Breque

The **Constitutional Anocracy of Breque** is a sovereign nation located across Neldur's Isles. The country is south of the Kingdom of Aarklan, southwest of the Province of Raleigh and west of the Kingdom of Altsheim. The city of Capitol Breque has remained its capital since the nation's formation in 321 ES.

Breque was originally formed as an Imperial Republic after the Second Continental War of Breque by Julius d'Breque. It was the product of five member states: Capitol Breque, Shelkor, Canesland, Einrim and Shade. After the Civil War in 347 ES, the nation was reestablished as a constitutional anocracy by Cesar and his Blood Hunters.

## History

Breque, despite its position as a superpower, is a young nation. Prior to its establishment as an Imperial Republic, Breque was a small colony under the ownership of Aarklan until its secession in 209 VS, after which it existed as an independent city-state for 500 years.

### First Continental War of Breque

In 291 ES, the armies of Breque proclaimed dominion over the nations of Canesland, Einrim, Shade and Shelkor. The sudden occupation of these territories with a collective 25,000 troops and their subsequent mismanagement of the territories incited the levying of the Continental Army of Neldur's Isles and the subsequent First Continental War of Breque.

Lasting 16 years, the war ended in 307 ES with the total defeat of Breque. The remaining nations reorganized the city-state into Capitol Breque, a puppet government that was collectively controlled for several years.

### Second Continental War of Breque

Only 8 years after the first continental war, the Second Continental War of Breque was waged after three quarters of the Continental Army of Neldur's Isles was converted into a revolutionary force by Julius d'Breque. With a collective 65,000 men, the remaining four nations were assimilated into one after 6 years of warfare.

Following the promises of Julius d'Breque, the nation was organized as an Imperial Republic, with two representatives (known as Servants) from each former state elected as government officials. This restructuring was following by 20 years of peace, during which time the nation's population ballooned in size due to improved housing, infrastructure, technological advancements and trade.

In 325 ES, the anarchist city-state of Port City was absorbed by the Imperial Republic of Breque.

### The Servants of Shade

In 341 ES, the Imperial Republic of Breque was invaded by the nation of Aarklan. Because the war was fought entirely overseas after the initial invasion of Port City, it came to be known by the people as the Silent War. In response to this threat, emergency powers were assigned to the primary Servant of Shade, Ambiontonis, who converted the nation into an Imperial Dictatorship with a strict focus on winning the war.

Lord Ambiontonis employed twelve Servants of Shade (later reduced to eleven) as a secret police force to monitor the population and enforce law and order. During this time, Breque's national treasure (the Candle of Dragons) was acquired, and the Lost Colony was discovered.

During his rule, Ambiontonis ordered the execution of upwards of 40,000 citizens of Breque — of these, only 1,027 were found guilty in a formal court of law. The nation suffered 75,000 further deaths in the Silent War. A strict code of law was put in place, assigning severe penalties for minor crimes — most notably, "unruliness in the presence of a public official." The administration pursued an invasion upon the Province of Raleigh but retreated after a brief occupation lasting two months.

### Civil War

Following the public execution of Agrippa d'Breque (son of Julius d'Breque) in 346 ES, an army of 200 soldiers (made primarily of former veterans of the Continental Army) commanded by Cesar of Shade seized the settlement of Port City from the Imperial Dictatorship of Breque. The ensuing combat between Cesar's forces and the Imperial Army came to be known as the Battle for the Brackwater Channels and the start of the Civil War of Imperial Breque.

As the war proceeded, Cesar's armies grew in size and power. In less than one year, Cesar captured Einrim, Canesland, and the provinces which surrounded Capitol Breque. In 347 ES, during the Battle for Capitol Breque, Ambiontonis's aerial escape was halted by Cesar's archers, causing him to land in the deep of Neldur's Woods. He was subsequently pursued by Cesar himself, where he was defeated in combat and stripped of his magical abilities. However, at the end of their combat, Ambiontonis used what little power remained to cloud his escape and abandoned the nation of Breque across Cane's Crossing. This was the beginning of the hundred-year Pursuit of Ambiontonis.

### The Anocratic Rule of Cesar

Following the end of the civil war in 347 ES, the nation of Breque was restructured by the Blood Hunters of Cesar as a constitutional anocracy. For the following 102 years, the nation operated primarily under Cesar's control until his death in 449 ES.

In 366 ES, Cesar began deporting criminals, political dissidents, Shade loyalists, and prisoners of war to the Lost Colony. Meanwhile, his blood hunters continued their international pursuit of Ambiontonis until Cesar's death. To this day, Breque remains an international superpower and often meddles in the affairs of other nations.

## Locations

* Brackwater Channels
* Cane's Crossing
* Canesland
* Capitol Breque
* Einrim
* Lost Colony
* Neldur's Woods
* Port City
* Shade
* Shelkor

## Notable Characters

* Agrippa d'Breque (servant of Breque, son of Julius)
* Ambiontonis (servant of Shade, Lord of the Imperial Dictatorship)
* Cesar (revolutionary, commander of the Blood Hunters)
* Julius d'Breque (founder of Breque)
* Norg (only goblin to ever work in a public instutition)