Drenai

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The Drenai are a fictional people from the stories of David Gemmell. They inhabit the Drenai Empire, a long-standing nation resembling slightly that of the Roman Empire.

Their main enemies include the Nadir - a Mongol-like nation of warring tribes - the Ventrian and Vagrian Empires, and the Sathuli - a reclusive,religious tribe of warriors who dwell in the Delnoch Steepes.

The Drenai gained their freedom from the Vagrian Empire thanks to the efforts of the legendary heroes Karnak and Egel, the first Earl of Bronze - this part of the Drenai history is told in the book Waylander.

The Drenai face many threats over their history, but finally succumb to the rule of the Nadir after Tenaka Khan unite the warring tribes of the north to invade the Empire. These events are suggested to have occured following The King Beyond the Gate and Quest for Lost Heroes.

Another factor in the downfall of the Drenai is the evil Emperor Ceska, who joins forces with warrior-priests of Chaos and utilises an ancient technology allowing him to combine humans with beasts, creating a Joining - a fiercesome creature which only wishes to maim, kill and feed.