Salena Athomath

Salena Athomath (Salena Andrea Athomath; born 8 August 22 BFE) is the first Empress of the Sapphire Empire and Queen of Alagor, reigning since her coronation on 9 June 0 AFE. Her accession followed the unification of the seventy-five realms under a single imperial crown, a transformation widely regarded as one of the most significant political shifts in recorded history. The consolidation of sovereignty under her rule marked the beginning of the Sapphiric Era, a period identified with reform, political stabilization, and the development of inter-realm governance.

Born in the royal city of Athomathia, Salena is the daughter of Aindranla Athomath, remembered as the “Dark Lady” of the Alagorian Civil War, and an undisclosed father. Questions about her lineage initially complicated her succession claim, but it became the basis for her eventual inheritance after the death of King Octavius Athomath in 0 AFE. Following the renunciation of succession rights by Octavius’s heirs, she was crowned Queen of Alagor in April, and two months later proclaimed the first Empress of the Sapphire Empire.

Salena assumed power at the age of twenty-two. Her early reign saw the rapid establishment of imperial institutions, including the Sapphire Assembly, the codification of inter-realm law, the standardization of currency, and the creation of a centralized civil service. Historians describe these measures as the foundations of the “Sapphiric Model,” a system of governance adopted across the Empire’s seventy-five realms.

Her rule has been credited with stabilizing economies weakened by centuries of civil conflict, reducing inter-realm warfare, and introducing state guarantees of education, health, and subsistence. Within eight years of her accession, contemporary observers have characterized her reign as a period of renewal, and popular devotion to her person and office has been described as unusually strong in comparison with earlier rulers.

Early life

Salena Andrea Athomath was born on 8 August 22 BFE in the Royal Palace of Athomathia, during the reign of her mother, Aindranla Athomath, the Emerald Queen. Her father was never publicly identified, and even Salena has stated that she does not know whether she ever met him. From birth her existence was concealed, and she was presented to the court under the identity of “Princess Fiona of Loradel,” ostensibly a political hostage. The child was reported to suffer frequent fevers and fragile health, but was noted for being closely attended by the Queen herself. General Alexander Athomath, her maternal uncle, was appointed her guardian.

Historians later concluded that the girl recorded in palace documents as “Fiona” was in fact Salena. Current images of the true Princess Fiona of Loradel, a blonde-haired noblewoman, contrasted sharply with descriptions of a dark-haired, Suian-featured child with striking emerald eyes within the palace.

Following Aindranla’s defeat at the Battle of Athomathia in 18 BFE, the two-year-old Salena was discovered in her nursery by her grandfather, High King Octavius. He removed her to Whispering Pines, the Athomath family retreat, where she spent much of her early childhood in seclusion. Octavius arranged her education under selected tutors, who instructed her in history, law, rhetoric, and the Weave. Though often ill, she was serious and precocious, later recalling nights when her mother sat at her bedside reading stories, or when r would rouse her unexpectedly to check on her.

Salena’s public existence was not acknowledged until 0 AFE, when she appeared following the death of her grandfather during the Tournament of the Supreme. She revealed her true identity in a broadcast to the realms, and soon after walked in Octavius’s funeral procession alongside Irisa, Leo, and Queen Nichole. Two weeks later, the Alagorian Senate formally recognized her as heir apparent, and she was crowned Queen of Alagor on 9 June 0 AFE. With the proclamation of the Sapphire Empire that July, she ascended as the First Empress of the Realms.

Accession and coronation

Following the death of Octavius in 0 AFE and the renunciations of Irisa and Leo Athomath, Salena was confirmed as successor by the Alagorian Senate. Her succession was debated for two weeks owing to her parentage as the daughter of Aindranla Athomath, but the Senate ultimately affirmed her claim as the next valid heir. She was crowned Queen of Alagor in the Senate chambers in a ceremony in tradition to the Athomathian succession. In her first public address she pledged stability, reinstated the former line of succession, and proclaimed Irisa Athomath as heir apparent. She further declared that she would neither take a consort nor produce a child, making Irisa’s succession secure.

Her accession was met with anxiety across the realms. Reports from the period record multiple kingdoms and republics placing their militaries on high alert, with both the United Alliance and the Gala Gonian Hegemony raising fleet readiness. Commentators noted widespread concern that Salena might emulate the authoritarianism of her mother, Aindranla. To counter the unease, Salena issued an open invitation for realm leaders to meet her at Athomathia. In the days that followed, delegations from across Alagor and beyond arrived for audiences; most accounts describe the receptions as surprisingly favorable, citing her accessibility, charisma, and willingness to engage directly with her counterparts.

Public sentiment within Alagor shifted rapidly, as she appeared frequently in Athomathia for public walkabouts, speeches, and ceremonial appearances. Early declarations of loyalty came from the Dread Coast, followed by Roxabor, and soon spread to other major realms. By the close of the deliberative period, momentum had consolidated around Salena as a unifying figure.

Two months after her coronation as Queen of Alagor, Salena was crowned Empress in the Royal Palace of Athomathia. The ceremony was attended by delegations from all seventy-five realms, with simultaneous public broadcasts marking the event as both a dynastic coronation and a constitutional foundation. The act formally created the Sapphire Empire, giving institutional shape to the allegiance already pledged by the realms. The occasion also witnessed the investiture of Irisa Athomath as heir apparent under the newly created style of Virellia of the Everdawn, cementing the continuity of succession from the outset of the imperial era.

Reign

Early Reign

Salena’s accession as Queen of Alagor in 0 AFE marked the beginning of a rapid political transformation that extended far beyond her ancestral realm. Alagor itself had faced mounting difficulties in the preceding decade: dislocation between traditional orders and modern institutions, growing criminal syndicates, and severe poverty in regions unable to adapt to industrial expansion. Salena’s first initiatives targeted these pressures directly. She secured the cooperation of Alagor’s local governors and city prefects, fast-tracking measures that expanded food access, subsidised public works, and stabilised housing markets. Her willingness to share authority with regional figures, while maintaining royal oversight, quickly gained traction. Other realms began to adopt her methods or request her arbitration in disputes, establishing her reputation as a mediator even before her imperial coronation.

After assuming the imperial title, Salena embarked on an extensive series of tours across the realms. She traveled through the Realm of Avalon, the Realm of Roxabor, Cascadia, the Serpentine Waste, the Dread Coast, and Vaylin, often drawing immense crowds and generating unprecedented media coverage. These appearances were credited with helping to establish her legitimacy as Empress and presenting her as a unifying figure across diverse cultures.

The most pressing matter of her early reign was the crisis of fractured currencies and failing economic systems across the realms. In response, Salena convened the Council of Sovereigns with her newly appointed Minister of Economic Affairs. Agreement on the creation of a unified tender was reached swiftly, with the Vire designated as the Empire’s sole currency. Its rollout, however, required nearly two years to complete, as existing systems were phased out and inter-realm exchange structures dismantled. Despite early opposition from leaders wary of dissolving their own mints, the policy was credited with restoring stability and trade across the realm's. Parallel to this, the introduction of the UNIS system standardised inter-realm communications and data infrastructure. While critics alleged that the project was a veiled mechanism of state control, its broad adoption by citizens, and the efficiencies it introduced, cemented it as one of the most transformative technologies of the early Empire.

In 3–4 AFE, an assassination attempt was carried out while Salena was in Avalon managing the Yeltinx crisis. The operation was linked to Corodulain Vaelthorn, a palace tutor and clandestine rebel agent, who sought both her death and the abduction of the Virellia, Irisa Athomath. The attempt failed, but it underscored the persistence of organised dissent and prompted the declaration of the Sorcerers’ Registration and Integration Decree, which created formal oversight structures for magical practitioners across the Empire.

From the outset, Salena declared she would take no consort and bear no children, reaffirming Irisa as her heir. At first dismissed as symbolic, her insistence was reinforced as she consistently elevated Irisa’s presence at ceremonies and state functions. By the end of her third year, scepticism over this stance had largely dissipated, with commentators noting the deliberate cultivation of Irisa as both partner and successor in imperial governance.