Almodaria
The Federal Republic of Almodaria (TFRA) is a Centrist Federal Elective Democracy found in the barren and warm regions of Arcturia and formed in the year 2002 after an era of bloody civil disputes in the region it now stands in. The population stands at 18 million Almodarians. Almodaria is known famously for the large yields of fished gathered from their trout fishing industries alongside its arms manufacturing for the Almodarian National Army. The largest city is Tuvaria with a population of 12 million citizens as of the 2022 National Census followed by Aranistan with a population of 4 million citizens.
The Federal Republic of Almodaria Savezna Republika Almodaria | |
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 Official Flag of Almodaria
 Seal
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Motto: The Stronger We Are, The Longer We'll Stand! | |
Anthem: Hold the Colors High! | |
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| Capital and largest city | Tuvaria (Capital) |
| Official languages | Staynish Almodarian |
| Ethnic groups (2020) | 97.2% Human 2.8% Elf |
| Religion | State Atheism |
| Demonym(s) | Almodarian |
| Government | Centrist Multi-Party Federal Elective Republic |
• President of Almodaria | Avros Jabronos |
• Master of Parliament | James Ackerman |
• Head of State Departments | Ethan Anderson |
| Legislature | Almodarian House of Parliament |
| Domestic Affairs Council | |
| Foreign Affairs Council | |
| Formation | |
• Formation of the Kingdom of Visidaria | 1822 BCE |
• Formation of the Kingdom of the Darians | 33 CE |
• Formation of the Kingdom of North Almodar | 56 CE |
• Formation of United Republic of Almodarian States | January 22nd, 1990 |
• Foundation of Federal Republic of Almodaria | August 6th, 2002 |
| Population | |
• 2022 estimate | 18 Million |
• 2020 census | 17.9 million |
| GDP (nominal) | 2020 estimate |
• Total | $713 billion |
• Per capita | $36,678 |
| Currency | Almodat (ALM, (ƒ)) |
| Driving side | right |
| Calling code | +404 |
| Internet TLD | .AL |
Almodaria is absent from Foreign Regional Affairs unless it directly affects their sovereignty.
History
Prehistory
The earliest traces of Human Life are found in what is now Skavari approximately 25 thousand Years ago after migrating north from southern Arcturia in what is known as the Great Migration. This migration took place over generations as tribes separated and spread along the eastern coastline forming hunter-gatherer communities. The groups did not settle but stayed in the same areas as shown by cave drawings and bones being found in the same locations and being dated for years after the first groups arrived. for the next 6,000 years, a lack of change was found which showed signs of permanent settlement in what is now Skavari and entered the Neolithic period. Evidence of farms, fishing, and domestication became apparent in 9,000 BCE and Hunter-Gatherers turned into farmers. Although, the region was not peaceful as tribal conflicts occurred with bones being broken by clubs and spears. Tribal wars and conquests were the norm. The earliest known civilization in the Almodarian region was founded in 5,500 BCE approximately but the name of the civilization is unknown with early stone structures being used to make thrones and shrines and is possibly a sign of Idolatry to a leader but, the civilization most likely collapsed around 5,200 BCE after repeated raids from other Tribes. Multiple tribes gained control of chunks of the central-eastern coastline. The most well-known three are the Darians, Visidarians, and the Almonians which remained in control of areas where their ancestors settled as the world entered the bronze age and 3rd millennium BCE.
The bronze age gave rise to a major cultural shift between Tribes including the largest three listed above and leaders became idols and were deemed godlike. The Cultural Shift began sometime around 1990 BCE. Bronze was used to make statues of deities such as the deity of the sun called Mawey or the deity of fertility known as Ferah. The creation of religions gave way to religious conflicts and sacrifices. The first major cities were made inside of the Visidarian Territories with the largest being Visidalia which had a population of nearly 30,000 and had many temples to the many deities who they worshipped.
After the Visidarian warfare ended and the glory period ended, not much is known as the early Middle Ages began...
The Visidarian Campaign (1887 BCE-1863 BCE)
In 1887 BCE, The Visidarians began a campaign against their southern neighbors the Darians. Reasons for the campaign are unknown but theories suggest it could've been for theological purposes or for fertile soil. The Visidarians conducted various major raids on settlements across the coast with a major battle being the battle of Aramea we only know it was a major battle due to the findings of stone carvings with pictures of the conflict and writings in ancient tribal language referencing it. Visidarian forces met the Darians at the river of Slavak where conflict ensued with a varying number of casualties from 1,000 to 2,000 however it is still unknown. The campaign ended in a Visidarian victory, weakening the Darians and spreading the influence of their people.
The rise of the Kingdom of Visdaria and the Conquest Period
The Visidarians became the leading group in the region. After the triumph of the Visidarian Campaign, the Visidarians saw beyond just fighting for resources but fighting for reign over the Almodarian region (at the time known as Almodar) and so began the Conquest Period (1860 BCE- 1650 BCE). The first conquests of the period were in the west as the fear of the Almonians grew. The Almonians were silent conquerors who moved the settlements west into the deserts while holding the most fertile soil in the lowlands. Sacrifices were made for blessings and the Visidar-Almonian War (1850 BCE-1822 BCE) began. The war was the biggest thing seen in the region since the conquest of the Darians almost a decade prior. The Visidarians pushed south and cut off forces from the coast, starving the desert men who had their food transported from the coast deeper into the continent by merchant routes. After supplies were cut, Almonia stood no chance and after years of fighting the leader of the main troops Tvrtko burnt down the major city of Ferahna and the war was over. Visidaria took over the lands Almonia once called theirs and Tvrtko who led the troops to victory was deemed the king of all Visdarians and was deemed the God of Conquest and almighty ruler.
Visidar-Almonian War (1850 BCE-1822 BCE)
King Tvrtko (1820 BCE-1760 BCE) and the glory period (1820 BCE-1760 BCE)
When Tvrtko became king, he centralized the reigning Idolatry religions into one religion called Solerianism and the temple of Sol was built in honor of the sun deity Sol. Tvrtko put the Almonians into slavery and sacrificed anyone from elders to children in honor of Sol. The failure of the Almonians led to the beginning of the prosperous period of prehistory Almodaria in the Glory Period. The Glory Period had technological advancements that brought Visidaria to new highs and they were unstoppable. The only other Almodar civilization that could pose any threat were the Darians who shared the same name however their northeastern coastline territory was not needed by the growing Visidarians as they had more than enough as it stood now. King Tvrtko: known for conquering more than anyone knew was possible at the time and enslaving the inferior Almonian people, dies in 1760 BCE and the rift that forms is enormous. Almonian slaves began to rise up against their masters as people panicked in the streets as they couldn't believe a man who was practically godlike could die. The Glory Period would come to an end as a result of the chaos and near brink of destruction.
The Almonian Uprising and Exodus (1760 BCE-1660 BCE)
After Tvrtko died the realm was shattered. All in the realm believed he was immortal and would rule for eternity but clearly, they were wrong. The Almonians however, took this as the chance to break free of their chains and become free people once again. In the same year of the king's death the Almonians rose up in rebellion and began a rampage through the roads of Visidalia. Almonians took the weapons once held by their owners and slaughtered the people who enslaved them, killing anyone who got in the way of their escape. The streets were covered in so much blood that according to recovered documents it was "up to the knees of anyone who could walk.". The uprising was going well into the armed guards arrived to shut down this uprising as the people of Visidalia continued to riot in the background. Many would not survive any further than this point as the well-trained soldiers tore through the slaves. Instead of fighting back, many decided to run and the rest of the crowd of thousands began their escape from the city. But the bloodshed wouldn't end as those who couldn't keep up with the massive swarm were crushed by the others running in a large crowd crush. The soldiers could not stop the rampage and the Almonians left the city battered and bruised with a trail of corpses as markers of the deadly run. The exodus was a long campaign where the Almonians needed to find a new home very very far from their captors and moved northwest. It is unknown where they settled but historians suggest that the groups split with one group taking refuge with the Darians and the other half moving deeper into what is now Varatistan.
The fall of the Kingdom of Visidaria (1760 BCE-1758 BCE)
The last major moment prior to the Middle Ages was the fall of the kingdom. As the capital burned to the floor, the head priests called the people of Visidalia to the city square which sat in the front of the large temple of Sol. The Priests decreed that the Apocalypse was upon the people of Visidaria and that they failed to save their king and the gods needed blood. According to records the next hour would be the bloodiest moment in Almodarian prehistory. The Priests hailed their god one last time and conducted their own group suicide as part of a massive sacrifice. The people were confused at first but shortly after a brawl ensued as the fires turned the overcast sky red and the death found inside the newly made mosh pit was immense. You may be asking where the guards are at this time? Well, there is no exact answer, but the leading theory is that the guard was dismantled after the Almonian escape and instead joined in the brawl. The poorly built throne building collapsed at some point during the brawl due to the flames from nearby burning buildings, crushing multiple brawlers and to others was a sign from Sol to stop their fight as there was no fight left. The fighters dispersed revealing a pile of corpses from the fight and the prior crowd crush during Exodus (we know of the corpses due to the abundance of bones piled above eachother). The kingdom was no more, and anarchy fell into order.
Early Middle Ages
We now enter the Common Era. The gap between the fall of Visidaria and the rise of the Common Era has been brutal for the fallen state. The former state has lost nearly 80% of its formerly controlled area and the kingdom once again split between the Visidarians and the newly formed Skavan people who took over what is now Skavari. The Darians in the north conquered the west and united with the Almonians unlike the Visidarians who saw them as lesser. The Darians were led by King Ivan II who came to power only at the age of 16 after Ivan I died of a heart attack unexpectedly. The Visidarians after the collapse became Barbarous raiders who raided their neighboring states for food and livestock and were now seen as the lesser people (how the tide has changed). In 40 CE, King Ivan reunited the Almonians with their counterparts who during the Exodus formed settlements in the barren deserts. The lands in the west were merged with the Darians.
King Ivan II and the Kingdom of the Darians (33 CE-70 CE)
King Ivan II (17 CE-70 CE) had a different approach to ruling the kingdom. Instead of the laid-back approach the leaders' generations prior to him followed, He was an ambitious conqueror but a courteous leader who reformed the punishments for crimes, re modeled the economy, and strengthened the economy. Meanwhile, he and other skilled generals wanted to crush the "Feral and animal like" Visidarian barbarians who should face the wrath that they once put upon the peaceful Almonian people. In 40 CE, the Grand Army of Daria arrived in Visidaria to send an ultimatum to their leaders. They stated that "There shall be no war and no blood to tarnish the lands, if they give up their barbarous treachery and become civilized peoples once more." There was a silence for a period of somewhere between 2-3 minutes according to written documents but then from the silence there was sound from inside the gates. A man stood at the top of the wall and spoke for the assembled force to hear and said one word..."No." the man then lowered his head from the wall and disappeared and silence filled the scene once again. There was confusion among the assembled crowd. The messenger replied: "Why must you disagree with such order that may save your people?" A different man rose up to where the previous man stood at the wall. He had armor made of Bronze and a helmet covered his head and he spoke: "We just won't it simply isn't enough." The messenger was dumbfounded at such a reply and sunk into the soldiers. The man at the gate turned and left. Now what are they to do? Just leave? Well, they didn't know they expected the Visidarians to be begging for freedom from their horrific circumstances. The head generals of the army decided to return home as the expenses and casualties brought by pulling down the wall were not worth it. This story would go down in history as a humiliating and haunting memory in Almodarian history.
The rebranding and unification of Northern Almodar (56 CE)
Almost 16 years past after the humiliating "Ultimatum" against Visidaria occured and yet nothing has happened significantly. The Almonians however, took the time of relative peace to advance their technologies and expand culturally into a strong people unlike how they were hundreds of thousands of years ago. Ivan II, in need of something grand for his people. He saw how the Almonians have changed and called the Royal Council to order. He called to officialize the North-Almodar Collective Identity and united the throne with the Almonians as a dual monarchy. The council voted yay or nay with 7 yays to 1 nay (He was of visidarian descent) and the coronation of the Second King was set. The Kingdom of North Almodar (North People) was officialized in 60 CE. The Almonian king was King Miklos who was chosen for his admirable service in the rebuilding of the Almonian culture.
The Dual Monarch Schism
The Dual Monarch Schism was the divide between those who believed in a single monarch and those who believed in the dual monarchy. No serious arose during the schism but it caused a deep political divided that would later be defined as foreshadowing of future political divisions by historians.
The Coronation of King Miklos of Almonia (61 CE)
The day of the coronation was March 1, 61 CE. The weather was perfect for the occasion and the crowds waited outside for the new king to arrive. Miklos entered the Throne room of the Old Kingdom Castle (Old Kingdom due to it being constructed in the Ivan I era) and knelt before the head of the Royal Council Goran Sevic who held the crown above him. He was crowned that afternoon as bells in the square rang. History had been made and for the first time two Kings were to rule the realm. Miklos rose as King Miklos I of Almonia, sworn to protect and cherish the throne and its peoples through the toughest of times.
The North Almodar invasion of Visidari and the beginning of the new era
Now that the second king was crowned and all is in order, it was now time to remove of the Visidarian threat the lurked in the south. The plan was simple: send as many men as can be trained down to the nerve center Visidalia and conquer the kingdom. The Kings saddled up on their horses and led their armies down the grueling route to Visidalia. They arrived at the kingdom in late 61 CE. It was a familiar sight after the ultimatum failed to do anything and from the looks of it no one was home. Miklos at the front of the army called out for their enemy who stood behind the walls they threatened. This time there was no small talk, and the guards rang warning bells to signal the rest of their troops of the coming attack. The Almodar force stood at about 10-15,000 (It wasn't expected to need a larger force) while the Visidarian force stood at 12,000 about. There was no time to wait as the signal bells rang and armed troops made their way to the wall.
Breaching the Wall
The Almodar troops managed to breach the wall at midnight after setting up ladders to climb the wall. The guards were ready and began picking off the first to climb the wall while others lit torches to burn down defenses. Casualties began to pile up as the soldiers were picked off but soon enough the Almodar's breached the wall and set fire to any building they came across. The temple of Sol, which stood since the time of Tvrtko was set alight and burnt to the ground by the next day while the Visidarian troops were torn apart by the highly trained Almodar troops.
Inside the city
Petty King Dusan of Visidaria joined the conflict as soon as the enemy charged through the opening in the wall. He was quickly captured by a group of soldiers and was stripped of his weaponry while Visidarian men were slaughtered in combat. The flames reached the market square and set alight everything making the sky brighten like the sun returned from the night. By dawn, the fires had burnt out, and bodies of both Visidarians, and Almodar's laid in the streets. The temple of sol was now rubble, and the kings keep caved in due to the flames. North Almodar was victorious and had King Dusan in shackles. The area that Visidaria was made of fell into the control of Almodar troops and the Visidarian people were to be sold into slavery like how they enslaved and dehumanized the Almonians.
Enslavement of the Visidarians
After the conquering of Visidaria, King Dusan was put into the dungeons and his people were put on trial with all being deemed guilty and the penalty was enslavement. The Visidarian slaves were divided amongst the richest in the Almonian kingdom while the Darian Kingdom stayed away from slavery however, some payed Almonian owners to smuggle in slaves for quick work and then smuggle them back. Although the slave trade was legal and thought to be the deserved fate for the Visidarians, the people of Daria were appalled by it. It was a grand victory but at what cost?
The Second Glory Period (61 CE-900 CE)
The second Glory Period began after the conquering of Visidaria. Cultural and political revolution began in the two united kingdoms with shifting of thought of Moral Senses with the uprising of Slavery and the government began to change, allowing more control to the council and vassals while allowing the throne to keep authority over the kingdom. This would also be the last years of Miklos and Ivan II as both were getting older, and the days grew shorter. Judging off of what happened in Visidaria after their king died, the council began making preparations for what will happen once the kings die.
The Succession Crisis of 68 CE
Up until now, no one has thought up what would happen if the monarchs were to die. King Miklos had no extended family nor did he have any of his own children and a heir apparent could not be found and if one wasn't to be found then the fate of the united kingdoms could be dark. Luckily, Ivan II had his own child Ivan III who was of age to take the throne which eased the worries of the council. The group came to the decision to hold the first ever vote for a heir. High up feudal leaders in the kingdom would be able to run for a spot as the heir and other vassals would be allowed to vote. The winner would be chosen when Miklos would die.
The Death of Ivan II (70 CE)
In the early morning hours, Ivan II laid in bed in "Agonizing Pain" as described by witnesses. For the past year he had suffered from a mystery illness which is now known as lung cancer and his days were coming to an end. Ivan III sat by his father's bedside. King Miklos was sent a request come to the keep of Ivan II to witness the death but was unable to get up due to his own battles with gangrene. Ivan II would not see the morning sun and died in the dawn hours at age 53 his last words were reportedly "I am in peace and my death is now."
The Death of Miklos I (70 CE)
It was almost terribly miraculous that the two kings died within hours of each other. Miklos had been bedridden for the past day after his complications from gangrene became so terrible that he couldn't walk no longer. The 58-year-old King had no heir apparent, and no heir had been brought up to the throne in time due to the rapid intensity of his illness. He received news of Ivan II dying and according to scribes at the sight had "No emotion left to spare" over the death of his comrade. He saw the day and went along his day in his bed with labored breathing and a lack of words. In the evening of the same day, Miklos I went silent for an extended amount of time. This concerned the guards outside his room, and they went to investigate to find King Miklos I dead of his illness. It is unknown whether he had any final words or not but either way it was a terrible time to be a high-ranking member in the kingdom.
The race for a heir and the crowning of King Ivan III
The abrupt death of Miklos I caught the Royal Council off guard. They expected the king to live another day or two so they could complete the vote, but this was not the case. However, some of the stress eased away as they remembered that the son of Ivan II, Ivan was of age to be coronated. If Ivan could control the kingdom while the vote came to an end, then the peace and prosperity can continue. Ivan III was brought to the castle of North Tuva (which is now Tuvaria) so he could be coronated as soon as possible. Ivan III began his reign that day at the young age of 18.
The Heir to the Almonian Throne
The heir to the Almonian throne was found the day after coronation when the vote conceded early. The young man named Goran was the son of a wealthy vassal in the chiefdom of Vorka (not all vassals had gone feudal due to issues within) and the date of Coronation was set for the end of the week. Goran was set to take up the name of Miklos II in honor of the late king. There was no fancy ceremony just like with Ivan III and he was crowned in the Castle of Almor with a messenger set to the entrance of the castle to announce to the people that the crown was secure.
The kingdom as the Glory Period Began
Once the two kingdoms were secured, the kings began their reign and the glory period continued. Not much would go on during their rule and their children's rule, but the realm began to heat up as the High Middle Ages began...
High Middle Ages
Hundreds of years have passed since the passing of Ivan II and Miklos I. The Second Glory Period was coming to an end as rifts in the kingdom began to form. The Enslavement of the Visidarians continued, a religious revolution was around the corner, and the two kings couldn't stand each other anymore. Now vassals like the Duchy of Tuvar and the Duchy of Ajornov are beginning to become autonomous. After centuries of peace, it looks like it was all going to fall apart.
The Two Kings
The Two Kings of this messy kingdom of North Almodar were King's Bogdan IV who sat on the Almonian throne and King Ivan XIV who sat on the Darian throne and kept up the naming tradition that was set years ago. The Two Kings could never seem to stop arguing. Bogdan was a vengeful and arrogant man while Ivan was humble and content. Bogdan wanted to continue the Visidarian Enslavement while Ivan wanted to shut it down as views on slavery had evolved over time. The royal court was split between those who were pro Bogdan and those who were Pro Ivan. The feud was so bad that even their heirs got into with each other threatening to destroy the kingdom if they were to both make it to the throne. And now just to stoke the flames even further a new religion threatened to destroy the integrity of the kingdom: Prostorism.
Prostorism and the Prostoric Revolution
A villager from the town of Borna was walking through the streets late at night. As he strolled down the road with a donkey by his side carrying foods from the farm, a group of bandits arrived to rob him of his goods. Armed with knives, the villager had no chance of defending himself without being killed and as he was being robbed the sky became day for a moment shorter than 5 seconds reportedly and a beam of light came between the bandits and the villager. One of the Bandits attempted to touch the beam of light and screamed out in pain and when he pulled his hand out it was gone, completely burnt off at the wrist. The Bandits who were now horrified ran off and the beam of light disappeared according to witnesses. The villager then heard a voice in his head that did not sound like his inner monologue that told him to "Spread the word of my existence so people like you may be free in a eternal kingdom." The villager agreed and began to spread the word. He was given other messages by the entity that called himself Prostor. Prostor told him that he must bring his word to the rest of the kingdom, and they will all know of the word. The villager, who now revealed himself as a Zvrtko, brought his fellow followers of Prostorism to Tuvaria (the capital of North Almodar) and began their pilgrimage through the realm.
The Prostoric Revolution began in 924 CE as Zvrtko and his followers' constructed churches in their homes and began preaching the word of Prostor late at night as they believed Prostor was at his strongest when the moon was at its highest in the sky. Radical members snuck into the North Tuva castle and began preaching to the king of the kingdom and to no surprise, they were captured and executed. This made Zvrtko furious and decided to make a plan to raid the castle in order to forcefully bring the miracles and wishes of Prostor to the king and thought that if they won, they could finally make North Almodar the home of the Eternal Kingdom. The plan was executed in 930 CE almost 6 years after the first members were executed for trespassing. The group of hundreds managed to make it to the gates of North Tuva and together stood at the gates. The gates were opened, and the unamused Ivan XIV sat at his throne surrounded by guards. Zvrtko stepped up to the throne and the guards were told to stand down by Ivan. Zvrtko began telling the bored king of the word of Prostor and the destiny of the kingdom as Ivan just nodded along acting like he could care. When Zvrtko stopped speaking, Ivan forced a yawn and gestured with his hand for the group to leave. Zvrtko understood that they couldn't fight the highly armed guards and decided to leave even more furious than before. Before he left, he told the king that the end of their prosperity was upon them and that if they didn't let Prostor make the kingdom his, then the "Fires of the ground shall rise up and erase those who disobeyed." And this time they got a laugh out of Ivan before he audibly said goodbye. Zvrtko went home while the rest of the group stayed at the castle to preach to those who passed. Now Zvrtko was ready to risk his life for the god and made a plot to forcefully remove Ivan from the throne. They began to collect weapons and flammable items and prepared. It was now or never for Zvrtko...
The torching of North Tuva and the Prostoric Invasion
Now that everything was ready, Zvrtko called the group together at midnight that night when the moon was full and high so they could get all of the "Power" needed. They marched to the castle once again with over 600 members charging through as they brought along others they found on the way. The flames from the torches could be seen from the Castle and the guard was put on alert and soldiers were brought to the gate ready to crush the group of crazed people. Visidarian slaves in the city of Tuva were taken from their chains and brought along to fight the kingdom in the holy reformation of sorts. Zvrtko and his "Prostorist Army" arrived at the wall. Zvrtko came to the front and called out: "We called for you to let Prostor in and you rejected him. His glory shall not go under the eyes of you heretic!" He returned to the rear of the force and the members put their torches up to the gate and set the wooden gate alight and broke through the gate as it burned. The royal guard barricaded the main gate into the actual castle and Ivan XIV sat at the throne waiting for his adversaries. Now you may be asking where Bogdan is if the whole kingdom is about to shatter? Well, he was sleeping in his quarters on the other side of the state and thought it would only benefit him if Ivan perished. Anyways back at the kingdom the fighting began. The Royal Army of North Almodar with a force of nearly 750 met the enemy once they entered and the bloodshed began quickly and with brutality. Although the royal army had more men and more equipment, the Prostorists managed to barge through with brute force as they were chopped down by the defenders. They made it to the front gate of the castle, the raiders in the front pushed at the barricades while the fighters in the rear fended off the relentless defense. The barricade began to collapse as the raiders began to use their torches to burn through the large wooden doors like they did with the outer wall prior. They charged in and the Royal Guard charged forth, knocking down and slaughtering the first to enter while the rest of the force made their way towards the king. The Guard got into defensive positions so the army could finish off chopping up the raiders from behind. Ivan was not affected by the literal group of hundreds in front of him trying to kill him.
The raiders were destroyed with many attempting to escape and being captured. Ivan called for Zvrtko to be brought forth after being captured. Zvrtko was forced onto his knees in front of the King. The King stood up and unsheathed his traditional sword of the king. The words that were spoken to Zvrtko are as follows: "Did your lord plan for you to end up as the fodder we will feed the hogs?" Zvrtko called out for Prostor but before he could finish, Ivan chopped his head off. The members who were captured reportedly were appalled by the sight and many were afraid that they would end up in the same fate. The king wiped the blood off with his hand and sat down calmly.
The Week of Red (930 CE)
After the Prostorics were captured and Zvrtko was killed, a week of mass executions began as Prostorics, Visidarian Slaves, and Pro Bogdanists who were affiliated with the raid were executed publicly by a system called "The Iron Crush". To summarize, the iron crush is a system in which the head of the prisoner is put on a stone, above them is an Anvil hanging from strong ropes and pullies, when ready the Anvil is dropped and lands on the head of the executed, killing them instantly. Another system then moves their blood down a channel into a bucket below. They are lucky to have not been eaten alive by slaves, but this punishment is still terrible. Over 200 Prostorics, 60 Slaves, and 15 Bogdanists were executed from the beginning of the week to the end. Over three buckets of blood were filled.
The banning of Religion and the Consolidation of Power
In 933 CE, the two kings met in Tuva to send a message to the people. They announced together that the practice of Monotheism or any kind of theology is banned and the toll for not following the rule is death by Iron Crush. The Crown Authority became higher than ever, and Vassals were reduced in power and their land was confiscated. Bogdanists were restricted to their homes until they gave up their grudges and gave in to the two kings not just one. However, this made Bogdanists angrier.
The Assassination of Ivan XIV (945 CE)
Fifteen years later, both kings have aged with Bogdan being 67 and Ivan almost 73. Bogdanists have been fed up with the forced house arrest and high crown authority. The Almonian side of the council was completely Bogdanist and the minister of war Boris came to Bogdan IV with a request: an assasination. The plan was for Bogdan to get into the castle of North Tuva and forcefully kill Ivan with the help of Bogdanist guards to cover the murder.
The plan went in motion the following day and Bogdan casually entered the castle with a knife sheathed under his sleeve. He found Ivan in the middle of writing in his quarters. He charged at Ivan and knocked him to the ground. Ivan and Bogdan began fighting each other while Bogdan was on top. Ivan called for the guards, but the Bogdanist guards were the only ones on duty at the time with two blocking the entrance to Ivan's keep. The struggle would continue for another 5 minutes with Ivan being pushed up against the balcony and a knife at his neck. Bogdan finally won the struggle and stabbed deep twice. Ivan groaned and shook as he continued to struggle before going limp with his body falling to the floor with Bogdan standing over him.
The aftermath of the Assassination
For the first time in their history, a King was killed by another King! After killing Ivan XIV, the citizens of the capital were brought to the castle for the announcement of the death of Ivan XIV. The crowd was immediately in shock how could someone kill the man who stopped the Prostoric Revolution and executed the criminals? The body was buried in a tomb under the castle and locked away. Bogdan IV was of course proud of what he did and felt nothing. The council now had an issue: Bogdan was not liked by the people. How could Bogdan consolidate power if the Darians and Almonians hate him? Another issue was that Ivan XV was going to rise to the throne as a child and Bogdan would be executed if he kills a child especially a second king. Now after all this work, Bogdan now had two choices: Resign, or accept Ivan XV as the next ruler of the kingdom. Bogdan refused to do either and now he was feuding with his own council. The council believed that the only peaceful solution is to just accept defeat but the arrogant narcissist that was Bogdan didn't want to submit to a child. Divisions were forming and Bogdan was repeatedly asked to resign but he refused continuously.
The forced abdication of Bogdan IV (950 CE)
Five years after the death of Ivan XIV, Bogdan was still on the throne although he was asked to resign. And so, it was decided that if he wouldn't get off the throne then he will be forced off the throne by hand and if it comes to killing then killing will be done.
On one fateful cloudy day, Bogdan and his guards were going through the city. It was strangely empty almost as if the city had been abandoned. Suddenly his guards turned on him and tackled him. The members of the Royal Council, the Royal Guard, and pro Ivanists surrounded the captured King. He was lifted up and put in shackles. His charges of failing to submit and murder of Ivan XIV were read to him and the people (who were commanded to stay in their homes) were called out to confront their king who killed their king. Bogdan was tossed in the dungeon where he would be forgotten.
The beginning of the end and the reign of Ivan XV (950 CE-1020 CE) and Bogdan V (944 CE-1026 CE) and the formation of the Kingdom of Almodaria
Now that the drama was over (for now) Ivan XV could begin his reign on the throne alongside Bogdan V. By now, the Visidarian region had become developed enough to make Visidaria into a full-fledged state in the Kingdom and finally uniting the Almodar peoples under one banner. The concept had been made back in the 760s of a United Kingdom but it was never pursued. But now it is possible with the support of the council, and support of the people, The kings decreed the formation of the Kingdom of Almodaria and "Prosperous Growth and Life" however this was not the case.
The Kingdom of Almodaria (955 CE-1440 CE)
The Kingdom of Almodaria was born out of the mess that was North Almodar in the high Middle Ages. The kingdom was practically the same although the new territory could now be taxed, and more wealth came to the country. Free Visidarians in the country wanted to be able to own land in their own home but they were not allowed to. Then to the audacity of the Visidarians, a Visidarian Lord was chosen out of a group of 100 to lead the Visidarian Duchy in 967 CE by Bogdan V. This outraged the Visidarians and made Ivan XV furious at his counterpart. The new Kingdom was falling into tyranny before it could even begin living. This would climax when in 988, a slave named Zoran led a slave uprising also known as the May Uprising where they seized the weapons of their guards and held them for ransom demanding their freedom and the freedom of all Visidarians however their demands were not met, and the royal army murdered the slaves and executed Zoran by Iron Crush. Under severe pressure and internal stress, Ivan XV made a deal with the Duchy of Visidaria and abolished the Slave Trade but not slavery itself. Slave Owners were now up in arms about the new law, but Ivan XV continued to try and look up to the example his father set at the cost of the people. Bogdan was given no say in the issue due to his relations with the other King.
The rocky start to the kingdom was long but Ivan XV was able to control the manic Bogdan V and control the economic crash after the slave trade ban but it's all part of the plan.
Late Middle Ages
The Late Middle Ages were less eventful than the Early and High Middle Ages with the Kingdom of Almodaria hardly holding together as the world changes and the country changes. By the end of 1270, the Kingdom had become developed further than ever before, the Visidarians split and became the Skavarians and the Varatistani's, and the Almonian-Darian people became the Tuvarians, Aranistani's, and the Almodorians. Their Duchies followed and became Tuvaria, Almodor, Aranistan, Varatistan, and Skavari. The Dual Monarchy continued but there were issues arising...
The Second Dual Monarchy Schism (1270 CE-1271 CE)
Since the reformation of the Duchies, there was now a question of who would be chosen to be king. Since the Kings don't represent Almonia and Daria anymore, how do they represent the other duchies? Would there be 4 maybe 6 kings? No that wouldn't be possible so who would rule? This became the big issue for the overwhelmed council that never seemed to catch a break historically. If an answer could not be brought to the table then could the Kingdom stay united or could it collapse into anarchy and secession? The council would use the rest of 1270 CE and 1271 CE on trying to make plans and programs for when things get out of hand. Eventually, plans to make Almodaria stick together failed to stick and the council gave up in 1271 after failing to find an answer. The Kingdom won't make it through the 1300s...
The January Mutiny and the Uprising of 1325
Years after the council failed to save the kingdom, the duchies were becoming more and more autonomous as the days continued. Soldiers inside different duchies abandoned their posts and stole weapons from other duchies. It was practically a fight for power between the duchies while the Kings could do nothing but watch as their armies crumbled as the Duchies rose in power. In 1325, The largest Duchy the Duchy of Tuvaria, sent an ultimatum to the weakened kings that they must give the Duchies their freedom or face the consequences of a bloody and brutal conflict.
The Kings failed to comply and instead threw out the message. The Tuvarians decided that this was an act of aggression and the first of many conflicts began: The Almodarian Secession War (1325 CE-1440).
The First War (1325 CE - 1400 CE)
The First of the Two Secession Wars was the longest with the Freedom Coalition, which was made up of Tuvaria and Varatistan, declaring their independence from the Kingdom of Almodaria. The throne was abandoned due to there being no King elected after the deaths of Ivan XV and Bogdan V meaning that the kingdom was under the control of the increasingly desperate Royal Council. The Coalition swiftly made advances from both the west and the east and pierced through the nation. The bloodiest battle was outside of the Capital of the Kingdom Tuva in 1378. The casualties rose to over 12,000 and ended in a Tuvarian victory. The Tuvarians captured Tuva and the Royal Council was arrested by infiltrating soldiers. The war would continue as Coalition Soldiers fought rebelling Skavarians and other Eastern Almodarians before the Treaty of Tuva was signed in 1400. Tuvaria and Varatistan were now independent countries.
The Forty Years War (1400 CE - 1440 CE)
The Forty Years War or the Second Secession War, was the smaller war that followed after the conclusion of the First Secession War. The war was fought between Coalition Members Varatistan and Tuvaria against the rest of the Kingdom of Almodaria which was made up of Aranistan, Almodor, and Skavari. Visidarians in Skavari were now furious that just after gaining their freedom and right to control duchies, they get invaded by people they called their allies. The Kingdom was ruled from Skavari by a Royal Council as there was too much going on to crown a new king. The war began when Almodaria cut ties with the Coalition and declared them as their enemies and Invaded Tuvaria. The Almodarian army was weak but quick and was able to blitz multiple towns in Tuvarian land and move to another. The biggest battle was the Battle of Bugoj in 1435 when the Tuvarian and Varatistani combined army of 17,000 met the Almodarian Army of 14,000 at the Village of Bugoj. The fighting went on for nearly a whole day and over 10,000 soldiers died. The battle was a draw between the two and both retreated out of Bugoj. In 1440 a peace was made between the two entities after a failure to make any further conquests after the major battle in 1435. Almodaria wouldn't last much longer.
The fall of Almodaria (1440 CE)
When the war came to an end, the infrastructure in the country was in ruins and the economy was in pieces. There was no possible way to recover after a review was made and it was declared that the Dual Monarchy must come to an end after nearly a thousand years of reign. In fall of 1440, the Royal Council signed a pact stating that all duchies within the kingdom would become independent states and the Almodarian title will be abolished and was signed by all 8 Council Members. The Crowns were laid to rest inside a seal vault (which is now found in the Royal Museum in the town of Dobrosa). And the Thrones were placed in the same vault. All other royal belongings were either auctioned off or put in the same vault and keep. The Kingdom had fallen, and the Early Modern Era began in a shattered Kingdom.
Early Modern Period
The Early Modern Period was the period of finally lasting peace. After the Two Wars, all of the states were morally exhausted and fighting became somewhat unnecessary as it became a waste of resources. This period became a period of religious and scientific breakthroughs, with early astronomers making drawings of far off planets through their telescopes and cartographers making the most realistic and up to date maps since the 1100s. The Kingdom devolved into multiple republics and now it is a question of whether they get along or face the consequences...
The Trade Reformation and the Economic Revival (1467 CE - 1500 CE)
After the end of wartime in the Region, the different republics began making economic revival policies to get back on their feet. The quickest solution was to raise prices on foods that were quick to produce and then lower prices on more expensive items. The other states made ideas like making cheaper items and selling them for increased prices. By 1470 results began to show with the economies of each Republic booming. For the first time in years, there were thriving communities that could make it out of muddy slums and dirty streets. Although there were still many who were not fortunate enough to make it through the boom with some being outperformed by others in the same field and in so losing patrons. At the cost of many the economy slowly recovered through the rest of the 1400s into the 1500s.
The Second Religious Reformation (1489 CE - 1512 CE)
Alongside the Economic Revival, the state of Aranistan which was previously home to the Prostoric Revolution, was still a pious state with majority of the population still believing in ancient Prostorism. Although since then, people's views on the world and on morals and ethics had changed and many religious philosophers in Aranistan called ancient Prostorism "A barbaric memory of who we were." and called for a second reformation. A specific philosopher by the name of Milan Kasimovic (1450-1506) began publishing religious philosophy in book form with his most famous being "Reasons for a Higher Power" this book became a favorite amongst Prostoric Followers and in 1489, Kasimovic founded the Prostoric Followers Reformation Council (PFRC) which had the objective of convening with Prostoric leaders to reform the religion.
The next question was where to start. The council decided that the most important change would need to be Prostoric views on Slavery and Sacrifices which have both been banned by the Aranistani government and the other Almodarian Republics. The council would then move between different churches (not buildings exactly but just concentrated areas of worship) to convene with leaders to help modify the Prostoric Doctrine. The hardest part was having to edit this doctrine which has existed for almost a thousand years. it wasn't like they could just rewrite it and say it is fine now, they would have to convene with all major Prostoric Leaders in the country and get them to join in the reformation. If there wasn't enough support or a group disobeyed the new order, there could be another uprising on the levels of the first one or worse...
From 1492 to 1506, the council attempted to sway the Prostorics into joining the reformation but in 1506, Kasimovic died of an unexpected heart attack in his sleep. This would damage their efforts, but they've already captured a good amount of support. And in 1512, six years after the death of Kasimovic, the group was able to get their reforms into the Prostoric Doctrine and effectively banned enslavement and sacrifices in its set of rules peacefully.
The Skavarian Code (1540 CE)
The Skavarian Code was a reformed set of laws and basic rules of living that was coined and formed in the seaside Republic of Skavari. It entitled rules on labor, trade and the economy, owning land, and business operation. It was the first of its kind out of all of the Republics and politicians would regularly send copies of it to other Republics requesting their governments to follow suit and use the code to further make a bond with the nations. Tuvaria was first to decline. They believed that the Skavarians wanted to catch them being weakened and in suit attempting to put their politicians in control. Meanwhile Varatistan which had a high crime rate and a high mortality rate, was quick to put the code into rule. Aranistan and Almodor stayed neutral between the three to not cause a war to break out over Skavarian influence.
The Skavarian Golden Age (1540 CE-1720 CE)
A new golden age was beginning this time with the intelligent and knowledgeable Skavarians. They managed to scrape their way to the top with not only superior military might but with a superior set of rules and advancements in culture. Skavari became the first elective democracy in the five republics and allowed women to work jobs outside of their homes if their husband passed away or was out of the country. Skavarian influence in the region became apparent as more Skavarians began to immigrate to the other five states alongside spies who would infiltrate the governments and expand Skavarian influence into the politics of the country. This led to Varatistan, Almodor, and Aranistan making an allied defensive pact to the confusion of Tuvaria in the north who was left alone. This perpetual peace represented the rest of the Early Modern Period as the alliance was too strong for Tuvaria to fight a good fight and come out with anything on their side.
The beginning of Sagrovna Arms Manufacturers (1590 CE)
Defense became a larger priority in the country and as the rise of new weapons like Muskets began to be apparent, a new manufacturer was needed. On August 6, 1590, Sagrovna Arms Manufacturers was founded by Radovan Ruzic. The company at the time made weaponry like swords and bows as used by the army since the unity days and prior, but now they were making a new technology: Muskets. Muskets had farther range than bows and could inflict further damage than arrows could. In 1594, the first Almodarian made musket was used in basic training for Skavarian, and defense pact soldiers. First reviews of the weapon were poor with soldiers saying that the powder used to fire the musket ball was too cloudy to see through after firing and others saying the bullet drop was too immense. On field targets, the musket balls failed to penetrate the targets and left dents instead of cuts. This was good criticism, and the design was sent back to engineers to improve upon the design further. 1596 was the year when the design left development once again. Reviews were mixed with many saying the musket balls could now leave a good hit in the target while others believed the smoke was still of concern. However, the issues were overlooked and the design entered full service a year later as the Sagrovna Model 1 Musket. The next task for Sagrovna was to make a smaller musket that could be used for officers in a pistol form. The design of the original Model 1 was recycled with the barrel being shortened significantly and the loading rod shortened as well. This became the Sagrovna Model 1 Pistol and entered service in 1599.
Tuvarian Weapons Development (1597 CE)
After the Model 1 Musket was put into service, the defense pact decided to keep the technology amongst member states due to the fact that the Tuvarian army was growing in size and giving them their technology could mean Tuvarian dominance. Tuvaria was developing their own weapon with the company under the name Gastovna Weapons Company. Tuvarian spies were able to steal copies of the original Model 1 Musket blueprint and engineers began reverse engineering the design and improving upon it. The first replacement was the heavily blinding powder used in defense pact muskets and instead used a powder specially manufactured by Gastovna for extra secrecy. The rifle became known as the Gastovna Infantry Rifle Model 1. The improvements upon the old model were well respected by members given the rifle for testing with the testers agreeing that it was more versatile and effective than the Model 1 from Sagrovna. The rifle was put into full service in 1598 to the dismay of the defense pact.
The Almodarian Arms Race (1600 CE-1700 CE)
The defense pact, which at first believed they were above the Tuvarians, were now weary of the force after the surprise development of the Infantry Rifle 1. The question amongst Defense Pact members was whether they could hold up against the once again growing force. The Defense Pact could win with brute power alone but the Tuvarians were superior in their offensive strategy and supply lines. Tuvaria was once the supply core of the Kingdom of Almodaria and now that they were broken up the defense pact relied on Aranistan (who was the closest to the old lines) to supply the main force. This stress would soon become a burden on Aranistan. Meanwhile, Sagrovna began ramping up production of rifles and pistols in order to combat their sister company and enemy Gastovna. The Almodarian Arms Race began in 1600 CE unofficially but both sides agreed that they were both against eachother and openly told eachother about it. The Skavarian Ambassador to Tuvaria, Tito Kukezic was recalled saying when asked about Tuvaria that "The northern neighbor is the worst threat to all Almodarians since the times of our ancestors." with the sentiment being shared in the highly political populations. Varatistani Ambassador to Tuvaria also recalled saying "If I were president of Skavari I would've invaded Tuvaria by now." to some confusion by colleagues. Tuvaria shared the same idea with Political Analyst Liam Martinovic stating, "I've seen toddlers with better reaction time than them.". Although the two entities were not fond of eachother, neither wanted to truly go to war since everyone was basking in the light that was centuries long peace after a self-destruction war.
The Tuvarian-Aranistani border confrontations (1670 CE-1700 CE)
By 1670, both sides had stockpiled thousands of weapons. Muskets had evolved immensely with the new Sagrovna Model 10 Musket and the Gastovna Infantry Rifle 12 with Gastovna continuing the trend of stealing designs and editing them to be more superior at a cheap cost. In 1650, Tuvarian politicians made up concepts of reuniting the Almodarian region under a Tuvarian government. Aranistan was deemed Tuvarian territory due to it being part of the Duchy of Tuvaria back in the Kingdom of Almodaria days. The nationalist government believed that this was destiny calling to be brought to reality. The Aranistani government denied Tuvarian claims as true claims and claimed they were "Dirty ideas of a Tuvarian World." and called for support from the Defense Pact. Skavari in response sent an aggresive threat to the Tuvarians claiming that any invasion on Aranistani territory was an act of all out warfare. Tuvaria acknowledged the threat in order to conceal their deeper plan. On May 9, 1670, Tuvarian artillery fired cannon artillery at Aranistani encampments on the border. Aranistani soldiers quickly sprung up into action and fired back. Tuvarian soldiers crept out from the heavy foliage and fired at the oncoming Aranistani soldiers. Neither side entered the others borders but fired back and forth at eachother through the night. After a few hours of combat, Tuvarian soldiers retreated to the relief of the confused defenders. Casualties on both sides were over 100 with even more injuries. The defense pact berated Tuvaria for breaking the peace after hundreds of years and for threatening a pact member after repeatedly being told that an attack would mean bigger issues. Although the defense pact wanted to invade Tuvaria for this attack, they were unable to due to the fact that the Tuvarians never entered Aranistani soil, and the attack was deemed a border conflict. These attacks would be repeated by both sides with the same useless beratings and threats and by the end of the 1600s, the casualties from all campaigns combined equaled up to over 12,000 without including injuries.
The Civilian point of view
Civilians who were in the vicinity of the border made up about 3,000 casualties at the end of the campaigns with many being children and elderly. There was no way to evacuate the elders during the bombardments and so they were trapped in the center of the calamity. There would be no consequences for either state for the civilian attacks and currently the conflicts are too old to do anything anyway.
Aranistani frustrations and the internal struggle of the Defense Pact (1700 CE-1702 CE)
Aranistan after the conflict was left with angry sentiments against Skavari because of their weak retaliation to the conflict. Aranistani delegates called for a change in the way the Defense Pact conducts their diplomacy but to no avail. The country felt like they were being treated as a liability to Skavarian and Varatistani sovereignty partly because Aranistan was bordering Tuvaria. This would go on for another two years with bickering between the three nations. Aranistan in 1702 declared to other delegates that just because they bordered Tuvaria it didn't make them a liability. This was brought with a reply of silence from the two major nations and Aranistan was done waiting.
Aranistan leaves the Defense Pact (1702 CE)
Aranistan was now done with the drama. It was now a question of whether Skavari and Varatistan would put their egos away and step up for the little nation in the pact. For the final time, Aranistani delegates met with Skavarian and Varatistani delegates in the city of Ohsel to discuss how the trio should continue united. After over a day of delegations and debates, the trio were unable to find a solution to their woes and the fed up Aranistani delegates walked out of the meeting. The two major nations would fail to get any notification from Aranistan for the next few weeks until out of the blue in 1702, Aranistan removed their soldiers from Skavarian land and declared their exit from the Pact. The shock subsided quickly and instead, the even less significant Almodor was accepted into the defense pact to replace Aranistan. Meanwhile in the north, Tuvaria was planning their next large step...
Tuvarian attempts to peacefully annex Aranistan (1703 CE- 1705 CE)
Tuvaria has as of recently was clearly known for their violent tendencies with clear evidence being the border conflicts that ended only three years prior. After Aranistan left the Pact, they were now like a slab of meat inside the tiger enclosure just waiting to be eaten up by their many times larger foe. In 1703, Foreign Ambassadors from Tuvaria began lobbying for a peaceful annexation of Aranistan, this of course was opposed by nationalist in Aranistani Parliament but approved by the peace mongers who were willing to give up their nations sovereignty for peace. The opinion held by many was that "Tuvaria wants to reconstruct the Almodarian regime under a totalitarian and vile ruler in order to destroy the Aranistani identity." but this did not stop Tuvarian hopes.
The New Almodaria movement (1703 CE- 1720 CE)
During the new phase of Tuvarian Nationalism, an underground organization known as The People of Neo-Almodaria (PNA) formed. They were an ultranationalist Tuvarian Supremacist group that believed that the Tuvarian people were the future of Almodaria and have the goal of reforming a new Almodaria.Their leader was Luka Vukarovic (1670-1745) who became a Tuvarian Supremacist during the border conflicts with Aranistan. He founded PNA with a group of friends who together believed that they could make change whether it meant causing chaos to get to the goal or a peaceful solution. The PNA movement was given the alternate name of the New Almodaria movement by political analysts in Tuvaria. The group conducted peaceful gatherings in small communities inside of various villages and were known for parading through the streets of towns they were in. This is how it was at the beginning of the group but, by 1710, the group had less members than previously estimated with a congregation of only 460 with the expected number being 800. Under the command Vukarovic, the group began hiring new members mainly former prisoners and criminals who could use crime to get their message across. Homes were robbed, police officers were harmed, and people were disturbed by PNA for the next ten years. In 1720, the group was blacklisted by the Tuvarian government and Vukarovic brought the group into hiding where they continued doing their work in silence.
The rise in tensions and the calm before the storm (1720 CE)
Both Tuvaria and Aranistan were at a boiling point and were about to explode into all out combat. Both sides would go silent for the next few months while the defense pact watched nervously in the south. Aranistani civilians and politicians alike didn't care about who came to save them, they were going to fight with everyone they've got until the end. Ivan IV and his predecessors were rolling in their graves as Almodaria went into war for another countless time. But there was no going back now, it was now a matter of who would fire the first shot. Sagrovna production was amped up along with Gastovna. The time of peace was over.
The first shots fired and the beginning of the Almodarian Wars (1723 CE-1745 CE)
Just after midnight, Aranistani soldiers were in deep slumber in their barracks with sentries at the border being hardly awake. Meanwhile, Tuvarian soldiers were marching to the Tuvarian-Aranistani border with a force of 12,500 led by General Milorad Dorsevic (1696-1733) who by this time was a highly experienced General. He usually led the 17th Rifle Corps of Tuvaria but tonight was a special mission, it was an invasion force. After two hours of marching, Milorad's men reached their firing positions with cannons coming to back up the rear. He gave the command to begin the attack and shortly before dawn, the Almodarian Wars began. Aranistani troops took their time with getting up and were completely out of formation. They were picked to pieces by the precise fire of the Tuvarian soldiers and soon after they began their advance into Tuvaria. Another General by the name of Peter Gorasevic (1698-1755) were enroute to back up Dorsevic with a force of 6,000.
Entering the country
The Aranistani troops at the border retreated in mass and Dorsevic and Gorasevic began their advance forward. Casualties from the first batte reached around 200-300 injured and 150 killed on the Aranistani side while Tuvaria suffered two killed due to their rifles backfiring in their faces and causing severe burns. The first battle after entering the country was at the village of Ivanograd (named ironically after the king who united the realms) where the 17th Rifle Corps (now led by Dorsevic) of 3,500 met the 1st Rifle Detachment of Aranistan which had a force of 2,400. The battle began soon after the two met and had high casualties on both sides. The first Tuvarian casualty by an enemy was a drummer boy who was caught in the crossfire sadly. Anyways, the fighting would continue until the afternoon of the same day came around and the 1st Rifle Detachment retreated into the fortified city of Pogorsk. Ivanograd became a command center for the remainder of the invasion.
The Defense Pact intervention (1724 CE)
Now that the threat was actually proven to be real, the Defense Pact refused to intervene...at least in the beginning because the Delegation believed that Aranistan did not need the protection and resources from the Defense Pact. However, there was one issue that would make it so that all members had to intervene: Almodor. Almodor was bordering Aranistan and if Aranistan were to be annexed, Almodor and the rest of the pact would be at risk of invasion. And so, after a year of Delegation, the Defense Pact officially declared their intervention in the war. Almodorian troops were the first to enter Aranistan and were a gracious sight to see. The first battle with Defense Pact troops took place in a field outside of the town of Huvic with Tuvarian soldiers under Dorsevic. The battle lasted for 4 hours before Defense Pact troops retreated and the glorious Dorsevic pushed forward to capture Huvic.
The siege of Aranistan (the capital) (1724 CE-1725 CE)
The victorious Tuvarian army reached the capital of Aranistan (very creatively named Aranistan) and surrounded the city with a coalition of 16,500 soldiers. The city itself was a massive fortress in itself with the defense force being made up of 6,000 reserve forces. The 3rd Artillery Regiment of Tuvaria began their siege of the building at dawn on April 8th, 1724. The Defense Pact which was still reeling from their big defeat at Huvic were still en route to the city as the siege began, leaving the weary Aranistani troops alone. On April 10th, a deal was made between both sides allowing civilians to evacuate the city to lower civilian casualties. By May, less than a quarter of the civilian population left and this is when the 3rd Artillery with support from the 6th, and 8th rose their firing routine to three rounds of shelling per day leaving the ageing stone walls in dismay. The siege, though successful, was purposely slow and painful in an attempt to starve off the defenders and ruin the integrity of the fortress walls. In late 1724, Defense Pact soldiers arrived in Aranistan with a force of 7,000. The force was led by General Ahmet Muratovic (1688-1767), a seasoned General who has a family history within the Skavarian Army. The Defense Pact coalition confronted the Tuvarians on November 24th,1724 at the first battle of Aranistan.
The coalition under Muratovic were able to leave a dent in the attackers but were crushed by the siege guns that were turned in their direction along with the decisivie flanking maneuvers done by Dorsevic. The siege would continue for the next 3 weeks as and in between, the forces led by Muratovic would push against Dorsevic. In April of 1725, the northern wall of Aranistan collapsed leaving the forces inside in a panic. The army led by Muratovic were able to delay the push into the city by Dorsevic but it was too late, and by the next day, Aranistan collapsed.
Tuvarian control of Aranistan, and the invasion of Skavari and Almodor (1725 CE-1736 CE)
Aranistan had fallen, and the Defense Pact hurriedly regrouped in Almodor as a new invasion was beginning. The young and spirited Milorad Dorsevic was recalled saying when asked about the invasion by a colleague that "This War is not a large loss for Tuvarians throughout the five nations, but instead a gift I brought to them." this quote summed up the Tuvarian goals in the war: Conquer and Celebrate.
The Almodorian Army which was made up of 2,500 volunteers, was shattered at the battle of Skavaridor (the name of the city merges Almodor and Skavari together comically to show how close the two countries were. The Almodorian generals were captured and put in chains and Almodor surrendered in June of 1725. Now there was one more country to invade before the war could formally end: Skavari. Varatistan was ruled out as a questionable area to conquer but the desert like conditions in the region were too dangerous for a successful invasion so, Dorsevic led his men to Skavari. The exhausted and humiliated General Muratovic brought more men to the Almodor border with the rest of his remaining reserves spread out along the Skavarian border to make a pincer move and encircle trapped Tuvarians. In July of 1725, the Tuvarians met Skavari at the border in the Second Battle of Skavaridor. Both sides were evenly matched, but the uptight and ambitious Dorsevic couldn't see through the pincer trap his men were caught in and 300 of his men were encircled in the first pincer swipe. Casualties soared into the thousands, and the Tuvarians made one more breakthrough attempt into the country to no avail. The Skavarians had won their first major battle since the Defense Pact intervention and morale was boosted. But hope wouldn't last for long...
The Second Attempt (1726 CE)
The war entered a dormant period for the rest of 1725 but kicked back up in mid 1726 when Muratovic in a furious attempt, used over 25,000 soldiers to crash through the border. The attack, which had the largest amount of artillery since the Siege of Aranistan, turned the border into rubble, and destroyed Muratovic's army. "The Blitz" as it was called, horrified Skavarians and forces retreated from the border and reserves began evacuating the capital and fortifying.
The Blitz (1726 CE-1733 CE)
The Blitz was the out of control, high speed, invasion of Skavari by Tuvarian Forces as led by Dorsevic and signified the Tuvarian hunger for bloodshed. It encompassed the burnings of entire towns, mass executions, and quickly moving from town to town and ended at Bilosiva River.
The incident at Bilosiva River (1733 CE)
By 1733, Dorsevic was growing tired and the kavarian army grew smaller. The river of Bilosiva sat outside of the Capital of Skavari, Skavari (confusing indeed), and was a strategic spot for the Tuvarians. In May 1733, Milorad Dorsevic met Lieutenant Peter Kivorovic at Bilosiva River. Dorsevic had split from the rest of the 25,000-man army and was with the 12th Infantry Division with a force of 5,000. Kivorovic had a force of around 3,500 has part of the 1st Tuvarian Dragoons. The battle began when Dorsevic commanded his troops to ford the river at its lowest point. What they didn't know was that the Dragoons were waiting in the forested area on the other side for an ambush. When the first group crossed the first point at the river, they were nearly wiped out with the group of 40 that crossed, none of them got through the forest. Dorsevic ordered his men to fire into the trees with everything they had, Kivorovic was shot during this order, but he lived, only having his leg amputated. The order was given to the Dragoons to retaliate by the other Lieutenant Niko Moric. When the retalition began, Dorsevic (who was beginning to cross the river), was shot in both legs multiple times and fell into the river where he was dragged down by the current, hit multiple rocks and shot once again, and finally died of drowning, his body wouldn't be recovered until search parties arrived hours later. He is now buried in the Tuvarian National Cemetary in the capital.
Anyways, back at the battle, his second in command who joined him at the beginning of the conflict, Peter Gorasevic, led the remaining troops through the forest using torches to tear down the forest. Gorasevic led Dorsevic's men out of Bilosiva and they marched towards town of Mutarovnie to meet the main army as they prepared a siege. Dorsevic would go down as one of the greatest Generals in Almodarian History and a statue of him stands outside of the capital of Almodaria. He was also deemed "Milorad the Conqueror" by every other state but deemed "Milorad the Bastard" in Skavari.
The Siege of Skavari and the return of Mutarovic (1734 CE- 1736 CE)
The end of the war was near and Tuvaria was already planning the celebration. Meanwhile in Skavari, the streets of the city were empty, barricades covered every road, and members of the Skavarian and Varatistani Military waited. Mutarovic was amongst the group waiting in the city. He was humiliated after his many defeats but this time he wouldn't lose...or so he believed. In late 1734, the boom of cannons sounded through the city as the siege began. The bombing would continue nearly daily for the next two years until 1736 when the attackers began their actual attack.
The Defense was made up of 30,000 soldiers; the most seen on the Defense Pact since the war started. The Attackers had a force of 25,000 and although their numbers were scary, their army was exhausted, tired, sick, and didn't want to fight much longer. As the attackers began their charge into the city, Muratovic order all frontline troops to start firing at will and for cannons to send barrages at the attackers. Casualties rose into the hundreds and into the thousands as the day continued, as men were cut down without a chance to make it far. But the effort wasn't enough, Tuvarian Soldiers entered the city and used bayonets to fight in close quarters combat. The battle was the most brutal battle in Almodarian history until the Siege of Tuvaria in the early 2000s. Skavarian Cannons were directed towards buildings to cause blockage in roads to deter the advance. the invasion group of 25,000 would be cut down to 15,500 over the next three days of street conflict. Muratovic was nearly killed multiple times, but he deterred his assailants each time, Morale was higher at every chance. Tuvarian command noticing the bloodshed unfolding, abandoned their posts in order to not be blamed for the deaths of thousands. The Tuvarians were pushed out of the city in 1736 CE, the number of bodies in the city left a stench for the next month and the brick roads were stained red. The counterattack was on.
The counterattack and the race for Tuvaria (1736 CE-1745 CE)
The Skavarians and Varatistani's began their advance into Tuvarian territory. Command collapsed on the Tuvarian side, and the armies surrendered as soon as they saw their enemies on the horizon. The Defense Pact liberated Almodor in 1740 and Aranistan in 1743. In 1745, the Defense Pact were at the border of Tuvaria once again and the Tuvarians surrendered. The Almodarian Wars were over.
The Treaty of Aranistan (1747 CE) and its consequences
The war was over; over 30 thousand men were dead and both sides had a price to pay. The Tuvarian government was forced to pay reparations to the Defense Pact and to Aranistan but there was an evil twist: since Aranistan left the Defense Pact, their protection was lost, and they were annexed by Tuvaria as an effect of the treaty. The Defense Pact would get nearly no negative consequence on their side and the Tuvarians were left writhing in pain but with Aranistani territory.
The rest of the Early Modern Period and the Beginning of the Late Modern
The Early Modern period began as a new era for all Almodarians, but quickly became a repetition of where the region was only a hundred years prior. History does indeed repeat and sadly the Later Modern Period became known as the "Great Suffering" and the "Reconstruction". Ethnic Tensions rose, hate became stronger, but conflict would not be physically fought but fought with threats.
Late Modern Era; The Great Suffering
The Late Modern Era started out gray. The region was bruised and beaten by the whip of war, and all sides were now paying for the consequences. Aranistan, once a beautiful country with wonderful architecture and beautiful terrain, was dead; famine hit the country in 1760 and the people were cut off by their Tuvarian overlords and could not reconstruct. The land was covered with foxholes and mud from the relentless artillery strikes in the small area. Tuvaria; its people were shattered, their countrymen were dead, but the big corporations like Gastovna continued to make weapons of war and massive industrial reformations and inventions that kept the rich getting richer, and the poor getting poorer...
The Prostoric Revelation (1760 CE)
The Prostoric religion and Prostorics in general had been through a lot, they've been persecuted, banished, murdered, brought back to the spotlight, and buried away once again. But during the time of the great suffering, it was prophesied that the end was upon the people of Almodaria and to put it simply, Judgement Day had arrived. Quietly, the Prostorics panicked as they didn't know why Prostor would end the world because of another war. Maybe it was because they were unable to take the promised land was promised by Prostor to Zvrtko those many years ago, or maybe it was because of the inability to stay in the spotlight as Prostor needed his people to be in the mainstream. Either way, it was big trouble and it seemed like there was nothing that could be done but wait.
The Great Aranistani Famine (1760 CE-1776 CE)
sswswThe Great Famine, began as a result of the mistreatment of the Aranistani state under the control of Tuvaria. Aranistan was simply locked away from the world and the key thrown away, crops began to fail as a result of a lack of treatment and the terrain not healing after the war. The people began to starve with many simply leaving the country all together to either main Tuvaria, Skavari, or outside countries like Phoenixia just anywhere to escape the starvation. The towns that once stood as proud cities were now turned to rubble and there were no ways to fully reconstruct them so instead people left turning the rubble filled towns, into barren ruins. By then, the population of nearly a million was now turned down to less than 600,000.
The Varatistani Crisis (1759 CE-1800 CE)
The situation in Varatistan was no brighter than in Aranistan. The government after the war was unable to get any aid from the Treaty of Aranistan and was forgotten about. Crime Syndicates began to gain more power and popularity as the police became corrupt and the government shrunk. The New Almodaria Movement from the beginning of the century re appeared in Varatistan with more criminal intentions instead of making change like their goal was originally. They robbed, murdered, and rioted where they could in order to secure food for their group and impoverished people who they believed were betrayed by their own brothers. In 1760 CE, Varatistan declared a state of emergency and the borders practically shutdown, leaving the desert country in a pit of despair. Varatistan to put it simple became the wild west of sorts.
The Tuvarian Industrial Revolution (1760 CE-1830 CE)
Meanwhile, the Tuvarians who had the biggest blow in the war, actually recovered successfully and were able to find success in Trade, Arms Manufacturing, and inventions of new machinery. In the 1760s, Tuvaria was able to seal a trade deal with the Kingdom of Arafors (modern day Phoenixia) which boosted their economy but kept their lower and middle class impoverished beyond controllable levels. Tuvarian arms manufacturers like Gastovna made branch companies that produc