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The League history

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(Complete history rewrite to create the "Four Cities" version of the League)
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Long before there was an Empire, the Highborn of Highguard colonized the bay of Catazar, building several cities on its shores. These cities prospered through trade both internally and with foreign Nations over the sea. Over time, as Highguard society declined, the citizens of the early cities became increasingly frustrated by the graft and corruption that began to stifle trade. Nepotism, bribery and the abuse of power became daily events and many merchants were bankrupted, imprisoned or executed at the whim of despotic Patricians.
Aldones di Sarvos was the Merchant Prince of Sarvos when the Empress and her supporters began their crusade. Conveniently for her, legend claims he was also the richest man in the Known World at that time and his silver flowed everywhere the Empress and her troops went. But Aldones was faced with a clear problem, the Sarvossians might consider themselves to be the most important people in the world, but the truth was a single city - even one with the power of Sarvos - could not compare with the power of the nations that were drawn to the Empress' banner. There were whispered suggestions that Sarvos should become a Highborn or Freeborn territory,  


When Highguard devolved into anarchy and civil war, the citizens of the four great cities of [[Sarvos]], [[Verrario]], [[Tassato|Mestra]] and [[Tassato|Regario]] simply declared independence. There was some internal conflict, as the Patrician influence was deftly removed, but their independence was achieved without the descent into chaos that marked the collapse of early Highborn society. Partly this success was due to the hard work of a consummate politician named [[Aldones di Catazarri|Aldones]], who exerted influence, bribery, intimidation and sheer charisma to help ensure transition from Highguard to independence. The early Merchant Princes called their nascent Nation "The League of the Catazar Bay" and enshrined principles of law designed to support a capitalist society.
Aldones met with Barell, Merchant Price of Tessato, the great rival of Sarvos on the bay of Catazar and with Maria Ivanova, Boyar of Temeschwar, the great city of Varushka into which all the riches of that nation flowed. He introduced them to the Empress, and together they persuaded the two that their future lay with the Empire. But Aldones' plan was much more ambitious than even this. He convinced them that as the greatest cities of the world, they had more in common with each other than with the nations that surrounded them. His proposal went beyond the mere suggestion that become part of the Empire; Aldones proposed that they join together into a single League and thereby create an entirely new nation.  


After the turmoil came to an end, the League opened diplomatic ties with Highguard but made it clear that they no longer considered themselves part of that Nation. There was some initial resistance to the idea from the Highborn, but they had just come out of a period of extensive turmoil and few had the stomach for a war of conquest against what were essentially their own people - and their leaders were committed to the idea that Highborn would not fight Highborn.
With the agreement and support it was impossible for any of the Empress' supporters to gainsay Aldones's ambition and the League was quickly recognized as the eigth nation of the Empire. The newly created egregore helped to bind the cities into one, their cultures blurring as they adopted the best of each other's customs. Their immense geographical separation means that each city still keeps something of its own character, despite the link to the egregore. As far as the League is concerned this is part of what gives them their strength, each city has a vital spirit of its own, they see themselves as strands of rope woven together for strength, distinct from each other but capable of pulling together when they choose.


Over the next several centuries, the League prospered. The cities were ruled by Merchant Princes whose wealth and taxes raised walls and paid for the emerging Free Companies to defend them. Their reach extended beyond their walls to protect the outlying farms and settlements within their dominion although it was rare for a Prince’s will to carry further than an army could march in a day. Threats came from the other cities as often as from the barbarians and bandits that lived beyond the city walls, competition and rivalry often boiling over into armed conflict.  
In the years that followed, the Empire consolidated its control of the lands around the Bay of Catazar, driving the orcs into the wilderness. The cities of the League worked tirelessly to advance the Empire, but despite military successes the League were unable to identify any cities that shared their enterprising approach in the lands being conquered. They prided themselves on being first amongst equals in the Empire, but they began to whisper to each other about their loss of influence as other Nations gained new territories and senators.


Mestra and Regario were the first Bay cities to join the Empire. Defeats in the field had led to increased taxation and from there to civil unrest. The Carta of the two cities met with their Princes and pressured them into giving up their power and acknowledging Imperial authority in return for Imperial assistance. Over the following decade they were able to buy off the Free Companies, allowing them to unite the Catazarri cities into the League. Under Imperial rule the wealthiest Carta in each city would elect a Senator to stand for them. Where before a Merchant Prince would rule their city like a fief, now their powers were limited by Imperial law. The title of Merchant Prince or Princess became the modern honorific, claimed by the heads of the Cartas to indicate their status and wealth.  
As Dawnish forces pushed westwards they came to the walls of Holberg, a city so heavily fortified that it had never fallen. League forces offered to put the city under siege whilst the Dawnish armies pushed on, eager for glory in battle against the orcs that populated the surrounding lands. The League army encircled the city, but rather than starve them out and then storm the walls, they began secret negotiations with the burghers who ruled the city. By the time the Dawn had completed their conquest, the clever words of the League's ambassadors and the gifts that accompanied them had been enough to convince Holberg to open its gates to the Empire. The city that had never fallen joined the Empire without a single life lost - as far any Leaguer was concerned it was the greatest military triumph of the age.


In the years that followed, the Empire consolidated its control of the lands around the Bay of Catazar, driving the orcs into the wilderness. The cities of the League worked tirelessly to advance the Empire, but despite military successes the Catazarri people were unable to identify any cities that shared their enterprising approach in the lands being conquered. They prided themselves on being first amongst equals in the Empire, but they began to whisper to each other about their loss of influence as other Nations gained new territories and senators.
Never before had the Senate been split over which nation might lay claim to a territory. The Merchant Princes seized this opportunity and with the help of an envoy from the city of Holberg they convinced the Senate to declare the city to be part of the League. The nobles of Dawn were incandescent with fury, regarding the territory as rightfully theirs by virtue of the blood they had spilled to conquer it. They insulted the League, and denounced Holberg swearing that they would never lift a finger to help them again. Centuries later, the resentment still simmers - as Holberg lost land to the barbarians, there were never quite enough Dawnish Earls able to spare the troops to help the city - the political divisions of the past destroying the Empire's future according to the League.
 
The Varushkan city of [[Temeshwar]] was the first to see the advantage of joining the League. As the Varushkan people prospered, the city became an important trade hub and prosperity lead to growth. Unlike traditional Varushkan settlements ruled by a single Boyar, the city was ruled by a council of Boyars, most of whom were drawn from the prosperous merchants of the city. The Merchant Princes laid their plans and sent envoys in secret, bearing gifts and bribes for the burghers of Temeswar, but found them more than receptive. The urbanisation of Temeshwar had given them more in common with the League than with their own people, and following two years of careful negotiation, they petitioned the Senate to be recognised as part of the League. The League sent engineers to build up their access to the Scorcerro, and Temeshwar has since served as an important centre of trade, providing access to the great wealth of Varushkan raw materials for the Empire, and importing vast amounts of finished goods to sell to the Varushkans. Thanks to the people of Temeshwar the League enjoys cordial - and profitable - associations with the majority of the Varushkan people.
 
A decade later, Imperial forces drove the orcs from a region of pastoral land on the border of the Dawn dominated by the prosperous merchant city of [[Holberg]]. The Merchant Princes seized this opportunity and following the precedent created by Temeshwar convinced the Senate to declare the city to be part of the League, to the fury of the knights of Dawn, who had fought long and hard in the campaign. In recent history, when the territory surrounding the city was overrun by barbarians, the threat was in no small part due to the political divisions past conflict still evoked. League Senators have claimed that Dawn tarried too long in offering support.
 
The union of Holberg with the nation lead to the League dropping "of the Bay of Catazar" from its name though. The citizens of the founder cities considered themselves very much "first among equals," but the proud Holberg burghers refused to join the League as anything other than equal partners. This became a potential deal-breaker, but in the end (and with additional support for the idea coming from prosperous Temeshwar) the Catazarri agreed to the change. 
 
<label type="important">CHECK</label>The accusation is made sharper by the fact that without Holberg's control over the Scorrero river, the League would need to ship goods from Temeswar through Dawn's borders and trade their rights on the valuable pearls and treasures from the bay of Catazar in order to do so.
 
[[Category:The League]]
[[Category:Nations]]

Revision as of 08:48, 9 August 2012

Aldones di Sarvos was the Merchant Prince of Sarvos when the Empress and her supporters began their crusade. Conveniently for her, legend claims he was also the richest man in the Known World at that time and his silver flowed everywhere the Empress and her troops went. But Aldones was faced with a clear problem, the Sarvossians might consider themselves to be the most important people in the world, but the truth was a single city - even one with the power of Sarvos - could not compare with the power of the nations that were drawn to the Empress' banner. There were whispered suggestions that Sarvos should become a Highborn or Freeborn territory,

Aldones met with Barell, Merchant Price of Tessato, the great rival of Sarvos on the bay of Catazar and with Maria Ivanova, Boyar of Temeschwar, the great city of Varushka into which all the riches of that nation flowed. He introduced them to the Empress, and together they persuaded the two that their future lay with the Empire. But Aldones' plan was much more ambitious than even this. He convinced them that as the greatest cities of the world, they had more in common with each other than with the nations that surrounded them. His proposal went beyond the mere suggestion that become part of the Empire; Aldones proposed that they join together into a single League and thereby create an entirely new nation.

With the agreement and support it was impossible for any of the Empress' supporters to gainsay Aldones's ambition and the League was quickly recognized as the eigth nation of the Empire. The newly created egregore helped to bind the cities into one, their cultures blurring as they adopted the best of each other's customs. Their immense geographical separation means that each city still keeps something of its own character, despite the link to the egregore. As far as the League is concerned this is part of what gives them their strength, each city has a vital spirit of its own, they see themselves as strands of rope woven together for strength, distinct from each other but capable of pulling together when they choose.

In the years that followed, the Empire consolidated its control of the lands around the Bay of Catazar, driving the orcs into the wilderness. The cities of the League worked tirelessly to advance the Empire, but despite military successes the League were unable to identify any cities that shared their enterprising approach in the lands being conquered. They prided themselves on being first amongst equals in the Empire, but they began to whisper to each other about their loss of influence as other Nations gained new territories and senators.

As Dawnish forces pushed westwards they came to the walls of Holberg, a city so heavily fortified that it had never fallen. League forces offered to put the city under siege whilst the Dawnish armies pushed on, eager for glory in battle against the orcs that populated the surrounding lands. The League army encircled the city, but rather than starve them out and then storm the walls, they began secret negotiations with the burghers who ruled the city. By the time the Dawn had completed their conquest, the clever words of the League's ambassadors and the gifts that accompanied them had been enough to convince Holberg to open its gates to the Empire. The city that had never fallen joined the Empire without a single life lost - as far any Leaguer was concerned it was the greatest military triumph of the age.

Never before had the Senate been split over which nation might lay claim to a territory. The Merchant Princes seized this opportunity and with the help of an envoy from the city of Holberg they convinced the Senate to declare the city to be part of the League. The nobles of Dawn were incandescent with fury, regarding the territory as rightfully theirs by virtue of the blood they had spilled to conquer it. They insulted the League, and denounced Holberg swearing that they would never lift a finger to help them again. Centuries later, the resentment still simmers - as Holberg lost land to the barbarians, there were never quite enough Dawnish Earls able to spare the troops to help the city - the political divisions of the past destroying the Empire's future according to the League.

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