The Sulirien Empire

THE SULIRIEN EMPIRE
The Sulirien Empire is the largest and most powerful faction in the galaxy. Created by runaway slaves in 0 A.S (After Suliri), this young Empire quickly rose to power among the other factions.

Starting with only a few colonies on the planet Suliri, the Sulirien Empire expanded very quickly throughout the core systems of the galaxy, without hesitating to challenge older and greater factions like the Hilvetian Confederation or the Ulrichien Systems to be able to carve a realm for itself.

The Republic of Suliri
For centuries, the Vega Systems and the Hilvetian Confederation were the main powers in the galaxy. Both those factions shared a common appetite for power, gold and a common trade: slavery.

Every day, thousands of people were transported from one side of the galaxy to the other in great transport barges to be sold to rich merchants, brothels or arenas. The Vegarels had become the main providers of slaves in the galaxy, hunting Ulrichiens on Vill and Hashor and Humans on the moons of Atrig or on the savage planet of Anodaan.

In 0 A.S, a convoy of three Vegarel barges departing from planet Ruhl, in the Vega Systems, to the capital planet of the Hilvetian Confederation, Lux II, set off. Inside, more than four hundreds Human slaves were carried to become miners, builders, household slaves, sexual slaves or gladiators. Among them was Malar, a Human born in Ruhl and sold into slavery at a very young age. Educated and highly intelligent, he was to be sold to a rich family of Hilvetian noblemen to become the tutor of their children.

Malar yearned for his freedom and saw in this long space travel a chance to seize it. He found allies inside the convoy in the persons of Pax, a young, strong and beautiful Human who was to be sold as a sexual slave in the brothels of Lux II, and Maekar, a middle-aged Human, strong and fierce, sold to become a gladiator in the arenas of Maerig. Together, they hatched a plan to seize the convoy's ships and disappear into the uncharted lands, near the core of the galaxy.

Through cautious planning, the three slaves managed to rally almost the entirety of the slave convoy to their cause and on the third day of their travel as they went past the system of Maeko, the slaves rebelled against their captors. Overwhelmed by the four hundreds slaves, the guards were slain and the ships fell into the hands of Malar, Pax and Maekar. They made for the core of the galaxy and landed on an unknown planet at a reasonnable distance from the trade routes used by the Pirates of Vega and the Hilvetians. There, Malar, Maekar and Pax built the first colony of their people and named the planet, Suliri. During the first two decades of the Republic, the Suliriens helped thousands of slaves to escape their fate by attacking shipments from the Vega System to the Hilvetian Confederation and bringing the slaves to Suliri. Very soon, the four hundreds slaves became more than three millions.

Malar, Maekar and Pax were elected leaders of the Suliriens and founded the city of Sulireï, capital of the Republic of Suliri. In the first year of the Republic, the Suliriens discovered the civilization that inhabited this planet before their arrival, the Elenniens. Malar sought the help of this ancient people and forged an alliance with them. The Elenniens helped the Suliriens prosper, assisting in the creation of their cities, raising their castles, temples and monuments and offering their technology to develop their agriculture and army.

The alliance between the Suliriens and the Elenniens held on for years but as the Republic grew larger and larger, great tensions between the two people began to occur...

The War of the Three Lords
In the early summer of the year 29 A.S, a great disagreement opposed the three leaders of the Sulirien Republic. The Suliriens and Elenniens were living in a relative but very tensed peace and small attacks on both sides regularly happened on the borders. While Malar was calling for diplomacy and negociation before taking any military action, Pax and Maekar disagreed, implying that such actions were only giving more time for the Elenniens to prepare for the unavoidable war that was to come.

Maekar was thinking that a declaration of war should be sent and that the Suliriens would battle the Elenniens on the field, with honor, therefore deciding what species was greater than the other. Pax would have none of it and decided that the time for war was already upon them. Raising a great host of his own men, he marched on the Elennien Kingdoms and started The Slaughter of the Crystal Ford where more than ten thousands Elenniens men, women and children were butchered.

When the news reached Malar's and Maekar's ears in the capital, Pax had already destroyed two of the three Elennien Kingdoms and massacred most of their people. This action divided the opinion in the Sulirien Republic as the Suliriens living in the great cities called it murder and treason whereas the people of the country called it justice and right of conquest. Malar chose to side with the remnants of the Elenniens against Pax, naming him traitor and sentencing him to death. Maekar, on the other hand, would have nothing to do with the Elenniens and decided to fight Pax for his horrible actions but also Malar for betraying the Suliriens by making peace with their enemy.

Pax had lost many of his men during the fightings with the Elenniens but still commanded more than twenty thousands men. Malar and Maekar had rallied their banners to them but couldn't catch up with Pax's number. Malar would raise a host of twelve thousands men while Maekar rallied fiften thousands men around him. However Malar would have the support of the last three thousands Elenniens in this fight, bringing him at the same numbers as Maekar.

The War of the Three Lords began at the end of the summer of 29 A.S near the village of Lötreck, in the Northern continent of the planet when the armies of Pax, Maekar and Malar joined and offered battle. The Battle of Lötreck went on for four days without any of three sides taking any kind of advantage over the two others. It became clear that the war would not be won this day.

The fightings went on for three years where the three armies would regularly meet on open battle or lay siege to one of the many cities and castles of Suliri, trying to take any kind of advantage on the others. The late spring of 31 A.S saw the Battle of the Crossing where Pax smashed Malar's army, forcing him to retreat to the capital itself. It then seemed that Pax would be the one to win the war as he began laying siege to the capital. The Siege of Sulireï would last a fortnight before the armies of Pax could breach the walls and enter the city. However, Malar's heroïsm in battle and the nobility of his actions during the war had gained him the support of most of the Sulirien people that rose in help of its leader when the city was invaded. Pax's army was then ambushed in the city at every corner of every street as the citizens of the capital would attack them with anything they had. Pax could only advance very slowly in the city which gave enough time for Malar to fortify the Senatorial Palace with the remnants of his army.

Pax would charge towards the Senatorial Palace, certain of his victory, only to fall into Malar's trap. Malar's army fell upon his men on the steps of the Palace. Caught by surprise, the men of his personnal guard were quickly dealt with as Pax was slain by Malar on the steps of the Palace.

The army of Pax, leaderless, surrendered to Malar who pardonned them and included them in his army. He had now three times the numbers of Maekar's army and the support of the people. Maekar, who had patiently waited the result of the siege, concluded he couldn't win the war and decided to surrender to Malar. Once again, Malar pardonned him but banished him from the Council and sent him in exile back to his lands.

The War of the Tree Lords ended in the early summer of the year 31 A.S and saw the end of the Sulirien Republic as Malar became the sole leader of the Sulirien and was proclaimed Emperor by his people and his army.

The Rise of the Sulirien Empire
As Malar had come up victorious of The War of the Three Lords, he was named and proclaimed Emperor of the Free People of Suliri by both the people and the army he now led. Accepting his new responsability, Malar took the name of Suliri as his family's last name, as the old slave tradition would have. Understanding the damage The War of the Three Lords had done to his people, he created the Imperial Legions, an elite military force that were sworn to the Emperor and the Imperial Family. The creation of the Imperial Legion started in 34 A.S and would continue for six years until it became numerous and efficient enough to become a real army.

Malar would also change the Senatorial Palace into the Imperial Palace, placing his power at the heart of the Sulirien Capital and moving the Senate to the Senatorial Chamber that would be built in 36 A.S. just opposite of the Imperial Palace.

Lastly, Malar would proclaim the Imperial Family to be the only lawful rulers of the Empire, securing the power he obtained for the future generations of the House of Suliri.

During his short reign as Emperor, Malar Suliri strengthened and rebuilt the Sulirien cities, trying his best to erase all trace of the previous conflict. Deep down, Malar knew the young Empire would soon catch the attention of the way stronger Confederation and of the ruthless Vegarels. Even the Ulrichiens of the Northern Systems remained a threat that could not be ignored; Malar Suliri decided to teach his daughter, Eilar, all there was to know in order to be the next ruler of Suliri, in hope that she would avoid conflict and war and bring prosperity to their people.

When Emperor Malar died in 38 A.S, Eilar took the mantle of Empress of the Suliriens and accessed the throne with her husband, Krass of Suliro, a powerful lord that had been one of her father's best lieutenants in the War of the Three Lords.