In this, the year 2134, I was asked by World President Sein Lian :king: to write a new history of the Criscan Interregnum. :) I, Gorhai Nain, shall do my best to please my benevolent leader. It is a curious, and bloody era to learn of. In this period, thousands died in civil war and much of Crisca was scorched to nothing. In addition, the neighboring kingdoms of Rome and France would suffer instability brought on by the Interregnum. Truly, it was a period of chaos. Before we go into the history itself, we should provide a bit of background on the Criscans.

The Criscans had lived as nomads since antiquity. They settled near the massive Lake Crisco in 4000 BC, due to its large supply of fish and fertile land. The Empire grew from a town of 1,000 to an Empire of millions. The lands that were the Empire were rich, and a great nation settled these lands with staunch pride. By time the BC years had ended and the AD years had begun, the Criscan Emperors and Empresses could claim to rule the center of civilization.

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The Criscan Empire, Source: Criscopolis Library

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The Takar Desert, Source: Roman Scholar's Library

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Lake Crisco, Source: Library of the Sun, Cuzco.

In the 8th century AD, the Criscan Empire was vast and powerful. It had built cities in the north to control iron and to link with the Criscan allies, the French. The Empire was united under a single family; the Lian Dynasty, whose marvelous daughter, the Empress Reanne reigned with a just and kind hand, and thus the people knew joy and peace.

The Criscan Empire had a culture so overwhelming, that thousands upon thousands of people from the neighboring Roman and French lands forsook home, country, and duty to join Crisca. This influx of people provided labor that the Empire needed, and the infrastructure of the Empire expanded to magnify its power. The armies of Crisca were modernized as well; powerful longbowmen who could shoot a man dead from 300 feet away, disciplined spearmen and macemen who carved up barbarian raiders like soft fruit. None could challenge the might of Crisca!

In 770, the Empire showed signs of division. Crisca had always been a hub for various religions, most of them founded in Criscan lands. The Empire was officially Christian, and most of its people practiced that religion. Buddhism, Hinduism, and Judaism however, all named Criscopolis as their Holy City, and those faiths had great roots in Crisca. For millennia, all the faiths had lived in harmony, but several radicals took the stage and would throw Crisca off balance.

Erin de Fastaya was a Christian zealot. He openly condemned and mocked the Hindus and Buddhists, and once said "Criscopolis is a breeding ground for the cesspool of vice: all vice there is made by the Hindus and their descendant Buddhists." Many liberal or non zealot Christians were horrified at such intolerance, and opposed Erin.

But Erin was powerful, and held true power as a tyrant over the Christian Holy City of Selia (which is also the Holy City of Islam). He controlled the Pope like a puppet, and wished "to scourge the Holy City of the non Christian and traitorous menace." In other words, he wanted to exterminate all non Christians and moderate Christians in Selia! However, a group of fellow zealots refused to aid him as they believed it to be murder, which was evil. Though he said, “It is not murder if it is not human!” he had no choice to relent. Erin succeeded in having 3 Muslim temples razed, and the Christians opposed to Erin quickly organized a mass exodus of Muslims out of Selia to preserve their lives and religion.

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The Holy City of Selia, Circa 760 AD. Source: Library of St. Har's Cathdral

These actions by Erin had a horrible effect on the Criscan culture. Many Criscans, regardless of religion, left Crisca to go to France or Rome, disgusted by such a person as Erin de Fastaya. Empress Reanne ordered a contingent of longbowmen and a swordsman division freshly arrived from Nor Crisc to attack Selia and kill Erin. However, the Pope, threatened with death by Erin, in turn warned Reanne that she would face excommunication if she moved against Selia. This, combined with fear of turning the Holy City into a ruin, stayed her hand.

Probably the greater influence in her decision was the fact that an elite corps of Roman Praetorian Swordsman (upgraded with chain mail and modern long swords) arrived in Criscopolis a month before Erin’s attempt to cull the populace of Selia. They seized the Imperial Palace and announced that the Empress and the Imperial Capitol were under the protection of Emperor Julius Caesar III. They had been sent by the Roman Empire to the East to maintain order in Crisca, so that the lucrative dye and sugar trade to Rome would not collapse. Their commander, Gaius Brutus, pressured the Empress to forgo an assault on Selia. Knowing she would be deposed if she didn’t, she relented.

The greatest opponent to Erin was the Hindu fanatic, Tarken Racrocau (Rock-rus-sow). This lady petitioned Empress Reanne often to whip the Empire back into Hinduism. In the oldest days of the Empire, Hinduism had been the dominant and state religion, but it was no longer so. Though Reanne agreed to send Hindu missionaries to the northern cities of Pyropolis and Nor Crisc, she flat out refused to make Hinduism the state religion, and would not grant Hindus special privileges over others. Tarken attempted to have Erin de Fastaya murdered nearly 10 times, but she devised 12 assassination plots for the lady Empress…

In 770, an armed band of nearly 50,000 Hindu peasants rebelled and laid siege to Sun Crisc, which was basically the Hindu capital, in an attempt to take it an establish a separate Hindu kingdom. In addition to this, several minor villages and towns had been attacked, and their non Hindu populations killed, in total about 1,500 people of all religions (including Hinduism, the peasants who did the killings were not too bright).

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Siege of Sun Crisc, Painted by Leonardo Da Vinci

The peasant band besieging Sun Crisc was slaughtered by its defenders, but damage was done to the Imperial infrastructure, and worse, the sense of security of the people and nobles alike. This disturbing event showed that the Empire was no longer safe, and things were all ready spinning out of control. Another armed war band of Christian peasantry, led by Erin de Fastaya, attacked Criscopolis itself in 774.

Desperately, Reanne mustered a defense force and called the Imperial navy in Dystopolis to stop the galleys that were bombarding the Capitol. All depended on one battle on the walls of Criscopolis itself...

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Though nearly a quarter of the city's guards died in the assault, and an outbreak of disease took 3,000 lives of the citizens during the siege, the loyalists repelled Erin and his army. But the Empire was already undone.

Pyropolis in the north was a desert city, and it was the link of the Long North Road that led to the lands of the French. It controlled a banana plantation, and the city was wealthy. But it was a stronghold of moderate and liberal Christians and Hindus alike, and Buddhists also dwelled here in high number. The city’s leaders used their wealth, power, and connection with France to stall Erin’s efforts to raise armies or do anything. Thus on Christmas Eve of 775, Erin and his forces attacked the lightly defended city. After a bitter week long siege, they overcame the defenders on New Year’s Day. Erin burned the city to the ground and "cleansed it of sin" by slaughtering its people. This atrocity destroyed a large section of the Long North Road, disrupted all trade with France, and led to Christian Rome sealing its borders to Crisca out of fear that it would be infiltrated by fanatics.

Only a month later, Tarken Racrocau ordered her soldiers to the heavily Christian city of Indigo. This town was recently established, and existed to fuel dyes to the Empire. By a coastal trade route, the dyes were shipped to Was Crisc which were then brought by caravan to Criscopolis. But Tarken had it given a fate similar to that of Pyropolis. She took a cross and burned it in the middle of the blazing city, and spat upon it as an insult to Christianity. It is said that in response, Erin publicly defaced a statue of Shiva the Destroyer, portrayed in the form of the Lord of the Dance. Empress Reanne II (still the same Empress!) could do nothing to stop this, and this violent racism that was shredding the Empire apart horrified her. In late August of 779, a report arrived that warned of both an organized army led by Erin and a small, but well equipped army led by Tarken were coming to seize Criscopolis before the other. Reanne gathered all Imperial possessions, brought all the family she had in the city, and then set out on a galley across the huge Lake Crisco. She arrived in Ean Crisc, and from there went to Rome to ask Emperor Caesar for aid in crushing the rebels.

Criscopolis suffered badly in the battle between Tarken and Erin, which was fought through the South district, but started to shift north as Tarken’s forces began to prevail. Most of its walls were leveled, the harbor was so badly damaged it was unusable, and the theater, libraries, lighthouse, and forge were all in shambles. Nearly a third of its people died as well. The city was taken by Tarken in the end, who decided to put it to flame. The merciless zealot, raising her hands high in the smoke filled air, screamed that the city was to be culled. The soldiers under her readily obeyed, and thus prepared to end countless lives. Running through the streets like the Hounds*, they killed anything they could. The Temple of Solomon was destroyed in the chaos, and Tarken personally saw the end of all Christian churches, and of the great St. Rein’s Cathedral. Nothing, not even the Hindu structures were spared however. Fire spread to 5 of the 9 Hindu temples, sparing only the 4 oldest. The Hindu Mandir of Devi caught fire and suffered horrible damage. It is said that Tarken was in such a rage that until she calmed a week later, the city continued to smolder.

The city of Terra, in the southwest, provided marble, deer, wine, and most importantly copper for the Empire. In October of 779 AD, Tarken took her raiders and attempted to quickly take the city, she was unable to as Terra was heavily fortified and had hardy, elite defenders. Tarken then punished the city by razing the two villages that provided vast income to the city, and then destroying all roads she could that connected Terra to the main Empire. She burned the wineries north of Terra on the Mestian grasslands, and slaughtered the deer hunters in their camp. Finally, she collapsed the copper mine and the marble quarry. This pillaging greatly damaged Terra, and the city was forced to sell off many of its buildings to retain anything even resembling an economy, and they also had to relocate nearly all work to food just to keep the city alive. Terra was now a city that only worked for sustenance. Isolated, in ruin, and desperate, the citizens of Terra knew they were now alone.

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Terra, before Tarken's attack. Source: Constantinople Old Imperial Library

To save the city, the Terra Council built a secret galley in 780. Terra was not a coastal city, so the workers built the galley on the shore which was a good distance away. Then, they loaded troops and an envoy onto the ship, which was named the Gaia, and made it sail to the Roman lands, to hopefully land south of the city of Pisae and then reach Rome from there. Their objective was to find the Empress, and hopefully get Rome to attack Tarken.

In 781 AD, both Tarken and Erin did a stunning move. They declared, within three days of each other, the end of the united Criscan Empire, and the birth of a new kingdom. Tarken was named Empress Tarken of the Hindu Kingdom of Raetan (Ray-tahn). She changed the religious policy from Organized Religion, to Theocracy. She also brought the Caste System into power once more, when it had been abolished after the Empire adopted Christianity in 114 AD.

Erin was named Emperor Erin of the Christian Kingdom of Neindar (Nine-dar). He also established a Theocracy, and retained the system of Serfdom. Almost immediately, he began producing soldiers to attack Tarken and her kingdom of Raetan. Tarken also started training warriors, but she made another move in having 3 galleys commissioned in Ean Crisc. So it was that the Criscan Empire dissolved into civil war, where the people were trodden down by the zealot rulers, and destruction would visit every corner of the Empire…

The last hope for a return to the old ways of peace rested on the shoulders of Empress Reanne, and the secret mission from Terra…

Reanne Lian wiped her sweating brow. Her long brown hair was in total disarray. A sword swinging at her hip showed how desperate this flight was when a woman who stood 5 feet 6 inches tall armed herself. Had God forsaken her? Forsaken her? Nay. She was with her family and her closest allies. At least she had not been left to endure this trial alone. Soon they would arrive in Antium, and safety. Hm? What were those vulgar shouts from behind them

"Accursed Old Gods!," she said as she turned. "Raid! Erin's zealots caught up with us!" Turning around, she ran, drew her silver, shining blade, and ordered all that could hold a weapon to stand behind her. She saw the incoming raiders, on foot it seemed, armored the core.

"Dude!" one of them shouted, "we caught her, that is SICK! We are gonna get a PROMOTION, a PROMOTION, yeah!" The little fool was going to get a mouth full of steel more like it. One of the raiders rushed towards her with a sharp ax made to kill quickly...she parried his initial blow and then laid a strike on his leg with the flat of her sword. It stunned him for a moment, at which point she sliced off his red bearded head. Blood took a moment to gush from his neck, and all over her and her new clothes! "No! I just bought this from Hollister in Ean Crisc!!!" Then Reanne's eyes turned red, and her hands turned into claws. It was that time of the month again boys. She shouted, "P!M!S!!!!!!!!" and then, body illuminated by the crimson glow, she used the PMS power on the young raider who had spoken eariler. The man screamed and grabbed his head, begging for mercy. For what seemed like an eternity, he shook his head in a futile attempt to relieve the unending pain, and he rolled on the ground as well. Finally, he collapsed onto the hard earth and his dead body twitched for a minute, then went limp.

Yeah, Harry Potter and his little Crutacious Curse ain't got **** on me, thought Reanne.

Reanne ordered her defenders to charge Erin's raiders, and she personally began slicing heads. Her clothes were ruined enough anyways, it didn't matter if they became totally red and then brown. It might actually turn out into a new fad...that wouldn't be good for the population count.

Finally, the raiders fled. Reanne shouted out, in junction with her toddler cousin Orven Lian, "All your base are belong to us, NOOB!". The fools high tailed it to Erin and his coward zealots.

Her aide, Denvenar, clapped in approval. "Did you have to use the PMS, my lady? Now we have to suffer as well. You may have done more harm to our group and mission then to Erin's scum."

She glared at him and ordered the caravan to continue on. Soon. Soon they would get to Antium.

3 Days Later

In the Border Grass, Reanne was scouting ahead along with Denvenar and Germainus Scipus, a Daoist priest that had joined them in Ean Crisc. Looking through the mist, Reanne strode ahead to some unknown presence she felt. She tripped, and when she was about to curse some random pagan god, she saw a glimmer of gold in the grass. She reached for it, but felt a surge of evil when she touched it. She ignored the sensation and picked it up. Almost instantly, the fog vanished. Germanius and Denvenar rushed up to examine the golden ring.

Denvenar took the ring and tried several things on it. First he threw it at a rock, which produced no evident results. Next he forced a nearby bunny rabbit to eat it, causing it to explode, which also gave him a tiny shift point to evil that he would undo later by saving some unspecified person's worthless life, which would perfectly negate the evil gain, but add no good gain. Finally, he put it up to a flame, and read the words he saw.

"Blah blah blah, one ring to, blah, 9 rings to men, blah blah, and in the darkness bind them." Reanne eyed him curiously. "It means 'Put this on to gain the Power Hack.' Well? Put it on! We can crush Erin and Tarken with this uber hack!"

"But it is so ugly!"

"...so?"

"It went out last season! Do you think thousands of lives compare to me looking fashionable?"

Germainus chimed in. "Honey, the scrolls say that your style went out centuries ago. Get real."

Reanne glared at him and her eyes showed a glimmer of red. Germainus wisely corrected himself, saying that she was merely preparing for future fashions. Which is of course a lie, as Reanne's current fashion was dirt, blood ridden dress, and tangled hair.

Denvenar sighed and was about to throw the ring to the ground when a little, pathetic looking creature emerged. "The Precious, the Precious, we has found the Precious!" Reanne snatched the ring to use it as a bargaining chip in case this creature had anything useful.

"Give us the Precious silly tree hugging woman!" cried Gollum.

Reanne nearly lost her temper again. "Perhaps my Lady, this man lost his wedding ring, and his wife turned him into this horrible, mangled creature you see now."

Reanne gasped and felt her heart nearly spin off into an attack. "Its a guy!?!"

"Can't you tell?"

"No. Its not a guy."

"Yes it is. Look..it just..looks like a guy."

"It can't be, its just not guyish..."

"It is male I assure you."

"Are you sure its not just a woman with a poorly performed sex change operation?"

".....yes."

Gollum then screeched, "We is a guy, we is! But Smeagol won't prove it to nasty dirt covered woman, o no!"

Reanne bargained with Gollum, nearly losing her temper. In the end, she gave him the "Precious" in exchange for directions to Antium. Gollum skipped off in joy.

"I wonder what he will do with that ring." mused Reanne.

"In this awesome book I am reading, it says he falls into a pit of lava with it and dies a horrible, gruesome death, and Middle Earth will be saved!"

"How can you be "reading" Lord of the Rings if you read the end all ready?" asked Germainus.

Denvenar blushed. "Well...I am reading the Appendices..."

Germainus laughed. "Nerd!" Denvenar became really emo and hid inside his cloak. Reanne rolled her eyes and ordered the two to follower her back to the caravan.

Soon...soon they would make Caesar help them reclaim the Empire...but before that, they needed to shop....

*Ignore the dates on the screens, they are all screwed up as I used World Builder to make the edits for the screens ingame to put them up here. ^_^

Imperial Profile
Valdir III 77-163 AD

One of the more curious aspects of the Criscan Empire was the religious harmony it experienced until the Iterregnum. For centuries, the Empire had both Hindu and Pagan, (and later Christian) Emperors and Empresses.

The first Criscan Empress was Irena I, a Hindu. To avert civil war between the Pagan Criscans and the Hindu Criscans, he struck a bargain with the Pagans. The state religion would be Hinduism. However, for every Imperial endorsed Hindu project, one of equal magnitude must be carried out for the Pagans. In addition, the Empire was not allowed to fund the training of missionaries. This was the first step in the long road to a secular state.

Valdir III became Emperor at the age of 25 in 102 AD when his mother, Empress Iris IV died from Stolera*. Valdir was Pagan, and took his patron deties to be Zodiac the Supreme God and Emperor of Heaven, Leo the God of War, and Vera the Goddess of Wisdom. Valdir was, in classical tradition of almost every ruler who took Leo as a patron god, a warmonger. Within 3 years of the start of his reign, in 105, he attacked the kingdom of Alemanni to the southwest.

The war raged for 5 years, with masterfully planned battles by Valdir leading to Alemanni's downfall and annexation. But Valdir did not stop there. He sent galleys from Selia to attack the trade of the island nation of Phonecia to the Northeast. Phonecia had vast trade with many civilizations even beyond the Western portion of the Drin continent that Crisca dwelled on, and Phonecia was based on two large and resource rich islands. The highly advanced Criscan galleys were equipped with Criscan aratchets (arah-shayes), which were giant wheels that spun out enlarged and dangerous arrows. When the fire gate for the aratchet was invented in 56 AD, it made the Criscan galleys fatal on water.

The fire arrow spewing aratchets dominated the seas, but the Phonecians had a HUGE navy and were masterful raiders. For nearly 4 years, the Strait of Hannibal was constantly being used as a battleground. All nations suffered in this war, as trade was horribly disrupted. By 114 AD, Crisca was almost successful in convincing Rome and France to join so that the three nations could split the riches and restore trade.

When travelling to Selia to inspect the navy, Valdir's party encountered a blinding flash which knocked Valdir unconscious. The details of his dream are recorded in Chapter 5 of his work, The Doctrine of Peace.

And I saw a woman whose skin glowed like gold and who was clothed in pure white, and behind her there was a great sun. Or maybe it was a light with such strength as to be like the sun. But the sun was always behind the woman like a halo. And I was naked and on the ground. I was ashamed and desperately tried to cover myself. But the woman smiled and reached for my hand to help me up. And when I took her hand, I was also clothed in white. And the woman said, "Child, why doth thou take lives?"

And I said, "I make war for the good of the Empire."

And the woman, who was still fair and gracious, said, "But you cause death and bring misery to many souls, who are your brothers and sisters."

And at that time, my arrogance shone almost as bright as the woman's divine halo. "The common folk are not my equals or kin!"

The woman never lost her fair smile, and she said thus, "All are equal in the eyes of the Father."

And She then gestured behind her, and I saw for the first time the pain I caused. I saw men who ended each other, and death being given out like welfare for the destitute! And I saw folk who had done nothing but serve their nation be put to the sword as an example! I saw the ruined lives of those whose trades were lost in war! And I wept. And She comforted me and helped me up once more. And the visions turned to ones of fields of green, and of golden plains, and of happy cities and villages where the people knew peace and joy. And once more I wept, but now out of joy. And She, She looked at me and smiled once more, and suddenly I was awake in the world of reality.

When he arrived in Selia, Valdir III was baptized by Patriarch Ronon. He also sent a delegation to Phonecia, with himself in it and accompanied by Hindu, Christian, and Pagan priests.

At the meeting, Valdir offered peace on the condition the Didon swear to come to Crisca and study Hinduism and Christianity (Didon was all ready well versed in Criscan Pagan beliefs). She agreed, and so peace was signed on August 20th, 114 AD between Phonecia and Crisca.

In 114 AD, Christianity was definetly one of the Top 3 religions in Crisca. Thus, Valdir made it the state religion. To ease fears of non Christians that they would face persecution, he added Christianity to the Holy Bargain and reworked it a bit to fit with the new times. The state religion was now declared to be the religion that the Emperor or Empress wished it to be, and could be changed by their successors. Also, Imperial endorsed religious projects must be accompanied by endorsements for projects of the other two religions.

For the rest of his reign and life, Valdir III was a peacemaker. When France and Burgundy threatened to go to war, Valdir brought his heavilly (and diversely) religious delegation to the independent city of Orleans and negotiated out a deal to keep the peace. When Rome teetered on civil war between its two ethnic groups, the Eastern Romans and Western Romans, Valdir aided in reworking the Roman government to maintain unity.

Truly, Valdir was a peacemaker after 114 AD, and he built many religious, health, and educational institutions during peacetime. But his projects did severely hurt the Imperial treasury, which many say was the reason for cheaper health practices that led to the Stolera Pestillence in 254 AD, which killed millions. Even after his vision humbled him, he was still said to retain quite a bit of arrogance as well.

In the last years of his life, Valdir was also said to have ordered nearly 500 murders to keep the stability of the Empire. This goes heavilly against most religious doctrines, and has been a subject of controversy since his death. Even his successor, Emperor Rotan IV, admitted that his father had a hand in a good many deaths. Many historians attribute this behavior by Valdir in his last years to a degree of insanity that clouded his judgement.

However, though he had many faults as all humans do, Valdir III was truly one of the greats in the Lian Dynasty. His legacy of religious tolerance and diplomacy would last even after the Interregnum...

*Stolera is a lung disease that either constricts the lungs so that eventually you will suffocate or will inflate your lungs until they explode and you are killed. In the 3rd century, stolera broke out in Criscopolis and rapidly spread across the Empire. This is due to cuts in hygenic practices made as a result of the Empire's war with France and the city-state of Pisae, and due to the shrunken treasury brought on by Valdir's building projects. The epidemic spread to Pisae, Phoenicia, France, and the city of Orleans. Nearly 1/4 of the Empire's 30 million people died, about 1/5 of France's 25 million died, Phoenicia lost 2/3 of its 12 million people, and Pisae lost half of its 1.5 million.

After the epidemic subsided, France and Crisca signed a peace treaty almost instantly. Both Pisae and Phoenicia were horribly weakened, and Phonecia's power was permanently broken. Pisae, which had remained independent of its Roman ancestors for over 750 years, was faced with the choice of degeneration of the city until it was all but a ruin, or to petition the Roman Empire and hope they could revive Pisae.

Pisae sorrowfully opted for the latter, and the city was annexed by Rome in 244 AD. The city would find ressurection, but it would not reach its former majesty for centuries.

Phonecia was ruined. Rome invaded the islands in 247 and within 3 years of the beginning of the war, despite the vehmenet protests of the Criscan Emperor and several French nations, Phonecia was forced to surrender after a year long siege of Tyre. It was said that Valdir III turned in his grave over such blatant imperialism, the imperialism he had forsaken.

Not suprisingly, stolera spread to Rome, and the epidemic wrought death all over the expanded Roman Empire. Pisae, still retaining some autonomy, sealed its walls until the plague subsided. All ships to Phonecia were held at bay, and the Open Borders treaty with Crisca and France was for a time suspended.

In some ways, Pisae and Phonecia had not recovered by time the Interregnum took off. Pisae still had about 60% of its population from before stolera. It has been stripped of almost all of its autonomy, and it was running a minor deifict. Phonecia was at half its pre-stolera population, and it had lost trade links to the now unknown Indians, Incans, and English. Phonecia, once boasting wealth greater than any nation ever seen, now its economy was just granting a profit to Rome.

Where in other lands the fall of mighty empires had caused dark ages, it was stolera that truly brought on the times of chaos. When a succession war took 10 years to solve in Crisca, and Rome almost divided into East and West once more, much knowledge was lost and learning began to die out with the rise of feudalism in order to keep the now dying empires alive.

By time the Interregnum onset, Crisca was the last true center of civilization, the only land to preserve the tenets of glory and culture that had once dominated West Drin. For many scholars during the Interregnum, it seemed like their world was finally ended, and that maybe a new people would rise to take the mantle...

*Religious Differences

(You are probably aware of the IRL versions of Christianity, Buddhism, and the other religions. In this world, things are a bit different.)

Christianity- Christians believe that a woman by the name of Jelai (Jee-lye) Christ is the Daughter of God and the savior of humanity.

Jelai was born to St. Erei and St. Ton in the village of Hokor west of Sun Crisc in the year 7 of the reign of Emperor Roton II. So it is that the 7th year if his reign is known now as 1 AD. Accounts of Jelai say only good things.

She was always a kind girl. When my husband came down with fever, I was scared to me bones of destitution from the money we would lose while he was sick. Jelai was worse off then we, but she came over and started carving out wood as he did to keep us from losing everything. I was such a selfish woman back then, I always cared for myself and until She started working, I did not even think of my blessed husband's health. Truly, Jelai helped me become a better woman. Lord bless Her soul.

This report was from Therputa Noraia (Thera-pewtah Nor-I-ah), who became St. Therputa the Defier when she preached Christianity in Sun Crisc even after having been given a death threat by the city's governor. She was shot by an arrow, but miraculously lived without harm. She preached Christianity for the rest of her life, along with her beloved husband St. Arias the Forgiver who forgave a man that chopped off his arm when the man came to ask for mercy for his sins.

The 12 Apostles were St. Theraputa, St. Arian, St. Hor, St. Garland, St. Marie, St. Nora, St. Gardon, St. Holly, St. Astoros, St. Rena, St. Arias, and St. Harper. St. Harper was the first Papess, and her equal was St. Astoros, who reigned as the first Pope with her.

When Jelai was 12, she and her family went to the Jewish Holy City of Criscopolis to pray to God in the Temple of Solomon. At that time Judaism was spreading unknowingly to distant lands, and was the 2nd largest religion in Crisca. Temple authorities held great sway in the Criscan government. Jelai and her family chose to live in Criscopolis, and they lived there until Jelai was an adult. When Jelai was about 28, they relocated to Selia.

When in Selia, Jelai began to preach the tenents of what would become Christianity. She gathered those who would be the Apostles to her. They spread their message among the people, and in Selia, the population of Jews almost entirely became followers of Jelai (they were still at that time Jews).

When Jelai was 30 *37th year of the reign of Rotan II*, the Temple begged Rotan to have Jelai executed and stop her heretical preachings. Rotan was loath to have someone executed for their religion, but Judaism was almost as widespread and powerful as Rotan's Hinduism in Crisca. He said it was the Selian government's choice.

The Selian City Council was made of Jewish conservatives, who voted to have Jelai put to death for "disrupting normalacy and challenging authority". Jelai's followers wanted to rise and overthrow the Council, but Jelai stayed their hand.

And did I not say to turn the other cheek? So I shall die, but what of you? Would you give your lives in fighting? It is peace we shall live in, no matter what we face.

Jelai was forced to carry the cross she would die on, and was given a crown of tiny daggers to wear on her head. These trials did not stop her from preaching her message, and defianty, while standing on a podium, carrying the cross she would hang on and blood matting her face, she said:

And God does not direct the fate of the whole world, for we are given free will. And God weeps when a ladder falls and kills a craftsman, and when fire ruins a family. And God values living a good life over obeying Temple law. And God shall forgive the sinners their sins, and shall love the forgiven as much as the pure!

Jelai was put to death with 30 others on that same day. Her mother wept and she was entombed west of Selia at the mouth on the Sessian River. 3 days later, her tomb was reopened when a sympathetic rabbi agreed to bless Jelai's body. When they opened the tomb, there was no corpse there.

Christianity today (today meaning the 8th century ^_^) is the state religion of Crisca.

Buddhism- The one called the Buddha was a prince of the Opoli Tribe of the Criscan Federation. His given name was Nahattra Opoli, which means Princely Opoli. When he would become the Opoli King, his name would have been changed to Harratas Opoli, which means King of the Opoli.

When Nahattra was 20 (2840 BC), he saw the suffering that took place in the lands of the Alaren Tribe. It is said that while looking on the famine ravaged lands of the fellow Criscan tribe, he wept tears of gold. From this day on, he renounced his claim to the Karani kingship and changed his surname to Atura. He never called himself Nahattra Atura, but later Buddhists used the name, which meant "Humble Prince".

Nahattra wandered the lands of the Criscan confederation, searching for enlightenment. When meditating under a tree, Tar, the King of Demons sent his 4 daughters to tempt him off his path. Then, when this failed, he sent 5 demon magi who offered to teach Nahattra magic if he ceased his meditations. Finally, when that failed, Tar attempted to strike Nahattra down, but while his blows bruised Nahattra's body, the former prince never ceased his meditations. Tar fled in anger, and not long after, Nahattra achieved enlightenment by detaching himself from the world.

The new Buddha began wandering the land, spreading his message. It gained great following in the Criscan capitol of Criscopolis. So much that the Hindu Lord of Crisca constructed temples to sate the populace. It was in Criscopolis that Budda lived in a modest room in an inn. He led the first Buddhists in prayer and meditation. Actually, it was through Buddha that the technique of meditation was introduced into Crisca.

Eventually, Buddha spread his message in other lands. He went even to Parkis, the capital of the prominent Frankish tribe called the Clovans. There, his words heavilly swayed their king, who forever after worked to unite the Franks by peace, and succeeded in uniting the two tribes of the Clovans with the Arc.

Buddha returned from the Frank lands at the age of 80 (2780 BC) and went to Criscopolis to pray one final time and prepare himself for death and ascension to Nirvana. When he died, his body was burned (tradition among the Criscans, it is accorded to holy men, women who die in childbirth, men slain in battle, and members of the Royal family) and his ashes were placed in the Red Mausoleum, along with the bodies of the past (and later) generations of great, honorable, and holy Criscans.

Buddhism would become the state religion of Spain, but has high followings in Mongolia, Crisca, France, and America as well.

Very interesting, I really like the historical style. I assume that you used the editor to start the "Interregnum"?

Yes, I played with the editor a lot to do this.

FINALLY! A COMPLIMENT!!!

*parties*

Reanne wiped away her bloodied bangs from her eyes, and continued the grueling pace up the Varnum Hill. The hill so high, it was almost a mountain. Almost. They were so close to Antium; she could almost taste the luxurious scents of a Roman palace. Ugh, she wanted to die in anticipation of such a haven of safety and comfort.

She almost lost her balance at the top. She had been bent over to make it easier to scale the hill, and she didn't realize she was at the summit. She regained her posture and then stared at the sight of glories. Antium. They were finally safe. A column of light broke through the clouded sky and shone on her. Was it a sign from God and His Daughter?

Omen or not, she collapsed on her knees in prayer. Germanius muttered thanks to the Jade Emperor for their salvation, and Reanne heard no few prayers to Pushan (Hindu god whose duties include guiding travelers), and heard even more thanks given to Gemini (the Twins of Chance in Criscan pagan mythology). The column of light expanded to cover the entire caravan, and the sky began to clear all over. Soon, the day was bright and shining, and the sky was an azure sea that hung over their heads.

Reanne ended her short prayer, and rose again. Her body wanted to collapse, but she must push on. The caravan began a bit easier descent down the Varna Hill, and made their way to Antium.

"My lady, it is time to finalize a course of action." said Denvenar out of the blue. He intently gazed at her to extract an answer.

"What do you mean?" she replied.

"We are at Antium. Why? Are we here to seek a haven, to live in exile? Or are we here to seek help in reclaiming the Empire? Are we here to offer your hand to the Roman Emperor Julius Caesar, so you can reign as Empress of Rome? Or are we here to offer your hand to Caesar, and reclaim the empire? Are we here to ask for a galley and maybe said beyond the World Wall and see what lies there? Why are we going to Rome?"

Reanne thought of the possibilities. If she married Caesar, he would naturally attack the traitorous zealots and reunite Crisca. But he would keep Crisca as apart of Rome. She might be able to have him killed, and replace his expanded Roman Empire with a united, expanded Criscan Empire, but that was too risky. Beyond the World Wall, there was oppurtunity, but there may be nothing there and they may die at see, or the people there may be hostile, or have strange diseases. She would not simply live in exile. There were no options, she was here to reclaim her throne.

"We are here, Denvenar, to reclaim the Empire!" she said defiantly.

The old steward looked at her with fiery hope in his eyes. "So it is my Empress."

--------------------

6 Hours Later

In Antium, Reanne had been shocked to find Caesar in residance in the Antium Palace. Why wasn't he in his capital? Odd indeed though Reanne.

Caesar was young, in his early 30's. His hair was well done by an expert shampooer and barber, and he wore a crown of golden laurels on his head. He had whitewashed teeth, and was adorned with a purple "toga" and richly decorated sandals. This man was a man of power surely.

Reanne stepped just before the Imperial throne and opened her arms in an embrace; the symbol of friendship among equals. Many of the Roman servants gasped that she would assume to be Caesar's equal when she had no land to call her own, but she would not give Caesar the advantage by bowing. The wisened, stern looking advisor that stood next to Caesar did not look suprised, even a bit pleased! For a moment, Reanne thought she saw a young woman who looked overjoyed at her assumption. But it must have been a trick of the mind.

Caesar himself appeared slightly irate with this display, but nevertheless he accepted her embrace, though she was stained with dirt and blood. He looked at his toga afterwards to make sure it was clean. Reanne was offended, but knew she was filthy.

"Lady Reanne, what a suprise to see you in my halls. Perhaps you are willing to enlighten us as to why your hygenie has plummeted so? What chaos is there in Crisca?"

You know damn well what chaos there is you arrogant fool! Thought Reanne. Nevertheless, she must not have an outburst. He was doing this to measure her arrogance, or to see if her defeat had humbled her! Bah! This Caesar would beg to kneel in obediance!

Relating the events she had been unable to control, Caesar faked offense when she was done. "Where did you craft these lies of Roman soldiers preventing you from attacking Selia? I gave no such order!"

Reanne gestured to one of her servants who brought forth a sack. Reanne pulled out a Roman officer's helmet, and a scroll of parchment. The helmet was tagged "Gaius Brutus." The scroll was signed by Emperor Gaius Juilius Caesar III.

The Roman Court gasped and Caesar's jaw dropped open. Reanne put anger into her tone. "Look. It is this, THIS ORDER, that has led to the deaths of thousands. All to preserve the dye, sugar, and silk trades. All which have been disrupted anyway. This order, is the single reason I could not take Selia, do away with Erin de Fastaya, and then capture Tarken Racrocau in Sun Crisc. The blood of thousands is on your foolish hands, Gaius Julius Caesar III."

Caesar looked very grim. "You blame me for trying to preserve a trade my country relies on?"

"Considering that your foolish actions shut those trade routes down anyways, yes, yes I do." she replied.

Caesar closed his eyes in thought. "You wish aid in reclaiming your lands?"

"Yes, that is why I am here."

"Then I wish your hand in marriage as a price."

The court erupted into hysteria, and a young woman of about 20 stood up from the audience. "Caesar! From what do you derive such audacity as too ask a price for rectifying a mistake you are responsible for?"

The yound woman had hair of a tone likened to Caesar's, and her cheeks were red. Her face was smooth, not tight, not blubbery. She had her hair all draped down in the back, and she also wore elegant, flowing robes of red with an odd design that almost resembled a map of some sorts. By the slight accent she carried, and her above average height, and her very smooth face, she was an Eastern Roman.

An aged man also rose, his face purple with fury. His face showed more diversity, and he was about an inch shorter then the young woman, and his accent was different. He must be a Western Roman. "Theodora, you Byzantine harlot, sit down and hold your foolish tounge!"

Phrases like "Eastern tramp!" and "Western barbarian!" were heard everywhere. Reanne leaned down to Denvenar. "What is a Byzantine?" she whispered.

"It is another name for an Eastern Roman, due to their capital's name when they had their own kingdom was Byzantium." he replied.

Caesar rose up and exploded. "SILENCE!" he cried. The hysteria died like a poorly planned love affair and Caesar turned to Reanne. "My proposal is final. You will marry me, or Rome will not march to reunite Crisca! You have 3 days to decide. Good day Lady Reanne!"

Reanne was furious. She would not marry this Caesar! She would not restore Crisca only to hand it over to the Romans! Better to leave it in civil war!

Maybe this Theodora could help....after, of course, Reanne washed up and got some clothes.

*the historical documentary/book part will return soon, I swear!*

Extremely good. I do hope there is a lot more!

There will be. ^_^ I just need to get some sleep. I haven't even been able to play any of the SGs I am in at all over the week. Hell, I had to skip in one, which happened to be the one I created. >_>

However, I love writing too much to just stop, so I will make a new segment soon. ^_^

Wow, that's a really great story. I see it took you 30 min+ to write that all

East and West: The Romans

In the beginning days of the Roman civilization, it is said in popular Roman legend that the first Roman tribe was ruled by a great chief called Aneas. Aneas founded the village of Rome and under his rule the Roman population doubled. Aneas also is credited with starting a chain of discovery that would lead to the evolution of Roman mysticism. When Aneas died, his son Julius and his daughter Theodora agreed to jointly rule the tribe.

Julius and Theodora were both very very skilled in their preferred fields. Theodora excelled at managing funds and organizing building projects, while Julius' skill was in training troops and leading his warriors into battle. When Rome defeated the Karyit tribe in battle, the plundered gold would give Rome the potential for vast power...but would spell its end.

Julius and Theodora had a disagreement on how to spend the gold. Theodora wished to build a mighty obelisk in honor of the gods, while Julius wished to spend it on more troops for further conquest. Theodora argued that no more barbarian tribes were in sight, so what if there were none and the troops turned out to be a waste? Julius responded by asking Theodora how an obelisk would protect Rome from destruction.

When Julius spent a portion of the gold on training warriors to police the increasingly restless town of Rome, Theodora was appalled. She then marched into the "palace", and with her followers she raided the treasury and with her legal rights took half. She publicly announced her intent to leave the city, and thousands clamored to follow her.

These renegades left Rome and went off to the east to live on their own. By Theodora's death*, the city of Byzantium had been founded, and was in progress of building the obelisk Theodora had so wished to see. Julius sent troops to attack the rebels, but they were defeated by the enemy not far from Rome. It would be a long time before the two cities would find each other.

By 800 BC, both nations were thriving. Byzantium was a city of magnificent culture, and the technological advances of the Eastern Romans were only matched by the distant Criscan Empire. The Western Romans boasted an army that had put countless tribes to the sword and could challenge the power of the gods themselves. But the cleverness of the Eastern rulers could not be denied, as they had deftly maintained secrecy...until now.

A Western expedition into the unknown eastern regions arrived at the city of Adrianople. It was then that they realized that their formerly fable like blood enemies that they called the Eastern Romans were truly real, and prospering. Reporting this to Gaius Marius, the commander of all Western armies, Marius informed the Senate. The Senate met for only an amazing 30 minutes. In such an unprecedently short time, they ordered the end of the Eastern Romans.

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The Discovery of Adrianople, painted by Rori Vici, circa 100 AD

For nearly 450 years since then, the two feuding tribes warred constantly. While to the West, Crisca grew until its Emperors and Empresses realized they were the most powerful nation in the known world, the Roman kingdoms were almost stagnat in all but technological and militaristic growth. The West had far superior numbers, but the East had a secret. They knew how to wield iron, which they took from their sacred iron mine called the Divine Shaft. The endless fighting had all but destroyed the landscape, and a Criscan envoy noted:

The land is charred, and the Romans tell me it has always been that way. In some areas, the air is so filled with ancient smoke that one cannot breathe. The paltry town of Rome is the greatest Western city. And while Byzantium rivals Criscopolis, the Easterners have almost no military to speal of. This land....is Hell.

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The Divine Shaft, circa 350 BC

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The Iron Warriors and the Bronze Shields. Painted by Theodora II, 348 BC.

In 342 BC, the Western Roman general, Gaius Julius Caesar II, led the Last Battle against the clever Eastern Romans. The numbers and arms of the West were unparalelled, and the Easterners knew defeat. Caesar tortured the captured Theodora II, sister of King Adrian III, but she would not delve any secrets. In torture, she died, and it is said that she died with a smile on her face in knowing that she had betrayed no one.

Caesar caught a less fortifyed individual who spoke of the Divine Shaft. Caesar attacked and razed the mine. He then skirmished against the Eastern army for another 3 years. When he met no Eastern raiders after waiting for 6 months, he attacked Byzantium.

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Last Siege of Byzantium. Map brought from Constantinople Old Imperial Library

The Eastern Romans were defeated, and Caesar renamed Byzantium, Caesara. Only a year afterwards, Caesar overthrew the Senate and declared himself Emperor. The senators murdered him within the year, but his successor, Octavian, would regain the throne after a brief civil war with Marc Antony. Octavian named himself Emperor Augustus Caesar, and with this move, the Republic of Rome was ended.

Even to this day, the division between the East and the West remains. Fights between citizens descended from the two factions are a widespread problem in Rome, and Emperor Juilius Caesar III has disenfranchised many Eastern nobles. The stage for another civil war has been set...

Very nice!!

Hey, great story, well written!
How do you name the landmarks? I noticed you had named the lake- how do you do this?

Nice story. Keep it up!

good story

Nice story. But the latter parts need maps or something...

I will get on the maps.

As for landmarks, zoom out to get to Globe View, then turn on the strategy tab and it should say on the right side (towards the bottom), "New Sign".

The Calm Before the Maelstrom of Endless War

Tarken Racrocau was now Empress of the Hindu kingdom of Raetan. This mad woman was ferocious, intelligent, quick on her feet, and consumed with hatred. Her ultimate goal was to rule as Empress of all Old Crisca, as the Empire was now called but a few years after its demise. She wanted to be the high Empress...and she wanted to see every Christian, every Jewish soul, and every Muslim either converted or dead. How such a creature could come from a religion that stresses the truthfulness of all faiths still perplexes the combined efforts of the Holy Council even today.

Erin de Fastaya was now Emperor of the Christian kingdom of Neindar. This depraved fanatic was ruthless, cunning, merciless, tactical, and burned with hate so mighty that most Christian clerics openly condemned him with "the sin of uncontrollable hate, which has been taught to be as murder." Erin's goals were both synonomous and opposite of Tarken's. He wished to reign as Emperor of a Neindar that would cover all of Old Crisca. And he wished to ensure the end of every Hindu and every Buddhist that yet lived. How could such an abomination come from any religion at all?

The beginning of organized kingdoms clashing in the Interregnum was here. Tarken would not wait. Southern Crisca was rich in resources, and though Terra had never fallen, raids on its iron mines yielded rich stores of hard iron to be forged into weapons of war. Summoning several units of iron wielding axemen, she ordered incursions into Neindar.

Tarken also held a secret which she knew may give her the ability to topple Erin and his kingdom, and too unite Crisca under her hand of tyranny. She knew the secret of gunpowder...well, she knew new ways of which to use it...and it would wreak havoc across the once pristine waters of Lake Crisco.

Tarken first had her knowledge manifest itself in three ships called the Aristiari. These ships were larger then standard galleys and used primitive cannons. It was hailed by many at the Raetan Court as the weapon with which Tarken could conquer the world.

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The Aristiari

But the Aristiari would not perform well. Erin had 6 galleys near the city of Dystopolis that had been stolen from the old Imperial Navy of Crisca. He was alarmed at Tarken's naval ambitions and attacked the gathering fleet. The Aristiari were not designed for endurance, and their poor designs led to their destruction. Tarken was in a great rage for many long weeks, and she plotted to rebuild the Aristiari, and to take Lake Crisco for her own sapphire gem to put on a golden ring of empire.

Infuriated, Tarken began the incursions against Neindar. Her forces burned a hamlet and a cottage, ravaged farmland, and killed Neindarian hunters in the forests. The Men of the Iron Axe as these forces were called carved up any attempts to resist them. Their success was such that the Raetan Court in Sun Crisc considered sending some reinforcing longbowmen and swordsmen to make the Men of the Iron Axe a full fledged invasion force.

About a week before Reanne met with Emperor Caesar, a force of desperate swordsmen gathered in a village to try and force the rampaging Raetanites back. These brave soldiers foolishly assaulted the camp of the Men of the Iron Axe. Most of the swordsmen were killed, but the survivors reorganized and fled into the woods.

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Erin commended the warriors and "posthumously" named them the Knights of the Holy Cross. These were the first Crusaders...even if posthumously.

Little did Erin de Fastaya, Emperor of the Kingdom of Neindar, know that these Knights would be allies of the woman he had driven from her own homeland.

More battles! =o

World of Our Ancestors: The Criscan Confederation

It is commonly known that the various tribes of Crisca had begun to arrive in the region now called Alaren Crisca* ("Criscan Heartland") around 4,700 BC. The tribes warred with each other constantly, and society in Alaren Crisca did not progress for many years.

Around 4,000 BC, the city of Criscopolis was founded on the silver shores of Lake Crisco. According to popular Pagan Criscan legend, the city was founded by Arae I, a heroine who reigned as first Lady of the Criscans, and whom unified the tribes though diplomacy and a skirmish against the rebellious Sirian tribe. The legend goes on to state that Criscopolis thrives under Arae I for 1,000 years, and she died only after the last tribes had been conquered and the Criscans unified forever...

Excavations of Alaren Crisca in 1923, 1944, 1979, and 2010 revealled the existance of around 7-10 distinct settlements, and corpses dating from 4,700 BC to 3,500 BC exist in the area. After World War Three left Criscopolis in ruin, a grand excavation in 2028 revealled that the Old Imperial Palace was simply an expansion of a primitive, but very large meeting house that was built from stone around 4,000 BC. A female skeleton from the realitively same time was found, and the ancient Criscan symbol for a mother was carved in stone next to her. (The symbol consists of a woman with her arms enclosed as if to embrace her children, in this case, the Criscans). Arae is the Ancient Criscan word for mother.

Historians now believe that Criscopolis had been formed by a confederation of 6 or so tribes, large enough to populate the whole of the city with 1,000 people. Independent settlements were maintained withing reasonable distance of Criscopolis, one for each tribe.

What has been known for many years was that by 2,800 BC, Crisca was a confederacy of 5 Criscan groups. The Alaren, the Lian, the Opoli, the Stohr, and the Inderaci. Each tribe had a large town as a capital, and the central capital was Criscopolis, controlled by the Lian. The Confederation expanded rapidly, and at its height, the city of Sun Crisc had been founded on the shores of Lake Crisco and brought great power to the Criscans.

The Confederacy was ruled by a Lady or Lord, who was taken from the ruling family of whatever faction deemed to be most powerful. This was almost exclusively the Lian as they controlled Criscopolis and its wealth. The Confederacy council consisted of the Lady or Lord, and the leaders from each other tribe, in addition to the Elder from each village, and the mayors of any towns that existed.

According to records, in 2,345 BC, the Alaren, whom were the most powerful next to the Lian, rallied together the Stohr and some of the Inderaci to take Criscopolis and overthrow the Lian ruler, Lady Irena. Irena was alarmed and brought all those who didn't side with the Alaren to her camp, and they garissoned Criscopolis. In addition, they sent an expedition to Sun Crisc, to take it back if it had fallen and reinforce it if it had not.

We have few details from the battle, other then the words of one of the Three Bards (three famous poets from Criscan history considered to have been some of the finest examples of those devoted to the arts**, the famous poet Luein***. All we know for sure is that the Alaren were defeated, and when they tried to retreat to Sun Crisc, they lost many in trying to scale its walls, and were forced out of the city. The Alaren surrendered to Irena, expecting the Confederacy to return to normal, except with the Alaren and Stohr being stripped of much power.

Irena was, thankfully, cunning, wise, and ambitious. She knew the Confederacy of Crisca needed change to grow and expand, and she seized the oppurtunity. With the Alaren and Stohr crushed, and the Inderaci weakened badly, she announced her ascension as "Eraetae ei Crisca" (Empress of Crisca), and disbanded the Confederation.

This was the beginning of the Criscan monarchy, and Irena I also began the Lian dynasty, which would hold rule for many many years. With the efficiency of the Imperium, Crisca rapidly grew from a small kingdom to a vast empire, and by time Jeelai Christ had been born, Crisca was the most powerful nation in West Drin...and soon, the world...

* Alaren Crisca is also the name given to the pre-monarchy era in Criscan history.

** These three poets are Luein, Orator Novas, and Charis Hamaren (Kar-iss Hamh-arr-enn).

*** Leuin was born in 2,368 BC, and died when he was 42, at the age of 2,326 BC.

Hey farae nice story, what map settings was this game u played on? Size, map type, settings and number of Ai civs if you would. Id like to be able to raise an empire around a sea or lake too

Nice story Farae. :goodjob:

How do you post multiple pictures in one post? I always get Attachment links listed at the bottom if I try this. :blush:

I don't know how to solve your problem, it has never gone astray with me...

I just used the Insert Image tag around the URLs of my pictures from Photo Bucket.

Hey farae nice story, what map settings was this game u played on? Size, map type, settings and number of Ai civs if you would. Id like to be able to raise an empire around a sea or lake too

This was the "Planet" scenario, I guess it was designed to look like a planet and not 6 shapeless blocks.

Excellent story.

Lara Terani shuffled through the pages of the tome, "Cilios Tymes en Crisca Impera" (Civic Changes in the Criscan Empire). Aha! She found the section on the Interregnum! Reading through, she learned the needed information for her class tomorrow.

Chapter 14: Southern and Northern Government During the Interregnum

The civic choices of Tarken Racracou and Erin de Fastaya for their governments were both interesting and unsuprising. For South Crisca, the land was well developed but the populace was centered in Sun Crisc, and Terra. As Terra was independent, and Ean Crisc was half controlled by Tarken and half by Erin, South Crisca suffered to have only one major center of production, though Sun Crisc was a mighty citadel indeed. For these reasons, Tarken focused on founding new cities and utilizing the power of Sun Crisc.

North Crisca was quite undeveloped. and Nor Crisc, though rich in resources, was unconnected to Crisca at large. Pyropolis had only just been rebuilt under order from Erin, ironic as it was the city he razed. Erin needed a system to help develop his nation, for he knew that if he could reconnect with the northern French peoples, and utilize the vast resources of Nor Crisc, the civil war was all but his.

Both Erin and Tarken were fervently religious people. I do not say devout, as their actions have stripped them of any sense of true morality. As religious differences and fanatical overzeal had thus divided Crisca, they united its daughter states. North and South Crisca both had strong Theocracies...

Hearing footsteps, Lara slammed the tome shut. Crud! She didn't want a professor seeing her studying at midnight! She turned, stricken white with fear, and saw Professor Zear, the professor who taught the subject she was studying for.

Zear looked at the shut tome and smiled. "So Lara, studying up a bit eh? You should pay attention to my lectures so you can get some sleep and not keel over in exhaustion!" Zear was old, his long hair was void of color, white as snow. He slowly stepped to the tome and opened it to chapter 14.

He focused on Lara. "Well Lara, the tome does not specify what paticular classes of civics were used for labor, economy, or legal sectors. It only hints. Tell me, what civic did Tarken use for legal, and why?"

Lara thought on this. "She must have set up a bueracracy, as they help capital cities, and massive metropolises like Sun Crisc would benefit greatly. And the South was well developed for the most part."

Zear nodded in approval. "Correct. Tarken enacted the same bueracracies the Empire had then used for well over 250 years. It proved to greatly increase Sun Crisc's potential, and kept Raetan on its feet. Now, what legal did Erin enact?"

Lara knew all of the Twenty-Five Basic Civic Classifications, and she knew that law in Neindar had been strict...so...

"Vassalage. He must have done it to improve his armies, almost all efforts in Neindar were to fuel the war."

"Once more, correct! Neindar was all about war, which is why many believe that it could have morphed into an empire that spanned all of West Drin! Now, what were the labor civics?"

Lara knew this easily. "Raetan used the Caste System, as it allowed Sun Crisc to flourish and grow and improve easily, and it made Sun Crisc the greatest city in the Empire until Criscopolis was finally restored. Neindar used Serfdom, as it helped the development of Neindar as a whole. Neindar was undeveloped, and spent much domestic effort in building roads and pastures and mines and farms."

"Lara, you have done all correct! In fact, I see no need for an essay tomorrow, you have summed it all up! Good girl!"

As he turned away, Lara need one more answer. "Sir? Why does the book always refer to Raetan as South Crisca and Neindar as North Crisca? In fact...a lot of books do that, especially old texts from the centuries just after the Interregnum..."

His expression was grave. "The names Neindar and Raetan were no coincidence. Neindar means "holy empire" and Raetan means "born free". They both signified that the two rulers wished not to restore Crisca under their sick visions and become supreme Emperor or Empress of Crisca, but to create a new nation all together. They wished the idea of Crisca dead. Forever. There was no reunification, to the devout followers of Tarken and Erin, victory in the civil war was not reunification, it was conquest. It was expansion. Those who followed the Interregnum despised Tarken and Erin so for nearly shattering the Criscan people forever. So, they referred to Raetan and Neindar, not as their given names, but as North and South Crisca. Some scholars even refused to recognize that they were independent nations, and simply referred to them as "the lands controlled by...". That tome was penned by Reanne Lian herself, and believe me, the Empress shared the view of Tarken and Erin being evil."

Before he turned away, he said one more thing. "Rather, the question should be as to why every history has not named the nations North and South Crisa. Think on that matter for Philosophy on Thursday."

Lara was left in the dark library, pondering the Interregnum and its endless bloodshed...

Indepent settlements were maintained withing reasonable distance of Criscopolis, one for each tribe

Unless Webster is wrong, Indepent is not a word.

If I may sugest, don't use smilies in the middle of text like you did in the last part. It just doesn't work in a story.

Nonetheless, it is very well written, and it ceartinly is interesting. Do you have a map showing exactly how North and South Crisca was divided?

XD Even though they aren't that similar, I am reminded constantly of the Crusader's taking of Constantinople from the Byzantines.

Anyway, keep the updates coming... I like updates.

Unless Webster is wrong, Indepent is not a word.

If I may sugest, don't use smilies in the middle of text like you did in the last part. It just doesn't work in a story.

Nonetheless, it is very well written, and it ceartinly is interesting. Do you have a map showing exactly how North and South Crisca was divided?

XD Even though they aren't that similar, I am reminded constantly of the Crusader's taking of Constantinople from the Byzantines.

Anyway, keep the updates coming... I like updates.

I am a HORRIBLE speller, in the fact that while I could spell a word correctly if I typed slowly, I type too fast and never spell right. Thank you for pointing out my error. :)

I shall make a map now. For the time being, I shall show the city division, in text.

Criscopolis: Destroyed. Ruins are in Raetan.
Ean Crisc: Currently divided between Neindar and Raetan, street fighting in the city is continuing.
Nor Crisc: Neindar. Is not connected to civilized Crisca, and the river trade route has collapsed with the fall of Criscopolis.
Was Crisc: Raetan. Is isolated totally from Crisca. Raetan workers are currently working to reconnect the city.
Sun Crisc: Imperial Capital of Raetan
Indigo: Formerly north of Was Crisc. Destroyed by Raetan. Ruins are occupied by Neindaren patrols.
Pyropolis: Destroyed by Neindar. Ruins are just near the Neindar-France border.
Pyropolis (rebuilt): Isolated from Neindar, but is under Neindaren control.
Selia: Imperial Capital of Neindar.
Dystopolis: Under control of Neindar

EDIT: Map is up.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b120/farae_slayer/Civ4ScreenShot0070.jpg

Sadly, I am too lazy to use a proper Paint program and make it look nicer, but I swear, I will update the map and make it look nice. :)

This also reminded me of the fall of Constantinople in 1204 to the Fourth (right one?) Crusade. I used to play Medieval: Total War a lot, as the Byzantines *favorite faction*and retake the city...but in 1205, not 60 years later. :king:

Bah to errors that create double posts!

This also reminded me of the fall of Constantinople in 1204 to the Fourth (right one?) Crusade. I used to play Medieval: Total War a lot, as the Byzantines *favorite faction*and retake the city...but in 1205, not 60 years later. :king:

I do hope you made an immmidate grab for Asia Minor! XD

Anyways, when do you plan on updating again? A week or so from now?

Oh and by the way... I can't recognize the flag of your empire, what civ are you useing as the Criscan Empire? The Arabs?

Yes, I was hesitant to do so as the Criscans in my mind are a more European/Roman/Byzantine culture, but the Arabs were the only Spiritual and Philsophical nation...

Actually, I did go for Asia Minor. I defeated the Turks *who occupied most of it* and then took back Greece and the Balkans. After that, I advanced south and took Egypt and I saved the game after that. It was a little "Restore the Empire" run, and after I took Crete and Cyprus, and then took Georgia...the *Byzantine* Empire was restored. :king:

I will probably update sooner then that...I am working on the next update now actually, I am simply wondering how to work out the war and Caesar's demand for marriage. For the most part, I am looking through the earlier posts and trying to straighten out all the inconsistency.

Take Italy too! Raveana was very Byzantine in culture.

I am also wondering how you did the Roman civil war. It looks like you made your own cities and such, but did you make one of them your capital? Wouldn't that hurt your economy in your actual game?

Worldbuilder.

This game was a save file from 760 AD of a game I played as the Criscans and won via Space Race. I deleted Neapolis, which was to Rome's east, and then made Adrianople and Byzantium from Criscan cities and then made the war from there. I had the palace relocated to Byzantium to give it a capital appearance.

:crazyeye: I wish I had been able to settle those regions. But hey, I did culturally take Pisae, Cumae, and Ravenna *which was due South of Crisca, the Ravenna on the island never existed. In fact, that whole island where Ravenna is now was created with Worldbuilder.*

Take Italy too! Raveana was very Byzantine in culture.

In my other Byzantine file, I started in the Early Middle Ages and at that point the Empire was still thriving. I destroyed the Turks and took their lands, then moved North, bribed every province above the Black Sea, then finished off the Russians with my huge empire built on bribery, then I conquered Poland and Hungary. So all of Eastern Europe was mine. I had started with Naples, so I invaded Malta with my Cretan navy, then attacked the Papacy in central Italy and conquered all of Italy. But then the Papacy rebelled after like...15 years, and I had to cede Rome to them. But the rest of Italy was mine. :king:

February 2nd, AD 2134

Dear Sinn,

I hope you are faring well, with the stress of the Alpha Centauri project on your shoulders. I am writing about the history you asked me to pen down.

Many have ignorant ideas of the Interregnum. From small ones in Crisca that "detail" of the holiness of one of the leaders (varying on the region you are in), to worldwide ones that think of it as inconsequential, to horrifying ignorance displayed in foreign nations that ruin the rich historical interest of the period. So, I have urgently decided to pen this simply written, quite small book which a child could read. I hope that this will dispel ancient myths that should have died with Tarken and Erin.

Here is my latest exerept from the history, which I have dubbed, Empire in Ashes.

-With Great Regard
Gorhai Nain

After the skirmishes in the Alaren forests, Neindar was desperate to get its economy up and its forces trained. Tarken was well aware of Neindar's underdevelopment, and she moved to choke the nation and then complete her conquest. Erin was crafty, however. Using the iron supplies in Nor Crisc, Nor Crisc was able to send forth a small number of iron equipped spearmen. These spearmen were few in number, but hardy and powerful.

Tarken sent forth a deadly force into Neindar. Horse archers. Well trained horse archers. They gallopped across the roads to Neindar, but were paused at the crossroads to Nor Crisc.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b120/farae_slayer/Civ4ScreenShot0079.jpg

Their orders were to advance to Nor Crisc and take the city, and if not, disrupt all efforts to connect it to Neindar. Erin's desperate order for spearmen paid off however...the horse archers briefly skirmished against the spearmen from Nor Crisc to see if they could break, but the skirmish turned into a rout for the Raetan forces. The Raetan horse archers instead attacked the axemen defending the road to Dystopolis and broke through, with heavy casualties.

Tarken was furious. Those horse archers would have been critical in mopping up the forces in Neindar, and they had even failed to disrupt the construction of the Desert Road to Nor Crisc! Nevertheless, the invasion of Neindar went forward.

Her navies were not yet complete, the loss of the experimental Aristiari was now revealled to be a blow on a large scale. Control of Lake Crisco was essential in the war effort. But Tarken was successful in getting a large army to besiege Dystopolis.

Erin was getting very desperate. Dystopolis was only a short distance from the capital of Selia. Who knows what horrors Tarken would unleash on the Christian holy city? Erin quickly navigated around the siege with his galleys and landed a force of longbowmen in Dystopolis. On the walls of Dystopolis, the fate of Neindar would be set...

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b120/farae_slayer/Civ4ScreenShot0080.jpg

From Lake Crisco and the gap to it that Erin held onto, supplies were constantly shipped to Dystopolis. The walls of the city were high and mighty, and Tarken's catapults were taking a long time to weaken the city's defenses. Constant backsided raids from the surrounding forests demoralized Tarken's forces. Finally, realizing that she could not take the city, Tarken ordered her weakened forces home.

The Men of the Iron Axe, however, ravaged Neindaren settlements...

Rape, murder, barbarism, all of it flourished under the brief rule of the Raetan invaders! My sister...was dragged from her home and raped and killed...her head was taken by an axemen who proudly has it stuck on the shaft of his axe..my mother died fighting an angry axemen who wanted her body. She stabbed him in the heart and then took his heavy axe and swung it in vain at the Raetan dogs, though she killed three of them. They never raped her...only killed her. In fear!

One of their priests was making furious gestures at the axemen, and when I noticed that a makeshift gallow had been set up, I was fearing my end. But the axemen who murdered my mother and sister were hung instead. It is this event that kept me...nay, all of our village and the villages beyond, it kept us from being consumed by the hatred that had so corrupted the zealots that ran our nation, and now our religion. To this day I know not whether the soliders defied a religous doctrine or an order from Raetan, but I shall believe both, and with them I shall continue to guard against hate.

This was a quote from Raes Oron (Rye Or-ahn), a famous Christian scholar whom has contributed to much of my works. Raes was famed for not only his histories, but his efforts to unite the populace after reunification. He denounced the hatred generated by Tarken and Erin, and constantly advocated Crisca Novocar Tolraer (Criscan Toleration of Allfaith *or All Religions*).

The Men of the Iron Axe were set upon by a group of longbowmen while the Raetan forces attempted to retreat back to their kingdom. The Men were mostly slaughtered, though 1/4 their company survived and they would be reformed after Tarken arrived home once more.

In Rome, Reanne vehemently denied Caesar's demands for marriage, but she was allowed to remain in court. About 10 weeks after her denial of the offer, and a month since Tarken's defeat in the north, Tarken's long ago dispatched army finally arrived at Pisae. They besieged and took the city, and Rome was now at war.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b120/farae_slayer/Civ4ScreenShot0075.jpg

The Roman court was in shock. Their armies were not in shape for war, this was thanks to the civil unrest and racial tension between Eastern and Western Romans. Caesar knew Rome was in dire trouble, but Reanne knew that if Tarken took Rome she would take Northern Crisca not long after.

Reanne mustered up volunteers from the Roman army, and from the citizens, and immediately led them to Pisae. Fighting a colossal battle against the invaders, she finally took the city and captured the few survivors.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b120/farae_slayer/Civ4ScreenShot0076.jpg

Upon calming the Pisaeans, she assumed control of the city. Theodora III in Rome supported the move, claiming to Caesar:

Whom better to run an unrested city then an ally? Why weaken Rome with the rumblings of the Pisaean stomachs and their grumbligs of discontent?

In truth, Theodora was desperate to weaken the power of the Western Roman rulers, and she knew Reanne was a skilled and deft administrator. Perhaps, many mused, Reanne could shape up Pisae and make it a benefit to the Roman Empire.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b120/farae_slayer/Civ4ScreenShot0078.jpg
Pisae Under Reanne

Tarken had formerly been poised to weaken Rome and destroy Neindar, but now invasion of Neindar was impossible and her attack on Rome had failed. But Neindar and Rome were both weak as well. With no sign of the end of this bloody and ever expanding war, the people wept and they sorrowed at their misfortune of being born in this era...

* This part of the Interregnum would lead to its continuation. Never again would one of the warring nations come so close to total victory...at least not so early. The failure of Tarken to take Dystopolis and her failure to take Pisae have dubbed this sequence, "Tarken's Two Defeats" by historians. Many historians argue that it is "Tarken's Three Defeats", for also she failed to disrupt the road to Nor Crisc.

Many of Tarken's sympathizers** called this period, "Tarken's Tragic Defeats".

** Tarken and Erin both had numerous groups of support for several centuries after their demise. The last official support group was a group called "Mentallia Erin Oro" which means "The Living Memories of Erin". They disbanded in 1352, and the last of their former members died in 1376.

Ohhh... Those losses MUST hurt.

I liked this update, the plot seems to be thickening. (Though if I may note, a better representative for the Eastern Romans would be Basil II, but meh...)

Theodora is more famed, and I love her as she was the Byzantine leader in Civ 3. So thus, I have an attachment to her. :)

With Rome at war and Crisca in ashes, the only nation not horribly damaged by the Interregnum was France…or not.

France was an unstable land. Forged from the union of formerly warring tribes in the age of Clovis I, religious customs differed, the groups spoke French in different dialects, and what’s more, a Parisian king sat on the throne, causing resentment among the Orleans dwellers especially.

When Crisca fell apart, France suffered a devastating economic blow. Forced to abandon almost all construction projects, France’s growth ceased. As time flowed on, it had to cut back research money even more. King Ichol II was desperate to stop the worsening situation, and he instated harsh government rule over France in an effort to cut costs.

In response to France being transformed into an early version of a police state, the cities of Orleans and Port Brest met in secret to plan revolt. Thus, in the year 783 AD, *about 7 months since the Battle of Pisae*, the two cities rebelled and forced the royal armies from their new lands.

King Ichol II was furious, and he ordered the destruction of Orleans. Selling off many prominent buildings (Christian churches, Buddhist and Hindu temples, libraries, etc) he quickly raised a mighty army. He ordered an assault on Port Brest, and the rebels shook in fear of the hordes they faced.

But Ichol’s forces would not tread on rebel soil. Just then, the town of Tours was sacked and razed by northern barbarians called the Burgundi, its treasures carted off to their villages. Reluctantly, Ichol declared ceasefire with the rebels and marshaled his armies to crush the savages.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b120/farae_slayer/Civ4ScreenShot0102.jpg

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b120/farae_slayer/Civ4ScreenShot0103.jpg

Sadly, the conscripts of the French army could not face down the seasoned and battle hardened warriors of the Burgundi. The French were routed outside Paris, and Ichol died in battle. Paris was seized by the Burgundi, and many of its citizens died in the battle.

Burguni forces also attacked Port Brest, but the brilliant French general, Vordei Alemanni, surprised their troops and crushed them, thus ensuring survival for the rebel French. Meanwhile, the rest of France fell, and only Arc and Rheims survived outside of rebel territory.

http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b120/farae_slayer/Civ4ScreenShot0104.jpg

Another thing died with France. Erin lost hope of instant victory over Tarken if he connected to France. While trade with the free cities, or even with the new Burgundi empire, would help Neindar, it would not be the divine intervention he needed. All he could hope for was Nor Crisc’s resources to be enough…

* While you may see the French defeat as an insult against them, I had no intention of such. It wasn't until I finished typing that I realized it could be viewed in such a way.

Oh you updated; I hadn't notice;

I do hope you update again soon.


As a note; couldn't the rebel cities retake the Burgandi, than found thier own Empire, one that would be a religion different than any of the Criscan kingdoms? That would be yet another nice twist; than again, its your story.

Shh....you might spoil the plot.

Criscan Concepts: Allfaith and Nonfaith

In the years Post-Interregnum, two very important ideaologies arose in Crisca. These two opposing schools were called Allfaith and Nonfaith, and would be changed and transformed over the centuries. But yet, even in the 22nd century, the two schools still stand staunchly opposed.

Allfaith

The concept of Allfaith was created originally by the philosopher, Raes Oran in the years just after the Interregnum. Allfaith, which in Criscan is pantheia, is the belief that all religions share a common goal of utopia and moral harmony. It stresses that all religions should be tolerated, and that truly religious people will work with members of other religions to achieve common goals.

Allfaith was a powerful concept in Crisca, and one of the Three Points of the Reforma Hierarcha Unifica (Criscan version of the Protestant Reformation). Allfaith was viewed as one of the Seven Essences of Cricsa* and the Ara Pantheia (Way of Allfaith, Raes Oran's book that detailed the concept) is held too be one of the most important works of literature in Criscan history.

In the 13th century, war was on the verge of breaking out between Crisca and the Incan Empire. Traditional Incan worship of their Sun God had begun to spread to Criscan colonies off the Incan coast. Due to the human sacrificial nature of the said religion, the Christian, Muslim, and Hindu colonists drove the "heathens" off the island. Incan emissaries demanded control of the colony in recompse. The Criscan Emperor Teras IV refused, and naval skirmishes broke out in the region. But the Sapa Inca personally visited Criscopolis and declared "Why have the Criscans not followed Allfaith?" The driven off villagers were allowed to return, on the condition that they content themselves with animal sacrifices.

Nonfaith

After the devastation of the Interregnum, atheism took strong root in Crisca. In response to Allfaith, the concept of Nonfatih gradually arose. Nonfaith stressed that all religions were fundamentally evil for the chaos and war they spread. Nonfaith was considered by the Criscan rulers to be an idea that must be weeded out from the populace. To that end, the Criscan Inquisition, which existed for three torturous years, was established to root out Nonfaith from the population. They did, however, simply accuse and persecute all atheists. Not all atheists believed in Nonfaith, and thus the Inqusition persecuted many who did not believe in Nonfaith. It would not be until 1876 that the Pope of the Criscan Catholic Church would apoligize for the Inquisition.

Nonfaith was listed as one of the Seven Essences of Crisca in 1919. Thanks to Nonfaith followers, secularism took full root in Criscan democracy, and the threat of a theocracy was erased.

Allfaith and Nonfaith both evolved over the ages. Allfaith now stresses community with not only all religions, but with atheists and agnostics as well. Nonfaith, formerly composed of members who openly declared they would use any means to destroy religion, is now a scientific advocate. The two groups remain opposed on paper, but the ages of Inquisition and wars have ended between the two groups.

Nice update... Gives a better idea of the world of Crisca...

I look forward to more!

I just came across this article and I've been bowled over! I love your refreshing style of writing and I can't wait for your next post.

Keep it up!

Tic toc Grandfather clock.

Please update soon! I hope you continue on the actual Narative.

I still haven't decided how to continue the Interregnum, so I will post another staller while I try to figure it out. >_>

Timeline of Criscan History

Circa 4,000 BC- Foundation of Criscopolis

According to legend, Criscopolis was founded on the exact dawning of the "new millenium of Those-Who-Shall-Come" (those quoted words are the exact words on the earliest surviving Criscan clay tablet, from 2,489 BC. It is believed that it claims that the city was founded in the beginning of a new millenium, but one that would be the beginning of a millenium to distant descendants who used a different calender). According to legend, the city was founded by the first leader of the Criscans, the First Mother, Arae I.

Another part of legend is that after Arae's death, the newly formed Criscan Confederation began to collapse. It is said that a great mystic, called Crisco, appeared and used smooth diplomacy and magic (or military force, depending on the version of the tale) to subdue all rebellious thoughts, and he gave Arae's daughter, the sagely Aera I the Ladyship of Crisca.

The legends go on to say that Crisco taught the Criscans about animal husbandry, mining, and sailing. He is said to have given the Criscan people all of their stories and beliefs, and he is said to have taught the Criscans the way to act like civilized and holy people. Though the myths of Crisco have been disproven, it should be noted that of all words in Ancient Criscan, only "Crisco" survived and retained its original meaning in the modern age.

The Criscan Confederation- 2,800 BC-2,345 BC

Though there is much evidance that the Criscan Confederacy dates back to at least 3,200 BC, the most solid evidance dates back to 2,800 BC.

The Criscan Confederacy was a time of growth and stagnation in Crisca. Under the Confederacy, the city of Sun Crisc, and the earliest settlement that would evolve into Ean Crisc were founded. Technology advanced considerably, until the Criscans were above all other civilizations at the time.

However, by the 25th century BC, Crisca's growth was halted by the division and weakness in the Confederacy government. The feuding tribes could not maintain the balance, and civil war erupted in 2,345 BC between the Alaren Criscans, who were backed by Stohr and some Inderaci Criscans, attacked Criscopolis, which was held by Lady Irena of the Lian Criscans. The Lian rallied all the remaining Criscans who did not side with the Alaren, and managed to drive the Alaren off and capture their Chief. He was put to death and Irena soon declared herself Eraetae (Empress) of Crisca.

Irena began the 3,000 year Lian Dynasty.

The Early Lian Dynasty- 2,345 BC-876 BC

The kickoff to the Lian Dynasty was the Holy Bargain made between the Hindu and Pagae Criscans under the direction of Empress Irena. The Bargain made it so that the Imperial government must finance both religions equally, and that if an Imperial endorsed project of one religion was approved, a similar one must be built for the other. This led to religious peace in Crisca, which would last until the Interregnum.

In the first 1,400 years of their reign, the Lian expanded Crisca greatly and advanced their people's technology. The Lian neared collapse several times, but they avoided destruction, usually by drawing on the strong Hindu and Buddhist religious faith in the populace, and continued on.

Under the Early Lian, literature, drama, the galley, and iron rose in Crisca. The Lian used heavy iron weapons and conquered many tribes, but allowed them to be assimilated into the Empire. However, instead of assimilating totally, the conquered tribes often left their mark on the Empire, changing Criscan culture slowly over the centuries.

In 879 BC, Emperor Roton I set out to conquer the Tari, who dwelled on the peninsula were Dystopolis now rests. The Tari were the last non Criscan nation to border the huge Lake Crisco, and it was a matter of spiritual (not religious, a nationalistic spirituality) importance to the Criscans to have total control of the Lake.

The furious two year war against the Tari exhausted the Criscan economy and their people's spirit. Rebellious thoughts grew in the heads of many retainers, like Ere Alaren, who was the governor of Sun Crisc. As Roton continued to neglect the Empire for his war, more and more people called for revolt. Infuriated at the fruitless war, and desperate to salvage Sun Crisc's treasury, Ere Alaren rebelled and took the area surrounding the city. Ean Crisc soon rebelled as well, under the rule of Tor Neran, who lost three brothers, a sister, and his city's (he was the governor of Ean Crisc) ports to the Tari War.

Realizing his foolishness in neglecting the rest of the Empire, Roton managed, in desperation, to conclude the war quickly. Finally, he abdicated in 876 and named his daughter, Yir Lian, Empress. He told her to use his conquests well to unify Crisca, and he walked into the streets of criscopolis, where the angered and stricken people tore him to shreds.

Today, he is often thought of as one who did not deserve to die so horribly, and who made one fatal mistake. Nevertheless, the (Early) Lian Dynasty collapsed and Crisca would not be reunited for nearly 120 years...

*TO BE CONTINUED*

Phew :scan: thought you abondened this.

Yay!

Updates!

*gives Farae a cookie*

I liked this one, mostly because anything historical (made up or not) interests me :P. Filler is nice every now and then.

I really like your story (like or liked?) but you should update more often...

Like.

The update to the Timeline will be up soon, and the narrative fires up again after that.

^_^

Hip-hip, HURRAY!

The Age of Iron- 876 BC- 752 BC

The Age of Iron is the name given to the period after the fall of the Early Lian Dynasty until the establishment of the Middle Lian Dynasty. In this age, Crisca was divided into three factions, Lian Crisca, Alaren Crisca, and Ean Crisca. The once mighty Criscan Empire was reduced to ash in this 124 year long period of warfare.

After Yir Lian was named Empress, she immediately mobilized her work force to construct defenses, forts, roads, sentry towers, and docks in order to prepare her nation for a brutal, decades long civil war. However, many nobles urged her to take the fight to the dissidents. Yir maintained her stance of buildup, much to the irritation of the court, and posted garissons along her established defensive lines.

However, forces from Ean Crisca assaulted the Lian border but four months after the death of Roton I. The Lian forces on the actual border were massacred, but the garissons in the forts and camps behind the border fought hard and well, and eventually held the Ean Criscans at bay. The Ean Criscans brought in their entire army except a few garissons in Ean Crisc and several outposts around the land. This huge army was very, very, powerful, even on enemy soil. The knowledge that such a force would have been impossible to beat in its own nation quelled all angry thoughts from the court in Criscopolis.

Empress Yir reinforced the garissons along the border with Alaren Crisca, and rode forth with a great host to meet the Ean Criscan invaders. She rallied the garissons to her and campaigned against the Ean Criscans. However, it was learned that Tor Neran, the Emperor of Ean Crisca, was safe in Ean Crisc. The leading general of the Ean Criscan army was Hero Kalas-Derran. Yir threw 8 assassination attempts at Hero, but all failed. Maintaining her position, she waited for Hero to strike, and he struck at the Lian army while it was camped near the hills of Galaga.

In the Battle of Galaga, Hero nearly routed the Lian, and also nearly killed Empress Yir. But Yir’s son, Toro Lian, shot Hero in the neck with an arrow. Seeing this, his men lost confidence and were defeated. Hero’s death prompted Emperor Tor of Ean Crisca to lead a relief force, so that the Lian forces would not dare strike Ean Crisc.

Yir refortified the border and turned her attention to the lands north of her kingdom. Sending out a group of settlers, she founded the city of Selia in 868 BC. Selia provided wealth from trade with Phoenicia, as Selia controlled a wonderful supply of dyes, silks, and bananas. Selia would go on to become the holy city of Islam and Christianity.

In 859 BC, the Ean Criscans negotiated a ceasefire with the Alaren Criscans and their Emperor (Ere Alaren was still Emperor of Alaren Crisca at this time). In 858, Emperor Tor died, and his daughter, Empress Soras II took the throne. She did not attack the Lian, but instead chose to rebuild Ean Crisca. So it was that for a decade, Ean Crisca all but faded out of the conflict.

Empress Yir was nearly 60 years old by now, but she had one last ambition in mind before death. She constructed a fleet of 50 mighty galleys, and wiped out the Alaren navy in a matter of days. She laid siege to Ean Crisc by water, and she mounted catapults upon her galleys. She also positioned ships on the southern coast of the lake, by the Alaren lands. The catapult ships ravaged the Alaren towns and garrisons in by the coast of Lake Crisco. This badly damaged the Alaren war effort as they could not respond. For 7 straight years, the Aqua Siege, as it was called, weakened the Alaren and Ean Criscans to the point that the two factions were almost destitute.

The Aqua Siege was ended by the Alaren, who succeeded in lighting many of the ships aflame. The Lian navy fled back to Criscopolis, but they had done their duty. Ean Crisc was still under siege and the Alaren would never recover from the blow to their population, military, and economy. Shortly after, Empress Yir died in the year of 851 BC, and left the throne to her son, Toro Lian.

For the next 70 years, the wars were almost never ending. Though two councils were called, and held aboard ships in the middle of Lake Crisco, to make peace, nothing seemed to work. By 770 BC, Yir Lian’s great-grandaughter, Lora II, was Empress. Lora was ambitious, empathetic, and incredibly intelligent. She would stop at nothing to see Crisca united.

After taking the throne in 770 BC, she led troops against barbarian incursions near Selia and Criscopolis, from a tribe called the Arasai. The Arasai warriors attempted to conquer Selia and cut it off from Crisca, but they were driven off and their king was killed. In something of a truce, the Arasai ceded their lands (which were to the west of Selia and the north of Criscoplis) to Crisca, but were allowed to maintain national identity, and kept 85% of their treasure and income. The other 15% went to feed the Lian treasury.

In 768 BC, the Aqua Siege was still in effect on Ean Crisc. The once mighty capital had been reduced to a diseased, meager, pit after almost 70 years of off and on naval siege. Capitalizing on this, Lora moved small, armed groups into Ean Crisca, and they wiped out all sentries and smaller forts they could. The Ean Criscans were distracted by increasingly large skirmishes with the Alaren Criscans, and did not pay attention to the Lian, as the Lian had been docile for almost 15 years.

Finally, Lora regrouped her bands and reinforced them with more of the (Lian) Criscan Imperial Army. Though word reached Ean Crisc of the invaders, it was too late. After a 6 month siege, Ean Crisc fell in 767. The Emperor threw himself from the walls of his palace, and his children all refused the throne. Ean Crisca was no more.

For the next 15 years, more and more skirmishes with the Alaren took place. Ean Crisc was restored to its former glory, and Lian Crisca enjoyed a semblance of peace. However, the Imperial Court was divided on what to do with the remaining Alaren kingdom. Some wanted to conquer it and reunite Crisca, others wished to possibly unite the two nations by marriage, and others wanted it left alone. In 755, a new barbarian attack came in the area of former Ean Crisca, from a group called the Choi. The Choi gained territory, but it was mostly undeveloped and not worth much to Crisca. Empress Lora responded with a mass assault on the Choi, and she even invaded their homeland and conquered them. They received a similar bargain as that of the Arasai.

Lora, seizing the war fervor of the nation, invaded Alaren Crisca in mid-754. The Alaren were not able to repel the Lian army, and the Alaren suffered defeat after defeat. In 753, Sun Crisc fell under siege, and after only a month, the city fell. The Emperor of the Alaren surrendered the entire Alaren kingdom, and was given a ceremonial title and an estate to live on for his old years.

At long last, Crisca was united once more. The 124 year bloodbath that was the Age of Iron ended, and the Middle Lian Dynasty took its hold on the land. Empress Lora is often called “Rebuilder” by the Criscans, for in the 24 years of her rule over a united Crisca, she rebuilt a land destroyed by war…

*TO BE CONTINUED*

Very interesting Farae!

Interesting. Nice to see you're giving more information on that.

Though, as a note the idea of the Lian dynasty lasting for over a 1000 years is a bit of a stretch, I mean most dynasties last only about... say, 400 years? But its not to important.

Yea, it is a bit (lot) of a stretch, but oh well.

As I said it doesn't really matter. Now... Do you plan on updating anytime soon?

I finally opened up the file and began tweaking with WorldBuilder to see what I can do for the next narration.

I also am sorry I did not inform you that I have been in Washington DC (The Imperial Capital) for the past 5 days, and could not update from there...of course, I could've updated earlier...

The Second Lian Dynasty: 752 BC-239 AD

After the reunification of Crisca and the end of the Age of Iron, Empress Lora was the first monarch of the Second Lian Dynasty. She began a long rebuilding campaign that outlasted her remaining 24 years of life. For the next century, Crisca focused on rebuilding of its cities, its farmlands, and its society. By the mid-7th century BC, Crisca was ready for expansion once more.

By time the AD era began, Crisca had ceased to be a lake kingdom and had expanded into the regions where the city of Cumae now exists*. The only continental force that dared challenge it was the Kingdom of Alemanni in the southeast. Rome was young, and France was barely united.

Under Valdir III, Alemanni was conquered in 110 AD, giving the Criscan Empire vast material wealth. the borders of Crisca had expanded to meet those of the French, and Crisca controlled around half of the continent of West Drin, if not even more. Though the Criscans nearly conquered Phonecia, the religious revelations by Valdir III ended the war between the mercantile Phonecians and the Imperialistic Criscans.

It should be noted that under the Second Lian dynasty, Christianity and Judaism took root in Crisca. In 541 BC, a fleet of transports arrived in the port of Selia, containing nearly 15,000 Jews who had fled the destruction of their homeland at the hands of the Saxon (English) Empire. After requesting amnesty and residence in Crisca, Emperor Valdir I accepted and granted the Jews permanent asylum in Crisca.

Within two centuries, Judaism had spread as a religion to many cities and had nearly 3 million Criscan followers. In an empire of 25 million (as of 305 BC), this was a lot. Though the Jews did not put out missionary efforts, their ideas seemed orderly and lawful, the Law being a powerful and almost revered force in Old Crisca. The Jewish culture survived...nay, thrived in the Criscan Empire.

Christianity was initially a persecuted religion for the first 90 years of its existance. Christians were often executed like criminals. For example, they would be thrown to the waves while the public watched, or they would have to face down captured rocs** in the mountain arenas. However, Empress Iris IV legalized it and stopped the persecutions.

In 114 AD, Emperor Valdir III (Iris' son) claimed to have had a vision from Jelai Christ, the Daughter of God. He converted to Christianity and added it to the Holy Bargain. From there, Christianity replaced Hinduism and Paganism as the top religion in Crisca. It was thus that under the Second Lian that Criscan was transformed into a Christian empire.

In 229 AD, Empress Ia I died from stolera. The epidemic had ravaged Crisca and France, whom it had been at war with, for seven years. Ia had been a capable Empress, and had managed a war she had inherited (her father started it) very well. Close to her death, she was able to sign a peace treaty and stop the war.

Ia had no son or daughter, and two of her nephews fought over the throne. These nephews were Soran Teras Lian and Tres Diar Lian. Their war of succession, though limited to the areas around Criscopolis and Dystopolis, lasted 10 years, spelling the end of the Second Lian dynasty, and marking the beginning of the dark ages for West Drin.

just skimming over this i can tell it's good, keep it up mate...

A fine update, but I feel you could've given more information, how did the plauge start? How did the war with Franch start? This could've used a bit more fleshing out.

I will put the following information (but condensed) into that update with an edit.

Stolera had always been present in Crisca and much of the Western World. It is mentioned that Empress Iris IV died from the disease, and thus passed the throne to Valdir III. Also mentioned, it is a horrifying lung disease caused by Staphyococcus stolerus, a deadly bacteria. Biologically, a new, more potent strain must have developed in the 2nd and 3rd centuries. In the pre-microscope world of Crisca, it was due to bad medical practice and war-driven officials that the disease broke out.

In the war with France, the battlefield was chaotic. So hectic was the front line, that often the once strict practices of boiling bandages and sanitizing wounds with hot water cloths were forgotten more then was acceptable. Stolera was always present in the army, and the deadlier strain must have found its way into a sick and injured soldier.

In the towns and districts on the front lines, officials were focusing all energy on trying to get the Criscan army further into France so that their districts would not suffer anymore. Several of these northern officials recieved reports of stolera causing death among the peasantry, but decided not to spare doctors to examine this stolera outbreak. To their credit, a quarantine might have failed anyways. In the northern provinces, far north of Pyropolis, the new strain broke out and wiped out most towns in that region. Through unknown means, it reached the holy city of Selia.

A simutaneous outbreak in the Imperial Army led to French towns coming into contact with the disease. Refugees who fled to the northern provinces of France carried the diease with them, and thus it spread to France. Within the first year of the epidemic, reports of 7 million dead were confirmed.

Through Selian traders, the disease reached Phoenecia, and through the southern caravans on their way to Rome did it reach Pisae. Most of these caravans died of the disease before reaching the Roman Empire, so Rome stayed safe for several more years.

In 224 AD, two momentous things happened. First, the Criscan Army retreated from French territory, and the French army was taken by tribal lords and distributed thoughout their confederation. For all intents and purposes, a cease fire was in effect. The second momentous thing was that the Pope and seven of his (peasant) pupils contracted stolera. For weeks, many Criscans in Selia were in fear that their Holy Father would die from the plague of stolera. Somehow, he and his pupils survived. This was Pope Lesiticus II. He died from old age three years later, and left the Papal throne to his trained successor, the legendary Papess Lessica I.

In 228 AD, the Empress Ia finallized a peace treaty with France, but died early in the next year. By mid 229, the disease subsided and the Criscan War of Succession began, spelling the end of the Second Lian dynasty.

In 227, Rome was affected by the disease, thus weakening it along with Crisca and France. Unknown to West Drin, their horrid plague had spread to distant nations like India, England, and Mongolia by means of Phonecian traders.

*I will explain the war and its causes in a minute*

I am floored with astonishment of how damn good this is! Very, very well done. I was wondering though...could you maybe turn the Age of Iron into a downloadable scenario with the World Builder? Possibly turn the whole story into a playable scernario. I would LOVE to play this. Again good work, and keep it up! :)

I do not know how to make scenarios or mods...but...maybe someone who is a good modder...

Well, as for the war with France...

It was really a simple matter. Christianity found its way to France, and the French did not react well. Except in the southern French tribes, most French feared or detested Christianity. The French were either strongly religious pagans or atheists. Noticing the widespread acceptance of Christianity in the Southern Tribes, King Arius II ordered Christianity banned.

Protesting this order, several of the southern tribes rose up in rebellion. When the French army responded with several massacres in the year of 217, all members of a visiting Criscan delegation died in the chaos. Sadly, this delegation was led by Erai Seres Lian, the sister of the Criscan Emperor, Valdan I.

Struck by grief, the Emperor entered a month long coma. Desperate emissaries from the rest of the Christian French tribes arrived in Criscopolis and begged military aid from the Criscan Empire. Regent Nora Lian, the eldest daughter of the Emperor, sent troops to safeguard the tribes from attack, and an uneasy standoff between the French and the Criscans began.

When Emperor Valdan awoke, his rage was uncontrollable. He quickly broke the standoff and attacked the French in their border fortress, located in the village of Arc. Razing the fortress and village, the attack was led personally by Valdan, and he ensured the deaths of every single French soldier and villager in the Arc region.

Stunned by this wanton murder, Nora Lian betrayed her father and worked to force Crisca and France to work out a ceasefire. Valdan's rage was so furious that one could not be near him without succumbing to either fear...or succumbing to his anger. The still-legendary poet, Raskas Erei wrote of Valdan in his short poem, The Crimson Tide

A land of green and azure waters,
overrun by a crimson tide,
betrayed by its guardian, fallen in rage,
the benevolent monarch has succumbed to hate,
fields of blood will please Valdan's Eye.

It should be noted that that poem was the final work of Raskas before his execution a month later.

Valdan fought from 218 to 222 against his hated foes and tried without rest to find his daughter so she could be put to death for treason. The French captured her in Paris, however, and offered her to Valdan in exchange for a captured French general. Valdan instantly accepted, and ordered his daughter put to death on April 19th, 222 AD.

However, Papess Lessica I quickly traveled to Criscopolis and spent 4 hours in private counsel with Valdan. No one knows how, but the Pope did the impossible. On the hour of Nora's execution, he publicly exonerated her and restored her as Imperial heiress. In the greatest forgiveness in history, Valdan announced his intentions to end the war against France.

Three months later, Nora died in the initial outbreak of stolera. Valdan and his last remaining child, Ia Terra Lian, were overcome by sorrow. Ia bore her grief strongly, and did her best to help her broken father. Valdan, broken by grief over his sister and daughter, and wasted by anger, abdicated the throne to Ia, and left Criscopolis in secret to become a hermit and repent for his war crimes.

Ia did her best to stop the epidemic, but in the 3rd century, Criscan medicinal advances had not discovered bacteria, nor did they find a way to combat them. Of all those who contracted stolera, the only known case of survival was in Pope Lesiticus II, Papess Lessica I, and the other 6 pupils of Lesiticus who were infected in 224.

Ia succeeded in ending the inactive war in mid-228, but died the next year from stolera. Her father, still living as a wandering hermit who did his best to teach, heal, and help in the name of Christianity, returned to Criscopolis and prayed in the Basilica of the Golden Flame for four days without food or water. When a bishop entered his prayer chambers to try and convince him to drink or eat, he found that the former Emperor was dead. Valdan would be canonized as Saint Valdan the Forgiver.

The issue of religion, which had begun the war between France and Crisca, was solved within two centuries. In 453, King Clovis converted to Christianity after saying he would convert if he defeated the rebellious lords of Orleans at the Battle of Paris. When he succeeded, he was baptized along with his wife and son. Thus it was that Christianity (and Buddhism, it would overtake Christianity as the largest religion in France after the Interregnum) was introduced to France, and in one way Crisca took victory in its ancient war with France.

Ah! Sounds like something from a play! I could imagine: Shakespere's "Crimson" or sumthin.

Very interesting chapter.

Thank you my friend!

I won't be able to update for a bit, my teachers have gone into full homework overdrive...

Criscan Drama

The Crimson Tides
Written By: Arassii Noror.
Year: 1344
Based Off: Crimson Tides, Poem, By Raskas Erei

Famous Quote (from the play):

"The shores of silver, stained with blood,
my father would sing in joy at that sight.
But I walk upon those shores, and crimson blood
is my heart's blight."

-Ia Lian

Azure
Written By: Zaska Totiisa
Year: 1766
Based Off: Written by playwright

Famous Quote:

"Time flows like water, or so we think.
Truly, none can comprehend eternity.
Those who say they can, they lie.