History of Alsesia

The history of Alsesia is a long story that details the intertwining of the mainlanders on the continent of Granheim, and Kylish settlers who arrived on Soldakia in 27 BGC.

Prehistory
The oldest evidence of modern human settlement in northern Granheim can be traced back to at least 8,000 BGC. The oldest known skeleton discovered in the region is that of a woman buried near the Grotvolar, aged approximately forty. The bones were dated to be about 8,000 years old, although the oldest known archaeological ruins are estimated to be nearly a century older. Evidence supports the belief that these settlers migrated from central Granheim during a period of warmer temperatures around the globe.

The tribes who inhabited these regions developed unique identities and traditions as the years passed. Due to the importance of rivers to the settlers, they became a nigh-universal symbol of life, as demonstrated by their religious and artistic significance. Settlers also developed sophisticated architecture for many purposes. A tribe known as the Segs constructed the Churskat, a large stone brick structure of uncertain purpose, which features an elevated platform and contains no human remains. Homes during this period were constructed with either timber or stone, as both were in abundance. Later constructions also made use of mudbrick and clay. These mudbricks were made using the husks of Rodnui plants and their genetic ancestors.

Horses, flufmors, and ferihunds were domesticated in northern Granheim during this time frame. These animals provided both beasts of burden and a source of protein, in addition to clothing material. The Lesser Alsesian Wolf was also domesticated during this time, gradually branching off to form several breeds of working dogs such as the Alsesian Shepherds and Torgligs.

Early Pre-Bālthorian Period
The Early Pre-Bālthorian Period is between 8,000 BGC and the fall of Vurbathia (Vurbathrisk).

The oldest evidence of human settlement in northern Granheim can be traced back to at least 8,000 BGC. The oldest known skeleton discovered in the region is that of a woman buried near the Grotvolar, aged approximately forty. The bones were dated to be about 7,800 years old, although the oldest known archaeological ruins are estimated to be nearly a century older. Evidence supports the belief that these settlers migrated from central Granheim during a period of warmer temperatures around the globe.

Vurbathia
The first well-known literate civilization in the region was that of the Vurbathians, who flourished from around 3,000 to 1,700 BGC. The Vurbathians, who migrated from central Granheim, settled in the fertile plains of the Tohoski region, where they founded the cities of Kros-Rulto (future Thrēczaria), Chulwold (future Brokwood), and Vrocha-Fok (future Molotov). The few surviving records and deciphered archeological remnants show that the Vurbathians were a hereditary monarchy without a clearly defined dynastic surname. At their greatest extent, Vurbathia controlled a sizable part of Tohoski, although they appear to have failed or refused to expand past the Irn River or the Grotvolar.

The title “Kazar” appears to have Vurbathian roots, as their records show both the earliest and most consistent usage of the title. Notable Vurbathian Kazars include Yumtikar, who reigned from approximately 2,409 to 2,381 BGC, and Burkola, who reigned from approximately 1,936 to 1,913 BGC. Both of these rulers were famed for their military brilliance and skilled statesmanship, and their reigns appear to have been seen as golden ages. The primary conflicts Vurbathia experienced was with nomads in Tohoski, who thrived on the open plains and frequently raided the frontiers of the country.

Vurbathian religion appeared to be animistic, with a belief in spirits and the necessity of respecting the lives of animals taken for any purpose. It is known that they referred to spirits as Sols, and that they constructed structures called Solhavons that served as “homes” for wandering spirits in search of a new body. Solhavons were built near places dense in life, such as villages, forests, and lakes, likely out of a belief that spirits would have an easier time finding a new body to inhabit if they stayed close to these locations. The ruins of the largest Solhavon, located near modern Thrēczaria, is believed to have reached forty meters in height, an impressive achievement for the engineering tools and knowledge of the time. Vurbathians held their army in special regard, and all soldiers slain during a battle were honored with a Tambor, a specially constructed spire that listed the initials of the deceased.

Vurbathian agriculture was built on cultivation of the Rodnui plant, which not only provided a staple crop, but also feed for ferihunds. The stalks from the Rodnui plant were also used in mudbrick production and as hay for horses. The Vurbathians knew of bronze-making, and such tools were widespread throughout their territory, suggesting a degree of technological sophistication. There is also ample evidence that they began working with iron in the later years of their civilization, due to its abundance in northern Granheim and their gradual loss of control over bronze and tin supplies to nomadic raids.

Based on records, Vurbathians never discovered the Norlam Mountains or the Bolic (Bolek) Ocean. However, the Makiric (Mākērek) was known to them due to trade with an eastern neighbor called the Truschians. The Truschians, whose civilization lasted from approximately 2,800 to 2,000 BGC, descended from settlers west of the Grotvolar. They were noted for their skill in sailing, and their namesake is carried to this day by a type of outrigger boat. The Truschians also utilized sails made of flufmor wool, which, for centuries after, was the predominant material used for sailcloth in the region.

Middle Pre-Bālthorian Period
The Middle Period refers to the period between the collapse of the Vurbathians and the collapse of Kolurpia.

Kolurpia
After the collapse of Vurbathia, it was supplanted by the Kolurpians and their nation, which descended from a similar cultural and ethnic background. In fact, many of those who aided in the foundation of Kolurpia were powerbrokers in Vurbathia. Kolurpia lasted from approximately 1,700 to 800 BGC. During this time, other migrating peoples settled in different parts of northern Granheim. These include the Detrotsian people, ancestors of the modern Montyns, and the Wolkryonians, who later intermingled with the Kolurpians to father the future Hoschyns.

The Kolurpians left behind records that have allowed for a relatively accurate reconstruction of their society. They too were a monarchy ruled by a “Kazar”, that stretched, at their greatest extent, from the Irn River to the Makiric Coast, having conquered the latter following the fragmentation of Truschian society due to an influx of different migrations from central Granheim. Kolurpia was repulsed by Detrotsians from expanding north of the Norlam Mountains, and an inability to expand westward to the Bolic during the height of its power appears to have been caused by tribes inhabiting the region banding against them. Native names for these tribes have yet to be verified due to a scarcity of records, but the Kolurpians referred to them as the Westons. It is unlikely that these tribes were all of the same background, although their proximity and apparently cordial relations with each other suggest cultural commonalities or a confederation.

Kolurpian traditions had a marked effect on those of their successors, most notably in marital affairs. Kolurpians had little taboo on intermarriage between classes so long as the heir of a family was not debasing himself. Their intense commitment to monogamy and their hatred of infidelity, evidenced by their artwork and literature, rooted itself in the cultural consciousness of peoples under their control. Kolurpians also invented the culinary ancestor of the shkolze. A stone-carved recipe for a bread wrap containing a layer of brechtul leaf to stop the contents from seeping through was found dated to approximately 1,200 BGC.

Kolurpian technology was an improvement over that of the Vurbathians, especially with regards to metallurgy. Early-steelmaking took hold on Kolurpia, although their steel was unable to rival that of the Detrotsians. It is believed that much of the scientific advancement under Kolurpian rule was part of an arms race to defeat the Detrotsians, who, in four recorded instances managed to fend off their southern neighbors.

Logyns
Kolurpian records have allowed historians to approximate the arrival of the Logyns, or, as they were known at the time, the Smolnui. Based on surviving texts and copies made over the centuries, the “Smolnui first encroached upon our western realms in the fourteenth year of Kazar Rorgan Rafnan...”, suggesting that these ancient Logyns were responsible for the decline of the strength of the Westons. The Logyns were in turn chased out of the region by the arrival of the Spaktians.

The Logyns, who natively called themselves Ha-Ruden, later settled in the marsh region of the Goldmuds due to its defensibility and climatic similarity to their homelands in Kretila. They successfully carved out a small civilization of their own. The Ta-Ur Dynasty ruled over them, and their descendants became the noble house of Taur. The Logyns were renowned for their spear fighting skills, a byproduct of their usage of spears to hunt the dangerous fauna of the Goldmuds, such as chamors, as well as ancient martial traditions.

Spaktians
The Spaktians migrated from present-day Yorchest between 1,400 and 1,200 BGC and consolidated their hold over the west after expelling the Logyns and assimilating the remaining Westons. They allied with the leading states among the Detrotsians and began raiding Kolurpia around 900 BGC as it entered a slow decline. Spaktians were noted by Kolurpia for their poetry and throat-singing, both of which were highly respected activities in their society.

Spaktia's economy was one that focused extensively on maritime trade and sailing. In a sort of historical coincidence, these traditions made them similar to the Kylyns who would later arrive and unify the region under their control. Spaktians considerably innovated sailing, having invented the dry dock, and visited both Kretila and Okirias across the Bolic.

Detrotsians
The Detrotsians originated from Okirias and crossed over to Granheim on a land bridge. Known for consistently remaining above the Norlam Mountains, Detrotsians became infamous for their metallurgical skills. Their society was heavily influenced by the mountainous conditions of the north, and whichever states and tribes controlled the fertile river valleys effectively dominated the region.

After the fall of the Kolurpians, the Dark Age of Tohoski began, lasting from approximately 800 to 400 BGC. During this time, the peoples of the heartlands and east were divided into smaller city states. The Detrotsians, Logyns, and Spaktians remained largely isolated in their regions, with the Logyns fighting amongst themselves, the Spaktians trading with the south and across the Bolic with the ancestors of the Horhemians, and the Detrotsians fragmenting.

Late Pre-Bālthorian Period
The Late Period is marked by the arrival of new peoples to the region, as well as the rise and fall of Arkoltia.

The Spaktians declined around 280 BGC and married into the surviving Westons and other subjects, as the Late Pre-Bālthorian Migrations brought in the Arkoltians from central Granheim, and Ēdyns (descended primarily from the Mantosa people). The Arkoltians founded the last major Pre-Bālthorian empire in northern Granheim, while the Ēdyns, having fled north from their Cagrian homeland over the course of centuries, spread throughout the region, where they survived by assimilating themselves into larger states.

The status quo of ruling changed little for the Detrotsians. The greatest of their kings was Altus Murdan the Great, who was the only one to unite all of the land north of the Norlams under his control. Altus, who reigned from 352 to 314 BGC, was a significant figure in Detrotsian history. After his death, a period of warlordism arose in the region, until the Tyorgan Dynasty came to power by conquering most of the land. The Tyorgans ruled from approximately 265 to 14 BGC, when the Sheridan Dynasty deposed them in a rebellion. The Sheridans were later defeated by the Bālthors and integrated into Alsesia.

Arkoltia
Arkoltia consisted of a short-lived empire of conquest. After conquering most of the small states dotted across Tohoski, the Arkoltians rapidly carved out an empire to behold, and managed to extend their empire from the Bolic to the Makiric. The only two peoples they failed to conquer were the Logyns, who defeated their invasions through attrition in the marshes, and the Detrotsians, who, as their ancestors had done so many times against so many invaders, defeated them at the Norlam Mountains.

Although their inability to conquer these two regions was a source of frustration for the Arkoltian Empire, the greatest prize that eluded them was the island of Soldakia, which they called Yerkapas. The natives of this island were Kylish settlers who had become isolated from their homeland over generations. They were hostile towards most outsiders except, making any hope of integration difficult. These people, called the Yerks, defeated an Arkoltian invasion in 59 BGC, which resulted in the death of the then-king, Sabros IV. The death of their heirless king threw the already fragile Arkoltian state into disarray, and the empire fell apart in 48 BGC, leaving behind a few squabbling remnants that would eventually be subsumed by Alsesia in its westward march. Arkoltian rule was remembered unfavorably by many of their conquered subjects, as extensive usage of slavery and brutal reprisals against rebellions left them considered a tyrannical state.

Just prior the arrival of the Bālthors and their Kylish subjects, the lands of Northern Granheim were divided between scores of small states and tribes. The main ethnic groups inhabiting the region during this time were the Atyrnyns in the Canyonlands, the Hoschyns and Norjyns in the east and west of Tohoski, respectively, the Palyzyns in the Fjordlands, and the Montyns north of the Norlam Mountains. The two other ethnic groups with significant populations were the Logyns, inhabiting the Goldmuds in the northeast of the Heartlands, and the Ēdyns, distributed widely across the region as a consequence of their more recent arrival in northern Granheim. These groups would later be designated as North Volaryns under the Bālthors.

The Arrival of the Kylyns
Alsesia's origins are deeply intertwined with the nation of Kylan. Although modern Kylan was only refounded in the 19th century, its predecessor was a great power that dominated the economy and politics of the North Makiric. Almost 32 years before the Great Collapse, Kylan fell into a civil war caused by two rival princes seeking the throne. Ruther and Jakob of the Weslan Dynasty, both holding entirely different ideas of how the nation should be ruled, began a long powerful struggle.

At the time of the war, the second most powerful noble house in Kylan of the House of Bālthor. The family had made its wealth from its near-monopoly over trade along the coast, and the formidable military strength that it possessed caused both Weslan pretenders to seek its support. However, the lord of the house, Tomas Bālthor, knew that the Weslan dynasty saw his family's strength as a threat to its power, and clandestinely prepared to leave for the island of Urraka, a colony once prosperous, but abandoned as Kylan's strength had waned over the years. With the support of its vassal houses, including the houses of Lētters, Boltyr, and Stārki, the Bālthor Fleet left Kylan and sailed west.

When the fleet arrived on Urraka, it found a sparsely inhabited and fertile island. However, Urraka was small compared to the vast territories of Kylan, and Lord Tomas took a great gamble, deciding to sail further west to Soldakia, a much larger island that truly epitomized Kylan's once vast reach. He did not know it at the time, but Soldakia would later prove instrumental in his descendants' conquest of northern Granheim.

Before leaving Urraka, Tomas offered his vassals the choice to remain on the island, citing the uncertainty of safely reaching Soldakia. Several families accepted this offer, while those who did not swore they would follow Tomas into the unknown. With these remaining vassals, the fleet once more sailed west, arriving on Soldakia's shores on September 9th, 27 BGC.

Soldakia before the Great Collapse was an untamed land of Granish natives and Kylish settlers who had long forgotten their roots. Having brought some 50,000 people, most of whom were farmers, the Kylish declared themselves a new nation called Alsesia, and began a conquest of the island. The exact length of this conflict remains unknown, but preserved records show that resistance holdouts existed until the year of the Collapse. The official end date set by Alsesian government officials is April 13th in 0 AGC, but this date is considered more symbolic than accurate.

In the aftermath of the conquest, Lord Tomas crowned himself the Czar, a role that would play a crucial role in the future of the country.

The Great Collapse
27 years after the arrival of the Bālthors, all of Soldakia's inhabitants witnessed an extraordinary event. Stars appeared to be raining down upon the land, and with explosive consequences. This was the Great Collapse, brought about by a meteor that broke apart in the atmosphere of the planet. Though Soldakia was largely spared from this disaster, the ensuing impact winter was harsh on all its inhabitants. Of an estimated 300,000 inhabitants on the island at the time, only 90,000 survived the first winter.

Faced with a disaster, Alsesia's rulers sought to quickly seize warmer lands that could provide food and a hospitable climate for their people. After a year of preparation, the Alsesyns launched an expedition to the shores of Granheim proper. On the mainland, they discovered a habitable bay that was rich in fish and surrounded by defensible mountains. It was in this bay that the city of Frosgard was founded, and it would serve as the heart of Alsesia's conquest of northern Granheim.

Because the Bālthors spent centuries bringing northern Granheim under their control, there were many changes to the region between the founding of Frosgard and the end of the Unification Wars. The history of northern Granheim after the arrival of the Bālthors and before their successful conquest of all these lands is referred to as the Unification Era by historians.

The Unification Era
The Unification Wars officially began on June 1st, with the founding of Frosgard and the subsequent Conquest of the Coast. The Conquest was initiated with scouts being sent southward in an attempt to discover the natural boundaries of their new realm. During this period of exploration, the Hoschyn people were first encountered in large numbers, and tensions arose due to the expansion of the Alsesian nation.

Pacification of the Hoschyns
The conquest began when Alsesian settlers began to clash with Hoschyns from June 4th, 1 AGC. The violence escalated, and soon, there was open warfare between Alsesia and a confederation of Hoschyn city states.

Amidst these conquests, one elderly Hoschyn warlord named Obitam rose to power. Exceptionally brilliant and charismatic when compared to other Hoschyn leaders, Obitam's War, which raged from January 13th, 43 to January 17th, 45, saw large pitched battles between Alsesia and Obitam's Confederacy. Commanders on both sides of the conflict learned from the other, and after many great battles, Obitam was captured near present day Nu Kyris. Despite fighting each other, there was a mutual respect between the warlord and the Czar. At the end of peace negotiations, Obitam, old and tired of fighting, resigned himself of Alsesian rule. His children and other descendants distinguished themselves in the service of the Czar, becoming the later noble House of Vuldard.

Obitam's defeat and capture crushed the morale of many Hoschyns. Surrenders grew exponentially, alongside desertions. The conquest lasted until August 9th, 45, when the last holdouts agreed to accept Bālthorian rule. Czar Tomas had passed away in the year 5, leaving his son Danil I to complete his work. Despite many successes elsewhere and against the Hoschyns, Danil I also failed to complete the pacification before his death in 42 AGC, leaving his son Torrick I to win the peace with Alsesia's new subjects.

By nature a non-cruel man, Czar Torrick I had no wish to exterminate or expel the Hoschyns. Instead, he hoped to assimilate them into Alsesia. After some pondering, he realized that the Yerks of Soldakia had learned to communicate with the Hoschyns, which gave him the idea to develop a common tongue between the two peoples. Both languages shared similar sounds, and even some shared grammatical rules and vocabulary. Old Alseslang arose during this time, bridging some of the gap between the two cultures.

The most stubborn resisters during the conquest were those that had been slaves during Arkoltian rule. Distrustful of serving a new empire, it took several years and many dispatches to bring their rulers to the negotiation table. The one point insisted on was the issue of slavery. Old Kylan had no tradition of slavery, and none of the existing Alsesian nobility considered it necessary or desirable. Consequently, one of the promises the Czar made to placate his new subjects was a ban on slavery. Although it seemed like a mere diplomatic convenience at the time, this promise evolved into becoming a part of the cultural consciousness, directly influencing future laws and foreign policy.

Northern Expeditions
In the year 3 AGC, Czar Tomas I ordered some of his people to venture northward to see what lay there. The First Northern Expedition began in January and saw thousands explore the northern frontiers of the country and beyond. However, this soon brought the nation into contact with the Atyrnyn tribesmen. Initially ambivalent towards the newcomers from the south, the tribes grew violent when Alsesian settlers began encroaching on their territory.

The discovery of gold and iron in the vicinity of Atyrnyn territory made it clear to Alsesia that the land was valuable. Further settlement efforts broke out into open conflict despite an offer of peace by a group of tribal leaders. This gesture was rejected by the Czar, who, ill and nearing death, ordered his armies to bring these resources under Alsesian control.

From 3 to 11 AGC, Alsesian troops, far better equipped than their Atyrnyn counterparts, and experienced from their war with the Hoschyns, defeated the Atyrnyns and seized a sizeable amount of territory. Faced with destruction, many Atyrnyns fled to the canyons west of the Grotvolar, where the bulk of their people lived.

Four years later, in 15 AGC, the Second Northern Expedition was launched. This expedition was less of a conflict and more of an exploration. While there were battles fought against the remnants of Atyrnyn tribes, ultimately the 13 years gained nothing more than cold permafrost. The Czar, visiting his new land in 28, remarked that the second expedition was “Everything spent to gain nothing at all.”

Kariba's War
The Atyrnyns did not forgive or forget they had been driven from an ancestral homeland. Although the northeast was also a frontier to them, they had inhabited it for centuries. Channeling this anger, a chieftain named Kariba assembled a massive army of Atyrnyns to raid Alsesia, hoping to drive them out from the northeast.

21st Century
WIP