Location from Mage Errant by John Bierce
An expansionist eastern empire on Ithos that claims inheritance from the fallen Ithonian Empire — ruled by Duarchs, backed by over a dozen Great Powers, and bent on continental domination.
The Havath Dominion is the antagonist force of the series — not because its people are evil, but because its institutions are designed for conquest and its ideology demands expansion. The Duarch system places two rulers in shared power, theoretically providing balance but practically creating a political structure optimized for war: one Duarch manages domestic affairs while the other projects military force. Havath's claim to the Ithonian Empire's legacy is the foundation of its legitimacy. They don't merely want to conquer — they believe they are restoring what was unjustly taken. This ideological conviction makes them more dangerous than a simple military power, because it gives soldiers a cause and citizens a mythology. With over a dozen Great Powers aligned to its banner — including the sunwyrm Heliothrax — Havath has the magical firepower to challenge Skyhold's alliance. Their use of the Tongue Eater for linguistic warfare, their Sacred Swordsmen elite warriors, and their rigid social stratification all serve a single purpose: the restoration of empire, by any means necessary.
A militaristic empire whose cities gleam with bronze — bronze-clad soldiers, bronze-domed temples, bronze gates marking the boundaries of order and conquest. The architecture is monumental and deliberately intimidating, designed to project permanence and inevitability. Military encampments and fortified borders extend across eastern Ithos, and Sacred Swordsmen patrol in ornate armor that blends martial function with religious symbolism.
Also known as: Havath, the Havath Dominion, the Dominion, Havathi Empire