Iithic Nation

The Iithic Nation is a sprawling interplanar power, a nation composed of over two hundred isolated city-states, all bound by the authority of a singular aristocracy: the Arch Magi. While their empire once fought and conquered to expand, the modern Iithic people are a civilization of isolation, legacy, and quiet pride, maintaining their land, but not often expanding it.

Each city stands alone, many of which are in different planes throughout the interplanar weave, connected only by shimmering stargates stone platforms carved with glimmering spellwork, which lead to the warp corridor, connecting all Iithic cities.

To live within the walls of an Iithic city is to live in safety, with access to magics no other society has seen. To step beyond them, however, is forbidden to all but the Templar, elite knights entrusted with the perilous wilds of the outside, guarding the walls, and fighting for the magi they’re sworn to, when aristocratic families disagree.

Stardust flows in the veins of the aristocratic magi bloodlines, granting them not only magical power but elevated status, even aristocratic non-magi are never given the same level of rank and power as a magi can earn. Technology, art, and arcane research flourish in the walls of Iithic Cities, yet the nation is fiercely isolationist and xenophobic. Beneath its polished order lies buried dissent, whispered legends, and rogues who still dare to challenge those blessed by the stars.

The Iithic Nation has endured for millennia, rooted in tradition, shaped by power, and its citizens ignorant of what lies beyond its own walls.

History

The history of the Iithic Nation is measured in AF—After Founding, beginning with the founding of the city of Iithis

The Founding Era (0–183 AF): The Iithic Nation was founded by Emperor Iithol Va-Novia, who constructed the city of Iithis, and declared it an independent nation. Iithol’s rule lasted 42 years. After which his son ruled for 73 years, and his grandaughter for 67 years. Though lacking the magic that would later define the nation, this era was peaceful, and the city of Iithis grew much over it.

The Shimmering Era (217–296 AF): The Shimmering Era began with the rise of Caġeir Va-Iithis, Iithol’s great-granddaughter. Her discovery of a fallen starshard changed the course of history. Upon binding the shard to her soul, Caġeir became the first magi, her blood infused with stardust. This magical empowerment was passed down to her offspring, resulting in her descendants frequently being born as magi.

The Empirical Era (296–503 AF): Empowered by their stardust blood, first led by Emperor Volan Va-Iithis, the grandson of Caġeir, him, as well as the rest of her descendants led a sweeping campaign of conquest, forming the Iithic empire. Iithic cities were founded across the interplanar weave, armies of templar led by the magi secured large amounts of new territory. The Iithic People used the souls of the fallen to forge powerful enchanted relics, fueling both infrastructure and warfare. Many of the stargates in use today were built during this time, establishing the foundation for the nation’s planar unity.

The Calm Era (503–893 AF): With territorial ambitions satisfied, the empire entered a long period of unity and prosperity. The Calm Era was marked by relative peace, cultural entrenchment, and the solidification of magic and stars as a symbol of nobility. Magical knowledge spread slowly, but without major innovation or unrest.

The First Renaissance (893–1092 AF): This vibrant era brought a rebirth of art, philosophy, and invention. Scientific breakthroughs such as math, architecture, and geometry emerged alongside a wave of philosophical shift, including a trend of nobles and aristocrats becoming patrons for artists. Politically, the Iithic underwent a major shift: the monarchy was abolished by Emperor Kol Va-Iithis in the year 962 AF in favor of a ruling aristocracy of magi, governed by a group of elites known as the arch magi. Near the end of this era, a shapeshifter successfully impersonated a member of the arch magi council, triggering a major political scandal. This event dramatically increased societal distrust toward all shapeshifting entities, a stigma that persists to this day.

The Soul Light Era (1092–1687 AF): A time of magical infrastructure and research. The Iithic Nation greatly expanded its use of enchantments, building magical devices, defenses, and communication systems across nearly every city. Research into magic, soul-binding, and enchantment effects reached new heights. However, this golden age of magic came at a deadly cost, as soul-harvesting became much more widespread and increasingly unethical.

The First Schism (1687–1732 AF): The overharvesting of souls, and the social inequality it underscored, erupted into civil war. Known as the First Schism, the five main factions of the nation fought:

Va-Iithis The aristocratic bloodline with the most power in the capital, mostly wishing to maintain the status quo.

Va-Keplar The aristocratic bloodline ruling over the city of Keplar, which had been rapidly expanding after the soul light era, this faction wished for Keplar to become the new capital of the nation.

Orne-Meus An aristocratic faction seeking to take advantage of the civil war to split off into its own nation.

The Rogues of Vanscetċu Dissidents who sought the complete dismantling of the Iithic government.

The United Commons A popular movement of non-magi and disenfranchised citizens protesting soul-harvesting, sometimes also known as the people’s army or the common warriors.

After forty-five years of war, the Va-Iithis and Va-Keplar factions allied, Va-Keplar giving up on their goals of becoming the new capital. They won the war, and the aristocracy retained power, but they had to dramatically reduce the practice of soul-harvesting to prevent further revolt.

The Unifying Era (1732–1978 AF): Following the chaos of the First Schism, the ruling class initiated a sweeping national reform. The Unifying Era saw the enforcement of a standardized language across all cities, as well as a significant expansion and standardization of education. Literacy, math, and history education became widespread with the construction of schools and libraries across the nation, but this came at the cost of cultural homogenization. Regional traditions were diluted, and state narratives became easier to spread. While the nation grew more cohesive, dissenting voices found themselves drowned in a sea of curated doctrine.

The Second Renaissance (1978–2276 AF): With education widespread and cultural voids left by the Unifying Era, a new wave of intellectual and artistic fervor swept across the nation. The Scholar Era brought advancements in bookbinding, early plumbing systems, and public architectural design, as well as the invention of steel forging. Performance arts flourished, such as plays, music, and storytelling. A major philosophic shift caused artists to be viewed as scholarly and intellectual, worthy of the same esteem as philosophers and engineers. This prestige allowed creativity to flourish, filling the silence left by the nation’s lost folk cultural traditions and folklore with newer stories, performances, and music, which were viewed as more sophisticated and elegant.

The Second Calm Era (2276–2549 AF): This era brought peace and stability, but little innovation. With the arts in bloom and cities prosperous, the Iithic people became idle once more. Many view this time as one of slow, comfortable stagnation, a plateau between great leaps.

The Second Schism (2549–2631 AF): This fragile peace shattered when Orham Va-Iithis, an arch magi, was assassinated by a New Rogue of Vanscetċu. The ruling class responded with fury, launching a brutal campaign against any suspected dissidents under the pretense that they were aligned with rogue elements. The ensuing schism, also known as the rogue war, devastated much of the nation’s cultural and scholarly infrastructure. Libraries were razed, soul-crafted relics sabotaged, and magical techniques and technologies lost, some yet to be recovered. Though the Arch Magi ultimately reasserted control, the damage to public trust and the historical record was lasting.

The Second Unifying Era (2631–2826 AF): In the aftermath, the council of arch magi undertook a new wave of cultural reconstruction. Using heavily romanticized histories and state-funded art, they sought to re-legitimize their rule. Massive public works and grand narratives about the righteousness of the rogue war helped repair public confidence. While stability returned, this era remains controversial, with modern scholars quietly debating how much truth was sacrificed for unity.

The Third Renaissance (2826–2957 AF): The modern third renaissance brought rapid advancement in nearly all fields: astronomy, arcane theory, construct engineering, and civic planning. This era was defined by the greatly growing public interest in engineering and education. The arts also experienced a rebirth, with many visual arts such as painting and sculpting becoming more stylized and glamorized, and fashion becoming more dramatically flamboyant, as well as the wider exploration and retelling of any surviving pre-unification folklore and myths.

The Modern Era (2957 AF–Present): The past fifty years are often considered an extension of the third renaissance, though most simply refer to it as the modern era. While the Iithic Nation enjoys general stability and prosperity, dissent still simmers beneath its shining surface.