Kingdom of Oshela

*`any important info that does not fit into any of the categories can illicit its own, as ancillary info is for morsels that don't require a separate space.`*

This is an opener, intro, or other phrase that describes a paragraph with the intent of summery. You should briefly overview the nation in as concise a way as possible, no more than 4 or even 5 sentences, if needed. It does not have a heading, so it is placed above the table of contents, and is easier to access when needed. Avoid restating information from the intro in the page, unless you are expanding on said information.

## Political Structure

Due to the slow evolution of the political structure of the nation till now, society is a complicated mess. It is generally accepted that anyone, through hard work and effort, would be able to raise their place in this structure. Where people can rise socially, they would also be able to drop socially. There is no way of being forever guaranteed a spot in this hierarchy, other than being born into it, and the actions of one’s predecessors.

The Monarch:

The Monarch wields power that he is not afraid to use. Even though the Monarch has been limited by the Act of Parliament, the amount of respect and awe he commands from the people would allow him to revoke the Act, though it would be a particularly bloody civil war, as the nobility would not relinquish their only hold onto power. The Kingdom’s succession law is Agnatic Primogeniture, which means that only the oldest male child inherits. The Monarch acts as a political stabilizer of the Kingdom, and guides the development of the nation in his vision.

The Prime Minister and his Cabinet:

The Cabinet consists of Ministers from their respective Ministries that they lead. The Prime Minister is allowed to appoint who they deem fit to lead the various Ministries of the Kingdom, with recommendations from the Monarch as a guide of sorts. Officially, the Monarch holds little to no power over this sector of the Government, however the Prime Minister and his Cabinet is encouraged to consult with the Monarch on important matters of state.

The Parliament:

The Parliament proposes and enacts laws that have been passed by popular vote and debate. The Parliament is where many of the decisions that changed the fate of the Kingdom have been made, and as such, it is a place that commands respect. Though there have been certain unscrupulous Members of Parliament, bringing their weapons to kill their political rivals, or bringing sticks made of dense wood to smack who they disagree with. As such, during the 12th year of King William III, he proposed a bill to ban the bringing of sticks and weapons into the Parliament, being fed up with the MPs fighting amongst themselves.

The Nobility:

The Nobility oversee, protect and are tasked with the taxation of the Cities/Towns/Villages under their jurisdiction. A tradition carried over from the time of Amaguk Lyoveldi, the Nobles are tasked with protecting the various settlements from bandits and the occasional border raids.

What is different from the time of Amaguk Lyoveldi, is that all nobles swear fealty to the Monarch, and there are no nobles swearing fealty to a lord under the Monarch. For example, a Count will not be allowed to swear fealty to a Duke.

The Nobility is also responsible for training and maintaining their own retinues, they are required, by law, to maintain a set amount of men in their retinues proportionally to the number of men in their fiefdoms.

Common addresses for nobility

King - Majesty

Queen - Highness

Crown Prince - Royal Highness

Highprince - Highlord

Duke - Your Grace

Count - Lord

Baron - Sir

Ranks of the Nobility:

King/Queen

Crown Prince

Highprince

Duke

Count

Baron

The City/Town/Village Councils:

The Councils are generally a group of 20 people (cities), 12 people (towns), 6 people (villages) elected every 3 years. The Members of Parliament in the Lower House will be chosen through an election within the inhabitants, with candidates being the people on the Councils. The Councils manages and maintains the cities/towns/villages. They are also in charge of maintaining a small garrison to police their jurisdictions, maintain order and decrease criminal activity.

The Professions:

The Merchants, Metalworkers, Craftsmen, Artisans, Master Builders etc, the Professions are a class of people with a specific skill set, and in order to make a living, they are required to register with a guild before they could open for business/offer services to others. The Professions are considered a crucial part of the Kingdom only during the reign of Theodore, and thus they received a lot of benefits in an attempt to encourage the Professions to produce better goods/products.

The Peasantry:

The Peasantry, the people with neither of the Trades, mostly working as labourers in the fields or mines, or are part of the retinues of the Nobility for the men. While for the women, they mostly work administrative jobs that require Literacy, such as doing calculation, writing letters, reporting the annual production etc. They are the backbone of Oshelan society, being the most populous class in the Kingdom. These people are mostly uneducated, other than the women learning the art of Literacy, and their children will have almost no hope of climbing up the social ladder. However, recent social reforms passed in the Parliament have been targeted at the Peasantry, aiming to improve their quality of life, It is thought that if the Peasantry were to master at least 2 Arts other than Literacy, they would be able to drastically improve the wealth of the Kingdom and be more productive. However, the large numbers of the Nobility, see that in order to maintain a peaceful Kingdom and a large army, the Peasantry must be kept in their place.

It comprises the King and his heirs, 3 advisors that are termed as follows. Advisor to Head of State, Advisor of Finance, Advisor of Military. This role is hereditary. The King is also the Commander of all Oshelan forces.

The Ministry:

It is headed by a Prime Minister and his Cabinet. He is the person that manages to win the election within the Parliament and forms a government successfully with the approval of the King.

The Parliament (500 seats in total):

It is split into 3 bodies, termed the Upper House, Middle House and Lower House. The King has the right to veto any piece of legislation that has been passed. In order to pass a piece of legislation, the legislation must first pass through the Lower House, then the Middle House, then the Upper House. The King has to approve of the legislation for it to become a law of the Kingdom. The piece of legislation can be proposed by any Member of Parliament., including the King. The King also has the ability to push forward a law to be voted on by the Upper House, bypassing the Middle House and the Lower House as part of the concessions given by the Carta Nobilitatem.

The Upper House (200 seats):

It comprises the nobility of the country, carried over from the era of the Amaguk Lyoveldi.

The titles/seats are inherited by the heirs to the titles, which is usually the oldest child of the noble. In the event that some titles are merged, for example, when the heir to two duchies inherits both duchies, regardless of sequence, the heir will have his titles split up usually in this procedure: The oldest heir will get the titles originating from the paternal line, while the next oldest heir will get the titles originating from the maternal line. If this is not possible, it will be at the discretion of the King to assign the titles to a lesser noble/a distant relative. This is to prevent a noble from having more than 1 seat in the Upper House. Only nobles that are of Count/Countess and above will be allowed to have a seat on the Upper House. Additionally, all nobles are independent of one another, the higher the rank, the larger the amount of land owned. The Upper House is currently divided into 3 factions.

The Middle House (100 seats):

It comprises the mercantile entities in the Kingdom. The number of seats are assigned depending on the number of people of different professions in the guilds. Guilds with over 400 members are limited to only 4 seats, while guilds with 300 members and below are assigned seats proportionally. Only the Guilds receive a seat in the Middle House. A Guild can be formed only after intensive auditing of the Guild’s finances, business ventures, a vote by the Middle House requiring at least 50% in favour, and approval by the King. Sidenote: Guilds are rarely formed in this day and age due to the huge costs and expenses in maintaining a guild, and there must be a vacant seat in the House. Due to the nature of this political entity, a census must be carried out every 4 years. Currently there are 60 guilds, split into 5 factions. A person cannot hold a seat for more than 6 terms.

The Lower House (200 seats):

It comprises the representatives from the various cities/towns/villages that exist independently from one another. Each human settlement is to be assigned seats in the Lower House proportionate to the settlement’s population. The representatives cannot be in the Upper House, Middle House, Cabinet, the City/Town/Village councils or the King’s Advisors. The people elect their representatives through an election held every 5 years. The Representatives are currently divided into 7 factions. A person cannot hold a seat for more than 4 terms.

The Audit System:

The Audit will be conducted by a team consisting of chosen Members of Parliament by the King, from a list of recommended candidates assembled by the King’s Advisors, Prime Minister, Upper House and Lower House. The Audit will happen every 10 years, after every 2 elections of the Lower House. The Audit seeks to remove corruption, highlight processes that are detrimental to the running of the nation, and is under the direct supervision of the King. The Audit Team will consist of 2 Cabinet Members, 20 Upper House Members, 10 Middle House Members and 30 Lower House Members.

The Judiciary:

The body which enforces the laws of the Kingdom. The candidates are put through a series of tests about the legal system of the Kingdom and tests of their moral code. Ultimately, the King appoints the Supreme Court (A council of experienced judges, about 8 to 12 members) every 10 years and the Supreme Court handles the appointment of judges under its jurisdiction. (Which is the entire Judiciary)

Elections:

The Monarch and his advisors: hereditary

Prime Minister: He is elected by a vote from the Parliament. Any Member of Parliament in the Middle and Lower Houses could run for Prime Minister. If he is elected, his seat in Parliament would be forfeited and another one will take his place. Elections for Prime Minister occur every 10 years. A Prime Minister is only allowed to serve for 2 terms

Upper House: hereditary

Middle House: Every 4 years from the last election, upon the conclusion of the census

Lower House: Every 5 years from the last election

Audit Team: Appointed by the Monarch

Voting Requirements: Any citizen that is above the age of 16.

Taxation System:

Each year, the Parliament will have to decide on how much the Nobility, the Cities, the Professions and the Peasantry should be taxed, called the National Tax. Using a guideline set by the Monarch before the National Tax is proposed, (e.g. at least 20% tax for the year), the Parliament would debate about the national taxation rates for the different classes. Once the National Tax has been debated and passed with a 70% majority, it would be sent to the Monarch for review. If the Monarch deems that the reasons of why the taxation rate for a particular class has to be above or below what the Monarch set are reasonable and agreeable to, the Monarch will agree to implement the taxation rates for the year.

However, if the Monarch does not agree or the first vote fails, the Parliament has to come up with alternative taxation rates and debate and vote on it again, this time requiring 80% majority to pass. In the event that the National Tax does not pass with a majority vote, the Monarch would have the right to disband the Middle and Lower Houses, and call for an election. In the event that the Monarch calls for a reelection, candidates must not have held a seat in Parliament a year before the reelection.

The Ministry of Finance will propose a budget and the estimated expenses of the Kingdom for the year. It also proposes the taxation rates for the year to the Monarch, who will then propose it to the Parliament.

The Peasantry and the Professions are taxed by two different classes, the Councils and the Nobility, and the taxation percentage is decided by the National Tax. For example, the Nobility could tax the Peasantry 30% and the Councils could tax the Peasantry 10% and so on. Even though the legal limit of tax levied on the Peasantry and Professions is capped at 60%, it has always been an unspoken law that the tax is capped at 40%. However, in the event of a national emergency, the King is allowed to levy emergency taxes which has no limit.

The Prime Minister’s duties are to manage the Kingdom on behalf of the Monarch. He/She is the one who the Monarch approaches when the Monarch has a policy that he wants to implement. The Prime Minister is given autonomy over state affairs, however, he is required to report to the Monarch biweekly about the current state of affairs. Additionally, the Monarch has the power to call for a vote of no confidence for the Prime Minister.

Ministry of Commerce:

The Ministry is headed by a Minister, who is part of the Prime Minister’s Cabinet. The Ministry of Commerce handles trade within, entering and exiting the country. It proposes tariffs of the different trade goods to the Parliament, who will also vote on it during the National Tax voting period. It handles the relationship between the Parliament and the Guilds of the country, where it gives out subsidies, issues the Guilds the license to operate and conducts the census on the Guilds. The Ministry also issues a metal tag that certifies that an apprentice has completed an apprenticeship under his master and is fit to work as his Profession, amongst other responsibilities

Ministry of Finance:

The Ministry is headed by a Minister, who is part of the Prime Minister’s Cabinet. It is in charge of the National Treasury, and for dealing with financial matters of the Kingdom. At the beginning of each year, the Ministry compiles a report stating the various financial needs of the Kingdom, and the estimated budget of the Government for running the Kingdom for the year. It will then send the report to the Parliament, which will then vote on the report. If the estimated budget is passed, the Ministry has to explain to the Monarch why the amount stated in the budget is necessary, and the Monarch will give the approval if he agrees with the reasoning. If the budget is not passed or the Monarch rejects it, the Ministry will have to come up with an alternative budget within a month. If no budget is set, the Minister of Finance will be replaced, and the Monarch decides the budget without any voting from the Parliament. Additionally, the Ministry of Finance persecutes those who break the financial law of the Kingdom, and tries to patch up loopholes in the Kingdom’s financial law, amongst other responsibilities

Ministry of Science:

The Ministry is in charge of the research and development of the nation. It is assigned a budget by the Parliament at the start of the year, and it usually gives grants to educational entities which are at the forefront of research and development in the Kingdom, amongst other responsibilities

Ministry of Justice (Judiciary):

The Ministry is in charge of dispensing charges and sentencing those who break the law. The Minister of Justice is the Head of the Supreme Court Council, and is appointed by the Prime Minister. While the other Council members are appointed by the Monarch. The Ministry of Justice enforces the laws of the Kingdom by catching criminals and dispensing justice, amongst other responsibilities

Ministry of Interior:

The Ministry of State handles all internal affairs of the Kingdom, such as statewide celebrations, festivals etc. The Ministry is also tasked with maintaining a force to police cities nationwide, complementing the Councils’ police force. The Ministry is also responsible for the registration of new citizens, conducting elections and public administration, amongst other responsibilities

Ministry of Land:

The Ministry handles matters relating to land, and is responsible for mediating disputes between landlords. It also issues licenses to those seeking to mine/farm or build on a plot of land. Additionally, It is responsible for the regulation, research, subsidies of businesses/farmers related to or is doing agriculture, amongst other responsibilities

Ministry of Foreign Relations

It is the Ministry which handles matters regarding foreign countries and the setting up and maintenance of foreign embassies. It advises the Monarch on diplomatic matters.

Ministry of War:

The Ministry is responsible for the regulation of the Nobility’s levies and their retinues, the procurement of equipment, training of the Kingdom’s army and raising the levies when the Monarch calls for it.  The Ministry answers to both the Prime Minister and the Monarch, amongst other responsibilities

Ministry of the Arts:

This Ministry handles the certification relating to the Arts. It is responsible for conducting tests on those who seek to obtain certification of one of the Arts. It is one of the most important Ministries’ in the Kingdom, as it assesses the potential and skill of the Peasantry and the Professions. It also builds and maintains and builds schools where the people seek to gain a skill train at, amongst other responsibilities

## Social Structure

Describe the social structure of the nation here, and expand upon importation groups of people, and social classes. an example is briefly discussing noble families in a feudal system. if need be, make a separate page for more in depth information.

## Military Structure

Describe how the military functions, and is constructed.

## Political Identity

Describe how the nation relates to foreign and domestic objects, and any important political/legal notes. An example would be conscription.

## Relationships

This section addresses how the government and nation relate to others, in specific examples.

## Culture and Values

The Atheshi of the Kingdom is split into two parts, the Northerners and the Southerners. The Northerners consist of the more educated ones, and live in the densely populated cities of the West. While the Southerners are more farmers and miners, and they live in the sparsely populated South. This resulted in the Southerners having a much more muscular build, while the Northerners are skinner. Though they might look different, both the Northerners and Southerners view themselves collectively as Atheshi when facing a common enemy but there have been disagreements here and there. This is reflected in the Parliament’s Lower House, where the parties are split along the North-South divide.

The casualties sustained by the armies during the war against the Amaguk Lyoveldi were immense, and managed to reduce the number of men to women to 2:3. The effects of this could be felt until the time of King William I, where it just managed to break even. In the time it took for the ratio to equalize, women gained a much-recognized role in society. The women took up administrative and labour demanding jobs, jobs once taken up by men.

The labour demanding jobs were eventually retaken by men, while in the administrative jobs, women started being the dominant gender. This led to writing and reading to be evolved into being reserved for women, while fighting, labouring and ruling were reserved for men. Resulting in women becoming the only ones able to read and write as Literacy became known as a woman’s art. There were a few exceptions, where the Monarchy, the King and his family were all taught to read and write from a young age.

The resulting effect of the unequal ratio of men to women during the first 100 years of the Kingdom led to no particular gender dominating over another, there were just roles for both men and women that were ingrained into society over the course of 2 centuries.

While the dominant ethnicity of the Kingdom is Atheshi, many citizens refer to themselves as the Oshelans from Oshela. It was not certain how the name Oshela stuck, though it was theorized to be the name of a Swareli town that was burnt down by Amaguk Lyoveldi armies while crushing the first rebellion. The second rebellion organised by the very first King of Oshela, Richard Dawngazer, referred to themselves as the Oshelans, as a way to remember about the sacrifices that the first rebellion made. With rising popularity of the name Oshela and the people Oshelans during the fight against the Amaguk Lyoveldi, the Kingdom of Oshela was declared, instead of the Kingdom of Atheshi, perhaps it was used as a way to differentiate the Atheshi of the north from the more fanatic and violent south. In 130 FA, 2 decades after the formation of the Atheshi Church in Varras, most of the Atheshi in Oshela were converted and started following the Atheshi Church, the Parliament passed a new law that would set the Kingdom on its current course. It was determined that while an Atheshi of the Atheshi Church may be an Oshelan, an Oshelan is not an Atheshi of the Atheshi Church, but rather extends to anyone that has a permanent livelihood in the Kingdom of Oshela, and Redeemers were not allowed a place in the Parliament, as well as hold a title of nobility. Any noble who wishes to travel to Varras and forge his/her skyblade was required to renounce all claims to his lands and titles. It laid the foundation where the state and religion were separate from one another, yet, many followers of the Atheshi Church were outraged at the new law, with the pro Atheshi Church followers forming into insurgent rebel groups that hid in the darkness of Oshelan cities. As of now, religion became detached from the day to day governance of the Kingdom. With citizens of the Kingdom being referred as Oshelan, it led to the creation of a national identity within the Kingdom, an Oshela ruled by Oshelans

### The Religion of the Kingdom

Things took a dark turn in a few centuries. In the reign of King Richard III, the reformation of Legionism into the Atheshi Church as we know of it now was in full swing. In a decade, most of the Legionist Oshelans were following the Atheshi Church in Varras, with many convinced that Legionism would become the dominant religion.

While many Oshelans were still tolerant of other faiths and cultures, many became xenophobic against different faiths and cultures. It was during this time that many government officials started using religion as well as ethnicity as the basis for the conviction of crimes, mostly accusing them of sabotaging Atheshi efforts in Oshela. Unfortunate circumstances were also blamed on people that were not Atheshi. The industrialists in Varras commanded huge armies of Legionists to take the fight against the Adzanists. Even though the Oshelans were not as fanatic as the Atheshi to the South, many petitioned the King to form an expeditionary army to join the Atheshi Church's crusade against the Adzanists.

Due to the influence held by members of the clergy, particularly within the Nobility due to the sudden influx of Redeemers and as a result, the Parliament. The King had to accede to this request. Many historians theorized that this was a ploy to reduce the influence the clergy held over the Parliament while those nobles were out crusading, it was obvious that since the conversion of most of the Kingdom's populace converted to following the Atheshi Church, many displayed intolerance, being preached to by the Redeemers that any other religion was heretical and inferior to the Legionist faith. The King though, had yet to make his move. Once the Parliament was cleared of the Redeemer Nobility, the King forcefully passed a law that removed the Redeemers from their positions, and the rest they said was history...

In 240 FA, tensions between the Kingdom and Varras grew over disagreements on the stance of the Atheshi Church against other religions like the Harkanes and surprisingly, the Adzanists. With the passing of time, the Oshelans became more and more tolerant of foreign cultures and religions, starting to question the perceived Atheshi hatred against the Adzanists. This being the most evident in Parliament as many outspoken factions were pushing for the King to reduce his support for the crusades that the Atheshi Church called against the Adzanists.

In 286 FA, seeing an opportunity to wrestle more power from the Atheshi Church in Varras, King Edward II formed the Church of Oshela, with support from Oshelan Redeemers of the Atheshi Church. The Church of Oshela had an almost identical dogma, the only thing different is that the King and House Dawngazer are descended from Althezin and inherited some of his power, which manifested as the King’s right to rule over the nation. Tensions between the Atheshi Church in Oshela and the State boiled over, resulting in what is now called the Wars of Religion. After the war, multiple reforms were introduced in regards to religion, leading the way for the secularisation of the Kingdom. The Church of Oshela was merged back into the Atheshi Church, as part of the terms offered for reconciliation, the Atheshi Churches in Oshela still continue to preach that the King and House Dawngazer are descendants of Athezin. Generations passed, the divide between religion and the state grew, as each successive King slowly edged away at the Church’s influence over the state, resulting in the Kingdom’s almost complete secularization up til 418 FA, when the Reconciliation took place.

During the Kingdom’s years of being a well known secularised nation that discriminated against no religion nor culture (particularly from 334 to 417), many people of different religions and cultures flocked to this part of the Legionist world, where the Kingdom offered refuge for intellectuals, master craftsmen, and a place where the different cultures and religions mingled together. Many new ideas and new religions were born, but one of these new religions, the Kings of Oshela took a keen interest in: The Church of Order and Truth. This religion was one that was never seen nor recorded in the libraries of Oshela, it combined the faiths of Legionism and Adzanism, and the Kings saw the opportunity for peace between Adzanism and Legionism. However, as the Kingdom started rolling back into a religious government, followers of this new religion retreated into the underworld, for fear of persecution.

### The Arts

It is a skill that has to be tested before the Ministry of the Arts certifies that a person indeed holds the skill. It is useful or even required to possess these skills before being able to enter the social classes on top of the Peasantry.

### Literacy

Practiced mainly by women, Literacy is deemed only necessary for administration of the Kingdom and its subjects. Learning the Art of Literacy is required for all females when they reach the age of 6, amongst other womanly Arts. The effect of this is that the men are heavily dependent on women to read and write for them, and in most cases, married women act as scribes and accountants for their husbands. Only men from the highest echelons of nobility and the Monarchy are deemed worthy enough to take on the art of Literacy. While there are men who are not nobility nor part of the royal family that learn this art, they are deemed unholy and people usually avoid them.

### Art and Philosophy

The creation of objects of artistic value, this Art is not restricted to gender, and there have been artists, philosophers, and many others from both genders. Many acknowledged that this art is necessary, in order to inspire the Professions and Peasantry to continue on in life.

### Warfare

An Art that is dominated by men only. The Art of Warfare is one of the most honored Arts in the Kingdom, as it is only through military might, and the sacrifice of so many men on the battlefields that the Kingdom was able to stop the Amaguk Lyoveldi in its tracks. Any woman that practices this art is heavily shunned by society.

### Governance

The Art of Governance is an art which is required before being allowed into a position that concerns governing a certain part of the Kingdom. Such as the Parliament, part of the Councils, the Cabinet and most importantly, the Nobility.

### Debating

The art of Debate, it is required before a person is able to campaign for a seat in the Parliament. It is not limited to any gender, though in order to enter politics, men and women alike are encouraged to take on this art.

### Trades

There are many different trades throughout the Kingdom, such as being a blacksmith, a master builder, a woodcarver, a stone carver and many other trades. Before a person can be recognised as being part of a trade, he must become an apprentice to a master of the trade, who has been practising the trade for at least 10 years. The apprentice must also register with a guild of that particular trade.

The various guilds manage the various trades, protecting the interests of the Professions. Each guild provides different benefits for their members, and the larger a guild is, the more subsidies and special grants will be granted by the Ministry of Commerce

### Intellectual Arts

These arts serve as the foundation of an intellectual’s knowledge, particularly Mathematics. These arts are usually pursued by individuals who seek to learn more about the world. One could choose to pursue the Art of Science/ the Art of Astronomy/ the Art of Mathematics/ the Art of Medicine. The tests which certify an individual’s proficiency in these Intellectual Arts are different from the other Arts, as these tests serve to only solidify and provide the individual with foundational knowledge before delving further into the Art itself.

- Science

- Astronomy

- Mathematics

- Medicine

## History

### **Before the Secession.**

The Kingdom of Oshela was once part of the Amaguk Lyoveldi, an ancient empire that from 52 TA to 62 TA, encompassed the current Kingdom, to the Terano lands to the east. An empire that was once the mightiest in the world, was carved out from the chaotic aftermath of the fall of the Theocracy. Yet an empire forged through blood and iron would never win the people's hearts fully. The Emperor of the Amaguk Lyoveldi, summoned the Great Congress of the Lords every 3 years to keep the Swareli, the Harkanes and Terano regions in check, to show who was still the ultimate power in the region.

The Swareli lords were largely autonomous, other than the occasional visit from the Imperial Chancellors. The Terano Emperors’ rule over the Swareli lands were not welcomed with open arms, nor was it rejected. While the first years of Imperial rule were uneasy at best, as time passed, the stability brought by the Terano Emperors culminated into almost a decade of prosperous and successful rule for the Swareli regions. Tragedy struck soon after. The Emperor, in his paranoia, sought to increase their hold over the Empire’s lands and started removing the privileges the Swareli nobles were entitled to, such as the collection of taxes, the increase of taxes in Swareli lands, forcing the Swareli to migrate to the Terano lands, all in an attempt to centralise their power over the Empire. These actions made the Swareli question the purpose of the Empire. Does it exist for the people? Or does it exist for the Emperor… The answer to the question was soon clear, when the Swareli commoners were unable to afford the taxes demanded by Imperial tax collectors, they protested against the tax rate, calling it outrageous. When they were ignored and instead beaten up if they refused to pay the taxes, rebellion was soon afoot. They gathered into armies, with dissatisfied Swareli nobles at their lead. In response, the Empire sent in its armies to crush the rebellion in a show of strength…. It was a massacre. Thousands of peasants, hundreds of Swareli lords lay dead on the fields of mud mixed with blood, shit and piss. The Empire was victorious, but at what cost? A seed of dissent, hatred and disgust was sowed into the Swareli that day. There was an uneasy peace between the Swareli regions and the Empire from then on, and all it needed was a spark. Swareli lords plotted with one another, against the Empire, slowly building up their strength, and gaining more and more support from amongst the populace.

The time came during the 3rd Great Congress of Lords, which was held in the West Swareli region adding fuel to the fire were rumors of rebellions in Terano lands a month earlier. Many West Swareli nobles were doubtful that the Terano would raise arms against their Terano Emperor, many thought it was a ruse by the Empire, to see if any disloyal subjects seek to revolt against the Empire. When the time of the Great Congress of Lords came, the absence of many Terano lords and the Emperor during the Congress confirmed the rumors of rebellion. Overnight, Imperial Terano garrisons in Swareli cities were overwhelmed and killed. When dawn came, the Kingdom of Oshela was declared independent from the Amaguk Lyoveldi, claiming sovereignty over all Swareli lands that were once part of the Empire. Armies were raised and trained, to prepare for the eventual retaliation from the Empire. All this was done under the overview of the newly crowned King Richard Dawngazer, whose father was one of the nobles that died leading the rebellion almost 26 years ago.

With its attention and armies divided between the two rebellions, the Amaguk Lyoveldi attempted to concentrate its armies in the west and crush the Kingdom before turning its attention to the Edreians. When the Empire’s armies appeared in the northeast, many Oshelan strategists were confident in preventing the Empire from breaching the Kingdom’s heartlands as the narrow strip of land allowed the Oshelans to find the Imperial armies with ease and crush them. As if by magic, when the war was going well for the Oshelans, there were reports of Imperial armies coming from the mountains. Duke Heywood quickly led his army to fight the Imperials in the southeast, and managed to defeat the Imperial army in a series of bloody battles. Yet, while Duke Heywood was fighting near the Harkane mountains, King Richard’s army in the east was being overwhelmed by imperial troops, and barely saved by Duke Heywood’s army by a tiny margin.

### **Post Secession:**

During the first years of King Richard’s reign, King Richard ruled with an iron fist in order to restore stability and prosperity in the new Kingdom. It was deemed that when enough time passed, the memory of the Amaguk Lyoveldi would fade, and everything would return to normal. And only then, could true reform take place. During the 16th year of King Richard’s reign, King Richard tried to reform the Kingdom, in order to give the people a chance to rule themselves, and to weaken the nobility. The nobility wanted to keep their power and hold over the Kingdom, and forced the King to watch from the side, biding his time for the right opportunity, and slowly gathering allies to support his reforms.

King Richard’s wait was not worth however, for he died before his dreams of a Kingdom with a powerless nobility was not fulfilled. A quick stab to his throat by an assassin sent by his rivals, King Richard died on his potty, and the crown passed to his young son, WIlliam.

Upon the news of King Richard’s death, and the succession of a young and supposed weak King, many nobles that seeked to take this opportunity to empower the nobility took up arms in rebellion. The King and his armies managed to defeat the rebellious nobles, though at a high cost. With a new regime, came huge reforms. Cities, towns and villages were restructured, the Act of Parliament and the Act of Inheritance were introduced, a new political entity called the Parliament was created and the feudal system was reworked to the point where each noble separately swears loyalty to the King, and no nobles were allowed to have other nobles as vassals under him.

The role of the King eventually became a stabilising political force of the Kingdom during the reign of King William II, due to the Parliament taking the key role of administering the realm.  Although it was rare, the King used his veto powers to stop legislation that goes against the good of the commoners. In order to curb the weakened nobility even more, King William II created the Lower House in the Parliament, and laid the foundations for a more people-centric nation.

While administration of the Kingdom was chugging along, all seemed well and fine until the 20th year of King William II’s reign. A plot to kill the sons of William II was revealed, but it was too late. The plot to kill the heir to the crown and his brother succeeded during a hunting expedition in the forests of North Cathava, and as such, with no clear line of succession, the nobles seeked to take the crown for themselves. Desperate for an heir, the choice of King William’s daughter as an heir to the King was obvious. However, the succession laws at that time only allowed males of the male line of House Dawngazer to inherit the crown, and thus King William proposed a bill to the Parliament to change the Kingdom’s succession laws to allow his daughter to become eligible to inherit his crown, where the oldest child inherits. This created an uproar amongst the more conservative population, where many believed that only men could inherit. After a long and hard fought debate in Parliament which lasted many years, in the 25th year of King William II’s reign, the changes to the succession laws were passed, and became law of the realm. His daughter was now heir presumptive to the crown. Just when it seems that the problems are over, a son was birthed by the Queen, and King Wiliam’s daughter lost her newly gained title almost overnight. She became jealous of her baby brother, and plotted to kill him. She was found out by chance, in the middle of trying to suffocate the baby prince. She fled into the night, never to be seen again, to live in exile at a small village.

Under the rule of King Theodore, the Kingdom prospered through an increase in trade with its neighbours. King Theodore engaged in diplomacy with neighbouring nations, and formed a web of alliances which greatly benefited the Kingdom. King Theodore also increased his hold over the Kingdom, cementing the King’s Authority in the nation even further. Nothing of note ever took place during his reign, which was considered peaceful, prosperous and turmoil free. King Theodore died without any children of his own, and as such the Crown passed to a Count instead of the children of Theodore’s sister, whose claims were considered null and void due to her attempted assassination of her brother.

King William III faced many problems from the elevation of his title from Count to King. Many people did not agree that he could run the Kingdom efficiently as his predecessors and there were rumors of supporters flocking to the flag of a pretender. Yet, even with the rumors of trouble afoot, King William III initiated a series of reforms during the 12th year of his reign, the reformation of the army, the reformation of the judiciary, the introduction of the Middle House into the Parliament. Additionally, he introduced a bill which enabled the Kingdom to provide education to those who could afford it, as well as reducing the price of education for it to be affordable for peasants. The law was passed.  Unfortunately for the young King, even though his reforms proved popular with the people, he was assassinated before he could carry on with his reforms. The people behind the assassination plot were never found, and many speculated that it was the machinations of the Pretender. King William III died childless, and the crown passed to his twin brother, Henry.

King Henry I continued the reforms of his brother, sharing the idealistic visions of his dead brother. Reforms were introduced one after another, yet the Parliament rejected most of them, mainly that reforming so much in a short amount of time would destabilize the Kingdom. As such, only the army was reformed and became much more efficient, but much more expensive to maintain.

In what is now termed as the Wars of Religion, it was a series of wars that lasted for several decades, from 286 FA till 334 FA. During this period, the Kingdom was non-existent in all but name. Nobles and Cities declared their independence from the Kingdom, to show the Kingdom that they have had enough of the Monarchy’s attempt at removing the Atheshi Church’s influence within the Kingdom. The Kingdom devolved into an all out civil war. Religious alliances formed, and the former duchies of the Kingdom fought against each other. Within a decade of the Kingdom’s fracture, several prominent nobles rose into power, using the title of Highprince to signify their standing to be higher than that of the Dukes of old, as well as to symbolically shrug off the waning influence of the Kingdom. Though there were a few Highprinces that completely abolished the Kingdom’s law, some adapted it and made changes to it as they saw fit. (when the Kingdom was reunited, some of those new laws were formally accepted into the Kingdom’s law) However, as the various farmlands and industrial centers became the fields of battle, people became impoverished as they became unneeded or their jobs disappeared, contributing to the reason why the Highprinces were able to raise huge armies. The only region King Edward II was capable of holding onto was the Duchy of Srustu, and he spent most of his remaining years consolidating and expanding his holdings into neighbouring duchies, and forged new alliances with other Highprinces.

Old comrades took up arms against each other, countless alliances being formed and broken, huge battles took place in the lush grasslands of Oshela, resulting in tens of thousands of casualties. It was truly a dark age for the Kingdom, resulting in the stagnation of the economy and technology of Oshela. Then came the ascension of King Henry V to the helm of the Duchy of Srustu, who earned the moniker of “Sunmaker”. A tactical genius with a glib tongue, he restored the Kingdom of Oshela through a series of royal marriages with other Highprinces, while crushing those that sought to resist him, though there have been some that have continued to last into this day. He was able to enforce a peace that brought about peace till the current day, bringing about a new age for the Kingdom. While the powers of the King have decreased due to the sudden decentralisation, over a century the title of Highprince has fallen into disuse, though there are remnants of the Kingdom’s dark past to the South. The Redeemers were still banned from the Nobility and government positions, while the Church of Oshela remained standing. In all but name, the Atheshi Church was defeated. Then, in 418 FA, King Henry VII, as head of the Church of Oshela, publicly offered to reconcile with the Atheshi Church, as a means to push for the end of decades of fighting amongst Legionism. This could be due to Adzanism taking an aggressive stance towards Legionism in the later part of the century. The Atheshi Church agreed to reconciliation, as well as the demand for the Atheshi Church’s branch in Oshela be allowed to continue practise the religious dogma of the Church of Oshela. However, this lead to religious elements slowly gaining a foothold in the Government, but not to the extent before the Wars of Religion.