Empire in Ashes

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 thought you abondened this.

Yay!

Updates!

*gives Farae a cookie*

I liked this one, mostly because anything historical (made up or not) interests me . 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*