History of Aivinto-Serdemia: Difference between revisions
→Lerasian Era
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Lerasi himself became a conqueror after some time. His armies brought city-states to their knees, and within a few years he governed five separate city-states. With the combined force of his new armies, he turned to the south, sweeping through city-states like a wildfire until the rest of the Aivinto-Serdemic world opposed him. Despite being outnumbered in almost every fight, Lerasi's superior military tactics, which involved a great variety of troops such as infantry, cavalry, archers, and hoplites, and strategy relying on the organization of battle lines based on unit flexibility. The more mobile units, such as the devastating cavalry force, remained on the outside, where they could adapt to the shifting battlefield more quickly, and the heavier units were deployed on the inside, where they had more time to react. Lerasi would concentrate the cavalry and most of his remaining units on a single point in the enemy line, punching through, dividing, and flanking the enemy force. Lerasi's armies marched from Asluagh all the way to Maven and Saragrad, stretching his empire over the entirety of the Aivinto-Serdemic region, to the furthest reaches of his civilization. In the south, the Nymphs of the Evening acted as a natural barrier against the Joralesians, and to the north, a series of watchtowers kept watch over the distant cities of Saragrad and Nisava. Despite being a warmonger, the re-sanctified divine right of kings protected him from most revolts, and he was revered by his people as a unifier. His popularity became a cult-worship when he freed the slaves and extended rights and privileges to even the lowest of his citizens.
The unification of the Lerasian Empire magnified the prosperity of Aivinto-Serdemia, which was named Lerasia in the new Emperor's honor. The region was vaguely unified in their cultural identity, but the north and the south had drifted away, and each city-state was fundamentally different from one another. Political unification allowed for these varied cultures to come together, influencing one another, and establishing an air of fairness and openness that was encouraged by Lerasi. Art and statuary are testaments to this, sharing characteristics from cultural enclaves all over the Lerasian world. Security and a unified government allowed for a level of intercity trade that was never before possible. The wealth of the Lerasian Empire is best reflected in the palaces in Asluagh, Grandiozen, Marnaciya, Casten, Mrachen, Khag, Novoska, and Nisava. City walls were expanded, and built around more developing cities, such as Belopolsk and Chernopolsk, roads and markets were build to facilitate trade, and stone temples and buildings became more common. The Great Library of Lerasi was established west of Asluagh, guarded by a small army of soldiers and open to scholars, poets, and philosophers from all throughout his Empire, and beyond, becoming the site of the first chronicled history of Aivinto-Serdemia, which acted as a gold mine of information until its burning in 1802. In his later life, Lerasi developed a bureaucracy to increase efficiency, extending power to popular nobles who were named Princes, to communicate their lower standing. They ruled over small regions with multiple large cities, carrying out the divine will of the Emperor and maintaining his long-standing order and peace. An increased manufacturing of bronze lent itself to Lerasi's highly militarized society, but in these later years there is also a blossoming of art, poetry, and early Aivinto-Serdemic philosophy. The years until the end of Lerasi's reign were the most prosperous and cultured of all.
Lerasi did not last forever, however, and neither did Lerasia. He disappeared at the turn of the millennium, and, following his disappearance, a widespread famine killed large numbers of his people. Disease followed, and the weakened army couldn't maintain order within the nation any longer, certainly not long enough for the Princes to stop bickering and choose a successor. Instead, the need to govern outweighed the need to honor Lerasi's legacy, and the Empire divided along the clear lines the Emperor had drew, with Princes elevating to Kings. The lasting impact of Lerasia is seen in culture and diplomacy, ultimately bringing Aivinto-Serdemia together, and allowing an easy peace between the newly crowned Kings.
== Independent Kingdoms ==
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