The Old Empire

The Old Empire is the modern colloquial name given to the world-spanning theocratic government that existed before the Core Empires of today.

History
First mentions of what would eventually become the Old Empire begin around 10,000 years ago as human tribes began to intermarry and ally themselves with one another, recording their deeds in stone and clay tablets.

Over the course of roughly 4,000 years the tribes became city states, which then became kingdoms, which in turn became an empire encompassing most of the Core.

At some point 6,000 years ago, the human empire radicalized, and over the course of a millenia constantly crusaded against all foreign kingdoms and cultures it encountered, conquering them all.

From 5,000 until 3,000 years ago the Old Empire ruled over the entire world with stone cold certainty. However, the empire became so large that it began to fracture- old rivalries bubbling to the surface, tribal blood fueds springing anew, lust for money and power all contributed to the end of the Old Empire.

The empire partitioned itself into sections, then the sections themselves divided until all central control was lost.

2,000 years ago, all that remained of the Old Empire was the Church- a shadow of its former self even now.

Decline
Some scholars theorize that the Old Empire was simply unable to function due to its epic size and labyrinthine beaurocracy. Any problems or inefficiencies were magnified by the Empire's size rather than minimized. Thus, these scholars say, it was only natural for the Empire to split apart.

Other scholars claim the Old Empire lost its spiritual way, and was overcome by sin and greed. Indeed, in its late years the Empire's Clerics were little more than robber barons, and their Paladins gained a thuggish reputation that follows them to this day.

A select few (eccentric) scholars claim that the abolishment of the Knights Vanguard caused a domino effect leading directly to the Empire's collapse.

Theocracy
The Gods were not always thought to play a silent, secretive role in the world. Surviving documents imply that the Primarchs thought of themselves as administers of a church rather than rulers of an empire. All of the empire's victories and achievements were attributed to the grace of the Gods.

It is not known what came first; the decline of the Empire, or rumors of the pantheon's disfavor. Either way, when the Old Empire collapsed, so did faith in its Church.

Government and Structure
The Old Empire was ruled by Primarchs, religious leaders with absolute control that claimed to speak to the Gods. The pantheon payed specific attention to deities devoted to law and order, reinforcing the legitimacy of the Empire.

The Primarchs took counsel from their Clerics, who ruled in the Primarchs name over divisions of territory. The Clerics guided cohorts of Paladins, who in turn commanded armies of men-at-arms, knights, mercenaries and other forces.

The Knights Vanguard were a seperate, independent, and unsupervised wing of the church charged with policing its internal affairs. It is rumored they held the power and authority to remove even a sitting Primarch. The Knights were eventually deemed disruptive, and were abolished.

Relics
The Old Empire produced wonders of art, music, architecture, and especially magic. Powerful magisters serving the Primarch would create magnificent magical gifts for loyal Clerics, and it is said that some Relics were given to the Primarchs by the Gods themselves.

It is unknown when the last of these epic Relics was created, but it had to have been at least 2,500 years ago.

Legacy
Those of the Kesh dynasty are blood relatives to last line of Primarchs, and the Kesh city of Tanis is the only place in the world still administered (but not controlled) by the remnants of the Old Empire, the Church.

The weapons shop Ruins of Empire in Tanis alludes to the Old Empire.

The Kingdom of Dumat is claimed by some to be a direct continuation of the Old Empire's initial partitions.