New Selentine Empire

(Book 6 p6, Book 6 pp12-13, DWR pp4-5, DWR p154)

The New Selentine Empire has historical links with the Old Empire*, from which it seceded, and its remnant, the nation of Asmulia*, in modern-day Legend*.

History

Centuries before the modern day in Legend*, the centurion commander called Madrox Cosmogoran* declared himself Imperator* in the north, thus forming the New Selentine Empire when – fortuitously – the Imperator* of the ‘old’ Selentine Empire* was unable to respond to the partial coup due to raids from southern Barbarians* (who would later adopt the Ta’ashim* faith and form the Caliphate of Zhenir*). Those raids ultimately led to the fall of the southern part of the Empire* and hence it is called the ‘old’ Selentine Empire*.

The Empire's more recent local problems have been, to the east, the Barbarians* of the Eastern Steppes* passing through or over the Harogarn Mountains* and, to the west, the continuously rebellious and warlike peoples of Kurland*.

By far the largest conflict in which the Empire is engaged is its ongoing, pseudo-religious war with the Ta'ashim* peoples of the Sultanate of Opalar* and the Caliphate of Zhenir* in the South, including battles to recover or defend the Holy City of Ibrahim* from Zhenir*, assisted by the efforts of Crusaders* from the Principalities of the Crusade* and, behind them, the rich lords and kings across the seas in Albion*, Algandy*, Cornumbria* and Chaubrette*.

Language

The language of the Empire is Angate*, shared with the Ferromaine League* within the nation's western shore with the Coradian Sea*.

Religion

Within the New Selentine Empire is one of the two main denominations of the True Faith* Church, the 'heterodox' Tamorian Church*. The Tamorian Church*, based in the capital Tamor*, teaches that the Saviour* of the True Faith* became like one of the Gods* like the Imperators* of old, rather than being the Son of God*. This places it at considerable odds with the other main denomination, the Selentine Church*, with its seat in Selentium*, which is the more broadly accepted of the two denominations. This theological difference of opinion might play out only amongst the religious scholars or otherwise later in history if the True Faith* forces can conqure or subdue the Ta'ashim* forces, the common enemy in the South.

Geographical Features (not including Places of Interest)

East

North

West

South

Cities, Towns and Villages

East

Northeast

North

Northwest

West

Southwest

South

Southeast

Places of Interest

East

North

West

South

Approximation

It is clear that the Old Selentine Empire* and New Selentine Empire represent, in their totality, an amalgam of the Byzantine and Roman Empires. However, beyond that, approximation gets somewhat more difficult:

Selentium is: THEORY A: Byzantium / Constantinople; or THEORY B: some other city closer to Rome; THEORY C: Rome itself
Tamor is: THEORY A & B: Rome; THEORY C: Byzantium
for completeness' sake, Ibrahim* represents Jerusalem (in all likelihood) with
Crescentium* representing a Crusader city such as Acre;
The schism between Byzantium and Rome in ancient Earth history is matched somewhat by the schism that arose in the Selentine Schism*.

bulya	Latest page update: made by bulya , Nov 6 2009, 3:26 PM EST (about this update About This Update Edited by bulya view changes - complete history)
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garyjohnson

Selentium, real-world analogues, and the Crusades

Feb 10 2008, 9:25 PM EST by RJLambert

Thread started: Feb 8 2008, 4:02 PM EST Watch

The name of the city that was the capital of the Old Selentine Empire is Selentium, not Selentine - see the map on page 264 of Book 6. Also, I don't agree with some of the analogues, or that the analogues are that ambiguous.

Selentium is Rome - it's the original capital of the Roman Empire equivalent ("the Old Selentine Empire"), it's the location of the Pope-equivalent ("the Pontiff")

Tamor is Constantinople - it's the capital of the successor state to the Roman Empire equivalent, the Byzantine empire equivalent ("the New Selentine Empire"), but it isn't subject to the religious authority of the Pontiff of Selentium, and thus isn't equivalent to the Holy Roman Empire of western Europe.

Ibrahim is Jerusalem - it's the birthplace of the Jesus equivalent ("the Saviour")

Crescentium is a crusader city.

Also, I think it's a stretch to say that the Crusades are a successor state to the Selentine Empire, even if some of the crusader barons hold their territories in vassalage to the Pontiff himself (book six page 49). In the real world, many rulers in western Europe swore homage to the Pope (such as King John of England) - however, that didn't make those rulers part of the Holy Roman Empire, or give the Pope military control over their territories. In my opinion, the crusaders in Legend swear vassalage to acknowledge the religious authority of the Pontiff of Selentium, just as rulers did in western Europe.

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