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== Summary ==

Vestari VIII, known widely as the Lich Emperor (4044-4916 FYA) was the final ruler of the [[Vestari Empire]]. His rule began in 4094 when he was already an old man. He'd been a general under his cousins [[Vestari VI]] and [[Vestari VII]] and won many victories for them on [[Veruaten]] before ascending to the throne himself.

In 4109, he was in failing health and, seeing the inevitability of civil war undoing everything he'd worked for, he elected not to die, becoming a lich instead - for as long as it took to conquer Veruaten and find a suitable successor.

Veruaten was fully conquered in 4644, long after anyone dared to remember the emperor's promise to abdicate once it was done. With only the [[Dragonfires]] left free of Vestari rule, it was unsurprising when the Emperor launched an invasion of that nation in 4646. That war would end in 4655 without a satisfactory conclusion for either side.

Following the end of that war, the Emperor became less and less interested in the world around him, leaving the administration of his empire largely to the vampires who followed him. The empire slowly unraveled as a day-to-day political force.

Shortly after the transfer of his essence to a new body in 4915, Vestari VIII called a conclave of Kings to [[Tearra]] to address the power structure of the empire. During that conclave, the city was destroyed by a massive magical explosion that marked the beginning of the [[Cataclysm]].