Kingdom of Ustoris

The **Kingdom of Ustoris** (Sergaese: *Ustor'ys bar'Mophasi*), simply referred to as Ustoris, is a nation located North of the Dark Sea (irl. Black Sea) and South of the Sochean Steppes (irl. Siberian steppes) in what is mainly part of the Sergaen Plain (irl. Sarmatic Plain). The capital and largest city, Ustorix, is located on the Dark Peninsula (irl. Crimea), and covers the entire bottom half of the peninsula. The largest ethnic groups are the Ustorites, along side the two other Sergaen tribal ethnicities, the Sochites and Baarumphites, decendants of populations conquered during the Ustorite Conquests. Despite the freedom of religion, due to the nationalism of the civilians under their line of mophas, who were all devoted believers of Zokhram, 97% of the nation's population of about 24 million are Zokh; the remaining 3% are mainly the pagan Sochites of the Mortisan religion, and other minorities.

Ustoris has large coastal span with the Dark Sea, with a length of about 2,360 mi (3,800 km). The waters of the Dark Sea often run into the terrain, creating very short estuaries. The longest river is the Pronsa Estuary (irl. Dnipros River), which runs adjacent to the Ustorix Strait (irl, Khersons'ka Oblast), connecting to the Dark Sea. These waters provide the coastal plain with very fertile land.

The borders of Ustoris were confirmed by all peoples of The Continent in 8 BCE, at the End of the Ustorite Conquests; this took place when the tenth Mopha, Ustor X, was assassinated by a Northern Baarumphite in his palace in Ustorix in 9 BCE, during the period when Ustorite General Selkhan I attempted to conquer Northern Baarum (irl. Georgia above Caucasus Mts) for the Kingdom. Because Ustor X bore no sons, by tradition Selkhan I, the top general, was to become the next Mopha. Selkhan I took his crown in 9 BCE, than launched one last campaign against North Baarum, successfully conquering it in what he called vengeance for the previous mopha's death. The treaty of Yephasin was signed in Yephasin, South Baarum (irl. Northeast Turkey/Armenia), finally establishing the land's borders, and ending the conquests in 8 BCE.

## Etymology

The Sergaese language is one that dates back to 1,200 BCE, where people's from the lands South of the Dark Sea spread into what is now Baruum, Ustoris, and Sochea, bringing along with them a language, which began to differ from the language of the Southern peoples. This language is called Sergaese, named after the Sergaen Plain located North of the Black Sea and South of the Sochean Steppes. The Sergaen name "Ustor" is derived from the word "*yuphor*" in the South. Both terms mean "star light". The Sergaen word for land is "*ys'mer*" (is'mer). For, identified lands, "*mer"* is omitted. When put together, the word is Ustor'ys, or Ustoris, meaning, Land of Star light.

## History

### Origins and Early History

The Kingdom of Ustoris first arose from the Ustorite/Sergaen Revolution, when a general named Pathis bar'Jalber claimed that the Zokhramic god, Zohkris, had chosen him and his lineage to become the holy Mopha over the entire Sergaean Plain, and had to achieve this by rebelling against and toppling the government of the city-state Eddenix so that it came under his rule in 142 BCE. According to the great Ustori legend, Pathis marched his army to border city of Aremis, Remaria, under the flag of Eddenix, but halted his army before they could enter Remarian land, claiming that the god Zokhris had commanded him to do so, such that a thunderstorm would ravage Aremis, allowing the army to march in at the right moment and take the city without any bloodshed. According to many witnesses in his army, the men experienced a great rain, and watched a thunderstorm in the distance. Because Pathis' predictions had supposedly come true according to the members of his army, he was trusted and his story caused many people to convert and become Zokhs. His religious influence did harm to the city of Eddenix, whose polytheistic king, Arshalantine VII, worshipped the Mortisans. Feeling religiously beaten, Arshalantine ordered the execution of Pathis as an enemy to the monarchy, but his plans were thwarted by a large rebellious populace. Pathis led the siege of the Eddenix palace after five days of victories on the march to the home of the monarchy, killing Arshalantine in the name of Zokhris, and taking the throne for himself, an action which the populace consented. These five days are known as the Ustorite/Sergaen Revolution, taking place in the autumn of 142 BCE.

### Rule under Pathis/Ustor (142 - 134 BCE)

Pathis, upon taking the throne of Eddenix, named himself Ustor, the Mopha of the city Ustorix and the land of Ustoris. The reason was because in Zokhram, Zokhris exhaled his breath or communicated with his prophets through the patterns of stars at night, with their light, and the word for star light in Sergaese is "*ustor*". As the Mopha, Ustor gave himself absolute power. In 140 BCE, he destroyed the temples of the Mortisans, and replaced them with the Fanes of Zokhram, and invited many Zokhris templars from the South to teach the religion.

Alleging that his quest was to make all of Sergaea his kingdom and convert the people within this land to Zokhram, Ustor rallied a large army using religious power.

He created three armies: the Hzaracs, or guardians, defended the land using a web of roads along the Dark Sea coast and the base of the Sochean steppes. The Hzaracs built two bridges in addition to the peninsular "land bridge" connecting the Dark Peninsula to the mainland, protecting merchant caravans between Ustorix and outside settlements with calvalry and foot soldiers. They were the largest force and policed Ustoris.

The second army are the Farajhas, or raiders, a formidable force responsible for laying siege to enemies.

The third army are the Rahdras, or the navy, the main naval force based in Ustorix, and patrolling in the waters of the Dark Sea

Ustor waged war on the Sochites in the North, conquering Sochea in 136 BCE.

He later died of tuberculosis in 134 BCE, and was immediately succeeded by his eldest son, Qazim bar'Ustor.

### Rule under Ustor II (134 BCE - 117 BCE)

Born Qazim bar'Ustor, Mopha Ustor II led Ustoris to its Golden age with his naval exploits against Remaria in the East. Unlike Ustor, Ustor II did not lead his army himself. Ustor II appointed several ministers for the Admophacy to aid him in carrying out leadership in a now larger Ustoris. His choices proved excellent.

Ustor II first created the Rahdras navy under the supervision of his minister of war, Yothac bar'Sophrim, in order to survey the nautical routes of ships that travelled the Dark Sea. Due to hostilities met at sea between Remarians and Ustorites, Ustor II waged territorial war on the Remarians, after a hiatus in the Ustorite Conquests. The Remarians fought well against the Farajha forces, but were no match for the Rahdracs. The Remarians surrendered their land in Sergaea when Western civilizations decided to begin trading in the Dark Sea. Ustor II adopted the widely used Western *sesterces* (HS) currency in 129 BCE. Ustor II spent the rest of his term attempting to conquer the Baarum city-state of Argêrce. Because the city state was constantly supplied by other Baarumphite settlements in the east and southeast, the Baarumphites never starved as they fought the weary Ustorites.

In 124 BCE, Ustor II began the construction of the Ustorix Basilica, employing native and Southern architects to build a basilica for not only the worship of Zokhris, but also key in letting Ustorix become a stronghold of the Zokhram religion.

Ustor II died in 117 BCE from tuberculosis.

### Rule under Ustor III (117 - 103 BCE)

Ustor III, then known as Yoshman bar'Qazim took the throne as he returned from his campaign against Argêrce, leaving his deputy in charge of the army. Upon returning to Ustorix, Ustor III was crowned, and took the opportunity to raise a larger reenforcement army to aid in laying siege to Argêrce. His plan was to intimidate Argêrce with his original army of 20,000 at the base of the mountains of Baarum (Caucasus Mts.), and raze its entire countryside to the Eastern part of the mountains using this new army of 40,000. Ustor III, the strict warmonger that he was, immediately designated North Baarum as Ustori land, and came from the East to attack Argêrce in the West. Ustor ravaged the countryside. In desperation, Argêrce sent their 50,000-man army to fight Ustor III's deputy's army of 20,000. Ustor III rushed his army into the war zone, and lost 10,000 men before entering the city. Ustor III's tactics were suicidal, yet very effective; when his army captured the Western walls that surrounded the city, it is said that his soldiers took their mangonels and rained the injured or dead bodies of men onto the city, setting fire to many of them, and thus burned much of the city. Argêrce surrendered, and Ustor III executed the royal family when they refused to convert to Zokhram. Ustor III is considered to be the most brutal Mopha in Ustoris' history of war, yet effective. Ustor III was the first mopha to oversee the forced conversion of all those who lived in the Sergaen Plain.

After the Argêrce Campaign, Ustor III returned to Ustoris in 116 BCE to lead the founding of the Ustorix Basilica. He was also responsible for destroying all the Mortisan stone statues in the city, and replacing them with Zokhramic sunbirds and lions of marble shipped from the West.

## Society

The Ustorites emphasized a charismatic and centralized government based in Ustorix. The Ustorites believed that a strong, wise, and holy monarch was the key for a stable and justified society. Influenced heavily by the Zokhramic religion, the Ustorites named all their settlements and children with the Sergaean names of the stars, since they were considered a sacred part of the communication between Zokhris and man. In a warring society, Ustorites often captured many prisoners. Due to the Zokhramic practice of *Yasri*, or redemption, prisoners were allowed to gain their freedom if they converted to Zokhram and contributed to Ustori society.

One of the main goals of Ustori society was to urbanize their land. By 24 BCE, the Dark Peninsula became one of the most urbanized lands of the ancient world.

## Government and Politics

The Kingdom of Ustoris adopted the *sesterces* currency used by civilizations in the West when it was presented with many trade offers in exchange for the freedom to sail merchant ships of the Western lands into the Dark Sea.

## Military

Categorized: approx. 90,000 Hzaracs | approx. 90,000 Farajhas | approx. 30,000 Rahdras

### Farajhas

Farajhas were always selected from the men of the settlements, who depended on the horse and chariots to hunt and work fields for survival; 80 archers of each age between the age of sixteen and twenty six were required during each draft, and each had to serve ten years or until death, with a promise to Heaven. Farajhas are considered some of the best horseback archers on The Continent. Ustoris organized the Farajha calvalry into *Keljen-stics*, meaning "goose lines", which resembled the V-shaped lines of migrating geese. These "goose-lines" consisted of a flag-holder in the tip, two spearmen on each side of the tip, and horseback archers on the back. At the two rears are trumpet blowers armed with scimitars. At the center of the goose line was a chariot driver and two archers. Each *Keljen-stic*is guided by the flag-holder in moving patterns; formations can also expand or shorten as commanded by the flag-holder, who is influenced by trumpet noises. At night, the flag is replaced with a torch. The rear trumpets blew their instruments to signal to other goose-lines in way similar to how one plays the game of "Telephone". Unlike general cavalry tactics, Farajha calvalry were used to surround and flank enemy forces to increase movement hesitation. Farajhas did not normally engage in cavalry charges; instead, Farajha goose-lines would relay enough distance with enemies in order to shower them with arrows, before retreating in a seperate direction (a direction that does not interfere with other goose-lines). This gives the urge for enemies to charge at their assailants, but such actions would prove ineffective because goose-line tactics are meant to break enemy formations. This tactic relies on many individual goose-lines, because, too few will allow enemies to specifically target a certain goose-line formation.

The foot divisions of Farajhas worked in formations of hundreds of foot soldiers, armed with rounded shields, pikes, and scimitars. Farajha formations included dividends, where slingers and archers stood for battle. Between these formations were mangonel catapults, piled with multiple small stones covered in flammable oil, which could launch arc-excluding distances of 1,200 feet. Larger stones were generally uncommon and difficult to transport, so the smaller stones were usually used.

The timed use of cavalry differed in usually two ways. In an open battlefield with daylight, cavalry is generally omitted; however, entering combat zones through hills or foliage for surprise attacks is excellent for deploying goose-line calvalry. If goose-line tactics are successful, the Farajha foot forces charge into battle next. Farajha forces use wave-upon-wave battering tactics, which are effective, but makes every soldier vulnerable to a fight no matter which wave they are apart of; close combat engagements scenarios are reliant on the skills of each column per wave. If one soldier is cut down, another must replace him. Only when a soldier cannot be replaced, should the force be given the right to retreat without upper orders.

The goal is to use cavalry to dissuade the enemy while the foot forces approach. When the foot forces engage, the remaining cavalry regroup for a controlled cavalry charge, only this time without goose-lines. The final charge is meant to cripple the enemy force entirely, which will end with a slaughtering or a retreat by the enemy. Farajhas never chase enemies that flee from a battle that they know has already ended.

Farajha cavalry spearmen are distinguished by helmets with the masks of tigers, and Farajha horseback archers are distinguished with red turbans.

### Hzaracs

The primary policing force of Ustoris, Hzaracs train for counter-raid and counter-siege protocol. They also train for searches, seizures, arrests, etc. Under the establishment of trade routes by the Second Mopha, Hzaracs maintain their influence through various garrisons and outposts in the most significant settled areas of Ustor, travelling between them in a cycle of what is known as the *Grogë'kat Krallah*, or Rectangular Patrol; a cycle of routes connected to the established borders of Ustor. The cycle was created by Selkhan I in 5 AD under the supervision of his minister of defense, Czeres bar'Mastac.

This cycle involves the moving of 600 Hzaracs per sector every month, through 15 main sectors including Ustorix/Dark Peninsula, thus a total of 90,000 Hzaracs. Hzaracs are distinguished by iron and bronze chainmail and leather pads, and flatbowl iron stud helmets with chainmail at the sides, and a red cape matching that of the Kingdom of Ustoris.