Empire in Ashes

Farae

Lord of All Crisca
Joined
Nov 13, 2005
Messages
255
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.


The Criscan Empire, Source: Criscopolis Library


The Takar Desert, Source: Roman Scholar's Library


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.


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).


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...





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.


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....
 
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.

Saint Teraputa said:
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.

Jelai Christ said:
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:

Jelai Christ 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"?
 
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!*
 
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.


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.



The Divine Shaft, circa 350 BC



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.



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...
 
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!
 
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.



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.



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.
 
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