Carasala

Carasala is the name of a large region in the southern hemisphere of the continent that historically comprised the Province of Carasala during the First Noulaenic Empire. The region is geographically and ethnically diverse and its borders are not well defined. The main uniting factor for the region is its shared history as a Noulaenic province, which has led to a significant amount of cultural and linguistic uniformity throughout the region. The region can be broken up into seven major sub-regions: Falea, Dodalo, Dersialdara, Ousilia, Lasucala, Nadaria, and Salarasua.

## Etymology

Carasala derives from Middle Noulaenic *cara* (east) and *thaila* (land) lit. eastern lands. Malaenic people referred to all lands east of Malaena by this name but the name was not in use within the region prior to the Noulaenic invasion and establishment of the province.

## Geography

Carasala is geographically diverse and its boundaries are poorly defined. It is traditionally bordered to the northwest by the Nilfalam River gorge and bay, to the west by Malaenic foothills and the Dodalo Desert, to the south by ice caps, to the north by the Faslula Sea and to the east by Ializa Mountains. The region contains several large grassy valleys and plains separated by several long ridges of hills. The central feature of the region is the Doucusa River and its valleys.

### Falea

Falea is a low plateau that forms the westernmost region of Carasala, bounded to the west and south by hills and desert and to the east by the Doucusa River. The region is a largely flat grassland that has many small streams but few rivers. The name derives from the native name for the plateau, *Flei*, which meant horse in the local native dialect.

### Dodalo

Dodalo is a large desert region that separates the Carasala region from the Casalanoua region. It has never been settled and the location of the boundary between the two regions is poorly defined. The region is extremely dry and nearly devoid of plant life. The name derives from Kasranou *tau* (dry) and *chairau* (sand)

### Dersialdara

Dersialdara is a coastal plain that contains most of the coastal regions of Carasala. The plain sits on top of a limestone shelf and many of the region's rivers flow underground. Dersialdara is bordered by the Doucusa River to the west, the Daua Hills to the south, and Nadaria to the east. The boundary between Nadaria and Dersialdara is a politcal boundary that does not follow a geographic feature but it has generally been held to be the narrowest spot between the Daua Hills and the Sea. This border is currently marked with a row of defensive forts and, in some areas, walls. The name derives from Middle-Noulaenic *dersial* (turquoise) and *dair* (coast).

### Ousilia

Ousilia is a valley region along the central Doucusa river, bounded by the Daua Hills to the north and west and the Siliaria Hills to the south. and east. This region was known as Doucusada as a Noulaenic province but that name has fallen out of favor due to ambiguities with other regions along the Doucusa River. The region has a temperate climate and is largely grassland. The Siliaria Hills are rich in mineral and gem deposits. The name derives from the native name for the Doucusa River in the Ousilic Rigini dialect, *aushliae stu* (lit. long river). The Noulaenic name for the province (Doucusada) in this region derives from the Faleic Rigini name for the river, *choukue shtoo*, which also means "long river"

### Lasucsala

Lasucsala is a high river basin with many slow flowing rivers and lakes. It is bounded to the south and west by the Siliaria Hills, to the north by the Daua Hills, and to the east by the Ializa Mountains. It is colder and wetter than Ousilia but also comprised mostly of grasslands. The region suffers harsh winters and many of its lakes and rivers freeze annually. The name derives from Middle Noulaenic *las* (slow), *uc* (river) and *thaila* (land) lit. "land of slow rivers."

### Nadaria

Nadaria is a coastal region to the east of Dersialdara that is an extension of the same coastal plain. It is bounded to the south by the Daua Hills and to the east by the Ializa Mountains. The coastline of Nadaria is significantly steeper and rockier than in Dersialdara and the plain gradually slopes upward in the eastern and southern regions, giving the whole region a generally bowl-like shape. The name derives from a shorted version of the Nadaric Rigini word for basin, *nachriaplo*

### Salarasua

Salarasua is the region to the south of the Siliaria Hills which is currently buried under the antarctic ice sheet. The name derives from the Ousilic Rigini name for the area, *shliaria zu* lit. "ice land"

## History

### Pre-Noulaenic Era

Carasala was home to many different indigenous peoples and many indigenous language families in ancient times. Many (though not all) of these indigenous populations have remained largely in place while cultural and linguistic shifts drove most of their cultures and languages into extinction.

Animal husbandry was intoduced into the region in the 12th century BNE and many Carasalic peoples adopted a pastoral lifestyle by the 10th century BNE. The horse was first domesticated in Falea in the 10th century BNE and the peoples there developed a culture, known as the Rigini culture, centered around mounted herding, hunting, and warfare. This culture placed high social value on individual bravery and heroism in warfare and mounted raids on neighboring groups was a yearly occurrence among Rigini peoples. The culture also practiced a form of cannibalism, eating the hearts of enemies who fell in battles. This practice continues among the modern Imarian culture, which is an offshoot of the Rigini culture.

The Rigini culture spread throughout the grassland regions of Carasala, although much of the spread was through Rigini speaking elites who conquered neighboring tribes rather than through a population invasion. The culture spread up the Doucusa valley beginning in the 10th century BNE, reaching as far as Lasucsala by the 7th century BNE and from there into Nadaria in the 6th century. A second wave spread from Falea across the Doucusa into Dersialdara in the 7th century. Rigini speaking peoples met in the stretch of coast between Dersialdara and Nadaria in the 6th century BNE but due to centuries of linguistic and cultural divergence they did not realize their languages or cultures were related. These groups fought frequently and fiercely.

Despite its wide spread Rigini culture was largely limited to lowland grass regions. The forested hills of the Daua and Silaria Hills that separated these plains retained non-Rigini cultures and languages and continued to live a largely pastoral lifestyle. These hill peoples were a mixture of indigenous hill peoples and peoples from the flat lands who had migrated to escape the Rigini invasions. Some of these ethnically Carasalic peoples migrated out of the region into the hills of Malaena and Ializa, forming enclaves in the hills. This includes the Icrenic people of the Suscarus mountain region, a region still known as Icarena today.

Kasranou peoples who called themselves the Haraklina (lit. sea people) began to settle the Dersialdara coast, beginning with the foundation of Larakali in 406 BNE. These settlers built a set of 6 large walled cities (Larakali, Phachala, Hazhazhi, Chakarani, Shisilakshi, and Larathiphi), known as the Haraklina League, along the coast. The Haraklina people enslaved, drove away, or killed the native population of Dersialdara during the following century. The main indigenous residents of the region, the Pheetula People, were nearly entirely enslaved. The high demand for labor on plantations in Dersialdara, however, could not be filled with Pheetula slaves alone so the Haraklina began to purchase slaves from other regions in Carasala. Warring tribes would take captives to sell to the Haraklina and in some cases, certain tribes in Falea and Ousilia took to carrying out planned slave raids in neighboring territories. This slave trade came to dominate the economy of Carasala during the late pre-Noulaenic era.

Several substantial slave rebellions struck the Haraklina cities during this period. Phachala and Karichaka, prominent Haraklina ports, were both briefly overthrown by slave rebellions in 120 BNE and 42 NE respectively. Major rebellions also occurred in Hazhazhi in 100 BNE and 124 NE, in Shislakshi in 40 NE, and is Larathiphi in 50 NE and 224 NE. Unrest in the field of Dersialdara was also a frequent occurrence during this period. Despite this unrest, the Haraklina league continued to grow in wealth and power in the Dersialdara region and the slave economy continued to grow.

Haraklina efforts to expand beyond Dersialdara failed to take root, however, due to fierce resistance from natives who feared enslavement. Construction was begun on a settlement called Lakizhazhi along the coast of Nilfalam Bay in Falea in 167 BNE but a large force of Faleic raiders from many tribes organized and attacked the settlement before walls could be built, overrunning and massacring the settlers in the process. A similar fate met the colony of Nanasighka while it was under construction on the coast of Nadaria in 117 BNE.

### Noulaenic Invasion

Rigini peoples were slow to adopt to mass agriculture due to their heavy reliance on grazing land for their horses and cattle, and the population of Carasala remained low outside of Dersialdara during the pre-Noulaenic era. Settlements in these regions were generally small and defensive structures like walls, considered cowardly in Rigini culture, were primitive or absent in most places. As the Noulaenic empire expanded and developed advanced military weaponry and tactics in Malaena, the Carasala region remained poorly defended and was almost entirely reliant on small light cavalry forces for defense.

The Noulaenic invasion of Carasala began with a minor incursion across the Nilfalam River in 410 NE. The objective of this invasion was not the conquest of Falea but rather to construction of defensive forts along the Nilfalam Bay and river gorge for the purpose of deterring Faleic slave raids into Malaena. Fierce Faleic resistance to this incursion, however, led to a larger war that saw Noulaenic troops march across the entire Faleic plateau. The Faleic light cavalry was little match for the much larger, better armed, and better organized Noulaenic Imperial Army, which used a combination of heavy infantry, artillery, and cavarly. The largest Faleic settlement, Lahtushe (modern Laduaen), was taken in 416 NE and the whole of Falea had been conquered by 419 NE. Laduaen was made the capital of the new Falea Province in 420 NE, which was renamed Carasala Province in 440 NE.

The Haraklina made numerous attempts to slow the Noulaenic advance, providing arms, supplies, and tactical advisers to Faleic and Ousilian peoples and intervening directly with military force several times. The most successful direct intervention was a landing in Nilfalam Bay, led by Larakali, which took control of several Noulaenic forts and river crossing from 422-425 NE. Like most Haraklina war efforts against Noulian, however, these forces were eventually overrun by the numerically superior Noulaenic forces.

Noulaenic troops crossed the Doucusa into Dersialdara in 428 NE. A combined Haraklina League force took to the field and defeated Noulaenic forces at the battles of Bare Hill and Sadoseda in 432 NE and 435 NE, forcing the Noulaenic force to withdraw from the region. The Haraklina proceeded to build a series of forts along the Doucusa and in the Daua Hills to defend against further incursions.

Noulaenic forces continued to advance elsewhere in Carasala, however, facing little organized resistance. The Ousilic settlements of Miabrauzia (Modern Miabarosia) and Tevlaistu (Modern Defalisu) were taken in 439 and 444 NE, respectively, and all of Ousilia had been forced into submission by 446 NE. Lasucsala, which was sparsely populated and lacked even medium sized cities, was taken after sporadic fighting in 447 NE.

The Haraklina attempted to turn Nadaria into a buffer zone to prevent further Noulaenic expansion, providing the Nadaric peoples with weaponry and gold. Nadaric peoples were still largely opposed to the idea of walled fortresses, however, so Haraklina efforts to encourage the fortification of the Daua hills between Nadaria and Lascusala failed. The Noulaenic Army was able to take positions in the hills with relative ease due to the ineffectiveness of Nadaric cavalry in hilly terrain.

Nadaric forces were more successful in the Nadaric basin, however. A well-organized combined force of Nadaric tribes won a victory over an advancing Noulaenic force at the Battle of Baredisada in 450 NE, killing or capturing over 4,000 Noulaenic soldiers and forcing the Noulaenic army to retreat to the hills. Reinforcement of this remote force was slow and the invasion was halted for several years as Noulian's attention had been re-directed to the invasion of Casalanoua. The Noulaenic army re-entered the basin in 461 NE and defeated the main Nadarian force at the Battle of Siabilou in 463 NE, capturing the lead Nadaric general, Miahee, in battle. Nadaric resistance was never fully re-organized after Siabilou and Noulian captured the largest Nadaric settlements of Prefrou (modern Barefarou) and Mabourathu (modern Fasulafalis) in 466 and 469 NE, respectively.

The border between Nadaria and Dersialdara was not easily defend-able and though the Haraklina constructed a wall from the coast to the foothills they weren't able to man the entire wall sufficiently to deter siege craft. Noulaenic forces breached the wall in several places in 471 and 472 NE and advanced into Dersialdara. A second force overran Haraklina defenses at Filou Pass in 472 as well, entering Dersialdara from the south. Haraklina forces in the field defeated the eastern Noulaenic force at the Battle of Sialcarias in 473 and won a minor strategic victory over the southern force at the battle of Ourloul Canyon, also in 473. They were unable to force the Noulaenic forces to withdraw, however, and faced sabotage and guerrilla attacks from farm slaves who had been offered freedom in exchange for military service under Noulian. Noulian won a decisive victory at the Battle of Desada Plain in 474 NE and the Haraklina were forced to retreat to their walled cities.

Noulian occupied the farmlands of Dersialdara but found direct assaults against the heavily fortified Haraklina cities fruitless. They began to surround the cities to cut them off from supplies in 477 NE, a strategy that was considerably hampered by their inability to enforce a naval blockade. Famine nonetheless took hold in the Haraklina cities and five were eventually forced to surrender (Shisilakshi (modern Calanaen) (481), Hazhazhi (modern Daramaen) (482), Larathiphi (modern Confalis) (482), Chakarani (modern Sarmafalis)(484), and Phachala (modern Doucusamael) (485)). These cities were depopulated under a harsh Noulaenic practice known as tripartition, under which a third of their surviving population was slaughtered, a third enslaved, and a third resettled in winderness regions in Salarasua, Dodalo, and Casalanoua. Phachala was resettled under the name Doucusamael in 487 and became the capital of Carasala province in 490 NE.

Larakali, aided by its island colony of Karichaka, avoided starvation and resisted the siege far longer than other Haraklina cities. Noulaenic forces were unable to starve the city into submission and numerous attempts to scale or break the walls failed. in 510 NE, Noulaenic engineers began digging long and deep tunnels through the limestone under the city walls, an effort significantly hampered by the high water table in the area, and succeeded in collapsing two of the corner towers of the walls in 512 NE. The city fell and was depopulated through tripartition. In total, roughly 1.5 million Haraklina peoples were subjected to this practice. The capture of Larakali marked the completion of the Noulaenic invasion of Carasala. The city was re-populated by ethnic Malaenics under the name Carathailiaen (modern Carasilaen) in 513 NE and became the provincial capital in 515 NE.

### First Noulaenic Empire

The Carasala region was heavily Noulaenicized during the first Noulaenic empire. Local languages were largely lost and replaced with Middle Noulaenic and Noulaenic style grain agriculture was spread throughout the plains, replacing the older pastoral system. Dersialdara was repopulated with Malaenic peoples, beginning with the Haraklina cities which were deliberately depopulated and moving through the farmlands as well and the farms, claimed as property of the emperor and still worked by the enslaved descendants of Haraklina slaves, were gradually parceled out to war veterans from campaigns in Larakali and the Pinakloosi Sea.

Outside of Dersialdara, however, ethnic Carasalic peoples remained the majority and retained some of their culture and religion despite the imposition of Noulaenic traditions. Peoples in these regions did not develop a sense of Noulaenic national or cultural identity and resented Noulaenic sovereignty for centuries. This resentment was strongest in Falea and Nadaria, which each saw several armed rebellions against Noulaenic control. The most significant of these rebellions was the Faleic Rebellion of 545, which saw the Noulaenic count executed and the Noulaenic county seat of Laduaen razed. The Faleic rebels marched as far as the walls of Noulian itself before eventually being repulsed and forced to surrender.

Noulaenic response to this rebellion was harsh and a significant effort was made to break Falea of resistance. The core city of the rebellion, Cariasaen, was depopulated through tripartition and reduced to ash while Laduaen was rebuilt as a massive walled fortress at twice its original size and populated with Malaenic peoples. The imperial government also began a resettlement program 561 NE that saw families from restive regions of Falea and Nadaria uprooted and moved to more remote regions, being replaced with either ethnic Malaenic people or peoples from the Doucusa valleys. This practice was continued until 612 NE.

Noulaenic engineers undertook a number of substantial projects in the region during the first empire. This included the construction of the massive Bincaraelmaec Bridge over the Docusamael river in 560 NE, construction of the Filou Road connecting Carasilaen to the Bincaraelmaec and to the hills to the south (completed 570 NE), construction of several shipping canals around fast sections of the Doucusa River, and a number of large scale irrigation projects, most notably the construction of the Dasbal Dam across the Dasbal River (completed 591 NE), which provided irrigation water to the Faleic plateau.

Local resistance to Noulaenic rule was never entirely eliminated, however, and came to a head during the crisis of the 8th century when the empire lost control of the region. Rebellions broke out in Falea, Ousilia, and Nadaria in a short time span, and imperial efforts to quell the rebellions proved unsuccessful. A large Noulaenic force of 20,000 troops sent from Doucusamael to crush the Faleic rebellion in 764 was completely destroyed at the Battle of Sedacarias, and a large Noulaenic force traveling from Calbaena to reinforce Carasala was stricken with an outbreak of plague and unable to leave Malaena. Noulaenic fortunes worsened in 766 when Doucusamael was taken by Imarian pirates who were given access to a route into the city by spies. Without the ability to reinforce the interior of Carasala either by land or by sea through the Doucusa, the empire was essentially powerless to regain control of the province. Breakaway kingdoms of ethnic Carasalic peoples formed in the former Noulaenic counties of Falea, Doucusada, Lasucsala, and Nadaria in 766 and 777. A combined force of Faleic and Ousilian people, armed with seized Noulaenic weaponry, crossed the Nilfalam in 770 and defeated the plague-stricken Noulaenic army at the Battle of Falum River that year. Invader kingdoms led by Carasalic kings were subsequently founded in Calbaena, Sobaena, and parts of Bindaela, although these regions remained majority Malaenic both ethnically and culturally. Nadaric forces invaded Dersialdara in 771 as well, causing significant damage through pillaging in the fields around the walled cities.

The Duke of Carasala continued to control portions of Dersialdara from Carasilaen after the collapse of imperial authority in the rest of Carasala and nominally continued to serve the emperor for several decades. Duke Faelthios Sialnial Fulfal formally broke away from the empire in 790 after a Casalanouic prince was installed on the throne by the Casalanouic Kingdom of Sarenmen. The prince was the grandson of a previous emperor through his mother, and therefore eligible to rule under imperial law, but Duke Faelthios refused to recognize what he viewed as a foreign invader as emperor and declared himself King of Dersialdara in 790.

### Inter-imperial period

The period from 790-1083 is generally considered to be the inter-imperial period in Carasala as the empire had no authority in the region during this period, although the empire lost control of some regions as early as 764 and didn't regain nominal control of the entire province until 1351. During this period the region fractured into numerous smaller feudal kingdoms. The region was significantly more densely populated than it had been before the invasion and had much heavier defensive fortification. Control of former imperial fortresses and fortress cities such as Laduaen and Bincaraelaen became crucial to securing regional power.

The Kingdom of Falea, initially unified under a single banner starting in 767, was one of the strongest kingdoms at the start of this period, as it controlled heavy fortifications along the Nilfalam River and Bay, on the Faleic side of the Doucusa, and in the cities of Laduaen and Cariasmen. It also had a large population and a significant treasury filled with spoils seized from the empire in Falea and Malaena. After 771, the kingdom controlled the southern Calbaenic region of Falumuca as well.

An earthquake and mudslide in the Siliaria Hills south of Ousilia destroyed the Dasfal Dam in 794 NE, however, which proved to be a double disaster for the Kingdom of Falea. The flood caused by the dam did heavy damage to their fortifications along the Doucusa and the loss of irrigation water led to significant loss of agricultural output. The Kingdom was unable to rebuild the dam, as it was located in the rival Kingdom of Daradaela, in the former Doucusada County. Food shortages led to unrest and infighting within the region and migration out of the two main fortress cities. The Falumuca region declared independence as a separate kingdom in 801 NE after disagreements about grain levies to the Falea region. The Falea region itself fell into civil war in 802 and was divided into three kingdoms, Decariasa, Binladua, and Caladafalea for the remainder of the inter-imperial period.

Dersialdara, meanwhile, was able to re-consolidate its power over the Dersialdara region, driving out Nadaric invaders and securing control of the lower Doucusa with the recapture of Doucusamael in 822 NE, completing the conquest of what had been Dersialdara County. Old fortifications in the Daua Hills were renovated and rebuilt and the port cities of Dersialdara enjoyed prosperity unmatched in the rest of the region during this period.

The Doucusa River valleys saw extensive internal warfare between rival kingdoms and the population sagged as people were forced into heavy fortifications for safety and crop yields were low due to frequent warfare. Lasucsala in particular experience severe population collapse due to the difficulty of maintaining fields in the cold, wet region. The region was invaded from both the west and north during this period and reduced to a vassal state of several regional kingdoms.

Nadaria, like Falea, enjoyed a brief period of unified rule from a kingdom based in Fasulafalis. The kingdom lacked the looted wealth of Falea, however, and suffered from internal power struggles among its nobility from the start. The Kingdom dissolved following the Battle of Sara Cliffs and fell into internal warfare between a fluctuating number of smaller kingdoms.

By the end of the 10th century, the region had mostly stabilized through construction of heavy defensive fortifications that rendered offensive forces at a significant disadvantage. The frequency of warfare and decreased considerably but the region remained poor and mired in complex feudal relationships.

## Second Imperial Period

The Second Noulaenic Empire did not invade Carasala as the first had, as this would likely have been impossible due to the increased population, militarization, and heavy fortification of the region. Instead the empire worked to install itself as a higher level feudal state to which the other states of the region acted as vassals. In doing so, they traded on the heavily exaggerated memory of peace and prosperity during the first empire, promising a return to open trade, travel, and order.

The empire's first gain in the region came through marriage, as Emperor Aesis IV married the heir to the throne of Dersialdara and became lord of the region upon the death of the last King of Dersialdara, King Sarmasis II, in 1083 NE. The emperor recreated the office of Duke of Carasala that year and installed an imperial government in Carasilaen.

The imperial government played politics with the region but made no headway in getting Carasalic kings to submit during the 11th and 12th century. The empire did not press the issue and worked instead to build good relations through trade and occasional military interventions on behalf of embattled rulers.

The Nadaric Kingdom of Bialcaria, based in Fasulafalis, was the first Carasalic kingdom outside of Dersialdara to submit to imperial lordship. The region was facing dual threats from invasions from the neighboring kingdoms Calancaria and Ializa and badly needed imperial support. Troops from Dersialdara entered the region in 1201 NE to help drive away the invading forces and the King of Bialcaria, Besis III, accepted a formal demotion to the position of Count of Nadaria.

Noulian retained a largely informal relationship with Bialcaria, allowing the Count to retain significant autonomy within his former kingdom and imposing few duties on the new territory. They dramatically improved trade relations with the region, exempting it from imperial tariffs and duties, and continued to provide the Count with soldiers and arms to defend and expand his territory. All of this was done with an eye towards attracting additional states to the empire by showing them that becoming a vassal of the empire had more benefits than costs and was a viable way for a leader to increase his power, even if it required the loss of titles.

Bialcaria, as The County of Nadaria, thrived economically and militarily because of this preferential treatment and this had the desired diplomatic effect on other regions. Kings (as well as royal claimants) embattled by foreign wars or internal succession struggles frequently took the lure of imperial assistance. Reluctant states were sometimes coerced with trade embargoes and several states were targeted with Noulaenic backed coup attempts to remove anti-imperial monarchs. In order to satisfy the need for titles for the kings without changing historical county boundaries, the title of viscount was created and viscounts often ruled as functional monarchs over portions of counties.

The rest of Nadaria and Ousilia were added in pieces over the course of the 13th century. Lasucsala, which had been claimed from the Ousilian Kingdom of Caliabisia through treaty by the Kingdom of Ializa, and the Faleic kingdoms remained outside of Noulaenic fealty at the end of the century. The northern Faleic Kingdom of Decariasa was annexed during a major succession crisis in 1304 when no legitimate heir to the throne could be found, leading to a brief state of anarchy and a legitimacy crisis for the government. Noulian advanced Count Dariasis of Falumuca, who was descended from the kings of the inter-imperial Kingdom of Falea, and the nobles of Decariasa reluctantly accepted his ascension out of fear that they would suffer a worse fate if another Faleic kingdom seized control of the territory.

Noulian, somewhat ironically, played to Faleic nationalist sentiments in advancing Noulaenic sovereignty over the rest of Falea, presenting Dariasis's ascension as a return to the glory days of the Kingdom of Falea. To this end they granted Dariasis the right to use the title King and refer to his territory as a kingdom within Falea and helped him distribute gold to the common people of Falea. They also provided arms and naval support for his assault on Sadufalis in neighboring Caladafalea, leading to its capture in 1310. This gain had high strategic value as it gave the empire control of the entire Doucusa River course and Faslula shore, allowing it to isolate Calatafalea and Binladua and place them under a trade embargo. The Kingdoms accepted imperial sovereignty in 1312, facing significant unrest among their people that neared a state of open peasant rebellion.

Lasucsala remained in Ializa control. The remote and impoverished region was poorly accessible from regions of strong imperial authority and war with Ializa over the region was not viewed as a viable option. When a war broke out between Ializa and neighboring Imaria in 1340, however, the empire saw an opportunity for a diplomatic victory. Ializa was reluctant to negotiate until the war was decisively going against them, but they negotiated a treaty that ceded control of the Lacusala region to Noulian in exchange for arms, naval support, and gold for use in the war with Imaria in 1351 NE. The Emperor Soulsis V, declared the empire restored with this acquisition and ordered a year of festivals throughout the empire.

Imperial control over the Carasala region was extremely uneven, however, with many formerly independent kingdoms continuing to maintain a significant amount of autonomy and control over their own territories. The empire exerted a very soft power over the region that was highly transactional in nature. The primary focus of the empire in Carasala was trade, which Noulian viewed as central to its success. The emperors understood that trade was the key driver of economic prosperity in the post-invasion period of the first empire and sought to keep goods flowing, hoping that prosperity and economic success would serve as reward for states to remain in the empire and continue paying taxes and duties to the emperor.

Maintaining trade required the maintenance of peace and order, or at least the appearance of peace and order, so this was a high priority for the empire as well. The empire served as an arbiter of succession and border disputes within its territory and sought to cultivate a reputation as fair and impartial in these disputes, though in reality the emperor often had and acted upon conflicts of interests, supporting rulers and potential rulers who favored the emperor or who offered better terms to Noulian. Imperial troops were at times dispatched to restore order or enforce imperial judicial decisions but this was done carefully to avoid actual conflicts. The empire rarely backed the weaker force in a conflict and the arrival of imperial troops generally served to quicken the arrival of outcomes that would likely have come regardless.

The 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries are described as a golden age for the empire and the Carasala region in particular thrived during this period. The restoration of open trade routes along the Doucusa and through the Daua hills restored the specialized local economies that had existed during the first empire and led to significant accumulation of wealth in cities in the region, especially the trading ports of Dersialdara. The discovery of gold and diamond deposits in Lasucsala substantially enriched that region as well. Much of the transit infrastructure of the first empire was rebuilt and improved upon and planned fortress cities at key trade hubs like Bincaraelaen and Sauladuaen were built or repaired.

Imperial authority weakened during this period, however, as enriched nobles in the provinces took the stability of the period for granted and moved to consolidate their power and reduce their duties to the empire. A weakening economy in Malaena, which did not benefit as much as Carasala from improved trade, left the empire with dwindling resources to reassert itself.

The office of Duke of Carasala, by contrast, was able to increase its influence considerably and increasingly took on duties, such as arbitration and peacekeeping, that had previously been held by the emperor in Noulian. The Duke held strong authority over the Dersialdara and Lasucsala Counties and was influential elsewhere in Carasala. The office lacked the historical prestige and legitimacy of the emperor, however, and local lords in Falea, Nadaria, and Doucusada counties continued to move towards greater autonomy without consequence.

The empire in Malaena began to crumble in the 18th century and the loss of imperial prestige and authority led to increased conflict within the Carasala region, weakening trade relations. A conflict between the lords of Daradaela and the county government in Bincaraelaen led to the closure of both the Filou road and Doucusa River routes in 1812 NE, crippling trade. An imperial attempt to intervene diplomatically failed. The provincial Duke sent a force to restore order in the area of Bincaraelaen but the force was repulsed at the Battle of Bincaraelaen in 1814 by a joint force from Daradaela and Bincaraelaen, which set their conflict aside and allied to repel what was viewed as unwelcome imperial interference in their territory.

Peace was restored diplomatically with the Treaty of Bincaraelaen in 1817 NE and trade resumed at a reduced rate but the loss of imperial authority was made clear by this incident. The economy remained relatively stagnant and the Carasala region returned to a state of division and distrust, as many lords looked inward to improve their defenses rather than focusing on their economies.

The imperial capital was moved to Carasilaen by Emperor Faerbisis II in 1999 NE due to unrest and famine in Bindaela, as Carasilaen remained relatively affluent and stable. This act led to civil war, however, with Faerbisis sacking the prior capital of Noulian in 2012 and the empire suffering a crushing naval defeat at the Battle of Nilfalam Bay in 2022, in which many Dersialdaric soldiers were lost at sea. The emperor lost full control over Malaena, the Nuscarome Islands, and Casalanoua following this defeat.

Imperial authority was weakened in Carasala as well. The loss of Noulian led many to question the legitimacy of the so-called Noulaenic Emperors and the costly civil war left the imperial government impoverished and weakened. Tax payments from Falea, Doucusada, and Nadaria largely ceased in the decade following the Battle of Nilfalam Bay and local lords began to implement trade duties on goods moving through their territories into Dersialdara, in clear defiance of imperial decrees. The empire had little choice but to allow these developments as it attempted to retain the appearance of sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The Kingdom of Falea formally declared independence in 2054 when the empire informed the Count of Falea that he could not expect any imperial aid in a border dispute with the Kingdom of Calbaena. The Count declared himself Faleic Emperor Fitusis I and declared, as many Malaenic kings had already done, that the empire lost legitimacy as soon as the imperial court departed from Noulian in 1999.

Several kingdoms in Doucusa followed suite, with Daradaela, Bincaraelaen, Faesdaela, Caliabisia, and Faerdaua, all becoming formally independent states between 2057 and 2080. Nadaria broke from the empire in 2060 and dissolved into the independent states of Bialcaria, Bincaria, and Carasanada in 2062. Lasucsala province was abandoned in 2080, due to its inaccessibility from the empire's Dersialdaric holdings and decreasing yields from its mines. It briefly remained an independent state but was invaded by a combined force from Caliabisia and Bincaria, which divided most of the territory. Only Sauladuaen remained independent as a free city state.

### Modern era

The Noulaenic empire continues to exist as a kingdom ruling over Dersialdara, which remains the most populous and wealthy state in the region. The Dersialdaric economy rebounded after the loss of its Carasalic holdings by transitioning to a local manufacturing and agricultural economy bolstered by maritime trade across the Faslula Sea. The capital of Carasilaen remains the largest city in the southern hemisphere.

The Faleic Empire is the largest state in modern Carasala by area and second largest by population. It is ruled by a strong monarchic government and has a strong sense of national identity and culture. The empire briefly conquered neighboring Falumuca from 2165 - 2214 NE and has held Daradaela as a vassal kingdom since 2312 NE. The Faleic economy is driven by agricultural export as the region has become a major producer of wine, olives, and olive oils. The Empire has had joint control of the lower Doucusa River with the Noulaenic empire by treaty since 2092 NE.

Ousilia, Nadaria, and Lasucsala remain heavily divided into rival feudal kingdoms and are relatively poor. Ousilia has continued its role as a grain exporter, shipping large amounts of food down the Doucusa, but heavy export duties imposed by the Faleic and Noulaenic empires limit the profitability of these enterprises. The coastal Nadaric kingdom of Bialcaria has become known for piracy and its ships are feared throughout the Faslula Sea. The land-locked Nadaric kingdoms are isolated and relatively poor. Carasanada is particularly impoverished due to tributes owed by treaty to Ializa as repayment for past war costs.

Lasucsala has been largely depopulated once more due to the exhaustion of the regions gold and diamond mines during the imperial years and due to reduced crop yields caused by the dropping temperatures of the modern era. The great planned fortress city of Sauladuaen sits largely unoccupied and most small towns in the region are essentially self-governing.

## Political division

Modern Carasala is divided into feudal kingdoms, of which the Empire of Falea and the Carasilaen-based Noulaenic Empire are the largest. Other kingdoms of varying size and several independent city-states populate the south and east of the region.

The Faleic Empire is divided into four provinces, listed below with their provincial seat:

* Decariasa (Laduaen)
* Binladua (Bamesoudo)
* Caladafalea (Cariasmen)
* Daradaela (Miabarosia)

The Noulaenic Empire, which continues to make territorial claims outside of its actual territory, technically consists of a single province (Carasala) and county (Dersialdara) but is divided into the traditional 18 Dersialdaric townships that were drawn during the First Noulaenic Empire, each led by an imperially appointed mayor. These are, in order of population:

* Carasilaen
* Doucusamael
* Calanaen
* Sarmafalis
* Daramaen
* Confalis
* Falesosmaec
* Caralusaen
* Nocbalaen
* Caraelmen
* Sadosedo
* Faroulusaen
* Falanmen
* Faiscarias
* Curfalaecael
* Noucaelaen
* Derfalan
* Falanou

There are four independent kingdoms in the Ousilia Valley, listed with their capitals:

* Bincaraelaen (Bincaraelaen)
* Faesdaela (Defalisu)
* Caliabisia (Celbalaen)
* Faerdaua (Lianmenaen)

The three kingdoms of Nadaria, with their capitals:

* Bialcaria (Fasulafalis)
* Bincaria (Barefarou)
* Carasanada (Defadia)

The Lasucsala region is sparsely populated and governed by local town governments, although some towns still owe duties to Bincaria and Caliabisia.