A history of the Plembobrians

plembobria

TNPer
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So I finally came up with the storyline of my nation's pre-kingdom years. I intend to make a factbook dispatch out of it. I'd like some constructive criticism on it. Are there elements of the history which should be explained more clearly? Are there any that are unrealistic? I'd appreciate any honest opinion.
Settlement and The Anarchy (1578-1692)

The land that is now Plembobria was first settled by a nomadic people known as the Rethenites (for which the city of Rethel is named). There is little known about these people. The consensus among historians is that the they were either refugees or dissidents. Wherever they came from, they weren't welcome there. The Rethenites named the land they discovered "Plembobnyc," which was Rethenite for "rich land" or "abundant land." This name gradually became "Plembobria" in English.

The Rethenites introduced tarsiers to the area. They had a strange affinity for these small animals. However, they cared very little for cats. In fact, many historians think that a majority of them were allergic. The tarsier remains the national animal of Plembobria to this day.

As the Rethenites settled farther north, they began to cultivate crops in the fertile soil of what is now Northelfrith, Cherpis, and Mediglorn.

As more and more settlers came, land disputes quickly ensued. There was no government or judiciary to settle these controversies. This period is commonly referred to as "The Anarchy."

The Dynastic Era (1692-1784)

Seven large land-owning families struggled for power over the realm. They were the Houses of Pyr, Plinken, Clethel, Halbon, Cherpis, Glorn, and Frithia, each dynasty vying to establish its own kingdom over all of present-day Plembobria. These dynasties were not Rethenites, but were from various other groups of settlers which had landed in the country. Clethelbend was the only kingdom that attempted to bring peace by negotiating a confederacy between the states, but their attempts were futile. The economies of warring states relied heavily on slave labor. Most slaves were Rethenites.

Many historians, including Edward A. Hollingsworth, and Margaret Malgin assert that the supremacy of the non-Rethenites was important to the development of civilized life in Plembobria, and that the nation would be much less modern or sophisticated without it.

Unification (1784-1799)

In 1784, over two hundred years after the land had been discovered, two lost sailors arrived on the shore of Pyrandia -- Egbert Edwin Edward Flithen and Robert Uppey. The two men settled here, and became soldiers in the Duke of Pyr's army. As soldiers, they were repulsed by the warlike nature of the states, and the deplorable treatment of slaves. They formed a secret society of rebels: The Liberty League. Many Pyrandian soldiers, including top military officers, who had been disenfranchised with the constant state of war joined the League. The League's mission was to topple the Duke of Pyr, and then convince soldiers to join them, in order to form a new nation.

The Liberty League was divided into two parts: the Northern League, led by Egbert, and the Southern League, led by Robert. Their military strategy was to "squeeze" Pyrandia from the north and south. The land conquered in the north was called Crilalia. The land conquered in south was called Flithendale. Operatives of the League fomented slave rebellions throughout the land. These rebellions led to the deposition of each dynasty. The Halbons were overthrown in 1786, followed by the Cherpis (1787), the Frithians and the Glorns (1789), and the Plinkens (1791). Egbert ordered the rebels not to execute the members of each dynasty. He instead instructed them to bring the families to Flithendale, where they would be tried for their crimes. Egbert wrote that "[it] would be immoral to treat these tyrants as they have treated the rest of Humanity. We fight for Justice, and Justice we shall serve."

The Duke of Pyr finally surrendered in 1798. Both Egbert and Robert chose not to take control of the land he had left behind, instead replacing it with the Province or Pyrandia

Senior members of the Liberty League suggested that Egbert be made a King. Egbert was originally averse to the idea. He wanted a republic. However, the lack of power led to local conflict among the people, most notably in Plinkenshire. Robert stated he would support a monarchy if his dominion, Crilalia, could be autonomous. Egbert agreed stating that "Crilalia will ever serve as a force to keep the Crown accountable." The Act of Settlement, which officially established the Kingdom of Plembobria was signed on March 14, 1799. Each former warring kingdom became a province in the new kingdom, except for Plinkenshire, which was divided. Slavery was outlawed.
 
Syrixia:
Very nice! I like it! Definitely use this.
Thanks. I'm really looking for objective criticism, not compliments :P. If you like it you can up-vote the factbook when I post it!
 
Here's some criticism as you asked. I think all the Plembobrian monarchs should have a House, or at least a few houses, that they belong to, or else there is no point to a hereditary monarchy. And also I think Egbert Edwin Edward was a better name, without Flithen. Perhaps try to find some other use for the name Flithen so that Flithendale isn't a special province named after a founding monarch. If it is a special province, it will claim sovereignty over the others that it doesn't have. The only special provinces are Crilalia, due to its autonomy, and Rethel, your capital city.
 
Syrixia:
Here's some criticism as you asked. I think all the Plembobrian monarchs should have a House, or at least a few houses, that they belong to, or else there is no point to a hereditary monarchy. And also I think Egbert Edwin Edward was a better name, without Flithen. Perhaps try to find some other use for the name Flithen so that Flithendale isn't a special province named after a founding monarch. If it is a special province, it will claim sovereignty over the others that it doesn't have. The only special provinces are Crilalia, due to its autonomy, and Rethel, your capital city.
The House of Flithen. King Tozian is technically a member of the House of McMaster due to Queen Nara's marriage to Count Gregor.

The City of Rethel was formed by land ceded from Flithendale. I did intend for Flithendale's name to cause some rivalry among the provinces. I will add a section explaining the resolution of this rivalry to the above history.

Thanks!
 
As you are no doubt aware, the Alunyans have been prolific weavers over the millennia, with numerous tapestries recording their history in what have been inexplicably described by others as "those hideous wall coverings." Nevertheless, by examing the types of knots and, to a lesser extend, the die color of both warp and weft, most historic scholars are familiar enough with this form of recording that a significant body of knowledge exists about the various tribes, chiefdoms, clans, empires, kingdoms, principalities, leagues, syndicates and faiths throughout the known world. As a consequence, Alunyan records are a prolific source for early history for the last ten millennia. Records prior to that tend to be spotty, but do go back to roughly 10,800 BC.

These records were spared the ravages of time by several factors. As growers of flax and cotton, and herders of sheep, llamas and alpacas, Alunyans have always had ample material with which to weave and also repair their tapestries. They were early inventors of an alphabet, and their language has remained relatively stable. Their homeland has seldom been conquered, and on the few occasions when this happened, the conquerors either did not recognize the value of Alunyan records and destroy them, or when they did, wisely continued their preservation. Those enemies that Alunyans conquered (and there are many) were themselves never able to return the favor, which also aided historical preservation. Alunyans themselves never succumbed to the temptation to destroy the tapestries of the elders. And Alunyans lack of relatively attractive resources like gold, silver or gems meant that few others were even interested in acquiring Alunyan territory.

As a brief synopsis, the Fourth Punitive Expedition (approximately 1488 to 1582) pressed westwards across the continent known then as Osvidarsa, in the area between modern Floresque and Scandigrad. This drove a number of tribes and refugees before the Alunyan armies, and created intense population pressures upon the native tribes of the western coasts. Amongst the displaced peoples forcibly crowded onto the western peninsulas were the Yshvanipurr, the Gharvanispurr, and the Nivistanipurr (as the Alunyans knew them), all savage and militaristic races whom the Alunyans were hard-pressed to drive from their respective homelands.

Poems woven in the Alunyan record by merchants to the western coast of Osvidarsa tell of internecine conflict within the camps of the Gharvanispurr, and how the band led by Uichet Jkeloran (believed to be the origin of the surname Glorn) sought to defeat the more powerful faction led by Teasich Khraghen by allying with the native tribes of the area. In the winter of 1576, Jkeloran's revolt was finally crushed, and Khraghen set upon the deceased warlord's native allies with a vengeance. These tribes included the Pherthanapurr, the Chevodipurr, the Cerivanipurr, and the Rithanipurr (again, Alunyan names for these tribes); an epic poem exists about the misfortune befalling each of those tribes.

The Rithanipurr were driven north from their homeland and forced up against the camps of the Nivistanipurr who, threatened with an unwanted flood of refugees, turned against them. This forced the Rithanipurr west to the coast, where, trapped between two hostile armies, they sought a means of escape from what was perceived to be a coming massacre (as had befallen the Chevodipurr.) The poem relates how, afraid to signal their location to the marauding forces, and pressed for time, the Rithanipurr were unable to burn out hollows for their war canoes to make good their getaway. They observed the tarsiers of the forest swinging from strong vines, and instead hastily fashioned rafts of logs lashed together.

It is said that when Khragen's warriors finally overran the Rithanipurr's last encampments and overpowered the rearguard of old men, they emerged onto the beaches to an amazing sight. The strong men of the Rithanipurr sat astride logs, long strands of vines clenched in their teeth, towing rafts full of women and children out beyond the surf. And it is said that both afloat and from aloft in the trees, that tarsiers were laughing at the hapless Gharvanispurr. But of course, this is from an Alunyan tale, and allowance must be made for poetic license.

Much else of what you have written corresponds well with Alunyan records of the Kingdom of Plembobria. While the period of slavery was certainly shameful, it was by no means uncommon in those days. And while we might have chosen to emphasize the predations of the Rethenite pirate Red Hands upon commerce in the Sevosian Sea, and the Royal Alunyan Navy's indiscriminate shelling and razing of several small towns that had provided the marauder and his crew with safe haven, it must be admitted that this was a minor affair in the great scheme of things.

May this be of assistance to you.

>^,,^<
Alunya
 
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