> *"Though its banners no longer fly, their shadow still lingers across Dalrath."* ## Description The Caelian Empire was an ancient civilization whose dominion once stretched across nearly all of the land now known as Dalrath. --- ## Lore Though little is now known of the ancient kingdom, a few facts are immutable. At the height of its power, the Caelian Empire united vast territories beneath a single banner, constructing great roads, fortified cities, and monumental temples that still endure as weathered ruins. Though its people vanished centuries ago, relics of Caelian craftsmanship and knowledge continue to surface from forgotten tombs and abandoned settlements. The cause of the empire's collapse has long been lost to history. Some scholars attribute its fall to civil war, others to invasion, while darker legends claim the Caelians uncovered powers beyond mortal understanding. Whatever the truth, only scattered ruins and fragmented records remain, leaving modern historians to piece together the story of the once great nation. ---