The Imperium

History
The Imperium was a Human Druidic empire in the Téoren region, founded c. 266 BF as the result of a consolidation of Druidic tribes under the leadership of Ailian I the Great, a semi-legendary Druidic priestess and tribal leader.

The Imperium was destroyed in Year Zero, also called the Year of the Fall, after a long and brutal war of attrition with the dragon goddess Tiamat which left the region of Téoren in ruins, smoldering and uninhabited. While it is unclear if any survivors were actually able to flee the Imperium's final destruction, House Téo, one of the Great Houses of the Kingdom of Téoren, claim direct ancestry from Ailian and were among (if not the first) the earliest explorers and settlers of the region in the period leading up to The Recolonization.

Druidic Practice
Scholars have recently begun to rediscover information about the druidic practices of the Imperium, including details about their religious life.

Druidic initiation in the Imperium was one of the culture's more sacred practices reserved for a chosen few. Individuals were chosen based on a number of factors including being born on an auspicious day, piety toward nature, and displays of magical ability, and the having of visions. Individuals of all ages and gender could be chosen. Initiation rites included the playing of the yaybahar, a traditional Imperium instrument, the singing of chants, and being anointed with oil.

Druids in the Imperium functioned as both spiritual leaders and protectors of their communities. While not always direct officials of the church, druids were thought of as exemplars of the Imperium way of life for all in the empire.

The most recent discovery about the druidic practices is of a secret keep where experimental religious and magical practices as well as military training was conducted. Initiates in this secret order were inducted as newborns and raised to train as druids. Their training focused on attuning to the four elements and producing one-use magical items now called cyphers. It is believed that this is the location where humanoids were first able to transform into elementals representing earth, air, water, and fire. Until initiates in this order reached maturity they were cloisted away in the secret compound. At the age of 20 they were given a formal introduction into the community and took positions of high symbolic value in the military and church.