On the Early Growth of Carnatia
It was under the reign of Tovar the First that the nation of Carnatia was formed from the mercantile city-state of Zar Carnat...
Zar Carnat had always had a militant streak, particularly in dealing out punitive raids against rival cities and the bandits who infested the area. The city's forces, armed with spears and small, curved swords, were thus an experienced and deadly, if quite small, force. During Tovar the First's ascent to the throne, Zar Carnat was locked in a state of intense competition with its' close rival, the city-state of Uztok. Contested East-West trade routes and all of the benefits of their control were at stake.
The war started out like most others in the region, as a series of skirmishes and formal battles between the cities. However, Tovar did not have the same mindset of his predecessors, and most of his contemporaries. He saw that the cycle of unproductive warfare would ultimately undo all progress that could be made. The only way to bring peace, prosperity and stability to the region would be through military conquest. With this goal in mind, the Tovar began to raise and train an army larger than had ever before been seen in the region.
The small army of Uztok was caught completely off guard when it was attacked by a force of nearly 1000 from Zar Carnat. Crushing their enemy's force, Tovar then lead his forces on to conquer and sack Uztok. Within only a few years, the army of Zar Carnat solidified its control over a significant area, gaining access to the ocean and founding the first salt water port of the nation, naming it 'Zar Boda'. It was after this first great expansion that Tovar declared himself to be the first 'King of Carnatia'.
The later parts of Tovar's reign were spent in an inconclusive war with a league of city states based in the east around Kovuk and Lucuc. Tovar's successor, King Ligur, finally managed to negotiate a peace with the eastern coalition and launched a surprise attack westwards, conquering the important city of Kudur. Carnatia's attentions once again shifted eastwards. Kovuk, sensing a distinct change in the balance of power, ended its alliance with Lucuc and, in a royal marriage, united with Carnatia. Internal struggles and a decrease in trade due to the hostility of Lucuc halted King Ligur's expansions.
It would be his son who would once again take up the mantle of war. King Trog returned Lucuc's hostility with equal intensity, escalating the situation into a full-out war. Lucuc's attempts to bring Kovuk back into the fold failed, and a twenty-year war eventually saw the city and its armies crushed. Lucuc, the long-standing rival of Zar Carnat, was burned to the ground, and would not regain significant populations again for almost a century (and these new populations would sing a much different tune regarding the country of Carnatia).
By this point, all of the lands north of the Carnat were united under one ruler. Only in the northern forests did a small 'bandit kingdom' based around Sokuk survive. King Trog was unwavering in his opposition to this last symbol of rebellion, and in some of the last years of his reign he ordered a campaign against them. Though the bandits struggled, they were overpowered and crushed. However, common Carnatian folk tales tell of the 'woodsmen', who still hide out in the forests to this day.
King Trog has recently passed away, leaving his son to reign as King Tovar the Second. Where he will lead his nation in the future remains to be seen.
A Map Outlining the Stages of Carnatian Expansion
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