In 583 NB, a local magistrate from Elgard named Beriac Ja'tarr was upset about the way his people were being neglected by the Council. He decided to rebel against the Council and create the reforms himself. He was an Adept with the power to influence anyone that heard his voice. Gathering his troops and traveling east, he garnered much support for his revolution.
For 14 years he slowly travelled around Lower Arcanum, either enlisting or conquering all the peoples. His numbers grew, as did the wariness of the Council in New Landing. He began calling himself the Emperor of Arcanum. As he furthered his campaign, he left the local magistrate in place or replaced him with a local that was loyal to him, and started a mandatory military. The influence of the Council was waning.
Finally he marched on New Landing in 597 NB and overthrew the High Council, marking the beginning of the Ja'Tarr Empire. Almost 40 years after beginning his reign, and as his last decree, Beriac Ja'Tarr caused that the capital of Arcanum and the Empire be moved from new Landing to Elgard, his native city from where he had based his operations since the beginning. When Beriac Ja'Tarr died in 636 NB the title of Emperor was passed to his son Vil'eron Ja'Tarr, which became the custom for the duration of the Empire.
In 671 NB, during the rule of Museolas Ja'Tarr, son of Vil'eron, a frightening force descended on Elgard. One morning, half-dragon, half-man creatures appeared in the sky coming from the north. They swooped in and decimated the entire town guard and half of the army stationed at Elgard in a matter of hours. This was the single bloodiest battle in the history of Arcanum. The siege lasted for several days, at which time the creatures left as suddenly as they had appeared.
No one has been able to determine where they came from or where they went when they left. Not one of them fell during the short invasion, and no specimens of study were left behind. The citizens of Elgard dubbed these monsters "Wyrmmen," a title that has since been adopted by Throstos scholars and used exclusively to describe them.
This Empire lasted for just over 300 years. Many citizens of Arcanum were very happy with the Empire and supported the Emperor Ja'tarr, which was a title passed on from ruler to ruler. In all there were ten emperors, each of which was an Adept and a descendant of the first Ja'tarr.
In 887 NB, Ablius Ja'tarr began his rule as Emperor. Ablius was cruel and ambitious, and believed that Adepts were more powerful than all others; they were the supreme race. Those who were not Adepts were ostracized and persecuted by those Adepts that believed in the teachings of Ablius.
A small non-Adept resistance movement began to rise. In secret, they started to subvert the Emperor Ablius Ja'tarr. After a number of small victories, a revolutionary leader became known in the resistance. His name was Vardori Oakenspear.