Renan Aristocracy

Flag of the Renan Aristocracy

The **Renan Aristocracy**, also known as **Renan** and informally as **Sordland**, was the political structure in Sordland during the period from 1630 to 1866. This was characterized by the rule of the Renan family over the nation.

In the early 17th century, the Renan were an influential trade family led by Albrecht Renan, which owned the South Merkopa Trade Company. During the Markian collapse, established an autonomous government within the Markian homeland. After Worangrad Reczniek fled to Wehlen, the Renan conquered the city of Korakord, ending the Markian Empire and establishing the Renan Aristocracy.

The Aristocracy was succeeded by the Kingdom of Sordland.

## History

At the turn of the 17th century, as the War of the Dying Roses embroiled the Markian Empire and a resurgent Rumburg, the Renan family became the unexpected leaders of the Sordish people. The Renan were traditionally a trade family who primarily gained their wealth via various trade companies, i.e. the Markian South Merkopa Trade Company — however, they were not Sordish themselves. Despite this fact, they managed to unite the Sordish people due to their influence in trade and their common enemy in the Markians. Taking the opportunity, they formed an autonomous government within the Markian homeland, led by a man named Albrecht Renan. In 1630, the Renan captured the Markian capital of Korakord, as the Reczniek family fled to Wehlen. Korakord was renamed Erlory and became the capital of the new Renan Aristocracy.

During his long reign, Albrecht provided the poorest farmers with basic medical aid in Erlory, which some say led to the birth of welfare. Renan's realm, becoming informally known as Sordland, advanced and improved, but that would not last. Rumburg declared war on Renan to get its riches, so that the former could rebuild itself from the mess of the War of the Dying Roses against the Markians. At first, things went very badly for Renan, with many cities being captured.

Erick Renan succeeded his father as the head of state, and allied himself with Agnolia, who at the time, were fighting against the Empire of Valgos. He married the Queen of Agnolia, Lenna, starting a union that would be known as the Sordish-Agnolian Commonwealth. After many more years of bloody fighting, the 3 nations signed a peace treaty in 1710, heading back to the status quo. When Lenna died in 1740, Agnolia left, but shortly after experiencing a civil war, in which the Duke of West Agnolia decided to stay with the Renans, forming the modern-day region of Agnland. The following decades would see a slow decline in all manners for Renan, not taking part in the colonial race that was swamping Merkopa and Contana to take Rika and Xina.

The Kingdom of Arcas, a kingdom in Western Merkopa, fell to revolutionary forces and reorganized itself into the Republic of Arcasia. This crucial event sparked the Century of Revolutions, an era of widespread change that spread like wildfire globally. In 1833, a minor revolution occurred but did not lead to reforms. However, Sordish nationalism went on the rise, many nationalists were dissatisfied and outraged by the Renan's decline. On 1859, in the town of Anrica, a group of nationalists led by Egmund Norsord rebelled against the Renan, sparking the Revolution of 1859.

The Revolution of 1859 lasted for seven years. In those seven years, Sordland fell into anarchy and constant warfare with many regional powers and city states declaring independence. The Renan family were massacred following their overthrow. In 1866, Egmund proclaimed himself as a man of *maroon blood* and descendant of the Markian emperors, united the nation. He proclaimed the Kingdom of Sordland on the Maroon Palace, built as a summer residence for the late Albrecht Renan.