History of the Caelum Imperia

The Caelum Imperia's history stretches back eons before it's existence as a modern state. This page covers the entire history, including the eras prior to the Imperia's formation.

### The Settlement Era

The history of the Caelic Isles is a long, bloody, and mostly unwritten one, but still one which is worth studying and learning from. The first era of Caelum is named the Settlement Era, and has 3 distinct periods. The Settlement Era is most known for the slow consolidation of power by kingdoms over centuries.

#### The Aeos Period

The Aeos period, from the Year 12 to the Year 140. At this point, humans and elves had already migrated here, some fleeing from the political disorder of the mainland, some seeking a better life. The island was known to the mainland, but none of the big Empires of the time bothered to explore it. These humans and elves formed the first settlements.

These Oshira eventually evolved over the years to become the first towns, with the biggest still surviving to this day, Rennes Village. The first kingdom, Arteau, was formed, and consisted of several villages and towns mainly around the central area of the island. Arteau was made up mostly of Cirven refugees, and copied the pre-existing political structure of Cirven. The second Kingdom, Kyote, was formed shortly after, made up mostly of human settlers who felt threatened that Asheau might invade their towns.

#### The Expansionist Period

The next period would be known as the Expansionist period, lasting from 141 to 238. This period saw the rapid growth and expansion of kingdoms, and the first wars breaking out. These were mostly sparked over control of the fertile Oshowa grasslands, which were easy to farm and produced over a million kilograms of wheat a month. 4 kingdoms would eventually gain power and become known as the Great Four. Arteau, Euycalse, Paola, and Syracuse.

These 4 kingdoms would eventually merge into the first known iteration of Caelum, the Caelic Isles Commonwealth. This would immediately break apart as the 4 kings could not agree on any internal decisions and the Commonwealth dissolved. It was during this time that a new power rose in the Isles, the Duchy of Brexxon. They fought a series of brutal expansion wars to the point where they began to overshadow the former "Great Four".

Brexxon eventually emerged as the Empire of Brexxon, and mounted an invasion of the southern mainland, which went terribly wrong and they were forced into exile. The Kingdom of Cirven, the origin of many of the settlers on the Isles, decided to pull what many historians today like to call a "UNO reverse card", and invaded the Caelic Isles.

However, this would not last long, as the many Kingdoms of the Isles would band together in a coalition and repelled the elven threat, before returning right back to fighting each other.

#### The Unification Period

The last of period of the Settlement Era, the Unification period, lasted from 239 to 344. It saw the slow unification of the Isles, and formation of the second iteration of the Caelum Imperia. It started with the rise of a new power on the southernmost island, the Duchy of Arcadia. Arcadia was ambitious, powerful, and most of all, good peacemakers.

They slowly moved from island to island, either warring or merging with all the nations on that island, before moving onto the next. This process was repeated over 20 times, for most of the nations of the southern islands of the isles.

After consuming those nations, Arcadia reformed itself into the Empire of Caelia. It was by all accounts, similar to modern-day Caelum's political structure, minus the House of Parliament. It kept the system of Fiefs, Houses and even the Landsraat. Slowly, Caelia worked its way up the Isles, and finally, in 344, it united the Caelic Isles under one nation for the very first time.

### The Revolutionary Era

The Revolutionary Era is the longest period of Caelum known so far, lasting 450 years from 344 to 797. This period was defined by the slow collapse of the old systems, the general chaos that followed, and the invasion of Cirven. There are 4 clear periods in this Era.

#### The Democratization Period

This period would be defined by the slow democratization of the Empire, lasting from 345 to 429. It saw the establishment of the House of Parliament, the introduction of several motions which curbed the Impare's power and introduced checks and balances, and the creation of ministries.

It began with the civilian protest of 356, with the common people demanding more rights and more democratization to the government, other than the Landsraat, who were not elected. In 357, just the next year, the Empire gave in and created the House of Parliament, forming the second iteration of government, a bicameral legislative process and a monarch with veto powers.

In 379, the House of Parliament passed a motion which heavily curbed the Impare's power, including requiring the then Impare Frances II to register all big decisions like increasing or decreasing taxation, declaring war, or expanding territory, to pass a motion through both Houses. The Impare accepted the motion out of fear of more protests.

Finally, in 411, the Landsraat passed a motion creating ministries. Ministers and Grand Ministers would lead these ministries and would be appointed by the Impare. Originally, there were only 5 ministers. The Ministries of Finance, State, Interior, Trade and Infrastructure. Over time, this would grow to 13 with the addition of the Ministries of Justice, Agriculture, Defence, Propaganda, Staff, Immigration, Culture and Logistics.

#### The Shield War Period

The second period of the Revolutionary Era, the Shield War period lasted from 430 to 477. The period would be defined by the decades-long civil war that was fought between 2 houses which claimed the throne after the sitting Impare, William IV, died without an heir. It would come to be known as the War of the Shields.

It began when Impare William IV died without a direct heir, nor a obvious non-direct heir to the throne for 3 generations. In the end, 2 houses, House Cortino and House Leblanc, went head to head over the throne. As Leblanc controlled the capital city of Avonborough, Cortino was extremely disadvantaged. Cortino began with a full-scale naval assault on the city, severely damaging its walls.

In retaliation, House Leblanc, with its superior land army, set fire to Minerva Forest and raided Williamsburg. The raid was not successful, and both houses decided to play the long game, with small skirmishes occurring here and there. For a decade, Leblanc and Cortino were both unsuccessful in toppling the other.

All this while, the common folk were suffering the effects of the brutal war, and both sides had to reduce their spending in order to save their cities. During this time, the other major house, namely House Leblanc, stayed neutral whilst selling weapons and armour to both sides in order to profit off the war.

Eventually, the war would cool down and would end in 477 with a peace treaty and the formation of a new Imperial House to replace House William, House Montfort. House Montfort was given the Imperial City of Avonborough to rule over, as Leblanc could not afford to repair it.