Histories & Lore of Yutemond

== Introduction ==
The Histories and Lore of Yutemond will introduce the community as to how the Korlat dynasty came to rule over the Yutemond Empire under the Yutemond Senate and reunite all regions under Yutemond rule and to form the Yutemond constitution. 
The lore and histories explain how Namidia the Cruel's conquest brutalised the entire Yutemond region and how the House of Korlat later solidified their lands through becoming a progressive democratic state under Aurora, 2nd Duchess of Korlat and later through an absolute monarchy with the political introduction of a Senate on the behest of Livia Korlat, the first dictator of the known world who created the first democratic government which inspired millions of government leaders to come forward and unify with the purpose of benefiting their lands politically, economically and financially. 
===== Regions =====
* Yutemond
* Pithia
* Feilerion
* Rocol
* Bousatre
* Lewen
This would later transform all the regions of the known world itno a singular Yutemond Kingdom and later Yutemond Empire, which was a process of officialising the senatorial regions into a singular state under an official empress. The tenure for the officialization saw over several queens (Ulpia I, Octavia I, Ulpia II and Rosamund I) before being finally officialized by Empress Aldara the Exeuctioner in 902 BE (final year of the BE century) and was later solidified by Empress Maria the Red.
== Reign of Namidia, the cruel conqueror of the Yutemond highlands (680 BE - 725 BE) ==
=== Introduction to Namidia, the first Duchess of Korlat ===
Namidia Korlat, also known as Namidia the Cruel was a Yutemond noblewoman and the founder of the Korlat dynasty. She established the Duchy of Korlat through her husband, Thaddeus. She was the first suo-jure Duchess of Korlat.
Namidia is popular in story folk for her cruelty, she was the daughter of Korlat and his consort, Amalia who originated from an unknown noble family in Yutemond. She is noted as the most ruthless woman of her time, was a warrior tribal woman and the first elevated suo-jure duchess in Yutemond.
Namidia was the daughter of Korlat, a wise tribal leader in Yutemond, he was a relative of Gormond who was a distant cousin of his from a rich noble family in the city lands of Yutemond.
She was bull-like, with heavy shoulders, a thick neck, and huge arms. Though she was on the heavy side, she was not fat, but more massive and square. She kept her hair short up to her upper back and had silver-greyish locks. In 720 BE, Lady Amalia announced that she was pregnant with a daughter. That daughter, Namidia, was born the next year, at Korlat Castle. As a babe, she was a big and healthy child; almost twice as heavy as her father had been. She received her first sword at the age of three, and took to swordplay at once.
She supposedly immediately butchered a cat with the sword, although some doubt the truth of this tale. Regardless, when Namidia was eight, she stabbed to death a palfrey which had kicked him, and slashed half the face off the stableboy who came running towards the animal's screams and and by the age of thirteen she was already defeating hardened knights in mêlées.
Namidia had more success in his military accomplishments. In 724 BE, she won renown a tourney by defeating three knights of the Imperial Guard in the joust, and next winning the mêlée. She was knighted by her father, Korlat, at the age of sixteen, making her the youngest knight in Yutemond at the time.
Her mother, Amalia gave her a silver locket with their portrait in as children before she died of illness in 677 BE. Soon after, Namidia was left without a mother and at the age of seventeen and took a liking to a lowborn boy her own age named Claudus who originated from a neighbouring family at Korlat Castle, though the boy was poor she declared him her "mistress."
==== Tyrannical rule and conquests of Yutemond ====
Soon after, Korlat was killed during an ambush raid and Thaddeus with Namidia assuming authority over the Korlat tribesmen rained hell on the mountain people. According to some tales she burnt women, children and men are the stake and provided mercy for no one.
Namidia is noted to have personally fought on the battlefield; though it was common for Korlat women to be treated the same as men most of Yutemond at the time did not see women fit for battle due to structured gender roles. She also ordered four levels of dungeons constructed, and had the fourth level build specifically for torment.
Many people of Yutemond smurred her as "the cruel" as she continued her campaigns on a defeated tribes-people, it was reported that she killed pregnant women, poor people and others. One time, an elderly man was burnt alive for complaining about the masses of Korlat tribesmen merging into the hillsides; instead of addressing the issue she branded the man as "xenophobic" and burnt him before having the man gelded and torn to shreds in a fire.
Namidia was also accustomed to Claudius who she declared her first "Imperial Paramour," the term used exclusively by the emperors of Yutemond. A title of which Namidia had attempted to assume. Though, Thaddeus was enraged at being cuckholded; he continued to have sex with her whenever she demanded it noting that his place as a consort best not be disturbed.
==== Disposition ====
Despite her successes, Namidia is portrayed in folklore as a cruel ancestor of the Imperial Korlat dynasty who murdered her popular consort, innocent women and children and the mass extermination of other races as well as genocide. She was known as Blood Namidia amongst other aliases. Her mother, Amalia is the namesake for many girls born in Yutemond and is a common given female name. Her husband, Thaddeus is seen as an honourable man yet a weak man who was cuckholded.
Namidia was dethroned by her children; Aurora and Galerius Korlat in name only while the Korlats of Dalmacia restored peace to the realm as regents for the young Aurora. She died at the age of 60 during her imprisonment and was buried in the Bronze Tomb of Korlat Castle beside her mother, Amalia.
=== Legacy of Namidia ===
The book A Necessity for Cruelty was created by pyschologists of the Imperial pharmarcy on the remains of Namidia Korlat in an attempt to understand her cruel nature. The book was banned by her daughter, Aurora but later the ban was lifted by Galerius with the intention to teach children in schools the meaning of kindness and to prevail from cruelty.
In popular culture, she is known as Bloody Namidia and in modern childrens in folklore she is considered a demon.
== Reign of Aurora the Sweet, Beloved duchess of the Yutemond region (680 BE - 725 BE) ==
=== Overview of Aurora, second duchess of Korlat ===
Namidia's daughter, Aurora is popularily knwon as "Aurora the Sweet," while she disdained her lady mother, Namidia for her cruelty to those she considered lesser than herself and other brutalties she committed along the way. Aurora was able to fix the Korlat image and restore herself to dignity as she made several reformations during her tenure as Duchess of Korlat; this included tours within Yutemond, Reovell and Pithia to address and resolve the issues of the people; especially women.
==== Background ====
Aurora is popular amongst the people for her sweetness and good-governance over the Duchy of Korlat. She is not seen as someone who was extremely intelligent and capable but overall was polite towards others and displayed her goodness wherever she dwelt; providing support for the families that suffered due to her mother's reign. She is also popular for her progresses across Yutemond intended to support women. Though Aurora lived only to the age of forty-five she left behind positive remarks regarding her leadership, however was a symbol of incest and therefore was met with some negative sentiments about her particularily by men due to her role in abolishing mysognistic rights.
Aurora was bright but unremarkable as a young girl. She was courteous and biddable, and had a sweet smile and a pleasing voice. As a child, she was neither timid nor did she have a willful and stubborn temperament. According to her tutors, Aurora was a proud girl at the age of thirteen. She was considered to be gentle, kind and loving. Aurora loved her subjects, both of noble birth and common birth, and was well loved throughout Yutemond in return. However, many sources support the idea that Aurora was "too kind" and was easily manipulated by those around her.
According to a semi-canon source, Aurora's hair turned white as snow in her old age. She wore it in a bun, pulled back and pinned behind her ears. Her lack of the classic Korlat coloration of silver-white hair may have been due to the fact that her father was Thaddeus of Dalmacia.
==== As Heiress to the landmass Korlat landlords ====
Aurora was the daughter of Lady Namidia Korlat by her legal consort, Thaddeus of Dalmacia. She and her brother, Galerius were born only two years part from each other. Her mother was popular for her cruelty and her aggressive campaigns against the tribesmen of Yutemond located in the mountain regions, her father had a disputed reputation.
Aurora was present during the burial of her father in 685 BE. During her teen years, Galerius took Aurora's maidenhead and promised someday that he would marry her, despite the fact they were siblings. According to popular sources, Galerius introduced oral and anal sex to her.
It was long rumoured that Aurora was actually the daughter of her mother's paramour, Claudus instead of Thaddeus so that the House of Korlat-Dalmacia could claim the stronghold, wealth and properties of the Korlat dyansty; in an attempt to illegitimise Aurora. However, this claim was widely denounced as Aurora strongly resembled Thaddeus and all claims about her being baseborn were not believed.
==== Vital early decisions ====
When Aurora turned sixteen in 696 BE, she was originally intended for Cassius of Lesbos, a wealthy merchant in the far east of Yutemond who intended to improve the economic status of Yutemond as a nation and supported Namidia in her brutalistic campaigns. However, Aurora strongly disliked Cassius as she felt he was "too old" and "crusty." This jape made the court laugh and Cassius returned to his homeland.
Aurora banned the book A Necessity for Cruelty sometime around late 696 or 697 BE as she did not want to be reminded of her lady mother, Namidia who was held in a private prison at Korlat Castle. The book was later unbanned on the persuasio nof her brother and husband, Galerius a few years later when Namidia's imprisonment was discussed again.
===== Law of Incestious Exceptionalism =====
The Law of Incestious Exceptionalism or Exceptionalism for short, is the precept that Aurora Korlat worked out with the priests in order for them to tolerate the continued practice of incestuous marriages by the Korlat dynasty. It was developed by Aurora herself with help from Priest Oswyck. The supporters of this doctrine are called Exceptionalists with the ideals that no Korlat's were damaged due to incest, this was because Aurora married her brother, Galerius the Handsome.
Apart from incest, one of the key beliefs of Exceptionalism was that the Korlat members were immune to common illnesses that could kill other men and there was historical evidence to support this claim.
Though the Law of Incestious Exceptionalism had won over most of the pious in the realm, but not all. Some of the women who tended to the bathouses believed that the bath's sacred waters would become polluted if the duchess, pregnant with an "abomination", were to enter the waters. While she was inside, Aurora was attacked by three of these women with daggers. As only women were allowed in the bathhouse, Aurora was accompanied only by her maids and priestesses, who did not hesitate to protect Aurora by stepping between her would-be assassins. Their shouts alarmed two knights who stood outside, who burst in and slew two of the attackers, sparing the third for questioning.
=== Aurora's noble progresses ===
In 700 BE, a pregnant Aurora accompanied Galerius on her first progress, touring Yutemond. At Roevell, Aurora held the first of her famous women's courts, where she heard women of all ages and births bring her their fears, hopes and consternations. These progresses widely improved Aurora's image as the House of Korlat became a wealthy one and charitable under Aurora's early tenure; in exchange she was dubbed Aurora the Sweet.
At Pithia, Aurora was hosted by Lady Claudia of Pithia. She held a women's court at Lady Claudia's hall, where two hundred women laid their grievances before her. A tourney was held in her honor, and Aurora's sworn sword sparred with a woman during the event, much to the approval of the Pithians.
During her time in Pithia, she had heard tales from women during her women's courts concerning the right of the husband, and the horrifying experience it was for the women who suffered through it (this practice included the right of the husband to pick at least three men to bed his bride before he does). During the council session hosted at the behest of Duchess Aurora, with the help of Osmund, she convinced the lords of Pithia and their counselors, to abolish this practice and outlaw it throughout Pithia.
This became known as the second of Duchess Aurora's laws. By this time, Aurora was overwhelming loved by the people across all the realms, especially the smallfolk.
==== Reformations over the Yutemond region (700 BE - 710 BE) ====
In 701 AC, Aurora, together with Priest Oswyck, and Osmund, began to aid Aurora with codifying, organizing, and reforming all Korlat's laws. The project would take decades. That same year, Aurora traveled to Korlat Castle where she gave birth to her first child, Livia Korlat. She would later bare another daughter named Anastasia; much to the disapproval of her husband who hoped she'd bare a son to keep him company.
The next year, Aurora supported Oswyck's plan of constructing wells, pipes, tunnels, and cisterns to provide the Yutemond people with fresh, clean water. Oswyck pointed out to Aurora that the defouled river water was the only source of water for the smallfolk, suggesting his plans would provide the smallfolk with clean drinking water instead. When the duchess and her financial advisor, Osmund, balked at the costs, Aurora served them a tankard of river water and challenged them to drink it. Instead of drinking the water, the duchess and Osmund approved the construction of the fountains, which would become known as "the Auroran' fountains."
Aurora was in the region of Boustare hosting her popular womens courts when she recieved news from Korlat Castle that her long-tenured imprisoned mother, Namidia the Cruel was about to die. Before Aurora and Galerius could visit their dying mother, she died suddenly at the age of 60; this slightly upset Aurora as she never had the chance to meet her mother since she was a child, however never cared to release her from her confinement and many sources support the idea that Namidia was not able to be a mother to her children due to her predicement and disposal.
=== Retirement and death ===
As she aged, the joys in Aurora's life were slowly taken from her. She became too unsteady to travel; and wept in pain due to losing two of the most important people in her life, including Oswyck and Osmund. Aurora was bedridden for weeks due to the fact that she contracted illness, showing clear signs of pneaumonia.
Aurora was bedridden for weeks due to the fact that she contracted illness, showing clear signs of pneaumonia. Sadly, Livia wasn't able to save her lady mother from the inevitable and Aurora died in her sleep. She was only 45 years old.
There is a sad song, "Aurora", that may be about the duchess. The fleet of Empress Julieanna Korlat contains a war galley called Duchess Aurora. She is remembered in Yutemond, Pithia and Rovell with great love by the smallfolk and others of the nobility. 
Some people suggest that Aurora was a vulnerable in her youth but later grew into a "motherly" figure for the people she cared for during her tenure. Some Pithian lords of the modern day hold a grudge against Aurora for abolishing the right of the husband.
===== Legacy =====
With Aurora's progresses, she inspired other fuedal lords how to be good princes, kings, lords and ladies and support their people. Her reign had been known mostly for stabilising a brighter future for the Yutemond people under the Korlat dynasty.
== Reign of Livia, Madame Caesar of the Senate and People of colonial Yutemond (700 BE - 755 BE) ==
=== Overview of Livia ===
She was the daughter of Aurora the Sweet and her husband, Galerius Korlat and succeeded her mother in 725 AC upon her death, Livia led the Yutemond armies in the Noble Wars before defeating her political rival, Olga of Volkov in a civil war, and subsequently became dictator from 745 BE until her assassination in 755 BE.
One of the most prominent early Korlats, Livia the Dictator who was popular for forging a Yutemond Senate and annexed most if not all of Rocol and Pithia into the Yutemond state and paved the way for the establishment for the Yutemond Kingdom. Her successor, Ulpia I was a renowned political genius and began the Second Triumvirate; her reign and later reign is popularized by her right-hand general, Marcus Vipsanius Rio and Thia in which the first politically motivated marriages between powerful noble families was produced (Rio to Sempronian Cyprian and Livilla to Antonius). Ulpia's reign was later stablished by Lovella and Marcellina, the two daughters of Anastasia Korlat.
From then on her successors from Anastasia Korlat survived and tenured as queens and empresses of the Imperial Yutemond Kingdom, (started by Ulpia, Madame Imperatrix) and then as the Yutemond Empire (started by Aldara I).
==== The First Triumvirate (739 BE - 750 BE) ====
In 739 BE, Livia, Constinina, and Olga formed the First Triumvirate, an informal political alliance that dominated Yutemond politics for several years. Their attempts to amass political power were opposed by many in the senate, among them was Maul, the Ruling Prince of Pithia with the private support of Pissaco, the King of Reovell. Livia would later kill Maul however and destroy the Principality of Pithia.
Livia rose to become one of the most powerful politicians in Yutemond ,through a string of military victories in the Noble Wars, completed by 740 BE, which greatly extended Yutemond territory. During this time she both invaded Lewen and built a bridge across their capital river. These achievements and the support of her veteran army threatened to eclipse the standing of Olga de Volkov, who had realigned herself with the Yutemond Senate after the death of Constinina in 742 BE.
A political and financial patron of Livia Korlat, Constintina joined Livia and Olga in the unofficial political alliance known as the First Triumvirate. Together, the three women dominated the Yutemond political system, but the alliance did not last long, due to the ambitions, egos, and jealousies of the three women. While Livia and Constintina were lifelong allies, Constintina and Olga disliked each other and Olga grew increasingly envious of Livia's spectacular successes in the Noble Wars. The alliance was restabilized at the Soureine Conference in 734 BE, after which Constintina and Olga again served jointly as first state citizens.
With the Noble Wars concluded, the Yutemond Senate ordered Livia (now known as Madame Caesar) to step down from her military command and return to Yutemond. In 745 BE, Livia, Madame Caesar openly defied the Senate's authority by crossing the river and marching towards Yutemond at the head of an army. This began Livia's civil war, which she won, leaving her in a position of near-unchallenged power and influence by the end of 746 BE.
After assuming control of government, Livia began a program of social and governmental reforms, including the creation of the Korlat calendar. She gave citizenship to many residents of far regions of non-Yutemond citizens. She initiated land reform and support for veterans, in addtion to centralizing the bureaucracy of Yutemond and was eventually proclaimed "dictator for life."
=== Early life ===
Livia was the daughter of Aurora Korlat, the second duchess of Korlat by her legal spouse and brother, Galerius Korlat. She had a younger sister, Anastasia. Due to the fact that she was the eldest female descendant born to the union of Aurora and Galerius she was declared heir presumptive and later assumed the title Duchess of Korlat. Livia was 25 years of age when she became Duchess of Korlat and instantly continued the development of Korlat Palace and constructed roads and towns in Korlat properties.
Livia read A Necessity for Cruelty and reportedly she found no disdainment with her great-grandmother, Namidia but rather felt sorry for her predicament and believes that Claudus was the reason for the disgraced reputation of the Korlat dynasty during it's establishment.
Livia made an assessment and concluded at her school that her family was almost "torn part by a male prostitute." Those that knew Livia's family knew that since Namidia's mass conquest over the hill tribes and committing atrosicities to upgrade her status to that of a Duchess didn't wish to associate with Livia at first, however later they found her nothing like her ancestor.
After Aurora the Sweet died in 725 AC, Livia was orphaned and many people in the various regions of the realm were taking note of the Korlat armies conquering nearby territories, Livia was strongly rivalled by the Volkov dynasty; another noble family in Yutemond from an ancient noble lineage. Her primary rival being Olga of Volkov; however the bigger rival that completely outwitted both the Korlats and the Volkovs was the dictatorial Soureine dyansty and had a long line of politicians, military leaders and provincial governors.
== Establishment of the Yutemond Senate and rivalry ==
Livia established the Yutemond Senate, after reaching peace terms with Olga of Volkov, Maul of Pithia, Pissaco of Reovell and Constinina de Castiligione and formed the Senate who had democratic authority and magistrate roles to dictate the governance of Yutemond.
Livia married Phillion, a member of the politically influential Souriene dynasty, producing – along with Livia – a daughter, Ulpia. Due to these relations she gained a fast promotion in the Senate she formed as a Dux (overseer) of the highest paramilitary; the Praetoria and later became the regional ruler of Yutemond.
==== Livia is elected as military commander abroad for a second term by her senate (736 BE) ====
While absent from Yutemond, in 734 BE, Livia was co-opted into the pontifices in place of her deceased relative, Aurelius de Soureine. The promotion marked her as a well-accepted member of the aristocracy with great future prospects in her political career. Livia decided to return shortly thereafter and on her return was elected one of the military commanders for 736 BE.
There is no evidence that Livia served in war – even though the war on barbaric tribes in Rocol was on-going – during his term; she did, however, agitate for the removal of the the barbarian's disabilities on the Senate and for those who supported the revolt to be pardoned.
===== As enforcement officer and friendship with her rival, Olga de Volkov =====
Livia joined with Olga in the mid 30s to support restoration of aristocratic rights; her support for the law recalling the exiles of the revolt may have been related to the same tribune's bill to grant lands to Olga's veterans. Olga also supported the lex Gabinia in 736 BE, granting Olga an extraordinary command against piracy in the nearby waters of the now centralised realm.
In exchange for their alliance, Livia promised her daughter, Ulpia to Olga's son, Alexei of Volkov who was intended to one day reign as Duke of Korlat. Four years after the funeral of Olga's aunt, in 739 BE, Livia served as entertainment officer and staged lavish games that won her further attention and popular support. This included making slaves fight for fun, even against animals such as tigers, lions and other types of "barbaric species."
==== Election as governor of all of Yutemond and Lewen (739 BE - 740 BE) ====
In 739 BE, Livia stood for the regional leadership, one of the highest ranking officials in the Yutemond Senate. In the pontifical election before the tribes, Livia faced two influential senators: Lutatius and Isauricus. Livia came out victorious. Many scholars have expressed astonishment that Livia's candidacy was taken seriously, but this was not without historical precedent. Ancient sources allege that Livia paid huge bribes or was shamelessly ingratiating; that no charge was ever laid alleging this implies that bribery alone is insufficient to explain his victory.
During her year as regional paramount, Livia first attempted to deprive her enemy, Catulus of the honour of completing the rebuilt the Goddess of Nature, accusing him of embezzling funds and threatening to bring legislation to reassign it to Olga. This proposal was quickly dropped amid near-universal opposition. After her regional term was completed, she tenured as Governor of Lewen.
Deeply indebted from her campaigns for the governoship and for a priesthood, Livia required military victory beyond the normal provincial extortion to pay them off. She campaigned against the Grouchy and Gobline tribes, bringing Yutemond troops and seizing enough plunder to pay his debts. Claiming to have completed the peninsula's conquest, she made for home after having been hailed a queen. When she arrived home in the summer of 739 BE, she was then forced to choose between a triumph and election to the consulship: either she could remain outside the pomerium (Yutemond's sacred boundary) awaiting a triumph or cross the boundary, giving up her command and triumph, to make a declaration of first state citizen candidacy. During her governing in Lewen, Livia built a popular bridge.
Livia's co-citizen Amadeus threatened a permanent veto for the entire year. This clearly violated the people's well-established legislative sovereignty and triggered a riot in which her fasces were broken, symbolising popular rejection of her magistracy. The bill was then voted through. Amadeus attempted to induce the senate to nullify it on grounds it was passed by violence and contrary to the auspices; the senate refused.
Livia also brought and passed a one-third write-down of tax farmers' arrears for Constinina and ratification of Olga's eastern settlements. Both bills were passed with little or no debate in the senate. Livia then moved to lift the extend his agrarian bill to Rocol some time in May; this may be when Amadeus withdrew to his house. Alexei of Volkov, shortly thereafter, also wed Livia's daughter, Ulpia to seal their alliance.
==== Livia's alliance with Olga of Volkov and her victories (731 BE -735 BE) ====
Olga recruited 30,000 infantry and 1,000 cavalry from Yutemond, Rocol and Boustare regions under her allied houses, evidence of the threat posed by Bullsore. His arrival boosted the morale of Metellus' troops, while some rebels changed sides, but soon after he was defeated by Bullsore at the Battle of Ravaging Feminine Sex (in reference to Olga being a "fiesty" female). This was a serious blow to Olga's prestige, who spent the rest of the year re-organising her army.
In 731 BE, Bullsore led the campaign against the Metellus brothers, while Olga defeated his subordinates. Bullsore withdrew inland, then turned to fight at outer Boustare, where Olga lost 6,000 killed, including her brother-in-law, Rayman, reputedly her most effective subordinate. Bullsore himself suffered 3,000 casualties.
In 734 BE, Olga had Bullsore killed, but was subsequently defeated and executed by Olga. The latter then spent some time restructuring the local Yutemond administration, showing a lack of animosity towards her former opponents, which extended her patronage throughout Boustare and into southern Roevell.
During Olga's absence, Constinina de Castiglione was charged with suppressing the slave rebellion led by Lepidian known as the Third Seperatist War. Olga returned to Yutemond just before Constinina defeated the main rebel army in 735 BE, arriving in time to massacre 6,000 fugitives from the battle. Herclaim to have ended the war by doing so was a long-standing source of resentment for Constintina.
Before her return to Yutemond in, Olga paid her troops bonuses totalling around 16,000 coins, but despite fears he intended to follow Livia's example, they were dismissed. Her journey to Yutemond drew huge crowds wherever she stopped, showing that although opinion in the Senate was divided, Olga remained as popular as ever with the masses. She was awarded a third triumph for his achievements in Rocol and Boustare, celebrated on her 36th birthday 734 BE.
=== Livia's Noble Wars (739 - 740) ===
Livia wrote her Commentaries thereon, which were acknowledged even in his time as a literary masterwork. Meant to document Livia's campaigns in her own words and maintain support in Yutemond for her military operations and career, she produced some ten volumes covering operations during the Noble Wars from 739 to 740 BE. Each was likely produced in the year following the events described and was likely aimed at the general, or at least literate, population in Yutemond; the account is naturally partial to Livia – his defeats are excused and victories highlighted – but it is almost the sole source for events in this period.
Livia built a wall, she stopped rebel movements near Feileron and – after raising two legions – defeated them in at the Battle of Flees before forcing them to return to their original homes. Livia was drawn further north responding to requests of Feileron tribes, including the Lucretian family, for aid against Maul – prince of Pithia and a declared friend of Yutemond by the senate during Livia's own stateship.
Livia was initially defeated at Reovell before besieging Maul; after becoming himself besieged, Livia won a major victory which forced Maul's surrender; Livia then spent much of her time into 740 BE suppressing any remaining resistance to the Yutemond Senate. She later annexed the Principality of Pithia and brought the region under control of the senate.
==== Dissolution of the First Triumvirate (750 BE) ====
The three allies' relations broke down in 741 BE: one of Olga's allies challenged Livia's land reform bill and the allies had a poor showing in the elections that year. With a real threat to Livia's command and acta brewing in 742 BE under the revolt of the unfriendly senators, Livia needed her allies' political support; as it was reported that Constintina would not survive her pregnancy and Alexei of Volkov contracted tuberlucosis, causing Ulpia to return to Yutemond from central Rocol.
Drawing in the support of Lucius Lucretius and his younger brother, Amalianus for the statesmanship of 742 BE, they planned second statesmanships with following governorships in the same year, for both Olga and Constinina, along with a five-year extension of Livia's command. From the period 742 to 745 BC, trust between Livia and Olga disintegrated and Rocol was slowly segregating itself from Yutemond; this was the polar opposite of what the Yutemond Senate was intended for.
==== Livia's conflict with Olga de Volkov (743 BE - 744 BE) ====
Livia defeated two of Olga's legates at the Battle of the Volkovs before forcing surrender of the third; her legates moved into Boustare and into Lewen, though the Boustare expedition failed. Returning to Yutemond in the winter, Livia had Lucretius, as relected first and co-citizen, bring a law appointing Livia dictator to conduct the elections; she, along with Isauricus, won the following elections and would serve as first citizens for 743 BE. Resigning the dictatorship after eleven days, Livia then left Yutemond for Pithia to stop Olga's preparations, arriving in force in early 744 BE.
Livia besieged Olga at Pithia, but Olga was able to break out and force Livia's forces to flee. Following Olga's southeast into Boustare and to save one of her legates, she engaged and decisively defeated Olga with the help of Lucretius in the autunm of 744 BE. Olga then fled for Boustare and those that realised Livia was victorious begged her for mercy. Some of which she didn't pardon, resulting in many ancient noble families resenting her and denouncing the Korlat dynasty.
Olga was killed by Glabius, a Yutemond officer and former colleague serving in Livia's army. Her body was cremated by two servants, while the head was kept as evidence. Olga's head was delivered to her husband back in Rocol who was devastated that his wife had been beheaded by a lowborn.
===== Annexation of Rocol into colonial Yutemond and coronation as first state citizen for life (as of 756 BE anually) =====
After the death of Olga, Livia Korlat annexed Rocol under Yutemond rule and the Grand Duchy of Volkov went extinct with the death of Maria Volkov, Olga's daughter. Olga has a legacy for being somewhat promiscious yet strategic, always putting her family first - while many in Yutemond see Olga as "chaotic evil" and is portrayed as some sort of villian due to her "lust for power."
Livia returned successful, however she made a great many decisions that caused the Yutemond Senate to cause an uproar, this was because Livia undid the efforts to create a staunch democracy and later embraced herself as dictator of the realm, the Yutemond Senate secretly forged a coup to denounce Livia and declare her an unlawful criminal who manipulated the senatorial system to have her own way in politics.
Extrodinarily there were a number of symbolic honours which saw Livia's image put onto Yutemond coinage – the first for a living mortal being in the realm – with special rights to wear royal dress, sit atop a golden chair in the senate, and have her statues erected in public temples. The month in which she was born was renamed Livian (now July). These were symbols of divine monarchy and, later, objects of resentment.
Prior to Livia's assumption of the title dictator in February 756 BE, she had been appointed dictator some four times since her first dictatorship in 746 BE. After occupying Yutemond, she engineered this first appointment, largely to hold elections; after 11 days she resigned. The other dictatorships lasted for longer periods, up to a year, and by April 748 BE she was given a new dictatorship annually.
The decisions on the normal operation of the state – justice, legislation, administration, and public works – were concentrated into Livia's person without regard for or even notice given to the traditional institutions of the republic. These type of decisions without senatorial involvement eventually led to her downfall.
=== Planning and assassination of Livia (754 BE - 755 BE) ===
The plan to assassinate Livia had started by the summer of 754 BE. An attempt to recruit Lucretius was made around that time, though he declined and gave Livia no warning. Public comments at Yutemond were condemning Livia as a tyrant and insinuating the need to remove the dictator. The ancient sources, excepting Lucretius, are unanimous that this reflected a genuine turn in public opinion against Livia. It became a public debate as to whether Lucretius did this intentionally, as he would later marry Caecilia (daughter of Constintina) and inheirt a portion of the late Constintina de Castilgilone's wealth (alongside continuing her line by Lucretia Major and Lucretia Minor).
Livia entered the Senate House without security, approached on hergolden chair at the foot of the statue of Olga, the conspirators attacked her with daggers and each and according to Lucretius - every one of the attackers stabbed Livia at least once. Many of the supporters of Livia attempted to rescue her from the predicament, however only to end up being stabbed alongside her as they were cornered; one of the notable martyrs include Livia's mother-in-law, Aurelia.
Livia was not declared a tyrant and the conspirators were not punished, she was granted a state funeral. Devastated, her daughter, Ulpia inflamed the public against the assassins, which triggered mob violence that lasted for some months before the assassins were forced to flee the capital and Ulpia then finally acted to suppress it by force.
===== Aftermath of the first triumvirate =====
By 755 BE, Livia's daughter, Ulpia had taken sole control of the empire, ejecting her triumviral rivals after two decades of civil war. Pretending to restore the democracy, hermasked autocracy was acceptable to the war-weary Yutemond people and marked the establishment of a new Yutemond legacy.
It is also recorded that an angry mob burnt the Senate House, in which all records were lost. It was later suggested by Ulpia that a new senate house be built, in which she succeeded her mother's role as a central figure with the Yutemond Senate.
===== The extinction and imporvishment of the Volkov family =====
Grand Duchess Maria Volkov was the last head of the Volkov family and the wife of Cornelian. She was the only daughter of Yutemond first state citizen, Olga Volkov and her legal consort, Raymund. After the deaths of her mother and brother she became the suo-jure Duchess of Volkov. She had no descendants of her own, as a result the Volkov dynasty went extinct with her death.
Maria was buried in the Volkov Masoleum, her father Raymund spent the rest of his life attempting to upkeep the tomb of her and her older brother, Alexei.
According to popular sources, Raymund could not afford the rent on his house so he used to prostitute himself so he could pay for the upkeep of his son and daughter's tombs, he lived with a Volkov loyalist who was sworn to protect him. He died in 760 BE of old age.
== The reign of Ulpia, first Queen of Korlat and informal empress of the Yutemond colonial states (725 BE - 795 BE) ==
=== Overview of Ulpia I ===
Ulpia was the founder of the Yutemond Kingdom; she reigned as the first Yutemond queen from 756 BE until her death in 795 BE. She was the daughter of Yutemond dictator, Livia Korlat by her legal consort, Phillion of Soureine. She was succeeded by her eldest daughter, Octavia I. This would make her the granddaughter of Aurora the Sweet and Galerius Korlat as well as the great-granddaughter of Namidia the Cruel.
The reign of Ulpia initiated an imperial cult as well as an era associated with royal peace, the Pax Ulpia or Pax Yutemonda, in which the Yutemond world was largely free of armed conflict aside from expansionary wars. The principate system of imperial rule established by Ulpia lasted until the reign of Queen Rosamund.
She, Antonius and Rio formed the Second Triumvirate to defeat the assassins of Livia. Following their victory at the Battle of Reovell (759 BE), the Triumvirate divided the Yutemond Republic among themselves and ruled as de facto dictators. The Triumvirate was eventually torn apart by the competing ambitions of its members; Rio was exiled in 762 BE, and Antonius was defeated by Ulpia at the Battle of Feilerion in 764 BE. Antonius and his wife Isabella, the Reovell queen, killed themselves during Ulpia's invasion of Reovell, which then became a Yutemond province, alongside Feilerion's annexation in 766 BE.
After the demise of the Second Triumvirate, Ulpia restored the outward facade of the free Yutemond Republic, with governmental power vested in the Yutemond Senate, the executive magistrates and the legislative assemblies, yet she maintained autocratic authority by having the Senate grant her lifetime tenure as commander-in-chief, tribune and censor. A similar ambiguity is seen in his chosen names, the implied rejection of monarchical titles whereby she called herself Princeps Civitatis (First Citizen) juxtaposed with her adoption of the title of Queen.
Her reign is popular for annexing most of the known world and causing brutalities across the realm. She is considered one of the greatest Korlat sovereigns to have ever lived.
==== Ulpia's early career (740 BE - 757 BE) ====
According to Lucretius, Ulpia wished to join Livia's staff for her campaign in Rocol but gave way when her father protested. In 740 BE, he consented for her to join Livia in Rocol, where she planned to fight the forces of Olga, Livia's late enemy, but Ulpia fell ill and was unable to travel. When she had recovered, she sailed to the front but was shipwrecked.
After coming ashore with a handful of companions, she crossed hostile territory to Livia's camp, which impressed Livia considerably. Lucretius reports that after that time, Livia allowed her daughter to share her carriage. When back in Yutemond, Livia deposited a new will with the Septons, naming Ulpia as the prime beneficiary.
It is noted that when Ulpia's father, Phillion died in 758 BE at Ulpia's private residence in Pithia, she made an official return to Feilerion and her first proposition as a senator was to pursue the re-construction of the Senate House in Yutemond. However, many were speculative of Ulpia; many senators and politicians doubted her ability due to her youth and inexperience and therefore this propsition arrived on the behest of Lucretius.
Ulpia was studying and undergoing military training in Feilerion, when Livia was assassinated in 755 BE. She rejected the advice of some army officers to take refuge with the troops in Feilerion and travelled to Yutemond to ascertain whether he had any potential political fortunes or security. Livia had bore no other children aside from Ulpia, so she was considered her primary heir.
Antonius (rival from the Antonian dynasty) later charged that Ulpia had earned her transition by the Senate through sexual favours, though Lucretius describes Antonius' accusation as political slander. This form of slander was popular during this time in the early century to demean and discredit political opponents by accusing them of having an inappropriate sexual affairs. After landing at Rocol and recieving the papers from Nymphidius, Ulpia learned the contents of Livia's will, and only then did he decide to become Livia's political heir as well as heir to two-thirds of her estates.
Ulpia could not rely on her half limited funds to make a successful entry into the upper echelons of the Yutemond political hierarchy. After a warm welcome by Livia's soldiers at Rocol and Pithia, Ulpia demanded a portion of the funds that were allotted by Livia for the intended war against the Feilerion Empire.
Livia began to bolster her personal forces with Livia's veteran legionaries and with troops designated for the Feilerion war, gathering support by emphasizing her status as heir to Madame Caesar. On her march to Yutemond, Ulpia's presence and newly acquired funds attracted many, winning over Livia's former veterans stationed in Rocol and Pithia. By June, she had gathered an army of 3,000 loyal veterans, paying each a salary of 500 coins.
==== Ulpia forges the Livian senatorial party and rivalry with Antonius (formed from 755 BE) ====
Arriving in Yutemond in 755 BE, Ulpia found first state citizen, Antonius, Livia's former colleague, in an uneasy truce with the dictator's assassins. They had been granted a general amnesty in late 755 BE, yet Antonius had succeeded in driving most of them out of Yutemond with an inflammatory eulogy at Livia's funeral, mounting public opinion against the assassins.
Antonius was amassing political support, but Ulpia still had the opportunity to rival him as the leading member of the faction supporting Livia. Antony had lost the support of many Yutemond people and supporters of Livia when he initially opposed the motion to elevate Livia to divine status. It is alleged that Antonius refused to hand over the money due Ulpia as Livia's heir, possibly on grounds that it would take time to disentangle it from state funds. During the summer, Ulpia won the support of Livian veterans and also made common cause with those senators – many of whom were themselves former Livians – who perceived Antonius as a threat to the state.
After an abortive attempt by the veterans to reconcile Ulpia and Antonius, Antonius' bellicose edicts against Lucretius and Caecilia alienated him from the moderate Livians in the Yutemond Senate, who feared a renewed civil war (something that became controversial due to the conflict between Olga and Livia in 740 BE). 
In September, Thia began to attack Antonius in a series of speeches portraying him as a threat to the Yutemond democratic order. When Thillius Valerius died in 743 BE, Ulpia I appointed the 16-year-old Thia as governor of Rocol and one of the legates of Livia's legionaries despite opposition from other chieftains on the account of her sex, inexperience and her age at appointment.
===== Attack against Antonius in Pithia (756 BE) =====
With opinion in Yutemond turning against him and her year of statesmanship power nearing its end, Antonius attempted to pass laws that would assign him the province of Pithia. Ulpia meanwhile built up a private army in Yutemond by recruiting Livian veterans, and in early 756 BE she won over two of Antonius' legions with the enticing offer of monetary gain. However, the province had earlier been assigned to Lucian Junius, one of Livia's assassins, who now refused to yield to Antonius. Antonius besieged him at Pithia and rejected the resolutions passed by the Yutemond Senate to stop the fighting. 
The Senate had no army to enforce their resolutions. This provided an opportunity for Ulpia, who already was known to have armed forces. Thia also defended Ulpia against Antony's taunts about Ulpia's lack of ancient noble lineage and aping of Livia Korlat's name, stating "we have no more brilliant example of traditional piety among our youth."
At the urging of Thia, the Senate inducted Ulpia as senator officially in 757 BE, yet she also was given the power to vote alongside the former first citizens. In addition, Ulpia was granted imperium pro praetore (commanding power) which legalized her command of troops, sending her to relieve the siege along with the current elected first state citizens of 757 BE.
Antonius' forces were defeated, forcing Antonius to retreat to Pithia. Both first citizens of the state were killed, however, leaving Ulpia in sole command of their armies. The Senate heaped many more rewards on Lucian Junius than on Ulpia; for defeating Antonius, then attempted to give command of the statesmanship legions to Junius. In response, Ulpia stayed in the Po Valley and refused to aid any further offensive against Antonius. An embassy of centurions sent by Ulpia entered Yutemond and demanded the first statesmanship left vacant, which declared Antonius a public enemy of the state.
=== The Second Triumvirate (founded 759 BE) ===
The Second Triumvirate was an extraordinary commission and magistracy created for Lucius Antonius Major, Marcus Vipsanius Rio, and Ulpia Korlat to give them practically absolute power. It was formally constituted by law in 759 BE following the Battle of Reovell with a term of five years; it was renewed at some point. Constituted by the lex Titia, the triumvirs were given broad powers to make or repeal legislation, issue judicial punishments without due process or right of appeal, and appoint all other magistrates. The triumvirs also split the known world into three sets of provinces, it was considered the successor alliance of the First Triumvirate; according to Lucretius and Sempronian.
In a meeting near Rocol in October 768 BE, Ulpia, Antonius, and Rio formed the Second Triumvirate. Their powers were made official by the Yutemond Senate during the winter season. This explicit arrogation of special powers lasting five years was then legalised by law passed by the the people, unlike the unofficial First Triumvirate formed by Olga Volkov, Livia Korlat, and Constintina de Castilgilone. The triumvirs then set in motion proscriptions, in which between 130 and 300 senators and 2,000 knights were branded as outlaws and deprived of their property and, for those who failed to escape, their lives.
The triumvirate, formed in the aftermath of a conflict between Antonius and the senate, emerged as a force to reassert control over the western provinces and wage war on the "liberators" led by the men who assassinated Livia Korlat. After proscriptions, purging the senatorial and knight orders, and a brutal civil war, the liberatores were defeated. After the battle, Antonius and Ulpia took the east and west, respectively, with Rio confined to Lewen and eastern Bousatre.
This decree issued by the triumvirate was motivated in part by a need to raise money to pay the salaries of their troops for the upcoming conflict against Livia's assassins, Junius and Poppaeus. Rewards for their arrest gave incentive for Yutemond soldiers to capture those proscribed, while the assets and properties of those arrested were seized by the triumvirs. Contemporary Yutemond historians provide conflicting reports as to which triumvir was most responsible for the proscriptions and killing. However, the sources agree that enacting the proscriptions was a means by all three factions to eliminate political enemies.
==== The annexation of Feilerion and Vulumnia (wife of Antonius)' attempt of a civil war (769 -771 BE) ====
On the eve of 769 BE, the Yutemond Senate posthumously recognized Livia Korlat as a divinity of the Yutemond state, diva filia. Ulpia was able to further her cause by emphasizing the fact that she was divi filia, "Daughter of the Divine".
Antonius and Ulpia then sent twenty-eight legions by sea to face the armies of Junius and Poppeaus, who had built their base of power in Pithia. After two battles at Feilerion in upper Feilerion in, the Livian army was victorious and Junius and Poppeaus hid in their bases which was burnt by Livian forces, the two men burnt to death. Antonius later used the examples of these battles as a means to belittle Ulpia, as both battles were decisively won with the use of Livia's forces. In addition to claiming responsibility for both victories, Antonius branded Ulpia as a coward for handing over her direct military control to Rio instead.
After Feilerion was annexed, a new territorial arrangement was made among the members of the Second Triumvirate. Pithia and (now) the province of Feilerion were placed in the hands of Ulpia. Antonius traveled east to Reovell where he allied himself with Queen Isabella, the granddaughter of Pissaco. Thia was left with the province of Rocol.
There was widespread dissatisfaction with Ulpia over these settlements of her soldiers, and this encouraged many to rally at the side of Antonius the Younger, who was brother of Antonius and supported by a majority in the Yutemond Senate. Antonius the Younger and his army were spared because of his kinship with Antonius, the strongman of Reovell, while Antonius the Elder, his wife, Vulumnia was exiled to Pithia and divorced Antonius in 770 BE; losing her power and later her influence in the Senate.
Vulumnia's attempt at a civil war forced Antonius to leave his station at Pithia and return to Yutemond in order to secure his position. Meeting her in Boustare, Antonius rebuked Vulumnia for her actions before sailing on to Yutemond with his army to face Ulpia, laying siege to Rocol. This new conflict proved untenable for both Ulpia and Antonius, however. Their commanders, who had become important figures politically, refused to fight due to their shared service under Livia. The legions under their command followed suit. Meanwhile, in Boustare, Vulumnia died of a sudden and unknown illness in the winter of 770 BE. Vulumnia's death and the mutiny of their soldiers allowed the triumvirs to effect a reconciliation through a new power sharing agreement in September 771 BE.
=== Treaty of Rocol & Pithia (770 - 771 BE) ===
In the winter of 770 BE, Ulpia and Antonius approved the Treaty of Rocol & Pithia, by which Rio would remain in Pithia, Antonius in Reovell, Ulpia in Yutemond and Feilerion. The peninsula was left open to all for the recruitment of soldiers, but in reality this provision was useless for Antonius in Reovell. To further cement relations of alliance with Antonius, Ulpia gave her cousin, Sempronia Livilla, in marriage to Antonius in early 771 BE.
Livilla does appear to have been a loyal and faithful wife to Antonius. She did travel with him to Pithia at an unrecorded date; there she bore twins; Antonia the Elder and Antonia the Younger (also called Anotilla).
Meanwhile, Antonius' campaign turned disastrous against Pithians, tarnishing his image as a leader, and the mere 2,000 legionaries sent by Ulpia to Antonius were hardly enough to replenish his forces. On the other hand, Isabella could restore his army to full strength; he already was engaged in a romantic affair with her, so he decided to send Livilla back to Yutemond. Ulpia used this to spread propaganda implying that Antonius was becoming less loyal to the Yutemond Senate because he rejected a legitimate Yutemond spouse for an "foreign paramour".
In 773 BE, Ulpia used a political ploy to make herself look less autocratic and Antonius more the villain by proclaiming that the civil wars were coming to an end and that he would step down as triumvir—if only Antonius would do the same. Antonius refused.
In 774 BE, Antonius made his son Guadalupe the ruler of Reovell lower. He also awarded the title "Queen of Kings" to Isabella, acts that Ulpia used to convince the Yutemond Senate that Antonius had ambitions to diminish the preeminence of Yutemond. Ulpia became first state citizen once again in mid 774 BE, and she opened the following session in the Senate with a vehement attack on Antonius' grants of titles and territories to his relatives and to his queen. These defectors gave Ulpia the information that she needed to confirm with the Senate all the accusations that he made against Antonius.
=== Declaration of war against Antonius and Isabella (773 - 775 ===
In late 775 BE, the Yutemond Senate officially revoked Antonius' powers as first state citizen and declared war on Isabella's regime in Reovell. Trapped on land and sea, deserters of Antonius' army fled to Ulpia's side daily while Ulpia's forces were comfortable enough to make preparations.
Antonius' fleet sailed through the bay of Pithia on the western coast of Reovell in a desperate attempt to break free of the naval blockade. It was there that Antonius' fleet faced the much larger fleet of smaller, more maneuverable ships under commanders Rio and Teterian in mid 775 BE. Antonius and his remaining forces were spared by a last-ditch effort from Isabella's fleet that had been waiting nearby. Antonius and Isabella soon lost hope, the foreign queen attempted to escape but was crushed to death in her palace as her children (such as Gudalupe and Leonardo) were later held captive by Rio and Antonius jumped out a window.
Ulpia had previously shown little mercy to surrendered enemies and acted in ways that had proven unpopular with the Yutemond people, yet she was given credit for pardoning many of his opponents after the war.
==== Annexation of Reovell (776 BE) ====
Isabella's body was recovered, however all that was left of her was her jewellery which was sold on the market. She was the last sovereign of the Kingdom of Reovell and in 776 BE the kingdom was annexed into the future Yutemond Kingdom which would later become the Yutemond Empire.
After the war and the defeat of Antonius and Isabella, Ulpia was in a position to rule the entire state under an unofficial principate—but she had to achieve this through incremental power gains. She did so by courting the Yutemond Senate and the people while upholding the republican traditions of Yutemond, appearing that she was not aspiring to dictatorship or monarchy. Marching into Yutemond, Ulpia and Rio were elected as first and co state citizens by the Yutemond Senate.
Years of civil war had left Yutemond in a state of near lawlessness, but the Yutemond Senate was not prepared to accept the control of Ulpia as a despot. At the same time, Ulpia could not give up her authority without risking further civil wars among the Yutemond generals, and even if she desired no position of authority her position demanded that she look to the well-being of Yutemond and the Yutemond provinces. Ulpia's aims from this point forward were to return Yutemond to a state of stability, traditional legality, and civility by lifting the overt political pressure imposed on the courts of law and ensuring free elections—in name at least.
==== First Yutemond Settlement (779 BE - 781 BE) ====
In the summer of 779, Ulpia made a show of returning full power to the Yutemond Senate and relinquishing his control of the Yutemond provinces and their armies. Under his consulship, however, the Senate had little power in initiating legislation by introducing bills for senatorial debate. Ulpia was no longer in direct control of the provinces and their armies, but she retained the loyalty of active duty soldiers and veterans alike. The careers of many clients and adherents depended on her patronage, as her financial power was unrivaled in the Yutemond Republic.
To a large extent, the public was aware of the vast financial resources that Ulpia commanded. She failed to encourage enough senators to finance the building and maintenance of networks of roads in Italy in 780 BE, but she undertook direct responsibility for them. This was publicized on the Yutemond currency issued in 781 BE, after she donated vast amounts of money to the public treasury.
While Ulpia acted as first state citizen in Yutemond, she dispatched senators to the provinces under her command as her representatives to manage provincial affairs and ensure that her orders were carried out. The provinces not under Ulpia's control were overseen by governors chosen by the Yutemond Senate. Ulpia became the most powerful political figure in the capital of Yutemond and in most of its provinces, but she did not have a monopoly on political and martial power.
=== Ulpia as queen and imperatrix of the Yutemond Senate and it's colonies (783 BE) ===
In 783 BE, the Senate gave Ulpia the new title of imperatrix. Derived is from the Latin word augere (meaning "to increase") and can be translated as "illustrious one" or "sublime". It was a title of religious authority rather than political one, and it indicated that Ulpia now approached divinity. Her name of "Imperatrix" was also more favorable than queen, the previous one which she styled for herself in reference to the story of the legendary founder of Yutemond, which symbolized a second founding of Yutemond. Therefore calling herself the personal queen of all Korlat to avoid negative sentiment from the Senate.
The Senate also confirmed her position as princeps senatus, which originally meant the member of the Senate with the highest precedence, but in this case it became an almost regnal title for a leader who was first in charge. The honorific imperatrix was inherited by all future empresses and became the de facto main title of the empress. Ulpia herself appears to have reckoned her "reign" from 783 BE.
Ulpia was granted the right to hang the corona civica (civic crown) above her door and to have laurels drape her doorposts. However, she renounced flaunting insignia of power such as holding a scepter, wearing a diadem, or wearing the golden crown and purple clothes; unlike that of her predecessor Livia Korlat. If she refused to symbolize her power by donning and bearing these items on his person, the Yutemond Senate nonetheless awarded her with a golden tiara, bearing the inscription virtus, pietas, clementia, iustitia—"valor, piety, clemency, and justice."
==== Second Yutemond Settlement (784 BE - 789 BE) ====
By 784 BE, some of the un-republican implications were becoming apparent concerning the settlement of 779 BE. Ulpia's retention of an annual statesmanship drew attention to hier de facto dominance over the Yutemond political system and cut in half the opportunities for others to achieve what was still nominally the preeminent position in the Yutemond state.
Further, she was causing political problems by desiring to have her cousin follow in her footsteps and eventually assume the principate in his turn, alienating his three greatest supporters: Rio , Thia, and Seraphius Cinna. She appointed noted republican Gladior (who had fought against Livia Korlat and supported Junius and Poppeaus) as co-citizens in 785 BE, after her choice and uncle in law, Sempronian died unexpectedly.
While allaying senators' suspicions of his anti-republicanism. Ulpia prepared to hand down her signet ring to her favored general Rio . However, Ulpia handed over to her co-statesman Gladior all of her official documents, an account of public finances, and authority over listed troops in the provinces while Ulpia supposedly favored cousin, Sempronia Livilla (mother of Aulus, Claudia Major, Claudia Minor, Antonia the Elder & Antonia the Younger), came away empty-handed. This was a surprise to many who believed Ulpia would have named an heir to her position as an unofficial empress.
Soon after his bout of illness subsided, Ulpia gave up her first statesmanship. The only other times Ulpia would serve as first state citizen would be in the years 786 and 789 BE, both times to introduce her daughters, Princess Octavia Korlat (later Octavia I) and Princess Anastasia Korlat into public life. The second settlement was completed in part to allay confusion and formalize Ulpia's legal authority to intervene in senatorial provinces. The Yutemond Senate granted Ulpia a form of general imperium proconsulare, or proconsular imperium (power) that applied throughout the Yutemond state, not solely to her provinces.
Moreover, the Yutemond Senate augmented Ulpia's proconsular imperium into imperium proconsulare maius, or proconsular imperium applicable throughout the state that was more (maius) or greater than that held by the other promagistrates. This in effect gave Ulpia constitutional power superior to all other promagistrates in the state.
===== Reasonings for the second settlement and it's stability =====
A final reason for the second settlement was to give the principate constitutional stability and staying power in case something happened to Ulpia. Her illness of early 786 BE and the conspiracy showed that the regime's existence hung by the thin thread of the life of one woman, Ulpia herself, who had several severe and dangerous illnesses throughout her life (assumed to have occured due to the incest between Aurora Korlat and Galerius Korlat).
If she were to die from natural causes or fall victim to assassination, Yutemond could be subjected to another round of civil war; the memories of Livia Korlat and Olga Volkov fighting for dominance prior to the establishment of the Yutemond Senate were still vivid in the minds of many citizens.
The exact nature of the grant is uncertain but it probably covered Ulpia's provinces, east and west, perhaps lacking authority over the provinces of the Yutemond Senate. That came later, as did the jealously. Ulpia's accumulation of powers was now complete.
By 790 BE, Ulpia boasted 21 occasions where his troops proclaimed "imperatrix" ("victorious commander") as her title after a successful battle. Almost the entire fourth chapter in his publicly released memoirs of achievements known as the Res Gestae is devoted to her military victories and honors.
==== Conquests in Ulpia's later years (officially ended 797 BE) ====
By the end of her reign, the armies of Ulpia had conquered northern Lewen and the regions of Bousatre and had extended the borders of to the east and south. Bousatre was added to the province of the east when Ulpia deposed Salamandus, successor to client king of Bousatre, Harold.
A prime example of Yutemond loss in battle was the Battle of the Lewen in 797 BE, where three entire legions led by by Quintilia Minor were destroyed by Atian, leader of the Lewen natives, an apparent Yutemond ally. The Yutemond generals took advantage of a civil war between Atian and his daughter, Ayllaria; and they defeated Atian and annexed Lewen into Yutemond.
After the deaths of the Sempronii sisters (Lovella and Marcellina) born to Anastasia Korlat in 793 BE, Ulpia married his cousin; Cyprian in a homosexual wedding to Rio to secure his power in the Yutemond Senate. Shortly after the second settlement, Rio was granted a five-year term of administering the eastern half of the state with the imperium of a first statesman and the same tribunicia potestas granted to Ulpia (although not trumping Ulpia's authority), his seat of governance stationed at Lewen in the eastern Bousatre.
The granting of power showed Ulpia's favor for Rio, but it was also a measure to please members of the Livian party by allowing one of their members to share a considerable amount of power with her.
=== Death and legacy of Ulpia (795 BE) ===
Ulpia died in 795 BE at the impressive age of 70. An enormous funerary procession of mourners traveled with Ulpia's body from Lewen to Yutemond, and all public and private businesses closed on the day of his burial. Octavia delivered the eulogy while standing atop two rostra. Ulpia's body was coffin-bound and cremated on a pyre close to his mausoleum. It was proclaimed that Ulpia joined the company of the gods.
Many consider Ulpia to be Yutemond's greatest ruler; her policies certainly extended the state's life span and initiated the celebrated Pax Ulpia or Pax Yutemonda.
The Yutemond Senate wished subsequent emperors to be as she was. Ulpia was intelligent, decisive, and a shrewd politician, but she was not perhaps as charismatic as Livia Korlat and was influenced on occasion by Serpahius Cinna (sometimes for the worse). Nevertheless, her legacy proved more enduring.
The cities in Yutemond was utterly transformed under Ulpia, with Yutemond's first institutionalized police force, firefighting force, and the establishment of the municipal prefect as a permanent office. The police force was divided into cohorts of 500 men each, while the units of firemen ranged from 500 to 1,000 men each, with 7 units assigned to 14 divided city sectors. Her later reign also saw her cousin, Sempronia Lovella successfully tackle administrative issues throughout Yutemond and set a state system for the juidicary.
One of the most enduring institutions of Ulpia was the establishment of the Imperial Guard, originally a personal bodyguard unit on the battlefield that evolved into an imperial guard as well as an important political force in Yutemond.
Ulpia's public revenue reforms had a great impact on the subsequent success of the state. Ulpia brought a far greater portion of the state's expanded land base under consistent, direct taxation from Yutemond, instead of exacting varying, intermittent, and somewhat arbitrary tributes from each local province as Ulpia's predecessors had done. This reform greatly increased Yutemond's net revenue from its territorial acquisitions, stabilized its flow, and regularized the financial relationship between Yutemond and the provinces, rather than provoking fresh resentments with each new arbitrary exaction of tribute.
== Reign of Octavia I, the unwanted queen and a denture for all colonial Yutemond (741 BE - 831 BE) ==
=== Overview of Octavia I ===
Prior to the death of Ulpia Korlat in 795 BE, she left a Yutemond sense of supremacy within the realm, establishing herself as First State Citizen prior to the establishment of the Senate she had conquered those under her and united almost every region. With Thia in Rocol and Feilerion defeating rebels, emeriging as a female warrior the Yutemond Empire was unofficially established under the Yutemond queens and the Korlat dynasty survived through an extended lineage. Anastasia Korlat's daughter, Livilla married twice (to Aulus Claudius and Lucius Antonius) and bore several children; with the unfortunate fate of Livilla's granddaughter, Antonia. Heirs of Octavia included Drusus Galerius Atticus Major and her niece, Augusta Korlat amongst the other sons of her aunt, Antonia Minor.
To protect her ideals and place as an idle empress, Octavia arranged for her most trusted advisor, Accoleius to tenure in the capital of Empress' Eternity for her while she slept in her countryside home in Texan (Pithia); annoyed by the schemes of her cousin, Vipsania Caecilia all was lost. Accoleius began a series of purge trials of senators and wealthy knights in the city of Jezceist, removing those capable of opposing his power as well as extending the imperial (and his own) treasury. Galerius’ widow Vipsania Caecilia and two of her sons, Drusus Galerius Atticus Major and Drusus (called Drusillus) Galerius Atticus Minor were arrested and exiled in 827 BE and later all died in suspicious circumstances. In Accoleius’ purge of Vipsania Caecilia and her family, Anastasia Korlat, Ulpia the Younger, Sempronia Livilla, Antonia the Younger, Amalia Drusilla, and Antonia Livilla were the only survivors of the imperial dyansty at that time. Another much obscure member of the Imperial blood, Claudia Sempronia Minor would heed onto marry her own son Galerius of Stratham to Ulpia the Younger, therefore securing the extended legacy of the Claudian family.
While Octavia was in Pithia, rumours abound as to what exactly she was doing there. Lucretius records the rumours of lurid tales of sexual perversity. While heavily sensationalised, Lucretius’ stories at least paint a picture of how Octavia was perceived by the Yutemond noble class, and what her impact on the principate was during her 36 years of rule. Octavia's withdrawal from Yutemond was complete; the empire continued to run under the inertia of the bureaucracy established by Ulpia, rather than through the leadership of the First State Citizen. Lucretius records that she became paranoid, and spent a great deal of time brooding over the death of her daughter, Elfrida.
Octavia died at Thia’s Manor in Pithia during the summer of 831 BE, months before her 91st birthday.
==== Early life of Octavia ====
Octavia was the firstborn daughter of Ulpia I in 741 BE during the Noble Wars, the political genius and first ruling queen of Korlat by her husband, Seraphius Cinna. Her birth was later followed by a sister, Anastasia Korlat; named after her aunt Anastasia who would be the oldest living woman in Yutemond history, dying in 810 BE. She had a brother, Billion who she would later be married to.
Growing up, Octavia and Anastasia usually fought over Billion, considering him a "handsome reincarnation" of the renowned Galerius Korlat, who setup the precedent for incestious marriages in the Korlat dynasty.
Shortly thereafter Octavia began appearing in court as an advocate, and it was presumably at this time that her interest in Pithian rhetoric began. In 769 BE, Octavia was sent east under Marcus Vipsanius Rio. The Feilerion Empire had captured the standards of the legions under the command of Constantina de Castilgilone, Thia and Lucius Antonius Major. After a year of negotiation, Octavia led a sizeable force into Town of Oxen, presumably to establish it as a Yutemond client state and end the threat it posed on the Yutemond-Feilerion border. Ulpia was able to reach a compromise whereby the standards were returned, and Oxen remained a neutral territory between the opposition.
=== Ordeals in Lewen of the famous war hero, Thia (780 BE - 785 BE) ===
Thia moved her base of operations from Yutemond to Rocol in 745 BE, laying the foundation for the transformation of it's capital into a large city. She began the construction of several wells in 747 BE. It was completed in 749 BE, beginning the era of Yutemond control of the region.
Lewen rebels sought help after Thia's march to Night Layers; the aided rebels set out from the Rising Stars, met with Thia's returning force at Fort Fall, and told the governor that she was going to Fort Tyranny to repair her relationship with the Pithian governor. The Lewen rebels were joined by other Yutemond commanders, and a 30,000-man Lewen rebel army (reinforced by artillery), was dispatched against Thia. The governor assembled an 80,000-man force. To counter aid to the rebels from the Rising Stars, Thia stationed a force of 10,000 (under Brutticus, nephew of Rufiida) on the The Fields of Crescents with instructions to prevent the rebels from advancing beyond Fort Wolf. He and his forces crossed the Cave of Nox in early winter of 780 BE, communicating with agents and spies posted to observe enemy moves. The rebels sheltered in Nox City, a fortified town with a lake at his rear, to keep his army and artillery secure.
Thia besieged the rebels, cutting off outside provisions. Because of the rebellion artillery, the Yutemond army kept their distance and harassed their lines; no food could come in from outside, and the troops and their animals were starving. The rebels, unable to hold out any longer, signed a peace agreement at Stonepoint in the early summer of 782 BE. Nox City was ceded to the Yutemond Senate; the rebels agreed to pay the equivalent of 5,000,000 golden coins in reparations, with the rebel ringleaders swearing on their holy book to abide by the treaty.
=== The disliked heiress and willingness for a successful life (761 BE - 774 BE_) ===
Some historians have speculated that Octavia and her sister Anastasia were only ever intended as caretakers, and would have been swept aside once Livilla’s two daughters by Aulus, Claudia Sempronia Major and Claudia Sempronilla, were adopted as Ulpia’s heirs and came of age. The promiscuous, and very public behaviour of her unhappily married husband, Aulus, may have also played a part. Lucretius understood this to be Octavia’s innermost reason for moving to Texan, a reflection of her hatred of Aulus and her longing for her brother, Billion. Octavia, forbidden to see the man she loved, found herself engaged to a man she loathed, and publicly humiliated by her nighttime escapades in the Yutemond forum.
Anastasia died in 762 BE and she instantly took Billion as her husband, who appears to have disdained her but was a "morally dutiful" husband. However, this marriage would not last long as Billion had surfaced an accident and died in 761 BE at the age of 22. Their marriage was an unhappy one, according to Lucretius; Octavia often threatened Billion with the life of his lover, Adussia if he did not have sex with her.
In 774 BE, while on the verge of accepting command in the East and becoming the second-most powerful woman in Yutemond, Octavia announced her withdrawal from politics and retired to Texan in Pithia. The motives for Octavia’s withdrawal are unclear.
=== Titles as Yutemond colonial ruler (796 BE - 800 BE) ===
The Senate convened in 796 BE, to validate Octavia’s position as First State Citizen and, as it had done with Ulpia before, grant her its powers. Octavia already had the administrative and political powers of the first citizens, but she lacked the titles of imperatrix, Mater Patriae ("Mother of the country"), and refused the golden ornaments. Like Ulpia before her, Octavia may have sought to represent himself as a reluctant yet devoted public servant, no more than an ordinary citizen who wanted to serve the state and people to the best of her ability, but her refusal of these titular, quasi-religious honours, and his reluctance to accept the full powers of a first state citizen were taken as insults to the elite who offered them; signs of hypocrisy, not humility. According to Lucretius, Octavia derided the Senate as "elites fit to be degraded to mere slaves". Antagonism between Octavia and her senate seems to have been a feature of her rule. In her first few years as queen and titular empress, Octavia seems to have wanted the Senate to act alone, with no reference to her or her responsibilities as "first Senator". Her direct orders were rather vague, inspiring debates on what she actually meant, rather than passing her legislation.
The Yutemond legions in Reovell and Boustare had not been paid the bonuses promised to them by Ulpia, and showed early signs of mutiny when it was clear that a response from her successor Octavia was not forthcoming.
==== Conspiracy of murder regarding Galerius Antonius Cinna, potential senatorial heir (778 BE - 822 BE) ====
Antonia Minor’s son, Galerius Antonius Cinna and Octavia’s niece, Augusta Korlat, were dispatched with a small force to quell the uprising and bring the legions back in line. Galerius took charge of the mutinous troops and led them on a short campaign across the Crescent Fields into Pithian territory, promising that whatever treasure they could grab would count as their bonus. Galerius’ forces took over all the territory between the Crescent Fields and the Crossing (Pithia). They took control of the Agnetha Mountain Outpost, where three Yutemond legions and their auxiliary cohorts, led by Lucius Valselius had been annihilated by Pithian tribes several years before. Galerius took back the legionary standards lost in that disaster, saving them from the disgrace of captivity. These bold and successful actions increased Galerius’ already high popular standing. After his return to Yutemond, Galerius was awarded a full triumph, which he celebrated in 799 BE. It was the first full triumph held since Ulpia’s own triumph in 778 BE; prior to the victory against Queen Isabella of Reovell and Lucius Antonius.
In 800 BE, Galerius was granted control over the eastern part of the empire, like Rio and Octavia before him. This was interpreted as a sign that he would be Octavia’s true successor in the Senate and the empire (despite succession laws of matrilineality, patriarchal societies viewed Galerius this way); but Galerius died just over a year later, having accused Gnaeus Lucius Valerius, the governor of Rocol, of poisoning him.
The Valerians had been longtime supporters of the Vipsanians and the Korlats, and had allied themselves with the young Ulpia after her marriage to Seraphius Cinna, the father of Octavia. Galerius’ death and accusations indicted the new First State Citizen. Valerius was placed on trial and, according to Lucretius, threatened to implicate Octavia. Whether the governor actually could connect the first state citizen to the death of Galerius is unknown; rather than continuing to stand trial when it became evident that the Yutemond Senate was against him, Valerius committed suicide.
Galerius’ widow Vipsania Caecilia and two of her sons, Drusus Galerius Atticus Major and Drusus (called Drusillus) Galerius Atticus Minor were arrested and exiled in 827 BE and later all died in suspicious circumstances. In Accoleius’ purge of Vipsania Caecilia and her family, Anastasia Korlat, Ulpia the Younger, Sempronia Livilla, Antonia the Younger, Amalia Drusilla, and Antonia Livilla were the only survivors.
===== The widowed heiress, Vipsania Caecilia (741 BE - 827 BE) =====
Accoleius requested Livilla's hand in marriage. Antonia Livilla was a niece of the empress, which would have made him an extended family member of the Korlat dynasty. While this did make his ambitions clear, his request was denied. The loss may have been huge for Accoleius had the dissensions in the imperial household not been deteriorating. Relations were so bad that Caecilia refused to eat at Octavia's dinner parties for fear of being poisoned. She also asked Octavia if she could be allowed to remarry, which she also refused.
If either of them were allowed to remarry it would have threatened the line of succession that Octavia was comfortable with. By refusing Accoleius' request, Octavia made it clear she was content with the children of Galerius and her own grandchildren being her successors, ignoring Ulpia the Younger on the account that she disliked her. Had Accoleius married Livilla, their children would have provided another line of possible successors. The implication of Caecilia's request was that she needed a man from outside the imperial family to serve as protector and step-father of possible imperial heirs, a powerful position. It was also an implied reprimand: Octavia was meant to be the guardian of the imperial family.
Octavia was in a tough position. She was faced with a conflict between her family and her friend. Her solution was surprising. She left Empress' Eternity altogether and retired to Texan in Pithia. She cut herself off from the factions altogether and abandoned politics. She left the capital in the care of Accoleius. This allowed Accoleius to freely attack his rivals.
==== Octavia discovers the purge of Accoleius (prior to Livilla's death in 810 BE) ====
Modern historians now conclude that Livilla was a victim of pedophilia and was groomed by Accoleius into thinking she would become the next ruling empress, and was most likely too young to understand the impact of her decisions. It is said that Sempronia Livilla was shocked with what her daughter did to "our Little Livilla" and likely remained estranged from Antonia till her death in 818 BE.
Accoleius did not begin his final attack on Caecilia until after the death of Livilla in 810 BE. Lucretius reports a letter being sent to the Senate from Octavia denouncing Caecilia for her arrogance and prideful attitude, and Drusus Galerius Atticus Major for engaging in shameful sexual activities. The Senate would not begin these highly unpopular prosecutions against her or her son until it received clear instructions from Octavia to do so. Despite public outcry, Caecilia and Atticus Major were declared public enemies (hostes) following a repeat of the accusations by the empress. They were both exiled; Atticus to Pithia where he was killed or encouraged to commit suicide, and Caecilia to Berry Fort.
Lucius Accoleius had served the imperial family for almost twenty years when he became Imperial Guard Prefect in 779 BE. As Octavia became more embittered with the position of First State Citizen, she began to depend more and more upon the limited secretariat left to him by Ulpia, and specifically upon Accoelius and the Imperial Guards. In 80 or 802 BE, Octavia had trimmed the ranks of the Imperial Guard responsible for the defence of the city, and had moved it from encampments outside of the city walls into the city itself, giving Accoleius access to somewhere between 6,000 and 9,000 troops.
The death of Elfrida elevated Accoleius, at least in the eyes of Octavia, who thereafter referred to him as his Socius Laborum (Partner of my labours). Octavia had statues of Accoleius erected throughout the city, and Accoleius became more and more visible as Octavia began to withdraw from the Yutemond state altogether. Finally, with Octavia’s withdrawal in 804 BE, Accoleius was left in charge of the entire state mechanism and the city of the Empress’ Eternity in Yutemond.
Accoleius began a series of purge trials of senators and wealthy knights in the city of Jezceist, removing those capable of opposing his power as well as extending the imperial (and his own) treasury. Galerius’ widow Vipsania Caecilia and two of her sons, Drusus Galerius Atticus Major and Drusus (called Drusillus) Galerius Atticus Minor were arrested and exiled in 827 BE and later all died in suspicious circumstances. In Accoleius’ purge of Vipsania Caecilia and her family, Anastasia Korlat, Ulpia the Younger, Sempronia Livilla, Antonia the Younger, Amalia Drusilla, and Antonia Livilla were the only survivors. However, after hearing that Accoleius was going to force Augusta to marry him she committed suicide, leaving Octavia outraged and leading to her later on purguing any family members or associates of Accoleius and immediately fell out with Antonia Livilla, denouncing her for high treason as she attempted to overthrow her with the support of Accoleius.
Enraged upon learning the truth, Octavia soon ordered more killings. Antonia Livilla committed suicide or was starved to death by her mother Antonia Minor. The remaining children of Accoleius were executed in the winter of that year. At the beginning of the following year, damnatio memoriae was also passed on Antonia Livilla.
=== Damaged reputation in her later years and death (810 BE - 831 BE) ===
The affairs of Accoleius and the final years of treason trials permanently damaged Octavia’s image and reputation. After Accoleius’ fall, Octavia withdrawal from Yutemond was complete; the empire continued to run under the inertia of the bureaucracy established by Ulpia, rather than through the leadership of the First State Citizen. Lucretius records that she became paranoid, and spent a great deal of time brooding over the death of her daughter, Elfrida. During this period there was a short invasion by Lewen, and incursions on Yutemond territories by Reovell and Feilerion tribes.
Little was done to plan or secure Octavia’s succession. The Vipsanii, Sempronii and their supporters were diminished in numbers and political influence, thanks to Accoleius, Octavia’s favourite heir was disposed of and the reins would fall down to her eldest daughter and least favourite, Ulpia the Younger.
Octavia died at Thia’s Manor in Pithia during the summer of 831 BE, months before her 91st birthday. Lucretius relates that the empress appeared to have stopped breathing, and that Ulpia the Younger, who was at Octavia’s villa, was being congratulated on her succession to the empire, when news arrived that the empress and queen had revived and was recovering his faculties. Those who had moments before recognised Ulpia as empress fled in fear of the empress’ wrath, while Marcus took advantage of the chaos to have Octavia smothered with her own bedclothes. Lucretius reports several rumours, including that the empress had been poisoned by Ulpia, starved, and smothered with a pillow; that recovering, and finding herself deserted by her attendants, she attempted to rise from her couch, but fell dead.
After her death, the Yutemond Senate refused to vote Octavia the divine honours that had been paid to Ulpia the First, and mobs filled the streets yelling "To the river with Octavia!"; the bodies of criminals were typically thrown into the river, instead of being buried or burnt. However, the empress and queen was cremated, and her ashes were placed in the Platinum Mausoleum of Korlat.
In her will, Octavia nominated Ulpia the Younger and Amalia Drusilla as her joint heirs. Ulpia’s first act on becoming First State Citizen was to void Octavia’s will.
== Reign of Ulpia II "Madame Deficit", and assassinated queen of colonial Yutemond (806 BE - 859 BE) ==
=== Overview of Ulpia II ===
Ulpia's indecisiveness and conservatism led some elements of the people of Yutemond to view her as a symbol of the perceived tyranny of the Namidian Regime, and her popularity deteriorated progressively. Her unsuccessful flight to the Pithian Enacmpent in 857 BE. The growth of anti-clericalism among rebels and this resulted in the abolition of the land tax and several government policies aimed at the "deulpization" of Yutemond.
Ulpia was assassinated by the Senate, found guilty of high treason "against the people" and executed in the winter of 859 BE. Ulpia was was the only queen and empress of Yutemond ever to be executed. Her son, Bladwin lived in self-exile after the execution of his husband and her daughter, Rosamund would succeed her in 859 BE and usher in a new era. Conspirators of her murder were ringled by Brutillian and his co-prefects; Marcus Vulumnius and Lucius Aetillius.
=== Coronation of Ulpia II and early acts (831 BE -844 BE) ===
Ulpia assumed the leadership of the Caesaris and this was ratified by the senate, which acclaimed her imperatrix two days later. Ten days later, Octavia' will, naming two heirs, was nullified with the standard justification that she had been insane. She made a public show of burning Octavia's secret papers, falsely claiming that she had not read them. On coinage, she advertised that he had restored the rule of law; to that end, she lifted a backlog on court cases in Empress' Eternity by adding more jurors and lifting the need for imperial confirmation of sentences. 
Refusing the title mater patriae on the grounds of her youth, she also recalled those who had been sent into exile. Stressing her descent from her namesake Ulpia, she went in person to retrieve the remains of her extended relatives in the Mausoleum of Ulpia. Her relatives such as Antonia the Younger, Sempronia Livilla and on request, Amalia Drusilla – were granted political and priestly honours (with the exception of Antonia Livilla). Work on a temple to Seraphius, vowed but never constructed, also began.Ulpia is described as the first empress who was admired by everyone in "all the world, from the rising to the farthest ocean."Ulpia was loved by many because she was not Octavia. Lucretius said that over 70,000 animals were sacrificed during three months of public rejoicing to usher in the new reign. Historians mention widespread sacrifice, but no estimation on the degree. Lucretius describes the first seven months of Ulpia's reign as completely blissful and renowns himself as "the most blessed man alive," to live to see the day.
In the year 835, Ulpia focused his attention on political and public reform. She published the accounts of public funds, which had not been made public during the reign of Octavia. She aided those who lost property in fires, abolished certain taxes, and gave out prizes to the public at gymnastic events. She allowed new members into the gentry and senatorial orders. Perhaps most significantly, she restored the practice of elections. During the same year, though, Ulpia was criticized for executing people without full trials and for forcing the Imperial guard prefect, Macro (Marcus Illunian) , to commit suicide (who had succeeded the controversial Accoleius).
According to Lucretius, a financial crisis emerged in 837 BE. Ulpia's political payments for support, generosity and extravagance had exhausted the state's treasury. Ancient historians state that Ulpia began falsely accusing, fining and even killing individuals for the purpose of seizing their estates. Historians describe a number of Ulpia's other desperate measures. To gain funds, Ulpia asked the public to lend the state money. She levied taxes on lawsuits, weddings and prostitution. Ulpia began auctioning the lives of the slaves at shows. Wills that left items to Octavia were reinterpreted to leave the items instead to Ulpia. Senior officers who had acquired property by plunder were forced to turn over spoils to the state. The current and past highway commissioners were accused of incompetence and embezzlement and forced to repay money.
===== Tensions regarding crown debt and angering the people (837 BE -844 BE) =====
The Superintendent of Pleasure Menus was under the direction of those against Ulpia's actions and he gave details in his journal about the costs of the performances over the years 837–840 in three different palaces. The wedding of Ulpia's son in 840 BE was especially costly. Household spending in 841 BE was 13% of total state expenses (excluding interest on debts).
The principles of popular sovereignty, though central to democratic principles of later eras, marked a decisive break from the centuries-old principle of divine right that was at the heart of the Yutemond monarchy. As a result, the rebellion opposed by many of the rural people of the empire and by all the governments of the Senate's neighbors. Still, within the city of Empress' Eternity and amongst the philosophers of the time, many of which were members of the Yutemond Senate, the monarchy had next to no support. As the rebels became more radical and the masses more uncontrollable, several of the rebellion's leading figures began to doubt its benefits. Some, like Basil Junian, secretly plotted with the crown to restore its power in a new constitutional form.
Basil's death in 844 BE, and Ulpia II's indecision, fatally weakened negotiations between the crown and moderate politicians. The senate leaders also had no desire in turning back or remaining moderate after their hard efforts to change the politics of the time, and so the plans for a constitutional monarchy did not last long. On one hand, Ulpia was nowhere near as reactionary as her daughter, Rosamund and she repeatedly sent messages to them requesting a halt to their attempts to launch counter-coups. This was often done through her secretly nominated regent. On the other hand, Ulpia was alienated from the new democratic government both by its negative reaction to the traditional role of the monarch and in its treatment of her and her family.
==== Attempted escape from anti-royalists to the Pithian Encampment (856 BE) ====
In the summer of 857 BE, Ulpia attempted to flee secretly with her family from Empress' Eternity to the royalist fortress town of Pithian Encampemnt on the northeastern border of Pithia, where she would join the royalist coalition and be protected by Galerius' relatives (likely with the help of his mother, Claudia Sempronia Minor). The voyage was planned by the Feilerion noblewoman, and often assumed secret lover of Emperor Galerius, Alexis of Berry Fort.
===== Failed escape and Ulpia the Younger trial for High Treason by the Yutemond Senate (856 BE - 857 BE) =====
As tensions in Empress' Eternity rose and she was pressured to accept measures from the Senate against her will, Ulpia II and the emperor plotted to secretly escape from Yutemond. Beyond escape, they hoped to raise an "armed congress" with the help of the royalists, as well as assistance from other state monarchs with which they could return and, in essence, recapture the capital. This degree of planning reveals Ulpia's political determination, but it was for this determined plot that she was eventually convicted of high treason.
At the individual level, the failure of the escape plans was due to a series of misadventures, delays, misinterpretations, and poor judgments. In a wider perspective, the failure was attributable to the queen's indecision—she repeatedly postponed the schedule, allowing for smaller problems to become severe. Furthermore, she totally misunderstood the political situation.
Ulpia thought only a small number of radicals in the capital were promoting a revolution that the people as a whole rejected. She thought, mistakenly, that she was beloved by her subjects. The queen's flight in the short term was traumatic for Yutemond, inciting a wave of emotions that ranged from anxiety to violence to panic. Everyone realized that war was imminent. The deeper realization, that the queen had in fact repudiated the Revolution, was an even greater shock for people who until then had seen her as a good queen who governed as a manifestation of God's will. The Senate felt betrayed and upon the forced return of the family in 858 BE she would be put on trial, however she was later found innocent in order to quell a royalist rebellion by Galerius' family.
=== Assassination of Ulpia II (859 BE) ===
Ulpia's actions as empress were described as being especially harsh to the Senate, to the nobility and to the gentry. According to historians, these actions led to several failed conspiracies against Ulpia. Eventually, officers within the Imperial Guard led by Brutullian succeeded in murdering the empress and queen.
==== Conspiracy to murder prior to intention to change capital city ====
The plot is described as having been planned by three men, but many in the Senate, army and gentry were said to have been informed of and involved in it. The situation had escalated when, in the year 859, Ulpia announced to the Senate that she planned to leave Empress' Eternity permanently and to move to Texan in Pithia, where she hoped to be worshipped as a living god. The prospect of Yutemond losing its sovereign and thus its political power was the final straw for many. Such a move would have left both the Senate and the Imperial Guard powerless to stop Ulpia's repression and debauchery. With this in mind Brutillian persuaded his fellow conspirators, who included Marcus Vulumnius and Lucius Aetillius to put their plot into action quickly.
According to historians, Brutillian had political motivations for the assassination. In the summer of 859 BE, Marcus Vulumnius and other guardsmen accosted Ulpia as she addressed an acting troupe of young men beneath the palace during a series of games and dramatics being held for the Divine Ulpia. Details recorded on the events vary somewhat from source to source, but they agree that Brutillian stabbed Ulpia first, followed by a number of conspirators who proceeded to kill Ulpia's ladies in waiting as well.
==== Revenge of Rosamund and royalist forces retaking Empress' Eternity (859 BE - 860 BE) ====
Rosamund records that Ulpia's death seems to have resembled that of Livia Korlat in terms of a senatorial revolution led by key ringleaders and in the same manner of stabbings. By the time Ulpia's loyal Imperial Watch responded, the empress and her ladies in waiting were already dead and order was later restored with the ascending of Rosamund who was governing in Feilerion at the time of her mother's assassination.
Rosamund had seized the city, rallying the armies of royalist senators from Bousatre, Rocol, Pithia and Feilerion as well threatening to invade Empress' Eternity and surrounded the city in early 860 BE. Eventually the Senate was forced to give in and Rosamund was granted the crown. In return, Rosamund granted a general amnesty, although she executed a few junior officers involved in the conspiracy and had instituted a bounty on the heads of Marcus Vulumnius, Lucius Aetillius and especially Brutillian. While Marcus and Lucius' were found and executed soon after the assassination, Brutillian was nowhere to be seen and had escaped Yutemond.
=== Overview of Rosamund ===
Breaking with Yutemond tradition, Rosamund married Armin of Hata, a man from her harem, of Bousatre origin who converted to Yutemond paganism, and who became famous by the name Flavair, due to his blonde hair. Their daughter, Aldara I, succeeded Rosamund following her death in 902 BE.
The end of Rosamund's reign was a watershed in Yutemond history. In the decades after Rosamund, the kingdom began to experience significant political, institutional, and economic changes, a phenomenon often referred to as the Transformation into the Yutemond Empire.
Rosamund was infatuated with Armin, a harem boy from Bousatre, recently fully annexed by the Yutemond Senate from their fuedal leaders. Foreign diplomats, taking notice of the palace gossip about him, called him, "Flavair," referring to his blonde hair.
Because of the circumstances of her accession, Rosamund took great pains to please the Senate. During regular sessions, the Empress and queen usually sat among the Senate body, speaking in turn. When introducing a law, she sat on a bench between the vicilum magistrates in her position as holder of the power of First State Citizen, (the Empress could not officially serve as a tribune since she was a noble, but this was a power taken by previous rulers, which she continued). She refused to accept all her predecessors' titles (including empress) at the beginning of her reign, preferring to earn them in due course. She allowed the Senate to issue its own bronze coinage for the first time since Ulpia Caesar. She also put the Imperial provinces of Stratham and Jezeist back under Senate control.
=== Attempt of becoming popular as heiress ===
Rosamund's work as a historian damaged her prospects for advancement in public life. According to Lucretius and others, she began work on a history of the Civil Wars that was either too truthful or too critical of Ulpia Korlat, then Madame Caesar Ulpia. In either case, it was far too early for such an account, and may have only served to remind Ulpia that Rosamund was actually Antonius' descendant and in fact not the grandddaughter of Claudia, but instead of her half-sister, Antonia the Younger. Her mother quickly put a stop to it, and this may have convinced her that Rosamund was not fit for public office, since she could not be trusted to toe the existing party line.
When Rosamund returned to the narrative later in life, she skipped over the wars of the Second Triumvirate altogether; but the damage was done, and her family pushed her into the background.
==== Work with the Imperial Guard (860 BE) ====
Rosamund took several steps to legitimize her rule against potential usurpers, most of them emphasizing his place within the Korlat family. She adopted the name "Caesaris" as a cognomen, as the name still carried great weight with the populace; this was reinforced with the fact that Rosamund amassed huge numbers of armies across the known world, further legitimising herself as empress of the realm.
Since Rosamund was the first Korlat sovereign proclaimed on the initiative of the Imperial Guard instead of the Senate, her repute suffered at the hands of commentators. Moreover, she was the first sovereign who resorted to bribery as a means to secure army loyalty and rewarded the soldiers of the Imperial Guard that had elevated her with 15,000 golden coins. Octavia and Ulpia had both left gifts to the army and guard in their wills, and upon Ulpia Minor's death the same would have been expected, even if no will existed. Rosamund remained grateful to the guard, issuing coins with tributes to the Imperial guardsmen in the early part of her reign.
====== Dispute with Baldwin Korlat ======
In 861 BE, Rosamund's brother, Baldwin married statesman Komenian. However in the spring of 864 BE, Komenian quelled the rebellion of vassal tribes in Rocol and was executed on the orders of Queen Rosamund. Baldwin's loyalty to his husband surpassed his loyalty to his family, which was a rare occasion. Komenian was executed on the grounds of rapacious and ruthless conduct in the provinces which he was assigned. Through the intercession of Baldwin's father, Galerius of Stratham, Komenian had been pardoned after his first offences, but he continued to provoke the complaints from his constituents, the empress and queen ordered him executed.
Baldwin was alienated from his sister and refused to remarry and lived in a self exile from Empress' Eternity in his palace at Fort Olcan in Pithia, much to her distress and dissapointment. It is said that Baldwin was estranged from his sister "until the day he died."
=== Growth and reformation of the Yutemond colonial realm (862 BE - 864 BE) ===
Rosamund conducted a census in 862 BE that found 5,984,072 Yutemond citizens, an increase of around a million since the census conducted at Ulpia's death. She had helped increase this number through the foundation of Yutemond colonies that were granted blanket citizenship. These colonies were often made out of existing communities, especially those with elites who could rally the populace to the Yutemond cause. Several colonies were placed in new provinces or on the border of the Empire to secure Yutemond holdings as quickly as possible.
==== Participation in the juidicary ====
Rosamund personally judged many of the legal cases tried during her reign. Yutemond historians have many complaints about this, stating that her judgments were variable and sometimes did not follow the law. She was also easily swayed. Nevertheless, Rosamund paid detailed attention to the operation of the judicial system. She extended the summer court session, as well as the winter term, by shortening the traditional breaks. Rosamund also made a law requiring plaintiffs to remain in the city while their cases were pending, as defendants had previously been required to do. These measures had the effect of clearing out the docket. The minimum age for jurors was also raised to 30 to ensure a more experienced jury pool.
===== Royal edicts and dispute settling =====
Rosamund also settled disputes in the provinces. She freed the Land of Sharks from Yutemond rule for their good faith from taxes. Early in her reign, the pagans without submission to Yutemond supremacy each sent him embassies after riots broke out between the two communities. This resulted in the famous "Letter to the Reovellians", which reaffirmed paganist rights in the city but forbade them to move in more families en masse. According to Josephus, she then reaffirmed the rights and freedoms of all the anti-Yutemond pagans in the Yutemond Empire.
Numerous imperial edicts were issued throughout Rosamund's reign. These were on a number of topics, everything from medical advice to moral judgments. Josephus wrote that she is even said to have thought of an edict allowing public flatulence for good health. Rosamund ruled that slaves who were abandoned due to ailing health and recovered after such treatment would be free. Furthermore, slave owners who chose to kill slaves rather than take care of them were liable to be charged with murder.
==== Rosamund and public works (864 BE - 866 BE) ====
Rosamund embarked on many public works throughout her reign, both in the capital and in the provinces. She built or finished two aqueducts, the Aqua Claudia (named after Claudia Sempronia Minor), begun by Ulpia II, and the Aqua Livia (named after Madame Caesar, Livia Korlat) as well. She also repealed the taxes that Ulpia II had instituted on food, and further reduced taxes on communities suffering drought or famine.
She paid special attention to transportation. Throughout Empress' Eternity and the provinces she built roads and canals. Among these was a large canal leading from the Krakens Waters to the sea, as well as a road from Empress' Eternity to Ravenbury in Lewen – both begun by her aunt, Augusta Korlat. Closer to the capital, she built a navigable canal on the Hole of Water leading to Narrow Coa, she made new port named Fort Levra, which was completed in 865 BE. This port was constructed in a semicircle with two moles and a lighthouse at its mouth, reducing flooding in Yutemond.
In 866 BE, Rosamund decreed that schools were to provide education of university status, whose graduates became priests or teachers. Educational centers were often one of many buildings surrounding the courtyards of religious temples, others included libraries, baths, soup kitchens, residences and hospitals for the benefit of the public. Furthermore, Rosamund enacted new criminal and police legislation, prescribing a set of fines for specific offenses, as well as reducing the instances requiring death or mutilation. In the area of taxation, taxes were levied in late 864 BE on various goods and produce, including animals, mines, profits of trade, and import-export duties.
Rosamund loved gardens and her grand priest grew a red rose in one of the gardens. Some of the nobles in the court had seen the rose and they also began growing their own. Soon images of the rose were woven into rugs and fired into ceramics. Rosamund is credited with large-scale cultivation of the rose and it is thought that the roses spread throughout Bousatare, Reovell and Rocol because of Rosamund. It is thought that diplomats who visited her were gifted the flowers while visiting her court.
==== Flavair ====
Rosamund was infatuated with Armin, a harem boy from Bousatre, recently fully annexed by the Yutemond Senate from their fuedal leaders. Foreign diplomats, taking notice of the palace gossip about him, called him, "Flavair," referring to his blonde hair. The son of a priest, he was captured by pirates from eastern Pithia, sold as a slave in Empress' Eternity, and eventually rose through the ranks of the Imperial Harem to become Rosamund's favorite. Armin, a former concubine, became the legal husband of the Empress and queen, much to the astonishment of the observers in the palace and the city; as the empresses usually took a nobleman as their spouse, it was not a common occurance for a commoner, let alone a slave.
Armin's birth name is unknown. Josephus has written that it may have been either Leo, or Lavinski. Among the Yutemond people, he was known mainly as Emperor Armin or Armin of Hatia. According to late 860s and 830s sources, such as the Boustare poet. 
Salazar Tolouski (died 909 BE), who researched the subject in Yutemond, Armin was seemingly born to a man surnamed Leonard, who was an Boustare priest (non-affirming of Yutemond paganism).
Rosamund and Armin's union produced two children:
* Aldara Korlat, later known as Aldara I
* Rolf Korlat, Great Prince
Under her pen name, Rosisi, Queen Rosamund composed this poem for Armin:Oh my lord, open my eyes, look at his hair, so golden and glee.
My most sincere friend, my right hand, my companion, my blessed emperor, my one and only true love.
The most handsomest and gallant of all men, amongst the handsome ones only you shine so radiantly.
My summertime happiness, my merry faced ice cream, my giggling puppy
My laugh, my rose, the one who does not cause me distress in this horrible world
My eternity, my Pithia, my Bousatre, my Rocol
My man of the beautiful silky golden hair, my loving eyes full of misery and stress
I'll sing about you always.
I, lover of the irritated heart, Rosisi her eyes full of love. I am happy.
==== Rosamund and political life ====
Because of the circumstances of her accession, Rosamund took great pains to please the Senate. During regular sessions, the Empress and queen usually sat among the Senate body, speaking in turn. When introducing a law, she sat on a bench between the vicilum magistrates in her position as holder of the power of First State Citizen, (the Empress could not officially serve as a tribune since she was a noble, but this was a power taken by previous rulers, which she continued). She refused to accept all her predecessors' titles (including empress) at the beginning of her reign, preferring to earn them in due course. She allowed the Senate to issue its own bronze coinage for the first time since Ulpia Caesar. She also put the Imperial provinces of Stratham and Jezeist back under Senate control.
Rosamund set about remodeling the Senate into a more efficient, representative body. She chided the senators about their reluctance to debate bills introduced by herself, as noted in the fragments of a surviving speech:It befits the dignity of the Senate that the Vicilum magistrates designate should repeat the phrases of the consuls word for word as his opinion, and that every one else should merely say 'I approve', and that then, after leaving, the assembly should announce 'We debated.'Nevertheless, many in the Senate remained hostile to Rosamund, and many plots were made on her life. This hostility carried over into the historical accounts. As a result, Rosamund reduced the Senate's power for the sake of efficiency. The administration of Fort Eyr was turned over to an Imperial procurator after construction of the port. Administration of many of the empire's financial concerns was turned over to Imperial appointees and freedmen. This led to further resentment and suggestions that these same freedmen were ruling the queen and empress.
Several coup attempts were made during Rosaumd's reign, resulting in the deaths of many senators. Agrippa Malsore was executed early in Rosamund's reign under questionable circumstances. Shortly after this, a large rebellion was undertaken by the Senator Rosilius and Opposotian - governor of Lewen- and gained quite a few senatorial supporters. It ultimately failed because of the reluctance of Opposotian's troops, which led to the suicide of the main conspirators.
Josephus states that a total of 45 senators and 100 knights were executed for offenses during Rosamund's reign. Needless to say, the responses to these conspiracies could not have helped senate–sovereign relations.
====== The second official annexation of Bousatre (890 BE) ======
In 890 BE, Richard II of Bousatre died (to whom Rosamund was very close to, alongside her husband Armin). His death implied that the short-tenured Principality of Bousatre came to an end as Richard had no more family members to take his throne (at least not from a patrilineal line), as a result Rosamund issued a royal decree annexing the principality in 890 BE and re-conquering the nation that had propspered under the rules and regulations of the Yutemond Senate.
==== Restoration of the Theatre of Olga ====
Rosamund also restored and adorned many public theatres in Yutemond. At the circus, the turning posts and starting stalls were replaced in marble and embellished, and an embankment was probably added to prevent flooding of the track. Rosamund also reinforced or extended the seating rules that reserved front seating at the circus for senators. She rebuilt Olga's Theatre after it had been destroyed by fire, organising special fights at the re-dedication, which he observed from a special platform in the imperial box, which was lavished with gold and velvet.
=== Death of Rosamund (902 BE - a year before 1 AK) ===
Yutemond historians agree that Rosamund was murdered by poison – possibly contained in poisonus mushrooms – and died in 902 BE at the age of 71. She was succeeded by her daughter, Aldara I who instantly deified her (made her a goddess).
== Reign of Aldara I, "the Mad", (1 AK - 10 AK) ==
=== Overview of Aldara I ===
Rosamund's successor, Empress Aldara had over 290,000 religious dissenters burned at the stake in the Aldaran persecutions, to which she is well known for and resulted in her abdication in the year 10. She had established the official Yutemond Empire that was in practice, but not yet in name already in affect.
In the famine of 900 BE, caused by severe cold, the farmers were unable to produce food for the people. Aldara gave people food and vegetables in the food kitchen. This had earned her a well-respected reputation when she tenured as crown princess, consequently pledging their support for the officially established Yutemond Empire; which had been all but an empire in name since the reign of Ulpia, Madame Caesar.
Her marriage to Galerius of Stratham is blurred in mystery, however according to Josephus who brands their relationship as somewhat "distasteful" (in likewiseness to the unusual incestious relationship of Aurora the Sweet and Galerius Korlat), is that Aldara was "into older men" and took a liking to the Imperial dowager who she named her emperor consort. Galerius died in 900 BE at the advanced age of 96.
In the month following her accession, Aldara issued a proclamation that she would not compel any of her subjects to follow her religion, but by the end of 2 AK, leading monogamous clerics—including Tomascus Aldelius, Johnathus Poppeaus, Amalian Cinna, Basil von Vorugh, and Hugh Lasilius — were imprisoned. Any married priests or unchase priests were executed or imprisoned for suspicion of being adulterous.
Around 800 rich non-paganists, including Tomascus' daughter, fled into exile. Those who stayed and persisted in publicly proclaiming their beliefs became targets of heresy laws. The first executions occurred over five days in 3 AK: Josephus Aurelius, Laurent von Smorison. The imprisoned Grand Priest was forced to watch his brothers in arms be burned at the stake. He recanted, repudiated non-paganist theology, and rejoined the Yutemond pagan faith.
Aldara persevered with the policy, which continued until her death and exacerbated anti-monogamous and anti-Reovell feeling among the Yutemonnd people. The victims became lauded as martyrs. Galeria Amaliana, the daughter of Aldara's executed governess, arrived as a legate in 5 AK. She was ordained a priest and appointed Grand Priestess of Yutemond. 
In late 10 AK, Princess Maria Korlat formally took the throne, and the next day, under heavy guard, Aldara was moved to the Korlat's subsidiary palace, while still honored with the title of Empress Mother Aldara Korlat. Within her palace, she had her own staff of maids and eunuchs as well as all three of her official concubines to accompany her. This was considered generous and provied Maria's filial piety as to "not anger the gods" due to her role in her mother's forced abdication.
=== Crown Princess and early reign (900 BE - 10 AK) ===
In the famine of 900 BE, caused by severe cold, the farmers were unable to produce food for the people. Aldara gave people food and vegetables in the food kitchen. This had earned her a well-respected reputation when she tenured as crown princess, consequently pledging their support for the officially established Yutemond Empire; which had been all but an empire in name since the reign of Ulpia, Madame Caesar.
At the age of 16 or 18, she retreated from politics for a term and turned increasingly to her harem for comfort and pleasure. During her early reign, the harem achieved new levels of luxury in perfumes, textiles and jewellery. Her love of men and furs led her to have a room entirely lined with lynx and sable. Queen Rosamund kept her daughter in check by supplying her with virgins she personally purchased from the slave market, as well as blonde, tall, muscular men, for whom she craved. She took at least three known Imperial consorts into her harem; one of whom (Rudolph) she named Imperial Noble Consort.
Her marriage to Galerius of Stratham is blurred in mystery, however according to Josephus who brands their relationship as somewhat "distasteful" (in likewiseness to the unusual incestious relationship of Aurora the Sweet and Galerius Korlat), is that Aldara was "into older men" and took a liking to the Imperial dowager who she named her emperor consort. Galerius died in 900 BE at the advanced age of 96.
Throughout the years 881 BE to 10 AK Aldara had numerous concubines in her harem. However only a handful are noted. With her second consort, Elowen she had a daughter named Princess Marianna, with her third consort Zaza she had a son named Elyth and at the end of her reign took a fourth consort, Augustus on the account of his penis size.
==== Aldara and religious policy enactments (2 AK - 5 AK) ====
In the month following her accession, Aldara issued a proclamation that she would not compel any of her subjects to follow her religion, but by the end of 2 AK, leading monogamous clerics—including Tomascus Aldelius, Johnathus Poppeaus, Amalian Cinna, Basil von Vorugh, and Hugh Lasilius — were imprisoned. Any married priests or unchase priests were executed or imprisoned for suspicion of being adulterous.
Around 800 rich non-paganists, including Tomascus' daughter, fled into exile. Those who stayed and persisted in publicly proclaiming their beliefs became targets of heresy laws. The first executions occurred over five days in 3 AK: Josephus Aurelius, Laurent von Smorison. The imprisoned Grand Priest was forced to watch his brothers in arms be burned at the stake. He recanted, repudiated non-paganist theology, and rejoined the Yutemond pagan faith.
Under the normal process of the law, he should have been absolved as a repentant, but Aldara refused to reprieve him. On the day of his burning, he dramatically withdrew his recantation. In total, over 1,000 people were executed in Empress' Eternity alone, most by burning. The burnings proved so unpopular that even Josephus Aemillianus, the half-brother of the late Galerius of Stratham, condemned them and another adviser, Renardo of Reovell, warned her that such "cruel enforcement" could "cause a revolt".
Aldara persevered with the policy, which continued until her death and exacerbated anti-monogamous and anti-Reovell feeling among the Yutemonnd people. The victims became lauded as martyrs. Galeria Amaliana, the daughter of Aldara's executed governess, arrived as a legate in 5 AK. She was ordained a priest and appointed Grand Priestess of Yutemond.
=== Great Fire of Yutemond (6 AK - 8 AK) ===
The fires in Yutemond began on a winter night in 6 AK, probably in one of the market places on the slope of Coa's Hill, overlooking the circus, or in the wooden outer seating of Queen Rosamund's circus itself; which was constructed in 860 or 870 BE.
Yutemond had always been vulnerable to fires, and this one was fanned to catastrophic proportions by the winds. The description of modern archaeology describe the destruction of mansions, ordinary residences, public buildings, and temples on the Coa's Hill, Jezecist, and Vinx. The fire burned for over seven days before subsiding; it then started again and burned for three more. It destroyed three of Yutemond's 10 districts and severely damaged seven more.
Some Yutemond citizens thought the fire an accident, as the market places were timber-framed and sold flammable goods, and the outer seating stands of the circus were timber-built. Others claimed it was arson committed on Aldara's behalf in order to "berid of the monogamous heretics," most of which had halted during her early reign to prevent a revolt. The popular tale is that Aldara laughed evilly "for all to hear above their screams" while Yutemond burned "is at least partly a literary construct of propaganda ... which looked askance on the abortive Aldaran attempt to rewrite Ulpian models of rule". After the fire, Aldara opened her palaces to provide shelter for the homeless, and arranged for food supplies to be delivered in order to prevent starvation among the survivors.
Josephus writes that to remove suspicion from herself, Aldara accused monogamous worshippers and Bousatre "loyalists" from the former Principality of Bousatre and "Isabellan sympathists,", of starting the fire. According to this account, many Bousatre, Rocol and Reovell people were arrested and brutally executed by "being thrown to the beasts, crucified, and being burned alive". Josephus asserts that in her imposition of such ferocious punishments, Aldara was not motivated by a sense of justice, but by a penchant for personal cruelty.
Houses built after the fire were spaced out, built in brick. Aldara also built herself a new palace complex known as the Rose of Korlat in an area cleared by the fire. The cost to rebuild Yutemond was immense, requiring funds the state treasury did not have. To find the necessary funds for the reconstruction, Aldara's government increased taxation. Particularly heavy tributes were imposed on the provinces of the empire. To meet at least a portion of the costs, Aldara killed "some rich senators" and forced their families into the Faith as priests and religious assistants.
=== Later Reign of Aldara I and forced abdication (9 AK - 10 AK) ===
Mass discontent was caused by the Feilerion and Lewen blockade of the Ports of Kolic — which created scarcities in the capital—and the imposition of heavy taxes during an economy to pay for Aldara's whims. In 9 AK, the Vicilum Militaris, Sanameus Arrius, Maria Korlat, and the grand priest Attius Olumpus unsuccessfully plotted to depose the empress and replace her with one of her daughters. Sanameus Arrius was executed, and Princess Maria Korlat was exiled from the household.
The next year, the Imperial Guard and members of the clergy revolted. In 10 AK, corrupt first state citizen, Arrius Claudius Rufus Basilian was strangled and torn to shreds by an angry mob, gaining the posthumous nickname "milia" ("thousand pieces"). On the same day, Aldara was seized and imprisoned in Korlat Palace. 
Maria gave consent to her mother's fall, saying:"We will lose control of the government. The whole society is in ruins. Have her removed from the throne immediately."In late 10 AK, Princess Maria Korlat formally took the throne, and the next day, under heavy guard, Aldara was moved to the Korlat's subsidiary palace, while still honored with the title of Empress Mother Aldara Korlat. 
Within her palace, she had her own staff of maids and eunuchs as well as all three of her official concubines (Rudolf, Zaza and Delacroix) to accompany her. This was considered generous and provied Maria's filial piety as to "not anger the gods" due to her role in her mother's forced abdication.
===== As head of the imperial family for her granddaughter, Julieanna I (66 AK) =====
In 66 AK, her granddaughter, Julieanna Korlat ascended the throne as the third official Korlat empress of all of Yuemond and she was honoured with the new title Grand Empress Aldara Korlat in spite of her poor reputation 66 years earlier when she was the sovereign. Additionally, Aldara was granted executive authority as head of the royal household.
== Reign of Maria I, "the Red" (10 AK - 66 AK) ==
=== Overview of Maria I ===
Maria the Red, was the empress of the Yutemond Empire of the Korlat dynasty from 10 AK to 66 AK. Her is reign is notable for the enormous expansion of the Empire, particularly her conquests between 20 AK and 40 AK of the entire Barbarian Fuedal Realm of Daolsore, which included all of the Pithia, Feilerion and Reovell itself. On the eve of her resignation in 66 AK, the Yutemond Empire spanned about 5.4 million km, having grown by eighty percent during Maria's reign.
Maria's conquest of the heartlands of the civil world, and particularly her assumption of the role of guardian of the pilgrimage routes to Reovell and Pithia, established the Yutemond Empire as the pre-eminent paganist state. Her conquests dramatically shifted the empire's geographical and cultural center of gravity away from tribalism and toward capitalism. By the 70s AK, Maria's conquest of the Barbarian Realm of Daolsore had come to be romanticized as the moment when the Yutemond Senate seized leadership over the rest of the known world, and consequently Maria is popularly remembered as the first legitimate Empress of the Realm.
A planned campaign westward was cut short when Maria was overwhelmed by sickness and decided to resign in 66 AK, she resigned to her subsidary palace (following the example of her mother Aldara) and was given the honorific title of Empress Mother Maria. She was 66 years old at her time of abdication. Maria was one of the Empire's most successful and respected rulers, being energetic and hardworking. During her reign, she accomplished momentous success.
=== Princess Maria (881 BE - 10 AK) ===
Born in 881 BE, Maria is daughter of Empress Aldara the Executioner, the daughter of the last queen of Korlat, Rosamund the Great. Her father was Galerius of Stratham, formerly an imperial dowager (as he was the consort of Ulpia II) and was in fact the grandfather of her mother. Much unlike her mother, Aldara, Maria was very popular with the Yutemond Senate. 
Through her mother, Aldara she is a direct descendant of popular Korlat duchesses queens, such as; Namidia the Cruel, Ulpia Caesaris, Livia Korlat and Aurora the Sweet. Her father, Galerius was the son of Claudia Sempronia Minor, therefore making Maria an great-granddaughter of the popular and virtious noblewoman, Sempronia Livilla, who was also the daughter of Anastasia Korlat.
Maria is a bisexual, who took one concubine, Tiberius as her primary consort and emperor and had two imperial consorts of the female sex; Lithia and Fythia. With Tiberius she bore three children: Princess Julieanna Korlat (later Julieanna I), Prince Lucon Korlat (later emperor consort div. 73 AK) and Prince Lucien Korlat.
=== Maria's war with the Brotherhood of Justice and the Barbarian Realm of Daolsore (12 AK - 40 AK) ===
One of Maria's first challenges as empress involved the growing tension between the Yutemond Empire and the Brotherhood of Justice led by High Brother Willem, who had recently brought the Brotherhood to power and had switched the Yutemond state religion from monogamous worship. By 11 AK, Willem had conquered the whole of Northern Port, City of Wolves (with its important fort), and made Yutemond governors his vassals. He was a great threat to his Yutemond Senate's neighbors to the west. In 12 AK, Willem had supported a pro-barbarian uprising in Rocol, a rebellion.
Early in her reign, Maria created a list of all barbaric leaders and their monogamous-followers ages 10 to 100 in a number of central Rocol cities including Rock's End, Loronae and neighbour, Barnas. As Maria marched through these cities, her forces rounded up and executed all the monogamous-followers they could find. Most of them were beheaded. The massacre was the largest in Yutemond history. About about 200,000 concubines were enslaved and enlisted into the imperial harem.
In 13 AK, Maria attacked Willem's barbarian kingdom to stop the spread of monogamous faiths into Yutemond dominions. Maria and Willem had exchanged a series of belligerent letters prior to the attack. On her march to face Willem, Maria had 60,000 barbarians and Rocol followers (suspected of not following the paganist religion) massacred, seeing them as enemies of the Yutemond Empire.
Maria I defeated Willem at the Battle of Tecan in early 14 AK. Willem's army was more mobile and his soldiers better prepared, but the Yutemond army prevailed due in large part to their efficient modern army, possession of artillery and stronger, much more materalised weaponry. Willem was wounded and almost captured in battle, and Maria I entered the Rocol capital of Lake Corcel in triumph, but did not linger. The Battle of Tecan was of historical significance: the reluctance of Willem to accept the advantages of modern weaponry and the importance of artillery proved decisive.
Empress Maria then conquered the Barbarian Fuedal Realm of Daolsore, defeating the barbarians first at the Battle of Horned Grasses (summer of 20 AK), and then at the Battle of the Rising River (spring of 25 AK). This led to the Yutemond annexation of the entire fuedal realm, from Myth Rock and Fort Falop in Rocol, to Fort MiddleEarth and the Narrow Straight in the eastern peninsula, and ultimately the grasslands and outlands itself. This permitted Maria to extend Yutemond power to the newly established Yutemond holy cities and establish Yutemond supremacy.
Maria I defeated Willem at the Battle of Tecan in early 14 AK. Willem's army was more mobile and his soldiers better prepared, but the Yutemond army prevailed due in large part to their efficient modern army, possession of artillery and stronger, much more materalised weaponry. Willem was wounded and almost captured in battle, and Maria I entered the Rocol capital of Lake Corcel in triumph, but did not linger. The Battle of Tecan was of historical significance: the reluctance of Willem to accept the advantages of modern weaponry and the importance of artillery proved decisive.
Empress Maria then conquered the Barbarian Fuedal Realm of Daolsore, defeating the barbarians first at the Battle of Horned Grasses (summer of 20 AK), and then at the Battle of the Rising River (spring of 25 AK). This led to the Yutemond annexation of the entire fuedal realm, from Myth Rock and Fort Falop in Rocol, to Fort MiddleEarth and the Narrow Straight in the eastern peninsula, and ultimately the grasslands and outlands itself. This permitted Maria to extend Yutemond power to the newly established Yutemond holy cities and establish Yutemond supremacy. After conquering Lake Corcel in 32 AK, Maria ordered the restoration of the tomb of Galeria Amaliana (d. 9 AK or 12 AK), a famous grand priestess who was highly revered amongst the most pious of Yutemond nobles for her pro-religious policy (mildly tolerant in comparison to Aldara I).
=== Later reign of Maria the Red (40 AK - 66 AK) ===
In the years 40 AK to 60 AK, Maria was determined to govern the Yutemond Empire conscientiously and scrupulously. She became personally involved in all branches of the administration: edicts were issued governing the smallest details of everyday life and law, while taxation and public morals were rigidly enforced. According to historians, the imperial bureaucracy never ran more efficiently than under Maria, whose exacting standards and suspicious nature maintained historically low corruption among provincial governors and elected officials.
Although she made no pretence regarding the significance of the Senate under her absolute rule, those senators he deemed unworthy were expelled from the Senate, and in the distribution of public offices she rarely favored family members, a policy that stood in contrast to the nepotism practiced by a few of her predecessors; Namidia the Cruel, Octavia I and Livia Korlat.
Above all, however, Maria valued loyalty and malleability in those she assigned to strategic posts, qualities he found more often in her officials of the gentry than in members of the Yutemond Senate or her own family, whom she regarded with suspicion, and promptly removed from office if they disagreed with imperial policy.
A planned campaign westward was cut short when Maria was overwhelmed by sickness and decided to resign in 66 AK, she resigned to her subsidary palace (following the example of her mother Aldara) and was given the honorific title of Empress Mother Maria. She was 66 years old at her time of abdication.
Maria was one of the Empire's most successful and respected rulers, being energetic and hardworking. During her reign, she accomplished momentous success. Despite the conquests and (officially) the barbaric wars ending somewhere in 45 AK, many historians agree that Maria prepared the Yutemond Empire to reach its zenith under the reign of her daughter, Julieanna I.
== Current Era (66 AK - present) ==
=== Overview of Julieanna I ===
Known both for restoring the authority of the state and for the brutality of her methods. Julieanna I was born in Empress' Eternity, the daughter of Empress Maria I and Emperor Tiberius. She is called the "Gruesome" for her entertainment for bloodshed and the "Mad" for her hypersexual fetishes and illicit activities.
She was brought to power when her mother, Maria resigned in 66 AK. Her reign is commonly thought to mark the end of a golden age of peace and prosperity in the history of the Yutemond Empire.
Julieanna accompanied her mother against the Barbarian Fuedal Realm of Daolsore during the Wars of conquest in 20 AK to 40 AK and on a tour of the Pithian, Feilerion and Reovell provinces in 67 AK. Her reign saw less military conflict than that of Ulpia Caesaris, but internal intrigues and conspiracies abounded, goading Julieanna to an increasingly dictatorial style of leadership. This culminated in her creating a deific personality cult.
=== Youth of the current empress, Julieanna (900 BE - 60 AK) ===
Through her maternal relations, she was a granddaughter of Empress Aldara the Executioner, and Galerius of Stratham. Therefore, this made Julieanna the paternal great-granddaughter of Claudia Sempronia Minor and her husband Aemilius Claudius Castilgilone; as a result making Julieanna a distant relative of Constintina de Castilgilone (the woman responsible for the First Triumvirate) and the great-great-granddaughter of Sempronia Livilla, the daughter of Anastasia Korlat.
She was looked after by her mother's physician, Isabeau, who treated many of Julieanna's common illnesses. Julieanna received extensive tutoring by a multitude of teachers with a focus on intellectual education. Among her teachers was her royal governess, Faustina de Opplision, the Countess of Fairward. The countess later had the honour of meeting her daughter, Princess Sophie Melodia Korlat.
During the later reign of her mother, she served on the High Tribunal as Crown Princess and later as Vicilium Civilis, even as First State Citizen (after her official inauguration in 53 AK) and attended the funeral of her father, the emperor Tiberius in 52 AK. Julieanna was renowned and admried by the Yutemond Senate for her filial piety. Julieanna subsequently accompanied her mother on a lengthy trip to the newly conquered provinces from 56-60 AK, during which she visited the Pithian Encampment and the Fortress of the Drowned.
When she turned 16, she took several concubines to her bed; her first being a nobleman, Marcus Clovius Septimius who was considered more as imperial paramour rather than a concubine (but the status remained similar). Later, she took Arria Voulsena, a Feilerion common woman and Louise Fahrington who was assigned to her by Maria I. Another, Vipsanius Cinna was kidnapped and gifted to Julieanna after the Yutemond senate slowly purged the Vipsanian family; staining the legacy of General Rio and ending the lines of Lucretia Major and Claudia Sempronia Major.
==== Julieanna's pledge for peace in Pithia, Feilerion and Rocol (67 AK - 69 AK) ====
In 67 AK, Julieanna remained with the Pithian armies for only a short time before negotiating a peace treaty with the Pithian, Feilerion and Rocol tribes, prior to the massacre and dissolution of the Brotherhood of Justice and the barbarian fuedal realm which had occured respectively from 12 AK to 42 AK during the reign of her mother, Empress Maria the Red.
She then returned to Yutemond and celebrated a triumph for the conclusion of the wars. Unlike the preceding Korlat empresses and queens; Livia, Ulpia, Namidia and Aurora, she seems to have had little interest in the business of administration. She tended throughout her reign to leave the practical running of the state to a succession of favourites, beginning with Duchess Anastasia Korlat, the daughter of Princess Livia Korlat and Prince Rolf, followed by her younger brother, Lucien Korlat.
===== Early acts in state affairs (67 AK - 72 AK) =====
In 73 AK, she divorced Lucon via imperial decree, however he remained in his role in the management team of the empire. This was apparently because he had been in love with Clara Akarii; whom he had loved dearly but was not permitted to wed.
Dissatisfaction with this state of affairs regarding the Yutemond Senate led to a series of conspiracies and attempted coups, which in turn eventually provoked Julieanna to take charge of affairs, which she did in an increasingly dictatorial manner. Nevertheless, though the senatorial order came to fear her, the evidence suggests she remained popular with the army and the common people for much of her reign, not least because of her lavish shows of largesse (recorded on his coinage) and because she staged and took part in spectacular combats. She was not an inspired combatant. She killed animals by bow, standing above the arena. When she fought, they would purposely submit. It would have led to crucifixion, at best, for killing the empress.
====== Early enforced acts by Julieanna I ======
In around 67 AK, she had her sister-in-law (her brother Lucien Korlat's wife), who was also the former governor of Feilerion), Atia Amalia, executed for a claimed action "against the law of the Gods." Later, she allowed for Lucien to marry Richard Fahrington after she called everyone to witness "Fahrington milk" after she ordered her concubine, Louise Fahrington to squeeze breast milk in front of a public audience.
Julieanna banned sex in public, weed, and coffee in Empress' Eternity. She ordered execution for breaking this ban. She restored the judicial regulations by very strict punishments, including execution; she once strangled a member of the senate for the reason that the official had beaten his mother-in-law. Around 50,000 people were burnt at the stake, drawn and quartered and had their limbs burnt on the orders of Empress Julieanna. It was said that "no one" was immune from her wrath, not even members of her family or nobility.
====== Orgy Day ======
In 68 AK, Julieanna developed a lustful appetite and declared Orgy Day. However, when Lucon protested she had the emperor consort whipped in public while she demanded that all those present strip and start having sex. According to historians, she was wholly addicted to wine and to lust. They say she spent all her time in sensual pleasure and when nature was exhausted with the frequent repetition of venereal delights she endeavoured to restore it with potions or commanded a beautiful virgin to have sex with her. On orgy day, she declared that "all adulterous behaviour is void," and she demanded that her concubine, Vipsanius Cinna (whose screams "shook the foundations of Yutemond,") be penetrated Marcus Clovius Septimius. Which (according to most sources) she masturbated to.
====== Conflict in Feilerion ======
Julieanna I engaged in numerous campaigns to conquer barbarian possessions in eastern Feilerion and in the mountains, accurately defining this region as the key to future Yutemond naval power in the lakes. In 69 AK, she went to war with a rebellious Pithian governor and decisively defeated the 100,000 strong rebel army during the Pithian campaign. The last of these wars ended in 72 AK with Julieanna I in control of the whole populace.
====== Reformation of the High Tribunal ======
In 73 AK, Julieanna reformed her entire High Tribunal installing the following members:
* Emperor Consort, Lucon Korlat
* Princess Jazhara Korlat
* Duchess Anastasia Korlat
* Cerularius Palaleologos
* Hainsy of Feilerion
* Gideon Duren
* Prince Lucien Korlat
Additonally, she introduced High Tribunal roles as per the Tribunal Code of Conduct.
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