The Long Decay
Overview
The Long Decay was a defining era of decline in the history of the Orethan Dominion, spanning approximately 800 to 600 years before the present. According to A History of Rislandia, the period was characterized by the gradual unraveling of imperial institutions, summarized in the sourcebook's own words: "the empire slowly rotted from within."
The Long Decay did not represent a single catastrophic event but rather a sustained deterioration across multiple generations, encompassing failures of governance, spiritual corruption, economic collapse, and military decline.
Description
According to A History of Rislandia, four principal forces drove the decay of the empire during this period:
- Corrupt successors to Tiberan III: The rulers who followed Tiberan III proved unable or unwilling to maintain the standards of governance he had established, and their corruption cascaded through imperial administration.
- Rise of blood magic: The spread of blood magic during this era represented a profound shift in the spiritual and practical character of the empire, undermining institutions that had previously held the dominion together.
- Economic inequality: The widening gap between privileged and impoverished classes destabilized the social fabric of the empire, eroding the loyalty and productivity of its population.
- Weakening of the legions: The military strength that had sustained the Orethan Dominion's authority and territorial integrity declined markedly, leaving the empire increasingly vulnerable.
Legacy
The Long Decay set the conditions for the eventual Fall of Oretha and the broader fragmentation of imperial power across the continent. The period stands as a cautionary example, preserved in the scholarly record of A History of Rislandia, of how internal rot rather than external conquest can bring a great civilization to ruin. Its consequences shaped the world into which Jory Malaky would eventually lead the exodus that founded Rislandia.