Nikosian Dynasty (Patronage Supplement)
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| Emperors of the Nikosian Dynasty |
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| Altonian Dynasty>>> |
The Nikosian Dynasty (927-1154) can boast 18 monarchs, beginning with the venerated founder of the Second Empire – Nikos. During the Nikosian Dynasty, the Second Empire consolidated its holdings, organized its cast territory into individual districts, codified laws, created the continent’s first courts, an organized army, and invented all the trappings of government that are currently taken for granted.
The Nikosian Dynasty can be distinguished from its successors by several qualities. First, the Dynasty was governed entirely by goliaths. Many of the Emperors and Empresses changed their names upon accession to the First Throne, renaming themselves “Altroll”. “Troll” is an archaic term for “ogre” and “Alt” is a prefix that denotes an elevation. In this way the Nikosian monarchs were saying they were nobler than the ogre race.
The preference for goliaths permeated the Empire. Other races, humans and halflings mostly, often resented the discrimination they suffered at the hands of their larger neighbors. The culture exalted physical strength and martial prowess, which of course favored the goliath. The dynasty was punctuated by rebellions and riots caused by human and halfling resentment.
The situation turned dire for the dynasty shortly after the turn of the 12th century. There was an influx of orc and half-orc refugees from the Green Lands. Historians speculate that an Oni perished in personal combat with another Oni and the defeated Oni’s army fled the Green Lands before retribution could be exacted. At any rate, this influx of orcs, well-trained and able to match the goliaths in physical and martial ability, caused the goliath elites to tighten their control on the populace.
In 1109, one orc named Tryphon managed to kill the Emperor and install himself briefly as Emperor. He was quickly deposed, but another, claiming himself to be Tryphon’s successor and calling himself “Altoni” (a mockery of “Altroll”, and claiming to be an exalted Oni), began a rebellion, gathering many humans and halflings to his cause.
The fighting continued for the next half-century. Eventually, it became a war of attrition. All the original actors killed one another, but the fighting continued. Eventually, the goliaths were outnumbered by the orcs, humans and halflings. When the half-orc Mithrad claimed the throne of a new ”Altonian Dynasty”, there was more relief than excitement.
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