Black Legion

The Black Legion Empire

• Capital: Rome
• Continent: South Azure
• Region: Eastern Coast (Desert Region)
• Government: Imperial Autocracy with a Senate
• Ruler: Caesar Lucian Kaeso Dravenius (descendant of Kaeso Antius Tarsicius)
• Military Strength: 20 Legions
• Allies: The Elvin Army of the Black Moon Empire, the Realm of the Minotaurs of Lavyrinthos
• Enemies: The Realm of Avalon, the Sun Elves of Imyfelon
• Climate: Arid desert with fertile river valleys
• Primary Exports: Grain, olive oil, glass, stone, papyrus, spices, and bronze weapons

  Historical Overview   9800 AD – The Lost Arrival:   After months adrift on the Sea of Odin, the II and XI Legions of the ancient Roman Empire were presumed lost. Caught in monstrous storms and pursued by sea serpents, they were eventually hurled through a violent maelstrom—emerging on the shores of an unknown continent later called South Azure.   Believing they had reached the coast of Sappire, General Kaeso Antius Tarsicius led his exhausted forces against the fortified coastal city of Gonsum. The siege lasted three days, and the city fell to disciplined Roman steel. Only after taking the city did Kaeso realize they had found not Sappire—but an uncharted land rich with life, minerals, and magic.   The Founding of Rome:   Six months after the conquest of Gonsum, Kaeso renamed the city Rome, declaring himself Caesar and forming a new empire from the remnants of his two legions. He unified the II and XI under a single black banner—the Aquila Obsidian—and proclaimed the birth of the Black Legion Empire in 9795 AD.   From Rome, Kaeso led his forces to subdue neighboring cities and tribes across the eastern deserts of South Azure. He instituted Roman-style governance, road building, aqueducts, and military organization. Rome soon became a center of commerce and power, rivaling the ancient glory of its namesake.    Expansion and Alliances:    As centuries passed, the Black Legion Empire expanded relentlessly along the eastern coast of South Azure, its banners flying from the Sappire Ocean to the Sands of Thal’Kor. Through conquest and assimilation, the Empire forged vast networks of roads, garrisons, and trade routes that transformed the desert frontier into the heartland of civilization.   During its western campaigns, the Empire clashed with the Black Moon Elves, who ruled the dense jungles of the northwestern reaches of South Azure. The wars between Rome and the Elves raged for decades—bloody, magical, and unrelenting. Yet, in time, both sides came to see the futility of endless conflict. A treaty was brokered between Caesar Tarsicius II and High King Vaelion Nocturne, sealing an enduring alliance of power and necessity. From that day forward, the Black Legion and the Black Moon Empire stood as wary but powerful allies, their combined strength unmatched in all of South Azure.   Further to the southwest, the Empire’s legions waged bitter wars against the Minotaurs of Lavyrinthos—towering warriors who dwelled in labyrinthine cities carved into volcanic stone. These battles were legendary, marked by brutal sieges and unmatched displays of valor on both sides. Ultimately, respect was earned through blood. The Minotaurs, impressed by Rome’s discipline and Caesar’s iron will, swore allegiance as honored auxiliaries of the Empire.   Today, the Minotaur Cohorts stand among the Empire’s most feared allies—unyielding in loyalty, unmatched in strength, and bound to Rome by both respect and conquest.   At its height, the Black Legion Empire rivaled the the 5th Dynasty of the Zavabu in power and reach, becoming the second largest empire of North and South Azure before the Fall of Atlantis reshaped the world’s balance.   The March North Following the Fall of Atlantis, the Black Legion Empire turned its gaze northward. With the seas calmer and trade routes open once more, Caesar’s legions crossed into North Azure, seeking new lands to conquer and subdue. Through calculated campaigns of steel and diplomacy, the Empire established strong footholds in the Ephesus Region, securing ports, fortresses, and fertile territories that would feed Rome’s ambitions for centuries to come.   It was during this northern expansion that a powerful alliance was forged with the Harker Clan, rulers of the rugged northwestern highlands of North Azure. The Harkers, known for their formidable warriors and ancient lineage, saw in the Black Legion both opportunity and destiny. Through this pact, the Empire gained northern allies skilled in both strategy and sorcery, while the Harkers gained access to the wealth and infrastructure of Rome’s dominion.   In time, the great city of Ephesus rose as the Empire’s northern capital—its marble walls gleaming beneath the Azurean sun. Governed by the Harker family, Ephesus became the bastion of Black Legion power in North Azure, standing as both fortress and symbol of imperial might.   Yet, even the strongest alliances can falter. During the War of the Ancients, the Harker line was broken, and Ephesus fell to the forces of Avalon. Still, the Empire did not perish. Though diminished, the Black Legion endures—its legions disciplined, its will unbroken, and its banner of obsidian black still casting a long shadow across half of South Azure.