History of Thederic Nors

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History of Thederic Nors

Early History of Thederic Nors

Most of Norsian history before the year 900 has been forgotten, either through the passage of time, clerical errors, or the destructive tendencies of war.

The year 900 and beyond is surprisingly well documented through the years, with the birth of the Kingdom of Nors, what we know today as East Nors, under King Kasbin Rochette in the year 900, King Kasbin was a just and fair monarch that ruled his lands with as much a fist as an open hand and adored by most of his subjects. under his rule the territories of East Nors flourished and banditry was kept far into the countrysides.

In 923 the Kingdom of Ularn, now known as Central Nors, formed around the young Queen Colette Rodier and her regency, her rule and the rule of her regency was peaceful but rather ineffectual, the kingdom neither flourishing nor floundering, until 933 where the young Queen met the equally young Prince Kasbin II of Rochette and hit it off, constantly sneaking each other letters of love and gifts of affection, months later as the snows start to build in winter, King Kasbin receives word of the romance, he gives the romance his blessing and the Royal lovers wed the following month. in the turnover of 964 the Kingdom of Trien is declared in the west under King Jasmin III, a King known for his brutality throughout his Steppe Kingdom.

In Spring 965 Queen Colette dies in her sickbed having no children to take her crown, her grieving husband, King Kasbin II takes the throne. in the following months he becomes paranoid believing enemies to be all around him and that Colette's death was murder. The Kingdom of Nors becomes east, and the Kingdom of Ularn becomes Central Nors by de-jure claims.

in 971 Kasbin II, now known as Kasbin II "the Mad" of Central Nors declares conquest of the Kingdom of Triens eastern most holdings after several military trespasses and aggravated claim disputes levying 6000 troops consisting of 1000 archers, 4000 infantry and 1000 horsemen. compared to Triens amassed levy of 8000 troops, consisting mostly of Steppe heavy cavalry. the brutality of the Steppe horse warriors quickly and brutally drove Kasbin II's army from the fields, retreating back into the safety of the mountains. an armistice is signed for the next 10 years, the battle would become known as the "Steppeland Farce." by the commoners throughout Nors.

in 981 the now aged Kasbin II disappears during a hunting trip, his retainers never find the body to bury. his Nephew Bastien Rochette takes the Throne of Central Nors at the age of 19

in the year 1000 the Nors kingdoms unify their levy armies in an attempt to conquer the western Kingdom of Trien. the East Nors army bringing their knights, spearmen and Pikemen to bear. while Central brought their archers and light infantry. the armies marched into the steppeland separately, in the summer of the same year they clashed with the horse army. through skilled tactics and forward planning they divided and conquered the horse armies. the way to the steppe capitol was open, the city was besieged before winter and capitulated quickly. the Kingdom of Trien would become known as West Nors under King Tristan Rochette. the three Kingdoms of Nors now firmly in the hands of the Rochette dynasty.

The three kingdoms of Thederic Nors are..

Kingdom of Nors (East Nors) - the heavily forested Coastal kingdom and the heart of the United Kingdom, and home to the national capitol of Irras.
Ularn (Central Nors) - a Mountainous Kingdom, Home to extravagant, neo-Medieval castles, Hill and mountain forts and old grand estates.
Trien (West Nors) - covers the Nors-Maloria border from south to north, affectionately known in Nors as "Kingdom of the Steppes." with few forests

 

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History of Thederic Nors

War of Crowns

The War of Crowns was a series of campaigns led by East Nors King Landon I, ending in the total victory of East Nors, and the total Defeat of the others. this conflict saw the unification of the Kingdoms under one High King, who holds absolute authority in all Nors matters from 1060 to the present day, the individual kings serving more as a local governance that can be overruled.
in 1035 The new Queen of Central Nors, Anette is coronated, from the very start she rules her lands with a fist and a sharp tongue, in the summer of 1035 she raises her levies, and declares a casus Belli of De-Jure claim on the Kingdom of East Nors, and she leads the army herself.
when King Landon I gets the declaration he is beyond furious that his sister plans fratricide and sends his criers and knights to raise the armies, and push anyone who doesn't answer into service by force. within a single month, He's raised the second largest Norsian army there ever was before the modern day army, and he points it straight at Anette. the battle that is waged on the rolling hills of Irras's countryside lasts for days as both Anette and Landon I constantly skirmish with each other but never commit the main force until the fourth day. Landon I commits to an assault with two arrow volleys, and a mass cavalry charge followed by his infantry. he points his cavalry right at Anette, who charges back at him and the two clash in the middle of the field. it is said that Anette died on the battlefield, but no one can be truly sure.

Landon I enlists the volunteers of Anette's surviving army, and conscripts everyone else still able bodied to bolster his own army. and starts marching West, it is his thought that with the de-jure claims the family has on each others kingdoms, these wars would never stop until the Rochette house is dead. Landon I marches West, raiding and besieging the holdings of Central Nors until the lords and Anette's regency capitulate and name him their King. and when he finishes consolidating there in 1037, he marches down into the Western Steppelands, declaring Conquest.

Before Trien could even really finish raising an army, King Landon I is on their capitol's doorstep, knocking hard with ballista and Catapults. When the cities reinforcements arrive to assault the camp, Landon I is waiting for them, well dug in. the massive horse and light infantry army falls into several traps, from spike pits, to burning oil pits. the horse army is devastated before it even reaches the camp. it becomes a one sided slaughter. King Tristan watches helplessly as his Kingdom is taken from him, the city garrison standing no chance. he sally's out with nothing more than his marshal, and a pair of criers. and kneels before King Landon I. Two days later, King Landon I declares himself High King, King of Kings, and allows Tristan to keep his throne until death, where the crown will pass to the High King. High King Landon I enforces a realm peace that will last for centuries. No one can object, those who did were branded traitors and hunted down.

 

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History of Thederic Nors

Building a Nation under the united crowns of Rochette

With Realm Peace hard handedly enforced. Nors had a chance to truly prosper throughout the ages without fear of being drawn into a major war. With the lack of war, people were free to focus on arts, learning and the sciences, as well as tend their crops without worry of soldiers taking away their livelihoods, some of this scientific and artistic ventures were even funded by the Royalty, or specially commissioned. Whatever internal wars Nors had were minor internal conflicts between Lords, that were either resolved quickly by themselves, or stomped out by Royal intervention.

through 1112 to 1200 the Capitol city of Irras saw an explosive growth, and to this very day is still one of the densest populated cities in the United Kingdom of Thederic Nors, and its massive harbors while now modernized, saw their true potential made a reality in 1172 after a decade of construction and constant re-planning. 1184 saw the birth of the Royal Mercantile navy.

In 1303 High Queen Anita Rochette first of her name, oversaw major renovations to the Royal Palace, and the rest of High Town in Irras. she began to fund small and large businesses alike, some failed some flourished. her biggest achievement Norsian historians argue, is her revitalization of Central Nors in 1367, she paid architects to rebuild the old and even ruined irrigation systems and forts in the region, making sure hamlets were not only protected, but had a better source of fresh water, which for the past 200 years it had been lacking. shortly before her death.

in 1437 The Royal guard of Anita II buys a single crate of "Matchlocks." Marshal Philipe Rodier last of his house, is shot and killed by accident during the matchlock's demonstration to the High Queen. Despite the grievous loss of a dear friend of hers, she starts buying the rifles and handguns in bulk whenever and wherever they are found. and commissioning blacksmiths and inventors to reverse engineer the "marvel" weapons, quickly phasing out archers and crossbowmen in the Royal Guard.

1503 High King Egide First of his name rose to power, and through the course of 14 years, systematically purged the Rochette family tree of anyone that wasn't his person or his children, through assassination, imprisonment, and exile, when he had finally managed to purge the family of other claimants, he made a decree that only the High Crown, and those that they elect may hold one or more of the Three Kingdoms, and declared the birth of Greater Thederic Nors. His decree's earning him the Nickname "The Twisted"

 

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History of Thederic Nors

the Rising sun of Modernity, Greater Thederic Nors and the Era of Terror

The Greater Thederic Nors regime lasted from 1503 to the Coup De'tat of Queen Alycia in 2017.

in 1530, High King Egide I formed the Garde d'argent (Silver Guard) to protect the royal family, and perform special military tasks that could not be trusted to the normal military, trained to be elite and given the best possible equipment at any given time. in 1535. High King Egide ruled the Norsian tradition to bear arms illegal, and dispatched the army to go door to door collecting every sword, shield, piece of armor and firearm that they could find. in 1570 Egide II becomes High King. he spends his entire life dismantling the vassal system one fief at a time wiping out entire bloodlines, the aristocracy below the royal family becomes an endangered Class.

1620 Queen Marlène Rochette of the Western Nors marries Prince Vladimir Sokolov of Maloria, through the next few decades years their branch of the family tree would rapidly become the dominant bloodline of the house Rochette.

in 1667 High King Egide III is crowned. vicious rumors about him being a bastard is spread through the common people. anyone daring to mention his questioned parentage is arrested on the spot by the Gendarme. in 1693 King Egide III dies under mysterious circumstances. his cousin Isuelt takes the throne. marking the first Rochette Sokolov to hold the High Crown. Queen Iseults rule is a gentler one and kinder one. her children, King Aaron, Lady Lisa and Prince Henri are all vicious monsters. in 1724 Prince Henri is accused of several gruesome murders, the evidence never comes to light and those that accused him disappear quickly. in 1744 the Royal Palace in Irras catches fire and burns to the ground, the fire consumes 22 souls, as well as Prince Henri, it is rumored that in the depths of the blaze his insane cackling could be heard before an eerie silence.

Lady Lisa takes the throne after King Aaron Queen Iseult, and several other guests choke to death at her own wedding. 1765, a fundamental shift from handicrafts to machine starts to take place as the use of steam becomes widespread throughout Nors, enabling the faster production of goods and materials than ever before. 1792 Queen Lisa is smothered in her own bed by her handmaiden. King Wilfrid I is coronated on the day of the Handmaids execution by firing line in the Palatial square in Irras.

1840, Smoke from factories start to blacken the sky under High King Wilfrid Industrial safety regulations are non existent, Child labor is unregulated and all children must work in the factories after school. the mortality rate of child workers is alarmingly high, and adult workers are paid almost nothing, it is better to be a farmer in a destitute farming village than it is to be a factory worker in the capitol city.
1863 Factory workers go on strike after another worker is beaten to death by the Factories foreman. the response of the Gendarme is swift and without mercy.

1871 High King Wilfrid's carriage and the Silver Guard is mobbed by the lower class, the Guard captain orders his men to fight till the last, firing on the rioting masses. many workers, die, the High King is beaten within an inch of his life, dragged to the execution grounds and executed by the rioting masses. The response from Crown Prince Wilfrid II is brutal, the streets of the capitol become red with blood. the army replaces the Gendarme as the primary policing force on the streets. any protest or riot is put down violently.

 

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History of Thederic Nors

The rising storm: the Red Laurel Rebellion

In 1912 High King Wilfrid the II moves his political Capitol to the regional capitol city, Rodien after the old noble house of Rodier, in Central Nors. the cities of Rodien and Irras are covered in soot, the walls of buildings covered in Royalist propaganda, and the voice of the people are as stifled as ever.
1923 From the underground of the City of Trien rose a hope of freedom as a whisper, Dissidents meeting together in secret to share their ideas, their brand for freedom, the city guard unable to find and catch them, the dissidents leave their marks on the propaganda covered walls of buildings.
1936 King Wilfrid II abdicates his crown to his son, King Wilfrid III, his reasons unknown. The whispers have become a chant from the darkness, the movement has gained traction and has even begun to spread to other cities and towns within Western Nors. The Captain of the Garde d'argent is furious, and offers rewards for any information regarding the rebel movement. No one ever comes forward.

1940 a bar filled with Royalist soldiers erupts into bloodshed early in one winter night. by morning the scene of 42 dead soldiers is revealed, and a declaration written on the wall. "The people know the truth! the people will be free! Unite!" a day later another 20 soldiers are dead, displayed in lines against a wall depicting a typical Royalist execution. General Aubin, seeing the brewing rebellion, deploys the 1st company of the 2nd army. the first company to have armored cars. the killers manage to escape unscathed and continue to wage their guerrilla war.

1967 The communist guerillas continue their campaign from the underground, setting off car bombs burning government buildings, assassination bribes and dark dealings in alleys. all the while continuing to slowly garner public support.

1978 A platoon worth of soldiers from the Royal Army are reported AWOL. a few months later, 4 of them are identified by several witnesses as culprits in yet another bombing of another political target. The head of the army tired of the farce he finds himself dealing with orders outposts be established throughout Western Nors.

1984 Western Nors is put under a perpetual state of Martial law. soldiers patrol up and down the streets of cities and towns, and military convoys become a common sight on the roads. but so does the evidence of guerilla warfare. as said convoys sometimes turn up as burned out husks on the side of the roads.

1996 Small scale open engagements between guerillas and Royalist soldiers begin to appear. it becomes quickly obvious the rebels now feel they hold enough power to directly challenge the military in open combat. groups of people throughout Western Nors cheers for a terrorist group.. or perhaps an army of terror?

1997 The first day of the new year at 6:41 AM the Peace is finally shattered. firefights and explosions shatter the calm dreary morning in the city of Freseau. Men and women waving guns and red flags attack any Royalist soldiers they can find and steal their equipment. Chanting their war cries as they rush for symbols and buildings symbolic to the Rochette regime in Freseau, the statue of High King Egide II is the first to go as they storm the steps of Freseau's Palatial estate. the Silver Guard within its white halls stand no chance for the insurmountable horde that swarms them.
The rebels find their way to the roof and burn the Rochette Eagle atop the estate. it serves as the final wake up call. Civil War has come to Thederic Nors.

All across Western Nors similar events are happening in cities and towns, the people are rising up against their tyrant masters. in a matter of months the western half of Nors is firmly in Communist control.
both sides draw their battle lines at the border of Central Nors, digging fortifications against each other and assaulting each other's lines with horses, armored cars infantry and the occasional tank brigade.

1999 with the lines ceasing to move, Rochette forces deploy gas to smoke the enemy from their holes, with mixed results, the constant wind change of the mountains spreads the gas through both lines. the change in tactics is an absolute failure, in retaliation the Red Laurel rebels resort to using flamethrowers and firebombs. Royalist troops soon adopt these cruel tools of war. The landscape around the trenches and in the no mans lands become barren and dead within months.

2000 Both sides start resorting to hit and run tactics, and skirmishes rather than committed operations unless an advantage can be exploited. the lines become fluid again as armored cars, and APCs designed for the terrain become the new norm of the battlefield. Mobile artillery such as mortars become the new preferred artillery for its ease of transport throughout the mountains.

2005 Queen Elli takes her throne. once more the civil war has come to a standstill. Central Nors, once a mountain paradise even by Nors standards, is now a barren hellscape wherever conflict was to have been found, filled with craters, burned out forests spent ammo casings; vehicle husks and unclaimed bodies of forgotten soldiers. The Royalist high command bunker in the eastern border of Central Nors detonates in a large explosion, and with it goes high ranking officers and generals of the Rochette military, including then Captain of the Silver Guard, Tavien Cross, and enough food, fuel and ammunition to keep the central Royalist line supplied for a whole month. the communist forces exploit the disarray in the royalist lines with ruthless haste. no quarter is given to the retreating Royalist soldiers.

2010 many in the Garde d'argent take their own lives unable to fight any longer but fearing Communist capture. others become disillusioned that the war may actually be over. and now it is just a war to buy time. others stay out of adoration and the promise that Crown Princess Alycia may be different than the rest of her ancestors.