Cheliax

Cheliax

(Nation)

LE

Land

Old Cheliax

Alignment

Lawful evil

Capital

Egorian

Ruler

Queen Abrogail II

Government

Monarchy; imperial bureaucracy of noble families

Demonym

Chelaxians

Adjective

Chelaxian, (Chelish)

Languages

Diabolic, Taldane

Religions

Abadar, Asmodeus, Erastil, Iomedae, Zon-Kuthon

Images of Cheliax

Source: Cheliax, Empire of Devils, pg(s). 1ff. (1E)
World Guide, pg(s). 97–100 (2E)

An Asmodean cathedral in Cheliax.

Infernal Cheliax (pronounced CHEL-ee-ax) remains one of the most powerful nations militarily in the Inner Sea region. Its control of the Arch of Aroden, the passage between the Inner Sea and the Arcadian Ocean, also gives it a vital role in much of the region's trade. Nevertheless, as important as the nation may be today, it pales in comparison to its former imperial glory.

Today, in the eyes of most external observers, Cheliax's government (to a greater extent) and its people (to a lesser) suffer due to their devotion to diabolism: the worship of devils. The tyrannical government brought on by the adherence to these beliefs prevent it from truly achieving its full potential. Internal observers, however, including the new nobility of Cheliax, firmly believe that Asmodeus and Hell serve Cheliax and assist in maintaining the power necessary for Cheliax to assume its rightful role among the leading nations of the region.

History

See also: Timeline of Cheliax

Historical revisionism

What is and is not a historical fact is a slippery thing in modern Cheliax, especially when it deals with events that occurred before the ascendancy of House Thrune, the noble family that made diabolism the state religion. Cheliax's current rulers understand history's power to inspire, and therefore have actively worked to eradicate any mention of the nation's non-infernal past. They have even done this to former allies, and more than a few noble families who have fallen from favor with Queen Abrogail II have found themselves excised from official records. Because of this near-constant historical revisionism, a new state-sanctioned history is printed and disseminated to the nation's universities and libraries every three months. The now outdated, older copies of these books are collected by the Hellknight Order of the Rack and burned on so called clarity pyres, and heavy penalties are imposed on any organization that fails to offer up its previously assigned volumes.

The new histories invariably have large gaps and omissions, sometimes to the point of making them unreadable. Despite this, records survive that have escaped the Imperial Ministry of Historical Accuracy's frequent revisions. These publications can fetch a high price on the black market, providing one can find a buyer who is not a paid informant for the Ministry.

Founding

Cheliax was founded as the westernmost frontier prefecture of the Taldan Empire in 3007 AR. It remained a part of the Taldan Empire for more than a thousand years until neighboring Qadira launched a massive invasion of Taldor in 4079 AR that destabilized the entire country and caused its rulers to relocate the majority of its military eastward toward the front. Aspex the Even-Tongued, the Taldan governor of Cheliax, knew that Taldor could not fight a massive war on two fronts thousands of miles from each other and declared independence in 4081 AR.

Knowing Taldor would remain focused on its titanic struggle with Qadira, King Aspex of the new nation of Cheliax incorporated the Taldan territories of Galt and Isger by force and Andoran and the winged men of Devil's Perch by diplomacy in what became known as the Even-Tongued Conquest. Due to its size, military power, and boundless ambition, Cheliax would continue to dominate Avistan for the next 600 years.

Expansion

See also: Everwar

By 4137 AR, ongoing friction between Absalom and Cheliax over control of trade in the Inner Sea region led Prince Haliad I of Cheliax to lay siege to Absalom. Although the siege was unsuccessful, Cheliax was left the major naval power in the Inner Sea and gained control of both sides of the Arch of Aroden. In 4138 AR, Cheliax also established a new colony on the western coast of Garund, naming it Sargava.

Chelaxian expansion to the north continued when King Haliad III launched the Everwar in 4305 AR. Over the following century, and spanning the reigns of five Chelaxian monarchs, the empire conquered or annexed lands in what are now Molthune, Nirmathas, Isger, parts of the Hold of Belkzen, Nidal, and Varisia. The Everwar came to a close in 4410 AR when Cheliax renounced all hopes for further territorial expansion in Varisia and Belkzen. During this expansionist period, Cheliax installed a foreign ruling class in its newfound territories, and the descendants of these people still hold positions of power today, even if Cheliax withdrew its control some time ago.

Even though the Everwar had come to a close, Cheliax's ambitions continued unabated within its homeland and colonies, supported in part by the Starfall Doctrine. This prophecy stated that the god Aroden would reappear in Cheliax in 4606 AR and lead humanity to a new Age of Glory with Cheliax at the helm. Bolstered by what it perceived to be a direct endorsement by Aroden, Cheliax became the dominant cultural force in Avistan, a position it held for centuries. In anticipation of Aroden's return, Cheliax went to extraordinary lengths in the last decades of the Age of Enthronement to position itself for this destiny. The first Hellknight order, the Order of the Rack, was founded in 4576 AR in the capital of Westcrown. In 4605 AR, King Gaspodar himself began the preparations for the reappearance of the god.

Chelaxian Civil War

An erinys seals an infernal pact.

In 4606 AR, Cheliax's patron deity Aroden died, and so did its centuries-long dominance of the Inner Sea region. Robbed of his divine mandate by the revocation of the Starfall Doctrine, King Gaspodar lost control of the empire as fractious noble houses challenged the crown and each other for dominance. The first to do so was House Thrune, which rekindled a feud over land in 4608 AR with a rival family whose name has since been erased from history by the Chelaxian government. Cheliax descended into three decades of civil war, as the various noble houses fought for supremacy. Molthune took the opportunity to declare independence in 4632 AR.

The Chelaxian Civil War was a fractious and destructive endeavor. Brother turned against brother, with small tyrants rising to power, promising shelter from the increasingly worsening conditions. These leaders quickly were brought down by others seeking power, or were eradicated by the many diseases that accompany such drawn-out anarchy. As the years stretched into decades, the people of Cheliax became more and more desperate, looking for any possible solution to their national nightmare. The golden dream of Imperial Cheliax long since forgotten, they increasingly turned to darker methods to quell the fighting and restore order. It was one of these darker methods that finally brought a resolution to the fighting, but one that came at a very steep cost.

With no clear victor in the war after decades of terrible fighting, Abrogail of House Thrune signed a pact with the powers of Hell, placing herself and her family under their control. In return, she received a number of devils to bolster her forces, and others to assist her as advisors. With their help, along with allied shadowcallers from Nidal, she brought the Chelaxian heartland under her control, which gave her a certain amount of legitimacy.

Baron Grallus of the Chelaxian colony of Sargava backed House Davian in the war, but Davian's ambitions were shattered by House Thrune at the Battle of a Hundred Kings. Held near the city of Corentyn in 4639 AR, that defeat of House Davian was the climactic battle of the war, signaling the doom of all who opposed House Thrune.

Legacies of the civil war

Even though the people did not particularly like being under the rule of devil-worshipers, they preferred it over the anarchy of civil war. Within a year, House Thrune had defeated all other comers and Queen Abrogail I was crowned in 4640 AR. Thrune had not forgotten the betrayal of Baron Grallus, and sent a fleet to enact revenge on Sargava in 4643 AR. Expecting the attack but unable to produce a large-enough fleet to defend himself, Grallus hired the Shackles Pirates to patrol the waters north of Sargava. His gamble worked and the pirates sunk the Chelaxian fleet in Desperation Bay. A second Chelaxian fleet sent in 4660 AR fared little better and Sargava managed to hang on to its fragile independence until 4715 AR, when its population rebelled against the oppressive government and refounded the nation as Vidrian.

A new order

With order restored throughout the land, the new ruling class of the land began to consolidate and reinforce its power and control over a widespread empire still reeling from decades of war. Their first command was to establish diabolism and the worship of Asmodeus as the official state religion. They then moved the capital from Westcrown to the inland port of Egorian and demanded renewed fealty from Cheliax's outlying provinces. Unable to stomach being ruled by blasphemous devil-idolators, the people of Andoran and Galt rebelled, each seeking their own destiny. Galt declared independence in 4667 AR, but quickly devolved into score-settling by short-lived governing coalitions in the Red Revolution, while Andoran steered a more stable path beginning in 4669 AR.

The crown let these provinces secede, content to focus on the more profitable colonies of Sargava in Garund and Anchor's End in Arcadia.

Succession turmoil

Despite the iron-fisted rule of House Thrune, Cheliax was not without its own political turmoil in the years that followed. This was particularly true when it came to the process of who succeeded to the nation's throne. After 32 years of rule, Queen Abrogail I was murdered by her own son in 4672 AR, who crowned himself Antoninus I soon thereafter. Antoninus' reign lasted only two years, as he died from incorrectly prepared safu'u fish in 4674 AR, and was succeed by his cousin, Terthule Thrune. Terthule managed to last a bit longer than Antoninus, but disappeared mysteriously in 4682 AR after only eight years on the throne. Upon his death, Terthule's niece Carellia was crowned as queen.

Much like her predecessors, Carellia's rule was brief and marked by tragedy, and she drowned under mysterious circumstances in 4696 AR. Her death was not investigated by her cousin and heir Infrexus, although he did not fare much better: he fell through the ice and drowned in the Adivian River in 4709 AR. That same year, Abrogail I's great grand-daughter, the young Abrogail Thrune, was crowned Infernal Majestrix, and has managed to avoid a tragic death since then.

Recent upheavals

Despite House Thrune's emphasis on discipline and authority, their rule has not gone unopposed. Westcrown in particular has harbored subdued dissent and underground corruption for a long time. Around 4710 AR, the Council of Thieves was exposed and dismantled, representing a significant turning point. More recently, two major rebellions—one successful and the other unsuccessful—have dramatically altered the power dynamics and weakened House Thrune's control over the region.

Cheliax suffered a major blow to its naval power when it lost a significant armada in the Shackles, putting a temporary halt to its ambitions of expanding into the Mwangi Expanse. Soon after in 4715 AR, a violent rebellion known as the Glorious Reclamation erupted in Westcrown and caused widespread social unrest. Although Queen Abrogail's forces managed to crush the rebels and restore order by 4716 AR, Iomedae's faith in Cheliax faced increased scrutiny and its adherents became cautious not to criticize the queen.

A second rebellion simultaneously erupted in the Archduchy of Ravounel that led to its declaration of independence as a separate nation through the exploitation of a flaw in the Kintargo Contract. This move was a bitter pill for House Thrune to swallow, as they feared the consequences of a confrontation.

Present day

Cheliax finds itself in a perilous position, facing challenges more threatening than it has encountered since the early days of the Thrune Ascendancy. Its adversaries, particularly Andoran, eagerly anticipate an opportunity to strike. Yet these enemies might discover that Cheliax remains a cunning and formidable opponent, and its apparent weakness could be a calculated ploy to bait the overconfident.

These enemies include the Firebrands, a loose organization of freedom fighters created after the independence of two former Chelaxian territories in Vidrian and Ravounel; Hrothar Sea-Wiles, an Ulfen pillager whose raids have moved from Ravounel to the Hellmouth Gulf and Corentyn after Ravounel's independence; Kronthus, a celebrated retired gladiator of Halmyris rumored to have joined dissidents in allegedly killing Lord-Mayor Admiral Enfaria Weltrax; Menamyn Vox, leader of the Swifthooves centaurs of the Egobarius Plain; and Zarzu "The Crow" Greenspun, suspected of leading the secret rebel group known as the Midnight Flock.

Government

A Chelaxian devil binder at work.

Since the Thrune Ascendancy of 4640 AR, Cheliax has been ruled by House Thrune along with a new configuration of noble houses made up of those willing to follow the philosophy of diabolism. Much of the power of House Thrune was gained through the initial bargain struck between Abrogail Thrune and the rulers of Hell, although rumors abound that additional pacts have been made since that time in the quest for still greater power. Currently Queen Abrogail II, the great-granddaughter of Abrogail I, rules Cheliax with the aid and support of Gorthoklek, her nessari advisor.

Abrogail II

Her Infernal Majestrix, Queen Abrogail of the Twice-Damned House of Thrune rules as absolute monarch in her nation. Her word carries the full weight of law, and is as inescapable as any devil's contract, even if she frequently changes her mind and has her former edicts and laws erased from the books of Chelaxian history. She maintains control of the nation's complex bureaucracy of titled nobles through fear and their hope of earning the queen's favor.

Noble houses

See also: Noble houses of Cheliax and Chelaxian noble titles

House Thrune may currently be the most powerful of the noble houses, but it is certainly not the only one. Some of these other noble houses have existed for centuries, while others were commoners raised after the civil war in payment for their loyalty to House Thrune. Most of the oldest houses survived the civil war, although those who aligned themselves with the diabolists early in the war have claimed the greatest prestige and wealth. Whatever can be said about the new nobility's morality, they objectively rule more effectively than the old nobility did before the war.

Chelaxian nobility are arranged in a strict hierarchy of three broad categories (dukes, counts, and barons), each with their own subcategories, for a sum of nine ranks modeled after the nine levels of Hell; Her Majestrix and her family are above this order.

Most members of the nobility continue making pacts with various devils in exchange for incredible temporal power. Those who do not espouse diabolism keep it to themselves, as any talk against the methods of the current regime can lead to the complete eradication of an entire bloodline.

Domestic policy

Governmental policy within Cheliax is focused upon maintaining order and quelling dissent. This is in direct response to the 30 years of internecine warfare and chaos that preceded the Thrune Ascendancy, as well as the absolute order inherent in the support of Hell. There is a great deal of physical peace and order which allows the lives of ordinary citizens to proceed normally, but it carries a high moral price. Cheliax is far from the abomination of twisted evil imagined by many outsiders, but it does not allow room for any dissent. Nationalistic feelings run deep and are practically required to avoid suspicion. Ambition causes normal citizens to turn in those that they suspect as traitors to Cheliax, for the perceived promise of wealth and advancement. Organized secular and religious forces such as the Hellknights and the Inquisitors further strive to quell any organized dissent.

Chelaxian laws

The penalty for infringing the laws of Cheliax.

The laws of Cheliax are based upon the Asmodean Disciplines, which also serves as the primary religious text for the Church of Asmodeus. These laws are expansive and intrusive, and attempt to regulate nearly every element of a citizen's public and private life. Because of this, many of them are not enforced, and may not even be enforceable, but they nevertheless serve the purpose of the government by allowing the prompt removal of undesirable elements of society under some perceived or interpreted infraction, or as incentive for citizens to spy on one another.

Foreign policy

Cheliax, with its infernal connections, remains a wealthy, influential, and well-armed nation. House Thrune's rule not only governs its own land but also profoundly impacts the destinies of nations beyond its borders. Isger, Nidal, and the newly independent Ravounel maintain particularly close and complex ties.

Isger

After enduring years of bitter warfare following centuries of exploitative near-colonial rule, Isger remains a subservient vassal to Cheliax. Its government is tightly controlled, with limited autonomy to shape its destiny.

Nidal

Nidal positions itself as an ally to Cheliax, albeit with a vastly different perspective from Isger's. Rather than viewing itself as a vassal, Nidal sees its role as that of a trusted advisor to a like-minded friend.

Ravounel

In stark contrast to Isger and Nidal, Ravounel successfully broke away from Cheliax a few years ago and proclaimed itself an independent nation. Despite gaining formal recognition as a free state, Ravounel remains unable to fully extricate itself from the influence of its former ruler. Cheliax strategically keeps Ravounel pinned to the sea and controls all overland routes out of the nation, ensuring its grip on the region's economy and diplomacy. While Ravounel possesses supernatural safeguards against direct military invasion, it is still dependent on Cheliax's goodwill for survival.

As of 4719 AR, House Thrune appeared willing to accept Ravounel's independence as an unfortunate but unchallenged reality, and they have treated Ravounel fairly. However, both sides understand that a devil's mercy is capricious, and its memory is enduring. If certain delicate circumstances were to change, Ravounel's newfound independence could be swiftly revoked, returning it to Cheliax's control.

Military

In addition to the Hellknights who handle dissension within the Empire, Cheliax also boasts one of the largest military organizations in the Inner Sea region, including the Chelaxian Navy. Along with humanoid troops, they continue to use bound devils as well.

Economy

Cheliax boasts a robust economy fueled by global trade, offering diverse goods like wines, olive oils, artworks, and imported products. Its luxury trade is especially esteemed throughout the continent.

Cheliax was also a major importer of slaves until 4722 AR, when Queen Abrogail Thrune II liberated the slaves of Cheliax and its vassal states in the Emancipation Edict. (See also Slavery.)

Geography

Cheliax covers a large part of southwestern Avistan and, although currently less than half its former size, it is still one of the largest countries in the Inner Sea region. Beyond the Menador Mountains in the north, it is bordered by the former provinces of Nidal and Molthune. To the east, it is bordered by Isger, and Andoran across the Aspodell Mountains. The Inner Sea lies to the south, across which is Rahadoum on the continent of Garund. To the west, lies the Arcadian Ocean.

Cheliax is divided into five regions or archduchies, each of which is subdivided into duchies, which further split into counties, which then can be separated into baronies, however, not every grouping can be divided into a smaller grouping. For instance, several very small counties do not divide into even smaller baronies. The five archduchies are fixed; there can never be more or fewer, as there can never be more than the archdukes, and are as follows:

• Archduchy of Hellcoast: The hills of Devil's Perch and the settlement of Pezzack are the home of the strix, a race of winged humanoids. These fliers protect their homeland diligently although more from a dislike of any foreign rule as much as distaste for the current House of Thrune and its organized devil worship.
• Archduchy of Menador: The Menador Mountains are the religious homeland of Cheliax. It is also the home to scores of Hellknights prepared for a life of unending servitude by the unforgiving nature of the land they inhabit.
• Archduchy of the Heartlands: The Whisperwood, the Barrowood, and the Central Plains are the heart of Cheliax.
• Archduchy of Sirmium: The Aspodell Mountains and the River Keld form a natural eastern border to Cheliax.
• Archduchy of Longmarch: The Inner Sea forms the southern border of Cheliax and port cities built upon bluffs dot the coast.

A former sixth archduchy, the Archduchy of Ravounel, once was part of Cheliax, but is now the new nation of Ravounel after a recent successful rebellion.

The current capital, Egorian, rests near the center of the nation on the banks of Lake Sorrow. North of the lake stands the Barrowood, and the River Adivian flows south from the lake, past Westpool and East Rikkan, into Gemcrown Bay past Westcrown. Cheliax maintains a foothold in Garund as well, holding the southern end of the Arch of Aroden (the province of Kharijite) and thus controlling access to the Inner Sea. Its most distant holding is Anchor's End in far-off Arcadia.

Inhabitants

Chelaxian treatment of non-infernal clerics.

Valeros brawling with Chelaxian soldiers.

Three-quarters of Cheliax's human population are ethnic Taldans with Kellids among the most populous minorities (clustered in Cheliax's northern reaches). The pale-skinned Taldans of Cheliax believe themselves superior to all other peoples. Their compact with great devils gives them power beyond measure, and no other nation of the Inner Sea can compete with their summoners and warlocks when it comes to trafficking with dark forces. These devils require payment for their service, often offered up in the form of tender flesh and boiled blood.

Most of Cheliax's inhabitants have become used to their repressive government with its infernal ties, seeing it as the price they had to pay to be rescued from the anarchy of civil war. Those who actively support the government tend to receive the greatest chances at wealth and social advancement, while those unable or unwilling to contribute to the Hellish regime reap no such rewards or are even the targets of recrimination and ridicule.

Cheliax is celebrated for its wine, opera, and magnificent architecture. However, it is equally infamous for the presence of devils on its streets and the mercilessness of its laws. Under Thrune rule, the impoverished suffer brutal oppression, with crimes resulting in excruciating public punishments and executions.

Slavery

Until the Emancipation Edict of 4722 AR, slavery was a prevalent and harshly enforced practice devoid of the legal protections that once existed during Aroden's era. In its wake, the Edict offered five years of financial support for the newly freed but burdened those benefits with numerous onerous conditions, including mandatory military conscription, waivers for legal claims against their slavers, and extortionate repayment terms.

Meritocracy

Chelaxian culture places a high value on excellence in almost any endeavor, and its nobles are in constant competition to elevate their status. As a result, Cheliax perceives itself as a more meritocratic society compared to many others on Golarion. Ambitious individuals of low birth can readily find patrons willing to support their careers in exchange for profit or recognition. Over time, they may even secure titles through marriage or bribery.

The Hellknights also provide opportunities for rapid advancement to those who prove themselves through dedicated service. However, Cheliax's "meritocracy" has a dark side. Those unfortunate enough to lack the qualities it prizes are treated as utterly worthless, stripped of even basic dignity and consideration. Additionally, this "meritocracy" only applies to its human residents, as Cheliax's non-human residents are almost universally looked-down upon.

Gnomes

Most gnomes in Cheliax live in the town of Brastlewark and enjoy a relatively peaceful existence in comparison to other minority peoples. Many gnomes are architects and engineers and the best of these provide innovative designs and inventions for the Chelaxian government. The community is left mostly unmolested as a result.

Halflings

Prior to the Emancipation Edict of 4722 AR, nearly all halflings who lived in Cheliax were slaves. Known pejoratively as slips, they are treated quite poorly by the general population.

Strix

The strix are a race of winged humanoids native to the Devil's Perch, a dangerous and inhospitable region of western Cheliax's Menador Mountains. Due to past conflicts with their lowland neighbors, the strix refuse to have anything to do with the untrustworthy humans. The strix have inspired many grisly rumors among the Chelaxians, who vilify and fear them.

Cambions

Cambions enjoy an unusual status in Cheliax, often seen as subordinate to humans. They are rarely seen in public, and appear mainly in criminal enterprises or were slaves prior to the Emancipation Edict of 4722 AR. The majority of cambions in Cheliax are hellspawn, and many within the Chelaxian government view them as completely expendable; prior to the abolition of slavery, Cheliax used the most flimsy of pretexts to force them into slavery and sell them to any nation willing to buy them. Some hungerseed cambions of oni blood also live in Cheliax, descended from onidoshi (commonly known as ogre mages) who served as arcane mercenaries for the Chelaxians.

Religion

Cheliax has had a long history as a religious nation going back hundreds of years. The goddess Iomedae, the chivalrous goddess of crusaders, was born in Cheliax, and her righteous faith continues to hold strong in the region, despite recent events that have heightened the longstanding tension between her church and that of Asmodeus. In the middle of the 5th millennium AR, the church of Aroden, humanity's patron deity, moved its headquarters from decadent Taldor to then-Chelaxian capital of Westcrown. This was done in response to an ancient Azlanti prophecy known as the Starfall Doctrine that predicted Aroden's return in 4606 AR. Aroden's unexplained death voided the prophecy and plunged the nation into a decades-long civil war.

Worship of Asmodeus and diabolism

The rise of Asmodean worship since the beginning of the Thrune Ascendancy has hardly been surprising. Every Chelaxian pays at least lip service to the Prince of Darkness, even though numerous older gods such as Abadar and Erastil remain popular among the common folk, and nearly every house contains at least one shrine or red pentagram honoring the devil-god. Cheliax is also one of the few nations where the other archdevils are worshiped in any large number, although their cultists always stand in the shadow of the much larger and more powerful church of Asmodeus. Even those Chelaxians who are not interested in personally serving the Prince of Hell or one of his subordinates, often believe that Hell provides a model for how mortal society should be structured, a philosophy known as diabolism.

Worship of other powers

According to an edict issued by Queen Abrogail II, the worship of gods other than Asmodeus or one of the other powers of Hell is permitted, but can be revoked by the government at any time. The worship of these gods is considered a generous allowance by the Prince of Hell, as long as no one supplants him as the foremost in the hearts of Chelaxians. Cheliax does not openly tolerate worship of Achaekek due to the church's support of piracy along the western coast of Garund, but the assassin of the gods still has several hidden shrines devoted to him within Cheliax.

Languages

As Cheliax was once a province of the Empire of Taldor, most humans there speak Taldane, although a significant minority are also conversant in Diabolic for obvious reasons.

References

For additional as-yet unincorporated sources about this subject, see the Meta page.