Excerpt from The Glorious Mandate: A History of the Empire of Aerys, Volume III**
Published by the Imperial Academy of Records and Truth, 7th Edition
Chapter XII - The Red Raids and the Rise of Imperial Stewardship Beyond Borders
In the autumn of the 87th Year of First Light, a tragedy of profound scope unfolded across the coastal regions of the western continent. The cities of Revellia, Waterdeep, and Mere—at the time independent and unaligned with the Empire—were struck by a swift and brutal series of assaults now known as the Red Raids.
Though these cities had long prided themselves on their autonomy, their fragmented defenses proved insufficient in the face of such unrelenting violence. Over the course of less than a fortnight, raiders of unknown origin descended upon the coasts. Emerging from the sea under cover of night, these barbarous forces ransacked entire districts, set fire to marketplaces and granaries, and committed atrocities that echo grimly in the records of the age. No distinction was made between soldier and civilian, noble or peasant. The carnage was indiscriminate, and the loss incalculable.
It was during this time of dire need that the Empire of Aerys, under the rule of the First Emperor, took unprecedented action. Despite the fact that the affected regions fell outside of Imperial jurisdiction, the Emperor authorized a full martial expedition to repel the threat. Imperial legions were dispatched not in conquest, but in defense - a defining moment in the evolution of the Empire’s role as protector of the realm, not merely ruler of it.
Imperial forces swiftly engaged the marauders, forcing them back to sea and stabilizing the affected territories. In the weeks that followed, Imperial engineers and clerics were stationed to aid in reconstruction, and emissaries were sent to establish communication and goodwill between the throne and the cities so gravely wounded by the raids.
Some, in the centuries since, have questioned the Empire’s motivations. A small and discredited group of dissenters—primarily from among the Free Historians’ Circles and outlawed revisionist sects—have proposed that the Empire may have had prior knowledge of the raids, or even colluded with the attackers to manufacture a crisis justifying military expansion. These theories remain wholly unsubstantiated. Multiple formal inquiries held by the Imperial Truth Commission have found no evidence to support such claims. The scholarly consensus within the Academy remains clear: the Empire’s intervention was a selfless act of stewardship in a time of anarchy.
The Red Raids are further marked by a personal loss that shook the Imperial Court. It was during these same dark days that Empress Gwendolyn, beloved consort of the First Emperor and the moral compass of the Throne, passed from this world. The exact circumstances of her death remain the subject of respectful silence; however, all agree that the grief endured by the Emperor influenced the declaration of the final week of October as the Royal Week of Mourning. Observed across all Imperial territories, it remains a time of reflection on sacrifice, order, and the burden of rule.
Though the Red Raids brought unimaginable suffering, they are widely recognized by Imperial scholars as a catalyst for change. In responding to crisis beyond its borders, the Empire of Aerys expanded not just its influence, but its identity—as guardian of the land and beacon of order.