Introduction
The Southern Empire, often called the Lyniros Empire, is the largest, wealthiest, and most influential of the four kingdoms on Kélas. It borders the Middleland Alliance and the Parlene-Wastian Federation, and stretches from the western Ocean of Storms to the eastern Hasyn Ocean. The most populous areas are the lowlands, especially the Lyn Plains and the Yisénian Valley, through which the river Ákeir flows, into the delta where the capital city of An Sorania is located. A significant part of the southernmost territories is occupied by deserts, and the western lands are mainly mountainous.
The Empire consists of many regions: Lyniros, Sentia (including Chytaria), Yisénia, Varia, Weslin, Yeseika, Rasharia, Rasan (Sennia, Kalia a Kihia), Southern islands (Suteira, Kolgia a Naeterai) and de facto Sorka.
Lyniros and Sentia, which are nicknamed Lynsent as one, have a highly privileged position and enjoy the greatest power in the Empire. This is reflected in the position of other regions, which tend to be poorer and often face discrimination from Lynirosans and Sentians. It also affects for example the choice of general – the Empire has two generals, one leading the Lyniros army and the other the Sentian army, and both generals must come from the corresponding country, in the vast majority of cases from a noble family. The current Lyniros general is Söndur Járnesver and the Sentian general is Venrask Sentangar.
The Southern Empire conquered its vast territory primarily through force and countless wars, which were even behind the birth of its predecessor, the Kingdom of Lyniros, founded by Soran Hikaria of Lyniros after the successful conquest of the capital of the Alteian Empire. The subsequent conquest of the fallen Alteia and the advancement further and further south were carried out by the Lynirosans together with the Sentians and partly the Yisénians who were their allies since the Altei-Lísic Wars that immediately precede the end of the Alteian era. Since Lyniros and Sentia together formed a huge army, they did not stop at the territory of the former heart of Alteia and continued beyond the then borders to other countries.
The Southern Empire follows in Alteia's footsteps in many ways – especially in terms of expanding its borders and strictly prohibiting wizardry. A substantial financial reward is offered for reporting a person suspected of being a wizard, and the accused often ends up with a death sentence if the accusation is confirmed to be true. False accusations can result in whipping or imprisonment.
Order in such a vast country is maintained by a professional army with trained knights who study the art of combat in military orders – Lyniros has the most of them in all of Kélas. The most influential orders are the Knights of Gellea and the infamous Knights of the Most Holy Leiki, who are considered the most skilled, but also the cruelest soldiers on Kélas.
The capital of the Empire, An Sorania (colloquially known to the vast majority of non-Soranians as Delta), is not only the largest and most populous city on Kélas, but also one of the oldest. It was founded at the very beginning of the Alteian Empire (although the Ákeir Delta region was inhabited long before that), when it was called Yáirími’á. It houses the royal palace, the seat of the Hikarias, from which the first Alteian king Keassa ruled.
Noble houses
Hikaria
An ancient house that arose long before the establishment of the Kingdom of Lyniros, though its founder is considered to be Soran Hikaria of Lyniros (the epithet "of Lyniros" in this case is not a name of any house, but of an Old Lísic tribe). They were dethroned for only a few years by the Súzians, who were, however, killed off by the future Hikaria queen of the Empire.
The current head of the house and ruler of the Southern Empire is Rivalis Angara III. Hikaria, who ascended to the throne at the age of just seven after the mysterious death of her parents. A seven-year-old child ruling the largest kingdom on Kélas caused quite a stir, but the princess's fourteen-year-old cousin Venrask Sentangar proved himself to be a great asset, earning him the title of general at such a young age (although until he reached adulthood, his father Malsursk handled most of the duties of the position – much to his displeasure, as he had been the general until Rivalis' coronation and was not too keen on his underage son taking the title from him). The disputes were eventually more or less settled when Rivalis' grandmother Tabi Sentangar offered to act as regent for the princess until she came of age.
Sentangar
The ruling Sentian house, which has resided in the Sentian capital of Ken Sent for centuries. Its current head is Malsursk Sentangar, whose eldest son and heir is Venrask Sentangar, the current Sentian general of the Empire.
Roscan
One of the most important Lynirosan houses with close ties to the House of Hikaria. Its head is Kesriel Roscan, who played a minor role in helping young Rivalis and Tabi during her early reign. She currently assists her ruler in many ways. Her daughter Tieris is the wife of the current king of the Parlene-Wastian Federation.
Kal-Nayú
The ruling house of Rasan of Kalish-Kihian origin. Their seat is in Kal Ra and their current head is Ruymay Ram-Muwá Kal-Nayú.
