Era 9: The Balance of Power Year c9000 - Year 9980

Geopolitical Dynamics: Nations establish new orders, forging alliances, and treaties, seeking equilibrium after periods of turmoil. Balance of power shifts, leading to periods of stability and occasional conflicts.

By 9000, the continent of Edane had settled into an uneasy truce. Nations had grown in size and meant the formation of standing armies had become too costly. As such, mercenaries were hired to fight wars, leading to the military to be seen as a violent and uncouth group of people. The same occured with the navy, when the need for shipmen led to recruitment gangs who would kidnap drunk or unemployed people and pressgang them onto ships.
Increased populations and improved farming techniques led to a greater specialisation of trades and more advanced technologies began to be created. The formation of specific technology guilds that trained and developed specific craftsmen increased and many of these became hotbeds of development across the period.
The development of new technologies led to an increasingly wealthy middle class who aspired to replace the typical positions of power held by the elite. This led to nations less likely to go to war, and more likely to be rocked by internal strife.
In Nordrest, these 'New Blood' members of the elite were mistrusted and looked down upon by the long standing elites of the governing powers. In the south, the established trades faced new competition from those businessmen who were quick to adapt to the new technologies and they increasingly won the patronage of the first ladies for future business ventures.
Amongst the citizens of the empire, they became increasingly literate and began to question the established hierarchies, although many of them feared the new technologies and how it would affect their livelihoods. The Hatnu Pachi reestablished themselves in towns and cities across Edane, feeding the concerns around technology and returning whith prophetic concerns about the future of the world. More and more people turned to the religious cults and beliefs, looking to see a return to the 'old ways'. The days of the resurgence were looked upon favourably, and much fear began to grow around the 'taint' caused by the expansion of the empire and the mixing with other cultures.
When wars were fought, they tended to involve huge mercenary armies and big, pitched battles, resulting in a swift conclusion and small territorial exchanges. It became common to exchange prisoners, leading to many citizens from other nations working as thralls for their host nation. 'Thralls' was the name given to those captured by Nordrest, at least.
The prophecies speak of four figures who will wreak ontold havok upon the world in their attempts to save it. Four figures who will ally and fight against one another, some with good intentions, but who will ultimately doom the world to destruction. Throughout the period, these prophecies strike a chord with the people and are used as an excuse to remove monarchs and to challenge those in power at any level.
Throughout the period, an uneasy balance of power is maintained across Edane, with no nation becoming powerful enough to challenge the others. When one empire became more powerful, the others would ally together to put them in their place. However, the alliances only lasted long enough for mistrust to grow between them if one empire was seen to be benefiting more than the others. Sometimes, over the course of 20 years, alliances would shift several times before peace was finally declared.
The tensions in society across the continent have allowed the empire of the east to grow, unchecked. Regular envoys from the east would shower the nations of Edane with gifts in an attempt to win more lucrative trade agreements with each nation. It was within this context that tensions came to a head in the north.