The Blood Empire

This is an article on the History of Feyworld
Years: c. 150 NC to c. 450 NC
Age: The Third Age of Man
Continent: Aurea
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The History of Dracia
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The Rise of the White Eagle in Dracia	The Domination of the Draci

Though Byrebanus unified the tribes of the Temesh river valley, he and his descendants were unable to tame the wild hill folk who lived in the foothills of the Antasian Mountains. For the most part, the Negruj had no interest in the lowlands, except for periodic cattle raids (and wife raids) into the valley.

During the reign of Cotyx the Fat, however, that abruptly changed. The Negruj began to raid the lowland villages of the Temesh river valley more forcefully and, as it soon became apparent, systematically. By the time King Cotyx figured out that the Negruj were organizing to test out his defenses, it was too late to respond. The Negruj had come under the domination of Zyrapys the Bloody, a sorceror of unknown heritage who unified the Negruj and bands of ogres under his rule with the intent of carving a kingdom for himself along the Temesh river valley.

The lowland villages under King Cotyx were quickly overwhelmed. According to legend, Cotyx was captured by the Negruj trying to escape a battle wearing women's clothing. He was brought before Zyrapys in chains and, after being chained in a cesspit for a year, was castrated, disemboweled and, once he finally expired, was resurrected as Zyrapys' undead servant.

Zyrapys enslaved much of the lowlander population, executing anyone of noble blood he could find (modern Dracian noble families are rife with stories about how they were able to avoid the slaughter, but most scholars assume at least some of these to be untrue). He established the Negruj as the ruling class of his newly-founded Kingdom, even granting territory to some of the more intelligent ogre chieftains who had remained loyal throughout his conquest.