8th Century Cabrikk Empire

## Foundation

### Early Years

In 699 the first Odradian Wars ended leaving Cabrik as the dominant power in the continent. Under the leadership of King Orla Cabrik expanded and once again became a major power. It sent explorers to distant lands, long forgotten since the days of old. They began the First Odradian Colonial age. Orla's reign was relatively peaceful and stable. Bar for the panic of 712 the economy grew steadily and Cabrik gained power and influence. But all make mistakes, and Orla's was his son.

### Death of the King and succession

King Orla died in June of 731. He left behind a legacy that was unlikely to be topped. His son, King Neda, took the throne. Unfortunately for Cabrik, his son was incompetent. He ignored the demands of the nobles, citing his divine blood as reason enough for their obedience. Unsurprisingly this did not go too well with the nobles. Neda desired a grand army and armada, with which he would create the greatest empire the world had ever seen. Unfortunately for him, he was almost bankrupt, and his nobles were unwilling to give him their money. As they saw it, his dream was foolish and a waste of time and resources.

The King's lavish spending habits was a likely cause for his bankruptcy. He would spend thousands on grand feasts and tournaments, and then get angry at the nobles when they refused to fund him. In July 733 all of this came to a head. The King summoned the 5 most powerful nobles in the realm to his palace. He demanded that they surrender all their assets to him. When they refused, they were executed. The King expected this to scare the remaining lords into surrender. Quite the contrary, the vast majority of lords took up arms.

### The Civil War

The Nobles formed the Noble Alliance, and immediately moved to siege Cabrik City. The King was forced to flee to prevent capture, drastically reducing the morale of his troops and leading to a quicker siege. He fled to the west, where he had more support. However his support was limited, and it was a well known fact that the east was richer in resources and men. The Alliance was able to push through his defenses with little effort at first. However in April 734 the king was able to put up a stiff defense at Ṟerke Rea, a river valley in the southwest. The battle would end in a Monarchist victory, successfully holding the lords at bay for 8 months. However the Alliance would still have the upper hand in the war, and in February 735 King Neda was killed and the Monarchists agreed to surrender.

### The Treaty of Ṟerke

Signed in the city found in the heart of the valley, the Monarchists and the Alliance agreed to a peace treaty. The terms were as follows:

* As King Neda does not have a direct line, his distant cousin Kaerje shall succeed him and take the throne.
* A royal council of the 20 wealthiest men in the realm shall be established to ensure the appropriate spending of state funds.
* The King is a servant of the council and not vice versa.
* The King does not have the right to seize noble assets.
* The King may not make decisions without the approval of the Council.

This treaty would later contribute to the Empire's decline.