Council of Bile

In 1266, with Kal-Oni's fall, her former hold splintered. Big cities like Zayr, Pormintal, and Paradomea turned to self-rule, the rest, especially those on the edge of Kal-Oni's former territories became petty fiefdoms or were overrun by hostile neighbors. A few of Kal-Oni's noble families made attempts to seize power in Paradomea City. These failed with the merchant houses taking over the pieces. Routed, they moved west where on the northern side of Nadrunal they took over Kal-Oni's frontier forts. In 1267 the foundations for Drakhôr, home of House Bile were laid.

In 1268, controlling Kal-Oni's former eastern holds, nine merchant lords formed the Merchant League. While stability was taking hold in their lands, the fiefdoms of the west continued to feud with each other and with those around them. The Merchant League did their part to keep the conflicts going, making a lot of money in the process. It was during these conflicts that a code of conduct was established, rules like not razing each other crops and unnecessary killing of civilians. These were said to have put in place to keep the collective strength of the fiefdoms strong enough to contest foreign invaders. It was also a time when Ares's proselytizers began arriving from outside, foreigners from across Brucrumus, singing morale boosting battle hymns, and creating thunder from their great war drums. They were charismatic, speaking to the wounded and demoralized, raising spirits and spreading the word of Ares.

In 1279, an alliance of four knightly orders, what would become the Orders of War, was formed by General Rozol Bile. In 1282, after three years of sieges and battles, Bile's forces were victorious. The lesser orders and holds west of the Foronir River pledged their allegiance to their new sovereign, King Bile, Son of Bile of the 1^st Lineage.

With the formation of the Council of Bile, now a serious player of the region, the Lower Hells Womb Territory Act was agreed upon by the Merchant League and Bile's nascent kingdom. This treaty established spheres of control and territory boundaries. It also resulted in the founding of the Paradomea Empire.

The Council of Bile is a feudalistic nation, with over twenty knightly orders, most of the time pledging fealty to a militaristic government. Of the empire's four main churches, Ares, Bahamut, Hades, and Krak-Oth, it is the war-loving Ares that gets the most respect.

The Orders of War, a major military force of the Council of Bile, are sometimes referred to as the evil sister order of the disbanded Lances of Merioss. The use of the word evil is not to mean that the knightly orders are evil, but that they tend to be non-good and consider the use of poison and other unhanded tactics to be fair play in battle.

Disease is a problem in the southern territory of the Council of Bile. This is caused by the wide temperature variances produced by the Temporal Zephyr and merchant traffic through the Saknussem jungle.

As one would suspect, the most feared military arm of this empire are the cavalry. Their heavy use of mounts came from the leadership of the Biles. This family has horsemanship dating back to their time in Gulimbor, when they provided Cal-Thaoun Dynasty with a steady supply of mounts. The Council's mounted units field hundreds of knights and steeds, all heavily armored, and magically warded in their Elem-Guard. The Council's mounts are mostly comprised of griffons and blue dragons, and land-based steeds like horses, dragon hybrids, elephants, and minotaur lizards.

In the 1300s, the Kenku of Rerkvorg were reduced to slavery. They eventually earned their freedom, becoming citizens of the Council of Bile. The empire's secret police, the Malreeth, is run by the Kenku. Their organization's work, considered honor-less in a society where knightly virtue is very high, is a place where Kenku can go far.

The Council of Bile's closest neighbor is Paradomea. Ever since the Lower Hells Womb Territory Act, they have had friendly and strong economic ties; border conflicts, but no wars. In the Third Sorrow Pass War and in the Artery War (1546 - 1554) they joined forces, helping defeat the Orchish Empire in the Sorrow Pass and then the Black Tide in the Artery War.

In the Chaos War, the Council of Bile and Celebriän joined forces, attacking the Orchish Empire while her forces were diverted north.

Architecture

The Council of Bile build grandiose monuments (c.f. Valor Shrine) to honor those who have died in valorous combat. Their fortifications rely on layered defenses, with massive lava stone walls, and towers serving as observation platforms and aeries for their flying beasts. The palaces, churches, and vast noble estates, are lavish and impressive to say the least; evidence of the enormous wealth held by the clergy and upper-classes.