The Erlyid are a tough, organised breed of humans who came over the mountains into Alair around -600 Imperial. Their expansion was rapid, and in a few years they were competing for land with the established elf-realms of Sildor. The resulting border wars went on for nearly two hundred years until a peace was finally negotiated and trade opened up instead. In 672, the elven army was trounced by the Northern humans at the battle of Thallan, and the elves withdrew from interference in affairs outside Sildor. From then on, the Empire began to "lose the plot", its’ focus shifting from trade and civilization to internal politics and eastward expansion. Thornal, the Imperial capital, is the largest city in Alair, and has the highest population. Its’ fortifications are widely regarded to be the toughest, as well, excepting those of the dwarfcastle Gloiran.Before the coming of the Dragon, Erlyid was an empire comfortable in its' maturity; ruling all the lands south of the Elvenrealm, it was beginning the slow process of stagnation which inevitably strikes an empire which can't expand any more, but was still to all appearances at its' peak. All that changed with the coming of Varkar Barduric and the conquest of the North Kingdoms.
Earlier in its' history, the Empire might have reacted more positively. As it was, the general approach was that "the Northern War" would never come as far as the Imperial borders, and if it did, the Dragon - of whom they did not yet know nearly enough - would be no match for the honed might of the Empire. This was not a unanimous view, however, and the divisions that arose because of this were greatly excacerbated by the catastrophes of the early Elf Wars. While the outer provinces turned their backs on the Imperial viewpoint and discovered new strength in independence, the Imperial core shrank in on itself and accelerated rapidly down the slope to decadence and senile indecision.
Even the reduced Empire could see the importance of the Great Alliance of 1414, however, and two legions of Imperial troops joined the force raised for the battle of Lantalaure. The loss of almost all of these troops in the ensuing disaster was another nail in the coffin of Imperial prestige and confidence. Even after that, however, most Imperial senators never believed that the Dragon would ever reach as far south as the Empire.
The controversial alliance with the newly-arrived Orc people in 1500, while partly the reason for the failure of the Nhased campaign, did not end there, and orcish units are now to be found in many Imperial legions, though they don't always get much respect or trust. Orcs and half-orcs are common in the remaining Imperial cities, and as a result, elves seldom travel there any more.
The events of the Dwarf War had little or no effect on the Empire, and although the Dragonslaying has removed one worry from the list of items for senatorial debate, the Empire is taking no more interest in the Northkingdoms than before.
The revival of the Elven realm to their north is of far more interest. Debate rages hotly in the Senate as to whether to send ambassadors to the returned Eldar or to attack them and prevent them settling.
Battered by defeats, outside disapproval of its' orcish allies, and secession of over two-thirds of its' provinces, the Empire is still the greatest and most powerful human civilization in Alair, with the most sophisticated society, greatest centres of learining, strongest economy, most powerful army, and most skilled exponents of the arts.
The Erlyid military is the best in the world, even now in the years of the empire's decline. Structured around a basic absutum (legion) of 5,000 troops, divided down into fifty 100-man exardii and again into 5-man declartae, the whole dovetails together to an awesome military engine. Discipline is iron, mainly handled by the exardiae sub-officers.
The social structure of the Empire is very defined and formal, with the plebian masses (Ligustoi) forming the bulk of the population. Above them come the merchant class, or Secundlius. Above that are the three tiers of nobility; the Urimserai, Lohrdserai and Dahrserai respectively. The Emperor is always of the highest Dahrserai blood. Senators may be of any of the 'serai (nobility). Even the lowliest Ligusto, however, is an Imperial Citizen, and regarded as superior to any outlander. The properly Imperial outlook is to regard all foreigners as either potential foes or possible slaves.
The Erlyid Empire is the only human nation to hold slaves, and would indeed collapse without them.
In late 1603 the Emperor Heredatus finally passed away. Most of the people who had attended Surya's wedding and coronation also attended or sent representatives to Heredatus' funeral, and Crixus' coronation.
The new Emperor, once settled into place and through the complex ceremonial of an Imperial succession, started his reign off in a very active fashion. He expanded the northern borders to absorb what was Orc-Land, and westwards to take in the ruins of the Elven city of Dalbin. Apart from a few orc stragglers, there was no resistance to this, although a small battle took place about fifty miles north of Dun Tolk.
The Empire, of course, had far less of a problem with the idea of trading with the new realm of Kîshshul, and Imperial merchant caravans began to ply the new roads as soon as they were completed. Crixus made it perfectly clear that any Orc refugees who had fled south from the civil war were free to travel north to Kîshshul if they wish to. He also confirmed that the orcish citizens already in the Empire would remain valued members of the community.
Elsewhere, Imperial society began a renaissance of spirit. The decadence that had permated the Empire for hundreds of years began to lift, as the young, dynamic Emperor made changes to better suit his nation to the modern world. Her southern neighbors began to look rather nervously at the Empire, wondering if this revival would extend to attempts to regain the lost provinces to the west. Crixus stated publicly again and again that he had no intention of such an action.