[Hourglass of Zihaja] Chapter 2: The World of Siraaj

[Zeta Kai]

Empire of Admaja

Former Capital: Asanam*
Region: Shattered Isle (formerly the Shepherd’s Isle)
Language: Admajai (AKA Archaic)
Duration: 1,878 AK – 3,135 AK as a kingdom (1,257 years); 1 IR – 829 IR as an empire (828 years)
Notable Rulers: King Adma-Jarri, King Alazala, Emperor Zazir I, Emperor Maliq I, Emperor Qadir II, Empress Abia, Emperor Maliq V, Empress Rana II, Emperor Jalil III

The last great realm went by many names, including the Admajai Empire, aq-Hazari Admajai, or simply the Old Empire. But its most common name was the Empire of Admaja (ahd-MAH-jah), & it was so vast, so powerful, & so influential that it lent its name to the Central Continent itself, a name that it retains to this day.

The empire’s founding marked the end of the Age of Kingdoms, a time when national concerns were superseded by a more global vision. The empire fancied itself to be benevolent & enlightened, a generous autocracy bringing peace, prosperity, & culture to a war-torn & backward continent. They sought to unite the entire known world under its banner, bringing stability & knowledge to what it saw as barbarous savages & oppressed serfs. But they gained territory primarily through military conquest, occupation, & annexation, so many of their vassal lands were quite skeptical of their intent.

The empire may have been an expansionist dictatorship, but it was one that seemed genuinely concerned with the betterment of its subjects. It built roads & libraries, it outlawed slavery within its borders, & it encouraged medicine, literacy, & arts. Philosophy, mathematics, & astronomy were all but invented here. The Admajai also encouraged the use of magic, promoting the creation & sale of magic items, establishing magical academies, & celebrating those who possessed magical aptitude.

Before it became a true empire, Admaja was a small island kingdom off the eastern shore of the continent. This kingdom lasted for centuries, until an ambitious king named Zazir declared himself emperor of all that he saw. Under his rule, the nascent empire claimed lands all along the eastern coast, mostly those that were ruled by no other kingdom. After his death, the empire lived on under his son, Emperor Zazir II, who conquered the kingdom of Adabasha & who took his father’s dream of universal power & turned it into one of universal enlightenment.

For a time, it appeared that the dream may indeed come true, as the empire’s armies marched across realm after realm, dominating everything in their path. They were aided by their mastery of the production of steel, a number of politically-fragile opponents, & their use of magic. Thus, within a few hundred years, they controlled almost half of the continent, & were using their technology & culture to transform the land into a better place for all people. But their advanced use of magic would be their undoing.

A cabal of archmages, led by the wizard Dermanaske, attempted to merge the two planes of the Kamala together into a unified super-reality, in order to bring about a golden age of permanent prosperity. Instead, they shook the foundations of their universe & summoned the wrath of a higher power than they could ever imagine. This cataclysm, later known as the Pactspell, utterly destroyed the empire, annihilating its island capital, killing millions across the continent, & changing the weather patterns worldwide, mostly for the worse. During the Ten Dark Years that followed, millions more died of famine, drought, storms, & attacks from creatures that had never been seen before on Siraaj. Other nations collapsed, & the entire continent was plunged into a dark age. The legacy of the Admajai is now one of roads, ruins, & regret.

Pictured: The banner of the Kingdom of Admaja, before Zazir declared himself emperor in 3,135 AK.