Ancient Sunerian Empire

The Ancient Sunerian Empire is a mythical nation considered by some scholars to be fictional. It is heavily studied by the Suneris Cult, and much of their knowledge of the Empire has been collected through studies of old texts from the era.

Founding
The Suneris Cult was founded on Minas Sûn, meaning “Sun Mountain” in Old Sunerian. A traveller from Eldham, described only as a young man well versed in the art of travel and the nomadic lifestyle, hiked the Sun Mountain. He began early in the morning, and when he arrived at the peak, the sun was directly atop him, beaming its rays of light. Suneris, the God of the Sun, the One who brings Light, Life, and Liberty, revealed himself and spoke with this nomadic traveller. This is the only known instance in which Suneris revealed himself to any mortal.

The young nomad, now known as The Messiah (meaning “The Messenger”), was enlightened by the presence and words of Suneris. He was filled with knowledge and power no mortal has attained before or since. He spread the word of Suneris, leading those he trusted closely to founding the Suneris Cult within their newly constructed Catacombs. This new religion did not deny the existence of other gods, but it exclusively worshipped the Sun God, viewing the worship of other deities as treasonous, punishable by death through sacrifice. The Cult grew, and so did the desires of Suneris. The Messiah was instructed to build an empire fit for the Sun God, and so the Cult adopted the art of war.

Led by The Messiah himself, the Slavery Conquests saw an empire born through enslavement and slaughter. Minas Sûn was transformed from a lone mountain into a grand layered city upon which the Sunerian Empire would be born. Atop the mountain the Emperor’s Palace was constructed. On the second layer of the city would live the Sûn Messiah (Normally just called “Sûn”), meaning “Sun Messengers”. These were The Messiah’s personal advisors and friends. The third layer would be reserved for bishops, clergymen, and peasants of high standing, such as merchants. Below this sat the rest of the laity.

On the steps of the Emperor’s Palace, the Messiah would be crowned the first Holy Emperor of the Sunerian Empire, and the Ancient Sunerian Empire was born.

The Messiah ruled for nearly five hundred years, and did not age due to the power imbued within him by the Sun God. His rule oversaw many conflicts, the greatest of which was the “War of 12 Kings”, which saw 12 seperate kingdoms individually fall to the hands of the Messiah and his empire. The rule of the first Holy Emperor was a time of peace and expansion for the Empire. By the end of his reign, much of Eastern and Central Eldham was under the control of the Sunerian Empire.

After his death, the tradition of the Messiah’s eldest descendants assuming the throne began. The second Emperor ordered the construction of the Sacrificial Volcano, in which the first sacrifice would be the corpse of the Messiah himself. This tradition of descendants assuming the throne continued for several centuries. Eventually, the power within the bloodline began to run thin, producing weak and incapable Emperors. This marked the beginning of the Great Decline.

Great Decline
The Great Decline was a time of failure for the Empire. Hundreds of years of mismanagement by various Emperors, as well as corruption within the Order of Bishops and much of the Sunerian Clergy, are cited as the two most direct causes of this decline.

In order to combat the growing failures of the Empire, the Council of Sûn met to establish the Law of Succession. The law states that “After the expiring or retiring of an emperor, he or she shall be replaced not by their eldest direct descendant, but by an individual elected by this Council through a simple majority.” The Emperor, of course, refused the establishment of this law. He was thrown into the fires of the Sacrificial Volcano, as well as much of the royal family after their continued refusal of this law. The rest of the royal family fled the capital city, and the Messiah’s bloodline has been lost ever since. It is believed he still has descendants within Eldham, but it is impossible to know who.

This near civil war caused the creation of another law, the Law of Deposition, which states “With a 9/10ths majority, the Council of Sûn may vote to depose the current Holy Emperor and elect his or her replacement.” These reforms stabilized the Empire, which had lost much of its territory and prestige.

A tradition of electing the next Holy Emperor from a current or retired Sûn, or a descendant/relative of a previous Emperor was born. There did exist exceptions, but the vast majority of successions took place under this tradition.

After further reforms from the Council of Sûn meant to combat corruption within the clergy, such as putting the Order of Bishops under the direct supervision of the Council of Sûn, the Great Decline was declared to have ended. An era of stability and prosperity began under the new lines of Emperors. Sunerian art, writing, culture, architecture, and religion all flourished under this era.

Fatality
The Ancient Sunerian Empire ended in civil war. Severe disagreement on the election of the 54th Holy Emperor caused a split amongst the Council of Sûn. The Order of Bishops was split amongst the various factions forming within the Empire, and the once vast, sprawling Empire of light, life, and liberty, fell to become several squabbling factions, often forgetful of the Messiah’s founding values and teachings. The Great Sunerian Civil War destroyed the Empire. The Suneris Cult (The official state religion of the Empire) survived the civil war, but the Empire did not, and Minas Sûn fell to ruin.

Many survivors, led by a member of the Council of Sûn, fled into the catacombs in which their religion was born. They sealed themselves off from the outside world, hiding for many years and regathering their strength, until their Sun God reveals himself once more to instruct their exit. This exit occurred not many years ago, and the Sunerian Empire is once again forming.