Inquisition have for its longevity.
2853 - 3000 RM: the Khullan Inquisition remains a powerful entity within Khull, and though its members claim to be subservient to the Eternal Assembly, it becomes clear over time that the Inquisition operates above the law and only answers to the council as a formality. During this time members of the Inquisition garner a reputation for intimidation and outright harassment, flaunting their untouchable status and operating above the law, of which they are the main enforcement.
c. 2900 - 2950 RM: the Vespen Bit has been traded within Khull and other lands for some time, and it becomes a popular currency, replacing the young Khullan Bit as the main form of currency.
3012 RM: the Eternal Assembly votes on the status of the Khullan Inquisition, which has become overbearing and threatens to destabilise the peace that has been cultivated in the region. A unanimous vote is made for the headquarters to be moved to Nekir, where the Inquisition is already in control of a larger prison. A majority vote is also made for various clemencies to be retracted, including stripping the Khullan Inquisition of its powers over justice and punishment in Khull. The votes are contested, but for the first time since the founding of Khull, the Inquisition is stood up to.
3013 RM: the Khullan Inquisition relocates its headquarters to the prison of Haphsheth in Nekir, which is immediately restored, vastly enlarged and reinforced.
3073 RM: the Templar knights are officially labelled as heretics by the Church of the Undying Machine, and the Church of the Shadow Triumphant a branded a heretical sect of the Church of the Undying Machine that is not recognised by the parent religion.
c. 3128 - 3250 RM: it is around this time that the religion begins to gain a degree of popularity in eastern Khull, which is more exposed to the culture of the Templar States. Knowing the Khullan Inquisition’s stance on the religion, this is kept secret. This, coupled with the relative isolation of the settlements in which the Church gains a foothold, allows it to grow largely unopposed for years.
c. 3220 - 3230 RM: an old family going by the name of Koph emerges as a mercantile power in the city of Sudrum. It claims to be able to trace its bloodline to not only the days of the sycophantic nobles that followed the Sophic Council, but to the Royal bloodline itself. Though it makes no efforts to claim its birthright as the Inghullan royal house, its claims do manage to gain it some notoriety.
c. 3400 - 3600 RM: the Templar knights have established a trade network amongst a dozen cities that together are now commonly known as the Templar States. Over the coming centuries, they orchestrate the further spread of the Church of the Shadow Triumphant into surrounding lands, and it gains a foothold in the east of Khull, where it slowly spreads across the rest of the nation.
The Kophic houses, of which there four are now well-established, have wrangled their way into the upper echelons of nobility in Khull, with some members having served in the Eternal Assembly. These Kophic houses are now engrained in the collective culture of Khull and are immensely powerful and influential. Members of the Khullan Inquisition have spoken against them in the Eternal Assembly, saying that they have amassed too much power, and that their growth needs to be stymied, but their pleas are ignored.
3402 RM: the Council of Inderachan takes place, in which the Templar States are ratified under a formal government and territory, with the agreement of Khull and Kargama as to the official shaper of its borders. The Khullan Inquisition is outspoken in its opposition to this, though the Eternal Assembly ignores it.
c. 3575 RM: the Khullan Inquisition formally adopts the Church of the Shadow Triumphant as its official religion - the first time it has officially advocates for a particular faith. Over the centuries it becomes increasingly fervent in its worship of this corrupted version of the Undying Machine, and though it never enforces these beliefs on the populace of Khull (though it does what it can to promote it), it only accepts new recruits if they have first been indoctrinated into the religion.
3613 RM: the Battle of Vynar Ta’. Following decades of consolidation of their power, the four Kophic houses are attacked by the Khullan Inquisition in an unsanctioned act of aggression that is decried by the Eternal Assembly. Inquisitorial forces bring artillery and troops to bear against the stronghold of one of the Kophic houses in its estate outside Vynar Ta’. The initial bombardment levels much of their expansive fortified manor, and Inquisitorial troops are quick to march into the ruin, apprehending members of the house.
The Eternal Assembly is slow to react and by the time its troops reach the estate, the battle is over - the Inquisitorial forces are gone, and there is no trace of the family. The Assembly call the Khullan Inquisition to trial, but its leaders refuse, claiming that the courts are controlled by the Kophic houses.
3615 RM: following two years of making fruitless demands of the Khullan Inquisition, the forces of the Eternal Assembly march against their fortress in Haphsheth, which is besieged without any shots being fired.
3615 - 3621 RM: despite counterattacks from external Inquisitorial forces, the stronghold of Haphsheth remains besieged, with the forces within close to starving. Its leaders surrender to the courts and stand trial for many months, defending their disregard for Khullan laws, which their order helped to codify over five centuries ago. Despite the many charges brought against them, and the courts favouring the victimised members of the Kophic houses, the Khullan Inquisition is released with only minimal punishment. A few mid-tier leaders are imprisoned and the order is fined for damages to the Kophic houses.
There is outcry at this, both amongst the general populace, as well as the Kophic houses themselves, who want vengeance for the still unresolved disappearances of an entire family. Some believe that many within the Eternal Assembly are secretly in the pockets of the Inquisition.
3621 - c. 3800 RM: this is the beginning of a deep schism within Khull. On one side is the Khullan Inquisition, an independent unregulated entity that flaunts its immunity from the laws that lesser men are beholden to. On the other side is the nobility of ancient Khull, descendants of an ancient monarchy who, despite their silence on the subject, are clearly yearning for the power of their ancestors. Caught between them is the government, members bribed by opposing sides. This is covert at first, but as time goes on and the Kophic houses grow more powerful and the Khullan Inquisition becomes more brazen in its disregard of common laws, it becomes more noticeable, until by c. 3800 RM the state makes little effort to cover up its corruption.
The Eternal Assembly is now a mockery of the ideals under which it was founded in 2853 RM, and it is openly ridiculed by most people, who see the Kophic houses and the Khullan Inquisition as the true power in the nation. The Kophic houses rule over commerce, trade, industry and construction, while the Inquisition controls the spread of knowledge and information, commands the armies of the state, and polices its cities. Relations with foreign nations suffer at this time.
3764 RM: the Clavesignati, the elite troops of the Khullan Inquisition, become a ubiquitous sight across Khull. They control borders, patrol highways and police its cities. The inquisition begins conscripting people to serve as line troops in its armies, which begin to march across the northwest of Sammaea looking for cults and pagan deities to oppose. Closer to home the Kophic houses continue to amass riches from their near-monopoly on trade and commerce in Khull.
3778 RM: for the first time since its creation, the allegiance of every member of the Eternal Assembly is known, and it is divided equally in two - those bound to the Kophic houses and those beholden to the Khullan Inquisition. No votes can pass due to this impasse, and the politics of the region stagnate, with the people suffering as a result.
3778 - 3893 RM: political intrigue between the two factions within the Eternal Assembly runs rampant. Poisonings, kidnappings, and assassinations are not uncommon, and Assembly meetings run into the early hours of the morning with no progress being made. People continue to seek election though, hoping to attract a handsome payoff from either the Inquisition or the Kophic houses. The latter are now incredibly wealthy and were it not for the bipartisan system that has emerged in the region, they would be akin to a true royal house.
c. 3820 RM: Khull begins to trade with the Templar States, which until this time have been insular.
3893 RM: a meeting of the Eternal Assembly grows increasingly heated as opposing members try to argue their point. The politics of Khull have now reached a state of desperation. Corrupt council members must enact the demands of their benefactors. Failure often means death, or the torture of their families and loved ones. So many members of the council are in this position that councillors are desperate to pass certain laws, while adamant about denying others. Every councillor is working against their peers, many of whom have conflicting agendas despite ultimately being beholden to the same benefactors.
It is said that the average life expectancy of a councillor is no more than two years, yet still, people, desperate to earn some money or hopeful that their story will be different, are quick to throw in their lot with either the Inquisition or the houses.
This is the current political situation in Khull, and there is little sign of it changing.
