A brief history of Republican Videssia: the "New Republic of Videssia".
The most interesting change I added was the alliance forged between the
Republic and the Onagir - the long term consequences of which i haven't
really discussed.
Comments?
Ibrahim
----
Origin of the New Republic of Videssia
The New Republic of Videssia, based in the highland city of Celoa, is
the sole remnant of the old Videssian republicanism. After years of
constant civil warfare, a prolonged stalemate has developed into an
uneasy peace with the Videssian Empire based in the Arand delta. The
New Republic is lead by Ardentius Fossernius, the first Grand-Suffet of
the New Republic, the former governor of Celoa, who single-handedly
rallied the scattered Republican forces from across Videssia at the
beginning of the Civil War to his home-city of Celoa, and prevented the
complete destruction of the Republic.
The Grand-Suffet, the target of numerous Imperial assassination
attempts, for many Videssians, is the Republic Incarnate, since it was
his capable governance that saw the Republic through the Civil War, and
frequent invasion, and prevented its collapse from the political
instability that followed in the years immediately after. Fossernius
though, is a devout Republican, and has worked hard to establish the
Council of Suffets and the Senate in the manner done so by Agatius
Fossern during the dawn of the Old Republic. More controversial, and
even more importantly, was Fossernius's establishment of the Onagiri
Compact.
At the outset of the Civil War, the elite Ranalonian and Labrigand units
rallied to the Republican cause, as well as a number of Phalanxes. In
terms of military strength at the beginning of the Civil War, the
Republicans were by far the strongest, but by the end many Republican
soldiers had given their lives for their political beliefs, especially
in the Siege of Celoa, the last major battle of the Civil War, and which
broke the back of the Imperial Legions and brought about the beginning
of the current peace.
The New Republic of Videssia, because of its effective isolation from
the Midsea by the Videssian Empire, has been devoting far greater
energies to a policy of expanding its southern frontier into the lands
of the Onagir. During the last days of the Civil War, the Grand Suffet,
conscious of dire straits the Republican forces were in, struct an
agreement with the clan-chieftains of the central Arand river.
In a tale whispered in the New Republic by many awestruck parents to
their children, Ardentius Fossernius trekked alone in the forests of the
Onagiri. Captured by the warriors of the most feared Onagiri clan of
the Arand river, the Gol, Fossernius demanded to be initiated into the
clan, a customary right accorded to strangers by most Onagiri clans.
Fossernius underwent the Ordeal of Brotherhood, a dangerous series of
rituals that few survive, and emerged intact. During the ordeal, as is
the custom, Fossernius met his spirit totem, the Golden Eagle of the
southern forests, and coincidentally the totem of all true clan
chieftains (though some contemporary writers argue that this is merely
another example of Fossernius subtle political genius). Thus Fossernius
was accepted into the Gol clan and made a blood brother of the Gol
clan-chieftain, Asgul Goli.
A month later, Fossernius appeared at the edge of a frontier village in
the Republic, dressed in the clothes of an Onagiri, his right arm and
right cheek bearing the royal Onagiri tattoo of the Golden Eagle, and
accompanied by a band of young Onagiri warriors. The initial terror of
the villagers was overcome once they realised the strange Onagiri was in
fact a Videssian, which turned into shock when the local garrison
captain recognised the Videssian as the Grand Suffet!
Fossernius then instructed the villagers that the Onagiri were now
citizens of the Republic, and allies of the true Videssians, that no
hand should be raised against them, for the Gol clan and its blood-clans
had agreed to an eternal compact with the Grand-Suffet of peace and
friendship. He warned them that Onagiri would now come to their village
to trade, and to other villages and towns and had to be treated
peacefully and as brothers, and that they could now go to the Onagiri
villages to trade in safety.
Indeed, all that Fossernius spoke of came to pass, and soon trade
developed all along the highland frontier with the Onagiri. Back in
Celoa, Fossernius used his political power and influence to ensure that
his Compact became law and applied policy throughout the New Republic.
Though some violence and conflict occurred on the part of the odd
Videssian or Onagiri, the political will of Fossernius and his
blood-brothers the Onagiri clan chieftains have ensured that respective
violaters of the Compact were punished (in one instance, the Gol clan
punished a neighbouring clan for raiding a Videssian settlement by
attacking and putting to death every man, woman and child of the guilty
clan).
The true value of the Onagiri Compact was not fully understand by most
citizens of the New Republic until the Siege of Celoa, the last
significant battle of the Videssian Civil War. In this battle, the
Imperial forces of the Videssian Empire had pushed the Republican forces
back into the highlands, and has besieged the city of Celoa. Thousands
of veteran Republican soldiers died in the defence of Celoa, and the
outcome of the battle seemed uncertain due to the overwhelming number of
Imperial troops. On the evening of 30th day of the siege however, the
situation began to reverse when Imperial forces started losing troops to
ambushes from the wooded hills that surrounded the Celoan valley.
Lacking the experience that the Republican troops had from serving on
the Onagiri frontier, the Imperial forces tried vainly for a week to
find the enemy forces hiding in the woods and hills, who were rapidly
reducing the number of terrified Imperial troops. On the 38th day of
the siege, the hidden Onagiri warriors revealed themselves, launching a
coordinated attack with the Republican forces in Celoa against the
bewildered and demoralized Imperial forces. By the evening of the 38th
day of the Siege of Celoa, the Imperial Legions were utterly routed.
The Republic was now safe, and the previous political opposition to the
Onagiri Compact perpetually handicapped thanks to the relief of the
siege by the Onagiri. Forty days after the Siege of Celoa had begun,
the Senate received the clan chieftains who had come to the aid of the
Republic, who entered the city in their tribal splendour to the applause
of a thankful populace. Ga'asgul, the son of Fossernius's
blood-brother, the clan chieftain Asgul of the Gol, was unanimously
appointed by the Senate as the sixth Suffet, the Onagiri-Suffet. On the
same day, Ardentius Fossernius, the Grand-Suffet and Restorer of the
Republic, proclaimed that it was "a new dawn for Videssia and a New
Republic for the Videssians". Thus the New Republic of Videssia as it
is known today came about.
Today, the Pragmatist policy under Fossernius continues, reversing the
traditionally brutal policy towards the Onagir. Videssian influence
amongst the Onagir has increased greatly, the presence of Onagiri
traders in the regional towns and cities of the New Republic is has
become increasingly common.
Peace with the rest of Videssia has also meant a re-opening of trade,
and the New Republic has been able to gain considerable market share of
the renewed trade through its export of raw materials and exotics
(thanks to the greater abundance of flora and fauna in the relatively
underdeveloped highlands).
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