The History of Ethernia

Ethernian History

Table of Contents

• Early Happenings
• Isora Mezezi and Seduni Dominance
• Centralization and Expansion in the Kingdom
• Mexxerra Mezezi and the Modern Ethernian State
• The Contemporary Era



Early Happenings


The people referred to as Ethernians in the modern day are actually many different groups. The name "Ethernia" came from Ethain, meaning "Of the Sky", likely referring to their fair appearance or geographical location. There are several main regions from where the different groups originate. The center of the landmass is filled with valleys, hills, and fertile farmlands. It is known as Sedun and is where the capital is held in the modern day. East of Sedun is a bay and farther is the hilled and forested peninsula of Legan. To the north of both are the great plains, known as the Kolkal. Much of the area is devoted to agriculture in the modern day. Additionally, much of the coasts in the south of Legan are covered by great port cities that trade with Etha and Kolaskyva. To the west of Sedun is the area known as Vorgin, divided from the east by mountains. To the north of Sedun is the large mountain range known as the Hijuandag. Between Ethernia and Etha lay two large islands that today are shared between the two. One is name Nyf, and the other Shae. The indigenous peoples of Ethernia are thought to have migrated to the area from Etha and then spread out from there.

Coalescence of Peoples and formations of Kingdoms.

The earliest Ethernian settlements of considerable size originated in Sedun. They first appeared nearing the 3rd century B.K. By the 4th century A.K. the region had been subjugated by the Mecojz-riding hordes of the Kolkal that they had relied on for their mounted troops. Within a cetury, however, their grip would loosen to the point that clans from the Hijuandag mountain range successfully seized power in the region. The region of Sedun would see a single clan, Ectique, rise to prominence. Ectique was a matrilineal clan where the nominal head was the chieftess and usually was the daughter of the previous chieftess. The Chieftess' spouse was called the Kinyuz and generally handled the army and campaigns during war. Later, when Ectique had dominated all of Sedun, there came a time known as "The Kinyuz Wars" where prominent men of the country married to relatives of the late chieftess tore the region apart in a bid to claim power. Even after the chaotic event, it was normal for the state to suffer through a few pretender claims every succession. Between the constant civil wars after the death of the chieftess and the constant pressure from the western kingdoms and mountain tribes, the state of Ectique was weakened over time. By 1027 A.K. a nomadic clan from the Kolkal invaded Ectique due to the Chief having married one of the daughters of Ectique. His wife ruled as the Khatun for nearly two decades, then passing on the throne, rather peacefully, to her daughter who soon gave birth to a child named Isora. When Isora was still a very young child her mother passed away at an early age. Her clan's own stability was shaking and thus the Seduni were able to reclaim the Chiefdom for another relative of the royal family. Isora's father, a man from Kolaskyva, was preoccupied with holding together the clan after the death of his brother-in-law so he betrothed Isora to the son of a powerful Seduni family with the intent of pressing her claim on the throne when she came of age. Isora proved to be a diamond in the rough, revealing herself as a bright student to her educators.


Isora Mezezi and Seduni Domination


Isora's Early Reign.
At the age of fifteen, Isora's chance came when the chieftess died and the realm started to war again. Isora's father had passed away some years before, so she found herself not only bereft of the clan's support, but in contest with it for Sedun. She did, thankfully, have her husband's family as a power base. She was based in the southern region of Sedun so she did not have to contend with the clan immediately. In the immediate timeframe, however, she would have to contend with the other powerful families in the area. Both she and her beloved were very intelligent and skilled individuals, permitting them to operate twice as effectively as her rivals. By late in 1061 A.K. Isora and her husband had secured the entire southern half of Sedun, while they were buffered with a few small enemy zones from her old clan. Isora's husband coerced the remaining Seduni contenders to submit, allowing her to prepare for a large confrontation with the horde. At great price, Isora had hired some eastern Mecojz riders from across the Ethernian gulf as mercenaries to contend with her enemies' superior and more numerous mounted troops. On the fields of Segunta, Isora Mezezi took rein of her army and crushed the clan's arrayed forces and was henceforth unchallenged for the throne. She was able to be crowned without challenge. The cost, however, had been an especially bloody feud. Furthermore, despite defeating the clan, her old allies were not content with backing off from the seat of power. So in 1064 A.K. they invaded Ectique. Isora was able to see them off on their first attempt by facing them with a large army. However, they stalled until her levies needed to return home in force, leaving her with a depleted army. She was again forced to hire mercenaries from the east. She was successful in defeating the clan in a small battle that drove them off, but was unable to win a decisive battle like she had a few years prior. In the closing months of the campaigning season of 1064 A.K., however, Isora managed to shadow the retreating enemy army and surprised them as they were crossing a river, decimating their force. Seizing upon this victory, Isora's husband, Opuli Skartga, led a force after the enemy into the plains, despite Isora's protests. Opuli found what seemed to be the remnants of the enemy army and pursued them for a week before the cold began to creep into the steppes. Opuli decided to retreat, lest his force be chipped away. However, Opuli had already over extended his force and was being cutoff from retreating by another army. Everything fell apart on a cold, dark night after the army had set up camp. Before anyone knew what was happening, there were mounted troops charging through the sleeping troops. In the confused slaughter, Opuli was slain, along with most of his force. News arrived with her shattered army that Opuli had passed. Isora was devastated by the news. She was in such a state of rage that she tried to pursue after his killers immediately. However, her advisers managed to dissuade her from repeating Opuli's mistake of marching deep into the steppes during winter. So, biding her fury, Isora prepared herself for a campaign the next year.
1065 A.K. marked the year that Isora's retribution began. She marched out towards the clan's main settlement, where they would hold "court" and have council, at the head of the largest army seen in the conflict yet. Isora marching straight for the clan's main camp urged some of the enemies to attack her to stop her, but they were all rebuffed. Eventually, though, she was met with a large combined army to face her. The two armies squared off for a few days before the clan made a move. However, instead of charging the field, the action that they took was aimed at Isora herself. They sent a messenger carrying a sack to her who left on his Mecojz as soon as the package was delivered. Upon looking in its contents, Isora was enraged to see her beloved disrespected in such a manner- for they had severed his head and sent it as a gift to her. If it was their goal to sway Isora into attacking them then it was a successful ploy. However, Isora's rage did not diminish her or her army's strength. Despite the clan's advantage of fighting on an open steppe and with many more range mounted troops, Isora managed to rout them by charging the center with her reserves and nearly capturing the clan's chief. However, the battle still cost her many casualties, preventing her from pressing on. So she built a fort to house her army- she would not let her army befall the same fate as Opuli's had. The rest of the year she spent burning pastures and destroying local camps as no army would face her, and she did not want to push farther into the steppe with a weakened force while there were still large armies waiting for her. So again she was obliged to retreat for the winter. However, she would be back the next year with another large army. Indeed, 1066 A.K. saw another campaign into the steppes, this one Isora intended to be final. Again with a large army, Isora marched onto the clan. She sent out much of her hired Mecojz riders to screen her force and ensure that she wasn't flanked by the enemy. Knowing that she was going to invade again, the clan that faced her rallied support from the neighboring clans. They now faced her with an impressive force. Having caught wind of the large enemy force via her scouts, Isora fell back to her fort. She began to weigh her options. Her fort was a secure position, indeed it was safer than meeting the enemy in a pitched battle, but she also considered abandoning it, not wanting to be surrounded and starved out by her enemies. In the end, she settled on stockpiling a large amount of food and water and digging in her heels hoping that the unity of her enemies would dissipate, not thinking that she could retreat too far before being caught up to. Within a week her enemies were at the fort. They were loathe to try and taking it directly, so they resolved to siege it and wait out its inhabitants. However, with the food and water that Isora had hoarded, the besieged army saw no signs of withering. Three weeks of waiting was too much for some of the clans and thus many of them broke from the host to return to their lands, promising to return if Isora again threatened them. Isora had been given a lucky break. Her resources had been starting to dwindle. Now was her chance, though. She seized the opportunity to leap upon the separated armies. Her first target was the army of her husband's murderers. Her enemy failed to notice her shadowing them, likely confident that they retreated after having been trapped in their fort. Having been taken by surprise, the clan was forced to fight Isora to defend their 'capital'. They arrayed their forces against Isroa, buying time for their families to retreat from the camp. Envisioning this, Isora sent a small group of mercenary Mecojz riders to circle around the armies and cut them down. The clan's warriors, desperate to defend their families managed to get ahead in the battle, pushing Isora's forces back. However, when news came that their families were being run down by enemies, many of the warriors fled to protect their loved ones. The uncoordinated mass evacuation of troops soon turned into a full on rout. Isora made sure to seize the opportunity and ran down anyone that she could. When Isora arrived at where the grand camp had been she saw pillars of smoke as fires consumed the tents and pastures, charring the bodies of the fallen. There, as the flames parted, Isora saw a bit of gold in the red. She saw a child trying to escape the flames. Isora commanded some of her soldiers to recover the child from the flames. The child was covered in soot and was shirtless, having taken off her top as it burned, as evidenced by the great burn-marks on her back. Looking at the child, she realized the destruction that this war had caused. Both of them had lost their family in it, Isora lost Opuli, and this child her whole world. Isora decided then that they would comfort each other and she adopted the child, whose name was revealed to be Tala after inquiring about it. With her foes crushed, she gave the remainder of that clan an ultimatum: accept her, the previous chieftain's niece, as the new chieftess and turn over those involved with the disrespect of Opuli's body to her, or be massacred further. Many of the clan reluctantly gathered to Isora to declare their loyalty. Following her new conquest, she titled herself as the "Khatun of Ethernia," a bold claim that would not go unnoticed by her neighbors.
After 1066 A.K. Isora could rest. She had known nothing but war for six years. She had nearly emptied her coffers with the mercenaries that she had been forced to pay for to fight the Kolkal clan on even ground. She would devote herself to her new daughter, Tala, now that she was free from war. These years were enjoyable, filling the void left in her heart by Opuli's death. Tala, just like her adoptive mother, proved to be a very bright, exceptionally so, student. Every tutor's lessons were just absorbed by the young girl's enthusiastic brilliance. Soon, Isora started inviting far-off scholars to teach her daughter their languages, including an Ethain man and a man from a southeastern trading city who claimed to be from Kolaskyva. Even these subjects were devoured at a record pace. This Tala seemed truly becoming of the heir that Isora needed. However, Isora feared that when the time came that Tala would be set upon by innumerable claimants, given that she was adopted and not related to the seemingly eternally-ruling Mezezi family, even though she shared their name now. She couldn't afford to die as young as her mother had, which was about her current age. She had to ensure her daughter's (Who would soon request to be known as Ethel) succession.
However, Isora's priorities had to shift for the moment. A large kingdom of the Kryti to her west in the Vorgin region had launched large raids into western Sedun, devastating some towns and other settlements. As the news reached her, more Vorgin states were sending armies into Sedun. It seemed that Isora styling herself as the Khatun of all of Ethernia did not sit well with the western kingdoms who were used to the chiefdoms in Sedun being held in check by the Kolkal nomads, the mountain tribes, and themselves. What had perhaps moreso spurned them to unified action was how thoroughly Isora had pacified the steppe clan that she had fought. Isora hadn't fully recovered financially from her last campaign but raised an army and rushed to see off the enemy. She attempted to defeat the Kryti army before the other kingdoms could join their force, however she took many casualties in the battle and was unable to dislodge her enemies. She had become reliant on the Mecojz-riding mercenaries that had helped her to pacify the horde. Realizing this, Isora demanded that her nomadic clan send her some Mecjoz-riders. Returning to her enemies with a larger mounted force, Isora was confronted with a much larger enemy. Apparently Isora's failure at pushing back the Kryti was encouraging to the other kingdoms and even more additional men were sent. Isora refused to fight a pitched battle, so instead she sent out her new Mecojz-riders to harass her enemies and disrupt their supply lines. Her riders reported that they had managed to entice a large contingent of enemies to chase one of their parties. Seizing the opportunity, Isora fell upon the separated enemy force and in a flurry she decimated it. Isora found that she could do this continuously to bleed the enemy of its men. Some of the enemy commanders realized what was happening and roused their remaining men to face Isora's army. Isora managed to rout her enemies and drove them from Sedun. Unwilling to pursue her enemies over the mountains, Isora demanded a light tribute in exchange for peace. Where Sedun had once seen Isora as the potential puppet of some foreign clan, now they viewed her as their greatest defender having saved them from foreign invasion on three separate occasions. Fortunately for Isora, her financial problems were being remedied by the tribute that she was now receiving from the western kingdoms. From 1067 on, she was content to rule in peace and live with her adopted daughter. However, she would see a new reason to fight soon enough.
The Northern War.
To Sedun's south lay two islands: Shae and Nyf. These were populated by Seduni colonists and typically had close ties to the Seduni tribes. So when Nyf fell under attack Isora felt compelled to assist them. Nyf was attacked by the Duke of Denk in Etha. Nyf had received word that the Duke had been amassing a force for an invasion and thus the trading houses started assembling a defense force. When Isora heard the news she sent a force consisting of six hundred men to assist the island. However, Isora underestimated the Ethains. Their Hudron (Large Reptilian mounts) riders, though few in number, had easily charged through the enemy's lines and destroyed their formation. Isora was unwilling to relent though. In 1070 A.K. She sent another force and led it herself. She arrived at Nyf's largest settlement as it was being besieged by the Ethains. Taking them by surprise, Isora charged their camp and decimated their force. Unfortunately, the Hudron riders were away from the camp. When they returned to find the Ethernians looting what was their camp they charged and inflicted heavy casualties before they were overcome. Isora was astounded by the results. The Mecojz of the Kolkal plains were vital to warfare in the region, utilizing their mobility for hit and run attacks, as well as mounted archery. But the Ethain mounts were a monstrous force, able to inflict a disastrous blow even while completely alone. Her Mecojz riders couldn't fight them on even terms, to say nothing of her infantry. She saw the the threat that the Ethains posed should they push north, and thus she resolved to steel her realm against them. After repulsing the Ethains from Nyf, she secured the islands to her cause and then invaded Denk. She saw some success but was threatened from further advances by the Ethain king in Tyro. There had been a long history of Ethernian invasions of Etha, though they were mainly from Vorgin and not Sedun. In fact, a Kryti adventurer was now the "King" of Larunda, an island chain resting in the Ethanga sea. The King and Royal court of Etha were worried that the recent events might precipitate an out-right conquering attempt by the infamously militant queen. Thus, Glerigh, the king of Etha, proposed paying off Isora in the hopes that she may retreat to Ethernia. The Royal Court (Who held the real power), however, didn't wish to comply and just sent their order with a threat of invading and executing her. Unwilling to call their bluff and risk open battle with the kingdom's armies, Isora finished looting and pillaging and then returned back to Ethernia. However, Isora had plans to return. She viewed the Ethains as a possible source of instability to her kingdom in the near future. She'd make sure to dominate the region.
Isora was still young, only 25 years old, when she returned from Etha. Still, she saw the growth of Etha and what it might become and knew that she would need to work for hard and long to secure the future of her kingdom. Her prodigy, Ethel, was 8 at this time and she was growing like a weed, absorbing anything taught to her. In a few years time, when Ethel was 12, Isora would send her across the bay to another country to serve the king. It was Isora's will that Ethel be taught about war and when she proved herself to the king, she would be sent back to Isora, considered fit to lead her army and kingdom. In the meantime, Isora let her realm prosper and made nice with the nearby states, gradually convincing them that Etha was a growing threat.
Ethel arrived in the kingdom of Belkush in 1074 A.K. and was treated to a grand welcoming. The king of Belkush owed Isora a favor for having received Isora's help many years prior. Beyond the grand cavalcade and feast, a young man also awaited Ethel. His name was Iglius, and he was the heir to Belkush. Isora had betrothed Ethel to Iglius primarily for the purpose of securing an ally in the east. There was another reason; Isora was worried by how morally bland and apathetic Ethel appeared and hoped that having someone to love might help to change that. In truth, Ethel wasn't apathetic. She was caring at heart, but she had, after reading foreign philosophies, resigned to pushing out emotion with reason. Thus she ignored her conscience and heart and acted with logic instead. The years passed and Ethel learned what war was like by her observing the king's forces clashing with the neighboring tribes and chiefdoms. Iglius made many an advance on Ethel who, although duly repulsing them, did not particularly dislike his company. It seemed that Ethel was making progress on her goal in Belkush and that her betrothal might bring the two kingdoms together.
In spring of 1076 Isora had finished all of her preparations and invaded Etha with the help of many neighboring states that she had coerced into fearing Etha. Among these states were the Vorgin kingdoms that had resolved to pay Isora tribute, Shae and Nyf, and, of course, Belkush. Isora had landed in Denk with almost 16,000 men including allied troop, while their other allies' troops were sailing up and down the Aroen, raiding Ethain lands. The Duke of Denk was taken by complete surprise and fled with any troops that he could muster down south, warning the capital of the invasion. Word would reach the capital before the Duke would, however, as news of the Aroen raids were already on their way there. The Royal council made a call to all of the vassals of the realm, calling them to arms while raising their own forces. Isora had estimated that she had until mid summer before she was confronted with a large Ethain army. True to this, by the time that the Ethains were ready to face Isora it had been apparent that the Aroen fleet was causing massive damage to the area. The Ethains spent fruitless weeks trying to catch the raiders, who would just flee to their ships and sail to another location in the Aroen. Realizing the futility of this adventure, the Ethains marched north to Isora. Indeed, it was mid summer by now. Isora recalled all of her allies that had split for raiding so that she may confront the Ethains with her whole force. When the day came it was a monumental clash of nearly 40,000 men. Isora was outnumbered nearly 3 to 5, but took the field with confidence- She had been preparing for this for years. She had instructed her allies on how to counter the Hudron on the field by using long spears and by opening up holes in their formations to trap them. Thus commenced the Battle of Shzazhen. Isora was the victor, but her allies had not used her counters to the Hudron to their max effectiveness and so her forces suffered needless casualties. However, the Ethains were scattered and their defeat allowed for Isora to rampage unchallenged in the North. After a few months of taking strongholds and crushing pockets of resistance, the populace started submitting to Isora. She decided to winter in the now gone Duke's palace.
One day in heavy snow there came a visitor for Isora. His name was Sezzlic Denk and he was the son of a baron and baroness in Denk, the land that Isora was invading. He had been there when Isora had invaded for the first time about six years prior. He saw his homeland burned and pillaged, witnessing many young men leave and never return. His lands still had not recovered. He was only 8 then, but he could now do something to avenge his lands. He was nominally in Denk to deliver a message to Isora from the capital. The council apparently saw that the king's old advice was now practical and sought to pay off Isora. Isora refused the agreement and instead decided to have the young teen relay a message back to the council that very much resembled the one they had sent to her six years ago. She then repeated the threat of executing them upon their capture; and to top it all off, she signed it as: "Isora Mezezi, Khatun of Ethernia, Queen of Sedun, Chieftess of Ectique, Duchess of Denk"- Shoving in their faces her success. After he received the message, the young boy attempted to cut her down using a dagger that he had hidden. As if she had known it to be coming, Isora caught his arm and stopped him. He managed to break from her grip and jumped out of a window into the snow, dashing out of sight before he could be caught. Having avoided a possible execution, the teen made his way back down south to deliver his message to the capital. The council was obviously displeased with this result, though there was little concern of Isora reaching the capital. Sezzlic requested that the council grant him a small army and allow him to invade Ethernia with it. Laughing off his request, the council realized his loyalty and sent him off with a young admiral, Xogeq Nape, to sail west and then north to the great Aroen water body. Their main purpose was to stop the raids by the Ethernians along the Aroen. The fleet that Xogeq had left with was mostly their own. They had risen to prominence by fighting Pirates, Nivagrans, Larundans, and other enemies at sea. They were initially from Promthia, south of the large kingdom of Furanke, but had joined the kingdom of Etha in order to further their goals. They had a great hatred for Nivagrans because of a childhood trauma and Etha provided the resources necessary to avenge their family. They had been ordered to stop the Ethernian raids on the Aroen so, with food supplied by the kingdom, they set out around Furanke to reach the north with their 47 vessels. With constant resupply stops along the coasts, the fleet reached the Aroen by mind spring, having left Tyro in mid winter. As the winter snows thawed, Isora resumed her campaign in the region. Szhazhen had left the Ethains unable to contest her for all of the remainder of 1076 A.K. and they would be duly unable to do so in the field for 1077. At sea, however, it was a different story. The fleet of the young admiral Xogeq had arrived at the Aroen. There were still small forces fielded against the Ethernian raiders across the coast of the Aroen, and these were used in conjunction with Xogeq's fleet to destroy the Ethernian presence in the region. The raiders were forced either into open battle with the Ethains or into an out-matched naval battle with Xogeq. Over the course of the remainder of spring and summer Xogeq had the Aroen cleared. Upon constant request by Sezzlic, Xogeq allowed him to lead the fleet's marines to clear any stronghold- a task that he performed well beyond expectations. Sezzlic was young, but he was already gaining a following among those in the fleet. Seeing his popularity, Xogeq gave him an official position on the fleet. He would be responsible for coordination with the Ethain forces on the mainland and the marines' assaults on the raiders' strongholds. Following the success in the Aroen, Xogeq moved up to the north to threaten the Ethernian coasts directly. It wasn't long before there were demands by some to invade Ethernia itself to pressure Isora and her allies to leave Etha. Xogeq denied the requests. They had with them only some marines and did not want to waste their vetrans in such a fringe engagement. Even still, there was damage was done. Nyf and Shae were blockaded and suffered through starvation. With the tether between her and Ethernia in danger, Isora had to martial all allied ships in the area to attempt to reopen her pathway. With the threat of a large fleet cutting them off from the Aroen, Xogeq made a hasty retreat back to the Ethain ports. There she wintered. In 1078 A.K. Tyro declared that Xogeq would, indeed, ferry a small force away from Etha to threaten Ethernia. Around this time, in early spring of 1078, Isora headed to Belkush to visit Ethel and her ally. By this time the grouped up Ethernian fleet has broke for independent operations and Xogeq was unchallenged in passing through the sea with her cargo in tow. The army made landfall in Belkush. It was led by a nobleman from southern Etha in place of Sezzlic who served as a captain. The Ethernians were evidently caught off guard, as the Ethains were able to ravage much of the west before heading towards the capital. The old king marched off with Iglius and Ethel at his sides. The battle of Bilad was disastrous for both sides. Ethel and the old king managed to force back the Ethains in the center and the right. However, Sezzlic's forces on the left were making good gains on Iglius. This came to a head when Sezzlic challenged Iglius to a duel in the middle of the battle. Iglius dismounted his Mecojz, and Sezzlic his Phorous (A Large, Flightless Bird), and the two squared off. They both dropped their lances and drew swords, though soon it was soon evident as to who was more skilled with the blade as Sezzlic eventually overtook the young heir, killing him. This led to Iglius' flank collapsing and to Sezzlic's being the last Ethain flank with any real power. As he squared off against the King and Ethel it was preconceived that his forces would be overcome. However, Sezzlic managed to hold his lines hard enough to reach a sort of stalemate with the enemy, both sides nearly broken. Seeing how the battle was progressing, Sezzlic withdrew his forces to the ships. However, he had heard from some prisoners that Isora had come to Belkush recently and thought that this might be his chance for vengence and to end the suffering of the Ethains. So at night he struck out with a small group of men to reach the king's palace. By the time that his group arrived at the palace it was nearly dawn. His men got inside and found their way to the residential complex. Before entering, though, they were spotted by the guards and were set upon. While his men held them off, Sezzlic ran into the king's residence. There, he found the king- pale and depressed. It was apparent that Iglius' death had taken a toll on him. Ethel was beside him, as were some servants, trying to comfort him. Immediately, Sezzlic demanded to know the whereabouts of Isora. The king in turn demanded to know who it was that invaded his domicile. He exclaimed that his name was Sezzlic Denk and that he was an Ethain. The king recognized that name- he had heard it reported that that was the name of Iglius' killer. Enraged, the old king demanded that Sezzlic duel him. Accepting the challenge, Sezzlic awaited the king to arm himself. Again Sezzlic found himself with Belkush royal blood on his hands. As the king drew his last breath, the palace's guards rushed into the room and attacked the victor. Despite their numbers, Sezzlic seemed insurmountable. He was knocked unconscious by Ethel, who had snuck behind him and hit him over the head with a log. He awoke alive, but withheld in a jail cell. He was questioned but remained silent. So he stayed for a week in his cell before he was woken up in the dead of night by the girl that he had seen earlier. She offered his freedom in exchange for his service as a bodyguard. After some hesitation, Sezzlic agreed. So she freed him, armed him and they left in the dead of night. After Iglius' death, Ethel was told by the king that she might be in danger. That by the time that he passed, Ethel would only serve as a hostage against Isora- who had all of her forces in Etha- now that her betrothed was dead. In the week passing since the king's death, Ethel had noticed the mood towards her in the palace shift a bit. Furthermore, once the rest of Belkush had heard of the king's death, Ethel knew well enough to leave while she still could. Having seen Sezzlic's abilities, she felt that he would be an asset- much more useful than if he were to be executed which is why she had convinced the captain of the guards that he served a better purpose to be interrogated than to be disposed of immediately. It had turned out that Isora had left Belkush just a few days before the Ethains had arrived. Sezzlic wanted to pursue after her, but Ethel had a different idea. She wanted to move east and north to secure her mother's favor should Belkush try to take advantage of Isora's armies being abroad. The journey was a long one, added on that Sezzlic demanded that he be allowed to locate the men that he had brought with him to the palace, as Ethel had informed him that they were taken prisoner. The located soldiers found their way back to Xogeq's fleet which still stood uncontested in the Batic sea. Sezzlic, however, was obligated to still assist Ethel with her missions. They found themselves traveling through the north, just barely avoiding capture, and moving back down towards Sedun- finally making their way after 2 years of travel. Although initially rather hostile to the girl, Sezzlic had grown accustomed to her and now felt very attached. He dropped his blind disgust of Ethernians, just as she learned from him to embrace emotion and her conscience. Ethel had kept up a constant stream of letters to her mother, first to inform her of the possible threat from Belkush and then later to update her on her self-appointed mission to secure her mother's influence over the other Ethernian states. She had often talked about her bodyguard, but it was in one letter towards the end of their journey that Isora took a particular interest in him. She noticed that Ethel had referred to him as Sezzlic, just like the would-be assassin. The physical descriptions fit, as well. She arranged for an end to his life by welcoming Ethel back into Ectique and drugging a drink given to Sezzlic. With him passed out, she brought him to the dining room and tied his hands. She didn't want to just kill him. She had failed to punish him for trying to kill her some years ago and he had then managed to kill both the king and heir of Belkush, severing Isora's ties there. She told Ethel that the man that she had traveled with for the past two years had tried to kill her four years ago. Ethel was shocked. She had for two years been aside a man who had tried to kill her mother. What if he had known that she was Isora's daughter? Would he have tried to kill her too? She had trouble believing that her close companion was like that. He had saved her life on two occasions. Isora had everything set up. She had Sezzlic tied up and in a chair so that she could stare him down with Ethel nearby. She had guards in almost every passage leading up to the dining room. When he awoke she began her torment of him. The event saw her expose to Ethel all of his crimes, including kill Iglius, which Ethel did not know about. Ethel connected so many dots at that moment. Sezzlic was the leader of the Ethain left flank. He had killed Iglius in a battlefield duel, leading to the flank collapsing. The king had heard the name of his son's killer. That was why he tried to duel Sezzlic when he announced his name. And the reason that he came in. He demanded to know Isora's whereabouts. It must have been so that he could kill her. He had heard that she had come to Belkush and he saw his opportunity, missing her only by days. The realizations had hurt. Sezzlic had been the one to inspire her to embrace her emotions again. Had he done it just to hurt her? Even as he tried to comfort her, Isora shouted at him- threatening his execution. Unexpectedly, Sezzlic broke his restraints and charged across the table at his captor, his intent to kill clear. He paused, though, when he heard that familiar voice calling out to her mother. He doubted his actions. He had already killed her betrothed, now he take more from her? Seeing her opportunity, Isora called for her guards. Sezzlic ran for it, out of luck just making it outside through the one correct passage. Isora gathered her daughter's wits and together the two made ready to pursue after him. By the time that they left they were far behind the guards. Still they pressed on. When they finally came upon the man, cornered at the flank of a river near a bridge, he had already killed three guards and now wielded one of their lances as a pike. However, the man seemed focused on Ethel as she approached, not paying heed to the charging guard. As one, and then another guard charged him he lost his lance and position and was forced to take refuge at the bridge. Isora spoke to her daughter, feeding the part of her that raged with the will to avenge Iglius and protect her mother. Lost in anger, she charged at the Ethain, stopping a bit short to dismount. Then she pulled out a sword and swung wildly at her target. He only parried her attacks and didn't attempt to strike back- she figured that that would be his death. Eventually, she managed to make one determined thrust and it pierced straight through her friend's chest. As if she had just snapped out of a spell, the realization of what she had just done had spurred her rationale back. Instantly her face contorted with regret. She tried to speak what was on her mind, but no words came out. She saw her friend's look of pity and sorrow. She tried to grab him to stop him from falling over to, but she could not connect to his body with her hands. He fell into the river. After her initial stage of denial was gone, she tried to join him, stopped only by her mother's hand that pulled her back into an embrace. She was then left with a shell of her daughter who broke down crying at least once in every waking hour. Eventually Isora commanded her out of the palace so that she didn't cry herself to death, hoping that a walk is what she needed. She neglected to think that her daughter might once again try to join her friend in the river. When the thought hit her she sent out guards in every direction to search for her daughter. She would not sleep that night. It was the early morning when a guard brought her back. She looked visibly healthier, she wasn't as pale or ragged. She told her mother that she had stayed in a nearby cabin for the night. With that knowledge, Isora could finally sleep well. When she awoke, she went to check in on her daughter at the cabin. It was an old cabin, seemingly abandoned years ago. She was overjoyed to be met with a happy daughter hen she arrived. However, the joy turned to concern and suspicion when she saw that her daughter had made two meals with the oven. Is this why her daughter was feeling better? Had she imagined her friend with her as some coping mechanism? When she asked why there were two meals, her daughter answered that she had prepared one for Isora just in case she came by. Isora was satisfied, or at least pretended to be, by this and sat down to eat with her daughter. She left after some time, content with her daughter's behavior. She retired to her palace to rest, only once disturbed when Ethel came in looking for something. She payed it no attention. However, when at Dusk she received word that Ethel had left very recently, she acted by sending guards throughout the surrounding area in a hurry. She questioned what could have happened to urge her daughter to just leave like that. She thought over what had happened and could only imagine that someone hadn't been as dead as he was thought to be. She imagined that they were leaving for Etha, and all of her suspicions were confirmed when she received a letter from her daughter. They were indeed heading to Etha. In an effort to avoid the Ethains having an important hostage in their clutches, as well as avoid rebellions in occupied territory, Isora decided to initiate negotiations with the Ethains while she was still unchallenged and held a position of superiority. She had told the Ethain king meet her with the parents of Sezzlic in Denk. She made the demands of large amounts of tribute, extra-continental territory, an "Eternal vow" to never invade Nyf or Shae again. Finally, there came a condition that the Denk's must agree to allowing Sezzlic and Ethel to marry. Although this part would fail when the youth declined it hen they arrived, the peace treaty was still signed. Finally, Isora had firmly established herself as the protector of Ethernia. She had achieved what she had set out to do when she called for the other Ethernians to join her in fighting the Ethains.
Isora's Later Reign.
Now that her business in Etha was finished, she could refocus on Ethernia. She had assured her grip over Nyf and Shae, who now payed a tax to her. Her daughter had strengthened ties with Legan (eastern Ethernia) and received occasional tribute from the east. She was now obliged to protect the status quo in Legan, or at least help her allies in the east. In the meanwhile, however, the kingdoms of the Vorgin seemed to be a little lax in their tribute. With her war in Etha finished, she now had no issues with finances. With such a treasury she set out to ensure a state of war preparedness. She hired some quantities of mercenaries from Sedun and Legan, forming a small force of nearly one thousand professional soldiers. When Isora brought to attention that the western kingdoms were lacking in their obliged tribute her envoys were rebuked. Evident that they sought full sovereignty from her, Isora set out to retake the region. With her levies and mercenaries she marched west. She marched south on the coastline to the Kingdom of Velmun, the smaller kingdom that bordered her west. There was a small conflict near the mountain pass, but Isora managed to press on further. The Velmun resistance seemed to collapse quickly. The capital was almost abandoned when Isora arrived. After the short siege, Isora took it and placed a Seduni on the throne as a governor, giving him a small force to pacify the region. Many of the local nobles soon submitted to him. With Velmun taken care of, she marched north to Vorgi. Vorgi was the largest western kingdom. Isora was forced to fight for two years in Vorgi before she could finally force a major battle. In 1082 A.K. Isora defeated the Vorgi army on the fields of Gerikan. Just as with Velmun, Isora placed a Seduni governor on the throne. Vorgi resistance was not so fragile, however. While Velmun was by now pacified in its entirety, Vorgi retained the western part of the kingdom even another year into the campaign. Satisfied with her progress, Isora made a truce with the king. He would resume his tribute in exchange for Isora returning the land that she had taken. While she was in Vorgin she decided to induce the other kingdoms to pay her tribute. By the time that she returned to Sedun in 1083 A.K., Ethel had recently returned from Aglkuth to see Asvlek and had been named as the heir to the Atelian's kingdom.


Ethel Mezezi and the Centralization of the Ethernian State.


Ethel's Early Reign.
The rest of Isora's reign, which would last for only a few more years, would consist of her securing Seduni dominion over the Vorgin to the west and the Nomads to the north and east. When Ethel was twenty five Isora abdicated in her favor. So in the Spring of 1087 A.K. Ethel was crowned as the ruler of Sedun. She declared herself the Gilrokta Ethern , meaning the protector of Ethernia/ns. She expanded upon her mother's mercenary army, making it a true army and naming it "The Queen's Guard." Despite Isora abdicating to her daughter while she still drew breath, her presence did not stay the hand of chaos. Resistance to Seduni power was coalescing into an open rebellion. Before the year was over, Ethel had found herself surrounded by hostile external powers as well as suffering from internal struggles against her rule. The Vorgin started to threaten the viceroy in Velmun, the subjugated clans in the Kolkal gathered to raid Salon, and some Hijuandag tribes assisted the defectious Seduni cities. Legan was, for the most part, Sedun-aligned. Despite the contention with Jirurd in Belkush there was no open hostility, as Jirurd was kept in check by the other Legani states.
Isora was sent west to support Velmun against Vorgi. She proved successful in, yet again, subjugating the Vorgin, who this time were unable to avoid her wrath. The king, who had now lost two wars to the Seduni woman, was dragged to Stoy-kaham in chains, while his kingdom was absorbed, too ravaged from the wars to resist. Ethel first defeated the local rebellions, disposing of the regional governors and assigning trusted officials to govern the territory. Moving north, she saw off the Hijuandag invaders with ease, then moved to to punish the Kolkal rebels, yet again smashing their forces and establishing there permanent garrisons. Although the rebellion seemed a serious issue, it was important in how quickly it was crushed. That the aligned forces of Vorgi, Hijuandag tribes, Kolkal rebels, and Seduni nobles could not present a truly threatening opposition to the Seduni state showed how it had evolved. No longer disunified cities and small states vying for control over one another and at the mercy of invaders, Sedun had formed itself into a mighty state that had engulfed its former masters. Mindful of her status in Ethernia, Ethel would greatly expand her control, starting with Belkush.
When she had become acclimated to the state, Ethel claimed that the current ruler of Belkush was illegitimate. She claimed that with his dying breaths the old king, Aybeedef, had declared her his heir now that Iglius was dead. Whether this was true or not is not known for sure. She demanded that the current king of Belkush submit to her as a vassal or she would take the throne by force. She was met with obstinate refusal. True to her word, she led her army to dethrone her rival. She succeeded in capturing Belkush, driving Jirurd into exile. It was by now mid 1088 A.K. Ethel had recently adopted a girl from southern Ethanga who was named Mexxerra. She was brought to her by her friend Sezzlic after his conquering of Kuzaklem. Ethel had requested from him an heir, though an adoption is certainly not what she had had in mind. Even so, she began to rear the girl as her own child just as Isora had done so to her. Most of her days were spent developing the administration of the realm. She reorganized the territory of Sedun into provinces with smaller regions administered by favorable houses or appointees that she trusted. Several families were allowed to keep their ancestral domains and with it their influence, notable among them the was Skartga house. Velmun was transformed into a region of several provinces that were now absorbed entirely into the kingdom, whereas Vorgi was a semi-autonomous vassal state that elected its own king as approved by Ethel. She also assisted Vorgi in pushing its borders further north. Leaving Vorgi as a semi-autonomous region and assisting in its wars was to allow it to act as a buffer against the tribes of the Orrik and Hijuanda regions. The Kolkal was reorganized as well, but not to as much of a degree. Clans were the main organizational grouping. Each clan was required to build cities and to pay taxes to Sedun, as well as accept a Seduni garrison just outside of their capitals. In Legan the status quo was essentially preserved. There were many small kingdoms in Legan, many not much larger than a city or two. These eastern kingdoms were not absorbed directly into the kingdom, but included in a sort of regional community with Sedun at the head. All inter-state conflicts would be disputed for and resolved by Ethel and future Gilrokta Etherns. In addition, any threats to any states from an external enemy would be seen to by Sedun. This was to prove fortunate for Legan, as they were soon put under the threat of invaders.
Kolaskyvan Arrivals.
In 1090 A.K., when Ethel was nearly 28, Kolaskyvans arrived in Legan. This group of Kolaskyvans consisted largely of Atelians from the Dulkhi empire on the western part of the Kolaskyvan continent. Word of an Atelian kingdom under Asvlek had trickled back across the sea. Following in the late merchant's footsteps, many Atelians had decided to make a journey to Legan to create their own kingdoms. Asvlek's kingdom of Aglkuth was inherited by Sedun, and thus Ethel. To assuage the Merchants there who worried about such a distant rule and their loss of rights, Ethel established a council of leading families who would cover much of the administration. This was similar to how the area had historically functioned as a state. In addition, she would grant to the merchants of Aglkuth many rights and monopolies over the duration of her reign. When the Atelians arrived, they set about pillaging the small settlements and cities on the eastern coast of Legan, areas which were quite distant from Stoy-kaham. Upon the news reaching her, Ethel gathered her army (a standing army payed for largely at the expense of tribute gather initially from Etha and then further from Ethernian states. Her army, called "The Queen's Guard," was sent over with Ethel at its head. The Atelians were apparently surprised at the Seduni army coming to defend these lands. They were quickly defeated and Ethel offered to relocate them. Having not much in the way of alternatives, the Atelian leaders agreed to surrender to her. They were led to the other side of the mountains that ran from the sea at Legan's east to the Kolkal and settled there in several kingdoms. The condition was that the new kings agree to recognize Ethel as their collective sovereign and pay her tribute. This worked for a time, but soon more Atelians came over. They were told of how the previous Atelians to land had established their own kingdoms. They were, however, low in number after suffering a defeat and were forced to pay tribute to a native queen. This seemed like a call for reinforcements. Ethel was unawares to the happenings until the new Atelians had landed. Upon hearing of it, she again marched east to prepare for a conflict with Atelians. She marched to Legan through a mountain pass drawing from the Kolkal large amounts of local Mecojz riders. She managed to get to the Legani gates before the Atelians did, stopping them from entering Legan without clashing with her army. The number of Atelians that arrayed against her army was estimated to be around seven thousand well-equipped warriors. Her force was comprised largely of former mercenaries from around Ethernia so they were somewhat experienced. They numbered around seven thousand, not including the auxiliary forces that were to fight alongside her professional army. The Atelians seemed unkeen of attacking the Seduni force and Ethel, waiting for more auxiliaries to reach her from Legan, likewise avoided engaging in combat. This continued for several days as the Ethernians slowly grew in power. The Atelians, divided in leadership among several kings and likely running out of supplies, seemed to have lost their patience and moved to attack Ethel's army. The Atelians did not use Mecojz'. Instead they had a large quadrupedal creature called a horse (Known as a Khip) that they mounted in combat. They did not have as many of these mounts as the Ethernians had Mecojz' due to them not having brought many with them from Kolaskyva. However, the cavalry that they did have proved to be strong. These horsemen were heavily armored and well armed. They had long pole-arms that, on the larger steads, could out-range those of the Mecojz-riders, as well as lances and ranged weapons, consisting largely of bows and arrows and javelins. Their infantry was also well-armored. Most of their infantry core were covered in hauberks and carried axes and maces. In contrast, Ethel had more well-armored infantry, though they more prevalently used spears with large formations. The battle progressed largely with the manipulation and scattering of the Atelian cavalry by the Ethernian Mecojz-riders, allowing a full concentration on the Atelian infantry who were having difficulties with the large well-coordinated formations of the Ethernian infantry. The result was an Ethernian victory. Several Atelian kings had died. After the victoy, Ethel agreed to let the remaining kings resume their control over their kingdoms on the condition that they each send hostages. In addition she recruited some of the Atelian warriors into her retinue. With them she created a regiment known as the Atelian guard. The Atelian kingdoms were less willing to defy Sedunian suzerainty after this event. From that point on, though, their region of settling became a hotspot for Atelian colonists. In addition to the influx of the Atelians over the centuries, many Ethains started to move into the coastal cities of Ethernia.
Ethel's Final Consolidations and the End of her Reign.
Ethel ruled from 1087 until 1132, a forty five year reign. Much of her time upon the throne was spent on administrative reforms, development of cities, encouragement of cultural progress, and growing Library collections, all of which were modeled after Ethain practices- bar her encouragement of Manslatism, a religion from the Dulkhi that the Atelians practiced as well as some Legani. Though she still contributed to the growth of her borders. Besides the early growth of Vorgi and the acquisition of Belkush, as well as the Atelian vassal states, she made a grab for the Hijuanda region. After her success against the Atelians, she declared that she accepted the submission of the Hijuandag tribes. Some of the closer and weaker tribes took this as a signal that they should pay homage to her and did so, receiving from Ethel a standard to identify them as her subjects. This enticed the other, more powerful tribes. Upset at the queen's claim to rule over them, they harassed and pillaged her new subjects, leading to a long conflict in the region. Ethel was determined to show her dominance over the unruly hill and mountain people of the region who had for so many centuries invaded Sedun. The first year saw Ethel trounce the invaders and drive them from her subjects' lands. She tried to press on, but had little luck in their territory. The following years consisted of Ethel continuing to harass and pillage the nearby tribes. With a professional army, Ethel didn't need to worry about dismissing her forces, just about paying them- which she could do. The HIjuandag tribes, on the other hand, could not harvest the crops that were burned. They could not sustain the ever-present forces of the Seduni queen. After half a decade of conflict, all but the most remote mountain tribes of the region had submitted to Ethel. Following this, most of her reign would be internally focused. By the end of her rule, Ethernia now existed as a recognizable entity. Sedun and most of Kryti was divided up into many administrative regions that allowed for detailed information and more efficient governing, great and well-maintained roads began to connect all of the major cities and all of the major regions, banditry was lowered enormously and nomadic raids almost entirely ceased which combined lead to an increase in trade in the country, royal garrisons filled with professional soldiers abounded the country, and Seduni culture- largely influenced by Etha and to a small extent Dulkhi- spread throughout the major cities over the following centuries providing a basis for a true Ethernian nation. Among her treasures left unto the country were a modern army numbering in the thousands and well financed by taxes and tribute, an enormous library filled with books from Etha, Dukhi, Ethernia, and as far away as her hands could grasp, several famous poems composed by poets in her courts, great city projects, a national animal- the White Swallow, her symbol-, and a successor that proved to be capable of following in her footsteps.


Mexxerra Mezezi and the Modern Ethernian State.


Mexxerra Mezezi.
Her adopted daughter, Mexxerra, was educated largely by Ethel herself, although she of course had the benefits of the queen's marvelous court and her adoptive father, Sezzlic Denk, as well. She did not take the reigns of government for herself until Ethel abdicated at the age of seventy. However, this is not to say that she had no involvement with the state. She had ruled as a sort of "co-emperor" with her mother since her mid twenties and had been quite important in guiding the state to where it was by her time of rulership. Taking the throne officially at age fifty nine, she likely knew that she would not have too much time as queen. She no longer had to worry about revolts against her rule as did her adoptive mother and her mother's adoptive mother. Her rule was secure and legitimate. She awarded her favorite daughter, Iokal, the title of "Wel Ecran" (Other head) as her mother had done for her, establishing her daughter as her co-ruler. This daughter was nearing twenty five years old and there were others older than her, but Mexxerra had deemed her the most fit to succeed her. Mexxerra's rise to the throne certainly signaled future peace with Etha, as Mexxerra and the current queen of Etha, Gotzela Jason, were raised together under Ethel's education for several years on request of Glerigh before he passed away. Their relationship was so close that, to further secure her daughter's ascension after her, Mexxerra married Iokal to Gotzela's youngest son- Utezh. Both families had a tradition that provided an oddity for their union: Mezezi's married matrilineally, as the rulership went down through the female line, while in Etha the Jason surname was dominant in marriage, with all children born from the union of a Jason becoming a Jason (If perhaps usually taking their non-Jason father's name as well). There was not much that arose out of this. The two queens agreed that any children from the union would inherit only the crowns of Ethernia, not being considered for Etha. Besides such business, she focused on furthering the state's reach. She gradually had chipped away at the independence of the Legani kingdoms for several decades under her mother's reign and now continued that practice, successfully ordering several of them into administrative provinces collectively headed by their native king. She successfully assisted Vorgi in establishing hegemony over the Orrik region and further subdued several clans in the Kolkal, turning them "civilized" and settled. Perhaps one of her greatest projects, however, was establishing the Ethernian diet. This diet was a gathering of the regional rulers and representatives from around the Ethernian state. They convened when called by the Gilrokta Ethern, initially only during times of strife or when there were important demands. Over time, however, it was empowered to become a legislative force in the kingdom. It would, in the modern day, become the legislative body of the entire state and held representatives from all of the regions which convene to discuss law and policy. Her reign was surely shorter than that of her mother's, but it was still effective and important. Her daughter's reign would come soon and it was, importantly, secure.
Ectique and the World Stage.
Following Mexxerra's passing, in 1141, the kingdom continued to progressively collectivize and spread to the entire landmass. Succeeding rulers saw the far north eventually subjugated, with the Legani states, Atelian kingdoms, and Vorgi all properly absorbed into the state, though not without their own problems. The Legani nobles had grown dissatisfied with subjugation and only allowed further centralization when the Gilroktas allowed them to be hereditary governors of their regions. The Vorgi had grown fat in the centuries since Isora's invasions with them. They had long since recovered and only grew stronger with each conquest. They, unlike Legan and Velmun, had not allowed Seduni culture to seep so deeply into their country, keeping them out of the Ethernian nation. The fight to incorporate them into the realm was not easy and was succeeded by centuries of disloyalty and rebellious sentiments. The Atelians were always rowdy. They did not stop with causing a ruckus for Ethel. They always sought a way into the crowns power, often attempting to marry into the family and influence the succession, which may have been aided by the Atelian Guard on several occasions. They did, eventually, accept full sovereignty of the Mezezi's. Over the succeeding centuries the regions would progressively be colonized by Seduni migrants.

Related Historical Events

• 1132 A.K.
  The Reign of Mexxerra Mezezi
• 1080 A.K.
  The Seduni-Kryti War of Subjugation
• 1060 A.K.
  Isora's War for Sedun