The History and Lore
Please note that this lore is specific to the Empire itself. The Empire of l’Vlorisstulshar resides in the larger continent of Faerun, in the world of Torril. There are many regions and continents in this world, each containing its own histories and cultures, so feel free to explore the vast online offerings of this lore! And while EoC takes place in Torril, your character and background are not limited to that world or any world in the D&D universe. If you are uncertain about your background, please reach out to a staff member for help!
While we do not denote an exact current year due to time dilation between active RP and the general world of EoC (think of how you don’t see every day that passes when you read a novel) the rough time period is the late 1490s DR. Technology has advanced far enough for things such as clockwork and flintlock weapons, but anything that would require heavy machinery to create is not yet available.
Current Events
After a long and drawn out war which devoured a great deal of the continent, the great Black Lich Ra’altherus was defeated.. but not without terrbile cost. Many were lost in that final and dreadful battle, including the Empress herself. After the war was over, many scattered to find new fortunes or to see what remained of the world beyond the Empire. Those who remained began to rebuild, bit by bit.
Now each faction sets its sights towards the future and their own goals. Many have found new leadership, and alliances that once stood have since fallen, new ones rising in their place. As the realm grows strong again, there are whole new adventures to be found!
Birth of an Empire
Fifty years ago, a drow army marched upon the elven kingdom of Arl’Airen , searching for a new home after their own had been destroyed. After a long and strenuous battle, the drow proved successful, conquering the capital and the surrounding lands with aid from the dragons to the north. From that victory sprung many others until the banners of the legion turned kingdom were flown across the continent, and eventually that kingdom became an empire. Three cities in particular, each a kingdom in their own right, stood out among the rest. The first one conquered, Vlorissfarne, became the capital of the Empire. The second, a deep city known as Myrolochar became the hub of trade and communication with the other drow across the lands. The third, a mountain stronghold called Hem Malduhr, prides itself on the production of goods and raw materials for the entire empire. Together these three kingdoms form the backbone of the ever-expanding empire, and it is because of them that the drow took the name of l’Vlorisstulshar: “The Empire of Crowns.”
The History of the Regions
Arl’Airen
For centuries the city of Arl’Airen stood as a peaceful waypoint on the coast, a popular port for trade, situated on a peninsula that opened into the intercontinental waterway known as the Aramile Straight. However, as the elves and citizens of the city grew richer, so too did they grow paranoid and greedy. With the power of wealth at their disposal, they delved deep into the mountains around the city, spreading their influence across the land with aid of dark and unstable magics. Though their power grew, the surrounding faction who had once been allies grew quickly wary of Arl’Airen’s meddlings. One by one, their alliances faltered, and when the Black Legion arrived the city stood to face its fate alone.
Myrlochar
Since the age of the casting down of the Iilithiri by Corillion, the D’Veldrin family had found their way deep into the blacked chasms of the Underdark. Along an ocean trench in a crystalline cavern that was rich in minerals and self-sustaining, the D’Veldrin family established the city of Myrlochar. The blue crystals and unusual mineral waters coveted by many. They guarded carefully from other deep-dwelling creatures. Centuries it remained untouched by anything from the surface as the dark elves there were full of bitterness towards the surface races. Natural phenomena caused the chasm to close and encapsulate the drow that lived there, content with hoarding the blue crystals that grew about them and their life of solitude. More time passed and stories grew into tales and tales into legends. Until a great fault line ruptured collapsing the old city and creating an exit out of the great geode that was Myrlochar. Built by the still ruling house, a new and greater city arose. Slowly the Drow ascended from the chasms below, sending parties to find paths to other cities and eventually the surface itself. Centuries pass and the city of Myrlochar grew fat from the riches they had hoarded.
Hem Malduhr
Once a proud Dwarven citadel, Hem Malduhr was brought into the fold twenty years after the Empire rose to power. When a group of tiefling led cultists seized control of the city, threatening to unleash horrors across the land in the form of an archdemon, distant reaches of the Empire came under threat. Rather than let these territories fall to ruin, the Empire’s forces launched an assault upon the dwarven kingdom. In the ensuing war battles were won and lost, heroes rose and fell. In the end, even the mighty citadel gave to the Empire’s might, and the cultists were driven out into the desert beyond. In year twenty-five of the Empire’s reign, Hem Malduhr became the third kingdom of Vlorisstulshar. While Hem Malduhr is not the most powerful in terms of military might, what Hem Malduhr has is wealth. Merchants flock to sell their wares and many ships set sail to and from Hem Malduhr’s port Dhahab every day, constantly keeping a large influx of gold in the kingdom.
Port Dhahab
A vast and unforgiving expanse, the sands of the Golden Desert burn hot in the southern sun. Lying across Aramile Strait from the main body of the empire, the desert is home to Hem Malduhr’s vast wealth of minerals and ores. Those who wish to venture to Hem Malduhr must first arrive in Port Dhahab, a small town that is nevertheless bedecked in finery befitting the Empire’s most outwardly wealthy kingdom. Rides in many forms can be hitched from the port to Hem Malduhr – from caravans to covered wagons.. To the impressive flying ships that the Empire employs for their own personal transport.
The Twilight Forest
Far older than the Empire, and even the once-great elven kingdom of Arl’Airen, towering trees and stretching branches cast an eternal shadow over the grounds of this wooded area. Creatures unseen lurk amongst the trunks, and only one path leads safely through the darkness. At its end, nestled in a clearing, is the small town of Embergrove, a bastion of safety whose fires keep the beasts at bay. In the darkness of the trees, ruins sit waiting for a rare brave soul to venture into their depths, and though they are supposedly abandoned, the dark of the night sometimes gives way to glimmers of light through the trees – as though someone or someones have taken residence in the crumbling elven ruins that lie scattered amongst the growth. Those who climb into the mountains that surround this treacherous place may find secrets hidden in caves and cloistered places. High up near the peaks lies the portal to the dragon lands of Isk’Waere, and below, hidden amongst dead trunks and dying plants, is the entrance to the realm of Whispermere.
What Happened to the Elves?
Though they were driven from their home of Arl’Airen, the elves still exist in l’Vlorisstulshar. Some remained in the city that they had once called home, deciding to work and live beneath the Empire’s watchful eye rather than leave all they knew behind. Others took to the sea, plying the mighty Aramile Strait in search of wealth. Still, others fled to the Twilight Forest and the mountains beyond, settling in villages and valleys between Vlorissfarne and Isk’Waere. Though they are fewer in number, they still come and go throughout the land, and in recent years, as Vlorissfarne loosens its grasp, some have even dared to return.
Broader Lore
The Planar System
The world of Toril exists on the Material plane, but there are many others that surround it in a cosmic alignment known as the Planar System. These planes range from the dark and chaotic abyss to the utopian upper plane of Elysium, and everything in between. This planar system also connects to others, forming a vast multiverse.
Faerun
The bulk of the Empire lies on the southern coast of the continent of Faerun, though Hem Malduhr lies across the Aramile Strait in the deserts of Zakhara.
Neighbors
L’Vlorisstulshar is neighbored by many other kingdoms, including their closest allies in Estagund. However, in this vast world there are as many enemies as there are friends, and a plethora of places to travel to or from.
The images on this page were either graciously donated by players on the sim (christian2221 resident and oberon.mysterious) or gathered from sources across the web such as https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Main_Page. Empire of Crowns makes no claims of ownership to these images, employing them under fair use for educational and illustrative purposes only.