Palmyrene Empire

Focussed around the Eastern reaches of the former empire and ruled from Damascus by the iron-willed Queen Zenobia, the Palmyrene Empire holds the line against the predation of a resurgent Sassanid Empire. It has a long tradition of horse archery and heavy cavalry, and its legions are drawn from both desert tribes that have lived in these wastes for centuries and the more populous regions of Syria and Aegyptus. They can even call upon some of the more exotic forces of the East, including ancient ancient Pharaonic constructs known as ushabti and legions of allied undead.

The resurgent East is led by a living legend - Queen Zenobia, the widowed wife of the famed Ras of Palmyra, Odaenathus. Myths say she single handedly led the revolt against the Roman Empire, shattered the strength of the Sassanids to maintain her independence, and annexed Aegyptus with but a half-strength legion at her back. How much of that is true is up for debate, but she is assuredly one of the most skilled and deadly strategists in the East. Sha has an innate knack for mobilizing and maintaining a diverse empire with a dozen faiths and a hundred ethnicities all vying for supremacy. In battle, she can often be found riding the Guardian Lamassu of Damascus, Balthazar, an ancient creature gaudily decorated with the battle standards of their fallen enemies.