Founding of the Belthean Empire (367 A.L. - 371 A.L.) (Patreon)

The forty years of total war that raged across the eastern half of the continent thanks to Lord-General Luthor's actions would seem to last the rest of the second century... that is, until the rise of perhaps the most important figure in Narethian history.

That figure being of course, the Founding Father of the Empire, the Great Conqueror, the High Ancestor, and the Sword of the Goddess. 

The man who bent the knees of kingdoms.

The First Year (367 A. L.)

It wasn't until a man named Garland Ravenea-Carsthe, the then King of Beautrea and son of Queen Rhaella Carsthe, stepped onto the pages of history that the Belthean people would once again become united. A man of great ambition, King Garland's plan centered on exploiting the distrust and rivalries of the Heartland Kingdoms and utilizing the strategically pivotal Mother's River. 

The state of the Heartland Kingdoms created the unique opportunity to capitalize the unrest. For example, the Kingdoms of Swainea and Moresaine were locked in their second year of yet another border war, while the Republic of Trevalyn was recently devastated by a hurricane that had flooded their fields and damaged their capital.

The only kingdom currently not affected by war or natural disaster was the Kingdom of Ulthred, a land of grass and horses west of the Snowpeak Mountains.

Crucially, this also meant that the Republic of Trevalyn was in no condition to support their ally, a fact that King Garland took advantage of almost immediately. In the 6 months that transpired, the Kingdom of Ulthred had lost more and more territory until only a few large cities remained. During this time King Garland's son, then named Prince Daerin 'the Destroyer', led a ruthless siege against Ulthred's capital city, earning his moniker from the merciless flame attacks he employed. 

With the Ulthred now reduced to a minor threat to his eastern flank, one that was now contained by his young son, King Garland embarked to wage a second war against Swainea. It was audacious then and still now to open a new theater of war, but intelligence reporting on the progress of the border dispute between Swainea and Moresaine had found a golden opportunity to strike. 

While his son had the eyes of the kingdoms on him with the Siege for Ulthred, Garland had secured the critical surrender of the town of Walcher, granting him free rein to navigate his troops along the northern stretch of the Mother's River.

He struck at the Kingdom of Swainea, whose forces were still amassing far to the south for a pitched battle against Moresaine. When reports had reached King Kaylen II Swainea of the invasion his kingdom faced, it was believed that King Garland had somehow attacked with a force well over 60,000 strong. In truth, King Garland simply used the Mother's River to quickly transport his troops to and from the different settlements and spread misinformation to make his army appear even larger than it was.

The campaign had been incredibly aggressive and full of risk, but the results revealed it had been worth it. Without giving his rival, King Shear V Moresaine, any reason for his departure from the field, Swainea's king, King Kaylen II Swainea, frantically raced to the southern half of his kingdom to save his besieged capital.

But it had been too late. While en route to his capital, a messenger bearing the flag of King Garland approached and delivered a letter.

In it was written thus: 

"Lay down your weapons, it is not too late for my mercy. Lay down your kingly burdens upon my own brow and I shall reunite you with your family, alive. Defy me, and you shall be reunited in the afterlife." -Garland's First Demand."

The threat was understood.

King Garland had conquered the capital and now held Swainea's royal family hostage. With this quick turn of events, in what would then be remembered as the "Twenty Days Campaign", King Garland had forced a surrender and the kingdom's annexation in exchange for sparing the royal family. Taking advantage of now two kingdoms under his control, King Garland rapidly recalled the Swainean forces and his own to create a new administration in Swainea.

He then ordered his son to break the Siege for Ulthred and gathered all his forces in preparation for the invasion of Moresaine. 

The Second Year (368 A. L.)

New policies were created, reforms rolled out, new garrisons established, and new governors appointed. It was here that Prince Daerins talent for civil administration became apparent. While his father was busy planning the next invasion, Prince Daerin busied himself with enacting new laws both in Swainea and Beautrea.  

But concerning reports had reached him that the Kingdom of Ulthred was being given no quarter by the raiding Kin of Arava.  

The Kin, sensing weakness and opportunity to raid and pillage, further devastated the Kingdom of Ulthred, who was now fighting a war of survival against these raiders. In the third month of 368 A.L., Price Daerin had asked his father for permission to rout the Kin, but was denied.  

We know this, because incredibly, St. Hytera's Academy are in possession of a rare letter penned by the future emperor recounting his feelings on this matter to a personal friend at the time. 

"The people of Ulthred are brave and worthy of being subjects of my father's kingdom. Hence his refusal to send an army out to aid them causes friction between us still. I understand his reasoning. I am no fool. Ulthred is occupied with the Kin, giving us the freedom to conquer the Moresaines... but isn't the reason he started his invasions to unify the Belthean people? Though the Ulthreds are not under our banner, are they not Belthean? I admit confusion, and eagerly await to hear a response from you, and receive your wise counsel. Take care, and Blessings Be Upon Thee, dearest friend."

 It is unknown who this recipient was, or what the recipient had written, but shortly after this letter is dated, Prince Daerin opened the borders to refugees from Ulthred. He had also stationed large garrisons to guard the eastern borders against the Kin ravaging Ulthred. This would be all the prince could do without angering his father to the point of open dispute.

By the fifth month of this year, the armies of King Garland invaded Moresaine's eastern border, inflicting a series of small skirmishes and small raids one after another. In time, the two armies of King Garland and King Shear V finally clashed in the Battle of Cheveltaine.  

Cheveltaine was the estate and name of cousins to the Moresaine kings, who found themselves using the estate to coordinate an effective counterattack until the scouts of King Garland had found them. It took days to form up the lines and have the men and women ready for pitched battle.

The forces of King Garland, after leaving troops behind to consolidate his new territories, or having died since the campaign started, numbered around 63,000. King Shear V had half that. What follows is, for lack of a better word, confusing for historians to record. 

Differing accounts from trusted primary sources, alongside the legends and myths that soon sprouted from this epic clash paint entirely different stories of what happened. What historians do agree upon however, are the end results of this battle and the chaos that arose from both sides using their Blessings upon each other. 

From what we can gather, King Shear V's right flank began to crumble under the weight of Prince Daerin's heavy cavalry charge. It is most likely that in their rush to defend the flank with their Blessings, an explosion propelled a broken lance into King Shear V's right thigh. The army, knowing that their king was wounded, issued an orderly retreat, a testament to the discipline of the Moresainean soldiers.

A few days later however, King Garland was presented with not only the surrender of the kingdom, but the daughter of the now dead king, Mira Moresaine. King Shear V had died from infection, his surgeons unable to keep the thigh from corrupting.  Knowing that the kingdom was lost, the king had asked his daughter to marry Prince Daerin in exchange for peaceful annexation. 

^ Princess Mira Moresaine by Livia Drusilla

To the shock of everyone, both King Garland and Prince Daerin accepted. Everyone in that time had thought either the king or his son would reject the proposal. The Master-Scholar Lesotho, author of An Inner Look; Garland the Conqueror's Decisions, presents what we Imperial Historians believe to be two plausible and credible theories as to why it was accepted. 

Love, and politics.

"There is some proof of Prince Daerin and Princess Mira communicating over the years via letters as both had been childhood friends. The two had known each other previously thanks to previous diplomatic talks and visits between their fathers, but what survives today suggests nothing of a romantic relationship prior to their marriage.

That isn't to say that the missing letters do not hold the evidence needed to suggest that Prince Daerin was in love with the princess, or vice versa. The only reason I present this theory that this was a marriage of love in the first place, is the famous and historically recorded love between the two in later years once both are emperor and empress.

But the other theory is far more credible and possible, as one could easily see the prince and princess falling in love later instead.

For example, King Garland on the other hand, would have every reason to accept. This would seal off his son from being a tool for an ambitious family to worm their way into his inner circle.

Only the daughters of other royal families would do for his son's hand in marriage, and if an unconquered kingdom would allow itself to be annexed only if they could join hands with the prince... it would present dangerous problems down the line for the Conqueror. This figurative family would still be in possession of their political apparatus, the loyalty of their people still present.

But the last surviving princess of a fallen royal family with no systems set in place to aid her machinations if she decided to avenge her dead father?

The choice is clear." - Master-Scholar Lesotho

The proposal then accepted, the two married a month later, after the mourning period was ended for the late king. With now the kingdoms of Beautrea, Swainea, and Moresaine now under his control King Garland returned his gaze to the beleaguered Kingdom of Ulthred, to which he was met with an unexpected plea for annexation in return for protection against the Kin of Arava.  

The victorious king accepted, and at last unleashed his son to cleanse the Heartlands from the Kin while he stayed behind to manage his new vast territory. It would take months before the raiders were finally ousted from the grasslands of Ulthred, but once finished, Prince Daerin ended the campaign by emerging as a hero and savior, not a conqueror. 

The Third and Fourth Year (369 - 370 A.L.)

It is in the third year of the Wars of Unification that the newly christened "Belthean Empire" allowed itself to rest.  Emperor Garland used Prince Daerin's talents in civil matters to fully bring the territory of Ulthred back from the devastation that it had suffered for the last couple of years.

All the kingdoms had seen growth to various sectors such as trade and industry. Master-Scholar Kaleb recently finished a research paper on the post-unification state of the empire titled, "Post-Unification Transformations in the Belthean Empire: Trade, Economy, Industry, and Immigration in the Wake of Conquest." It is the opinion of this Imperial Historian that it is a well-researched paper worthy of teaching to students in the academy.

Besides the rapid changes inside the empire, the birth of Prince Daerin's son, and Prince Daerin's reforms, the two years went by largely uneventful. 

The Fifth Year (371 A.L.)

The emperor had decided that it was time to invade and complete the conquest of all the lands the Belthean people resided in, and sent an ultimatum to the Republic of Trevalyn, demanding their surrender and loyalty.

What follows is perhaps Emperor Garland's most famous demand sent to another kingdom. 

"Yield before you break!

Do so before the first drop of blood unleashes a torrent that drowns all in it.

Deny me, and know that my host shall become a horde, a swarm set upon your people that will inflict such violence the world has never seen before.

Know that I am the Sword of the Goddess, and She has lifted me above your lands. 

Any defiance will see your walls crumble as my son rains fire down from the sky to your rooftops.

You will hear the screams of your people before choking to smoke and ash.

The once vibrant echoes of life in your republic will be replaced with chilling silence.

Only then, when the devastation is wrought, will you comprehend the gravity of defying me.

This is divine mandate.

This choice is yours to make, and make it swiftly, for the sands in the hourglass drain even as my missive reaches your hands."- Garland's Second Demand.

 This letter alone would become subject to much debate.

What does the emperor mean by divine mandate? His or that of the Goddess? Was the purpose of this letter to envoke such fear that the republic would capitulate quickly? What if it evoked instead outrage? Would the emperor have really destroyed the city so utterly?  

But then, Prince Daerin enters the conversation. 

After the infamous Second Demand was sent, Prince Daerin sends his own, lesser known by the time, letter.  

"To the Esteemed Leaders of the Republic of Trevalyn, I trust this letter finds you in good health, despite the cloud of uncertainty that currently looms over our lands.

I write to you not as an adversary, but as a fellow steward of people, one who understands the heavy burden of responsibility that rests upon your shoulders in these testing times. As heir to the Obsidian Throne, it is not just the future of my own people I am duty-bound to safeguard, but the prosperity and harmony of all the realms that fall under the divine purview of our Goddess.

It is from this standpoint, bound by duty and guided by a deep sense of empathy, that I appeal to you today. In our hearts, we are all custodians of our respective people. It is a role we did not choose, yet we embrace it, for the path of leadership is not walked for personal glory, but for the love of those we serve.

It is in this shared understanding that I believe provides us common ground, a starting point from which we might navigate the treacherous terrain of these political tensions. 

I am aware of the ultimatum sent by the emperor, laden with words that echoed the stern will of divine mandate. It was a declaration penned in the language of power, perhaps necessary, but inherently devoid of the softer sentiments that foster unity.

I write to you now, not with more threats, but with an open heart, and a hand stretched out in conciliation. I have always admired the Republic of Trevalyn for its rich history, vibrant culture, and the unyielding spirit of its people. Your resilience is legendary, your courage revered.

It is not my wish, nor the wish of the Goddess, to extinguish this flame, but rather to help it burn brighter under a banner of united strength and shared prosperity. By pledging your loyalty to the empire, you would not be conceding defeat, but rather choosing a path that secures the future of your people. I give you my solemn vow that your traditions, your culture, and your autonomy will be respected.

Under our protective wing, you will find not conquerors, but partners, committed to a future of mutual growth and shared prosperity. It is my heartfelt hope that you will consider my words with an open mind and a hopeful heart. Know that, in me, you will always find a friend, a mediator who is willing to listen, to understand, and to find a middle ground that honors our shared desires for peace and prosperity. 

We stand on the precipice of a defining moment in our history, yours is the decision that will determine if the Belthean people finally reunite as one. The choices we make now will echo through the generations to come.

I urge you, let us choose the path of unity and peace. Together, we can weave a tapestry of shared destinies that will be remembered as a beacon of hope in times to come. 

Yours sincerely, 

Imperial Crown Prince Daerin, Lord of Moresaine" -Letter to the Republic of Trevalyn.

 Whether the letters or the one-hundred thousand strong army that camped outside their borders influenced their decision, the republic's answer remains the same.

They unconditionally surrendered to the empire without a single battle having been fought. Though the republic was abolished, ending the centuries long experiment of sharing power.

The Conqueror allowed the ruling sitting family to become the House of Trevalyn and to retain their authority, albeit under his supremacy. Thus the Belthean Empire was truly born, and the strategic brilliance, indomitable spirit, and ruthless determination of its founding emperor, Garland Ravenea, was then inherited by his people.