The Old Empire of Man

"Glory be to the Empire!"

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  The Old Empire of Man was a civilization of great power, innovation, and intelligence. In its prime, they were known simply as The Empire, and its people, Imperials. This mighty civilization flourished during the Golden Age, boasting renaissance-steampunk technology, advanced medicine, and a level of structural engineering unmatched even in the current era.   They constructed grand palatial red-brick structures—an aesthetic that defined their culture for centuries. This fixation on red came from the mineral-rich clay of the Jagged Spears Badlands, renowned for its structural resilience, almost akin to concrete in its versatility. Colosseums, laboratories, palaces—many still stand, weathered yet proud, millennia after their construction.  

A Colossus of Man

  The Empire's reach stretched far: from the Cradle of Man (now called the Isle of Man), to the deep jungles of Ancient Karrash and the endless horizon of The Golden Steppe. In time, all the petty kingdoms of Man were united under one monolithic banner. A singular empire that claimed dominion across the continent of Kalladonia.   But no glory lasts forever.   When the Old Empire collapsed, its fall tore open a massive power vacuum. The once-united fiefdoms fractured into independent states. Some were devoured by the creeping darkness of the Wastes. Others chose exile, fleeing to safer lands, abandoning the ruins of their ancestors. Today, these fallen places are picked apart by adventurers—greedy, desperate, or brave—searching for lost relics and the glitter of forgotten wealth.    

Redcastle: The Last Bastion

  Redcastle now stands at the very heart of the Old Empire, upon the ruins of its capital. This has allowed its people to recover faster than any other human kingdom. Castillia, the province surrounding Redcastle, now boasts the greatest technology and most organized society anywhere in Acarus.   In many ways, Redcastle is the spiritual successor of the Old Empire. And like its forerunner, it too carries the curse of imperial hubris and its obsession with red—the color of power, blood, and legacy.  

The People of the Empire

  The Imperials of the heartland bore a resemblance to what modern scholars might call Romanesque—proud, bronze-toned, clad in armor and elegance. However, the Old Empire governed all of humankind, from the highland clans to the desert tribes, from forest-dwellers to the steppe-riders.   The cultures of these vast dominions live on—not as empires, but as diasporas, scattered across the Isle of Man, clinging to ancient traditions and fractured pride. Though the Empire is dead, its people remain—and their memories run deep.