The Deverenian Empire spans a huge swath of the northern Accordlands, and in times gone by controlled even more of the known world.
The Deverenian upper classes include members of the clergy of the Church of the Storm, powerful wizards, and the ubiquitous knights. Deverenia is a society where the strong rule, and the weak exist only to serve the needs of the strong. A well equipped Deverenian knight with an assisting mage and a company of fodder-troops can take out a legion of most armies. Commoners are beneath notice, unless they make the fatal mistake of disrespect. The average Deverenian aspires to personal power, whether through strength of arms, subtle spell craft, or even tapping into the might of the Storm. In battle, they control the field through illusory magics, subtle manipulations of fate, seizing the initiative, and foiling opposing plans at critical moments. Though some bards make their way into court, rogues in general are rarely found in the Empire.
The mountains of Deverenia are dark, blackened and scorched by the passage of the Blood Moon. On the far side, the mountains have turned red with fire and blood, marking the edge of the moon's destruction. The Deverenian palaces rise like gothic cathedrals against a storm-covered sky, and their armies march in formation; armor and steel beneath the lightning sigil of their mighty Emperor.
The people of Deverenia are soldiers, warriors with a dark sense of honor and the iron fists of tyrants. They live within a rigid military society where the nobility rules, and the serfs farm the land and care for the day-to-day business. Once, long ago, the Deverenian Empire had conquered nearly all of the human lands in the Accord, butchering those who did not agree with their rule. Many years passed, and the Empire fell from within, leaving only the crumbling shell of a once-powerful nation.
Until now. United beneath a strong Emperor and his sorcerous advisors, the Deverenians have begun to reestablish their conquest, this time seizing Elven and Nothrog lands as well as the lands of the Human kingdoms. The Deverenians see the Storm as a kind of god, a power that can be harnessed and controlled. Their Emperor believes that he can gather the power to summon the Storm and control it. If he is right, the Deverenians could well conquer the world, with the Storm at their side.
The Deverenians are strong fighters and good commanders, using a great deal of fodder-troops and sorcery to compliment a single warrior's raw physical prowess. The Deverenian units are typically made up of one massive, heavily armored fighter, and a number of weak grunts that exist to 'soften the enemy' for the Knight's attack. Their wizards specialize in offensive magic, with fire being a particular favorite among their sorcerers. One Deverenian Knight is nearly a match for 20 Nothrog; if the knight is accompanied by squires and a sorcerer, he could potentially take out a legion.
Deverenian politics are ancient and subtle; they know the secrets of all the lands they conquered, and they remember the means to manipulate their enemies. Their ambassadors often hid an iron hand within their velvet glove and all too often carry a touch of poison behind honeyed words.
In his youth, the Emperor was one of the greatest knights of Deverenia. Age, and time have stolen the sharpness of his blade, and now he is only an old man with a fading Empire. (Prepared for Battle)
No matter the words coming from their lips, I trust not the Deverenians. But I know determination when I see it and i cannot deny their strength. (Purge)
"The Deverenians are not brave, my queen, merely stubborn." - Sileth Elestra (Spirit's Bonds)
"We are Deverenia. Boundless, friendless, merciless. Kneel to us and live, or die where you stand." - The Eternal Emperor (Divine Will)
"Don't let the Deverenians tell you they invented sorcery. It was around long before the Empire, and destroyed more nations than even the oldest histories tell." - Anton Cyldragen (Ball Lightning)