Cyrius the Great

Cyrius the Great (23 Osune's Caress 195 1A 3E – 19 Aske's Passion 210 1A 3E) was a Cyrean statesman and military leader who became the first emperor of the Cyrean Empire, reigning from 195 1A 3E until his abdication in 210 1A 3E. His establishment of the First Cyrean Empire after the First Marble War with local city-states and duchies led to a lasting legacy that would cement him as a political and military master. The reign of Cyrius initiated a continental "golden age" known as the Cyrean Age, which saw all kingdoms in Isaria, not only the Cyrean Empire, thrive and prosper. The Cyrean Age would last five-hundred years before the Waning Period would begin, which saw the gradual decline and disappearance of the Cyrean civilization somewhere are 650 1A 3E.

Cyrius was born Cyrius Bremtan into House Bremtan, which was credited with having founded Bremt, though this is disputed. He was not of the main branch of House Bremtan and had to fight his cousin, Ozymandius, for control of the city and the title of Head of House Bremtan and Lord of Bremt. His famous victory over Ozymandius in 191 1A 3E at age 16 is catalogued in the Enchiridion. Following his victory over Ozymandius, Cyrius instituted radical reforms of the bureaucracy and military structure. He expanded the ranks and issued a mass enlistment effort. By 193 1A 3E, the military force of County Bremt was tenfold what it was under the main branch of House Bremtan at its peak.

During the military build-up, Cyrius promised riches and glory through conquest, eyeing some of the duchies and city-states that orbited Bremt. He maintained power through the masses, despite the bureaucracy holding a deep disdain for him. Many at different levels of the government viewed him as a radical seeking to run Bremt into the ground in seeking arrogant glory. By the time the First Marble War was declared, Cyrius had rooted out all dissenters and replaced his government with supporters and yes-men. He rejected publicly being named anything other than Lord of Bremt. In fact, he died with the title Lord of Bremt and was only granted his other titles posthumously by his son, Cyrcius I.

The First Marble War was declared on the first day of 194 1A 3E. The war would last a year and a half and would see Bremt expand nearly fifteen times its original size, annexing around twenty-five cities, including three major duchies: the Duchy of Riss, the Duchy of Rema, and the Duchy of Hora. This region would come to be known as the Cyrean Heartland. He reformed the tax code, alleviating burdens on the lower classes, developed networks of roads with an official courier system, established the Marble Guard, and built up much of Bremt during his reign. Cyrius came down with a terrible illness, likely a brain tumor, in which his mental capabilities were greatly diminished. He voluntarily stepped down just months before his death. He was succeeded as Lord of Bremt by his son, Cyrcius, who re-titled himself Emperor of the Cyrean Empire, and posthumously titled his father as such after his death. The very name "Cyrean" is a rewording of "Cyriusan", meaning literally "of Cyrius". The civilization was retroactively renamed "Cyrean" instead of the conventional "Bremti" that had been used prior.