Sasagian Empire

**The Free Lycurgan State of Sasagia,** abbreviated as **"Sasagia"** or the **"Sasagian Empire,"** was a controversial rogue state unofficially founded in 1693, but whose foundation is typically placed in 1723. This state was founded by the warlord Andor Andravis, who assumed control of the Imperial Sister Kingdom of Lycurgia after killing the previous King, Lysander II, in direct combat. The state was not viewed as legitimate by its contemporaries in Elgenea or Translavia, but maintained de-facto rulership over the Imperial territories west of the Elgen Mountains from its foundation, as well as many conquered territories in Northern and Central Translavia until its dissolution in 1779.

The Empire was founded with stark militarist rhetoric fueled by the growing ethnic, religious, and political tensions in both Lycurgia and the Samsonite Empire as a whole. Andor Andravis, a West Outlander and descendant of a pre-imperial Aurelian King, saw the opportunity to exploit these tensions and tear down the Samsonite Empire. He cited the Old Lycurgist tradition of trial by combat, ensuring his succession to the Lycurgan throne, and immediately began rallying support of the various oppressed groups in his region, especially the Lycurgist peoples, whose religion had been suppressed since its formation, and who had received the worst treatment by the empire throughout its history.

Andravis immediately gathered support from the small but influential Lycurgist nobility, and began the construction of new Military Academies across the region, seeking to immediately and drastically reform the nation's Militia-based military. In the span of 6 years, he had rapidly and massively expanded Lycurgia's military potential, and through a stroke of luck, had assembled a highly-capable Officer Corps, benefiting from the meritocratic policies Andor had put in place. Samsonia's officers, by comparison, were largely complacent, and heavily influenced by aristocratic connections, rather than meritocratic recruitment.

In 1724, the War of Intrigue began, in which the Sasagian Armies were betrayed by the Samsonites at the Battle of Kladdek. This betrayal caused a severe setback in the war, but was ultimately overcome as the Sasagian army continued to gain minor victories in the north, forcing the Samsonites farther away from their supply lines and deeper into the wet and swampy terrain of Central and Southern Translavia, which eventually forced their withdrawal at the Siege of Karlilych in 1727. The Sasagian victory in this war saw the Sasagian Empire gain its de-facto independence, was the first instance in history of the Samsonite state being forced to cede territory in a peace deal, and threw the Elgenean balance of power drastically in the Sasagian's favour, directly leading for the formation of the Samsonite Colonial Empire and the creation of the historic Samso-Slavic Alliance which has persisted only with occasional breaks, ever since the end of the war.

Sasagia continued to maintain its military until several droughts in Constantia ultimately resulted in severe strife across the country. This caused the nation's infant economy to buckle and made Andravis's dreams of a militarised Lycurgan state too expensive to maintain. His son, Andor II, would be quietly overthrown in 1779 and replaced with the Lords-Protectorate of Lycurgia, which consisted of a council of the Lycurgist lords who had placed Andor into power, now acting as an Oligopolic entity and assuming the position of head-of-state.