Andras Empire

The Andras Empire is the largest and strongest military power in the north of the continent, the old enemy of the mage-kingdom of Meltor. It holds about 60% of the northern landmass, surpasses its neighbour in size, population and troops, and keeps many hidden trump cards. If Meltor is a 'kingdom of magic,' Andras is an 'empire of the sword': two states resting on two opposing forces. Here reigns an absolute monarchy where the emperor's word is final and beyond appeal, and beneath society lies the law of the strongest — a barbaric culture that 'speaks only with swords and strength, not words': the strong become winners, the weak losers. The capital of Andras, Belfort, seen from a bird's flight resembles a finely wrought sword, and its central spire is crowned by seven tower-points in the shape of a crown — the emblem of the Seven Swords.

Andras's military doctrine is built on aura and sword masters — set against Meltor's high-Circle mages. At the empire's summit stand the Seven Swords — sword masters, its true leaders, entitled to command all but the emperor; one such Sword is comparable in might to a 7th-Circle mage, and his aura recovers far faster than a wizard's mana. Gifted children here are raised by a special path — infused with elixirs and entrusted to one of the Seven Swords. The empire's dirty work is done by the Shadow Knights in black armour — a secret service that not even the Seven Swords may rouse without an imperial decree. To fight Meltor's magic on equal terms across the plains, Andras deploys a special 'titan' artifact that dampens the wizards' firepower — otherwise the north would long since have united under Meltor's banner.

The empire's true nature is revealed only at the climax of the northern war: behind the throne for centuries hid the parasitic sin-grimoire Invidia (Envy), one of the Seven Sins, like Theodore's Gluttony. It was Envy who, seizing the body of the Sword King Kesein, founded the present Andras and its cult of aura, turning the endless war with Meltor into a 'field' — an experiment that farmed ever more sword masters, whose unique auras Envy stole and hoarded over centuries. About a hundred years ago Andras, together with Meltor, abolished slavery, and the slave trade faded from their lands. The age-old feud ends when Theodore slays Envy: the empty throne is seized by force by the 1st Sword, Craud von Rassel, who becomes the 19th Emperor; he sends Meltor terms of peace — Andras renounces its imperial status, cedes 30% of the border lands and concludes a non-aggression pact, surrendering forever its primacy in the north.

Andras rests on aura and sword masters; at its summit stand the Seven Swords, the empire's true leaders, entitled to command all but the emperor. One Sword matches a 7th-Circle mage, and his aura recovers in two or three hours against a wizard's ten. Gifted children are raised on elixirs under the care of one of the Swords.

The dirty work is done by the Shadow Knights in black armour — a secret service that cannot be raised without an imperial decree. Against Meltor's magic Andras fields a 'titan' artifact that dampens the wizards' firepower and evens the odds on the plains.

The feud of Andras and Meltor runs for centuries. In the northern war (around ch. 286–305) the empire throws all its remaining Swords and the emperor himself into battle, but is defeated when Theodore slays the Envy hidden behind the throne.

The emptied throne is taken by force by the 1st Sword, Craud von Rassel, who becomes the 19th Emperor. He sends Meltor terms of peace: Andras renounces its imperial status, cedes 30% of the border lands and concludes a non-aggression pact, surrendering its primacy forever.