The Four Great Conquests of Malkuth

Founding

After centuries of war over a ruined Azran city in the region of Malkuth, a stranger arrives in the middle of the conflict to end it himself. Within three years and four consecutive conquests, each lasting but a day, the stranger took control of the entire region and formed the mighty Malkuth Empire.

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Ancient Times

Untold millennia ago, the Azra first arrived in the material plane, settling in the region now known as Malkuth and building a sprawling metropolis in the region's center. Nobody knows what happened next, whether the Azra destroyed themselves, or they became victims of an unspeakable calamity. Regardless of how it happened, in one day, the Azra vanished, leaving their abandoned city to ruin.

The Endless War

Eons later, a new group of settlers arrived. In the year 1027, large group of elemental-kin wanderers happened upon the ruins of Malkuth whilst searching for a new home. At first they were all cooperative with each other, eager to plumb the depths together. However, as they began to uncover the great treasures and secrets within, conflict began to rise between the settlers. Eventually, tensions reached a boiling point, and the group broke off into four factions, led by four kings, each of which declared war on the others and retreated in one of four directions from the ruins to make their base. The king of winds, Galen, made his home in the north; the king of waves, Ebbon, made his home in the east; the king of earth, Tremoria, made his home in the south; and the king of flames, Embrus, made his home in the west.

For more than seven and a half centuries, the four kingdoms fought without end. Each kingdom had its specialty: Galen had the greatest strategies, Ebbon the greatest diplomacy, Tremoria the greatest riches, and Embrus the greatest soldiers. Each of these advantages was cancelled out by those of the others, and none could gain enough purchase over the others to claim dominion over the ruins for which they fought. This pattern promised to continue until everyone in the region was dead. Thankfully, one man would emerge from nowhere to change everything.

The First Conquest

There are countless rumors and stories about where he came from. Some say he was a god who gave up his divinity to bring peace to the four kingdoms. Some say he was simply a powerful man who saw a good opportunity and took it. Still others claim that he emerged from the ruins themselves, the greatest of all the Azran relics. The truth of his origins is unknown, but his deeds are well documented. On the 3rd day of the Span of Mana, in the year 2245, a visitor arrived in the throne room of Embrus, bearing a message from a mysterious individual. It was a challenge to a contest for the fate of Embrus, to be chosen by the then-current king, Vulkur Su Embrus XIV. The king, unknowing of his challenger's power, denied the challenge and declared that the stranger should come and take his throne for himself if he believed he were able. This was his greatest mistake. The visitor then declared that the challenger would arrive the following day at high noon, and departed to the east.

He arrived from the east, the direction of the ruins. A hulking frame shrouded in a ragged cloak approached the border of Embrus. The guards demanded that he identify himself, at which point he removed his cloak and revealed himself. An imposing titan stood before them, nearly eight feet tall and fully encased in a suit of unknown metal, his eyes glowing a deep purple from within the imposing helmet. He spoke at last, his booming voice echoing to all in his vision, "My name is Garleus. I have come for your throne. Those who wish to live, lower your weapons. To all others, your valor shall be honored in memoriam." Upon this declaration, many soldiers became too intimidated to fight, but those who did were utterly decimated. The titan Garleus suffered no injury as he fought his way to the throne single-handedly. When he reached the throne room, he offered to duel the king. If Garleus lost, he would leave forever, but if he won, the kingdom would be his. Embrus, not seeing any alternative, agreed.

Their battle was legendary, but one-sided regardless. Embrus was truly one of the strongest individuals in the land, and he put up an amazing display. Surely he would have been more than a match for anyone else but the opponent who towered before him. Garleus eventually wore him down, and before long, Embrus was kneeling before him, waiting for his final fate. But such fate never came. Instead, Garleus sheathed his blade, and offered his hand. After having accepted it, in a show of trust, he was granted the honor of witnessing the face hidden beneath the armor. What Embrus saw that day is unknown, but it was enough to bring him to tears, and he immediately declared his undying fealty to his new ruler. The birth of Garleus' empire had begun, and for his valor and strength in their duel, Embrus was granted the title of the King of Valor.

The Birth of the Empire

Word spread quickly throughout the region of Garleus' conquest. For the next year, the other three kingdoms reached a ceasefire as they pondered what to do about the new threat. An alliance was considered, but never acted upon. As exactly one year had passed from the first conquest, Garleus called once more, this time offering his challenge to the king of Galen, Gomir Era Galen XIV. This time, however, the challenge was made in person, with the accompaniment of the King of Valor. At the latter's encouragement, Galen accepted the offer, and challenged Garleus to a battle of wits. The two participated in a duel of the minds, a grand war of intellect, perception, and strategy. Galen was truly one of the smartest individuals in the land, but Garleus' wit was too much for him to overcome. By the time they were done, Galen could not help but acknowledge the superiority of his opponent, and after being given the same gesture of trust as Embrus, he was given the title of the King of Wit.

Another year passed, and the two remaining kingdoms began to worry about when they would become the next target. Tremoria was steadfast in its resistance, refusing to budge until Garleus was at their doorstep. Ebbon, however, saw things differently. The king, Leinur Ren Ebbon XIV, took the initiative, and traveled to meet Garleus himself. He did not offer a challenge, nor resistance. He instead knelt before the emperor and offered up his kingdom willingly. The Kings of Valor and Wit were frankly astonished, but the emperor simply questioned why he would do such a thing. Ebbon responded, "I believe it would give my people the most satisfaction to know that their new ruler is one that their old one surrendered to out of respect and trust, rather than failure." Ebbon was truly one of the kindest individuals in the land, and the emperor acknowledged this, granting his new subject the gesture of trust, and the title of the King of Mercy.

And then there was one. Tremoria was the last to stand, and it would be the last to fall. One more year went by, and the emperor arrived. The king, Adamea Gaia Tremoria, had been expecting him for a long time, and had spent the past three years preparing himself and his trial for this very moment. His would be a trial of endurance, of patience, and of games. A series of games had been prepared, 21 unique games which would test the emperor's every skill, and each of which Tremoria was a master of. They would play each game in succession, and at the end of it all, the fate of the kingdom would be decided by who won the most of them. Their contest began, and it lasted for hours upon hours. Tremoria proved to be Garleus' greatest challenge, as for each victory of one, the other would even the playing field. By the time they were done, the sun had set and risen again, and Garleus stood victorious by the slimmest of margins. Tremoria truly possessed the greatest endurance of almost anyone in the land, but he could just barely not outlast his opponent. As Tremoria knelt in humble defeat, Garleus acknowledged his greatest opponent, and bestowed upon him the gesture of trust, as well as the title of the King of Patience. However, some call him by another title, the King of Games.

At last, on the 4th day of the Span of Mana, in the year 2248, the conquest was over. The emperor stood before his people, and proclaimed the birth of the new Malkuth Empire. The four kingdoms were under the same banner, the same creed, for the first time in almost 800 years. And for the first time, there was peace. Prosperity has reigned in the empire ever since. The four kingdoms came together to excavate the Azran ruins, discovering vast riches and powerful relics within. And atop the rubble, Garleus built a new city. A sprawling metropolis to act as the empire's capital, with a name which once belonged to the ruins themselves: Babylon.