Foundation of the Empire and the Doom of Valyria
High-Empire of Albion, Founded in the year 1 of the Renewal ( 4,712 BC , or 5,010 years before the events of Game of Thrones)
Much had changed since the arrival of the people of Albion in what was now the High Empire of Albion. Still wishing to stand out from the Muggles and their video games, Harry had decided to keep most of the magical culture, skilfully mixing it with the game’s he was inspired by.
The first action carried out by Harry and his family was to place a very powerful enchantment around their new Empire, hiding it from everyone and repelling Muggles with the help of wards forming a gigantic canvas. Thus, the muggles never paid attention to the disappearance of such a large archipelago, not as if they could notice it, being so underdeveloped. The closest ones were two months away by sailing boat, or even three months by rowing boat. In any case, the Muggle ships were not as fast as those of Albion, which greatly arranged Harry's business.
The second action, and not least, was the placing of Magical Anchors called Runic Monoliths around the Empire. These monoliths were intended to conceal the Power of the Sunwell and therefore conserve it, but also to limit the magic of non-elves in the Kingdom. After all, it was unknown who else was capable of magic in this world, and Harry preferred to avoid a confrontation before his people were even settled. These Monoliths were placed in a circle on flying platforms around the archipelago. This protection was named Thalas’Dinoriel, meaning The Keeper of the Kingdom in Thalassian.
All the enchantments and wards were powered by the Sunwell, making them impenetrable.
Indeed, and awaited the too great divergences of languages, the Thalassian was decided as a common language, thus avoiding the possible conflicts between those considering that English, or French, should be the official language. Funny thing, the Thalassian looks like a mixture between Latin, Spanish and Greek.
He took the opportunity to make some modifications to Albion’s flag, as well as to the coat of arms of his family. He started with the Empire’s flag : A golden phoenix with spread wings, head to the right, with a golden sun above its head, all on a background of Azure.
As for the Sunstrider coat of arms, he decided to make a coat of arms cut in three. On the entire left side, a gigantic golden phoenix on an azure background surmounted by a crown. On the upper right, the symbol of the Silver Deathly Hallows with a golden scythe on a black background. And finally, on the lower right, a Golden Lion wrapped by an Emerald Snake, all on a purple background.
Needless to say, Tormas laughed when he learned that they were going to use the phoenix as a symbol…
Then came the most urgent part, the establishment of a home for everyone. They began by establishing the capital of the Empire on the Central Island, then named Avalon. He hesitated with its Quel'Thalas equivalence, but Tormas reminded him that they intended to enlarge their Empire, and therefore the archipelago of islands would become Quel'Thalas, the High Kingdom, to differentiate them from the colonies. Harry agreed, and that is how the main island was named Avalon, in honour of the magical island of legends.
Inspired strongly by Elven architecture, which many found simply magnificent, the capital was erected. And it was during the construction of the capital that Harry had an absurd idea.
Inspired by the original Sunwell, he decided to create a lake around the Well of Power, protected by huge white marble wall. The Sunwell was then connected by a magical bridge to the Imperial Palace, itself protected by similar walls. Finally, he decided to bewitch the water protecting the Sun Well so that it kills anyone who is not welcome. He wanted at all costs to protect the Source from their immortality. He took the opportunity to install a wine-growing area around this lake, thus nourishing the grapes with the water from the Sunwell. This makes it possible to create a quality wine called Solegrace.
But the hardest part was to give their capital a name. Having no more ideas, Harry proposed a general vote. Several names were proposed, like Hogwarts, London, Albion, Silvermoon, Camelot etc. After bitter discussions, and in order to avoid any form of preference, the Capital was named Silvermoon. In exchange, the Royal Palace was named Camelot. At first, Harry wanted to use the original name Caermaloyw, but some remarked that it looked too much like Carmallow.
The capital was configured in a particular way. It all started with the northern hill of Avalon where the Royal Palace of Camelot and the Sunwell were now located. Resembling a mixture between the Warcraft Sunfury Spire and Hogwarts, the palace stood out with its white stones and its blatant lack of Quidditch field. Besides, the only means of access was a gigantic bridge overhanging a gaping chasm made of gold and marble. But the most imposing remained the gigantic Spire overhanging the castle, rising in the skies until forming two immense wings of gold, resembling those of a phoenix. Without forgetting the two gigantic statues at the entrance to the bridge, rising in the air for several meters. The statues held in their hands cupolas filled with water and runes, forming cascades which ran aground in other cupolas at their feet, never seeming to be filled.
What is more, the Royal Palace of Camelot also housed the Headquarters of AI : 7, (Albion Intelligence) the Secret Order of Assassins and Spies in the service of the Crown responsible for eliminating and identifying potential threats, in addition to accumulating as many 'information as possible. They are located under the Palace, out of sight. There was also a small cemetery where the members of the royal family rested, Harry having recovered their remains. There were unfortunately five more graves, those of Petunia, Vernon, Dudley, Liliane and Vernon Junior Sunstrider.
They were killed shortly after the revelation of Hermione Granger, who accused the Dursleys of harbouring the Dark Lord. This was one of the reasons why Harry tortured Hermione before her death ...
At the foot of the Palace was the Capital, dotted with magnificent white and gold houses surmounted by golden domes, large mansions, but also gigantic spires and other establishments, be they shops, stalls, bars, restaurants etc. There were even flying platforms above the city, more specifically flying gardens. In addition, Avalon was divided into five districts and buildings of some importance.
First of all, there was the 1st arrondissement, just at the foot of the hill. This district was the nerve centre of power, housing the largest mansions and other properties belonging to the nobility. One could thus find there the Manors of the families Sunbearer, Blackmoon, Goldrunner, Bloodriver, Greyback, Delacour, Stormwater and Starstellar. All the princely, ducal and Marquesan families owned property in this arrondissement, without counting certain count or viscount families. We could also find in this district two buildings of capital importance: The Magisterium where the nobles sat (Following the incorporation of the demi-gods, there were a total of 8 Princedoms, 9 Marche, 26 Duchies, 68 Counties, 136 Viscounties and 272 Baronnies) and their 519 hereditary seats, not counting the additional seats for the Orders of Merlin, and The Golden Bank (so named for the immense fortune of the Empire and the fact that the doors of the building and the roof be in fine gold ).
The 2nd arrondissement, taking the Southeast part was reserved for the Kingdom’s Administration with the various Ministries (formerly Departments) as well as several civil districts and other businesses, mainly specialized and luxurious. One could find there the Guild of the Jewellers and the Guild of the Scribes, without counting several scattered parks as well as the Magical Zoo of Avalon where magical and muggle creatures (those which one succeeds in bringing back from the Old World) were kept for educational purposes (in short, to show them).
The 3rd district, taking the south-western part, was totally different. It represented the population of Avalon, thus made up of several civil districts, a gigantic shopping alley, whether it be Makers of Staves (Elves not depending on wands, most decided to use staves to multiply their magical power) to bookstores (Flourish & Botts, Magillard) through pet shops and other flourishing businesses. Not to mention the many restaurants and bars that the elves loved so much, whether it was the Leaky Cauldron, the Boar's Head (Aberforth Dumbledore having proved that he was radically different from his brother) or the Café Abringer. One could find there a building of great importance for the citizens of Albion: The Cathedral of Light.
Following migration, a cult of believers appeared, setting up a whole deity around the imperial family, magic and light, which some simply call The Holy Light. Strongly encouraged by Tormas Sunstrider (who adored being taken for a god), this cult obtained in the year 200 of the Renewal the qualification of Religious Order. This is how the Church of Holy Light was born (also shortened to the Church of Light) and the Cathedral of Light was built. Harry was embarrassed for a long time by this deification of his person before getting used to it, making Sirius and his friends laugh. In the end, it's not that bad to be a god, without forgetting his divine origins that actually make him a god…
The 4th district which occupied the eastern part was reserved to culture, with its countless museums telling the history of previous races, but also forges and other places of crafts for the finer arts. One could find there the Guild of the Potionists led by none other than the Grand Master of Potions, Severus Prince (The latter had decided to recover the name of his mother) as well as the Guild of Blacksmiths founded by Master Baldwin Maric (A Master blacksmith who was a dwarf before ). This district was also that of Knowledge, resulting in the presence of the Royal University of Avalon, the Magical Academy of Craftsmen (for those choosing trades such as Forging or Jewelry), the Rowena Ravenclaw Library, the Tower of Merlin (place reserved for Archimages having completed their training and able to continue their research) and the very famous Slytherin Royal Administrative School Salazar known as SRASS (School forming the elite of the Administration of the Kingdom and de facto of future politicians).
Finally, there was the 5th district in the west , the one where were the Royal Military Academy with the prestigious Godric Gryffindor Academy (forming the military elite of the Kingdom) and the Sunstrider Royal Academy (forming the Royal guards ). One could also find there the places of training as well as the quarters of those deciding to dedicate their life to the army. Unlike the 2nd, 3rd and 4th arrondissements, the port of the 5th arrondissement was not civilian but military, hosting the Royal Fleet of Albion.
Then the three surrounding islands were colonized. Being extremely large, each island was divided into three Princedoms, although there was one too many.
To the northeast was the Isle of Beauty, also known as Quel'Surfal meaning High-Love, divided into three Princedoms :
-Velanna, the Princedom of the Delacour family.
-Volterra, the Princedom of the Bloodriver family.
-Suncrown, the Princedom of the Sunbearer family.
This island represented above all the Culture, the beauty and the aesthetics of their Empire. Although each Princedom has its own city, they joined in the centre of the island to form a fourth city, jointly managed. The name of the city was chosen by Draco, who decided to call it Arkhana, which means Magic in Thalassian. The city was mainly made up of towers and Spires rising in the air, with purple domes. In the centre was a gigantic tower, barely smaller than Camelot's Sunfury Spire. It was the nerve centre of the city, and above all, the largest library in the world. Not to mention that it was also the Kingdom’s Magical Academy, which can teach up to 100,000 students at a time. This spire was named the Violet Citadel.
To the North West was the Isle of Business, known as Quel'Shola, meaning High-Business, divided into three areas :
-Darkmoon, the Princedom of the Blackmoon family.
-Gringotts, the Princedom of the Goldrunner family.
- Thalassia, area controlled by the royal family.
This island represented trade and elven crafts. Intersected by an immense magical river, it linked the central city to the sea. This city was called Indo ( Gold in Thalassian) , the city of Commerce and Crafts. There you could find large forges, trade stalls and the largest market in the Empire. This city was obviously shared between the three factions, although it was obvious that the Royal family led their small council.
Finally, there was the Isle of Justice to the south. Nicknamed Quel'Selama, meaning High-Justice in Thalassian, it was divided into three Princedoms :
- Olympus , the Princedom of the Stormwater family .
-Roseraie, the Princedom of the Greenleaf family
-Centaurus, the Princedom of the Starstellar family.
Like the other islands, this one was jointly managed by the three princely families. The central city was called Alsu'Elelore, which means The Observing Judge in Thalassian. Unlike other cities, this one is divided into two distinct parts. On one side, there are the barracks and military zones, jointly led by the Stormwater and Greenleaf. On the other, there is the gigantic Observatory of the Starstellar family, allowing to observe the stars, and to see the enemies with a range of 1000 kilometers of the Empire.
Fun fact about Quel'Selama, the lands of Centaurus and Roseraie are largely dedicated to agriculture and livestock.
Then there was the restructuring of the political system. Harry decided to create the Royal Council, responsible for the management of the Empire. The Council was made up of the following positions :
-The High Counsellor, leader of the Council and faithful servant of the Emperor. He takes care of the Empire in the absence of decisions of the Emperor, and is responsible for fulfilling his desires. This post was assigned to Lucius Sunbearer .
-The Prime Minister, leader of the Ministries who works in coordination with the High Counsellor and the Grand Magister. This post was entrusted to Sirius Blackmoon.
-The Imperial Treasurer, responsible for managing the expenses of the Empire and ensuring the proper maintenance of the Imperial Treasury. This post was assigned to Ragnok Goldrunner.
-The Constable, in charge of the Imperial Legion. He has several generals under his command, allowing him to better control the Imperial Army. This position was assigned to Jason Stormwater.
-The Grand Admiral, in charge of the Imperial Navy. He has admirals under his leadership orders, each a fleet. This position was entrusted to Perseus Stormwater.
-The Ranger-General, in charge of the Internal Security of Quel'Thalas and Nature. Magorian Starstellar occupied this position.
-The Captain of the Royal Guard, responsible for the protection of the Imperial family. This post was assigned to Fenrir Greyback.
- The Prophet, leader of the Clairvoyants, an elf order with the gift of clairvoyance and using the energy of the Sunwell to predict and avoid possible threats to the Kingdom. Luna Predictstar is the leader.
-The Grand Magister, Advisor and Leader of the Magisterium. At the same time, he directs the Academies of Magic. This post is assigned to Tormas Sunstrider.
-The President Magistrate, charged by the Emperor to administer the Judicial system of the Empire. He is also responsible for the prison system. This title was granted to Apolline Delacour .
-The Archbishop, chosen to lead the Church of Light by the Emperor. Octavian Solfaith was chosen for this position, and above all, for his devotion.
-The Phantom, Master Spy and Master Assassin in the direct service of the Emperor . He heads AI : 7 (Albion Intelligence), the Secret Order of Assassins and Spies in the service of the Crown. This post was granted to Dracula Bloodriver.
Thus, the Council had for goal to manage daily the High Empire of Albion. Of course, a large part of the work was redistributed through the various Ministries (Responsible for the management of the Empire through offices and efficient administration) and the Magisterium.
The Magisterium had remained the Institution where laws are passed, published, etc. Members called Magisters were all Mages, and for most, noble. The title of Magister qualified more than a noble sitting on the Magisterium, he qualified at the same time a powerful mage.
Indeed, the Magisterium was also considered as a Magical Academy exclusively reserved for the nobility, and although there are grouped courses, the majority of the education of a Magister was done in the form of a Master-Student apprenticeship. Each Magister could have up to three Apprentice Magisters. Knowing that there are a total of 519 hereditary seats, not counting the seats allocated to holders of an Order of Merlin, we can assume that the Magisterium can accommodate up to 550 Magisters and 1,650 Apprentice Magisters.
However, an Apprentice Magister can only become a Magister if an Order of Merlin is assigned to him, or his Head of House decides to entrust him with the seat. In many cases, certain mages carry the title of Apprentice Magister all their life.
As for the succession of the throne, Harry obviously named Tormas Sunstrider as his heir, until he had a child. As a precaution, he appointed Sirius Blackmoon as the second heir. The succession was organized in such a way :
Hadrian Sunstrider à Tormas Sunstrider à Sirius Blackmoon à Andromeda Blackmoon à Narcissa Blackmoon à Lucius Sunbearer à Draco Sunbearer
Harry decided to ignore Nymphadora and Teddy. He didn't really like his cousin, finding her too brainless ... not to mention that she was in a relationship with Remus. Now Harry knew that Sirius had deep feelings for Remus, but he was short-sighted when it came to self-esteem ... The fact that Sirius slept with everything and anything probably didn't help ...
In fact, Harry had convinced Sirius that if he died, to grant the title of Prince Blackmoon to Abraxas Sunbearer, the son of Draco Sunbearer and Daphne Sunbearer née Greengrass. Of course, Teddy would remain a member of the Blackmoon family , as would Remus and Nymphadora …
Thus, and for centuries, the High Empire flourished. The population having reached a near-immortality thanks to the Sunwell, the elves procreated at a reduced speed, not being in a hurry. For example, it took 500 years for the population to reach 300,000 . But the elves were in no hurry, and they watched their neighbours closely with enchanted orbs.
To the north was an archipelago of islands populated by a civilization with strangely Indonesian origins. After sending several orbs of recognition, and the opinion of several historians, it was deduced that the civilization inhabiting this archipelago was not of Indonesian origin, but Khmer. Indeed, the buildings found corresponded to Khmer Architecture, like that of Angkor Vat of Cambodia. As for the inhabitants, they had Dark hair and dark eyes, the brown skin like teak or black as polished jet. They looked very much like Africans, and the fact that in their Previous World, the Khmers were Cambodian, comforted the historians on the possibility that these inhabitants did not come from their world.
However, these people soon proved to be boring. They were content to live, never leaving their archipelago. The only interesting thing was their bows, made from Goldenheart. The tree with golden reflections seemed to be of magical origin, which probably explains its extreme resistance and its ability to shoot heavy arrows, to the point of piercing armour. In the end, a winged carriage was sent to quickly recover this wood in order to better analyse and reproduce it.
Further north still was a people frozen in the middle ages. The peoples were intriguing, constantly fighting each other for the lands and kingdoms. The orbs thus noticed a total of seven regions where the war never stopped. But the most interesting thing was to notice the magical predispositions of certain families.
Although families in the far south living in the desert have no magical abilities, this was not the case for families living further north. The most striking was a lush, green region, in stark contrast to the surrounding land. Wishing to know more, the elves used the orbs to better observe the inhabitants. They then discovered that this area was controlled by a family called gardeners. Fortunately, the inhabitants used a language very similar to English, which made it easy to understand them.
These Gardeners had the ability to grow anything and everything. In fact, everything was fertile around them, even their partners and children. It was deduced that the Gardeners had a druidic gift, which is extremely rare. Oddly, they seemed to be the only ones ...
The orbs continued their exploration, discovering further east a land of thunderstorms, rains and perpetual bad weather. They also noticed a castle resistant to storms and weather hazards. After several observations and magical scans, they discover a magical race resembling a mixture of house elves and dryads. These little beings seem to be at the origin of bad weather, targeting the castle and humans. Humans seem to be in conflict with these creatures, who are called so-called Children of the Forest. But the castle seems to resist. It was built by the Durrandons.
Traveling north, the orbs discover a lake populated by men fighting with the children of the forest. Their leader seems to call himself the Green King, an incomprehensible title. After a few months of observation, the orbs head west.
They then discover a calm and sunny region, exclusively populated by humans. There is however no magic in the vicinity. They still notice a large castle perched on a cliff, where blondes lives. However, the region seems to be full of gold mines, which surely explains the power of the blondes living in the castle. Lannister is the heard name.
Finally, the orbs head north. Crossing the sea, they pass over islands inhabited by savages armed to the teeth. They seem to worship water deities. Seeing no interest in the place, the orbs continue their journey.
They end up arriving in a snowy area where men live. They seem to worship trees in which faces are carved. The locals are surprisingly more receptive to magic, and the family leading them demonstrates a certain magical capacity. These Stark seem to have wolf blood, giving them a tempered character and a strong resistance to cold. They also seem to have developed a pack instinct, like wolves.
The orbs continue north, towards the magic confluence. They discover a gigantic wall on which rest castles and fortifications. After several magical examinations, it is discovered that this Wall rests on a telluric node reinforcing it. Runes are also engraved on the wall, although incomprehensible. However, it is easy to guess that these runes are intended to block magic, absorbing it into the wall. It is then decided to repatriate the orbs, the Wall seeming to absorb their magic.
Several years passed again, and the orbs were sent again. This time, they were sent to the mainland near Westeros. The news was unexpected, however. Indeed, men had managed to tame dragons, starting a bloody campaign to conquer the world. It was decided to observe them in order to understand them better. Thus, for more than a thousand years, orbs went back and forth between Valyria and Avalon.
Harry watched their every move. These Valyrians strangely resembled the Romans, in their culture, but also their clothes and their buildings. They began to conquer their allies, and enslave their enemies. The elves enjoyed the show, however, the Valyrians did not seem to be the type to submit ... They would become a problem ...
4 609 Renewal ( 103 BC or 401 years before events of Game of Thrones)
High Empire of Albion, Silvermoon (capital) , Magisterium,
Harry watched the magisters discuss and plot. The observers responsible for monitoring the Valyrians had just completed their report. The Valyrians were described as Barbarians thirsty for Power, violent and incestuous with psychotic tendencies.
It was then revealed that the Valyrians had hundreds of dragons under their control, as much as their Empire. Knowing that dragons are resistant to magic, and that the Valyrians are conquerors, the Empire felt threatened.
"Something must be done !" Exclaimed one of the magisters.
“Of course we must act ! If they were to grow, it would be a disaster !” Replied another magisterium.
“They pose a threat to our future, and our plans.” Tormas added, frowning.
“In this case, we must crush them as quickly as possible !” Proposed Theodore Nott'leros , Marquis of Notthold of Suncrown .
Harry noticed the approving cries of several magisters, while others booed.
"Idiot ! We are only 800,000 while there are millions. Of course, our magic is superior, but they have hundreds of dragons.” Exclaimed Gregor Mallean, Count of Malors of Roseraie.
Harry hid a smile when he noticed Theodore's wrathful look, and he was not alone.
"He never said to attack them with our army, you dumbass! But you’re a Mallean, as dumb as a unicorn’s ass!” Exclaimed Varric Cloke, Earl of Bell of Roseraie.
Harry rolled his eyes at Varric's insult. Varric and Gregor were cousins who hated each other, missing no opportunity to fight.
"What did you say, you…" Gregor began.
“Decorum in the hemicycle ! Or I'll take care of your cases personally !” Cried Tormas, tapping his staff.
Calm instantly reigned, while Gregor and Varric cowered in fear. Tormas was exasperated by their quarrels, which took place at each meeting of the Magisterium. Either every week ...
Unfortunately, the silence did not last and the cacophony started again. For his part, Harry carefully observed the giant map detailing the Valyrian Freehold (the name given by the Valyrians to their Empire) which sat in the centre of the Magisterium. He pointed to a chain of mountains that seemed to cross the Valyrian Freehold from north to south.
"What is it?" He asked out loud.
His question was widely heard, and the hubbub was silent. The Magisters then looked with interest at the point pointed at.
“This is an active volcanic chain, your majesty. The Valyrians call them the Fourteen Flames , in honour of their gods.” Explained one of the observers.
Harry nodded, an idea sprouting in his mind.
“Fetch our best draconologist expert !” Harry ordered in a clear voice.
A few minutes later, Charles Redrunner was taken into the hemicycle. He held the post of Head of the Royal Draconic Reserve.
"You asked for me, your majesty?" Charlie asked.
The latter had very rarely seen Harry since the termination of their relationship with benefits.
“Is it possible for a dragon to survive molten lava ?” Harry asked, interested.
Charlie shook his head.
“No, your majesty. Despite their fire resistance, dragons are not elementals, unlike Fire Wyrms. Although dragons live in hot, volcanic areas, they avoid the expected lava as much as possible as their bodies cannot withstand temperatures above 800 degrees.” Charlie replied, bowing.
Harry's eyes lit up at the news. Tormas immediately noticed the smile on the corner of his grandson. Appearing to think, Harry nodded. He then looked up, watching the Magisters with a sadistic smile.
“No need to declare war on them, their own land will do the light work.” Exclaimed Harry.
“Your Majesty, could we know the extent of your plan ?” Asked Sanguini Bloodriver, Duke of Volterra.
“We will destroy their Empire using this chain of volcanoes. We will use an arcane bomb within the central volcano. The explosion will trigger a chain eruption, and pending the number of volcanoes, the entire Empire will be destroyed. If it is not lava, then it will be the ashes that will make the air unbreathable.” Harry explained, opening his arms wide.
The Magisters remained stunned for several seconds. Suddenly they got up, clapping loudly. Everyone agreed with this plan.
It was time for the Valyrian Freehold to disappear.
A few months later, a coach flew to Valyria, with an Arcane Bomb on board capable of destroying an entire city. In a few days, the carriage reached the Valyrian Freehold, heading straight for the central volcano. Thanks to their enchantments, they were able to avoid the dragons before landing as close as possible to the centre of the volcano. They placed the bomb with a week-long timer. Ample enough to return to Quel'Thalas, and avoid the possible repercussions of the explosion.
4610 Renewal (102 BC, i.e. 401 years before Game of Thrones Events)
Valyria
*BOOM*
Baleron Belaerys hurriedly left his bed on hearing this noise. He ran at top speed to the window to see where the noise was coming from. The closer he got to the window, the more he heard screams, yells and other weird noises. Finally, the ground started to shake.
It wasn't until he got to the window that he collapsed to his knees, his eyes wide with dread at the sight of horror.
The Fourteen Flames had just erupted, and a tide of black ash was heading straight for him.
Silvermoon, Avalon,
For his part, Harry observed the catastrophe he had just caused through an orb. Beside him was Tormas. They raised their glasses of wine together, before toasting.
—For the Empire ! they smirked..