Fourth Era

***Origin: Times and Eras - Writings of the Milnius the Great, Imperial Grand Scribe (year 10, seventh era)***

*Great ambition was put forth by High King Aureus, who had managed to unite the cities of Osta and Endi. However, it was his heir and son, Janianus, who sought to make their strifes eternal. As per later tradition, Janianus named the first Grand Scribe and tasked him with archiving all deeds of the Kingdom, most of which remain in the Imperial Archive to this date. For this reason, the fourth era is the first, and incidentally shortest, which can be truly described through accurate dates.*

*Year 1 - The Kingdom and city of Ostendi is proclaimed. Its dominance quickly spread throughout the central regions of the western continent through its skillful warriors and diplomats.*

*Year 18 - The war with the tribes of the north-western lands is started. King Janianus seeks to claim the rich ores of iron and forests of hard timber for himself.*

*Year 26 - The great war comes to and end, King Janianus is victorious, and starts a great plan of incorporating the tribes into his kingdom.*

*Year 29 - The region of the former tribes is united under a puppet king, and with it, the region is proclaimed as the first province of the Kingdom of Ostendi.*

*Year 43 - Seeking greater autonomy, local warlords of the north-western lands start a rebellion which is quickly crushed. Hoping to remedy the issue, Masonias names a puppet government, creating the Province of Rissonia.*

*Year 48 - Following his success, Masonias  sends his armies south, conquering and naming the Province of Retenia. He spends the rest of his time in power seeking to build up the infrastructure of his Empire and creating better terms for his expanding population.*

*Year 76 - In the south, the lesser kings of the river delta unite and declare war on the Kingdom of Ostendi. After more than 30 years of war, no settlement has come, and both nations come to an agreement, declaring a fragile peace treaty.*

*Year 118 - Through a series of funded insurrections, more than half of the river delta kingdoms join the cause of the Ostendi, effectively rendering the rest of their region defenseless. King Masonias II marches his armies south, integrating the lands to his kingdom.*

*Year 126 - The kingdoms of Lessokonia and Aldrix (later Aldria) seeks to remedy their political position and agrees to becoming puppets of the Kingdom of Ostendi.*

*Year 135 - Following the success of his father, King Sallus of Ostendi puts forth a grand political play, eventually forming the First Empire and creating countless imperial provinces with major autonomy. The fourth era is coming to a close.*

*As wars and political plays were taking part on the western continent, very little was written down as to describe the eastern continent. However, things were quiet. The city states in the east proceeded to extend their economic dominance and trade across the Traders Sea, and trade between the west and east flourished.*

*The fourth era was short, but saw major political changes across the continent. Following his great deeds, King Sallus proclaimed himself Emperor of the the first Empire, and ended the era as quickly as it had come. The fifth era, or Imperial Era, as is often called, dawned.*