Griffenheim, The Imperial Palace. 1026.
The ruined body of a living God takes a deep breath. A small twitch causes the countless wires surrounding the old griffon's body to sway. The Imperial Custodians in the room stand a little straighter, their Emperor's weak physical body betrays what's inside it. A soul of a newly born God, barely two decades old, already the conquerer of his entire species. He is... was Grover the V. Grover the weak, Grover the Sickly, Grover the ill, and so many other titles to say the same thing. He was doomed to failure. Yet he lived, the throne he sat upon made sure of it. And he became more. For when he, so sickly and close to death, was placed onto it, the machine... broke. A deadly red mist emerged from it and into the city, choking the life out of tens of thousands of griffons. But in that mist, Grover survived and he heard from within that mist, the Gods themselves. Boreas' order, Arcturius' demand, and Eyr's plea. They demanded/ordered/begged, Grover for one thing, to allow them to raise the empire to greatness again. Not caring whether it was the side effects of the mist or the real deal, Grover accepted, and he was... reborn.
When his loyal Custodians breached his throne room, Grover could feel it through the opened doors, hundreds of thousands of souls begging to return home to Griffinheim, for the great city to be freed from the choking mist. And, somehow being the hardest and easiest task he ever did, the mist dissipated. It was the greatest feeling of his life. The power and strength he could feel in his veins were leaps and bounds greater than anything he felt before his accession to this throne.
Of course, when the city emptied of mist, the first problem to deal with was to find out why the Kristellthron, for that was its name, failed in such a horrendous way. Scientist after scientist was interrogated, all pointing to one griffin, Bellzar Bolzen. He was dragged to the throne, and where all who had seen it were either awestruck or terrified, Bellzar just laughed like a madgriff. He said he was given the schematics by the Gods themselves and that the mist was needed to show Grover the true way. Just hearing this made the Emperor wish to order his execution here and now, he had murdered thousands and displaced hundreds of thousands! But Bellzar's next words stopped him, he had plans for weapons and armor that the world had never seen before at this point.
The Emperor would give this madgriff a chance, if he could make this throne that allowed his ruined body to still live, then what weapons of war could he make? If he failed and tried double-crossing him then he would die, but if he succeeded then he would become the greatest scientist in griffish history. So Bellzar did and wrote himself forever into history with the creation of the Star Knights. Augmented super soldiers, new knights for a new age. Clad in armor greater then even the tanks of the Imperial tank corps, with weapons that fired not bullets but small rockets that could decimate even tank armor like a sharp blade through warm butter.
As Bellzar became history, he went about writing his own. The Empire had fallen apart, all but the loyal dogs of Bronzehill and the scientists of Yale had left him. Even worse, traitors, heretics, and malcontents abounded in what was left of the empire. By the Emperor's order, they died or were rehabilitated, ending in the slaughter of two of the Archons of the Gods, only Eros VII was spared, as Eros recognized the God-Emperor, but also as the Emperor deeply respected the old Archon. With traitors gone, loyalty must now be instilled in his people. And so the Emperor gave strength to his subjects, uniting them under himself as new generals, loyal only to their Emperor, were installed into the military hierarchy. From High ranking officers such as Heilig Lightwing, Sebastian Yorrick, Bask, and Travol to the countless soldiers in his Imperial army. And as Bellzar proved his worth, he was given the rank of Archrector, the greatest of all scientists in the empire, and he was allowed a certain free reign on his accounts. Bellzar would speak of a new way of understanding technology through a religious perspective, and though some scientists decried it as religious nonsense, Bellzar's technocratic religion spread amongst not just the scientists, but through the people, with the accidental side effect of raising literacy.
But there was one incident, one that, though no one but him shall know, shook him to his soul. His son, his beloved son, Grover the VI, that bright little cub... even the thought of it drew a singular tear from the ruined body's eye. His son fled to his cousin, Gabriella, during the mist's appearance, only to return home, not just because the mist was gone, but because he was suffering from horrible dreams. The Emp-no... Grover the V ordered his guards to leave, so he and his son may speak. His son, barely six, climbed upon the great throne, and without a word, hugged his father, forever trapped upon his throne. That was the first time he cried since he was placed on the throne, for despite his great strength, he could barely move his arms to even try to hug his son. And then, something happened. Even now, years later, he still did not know what happened or why it did. It didn't seem right, and it kept his mind swimming with questions. The two of them glowed, father and son, so brightly that he could not see through his eyes, and then... he was gone. His son, the greatest joy in his life was gone. And so, the emperor cried. When his Custodians returned, he gave a long speech about how he was with him now and so on... but only he knew, that he didn't know what happened to his son. It was the only time he wished he just died and allowed his cousin Gabriella or best friend Eros to become his son's regent.
However, as the state was united under him, one griffon proved too much, Dawnclaw. Dawnclaw thought that he was a great candidate for becoming a Star Knight. The Archrector said he was not. Dawnclaw decided to beat up the Archrector in response, ending in the general becoming wanted and fleeing to the Griffonian Republic. Somehow, between his fleeing Griffenheim and coming to Cloudbury, something changed in him. More specifically, he heard voices, voices that he thought were Maar himself, that cruel God of Death, madness, and emotion, talking to him. And so the fool fell right into the demonic god's grasp and took complete control of the Griffonian Republic, creating horrific monsters straight out of a horror story. His Heresy could not be ignored.
As the Imperium was united, the Emperor demanded that all the former vassals of the empire were to unite with him or else. None would answer his demand, and so the first unification war would begin. As the hastily made alliance of Free Herzland states raised levies and trained units, the great offensive had already started and within a month, the twin states of Angriver and Katrinburg were conquered by the swift actions of general Yorrick. And as his armies turned back to the western front, sneak attacks decimated the Duchy of Strawberry, forcing Duchess Gabriella to flee westwards into the Grand Duchy of Feathisia, the strongest of the remaining three states. Yet in but two months, Feathisia would be forced to surrender as well and then it was sweeping up some peasants and merchants princes. While the Herzland united itself, Dawnclaw, during the chaos of the war, managed to conquer Rottendedam, and quickly invaded the Skyfall Trade Federation.
Enough was enough, and as soon as enough territories in the empire weren't actively rebelling, the Emperor declared a crusade against Dawnclaw's Heresy. Skyfall fell quickly, and the horrors of Dawnclaw's Heresy was revealed to the average griffon. Maar worship in all its ways, slaughter, sacrifice, demon summoning, black magic. The war, once muttered as unjust by the subjected peoples of Herzland after the unification war, was now, rightly, seen as a righteous crusade against a demonic force. Large amounts of land changed hands almost weekly as Star knights on both sides ripped apart lighter infantry before being redeployed to other parts of the front, leaving their own infantry to have to hold back an inevitable counterattack. But when one Star Knight unit managed to take Cloudbury, that was that. Dawnclaw's heretical army started to fall apart as Dawnclaw fled deeper into the mountains. By the end of the year 1009, Dawnclaw was found and executed, and his army of heretics was being hunted down by a newly created inquisition.
For two years, the newborn Imperium held tight control of its land, slowly conquering the remaining states in the far north, the Skynavian republic and the Kingdom of Vedian. All while the imperial army was reformed into the Imperial Guard, backed by an ever-expanding industrial-military complex. As rebellion died down, and peace was secured, in late 1011, the God-Emperor of Griffonkind gave his order, the Unification Wars have begun, Griffonkind shall be united.
First was the Aquilleans, united under their "Harmonic Socialists". They fell in four long years, all while other armies were raised to conquer smaller griffon nations, Blackrock, Longsword, and Hellquill. Then the great Imperial Guard was lined against the Wingbardians and their great alliance of the entirety of the southern realm. From Wingbardy to Cyanolisia stood united against the Imperium. They would fall one by one. Five years of endless war, grinding fighting from the city of Falcor to the mountains of Creeper Mountains. It was finally in 1020, when the ancient king, Garibald Talonuel, finally died. His son,
Gumberto, though not incompetent, was not the equal of his warrior father, and with multiple military errors, the strong Talonuel Line, that great defensive line Spaning from Rumare lake to Creeper Mountains, broke and shattered. The great tank fleets rolled over the flatlands of Falcor as Minotaur/Cyanolisian units were routed from Creeper mountains. Despite the collapse of the Talonuel Line, the war would go on for one more year as the Wingbardian Alliance would fight tooth and nail, even in the great capitals of their nations. But it was done. Griffonkind, after a 2-month invasion of the Evie valley area, was united under one being, the God-Emperor of Griffonkind.
The world, meanwhile, had stood, open-mouthed and shocked beyond belief, as a self-described God had conquered half a continent. Equestria, having survived the great war a few years earlier, spoke out, calling upon griffons to reject this tyrant playing as a god, all while Equestria's mighty army, filled with veterans from the Great War prepared for an inevitable war. Hippogriffa became a refugee site for fleeing griffons from the Imperium, only to find an already large griffon minority, the refugees from Wingbardy, Falcor, Cyanolisia, and leading them was King Gumberto, preparing a mighty invasion army to retake his home, all with the support of Queen Nova. The Riverlands itself, having united underneath River Swirl, is seemingly neutral about the matter, however, the Emperor knew, thanks to reports from his inquisition, that River Swirl was trying to stir up discontent within his people. The entire world seems against the Imperium, yet the God Emperor was with them!
The Emperor sighed once more, more war was on the horizon... how long must his subjects be at the mercy of these cowardly bastards, and without a second thought, he blinked.
And his heart beated once again.
Griffenheim, The Imperial Palace.
He lay there a moment, confusion at the forefront of his mind. 'Why am I looking at the roof?' he thought for a moment, trying to move his head down, he could only barely move it when he was on the throne but the pain was worth it if he could- and move his head he did. 'That was too smooth... too painless...' he blinked as he suddenly realized, this... this wasn't his throne room.
He could feel something, he looked down at his chest... he wasn't wearing the same clothing as when he was placed on the throne... he could feel something inside him.... is that what his heart feels like? His claws twitch, and he turned his head again... he was moving too smoothly, too painlessly... He raised one talon before raising the rest... then his claw and arm. It felt a lot like when he dissipated the mist, so hard... yet so easy. He place his claw on his chest and he could feel it... he could hear it... his heart was beating. His beak opens slightly and a small laugh comes from it, it'd been so long on his throne that he was unused to his heartbeat! His claw's grip tightens on his shirt... 'this is wrong,' he thought as his head swung from side to side, trying to see as much as he could, 'I..I... I can't be back...the Imperium! My work! My... my son.' The realization hits him like a sledgehammer.
His mind starts racing, not in thoughts, but trying to get his body to move. He pushes himself onto his stomach and then tried to get up, only to fall off his bed and onto his floor. Without thought, he lets out a scream, the pain... oh how he hates it.... it made him feel so alive!
The second his scream erupts from him, guards rush through his doors into the room, rifles at the ready, he could barely stop him from scoffing... he has to be in the past, surely, he'd never let his guards have so antiquated weapons. He hastily got onto his claws, before stumbling, only for one of his guards to grab his arm.
"Steady, your highness".
"I..." Grover's beak opened and closed a few times before looking away, "What... uh... what year is it, soldier?"
Grover could feel the confused look from the guard, "1006, your highness... did you...," the guard was stuttering, he was clearly worried about stating that something was wrong with Grover.
"Say what you want guard, it's good to make sure your leader is... still there," Grover smiled as he looked back at the young diamond dog.
The diamond dog says nothing as Grover takes his arm out of the guard's grasp, "Now then, what's on the agenda for today?" Grover askes as he moves past the guards to his wardrobe.
"Uh," one guard says, "There isn't anything planned until 8, your highness... what with the New Year Party yesterday..."
Grover doesn't say anything, only starting to cloth himself, much to the embarrassment of the guards... which Grover quickly realizes, "Well, if you don't have anything else you can go, I assume you don't want to see me naked," of course, Grover is already half naked as he says that, and his guards, slightly faster then a polite person would, leave the room, shutting the door.
'This is a perfect opportunity for me... the power of Gods...' he thought as he raised a claw in front of his face before frowning... 'though just how much was from the Gods, and how much was from the throne'.
He sighed before finishing clothing himself. He needed to find Bellzar. Last he checked, Bellzar was still working on Projekt Kristellthron, since he started it in... 1004? Late 1004 he thinks...
He walked through his door, surprising his guards, "Sir, what's needed?" one asked.
"I need to talk to Rector Mikusian, now."
Greenback. 5:13 in the morning.
Mikusian yawned, he's been awake all night and was just about to go to bed when some griff, a staff member he thinks, he was honestly too tired to care, told him he has a phone call from Grover the V himself!
Mikusian's tiredness dissipates almost immediately as he rushes to his office, finding another griff holding the phone who immediately talked into said phone, "The Rector is here, Your Majesty," before handing it to the ragged Rector.
Grover's voice rings through before Mikusian could speak, "Rector, I need to talk about Projekt Kirstellthron, is it operational? Has Bellzar been doing anything too stupid with the staff?"
"Uh... one-second sir," Mikusian puts his claw on the receiver before speaking to the other griffon in the room, "Do we have a Projekt... Kirstellthron?" The griffon shrugs and Mikusian sighs before talking into the phone again, "The uh... project is going very well... very good."
"You don't know what it is, do you?" Grover says before audibly sighing into the phone, "I told you, back in 1004, during the yearly diet... we talked about how I'm not long for this world and how I wanted you to create a machine to prolong my life, is this ringing any bells, Rector?"
"I.... uh... no," Grover sighs again on the other end.
"Fine, then can you get Bellzar? He's extremely important, and I need him to be brought to Griffenheim immediately. This is crucial!"
"Your Majesty... I don't know a Bellzar... are you sure he's part of our staff?"
"Yes!" Grover shouts into the phone, causing Mikusian to flinch away from the phone, "If he's not, then check the other college's staff lists, I know he's down there! I need him in Griffenheim as soon as possible!"
"I... yes sir," Mikusian answers as Grover hangs up.
"Well..." he looked towards the other staff member in the room, "Can you get the Staff ledgers?"