We continue the Foundation series with a look at the major powers of Terranis during the time Unto the Breach takes place. First up is the Diarchy of Doramor, where Alex's first mission occurs.

The Diarchy of Doramor: The Diarchy of Doramor was the only nation currently existing on Terranis to have not been formed in the wake of the Fall. Originally, many of its lands belonged to the Duchy of Versennes, however that country was destroyed in AF 188 when a combined army of demons and brigands, led by the lust-lord Lucifon, attacked and destroyed the capital city and many surrounding towns. Many survivors fled to the neighboring country of Saernis, which lacked sufficient military power to counter the marauding horde. Some, however, remained in their homeland and fought to try and free it from the grips of evil.

These survivors were led by Tinamer, a noble-born knight who was a mid-ranking officer in the army of Versennes. Though he was able to spearhead a partially successful guerilla campaign, and saw many successful raids, the sheer overwhelming numbers of the demons ensured the humans always took increasingly mounting losses, until their numbers were dwindled to the point of destruction.

After seven years of fighting, the humans were on the verge of defeat. It was then, in AF 195, when a new warrior joined the cause. A young girl, by the name of Lucilia Doramor, appeared at the camp of the surviving humans, offering to aid in their fight. She met with Tinamer, who was bitterly amused at the thought of a single girl thinking she could bring victory where so many other brave warriors had failed.

At this, Lucilia rebuked him for his harsh manner, and Tinamer apologized, explaining he had grown frustrated and pessimistic about their chances for survival. The two talked long into the evening, and Tinamer found himself increasingly impressed with the tactical acumen Lucilia possessed, as well as her determination to help the survivors.

The following morning, the base of the survivors was attacked by the demons and bandits, and Lucilia was given a chance to demonstrate her martial prowess, reaping a bloody tally in the monsters, far in excess of any other fighter present, including Tinamer. The survivors were amazed at her skill and the power of her sword, which perpetually gleamed with light, no matter how much blood stained it.

Lucilia immediately rallied the survivors, and led them onto the offense, scoring victory after victory against the Great Enemy. Word of her victories spread, and Tinamer could only watch, amazed, at her masterful grasp of battlefield strategy that far exceeded his own, and her unfailing courage in battle. As the weeks went on, the two began to develop a personal relationship, even growing attracted to each other. But the demands of war kept them from pursuing this any further at the time.

After six months of successful campaigning, the forces of the survivors had grown to nearly a full army once again, and they marched on a large force of demons and brigands, trapping them in a valley surrounded by mountains. However, this was revealed to be a trap laid by Lucifon, as more monsters emerged from behind the humans, completely surrounding them.

As the battle raged, Lucifon charged forward into the humans, slaying them in huge numbers. Lucilia rode forth to meet him, and the two engaged in a mighty battle as the armies clashed around them. Before long, Lucilia struck down and beheaded Lucifon, in full sight of both armies, and a wave of despair washed over the Great Enemy forces. Within hours, the enemy had been routed and crushed.

Word quickly spread of the humans’ victory over the Great Enemy, and many former refugees began to flock back to the liberated lands. A mighty new city was built, named after Lucilia’s adoptive father, Doramor. Following the completion of the city, Tinamer and Lucilia were married in a grand ceremony, and thus became the first king and queen of Doramor.

Over the next two decades, Tinamer and Lucilia led their new nation in an ongoing campaign to expand their borders and destroy any bastion of the Great Enemy remaining. Their campaigns were largely successful, and they were able to claim nearly a third of the eastern continent as sovereign territory of Doramor by the conclusion of the campaign, making Doramor the largest nation on Terranis.

During the campaigns to free their lands and establish their nation, Tinamer and Lucilia recognized the wisdom in the two of them working together, rather than having a single leader make all major decisions. Their differences in personality, as well as their knowledge, complimented each other greatly, and allowed them to achieve far more than they could individually. As such, once the nation of Doramor was formed, they elected to rule it as a diarchy, rather than a monarchy, meaning both would have equal power, rather than only the king or queen being the true ruler.

Over the centuries, this has proven a highly successful form of rulership, the combined wisdom of the king and queen serving to allow them to navigate a variety of national issues, as well as keep each other in check against wayward behavior.

Succession typically passes to the eldest child of the king and queen, regardless of gender, though occasionally the crown has had to be passed to a younger sibling, whether due to accident or an executive decision from the outgoing diarchs feeling the eldest child would be unfit for the throne. Once one member of the ruling diarchy passes away, the other typically retires, and abdicates the crown to the chosen successor, providing their wisdom and guidance to their son or daughter and their spouse.

Economically, Doramor has become the largest producer of food on Terranis, as it boasts the largest amount of tillable land, as well as land suitable for grazing. Over half of Terranis’ food comes from Doramor. It also benefits from sea-based trade routes with the city-states of Jekith and Jorandek, and Saniel by extension. Thus it provides the lifeblood of much of Terranis.

Doramor also boasts the largest military of any nation on Terranis, with even the next largest, that of the Weijin Empire, falling behind by significant numbers. Fortunately for the other nations, Doramor has had little interest in military conquest over the centuries, even adopting a policy of defense towards other nations, frequently sending troops to other nations to deal with problems ranging from Great Enemy activity to counter-insurgencies. This practice has continued into the modern era, as evidenced by Doramor deploying over two-thirds of its military into Saernis to help deal with a massive anarchistic rebellion which erupted in AF 1012.

The current rulers of Doramor are King Tinamer VIII and his wife, queen Ariel II. Tinamer and Ariel form the forty-third diarchy to rule Doramor, and have ruled since Tinamer’s father, King Galdrin IV, retired in AF 991. Queen Ariel is from the noble court of Saniel, and the two have been married since AF 986.

As of AF 1016, they have two children, crown princess Lucilia, 24, and prince Reiner, 20. Unfortunately for the royal couple, medical complications have prevented them from having any further children. However, the royal line appears to be in no danger, princess Lucilia has proven more than capable of living up to her namesake, and has gained much renown as a powerful spellcaster. Prince Reiner has also proven a competent tactician, and will likely lead Doramor’s armies within the next few years.

Under the leadership of King Tinamer, Doramor has begun to enter an age of technological revolution. New advances have been made in fields ranging from agriculture to military technology. A few examples of recent advances include new methods of selectively breeding livestock and crops, resulting in more resilient and bountiful stocks of both, as well as research into experimental technology involving various alchemical combinations that result in explosive powders. It is estimated that Doramor will be in a position to instigate a technological revolution within the next decade, affecting the greatest change to the way of life on Terranis since the Fall.

These advances could perhaps not come at a better time. The power and influence of the Great Enemy has grown to a state not seen since the birth of Doramor, and international stability has grown severely strained in the past few years. War looms on the horizon, and it remains yet to be seen whether mankind is strong enough to withstand this newest test.

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