Empire of Dor-en-Sann
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Ancient military-religious empire that dominated Anasthias from 1197 HM, until it was conquered by the Mother Army of the Great Prophet, in 3158.

Historical Overview

Important dates: (NB The Ensanni used a lunisolar calendar long obsolete. Dates are given in HM.)

  • c. 600 - Traditional founding of Gaalkedch (Galkesh)
  • c. 800 - decline of Issid Blok States in the Lower Weil, Ves Jaen Wars
  • c. 820 - beginning of traditional monarchy, Qedjeen dynasty
  • 1045 - Gobalay seize power, end of Qedjeen Dynasty.
  • 1197 - Vequidch declared first Emperor of Dor-en-Sann in Gaalkedch. Gebjon Dynasty
  • 1233 - colony of Gaask founded as vassal kingdom.
  • 1500 - Conquest of Remel. Kingdom of Garnare-Remel founded
  • 1543 - Ecumenical Treaty absorbs Seqal
  • 2851 - Deltirot joins the empire
  • 2972 - Treaty absorbs Emanune into eastern empire. Empire at its height.
  • 3028 - Prophet Menkirafed executed in Delan, uprisings begin.
  • 3030 - severe drought begins. Crops fail in successive years in Gaalkesh and home provinces, causing famine.
  • 3033 - Deltirot declares independence
  • 3043-3049 - Great Famine. Mass migration of the starving poor to cities. Troops recalled from frontiers, but problems of desertion and border raids.
  • 3069 - Saloyans seize Bahl Dorr. Emanune province lost to Saloya.
  • 3092 - new Junda empire, Haartraah, attacks Alonorr province. EnSanni withdraw to garrison at Harlon.
  • 3141 - Seige of Remel - city and region falls to the Mother Army in a virtually bloodless conquest.
  • 3144-45 - Siege of Toborr - city falls. Mother Army controls the whole Weil river. Empire confined to the northeastern home provinces.
  • 3152 - All troops finally recalled from eastern provinces. Harlon falls to Harthera. Gedoq overrun, EnSanni refugees flee westward. All eastern provinces are abandoned.
  • 3156 - King of Gahsk sues for peace, kingdom lost to the Mother Army. Empire loses effective control of all cities and garrisons beyond the capital city.
  • 3158 - Conquest of Galkeshin. Imperial city sacked. Empire finally defeated.

Founding of the Empire

The empire of Dor-en-Sann was one of the greatest civilisations in recent history. It was the greatest civilisation throughout most of the current Aeon, from the founding of the city state, Gaalkedch, around 600 HM, to the empire's eventual conquest in 3158. The great church-state of Orror is undoubtedly its successor, and, some would say, merely the continuation of the Empire in a new form.

The Gaal Empire

Dor-en-Sann, as a multinational, theocratic union, had its roots in the Gaal Empire which preceded it. In the four centuries after the founding of their city, the Gaals grew rapidly to dominate the northeastern region of what is modern Orror, until the Gobalay Guard forced a vicious military coup.

Vequidch, first Emperor of Dor-en-Sann

During the nearly 150 years of Gobalay tyranny, the empire accomodated a succession of barbarian rulers. Despite erratic leadership, the Gaal mentality gradually influenced the Gobalay. For the first time, trade and architecture penetrated to the north, and the Gobal peninsula became tied into the imperial system.

Mer Gebjon Vequidch (1160-1226 HM) was born into a mixed Gobal-Gaal family. As the son of a powerful warlord his succession was by no means assured - in fact it was almost unusual for a son to survive to rule. However for the first time he used a new weapon: religion. It was his idea, long before his father lost power, to draw on the common threads of faith found in the various cultures in the empire. They all had differing ways of worship, matriarchy or patriarchy, and prejudices based on both culture and religion. But all had been heavily influenced by the still-pervasive Gaal Goddess.

Vequidch was the first to pull together various cultural threads, demonstrating a (possibly fatuous) religious commonality. Using his theology and his personal charisma, he recuited allies and began to promote the idea of unity between disparate groups.

His approach was extremely successful, and though loyal to his father, by his mid 30s he had already gained an unprecedented group of allies, made up of Gobalay, Gaal, Gaaskart (a Gaal colony and vassal kingdom), Cavannay, and other groups that would normally never have sat at one table together.

On his father's death he already had a powerful coalition of followers behind him. He was ruthless in suppressing groups that opposed him in the early years of his reign, because for the first time he could commit troops from various parts of the empire without fear of immediate revolt.

He built up administrative and military institutions, and for the first time commissioned theological works highlighting commonalities of worship. He built new unitarian temples to the One Goddess of Many Aspects, and rebuilt and rededicated old ones, warning the priests to stress areas of cultural unity, and downplay areas of conflict (often on pain of death).

The policy was continued by his successors, turning the Gaal empire from a military to a theological one: the Empire of Dor-en-Sann (cities of one thought). This is perhaps how the empire survived as long as it did. Neighbouring states were encouraged to seek ways in which their own gods could be worked into the pre-existing pantheon of enSann. By submitting their theology to the enSanni way, trade and stability flourished, whilst they maintained their own cultural diversity. Such was the theory at least - at various times imperial policy was often ruthlessly hegemonic.

The empire spread up the Weil river, taking root more through persuasion and trade than military expeditions. The enSanni only attacked weakened states, replacing them with pro-Gaalkedch governments, all paying a proportion of their temple offerings to the central government.

The Empire changed its institutions of government as time passed and the empire expanded to cover half of modern Orror; stretching from modern Vultor in the east to the foothills of Siltorn in the west: from the Gobal peninsula in the north to the Dun Jaen in the south.

At its greatest extent, the Empire was a theocracy, eventually made up of a ruling council that met annually at Galkesh. It became a clearing-house for the vast wealth amassed by the church.

End of the Empire

By 3000, the empire had survived in various forms for over 2000 years, since the near mythical founding of Gaalkesh. Kingdoms and governments had changed many times, but the principle of an imperial pantheon under one supreme Goddess, with her many faces, shrines and forms of worship, had continued all this time. The series of famines in the early 4th millennium HM were serious, and caused the death of hundreds of thousands, through starvation and disease. But the empire had survived such traumas before, and always turned to the old sureties of religion. However the loss of the eastern provinces to first Saloyan, then Junda invasion was a severe blow. With food in short supply it was difficult to control armies, who were needed to maintain order in the homelands.

Attacked on all sides by unrest and border barbarians, it was an ideal time for the religious zealots of the Mother Army, led by their sorcerous Prophet, to strike into the very heart of the empire.

Name

Of the cities of one thought (d'orr en san)

A solid/correct/right way of thinking (doren san)

Cities going in the right direction(d-orr ensan), literally 'pointing the right way'

the golden cities (d'aurensun)