The Two States Alliance (~460 MH - ~520 MH)
Rusager, like many modern nations, did not begin its life in its current form. From the collapse of the Gnoman Empire came a great many tribulations, with many of the northern states put to waste by the Galist hordes. Some banded together salvaging the remains of their civilisation, their culture, while others used the opportunity to take control.
Two states were examples of both, Resa and Vilqus. Both monarchies named for their rulers, Resa's ruler had (originally), been elected, and Vilqus' had seized power. Both relatively small and both following the Gnoman Cathirianism, they were natural allies in a north beset by Galists and with Hythness arising again. The strength of the two was modest, but organisation of any sort meant survival was at least a possibility.
Contemporary sources put Vilqus as the older of the pair, with claims that it formed immediately in the aftermath of the Collapse, however historical evidence contradicts this. Resa is actually the senior, the fledgling nation taking it’s leadership directly from senior human administrators in the Gnoman Empire. Contrary to this Vilqus went through an intense period of infighting, with several local leaders vying for power before one won out. Indeed, it was well into the 5th century MH that the two states had properly established themselves.
Going into the 6th
century the relationship was a little more strained. While the twin
states had seen off the retreating
Galists, Vilqus’ ambition had lead to many issues inviting the ire of
neighbouring nations, in turn dragging Resa into foreign wars. While
spoils would bes split, the most important prizes, territory, and the
resources
that would come with it, would never be suitable for Resa to protect,
and always went to Vilqus. When Vilqus started to poke the bear in the
north, Ovrin, Resa had no choice but to formally break their alliance
ending one of the few formally signed treatise at the time.
Ruin and Unification (~520 MH - 644 MH)
The next half century would not be good for Resa, the mercantile nation had predominantly been trading goods north to Ovrin and Palingvyre, and east, through Keosia to other Gnomanic nations. However, a combination of factors would then prevent this flow from continuing.
At this time Resa was still heavily forested, the export of flora was not yet dominant and was an internal pillar of the economy, as opposed to an external one. The forests themselves however, did yield high levels of wild game and the products of those associated industries. These were in particular demand in the north, as much of Ovrin had been logged heavily during Gnoman times, and while grazers had existed, the Galists had left nothing behind. In return, refined materials from Ovrunn industry and agricultural imports came into the country.
When Palus declared war on Ovrin however, this demand dried up. Palus not needing Resian goods, and so the Resians were forced to rely on Keosia.
Recognising their reliance on the import perishables such as grains from Keosia attempts were made to produce these domestically. Large swathes of forest were cleared to make way for farms but uptake in this profession was slow and all this succeeded in doing was reducing the Resian capacity to export game. A crippling blow would also come in the form of a Hythnetic uprising in Keosia, meaning there was now no way for foreign products to be imported.
With the unsustainable growth and reliance on the game that they had now decimated, Resa entered a prolonged famine. Leadership had always been distance, the ruling dynasty exercising control through local representatives. When unrest started to occur, Resa had no capacity to put this down and desperation crept in.
With nowhere else to turn to, Olus, (the successor state to Vilqus ruled over by a new dynasty), was invited to enter the country to help manage the unrest. Unsurprisingly taking advantage of this opportunity, a few years of war ensued, the end result of this was the ousting of the Resian royal family and their replacement with the king of what would henceforth be called Resalia, Alcium III.
The naming of Resalia was deliberate, Olus rely on the lack of propagation of information to suggest that this had a mutual union, of which Resa was the beneficiary. This worked to an extent, allowing them to comfortably annex the nation in a relatively peaceful manner, at least outwardly. As the grip of Olus over its former ally strengthened, details of Resa where slowly eroded away. In the present day, the names of those first Resian monarchs remain a mystery, although Olus could not extinguish the memory of the country itself. Other records, likely stored in Keosia are presumed lost to war, with the incoming Hythnetics seeking to erase the prior culture, and Ovrin not being known for its literacy rates.
The Golden Century (644 MH - ~760 MH)
Following the unification of Resalia, the country underwent a dramatic demographic shift. It’s economy was ultimately stabilised, with the incoming Olus bringing much needed relief for those in need. While it was impossible to solve the issues immediately, the relative wealth of Olus bought valuable time for the country to adapt to agriculture on a massed scale and develop a level of self sufficiency it had formerly lacked. The two cultures started to merge forming a new and distinct ideal of a Resalian.
Deforestation on a mass scale took place to further this shift to agriculture and in doing so, it lead to the development of other industries, most notably, scribing. The Resalian woodlands yielded trees that were perfect for the production of paper, this product was in demand in the north, many nations had poorly managed their forest and Resalia had the advantage of learning from their follies. The managed economy of this, undoubtedly pulled the nation back from the brink of bankruptcy.
The knock on effect of paper cannot be understated. It allowed people access to books, which in turn created a demand for literacy. The large scale of farming that was now undertaken allowed for the rapid urbanisation and education of otherwise poorer individuals. Service based economies picked up and Resalia became a pioneer for new technology.
Even prior to its unification, the wild flowers of Resa and Olus were quite famous. With agriculture now a staple, it is only natural that these plants would be cultivated as well. Botanists would then study and utilise the unique flora of their nation, creating another key export, perfume.
Demand was still predominantly based on religious and cultural compatibility, so most of the produce went north to Palus. This was not a bad thing, however, not at all. It became all the rage for noble families to write on Resalian paper, purchase and display their flowers, and wear their perfume. Palus had no shortage of these, and a particular selection even made their way back to Scottingly, this only furthering the demand of these products.
Papal Recognition (814 MH)
Despite warming relations with Palus, Resalia was still relatively isolated and certainly starved of natural allies. When Papal missionaries came north therefore, Resalia was very responsive to the idea of joining the Church. Both Olus and Resa had Gnoman roots, and thusly the vast majority of their citizens were Cathirian and most importantly, the royal family was Cathirian. They quickly acquiesced to the Papacy’s wishes, being granted two cardinals and consecrating their monarch.
Resalia was not particularly consequential for the Papacy’s plans in the north, but undoubtedly, they would help bend the ears of those in power nearly two centuries later, when the Papacy finally got a foothold in Palus.
A New Alliance (883)
Following the Palus’ acceptance of the Papacy, nearly three decades of warming relationships lead to the formation of an alliance between Resalia and it’s northern neighbour. It may have been considered by many to be a one sided affair, with Palus having the favourable balance of the power, but this would under sell just how much the economic influence of Resalia had grown.
Resalian perfume was not only a staple of noble houses, but also of the urban middle classes, particularly in the border domains. Typically, these would be soldiers, guildsmen, and other professionals, in other words, just the people to exert political pressure on the most powerful lords in the area. As it was, the balance of power was just about right, to keep both parties happy, at least for that.
The Floral Revolution (914 MH - 918 MH)
Although outwardly Resalia had appeared to be an internally stable nation, this was not quite the complete truth. The House of Olus that had ruled Resalia for centuries now, did so ruthlessly. Absolute power is hard to come by, but by the time King Verracus took the throne in 908, he was about as close as one can get to it. The family controlled most areas of government as well as high positions in industry. With amassed wealth, they were in prime position to cement their future income by taking advantage of mercantile advances of the country.
This can be best illustrated with their control of the perfume industry. While they held a large portion of it, the House of Olus was always careful to balance their own interests with the interests of private competitors. The idea was to create the illusion of a fair playing field, when in fact, any rising enterprise was almost certainly backed by the royal house. After nearly three centuries of control however, the mask was very much slipping and it became something of an open secret.
During the Golden Century life had been good and the rising wealth of the lower classes had lead to an aura of immunity for the rulers Resalia, but those days were long gone, and in many ways planted the seeds of the revolution that was to come. The Papacy involvement had taken a slight chunk of that wealth with the Church tax, export levies by the King took a little more and so on. Further to this, unlike in the past, where the vast majority of people provided of themselves, Resalia once again found itself facing a crisis of agriculture. So important had it’s exports become that many had pivoted from growing crops to strike it rich with botanicals spreading the stream of incoming foreign wealth ever thinner. Put simply, the optimism and near paradise espoused in the stories of the times of old did not live up to the reality now faced by the upcoming generations.
A Scandal at Atcaster (914 MH)
The House of Olus had long enjoyed hosting lavish parties both to garner influence with their neighbours and allies, as well as for their personal enjoyment. In the north, this mainly involved hosting dignitaries from the Papacy and Palingvyre, as these were by far the most convenient by way of travel, but also occasionally included further flung foreigners. The particulars of hosting foreign nobility are notoriously fraught with risk, with the potential to commit a cultural faux pas all to present. That being said, the Papacy made their expectations very clear and Resalia had now become very familiar with Palish etiquette. Or so it was thought.
Venrii Palace at Ancaster had been selected by the Papacy to host a delegation of cardinals currently engaged in the surrounding non-Cathirian nations. The Conclave of Venrii, as it would come to be known, should have been a great victory for the House of Olus, who had been courting the event even when its existence was mere rumour. They played host to cardinals from Kedoma, Geltvyre, Virdama and Leodama, and were given a rich opportunity, low investment in showing these cardinals support for vast reward should their respective nations switch. It was perhaps with this in mind, that King Verracus himself would stand before the assembled and give a great speech.
There he espoused the greatness of their faith and the depravity of those lessor religions. It was well rehearsed, utilising tried and tested topics that had been successful in the past, a sure-fire winning address but for one overlooked detail. These were not typical members of the Papacy. The representatives hosted would usually come from the south, or be high ranking members of the Resalian church, and thus, would be staunchly Cathirian... and only Cathirian. Cathirianism however, was not so exclusive, even at this time. The Bashiric Conclave had been founded for a century now, although in a landlocked country like Resalia, it was virtually unknown. More pointedly, it would be within the century that Geltism would be inducted into the Church and labelling such beliefs as ‘depraved’ may have hit a little too close to home, with parallels between this, and the critique that had seen them expelled from Hythness in the first place.
Verracus therefore, continued to host what he perceived to be a wholly successful event, when in fact, the opposite was true. The cardinals were not best pleased, and the opening speech had not been the only point at which beliefs they may have held close were dismissed. As such, on the eve of day following the event, a Papal Sanction was placed upon Resalia, banning public worship, closing all churches, withdrawing all cardinals, and stripping the monarch of his consecration.
It was a particularly unfortunate slip that had wide reaching consequences. Where indiscretions between nobility could be swept under the rug, the Church had its own methods to ensure the disgrace was well publicised. When worshippers would come to the doors of their churches that day and find notices pinned upon them, defaming their king, this lit the tinderbox and ignited revolution.
The Floral Revolution
The revolution began proper towards the end of the year as independent enterprises banded together to create pockets of resistance across the countries. Rural, the rebels would be away from prying eyes but were disorganised and often unaware of each other. At best, a wealthier competitor to the royal backed business would be able to use their wealth to develop the underground network that was needed to begin the rebellion. The botanists and farmers that they were would give the revolution its name.
Ebb and Flow
Throughout the following year, these pockets of uprisings would take on a more unified front. They were overwhelmed by the royalist numbers, at least when they showed themselves, but all this did was make it harder to hide the rebellion from other dissidents. The Floralist Alliance as they became known, were an internal faction vying for power, but it was not long before unfriendly eyes from afar turned to Resalia.
Kedoma had undergone its own theocratic revolution and Hythnetic extremists took the opportunity of destabilisation to further their own goals. This was a blow for the Floralists, who found themselves infiltrated and used as a cover for brutality. Many of the worst attacks in the eastern cities of Atcaster and Dester were in fact Kedomite Hythnetic insurgents, attempting to subvert the Cathirian nation and take control of it themselves. This was undoubtedly a high aspiration and not something to be easily achieved, but it certainly seemed to be working. The Floralists were, for the most part, oblivious to their exploitation and could ill afford to question the help they received.
Indeed, the tide of the royalists were unending. Atcaster and Dester were still firmly in the oppositions grasp and, while Recester did have some sympathies for the rebellion, in was far away from throwing in its lot with a losing cause. After nearly a quarter of the countries industry had been burned away, it seemed the rebellion was doomed to fail when yet another player entered the fray.
To say that Palus had watched carefully would be an overstatement, it was more tangentially aware that its southern neighbour was experiencing some turmoil, but was hardly going to kick up a fuss about it. Provided the perfume still flowed in, there would be nothing to worry about, but this was just the catch. Those goods had became scarce, and as the nobility looked south, they saw two factions. One that had been reasonably loyal and decently friendly, but was now burning away the products they desired, and another who had grown and sold that product. In addition, the Papacy, while not wholly consequential in Palus at the time, was a consideration. It would be trouble to aggravate them by siding with an enemy. The King decreed it, and so it was. Palus sent a large regiment of troops south to support and train the rebellion.
Recester Defects (916 MH)
The defection of Recester was a key part in the revolution. In the year of 916 MH it formally declared its support of the Floralists. This was essential, it gave access to wealth and manpower never before held by the rebels. The training offered by Palish soldiers was useful, but was even better when the farmers could actually be equipped with proper armaments. The Palish troops were also indirectly and inadvertently useful in nullifying the threat posed by the Hythnetics, as they could not be subverted. The troops supported the Floralists yes, but were not beholden to them and Hythnetic manipulation would not sway them to needlessly destabilising acts. The Hythnetics slunk back to Kedoma, their opportune moment lost.
The Fall of Dester (917 MH)
The next step for the combined revolutionary force, was to wait. A stalemate of sorts occurred, the rural expertise of the rebellion making it hard for the royalists to traverse more than a few miles beyond their forts and cities. The casualties here were low, but notably a discomfort and unease was growing within the city. The populace was still staunchly Cathirian the Papal sanction was still effect, depriving their people of their much needed faith. What’s more, the Floral Revolution unusually saw a widespread of propaganda by both sides, and the Floralists often circulated pamphlets claiming that they in their opposition, stood at the side of the Great Lord. The simple fact was, it was hard for the House of Olus to proclaim they were winning when the doors of their churches were bolted shut, when people could not be married, and when burial rites could not be administered.
Worse would yet come, as starvation began to set in. Atcaster, the royal capital, was well provisioned, but Dester was not. The surrounding towns too began to struggle into the winter of 917 MH, and this was when the now Revolutionary Army struck. Its training had been long, but effective. Little resistance could be mustered by soldiers who were starving and Dester fell within a fortnight. Bloodshed was minimal, those who did fight were quickly dispatched, the rest were treated to the first hearty meals they had likely eaten in many months. The campaign was a great success for the Floralists and all that remained was Atcaster.
The Siege of Atcaster (918 MH)
The siege of Atcaster is by many accounts one of the worst losses of civilian life by percentage of any siege. This is made all the more poignant by the fact that the city was not razed, there was no invasion or looting. Eight months in, provisions had run dry. There had been no control of supply lines for years, but as immediate access to the surrounding farmland became impossible, the squeeze truly started. The House of Olus of course, ensured they were well fed alongside their personal army, the Olusian Guard, but the general populace now had to reckon with the very real threat of starvation.
At the end of summer, it was estimated a third of the population were starving with a significant death toll. Defections had been common during the dark nights of the winter and spring, with many escaping over the battlements at risk of personal injury, but during summer, the windows of darkness were slim and impractical. The city had become a heated pit for the dedicated and dying, even the army was no longer fully maintained. In the end, it seemed an inevitable choice befell the Olusian Guard; Starve to death, turn on their masters, surrender, each an unthinkable option. In a show loyalty, they attempted to rally the city, to muster a sally forth.
It took two weeks to muster the dregs. It is is widely believed, Floralist propaganda after the fact or otherwise, that those two weeks took the worst toll for loss of life. The drilling required to create even an incompetent force sent many into despair. Conscription was not the answer, and many simply lost the will to continue living. When the gates opened therefore, the Olusian Guard marched alone. They were cut down easily, their blood watering the fields that were still in bloom at the last month of summer. These flowers were taken by the Floralists, carried down the main roads to the city, and laid at their feet.
The March of Flowers ended with the House of Olus, or at least, that which could be tracked down, publicly executed as the Republic of Rusager was proclaimed.
The First Magnus (920 MH)
Despite the proclamation of a government, it took nearly two years for the newly named Rusager to properly organise its structure. This would have been a problem if the Floralists had struggled to maintain order, but this was far from the case. Palus maintained a peacekeeping force in most of the major urban areas for the duration, and, following the ousting of the House of Olus, the Papacy repealed its sanction further improving already favourable sentiment to the new rulers.
The Floralists had many years already to plan their new order and had gone back to their Resian roots for inspiration, but putting it into practice would take time. Their leader became a Magnus, drawing on the the old Gnoman prefix, denoting greatness. This form of government was still however, more absolutist than the republics of the south and thusly, (from ‘Magnus’), coined the term ‘Magnatate’. The first Magnus, Unknown, was one of the founders of the revolution and intriguingly part of a very small wood elf minority. In later years, the Magnatate structure would inspire the formation of the House of the Lords Advocate in Palingvyre.
The Footstep War (1029 MH)
The Republic of Rusager was unfortunate in a sense, with its civil war courting raiding from its neighbours there was never really an opportunity to recover and going into the early 11th century, even with backing from Palus, it was still faces difficulties. Most prominent of these were persistent skirmishes along the border with Kedoma, were ‘independently minded’ Hythnetic agitators would regularly pillage farms and villages if left undefended.
Several overtures for diplomacy were made, but widely rebuffed, with Kedoma itself unable to acknowledge the issue without tacitly accepting some responsibility. As such, when a prominent aristocrat was murdered while visiting the area and found discarded, burned and draped in a Kedomite flag, there was no-one surprised by what happened next.
Supported by Palish troops yet again, the march into Kedoma was unannounced and deliberate. Undoubtedly there was some warning for Kedoma to muster its forces, but like many Hythnetic nations at the time it had a relatively small professional army and this was currently stationed on its southern border, facing away the threat from the Gnomic states. The few hundred or so individuals who could be mustered be the Bregend, (‘border lord’), would have certainly been a suitable deterrent to the Rusagan army, itself only semi-professional, but paled in comparison to well drilled, if combat rusty, Palish heavy infantry.
The war was not one of conquest, but one to send a message, the Bregend was captured and executed in accordance with Rusagan law as an accessory to the murder of the aristocrat. His body was hung from his battlements above the army that was now returning home and its meaning was clear, no-one was beyond Rusager’s laws.
The Leodamite-Quillian War (1187 MH)
The Leodamite-Quillian war was a wake up call for Rusager. It was the first time the nation had to act defensively against a foreign power, and the lack of experience and discipline, as well as an over reliance on their allies cost them greatly.
When the Leodamite army attacked Silvillud, they came prepared, bringing with them siege engines and striking decisively. As the border forts fell, the parity between the organised withdrawal of the Palish troops stationed there and the panicked retreat of the Rusagan soldiers was obvious, and it cost the Rusagan’s dearly. Overall, it while it was little more than a footnote in for Plaingvyre in terms of military losses, it cost Rusagar dearly, not just in terms of life, but also expense.
Rusager still relied on mercenary ‘fee companies’ which, when employed by the state, arranged for significant compensation packages in the case of death. This was accounted for, of course, but not to the scale of losses that were taken during the war, totalling over eight hundred men dead. The blot on Rusager’s history would not be soon forgotten and the war lead to the re-foundation of the Revolutionary Army.
