Shadowless Empire

The  was an empire in the Middle East in some Histories including the First, associated with Persia and possibly Akkad. The rulers of the Shadowless Empire spoke Deep Mandaic, a Semitic language related to Aramaic and associated with ancient Mesopotamia, which may be based on the Akkadian language. The Empire's origins are unclear, but if Deep Mandaic indeed corresponds with Akkadian then it may have originated as the Akkadian Empire. However, as of the 300s BCE in the First History, it corresponded with the historical Persian Empire and was ruled by the Achaemenids. Its kings were notable for pursuing immortality, and are buried in the Tombs of the Shadowless Kings.

Conflict with Alexander
In the First History, Alexander the Great was under the patronage of the Scarred Man, who had founded Mycenae after the Lithomachy. Alexander attempted to conquer the Shadowless Empire, just as he conquered the Persian Empire in real-world history. The Golden General, the greatest general of the Shadowless Empire, had also been tutored by the Scarred Man, so he refused to fight against Alexander. Their armies were to meet at Issus, where Alexander historically defeated the Persian Empire once and for all. However, Darius, the Shadowless King of Kings, revealed a "great secret of betrayal" to the Golden General, prompting him to forsake all mortal ties, shatter his sword, and become the Lionsmith to fight the Colonel for the rest of history. Darius also revealed a secret - presumably, though not explicitly, the same secret - to Alexander, causing Alexander to turn back to Macedonia. The precise nature of the secret is unknown, but Captain Welland will reveal it to the player character if he is defeated.

Later history
Later, the Shadowless Empire fought with Rome. It again opposed the Colonel, whose "Unnumbered Legion" secretly defended Rome. Eventually, the Shadowless Empire defeated Rome, brought Byzantium into its sphere of influence, and invaded India. It faced great difficulty against the armies of the Hooded Princes, and it is unclear who eventually prevailed.