The Rule of the Empire in Neptaris

This is an article on the History of Feyworld
Years: 816 NC to 900 NC
Age: The Third Age of Man
Continent: Duria
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The History of Neptaris
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The First Cambrecian War	The Great Revolution in Neptaris

Imperial rule in Neptaris was surprisingly gentle, particularly compared to the harsh treatment the Cambrecian peoples were receiving. Neptaris received its own Prefect, or governor, and was established as a colony of the Empire separate from Cambrecia. The first Prefect of Neptaris, appointed by the Emperor Otho of House Zetar in 816 NC, was Antonius Callistus of House Livius. Prefect Antonius was at first regarded with deep suspicion by the Neptaran people. His first edict was to re-establish the Supreme Assembly, which was abolished under military rule after the end of the First Cambrecian War. The Prefect did retain the power to veto any decision of the Assembly, but this act went far towards endearing him to the people. He used his veto power rarely and even made a practice of calling for votes on some of his own legal decisions. In 818 NC, he issued an edict that was ratified by the Supreme Assembly as Addendum XXVIII: though Neptaris would remain officially under the rule of the Empire, recognize the Emperor as their ruler and pay a 10% tax to the Empire of all income, the Supreme Assembly would be the sole governing body of the city. Prefect Antonius retired in Neptaris but was elected to the Supreme Assembly in 820 NC. When he died in 832 NC, he was given a state funeral and the throngs who came to pay homage were as great as any that attended the funerals of the ancient Neptarchs.

It is said that one of the reasons Neptaris was given these freedoms was because of the volatile situation in Cambrecia. Neptaris had, despite its defeat, been successful in keeping the Empire out of the dwarven Kingdom of Derlos. Furthermore, the Cambrecian people were not easily pacified. Rebellions had struck throughout the countryside for the duration of Imperial rulership in the nation and intensified as the Empire continued to conquer the lands between Cambrecia and Ciritasnia (modern day Koramia). When a native King was appointed by the Emperor Leto of House Livius in 828 NC, a new rash of rebellions sprung up as Cambrecians took offense to the entire idea of the Emperor telling them who their King should be. The fact that King Toral Seaguard, the Emperor's appointee, was not of any known royal bloodline in the nation only exacerbated the situation. The Kings of Cambrecia, understanding that their power came from the Emperor's good will, became even harsher rulers than the Imperial Prefects had been. Rebellion after rebellion was violently snuffed out, the harshness of which only resulted in more rebellions. The Empire was spending so much time and resources on Cambrecia; they simply didn't have the capacity to oppress Neptaris.

Meanwhile, in Neptaris, the nobles of the city were warming up to Imperial rule even faster than the common people had. Many of the nobles saw how willing the Emperor was to install a hereditary ruler in Cambrecia and desired the same title for themselves in Neptaris. Their activism had a contrary affect on the people, however. Instead of endearing the people to the Empire, the nobles succeeded in maintaining the hint of rebellion within the city. The Supreme Assembly even issued an Addendum in 860 NC that removed all rights of the noble class, except the ability to use their now-useless titles. In response, many of the wealthier nobles helped establish a Temple of Zelos, God of the State, in Neptaris. Zelos, who was already popular with the Imperials and ruling class of Cambrecia, was not well liked by Neptarans because of his association with and support of monarchies and empires. The nobles did not realize it at the time, but it was the establishment of this Temple that would lead to the overthrow of the Empire in Neptaris.

In the last few decades of the ninth century, Neptarans began to trade heavily with Cambrecia both in goods and ideas. This included, of course, the Church of Zelos in Neptaris, whose parent Temple was located in Septarium, the capital of Cambrecia. The Neptaran Zeloites, however, were known to be defenders of democracy and were often viewed with contempt by their Imperial brethren. In 899 NC, the Emperor Metius the Elder of House Livius sent Ionnanes II, the Pontifex of Zelos, to Septarium in the hope of quelling the rebellions there through conversion. Ionnanes II, proclaiming the Neptaran priests of Zelos in Septarium heretics, stripped them of their robes and sent them home to Neptaris. With them, they carried a message from the Emperor that ceded Neptaris to Cambrecia. The people were so shocked that a response was not forthcoming until the following spring.