#remikratimeline

The Fall of Wannonia

The Great Blight was parasitic to the flaxweed crop, consuming each plant's water and nutrients, and in turn, starving and drying it. Eventually, the plant would die. And during the entire process, the fungus, when having reached full maturity, would release floating spores, which would spread to other plants. It was by this that farmers in the Southern and Western regions of Wannonia lost entire flaxweed crops, leading to lack of food and income. They attempted to rid the invasive species via burning. But very soon, educated educated Wannonian scholars learned that setting infected crops ablaze actually helped Blight spores to spread further, as the fungus released large amounts of them as part of a survival tactic.

Emperor Clastye II ordered the Blighted fields to be walled in and filled with water, as it was found that the fungus, in the mature stage, could not survive underwater. Furthermore, he imposed heavy punishments, including the death penalty in some cases, for burning infected crops, and set territorial quarantines for those in the infected regions, fearing that farmers would carry spores on their clothes and boots into non-Blighted regions. In the late 1160s, with the resulting hardship, the farmers rebelled against the Emperor's orders, to which the Emperor responded with measures of martial law. As water was drawn from some of the canals to combat the Blight, such canals were shut down. Nevertheless, Clastye II's measures kept the Blight under fair control to the South and West.

But then, in 1169, the Great Drought hit. Major canal networks dried up, stifling commerce and trade, and leading Imperial authorities to force water from farmers in order to contain the Blight, which began to grow out of control in the ideal dry climate. Very soon, Wannonia saw widespread flaxweed crop failures. And wildfires, caused by dry lightning, helped the Blight spores to spread even more quickly. This plunged Wannonia into a state of crisis, as these wildfires destroyed even more crops. The resulting food and flaxweed shortages helped to drive up prices in the marketplace; and before long, Emperor Clastye II imposed rations. As the Blight grew to consume nearly seventy percent of what was once arable land for flaxweed, the Emperor issued widespread traveling quarantines. And the locals, feeling oppressed by Imperial authority, rebelled, leading to widespread conflict. News of the hardships resulting from these measures reached Wannonians in the North and even in Tekon, itself, leading them to turn against the Emperor. As each year passed, the effects of the drought began to worsen.

In 1173, a large wildfire destroyed the city of Aron, sending thousands of refugees fleeing to the North, where they were blocked by Imperial forces. Such refugees confronted them with violence, and a major civil conflict broke out. In 1174, with many siding against the Emperor and his agenda against the refugees from Aron, an organized coup overthrew the Wannonian Imperial government, as Clastye II was murdered. With multiple figures claiming to be the successor, warring factions battled one another in the streets of Tekon and throughout Wannonia. On 17 October 1176, a wildfire destroyed Tekon, itself, sending remaining Wannonians in the region to flee elsewhere.

Between 1177 and 1200, the Wannonian territory consisted of nomadic militant groups roaming the countryside, battling each other while scavenging for food and resources.

President Henry

In 1183, President Harold Jameson of Combria was aging and seeking a figure to succeed him. In doing so, Jameson focused on two candidates: Jacob Thomas Henry and David James Pennwell. In November 1183, Jameson determined Pennwell to be the most qualified of the two, and appointed him to be the next President. However, Henry was determined to unseat Pennwell, and staged a scandal that landed the President-appointee under scrutiny. In March 1184, the Court found Pennwell guilty of such staged accusations; and the Council disqualified him from his future office. In April, seeing no other alternative, Jameson appointed Henry. When Pennwell uncovered evidence of Henry's involvement in the scandal, Henry's popularity led the Council and Court to dismiss such charges. And on 14 May 1184, Jacob Henry became the President of Combria.

The Perennial

President Henry, in the years that followed, implemented economic policies that would lead the nation through an unprecedented chapter of prosperity. He began with the payment of large sums of money to merchant Chiefs of Staff, who funded and established various firms that traded independently within the nation and abroad. Under Henry's orders, two canals were constructed to bisect each of the lower tier perimeters of the Diamond District.

As a result, Hasphitat became a major post of trade, with ships and barges frequenting its piers. Meanwhile, throughout the inland regions, the ebony mining industry became popular, as it was found that such material was useful in the efficient production and use of talismans. Most notable, however, was the resulting boom in the aviation industry, where large funds given to the newly-founded Department of Aviation led to the construction of government facilities that constructed mass numbers of planes and airships. Meanwhile, the Department gave remaining funds to notable aviation families, who established aviator leagues.

A very important innovation in the aircraft industry during this time was the invention of the pressurized cabin, making it possible to fly higher and further. In 1189, the first fleet of high-flying aircraft, consisting of military and passenger planes, was launched. In the years to come, aviator leagues, renting these aircraft, would establish regular passenger flight routes.

In 1192, the Perennial was launched, being noted as the first airship with a pressurized cabin. It was capable of flying at altitudes of 21000 feet and a distance of 5000 miles. As a demonstration of its potential, the Perennial took its commercial flight from Hasphitat directly to the city of Kitalos between 12-16 September 1192. That October, Combria and the Federation of Kitalos established an air trade route.

Marion's Disease

Infecting the victim by entering through the mouth, nose, eyes, or open wounds, Marion's Disease harms the body by consuming its host's nutrients and releasing a harmful waste byproduct into the blood stream. The body's response to this is a fever, accompanied by coughing, diarrhea, and vomiting. Without effective treatment, the disease usually would kill its victim in one of two ways: high fever and dehydration as a result of the body's immune system response, or effective suffocation by the high presence of the toxic byproduct.

Throughout the 1100s, industrialization in Southern Canticula led epidemics to spread, via trade flow, to the North. In the 1170s, several outbreaks of an "unknown disease," an earlier and weaker strain of Marion's Disease, swept through the nations of Furthing and Nassem. In 1184, another outbreak hit the region, claiming the life of one child. In 1189, the disease reached Hasphitat, where it was called "Dockman's Flu," and claimed one life. One year later, Hasphitat was struck by a worse strain of the disease, as 600 lives were lost.

And then the disease spread to Mikant.

Living from 1133 to 1217, Doctor Philip Marion, an archaeologist from Terredon, the Great North, was on a tour to study mysterious inscriptions on a stone slab near Mikant proper. On 1 May 1192, he left on a ship to the region, to which he arrived four days later. It was during the month of June that Marion, well into his studies, began noting local Mikanians falling ill. In the weeks that followed, many of them died, with such mortality in staggering numbers by the end of September. Fearing the conditions, Marion returned quickly to his home in Terredon, where he wrote letters describing the disease to Doctor Philip Osman, an honored figure in medicine. Osman traveled to Mikant, where he diagnosed the disease, naming it Marion's Disease, and developed effective treatment, which he wasted no time administering to the locals. Before long, the spread of the disease was effectively stopped.

President Henry vs. President Slaya

In January 1193, a coup in Abetz, the capital of Mikant, led to the overthrow of President Von DeKere, who was replaced by the revolutionary Mara Slaya. As the new President, Slaya opened a free market and expanded on Inland Sea trade. Favoring Mikanian traders, Slaya imposed stricter enforcement over Mikanian maritime claims, which upset the nation of Combria, which had been dominating the trade route for a number of years. Thus, tension began to mount.

Such tension broke in April of that year, when Jerrod Brown, illegally operating a side business in Combria, had a Combrian Court issue a warrant for his arrest. Instead, Brown fled to the nation of Mikant for asylum, which Slaya honored. President Henry approached Slaya, demanding that she extradite Brown; but Slaya refused, stating that Brown's actions were considered legal in Mikant. Henry retaliated with military force, which all but leveled the city of Mikant. Throughout Combria, President Henry paid media venues to maintain silence over the matter, fearing backlash. To this day, his actions are considered quite controversial with a speculation over the details.

Nevertheless, the Remikran Union levied repercussions against President Henry, as the Great North sanctioned the nation while rebuilding Mikant. Then, in June, a treaty was signed within the Union, which allocated Mikant and surrounding territories to President Henry as a form of consolation in exchange for reparations. Under Henry's orders, the city of Mikant was renamed New Jestopole. Slaya, seen as an aggressor, was made to leave, as a new Mikanian presidency and business market was established. The appointed Governor-General founded a special Trades Department to oversee all Mikanian economic transactions.

Combria: 1100-1125

Between the years 1100 and 1125, Combria achieved unprecedented population growth and economic prosperity, as an additional trade alliance was formed with neighboring Jurango.

President William Jeson was descended from the Kontacet family; however, pressure from the Leon family, from whom his wife, Maria, was descended, led Jeson to enact a few somewhat "sketchy" deeds, i.e. tax exemptions. The epitome of such came with the arrival of Arthur Chadwick in 1127.

Arthur Chadwick: The Early Years

Very soon after his arrival in Combria, the young Arthur Chadwick was appointed one of the Combrian National Councillors. Although favored greatly by the Leons, Chadwick's mysterious past alarmed the Kontacets. Nors Braedon, an assistant to Jeson in the mission against Taeac, ventured to Skanbraif, Chadwick's city of birth. Here, Braedon discovered that Chadwick had attempted the rape and murder of a significant noblewoman. Upon return to Jestopole, Braedon filed formal charges against Chadwick. On trial, Chadwick was convicted in the presence of plausible evidence; and Jeson ordered his removal from office as deportation back to the Great North.

Chadwick arrived back in the Great North in 1129, and was due to be arrested for his crimes; however, an anonymous family member bailed him out, privileging him from such an arrest. It was at this point that Chadwick saw his opportunity to return to Combria and regain his status.

Chadwick Seizes Power

In 1131, President Jeson developed an illness and became bedridden. Anticipating his death, he appointed George Mateon to succeed him, a move approved unanimously by the Council.

However, there was trouble within the Combrian population, as rural communities were increasingly unhappy with Jeson's open policies on diplomacy, primarily with the Wannonians and Jurangans. Chadwick began rallying these dissidents, vowing to stage a coup to overthrow the Combrian establishment and make himself President of Combria, and promising to, as President, revoke Jeson's rules. Between 1131 and 1132, numerous shootings and lynchings ensued, as President Jeson issued an order for Chadwick's arrest. However, Chadwick managed to evade the authorities. In December 1132, President Jeson died and was succeeded by Mateon. Within that month, Chadwick and his forces launched a coordinated attack on the capital city Jestopole, during which President Mateon was killed and the Kontacet establishment defeated. Promptly, Chadwick swore himself in as the new President of Combria.

In the year that followed, President Chadwick revoked the diplomatic trade policies with Wannonia, ordered the construction of a wall at the Wannonian border, and imposed tariffs on goods between Combria and Jurango.

1135: The Conquering of Jurango

By the end of 1133, Jurango was already beginning to suffer economically as a result of the tariffs. To dispel popular grievances against him, Chadwick authorized the continuation of the Bridge over the St. Eschel River, a project started by President Jeson years earlier. In 1135, the Bridge was nearing completion, but Chadwick witheld workers' paychecks until Jurango would surrender sovereignty of an island in the River further West. As a result, the Jurangan laborers rebelled and began tearing apart the Bridge, prompting Chadwick to deploy the Combrian Armed Forces. Jurango considered Chadwick's response to be an act of war and dispatched its own military forces, thus beginning the Combria-Jurango War. As the war was unfolding, Chadwick came forward with public determination to conquer Jurango and claim it for Combria.

Before long, the War came to a gridlock status; and Chadwick called upon Wannonia for assistance, promising to restore diplomacy with them as an exchange. Wannonia agreed only upon the condition that a portion of Jurangan territory was handed to them. By November 1135, the combined forces defeated the Jurangans and brought the Jurangan capital to utter ruin.

After the war, the Bridge project was continued by Combrian workers, and was completed in 1142. And that very same year, it was named Bridgetown. All Jurangan territories were now under the sole control of Combria, as Chadwick rolled back on his promises made to Wannonia. This would lead to diplomatic friction between the two nations in the years to come.

The Formation of the Federation of Kitalos

On 9 December 1121, King Andrew of the Great North gave the Southern portion of Pimdanian territories to Mikant. The local population in this region had been demonstrating public grievances over high taxes, lack of representation (as only Great Northerners could vote in Parliamentary elections), and the restriction of trade to Great Northern markets. As a result of this, the Kitalan nationality began to resurface. And thus, King Andrew's 1121 deal with Mikant would divide the population by constructing a wall between Great Northern and Mikanian claims, as Kitalans were made to build it, themselves, while the population would not be granted freedom of travel between the two regions.

Morstoros Imalan was a notable Kitalan who believed in Kitalan unity. As he was made to work on the wall, he began secretly recruiting rebelling forces. On 2 April 1124, these forces attacked, utilizing the mastered art of guerilla warfare via spellfire concealment and quiet gliders which served as an effective air force. The results were catastrophic for the Great North, as the conflict led to heavy casualties and the loss of Kitalos and surrounding territories. On 3 May, the threat of a coup in Linbrae prompted King Andrew, fearing further contempt by the humiliating costs of the war, withdrew Great Northern forces from the region and signed a peace treaty with the Kitalans.

The Mikanian Acquisition of Arukas, Abetz, and Yticsanve

In 1125, heroic stories stemming from the revolution in Kitalos inspired dissidents to overthrow the ruling power in nearby Arukas. In place of the overthrown Monarchy was established a federation. But by 1126, this democratic government was bankrupt; and, in a desperate financial deal, said government signed a deal to sell all of its territories to Mikant. Later that year, Mikant signed a deal with the Kitalan Federation to acquire Kitalan land between the two territories.

Pasiek, After Taeac

Between 1077 and 1086, Pasiek experienced a great deal of growth, as the Fort Norm site was converted into a facility housing hubstone shale burning processes, and hubstone shale mines emerged. Soldiers having fought in the recent conflict stayed in Pasiek, as peace followed, and families moved in with them. The population continued its growth, leading the Great Northern government to hire laborers for the construction of more brick structures. Before long, the city saw the emergence of factories, shops, houses, and even a market district. Along with the structures emerged brick and concrete streets.

One of the most important discoveries concerning hubstone shale during this time was its ability to produce electricity. However, early on, the Great North implemented an experimental system of this in Pasiek, where a primitive hubstone-based generator proved inefficient, and a power grid, running street lights and connections to houses and public structures, proved largely unreliable. Despite the growth, progress was limited by high taxes and heavy regulation, as hubstone facilities were purely government infrastructure. Furthermore, the Great North discriminated against the Ujean population, a branch of the Mundaesian population. Initially promised large rewards during recruitment, the Ujeans helped to defeat Taeac, only to find that their rewards would be paid in the form of a few coppers per month as part of a monthly installment that would never pay the full amount within a lifetime. The Ujeans began protesting against this, but the government shut them out of the city of Pasiek.

William Jeson, Rising Popularity

William Jeson was assigned to preside as Lieutenant Governor over Pasiek, where he was given orders to administer a police force over each sector of the city. Such a force, though, would only function hierarchically under Great Northern Army. Jeson's other role was to collect taxes to submit to Arnold Brimmley, his superior and Governor of Terredon.

Despite this, Jeson was strongly opposed to Great Northern discrimination against the Ujeans and convened with his parent family, the Kontacet family, to launch a political agenda. Such an agenda throttled the idea of opening Pasiek to the Ujean population, establishing free trade, deregulating the hubstone shale industry and making it private infrastructure, and expanding education by establishing a University. This platform became quite popular, gaining support among the Ujeans and the Pasiek working class. Jeson and his many followers gathered and submitted a petition to Governor Brimmley, who rejected it, triggering a wave of protests. Upon popular referendum, Jeson sent a similar letter to Queen Sarah of the Great North in the hopes that her authorization would override the powers of Brimmley. But Her Majesty, herself, declined; and Jeson, furthermore, received a letter of warning from Governor Brimmley, who threatened to impose economic sanctions to the city for "insubordination." Widespread protests raged throughout Pasiek and towns in the surrounding territories, as Jeson, siding with the protestors, did not make any effort to enforce containment measures.

The Ujean and Wannonian Coalition

Begrudging of the Great North over the loss of territory in the Four-Nations War, Wannonia, during this time, publicly cited an opportunity the Great North had to stop Taeac from reaching Remikra, and, therefore, blamed the Kingdom for the violence and terror inflicted upon the Wannonians by Taeac. Sharing common hostilities, they were joined by the Ujeans, as they, together, planned to wage war upon the Great North and regain the land lost. As a measure of diplomacy, Wannonia would allocate a section of sovereign land lining the St. Eschel River to the Ujeans, and pay them the remainder of wealth to them owed by the Great North.

Agreement and the Formation of Combria

In 1085, the Wannonians and Ujeans met in a special Council, where they sent a formal letter to Queen Sarah of the Great North, threatening war for failure to pay the Ujeans their compensation in full, and for failure to give the Ujeans sovereign land along the St. Eschel River. The Queen refused to adhere to these demands, and, instead, ordered the Linbraeans and Edoran Kingdoms, along with their respective Duchies, to build their defenses. She furthermore ordered Terredon Governor Brimmley to ready his defenses. Brimmley, subsequently, sent a similar letter to Jeson.

Jeson, however, issued a call for a special peace negotiation between the three parties: Wannonia, the Great North, and the Ujean community, during which he submitted a proposition to form a new sovereign nation governed by Pasiek as a territory purchased from the Great North under the Partitioned Lands Act, and would function in adherence to the Queen's Mandate. As the leader of this new nation, Jeson would then implement his original agenda to eradicate discrimination against the Ujean population, establish free trade, and found a University. And furthermore, he would form a hubstone trade deal, where no tariffs would be imposed upon the transaction of the valued material between the new nation, Wannonia, and the Great North.

Fearing lost business with the hubstone shale industry, Queen Sarah initially rejected the deal, but then reconsidered when the Kontacet family intervened, raising the bid of the territory. On 11 December 1085, the agreement was signed.

Combrian Establishment

On 12 February 1086, the new territory became officially recognized as the Chartered State of Combria, where, in respect to Jeson, its capital city, the city of Pasiek, was renamed Jestopole. William Jeson became the President of Combria. Over Combria was established a form of government known as an "incumbent-appointed-presidential-council." In this system, the nation of Combria was governed by a President, who would eventually appoint a successor President before retirement. Alongside the President served a Council of 100 people serving both a judicial and legislative role. For the President, along with each Member of Council, said position would be appointed a successor by the incumbent before retirement or death. If an unexpected vacancy occurred, then the President would appoint a successor if it was a vacancy in Council, or the Council would vote for a new President if it was the President. The nation of Combria was divided into five Districts over which presided each a Governor and Council. And each District was divided into five Counties, over which presided each a Commissioner and Council. Appointments and vacancy protocols were the same for Districts and Counties.

Every Council adhered otherwise to constitutional principles similar to the Great Northern Bill of the Crown Authority. Also accordingly, each Council functioned by passing laws by simple majority votes, while the President, Governor, or Commissioner enacted them.

Anadon

Slated by Queen Alexandra for construction to begin in the year 1061, the city of Anadon was dedicated to the Queen's daughter, Ana. The oldest daughter of Alexandra, Ana was destined to be the next Queen, as she was arranged to marry Paul, who would then become the King. However, Ana was not keen for this way of life, bemoaning the lack of freedom of choice; and, in 1069, she fled the Kingdom with a pirate, to whom she would eventually be married.

Despite such a loss to Alexandra, construction on the city continued, as it would serve as another fortress for domestic strategic reasons.

Another purpose was served, though, as, in 1073, Terredon was attacked by another group of pirates. Parliament voted to move itself and the Crown to Anadon, where the new Palace and Parliament Building were completed by November 1073.

The Hobland War of Independence, 1076

In 1076, Queen Alexandra sent divisions of the Navy and Infantry to eliminate one of the key enemy strategic points in the Southeast Hobland colonies. As they landed, however, the Great Northern forces were ambushed by a "house cannon" attack, and were made to retreat. Between June and September, revolutionaries attacked a key Great Northern stronghold in what became the Battle of Myrre, which proved a great loss for Alexandra. With land lost and a high number of casualties endured, the Queen of the Great North sent a letter to the top revolutionary figures, indicating surrender and a call for counsel.

On 10 November 1076, the Treaty of Kortan was signed, in which all Great Northern forces were made to withdraw from the region, while all blue-diamond coal sand mines and resources were turned over to the new nation. For a compromise, a very small quota was placed as a limit for the precious fuel to be vended in any way to the Great North on a yearly basis.

Energy Crisis and Economic Downturn

The coal sand quota in the Treaty was around 25 percent of the supply to the Great North in previous years, creating a severe shortage. As a result, heating and transportation became extremely expensive, leading to the failure of businesses and the loss of jobs. As many Great Northerners fell into poverty, the Crown launched an emergency agenda in search for a new energy source. Many new ideas were generated as a result of this, but all were seemingly short-sighted, doing little to alleviate the circumstances.

A resource in particular brought into discussion during this time was hubstone shale. Initially found in Hobland and Tandeiyah during ancient times, hubstone shale was seen as something of mystery and wonder. The latest discovery of such a resource before this time was a very large reserve of it near Fort Norm in the late 900s, with a majority of it being underground. In the 1030s, numerous scientists, following a popular trend among their own scholarly community, published research documents suggesting its usefulness as an energy source. However, this was overshadowed during the times that blue-diamond coal sand reserves were plentiful. Furthermore, another wave of scientific studies conducted in the 1050s determined that hubstone shale served no useful purpose, even though the tools, at the time, were not yet developed to extract its energy. As a result, hubstone shale was effectively forgotten, as it occasionally became an item of youthful fashion, being crafted into jewelry and inefficient talismans.

Queen Alexandra: Death, Succession, and Partitioning of Overseas Land

In 1077, Queen Alexandra called for a Special Council with Parliament, citing that the Royal Treasury, due to the ensuing economic hardships, was approaching bankruptcy. Tax reform agendas fell short due to the notion that the number of businesses closing led to an absence of sustainable revenue, and that taxing a poor population would potentially lead to a coup. In the end, the Council came to a temporary solution: to sell overseas territories to wealthy Great Northern families. And thus, the Partitioning of Lands Act was passed.

Under this legislation, each overseas territory was put to auction and sold to the party with the highest bid. Such the purchasing party would govern the land as a semi-independent territory. Each territory would be granted a Queen's Mandate, in which each new land could exist as an independent country under a new government but had to abide by a few parameters. The most important parameters outlined in each Mandate were that each government had to abide by the Great Northern Bill of Rights and the Statute of Limited Authority (the equivalent of the Bill of the Crown Authority). Each new government was required to provide advice to the Great Northern Crown for the appointment of a presiding Governor-General, who would supervise the new government. Each Governor-General would do so by holding the government thereof accountable for adhering to the Queen's Mandate, and by approving the appointment of a successor to the territory's Chief of State or Head of Government.

With this arrangement, Queen Alexandra saw the selling of the Galapolgis and Rim Islands between 1078 and her death in 1079. With the absence of Ana, it was the second oldest daughter, Sarah, who succeeded the Throne. Queen Sarah continued the Partitioning of Lands policy, selling the remainder of the Galapolgis by 1080, the Canticulan territories between 1081 and 1083, and Tandeiyah in 1085.

William Jeson and Fort Norm

Taeac was an illegal spellcrafter fighting for Hoblandish locals in present-day Notulfa. In 1075, he and his followers were forced from their territory of command and traveled in ships to the area of Inland Sea coastline surrounding present-day Hasphitat. Here, they slaughtered a sacred den of bears, angering the local population of Jurango, who retaliated with divisions of warriors who defeated Taeac's forces and sold many of them into Wannonian slavery. Taeac followed the prisoners into Wannonia, where he helped many of them escape, retraining them and launching them as forces upon other plantations to rescue the remaining prisoners. In 1077, they traveled into Combria, then under the Kingdom of the Great North, and settled in Fort Norm, which was abandoned by this time. In Fort Norm, Taeac subjected his followers to serfdom and had them, with the use of spellfire, build brick structures in quick fashion, as the city of Pasiek was established. It was during this time that Taeac discovered a method of extracting energy from hubstone shale.

A Great Northern traveler came across this society en route and immediately dispatched a message of concern to Queen Sarah in Anadon.

William Benson was born in 1056 as the nephew of the infamous George Benson. In 1068, to remove the immense association of guilt, his family legally changed their surname from 'Benson' to 'Jenson'; and in 1075, William, himself, dropped the first 'n' from the name, changing it to 'Jeson.'

William Jeson received basic training, and, before long, advanced up the ranks of the Great Northern Infantry. However, it was not until 1077 that he received his first assignment for active combat: to scout out the call of concern regarding Fort Norm. Jeson immediately recruited a division of forces and traveled to Fort Norm, where he was captured by Taeac's forces. However, he used spellfire skills gained from the past to escape, and subsequently alerted his stationed forces, who then sent a message to the Queen. The Queen sent a division of the Navy up the river to Fort Norm, where they converged with Jeson's division and launched a coordinated assault upon Taeac, who carried out brutal resistance through intense spellfire acts, and initially inflicted high casualties. The Queen, expecting this, dispatched another Navy division to serve as reinforcements, and effectively forced Taeac's defenses into retreat. Before long, Fort Norm was surrounded, but Taeac refused to surrender. An assassin, though, ended Taeac's life; and Great Northern forces reclaimed the Fort.

The Great North: Industrial Boom, Overseas Expansion, and the Establishment of Terredon

During this period, the Kingdom of the Great North and its land claims saw the emergence of numerous factories including textile mills, manufacturing plants, and metal crafting facilities.

Scriptfire, having originated in the late 800s and early 900s, evolved into industrial talisman production. Based upon the talisman industry came into existence various trinkets and devices, most notably clocks and gyroscopes.

In the railroad industry, trains connected every major city in Northern Remikra except for Norm; and by the year 1045, a train ran between two major cities twice a day at any given location. Smaller rail lines, meanwhile, connected the suburbs around each major city. The most remarkable achievement was in the year 1050, when a rail line connecting the Edoran and Linbraean Regiondoms was completed, making it possible to travel cross-country directly by rail. Meanwhile, rail networks arose and expanded in Great Northern territories overseas, as the major cities on the West Canticulan peninsula were connected.

Such robust rail networks were all powered by steam engines burning blue-diamond coal sands, the mining of which created many jobs. Along with trains, coal sands powered factories and steam-boats. Before long, a large market emerged for the resource, which was expensive at first but became affordable as more coal sand deposits were discovered.

Most Great Northern land acquisitions in Northern Canticula were peaceful transactions, as the superpower trekked further to the East. However, there were numerous conflicts, carried out by stubborn local figures who resisted; but they were easily defeated by the Great North. Following behind the advancing lines of the Great Northern border were established cities and industrial infrastructures, as the Great North began to have profound influence on the continent. The Great North also gained control over the Hobland territories, although it did fail to conquer present-day Notulfa, due to the brutal resistance measures carried out. Such the latter was abandoned.

Sulledon was established as a seaport in the year 1001; and by the 1030s, it became quite affluent. In 1021, however, a pirate attack upon the city prompted the King and Queen to establish a large Navy reserve around its harbor. Such an agenda effectively rendered the city safe by 1023, so much so, that King Philip and Queen Mary, wanting to have better enforcement over trade taxes, decided to move the Great Northern Crown to this spot. With such a decision made came the desire for additional layers of protection. So, under the orders of the King, one great wall around the city and harbor, and three defensive layers around a designated perimeter in the center of Sulledon, was built. Upon this perimeter was constructed the Crown Seat, named the Stellion Palace. On 15 October 1036, the project was declared officially completed, as the city was renamed Terredon; and it was here on this day that the Crown's location was officially established.

One year later, King Philip died of a heart condition. Nevertheless, under Queen Mary, the Great North continued to prosper.

The Great North: Early Crises

On 9 June 1039, a coordinated pirate attack was waged against the cities of Edora and Cales. Queen Mary, intent on defeating these pirates, could not yet find the location of their base; so she signed orders to triple the size of the Navy around the Great Northern homeland and recruit numerous additional divisions from lands abroad to provide regular patrol and coverage over the Northern part of the Circlarian Ocean, as well as the Galapolgis Islands. By 1045, the Navy presence quota was achieved, as the Great North arguably became the most significant power in the Circlarian Realm.

Meanwhile, in 1041, blue-diamond coal sand mines in the Moorlands began to run dry, leading to a rise in prices and temporary slowing in industry. In response to this, Queen Mary launched an agenda for a Circlarian-wide search for additional reserves. In 1044, large reserves, even larger than the ones in the Moorlands, were discovered throughout Southeast Hobland. To this area, the Queen launched numerous military agendas for tighter control, as land was sold and partitioned off to various Great Northern companies for mining. By 1046, the early blue-diamond coal sands crisis was resolved.

Succession of Great Northern Monarchies: 1037-1079

King Philip and Queen Mary were coronated on 14 May 998, bringing into existence the Kingdom of the Great North. As mentioned above, King Philip ruled until his death in 1037. Queen Mary then continued her rule over the Great North until her death in 1051, arguably the apex for the expansive empire. Mary was succeeded by her daughter, Queen Alexandra, who would rule until the year 1079.

George Benson: The First Invasion of Prove

Born in Cales in the year 1038, George Benson would come to have a distinguished career in the Great Northern Navy, contributing greatly to the keeping of the pirates at bay during the attacks of 1039. He was then promoted to Admiral and assigned to command a Fleet which covered Vantacula and a section of the Eastern Galapolgis Islands.

Benson was descended from the Weller family on his mother's side. He was embarrassed and begrudging of Jacob I's decision to abandon the Edoran Kingdom, while he was proud of Jacob II's choice to return and restore the Edoran Kingdom from the Kramers. As discovered later through personal memoirs, though, Jacob II had an agenda to defeat and bring Prove under Edoran influence, but died before that ever happened. George Benson felt that it was his calling to fulfill the latter agenda, but, in order to gain approval from Queen Alexandra, had to find a reasonable cause.

During the late 1050s and early 1060s, numerous pirate attacks became problematic throughout the Galapolgis region. Of this, Benson took advantage, claiming to the Queen, in a proposition he made to her in 1061, that these pirates were headed by the King of Prove, who was planning a large-scale and coordinated assault on the Great Northern homeland. He then asked to have at his disposal a division each of the Navy, Infantry, Cavalry, and aerovehicles (part of the Navy at this point) to attack and defeat the Provan Kingdom, and establish it as a Great Northern territory. However, upon viewing evidence suggesting otherwise that a pirate base was found on a Galapolgis Island closer to Southern Remikra, and upon knowing of his history and suspecting of his personal agenda, Queen Alexandra denied Admiral George Benson even admission to her Personal Council. To the rejection letter, Benson composed a refutation, alleging that her sources should be questioned. The Queen responded to this by re-assigning Benson to command a Navy Fleet along the West Coast of Tandeiyah, located further North and much further from Canticula.

Frustrated by this, Benson remained determined to carry out his quest.

In October 1062, the Admiral of the Navy Fleet North of where Benson was stationed was dispatched temporarily to address a pirate attack elsewhere, leaving Benson in charge of both Fleets. It was in this moment that Benson saw an opportunity, as he had enough soldiers to carry out an invasion. In the weeks that ensued, he withheld distributions of "The Soldiers' Note," a pamphlet that served as communication between soldiers and Great Northern society, and replaced such a medium with his own pamphlet falsely depicting the Queen addressing a "Provan Threat." As he trained the soldiers for an invasion of Prove, he arranged a supply line and purchased large amounts of coal sands from Hobland, withholding letters of such which were addressed to the Crown. On 17 March 1063, Benson and the two Fleets under his command launched, setting out across the Circlarian Ocean bound for Prove.

On 17 October 1063, Benson's fleet arrived in the Bay of Prove, where Benson's ships fired upon the stone cannon turrets of Provan defenses. The Provans, however, retaliated with "house cannons," cannons hidden in the roofs of homes and shops. Furthermore, Queen Alexandra, having soon heard of Benson's hidden agenda, cut off his supply line. As a result, a majority of Benson's ships were destroyed, as large numbers of casualties were inflicted; and Provan ships soon closed on Benson's. On the last day of the month, Benson surrendered and was taken prisoner.

On 4 March 1064, Provan authorities received a letter from Queen Alexandra ordering the extradition of Benson back to the Great North homeland. Upon return to the Great North on 7 June 1064, Benson was discharged from the Navy and sent to work as a member of the Royal Shipbuilding Guild in St. Eschel. The Queen, furthermore, issued an order for blue-diamond coal sands in the Hoblandish colonies to never again supply fuel to Benson.

The Great North: Tension with the Motanian Empire

Throughout the 1050s and 1060s, the Great North continued gaining land to the East in Northern Canticula. But in October 1064, at the Curatoring River, Great Northerners spotted the Motanian Empire on the opposite bank, as the river served as a border between the two powers. Tension soon developed at the center of which was, in the River, an island containing a great amount of valuable iron ore. Such buildup of friction was preceded, also, by indirect hostility with the Motanians, as independent merchants loyal to each side fought one another. The two powers were equally matched in military and firearms, as it seemed more and more likely that there would be a major conflict; and during this time, the Kingdom of Prove signed an alliance with the Motanians.

George Benson: The Second Invasion of Prove

It was during such buildup of tension between the Motanians and the Great Northerners that George Benson escaped from his post in the Shipbuilding Guild and returned to the Navy, disguised as a freshman recruit. Under this guise, he secretly re-connected with some of his old loyal soldiers while recruiting new followers. He traveled to various locations where he did this, and after determining that he recruited as many people as possible, snuck away with them from each former location and traveling to the new one. By the time he convened with all of them on the Island of Vantacula, their numbers were equal to that of three Navy Fleets, more than he had for the first invasion. In Vantacula, he implemented the same agenda of withholding pamphlets and replacing them with propaganda, except this wave of propaganda depicted Prove as a threat and condemned the Queen for ignoring this. As he trained his recruits, Benson arranged for a secret transaction of coal sands from the Hoblandish colonies, disguising himself in the appropriate letters as the Queen and employing the same methods of withholding any paperwork from the actual Crown. He then arranged a secret supply line, this time with the assistance of the nation of Wannonia. And on 5 January 1067, he and his three Fleets launched for Prove.

They arrived in Prove on 16 June 1067, where they found the Kingdom of Prove noticeably weakened from a war it was fighting in the Red Desert. Benson's ships fired upon Provan defenses, once again. This time, Provan defenses failed; and Benson's soldiers stormed the city, forcing the Provan King to flee. In his place, George Benson crowned himself the King.

Alarmed by this and by news that a messenger ship was hurrying toward Motan, Queen Alexandra of the Great North scrambled five Navy Fleets to confront Benson. On 1 September 1067, these Navy ships arrived in the Bay of Prove and opened fire, toppling Benson's regime within three days, and forcing the defective Admiral to surrender. He was immediately placed under arrest by Great Northern authorities and sent back to the Great North. Other Great Northern ships rushed to the East to send the approaching Motanian Navy a signal of peace, as a Council was called in Prove in October 1067. Here, a peace treaty was finally signed between the Great North and the Motanian Empire and the Provan Kingdom re-established.

Meanwhile, George Benson was tried and convicted of treason, which would have warranted a death sentence. However, being indirectly related to royal blood, Benson was, instead, sentenced to exile in Northern Hobland, in present-day Notulfa and away from the Great Northern colonies.

The Hobland Independence War: 1068-1076

The Great Northern colonies in Hobland held great value to the Kingdom, as they contained 80 percent of the supply of blue-diamond coal sands. However, the colonists and local inhabitants were unhappy with the Great Northern Crown, voicing grievances of high taxation, lack of voice in Parliament, harsh mining conditions, lack of proper payment for labor, and exploitation of resources. Queen Alexandra, concerned primarily with Benson and Motanian affairs, as well as persistent pirate attacks in the Galapolgis region, failed to adhere to the colonists' and locals' numerous petitions. As a result, on 1 May 1068, the colonies declared independence and waged war upon the present Great Northern forces.