Complete History of California

The largest successor state to Old America, the New California Republic can trace itself back to just after the Reign of Tiamat to a handful of warlords who would attempt to unite the nation.

Until the recent turnaround in the Holy Columbian Confederacy, the NCR was unquestionably the most successful of nations in North America. Recent years have not been as kind, as the Arxian Legion presses west and the Haida raiders continue to harass and loot valuable trading ships, but the NCR is still able to defend herself.

## The Warlord Era

After the Reign of Fire, other than minor movements of re-established authority, the vast majority of the land is leaderless and in anarchy.

### Zakariyya's Conquest

By 2030, the young muslim warlord Zakariyya has overthrown the tyrant governing over Pendleton base with a large peasant uprising. Tribal wars continue throughout the state.

Within 2 years, Zakariyya has, by this point, taken over all of present-day Pendleton county, and has crushed the traitor Aiden Lanceus, strengthening his own army in the process. Calls for help come from the city of San Diego, where "The Council" rules as tyrants over the survivors of the event. By this point, minor villages and towns have autonomous governments established and the realm is no longer as anarchic as before.

By the end of the next year, Zakariyya completely ended the council, starving them outside of their floating fortress. Having secured his hold, he orders the rebuilding of much of the former infrastructure.

Zakariyya continues to consolidate the southlands in the hopes of grand unity. By 2035, the north, under Dalton I Areus, begins to form Gran Frisco. Neither know it now, but both will head to a clash that will shape the future of the region.

   After an attack on Zakariyya's hometown of Anaheim by one of the warring factions in LA, with the famed pre-event castle being burned to the ground and many of the citizens captured or killed, Zakariyya swore to pacify the various warring neighborhoods of Los Angeles and by 2037 the LA campaign is well underway, and the city has been completely surrounded, as Zakariyya entered into Orange county as a liberator, and other counties submitted out of fear. The divided city feared the incoming conqueror but for little to no reason. Viewing himself as a unifier, Zakariyya would treat the city with great care, in contrast to how his hometown had been treated.

Finally forming The Glad Emirate, as this period is known, the consolidation of all modern-day Socal under Zakariyya's banner was complete. Driven by the unity he saw within LA after his pacification, he swore to unify the whole realm so that none may fall victim to the horror that was division in post-event California. He sends out messages of unity to all the californian lords, getting some early supporters in the process.

However, Zakariyya's messenger to Dalton Areus had been slain by the cruel king of Frisco, who vowed to oppose Zakariyya's expansionism. California draws itself into two camps as Zakariyya begins plans for a grand invasion of Grand Francisco.

After a year of pitched fighting slow progress by Zakariyya's side, the largest extent of Zakariyya's realm was during the Three Day Reign, where his forces won pitched battle against Dalton Areus but lost major casualties, including Zakariyya's dear friend An-nil. He occupied the city of San Fransisco for three days before mysteriously retreating south.

In the immediate aftermath of Zakariyya's failed invasion, he seemed to withdraw from the world and its affairs, coming out only to govern. Meanwhile, to the North, Dalton Areus' victory came at a cost, as much of the valleyan warlords who supported him now find means to dispose of him. With his sudden death in a hunting accident, Dalton Areus' young son, Mason, inherits the throne of Francisco, and his realm barely survives the trauma. It would not survive a second succession.

Leading up to 2050, Zakariyya had lessened the demands from his vassals increasingly year by year, seeming to be content with Socal proper. Regardless of their lessened duties, many of these vassals still professed loyalty to the man.

Within 25 years, the Areus realm has fractured and collapsed on the death of Mason, as various regional lords proclaim independence and regularly defeat Friscian armies in battle.Zakariyya has released his vassals in the valley from his service, asking only that they govern justly and "enjoy what is right and forbid what is wrong"

While he would retain his popularity, Zakariyya would continue his seclusion until his death in 2100. With the death of Zakariyya, the realm of Socal passes to his son Ali az-Zahir, who releases the death valley lords from his service with the same condition his father asked of the valleyan vassals. The situation in the Valley proper begins to look grim as total anarchy spreads once again, with various lords conquering and being defeated in a serious of coalition wars

### The Conqueror of the Sacred Heart

The situation in the valley exploded when a crazed Sacred-Heart conqueror arised and subjugated much of the valley, seemingly out of nowhere. Proclaiming himself the second coming of the Messiah, he attempted an invasion of Socal, where he slew Imam Jafar in an ambush.

The invader was eventually slain by Imam Karim, Jafar's son and successor. Despite this pushback of the invaders, Socal never regained bakersfield. Without an heir, the conquerors realm disintegrated with his death as the valleyan warlords began their conquests anew. In Grand Fransisco, a revived Areus presence has restored some order to the immediate area

### The Tree Warlord

By the mid 2300s, Rumors of a (name pending) pre-gaian warlord consolidating much of the north does not concern valleyan warlords who continue to wage war against one another, while in the east strange sickly cultists rise to power and a unified Catholic state emerges in the Baja.

Of course, to their shock, this Jeffersonian conqueror proceeds to invade the valley itself after unifying the north, with aims to unite California from his presence in the North.

During the 2360s, a grand coalition is put forth by one of the valleyan warlords, known for his kindness, who successfully pushes the conqueror back north. His enemies plot his demise, which will set in motion a chain of events for one of his court scholars. With the death of the warlord and his entire household via assassination, leadership passes to a scholar within his court, named Elton Yudkow.

    Elton consolidates much of Wineland, before turning his eyes southwards towards Frisco.

## The Beginning of the War of Unity

With Elton aiming to unify northern Gran Fransisco, The War of Unity would begin with King Dalton IV Aureus of Gran Frisco executing a famous Imamite preacher by the name of Al-Karim of Socal. His death sends shockwaves through much of the pre-cetic populace, even those not of the Imamite creed, because of the sheer wastefulness it brought. He would later be seen as a martyr by the Imamites and a Guru of the Cetic schools.

Emir Musa, of Al-Karim's home of Socal, would be deeply saddened by the Imamites death. A radical faction in his court, led by his brother Ahamad, would demand revenge and attempt to force Musa's hand into a retaliatory attack. Before Musa would be able to act though, Elton would move swiftly across the bay in a late night attack and take San Francisco by surprise, avoiding both a protracted war and siege. Elton would publicly execute the last Aureus King, leaving his head on a pike overlooking the bay.

With the last Areus king executed and Elton having consolidated his realm, his eyes are set on a new target: Sacramento, as held by Hardin Strutter. To the south, in socal, trouble grows: the Baja commanderies have been taken by a resurgent Baja state, and many hardliners in the court are furious that an outsider clearly cared more for al-Karim's death than Musa, the ruler, did. While this is not true, Musa is blamed regardless. In order to ease their worries, Musa promises an expedition against San Luis Obispo, marching with troops more loyal to vengeance than himself.

While Musa would begin his march, Elton had convinced the Hardin Strutter to peacefully submit, allowing Elton to proclaim his Empire. However, this would terrify the other Valleyan warlords, who form a coalition against Elton far larger than he. Elton seems trapped - unless an ally could be found.

## Ahmad's Rebellion and the Bajanos Invasion

While leading his tenuously loyal army in the north, Musa's Capital of San Diego would be attacked completely by surprise by the Bajanos to the south, who were looking to expand their new realm.

Emir Musa's brother, Ahamad, a former student of Al-Karim and leader of the radical faction in court, was seething because Musa hadn't attacked Gran Frisco in revenge. When the Bajanos came and looted the Record depository in the Fortress of Balboa they destroyed most of Socals archival (and antediluvian) records in the process.

Taking this as a sign that Allah had abandoned Musa, the 'Alawiyya, led by Musa's brother Ahamad, revolt and install Qasim Abbas as the Imam in Orange County. Upon hearing the news of his disposing by his brother, Emir Musa fled his questionably loyal army and vowed to raise an actual army and take back his birthright. Now isolated to a minor rump state, Musa is in trouble - and Elton sees his chance.

Quickly invading and conquering San Luis Obispo and then sending diplomatic overtures to the Emir, Elton would offer his army in assistance, in return for Musa's fealty and recognition as Emperor. Musa would accept and become the Deputy of Socal and the two set out for San Diego.

With Musa "the Bowed" submitting to Elton, the Alawiyya are easily crushed and San Diego is reconquered. Musa and Elton become fast friends, and now Elton's forces are replenished and doubled. Musa invites the Death Valley lords to submit to Elton as he did; many do, while some resist.

## In the Valley of Death

With these forces, Elton would then march into the Battleborn lands and into Death Valley itself. Marching his entire army through the desert, Elton somehow managed to come through with most of his force intact, now north of his next foes, the original Bakersfield Confederation that opposed him, when they were expecting him to be south of them. In a brutal massacre, Eltons army routed the Bakersfield force at Modesto and set the tone for a harsh campaign that historians believe was because of their original opposition to him declaring himself Emperor. The lords of the confederation would surrender shortly after. California is now split between the Northern resistance, California proper, and the Baja.

Elton would then allow his army to return home to Sacramento, a reward for their performance thus far. While in the Golden City, Elton would be struck by the idea which would eventually become Ceticism.

## The Formation of Ceticism

    In a period of peace following the Bakersfield subjugation, Elton would formulate the basis of what would become Ceticver the scholar, Elton Elton understood that his new holdings and vassals covered a wide range of cultures and religions and that those could be potential sources of conflict or even rebellion, so he sought a way to unify the land without drastic societal and religious upheaval. Eventually creating a philosophy which the people could keep their gods and cultures but must do so in service of the Empire. Following Emperors would expand the philosophy until the collapse of the Empire and subsequent republicanization.

## The Incorporation of Jefferson

While organizing both his new lands and philosophy, King Bill of Jefferson died, leaving the Kingdom to his 8 year old daughter, Columbia. Relations between Jefferson and The Valley were already tense due to Columbia's grandfather being the General of Gaia, who attempted to invade during Elton's predecessors reign, when Elton was still only just a court scribe.

Elton, recognizing destiny when presented to him, offered Columbia a chance at being his Deputy of Jefferson in return for her fealty, and despite many of her vassals calling for a armed resistance, Columbia's mother, the Queen-Regent, would get her to swear loyalty.

## The Bajanos

Finally, setting his sights on the last remaining holdouts, Elton took his forces to Ensenada and burned the city to the ground. Drawn out by the need to hold new Kingdom together, King Dong-Sun Caballero would meet Musa outside of the Guerrero Negro Saltworks and was defeated. King Dong-Sun surrendered, laying his crown at Musa's feet. In an act of Mercy, Musa would accept his surrender and brought Dong-Sun and his crown to Elton, who would allow him to become Deputy of the Baja. The Caballeros would lead the Californio people into becoming some of the Emperor's most stalwart supporters.

## The Creation of the Celestial Empire

Having united all of the lands of Old California under one crown, Elton would melt the 5 crowns together and with the metal create a new crown and scepter befitting of the Emperor of California. Crowned as Elton I "The Lawbringer" Yudkow, Emperor of California and the Protector of the Baja.

Centrally organized, with Deputies controlling each of the former Kingdoms subservient to the Emperor, Elton had created what many had only dreamed of. Attempting to eliminate the most obvious problem, Emperor Elton I would begin to introduce Ceticism to the various Deputies and their now-called States. Allowing for religious pluralism as long as it is done in service of the Emperor and recognizing the Emperor as the final authority of temporal matters were the main tenets.

Finally, with the land united, a great many civil service projects were begun, including irrigation and road laying. The first real large scale constructions since the Age of Fire had finally commenced. Life in the Empire improved and the Yudkow dynasty's place was cemented.

## The California Golden Age

Elton would continue building civil buildings and to hone the Cetic philosophy until his death in 2473. His son, Presley I, would continue these policies and greatly expand upon them. He would begin a system of mutual defense and open trade between California's neighbors, enforced by the Empire. Seeing everything outside of California as barbarian wasteland, the Emperor felt no need for continued expansion.

California's influence would not be restricted to just its borders. The Empire's economical and military power influenced the lives and politics of neighboring states. In exchange for yearly tribute as well as serving as buffer states against the Christians of the Midwest and Mexico, California allowed its neighbors to live in peace, the citizens of its tributaries granted free passage into the Empire and preferential treatment when it came to trade. It did not mean a complete lack of conflict, but such matters are solved quickly lest the squabbling attract the ire of Sacramento.

Generations would pass without major conflict besides the occasional easily repelled barbarian horde attack in the south or northeast. The office of the Governatus, the commander-in-chief for the Celestial Emperor, was created to deal with them, leaving the Emperors free to govern California and work on their Cetic writings.

Trade would be established with the Kingdom of Hawaii, with the Emperor eventually drawing his personal guard from there. One of the Crown princesses, with Yusef the Pilgrim from Socal, would create the Fleet of Grass with the empires help and attempt to find the Muslim Holy Land and riches. They would never be heard from again.

Both the Brotherhood of Steel and the Californian Rangers would be formed in this period. Language was codified and standards were introduced for weights, measurements, and money.

During Emperor Ruben's reign, the Gaians to the North of the Empire were members of the tributary system. Most paid yearly gifts of treasure to the Emperor, becoming Californian Prefectures in all but name but a few polities were granted special privileges. One such polity was the Sacred Grove of Portland, a theocratic state governed by a council of Druidesses. As a sacred site to both Gaian Cetics and proper Gaians, Portland only paid a quarter of the yearly tribute to the Empire, so long as pilgrims from California are guaranteed protection and the freedom to worship. Inevitably tensions would mount between the local druids and the foreign clergy, leading to send conflict and the Empires first lost. Shocked by being the first Emperor to lose a war, Ruben I would be found dead days after hearing the news. He's successor, Elton III, didn't wish for continued conflict and would execute the Cetic Guru who caused the conflict in the first place, giving his head to the Portlanders. Further, the Sacred Grove of Portland's status as tributary was changed to that of 'Honored Friend of the Empire', granting Portland full protection and trade rights without having to pay tribute for twenty years.

For the Portlanders, the reparations meant little compared to what had been lost. Acres of sacred forest had burned in the battle for Portland, with the death toll from the Portland campaign reaching thousands. The privileges of being an 'Honored Friend' of California meant little as well, as in the coming years other realms in the Pacific Northwest would attack Portland, with the only support from Sacramento being a token force of inexperienced soldiers.

This would set the stage for the next major attempted expansion of the California Empire

## The Northern Prefectures

Elton III son, Hetch I, would take the opposite Way of his father and made it his imperial prerogative to conquer the northern Gaians and officially incorporate them into the Empire. Hetch I would call for a grand coalition of California forces to bring the tree-huggers under heel.

The campaign ended in disaster. The Emperor, while in the midst of a great battle, was struck by one of the tree-dwellers weapons - his leg caved in and his ability to fight on the front forever destroyed, the Emperor ordered the frontlines guarded and retreated to the eastern capital. The wound had come as a great shock to the great Emperor - for days he insisted it was a minor wound and would soon heal, but as time went on his attempts at walking grew more pained and his moods often turned darker and darker, until he found solace in gifts of Valleyan wines. After his impairment, he grew more interested in drink and idle fancy rather than governance, relegating many of his traditional tasks and responsibilities to courtiers and his Governatus. Thus began the many excesses of the Bureaucracy.

The Governatus, Jeff Madonna, had envisioned this as a chance to cement his authority, and he ordered his most loyal into positions of governance over the various prefectures of the Celestial Empire. In the following scores of years, courtiers abused their power, as the local despots levied exorbitant taxes, seized property, pillaged coffers, and violated the common folk.

The Northern Prefectures were left isolated, as attacks from the followers of the Tree increased tenfold. The Governatus ruled that the Prefectures were less important than the empire itself, and eventually, General Kirk Gable and his men abandoned their stations, fleeing southward to guard the northernmost border of the empire. Thus, the imperial roads in the north were abandoned, and Gaian pilgrimages to the Redwoods increased in intensity and in fervor, as many Druids began claiming of revelations from the Earth.

One of these visionaries, who called himself "The General of Gaia", claimed that the Emperor would perish soon, from a fall caused by his wound. None believed him, and all were in shock when the Emperor fell down the entrance to the Imperial Hall - a fall no doubt caused by his wound.

Overnight, political squabble overtook the imperial court, as factions fought to push their favored prince to inherit. The Bear Throne sat empty for a week, as the struggle grew more intense. Finally, the Prefect of the Motherlode, Will Steely, crushed his opponents, including the former Governatus. With his rule secure, the new Governatus placed forth the prince Chad, the Steward of the Northern Palace and Emperor Hetch's fourth son, on the throne. Emperor Chad, now known to many as "the Boneless", ruled from behind a screen, as he delegated tasks to the Governatus and his ensemble while he immersed himself in indulgent amorous activities with his youthful consort, Empress Amanda.

As the realm slid further into chaos, disasters struck - the raids from the north increased, the ground shook asunder, and crops failed for years on end. The citizenry struggled on the verge of starvation and death as the bellies of the officials grew wider.

As the ability of the court decreased, the duties of the prefects and officials increased. One official in particular, James Gearhart, had been zealously promoting a tithe on the Gaian processions, which he felt had now overwhelmed the Redwoods. Many of those who conducted the pilgrimages refused to pay the tithe - dissidence turned into anger when pilgrims were seized at random by James' order, and the area grew unstable with contempt for the court.

## The Green Sash Rebellion

Eventually, James Gearhart, angered at the lack of tithes, decided to force the pilgrims to pay, and punish those who refused. Sources are unclear on what followed exactly afterward - but by the end of the day, thousands of pilgrims lay dead among the burning remains of the Great Redwood trees. The very symbol of the Celestial Empire was laid ablaze, and the empire itself was responsible.

The General of Gaia, who had made himself untraceable since his prophecy regarding the Brave Emperor, appeared once more, urging the common masses of the North to rise in revolt. With the cry of the Redwoods, dissidents began turning to rebels, shouting out that "Old is the heaven and necessary are the changes". The General bided his time, growing his following from a few social outcasts to many thousands within a year. Finally, he announced to all his followers - "In the Fifteenth Year, all is auspicious".

Thus it was, that, at the beginning of the fifteenth year of the Emperor, 2611 AD

(American Dating), large droves of people, who had long been abused and extorted, began to rise up in rebellion. Thousands upon thousands of the starved and disaffected began to take arms against the court, waving their green sashes high. The uprising seized and razed the offices and homes of local authorities, killing Imperial officials and capturing city after city. The revolt spread like wildfire, and within five days the entirety of the Northern prefectures had fallen, as the court was shocked to the point of inaction.

An emergency meeting of the court was declared, as the various armies of the empire were too scattered about to effectively respond. With urging of the Governatus Steely, the Emperor lifted one of the laws that the Emperor Lawgiver had laid down - that no prefect or governor may raise their own army. He ordered the prefects and governors of the realm to recruit from their citizenry and fight the rebellion, as more joined the cause of the rebels.

One of these new rebels, Yuk Kuan-Yin, had been a nobleman - he became increasingly convinced of zeal for his faith, and rose up with the followers of the Sacred Heart in Baja to overwhelm the province. Within six months, most of the empire had been conquered - but the rebels had a major weakness, as they no longer shared a common ideology or goal. Rebellion infighting became common, and the divided rebels were easily put to the sword by the might of the Empire. In an epic showdown outside of Reno, Kirk Gable slew The General of Gaia, who promised his followers before his death that he shall return as a champion of the Earth-Goddess. Yuk Kuan-Yin was slain by the Prefect Caballero, and the few remaining rebels ran to the hills.

With the rebellion crushed, the Empire should have experienced prosperity, but problems immediately arose. During the rebellion, Prefectures were permanently lost to barbarian forces. What's more, the victorious Prefects began turning on one another. In these battles, the Governatus was slain - but his daughter, Ann Steely, quickly consolidated the rest of the Valley and had the Emperor proclaim her as Governatus of the realm.

## The Fracture of the Empire

### The Defense of Gable

While Kirk Gable attempted to hold the northern prefectures together through the breakdown of Imperial authority, several prefects rose up led by Prefect Elias Gearheart, declaring "The empire has fallen and the people of Jefferson must not cling to its corpse." While most in the northern lands held this sentiment at least privately, Kirk Gable refused to abandon the Emperor. In truth many of his allies were more loyal to Kirk than the Emperor, but they followed him regardless. Kirk mustered an army to put down this rebellion as he did with the Green Sash.

For some lords, the news of Kirk moving to stop them was enough to shatter their morale, but others, including Lord Gearheart, persisted either out of ambition or genuine belief in their cause. These men were eventually vanquished in the battle of the Ukiah, where Kirk caught the rebels marching south in an attempt to seek aid from Goldin Moore. Kirk's veteran army made short work of the prefect's hastily raised men. In yet another show of mercy, Kirk allowed the armies of the rebels to disperse and return home, so long as the rebel lords submitted. Lord Gearheart was amongst those who bowed, though a few did notably resist and were executed before Kirk returned to Reno.

With the defeat of the last militant rebels and the death of the General of Gaia, Kirk Gable set about pacifying the northern prefectures, as there was still great discontent amongst the populace. While they no longer took up arms against Imperial forces, the common folk still held sympathies to the Green Sash. Kirk desired no more blood from the men and women of Jefferson, and so set out to peacefully pacify them. He personally declared his protection of Gaian pilgrims and even paid a large sum of his own wealth to help regrow the great forests that had been damaged in the violence. This greatly endeared him to the people of Jefferson, the man who had once been reviled throughout the Gaian community as the murderer of their savior over time became seen as not only a good and kind leader but one who respected the ways of the Gaian faithful.

When he declared his intention to marry his young son to a daughter of the Duke of Willamette, Gaians across the realm rejoiced. Kirk Gable became the ruler of Jefferson in all but name, prefects looked to him to guide them, his soldiers patrolled the roads and cities, and many hoped the Emperor would name him Grand Prefect of Jefferson. Unfortunately, things did not progress so smoothly in the rest of the Empire.

### The Rise of the Carmines

Socal survived the Green Sash Rebellion particularly intact - the Imam Yassir ordered his men to safeguard the various passes and roads leading to the urban centers. In the battle of Descanso, where a Green Sash battalion under the orders of Yuk Kuan-Yin attempted to cross into Socal, a commander distinguished himself by laying an ambush for the rebels. David Carmine, as he was named, was recognized by the Imam for this deed, and Imam Yassir made him the commander of Socal's armies.

David Carmine marched forth and shattered Green Sash rebels at Tejon, using the pass to rain hellfire on the rebels who crossed below. With the borders of Socal secured, Imam Yassir named David the Prefect of Pendleton and Protector of San Diego - the most prestigious title under the Governor of the province. Tragedy struck the Imam - his wife, and the mother of his son Yunus, had died following a sudden illness. After the mourning period passed, David arranged a marriage between his daughter, Seneca, and the Imam. While the celebrations occurred, David Carmine marched forth with the armies of Socal once more, this time ending the ambitions of the warlord Wilford Burnett, who had attempted to invade Obispo. David's campaigns earned him much loyalty from the soldiers of Socal. Later, David died a natural death - but his son, William, inherited his title and rank, and the loyalty of all of David's followers. Seneca soon gave birth to a son, Salim.

### Susan Ann the Governatus

With the rebellion largely put down in the Valley, The Governatus, Will Steely, made attempts to quell the ambitions of the various victorious prefects. He sent messengers in the name of the emperor, awarding them with rank and wealth, and for those who did not lay down their arms, he sent threats. When the Count of Yolo, Jacob Ryder, refused to submit to him, an assassin was dispatched, and Jacob's head was presented to The Governatus.

The Prefect of the North, Malthus Hartfeld, rose up in revolt against The Governatus. He propagated that Will Steely had used the powers of his office to curtail the Emperor, abuse the common folk, and seize the wealth of the land urging the other lords of the land to join him in his quest. His decisions had remained controversial - many had blamed the revolt on him and his decisions as Governatus, and now, with his rank more secure at the cost of the peace of the realm, he had made many enemies. They too joined Malthus Hartfeld in his war to restore Imperial Authority.

The Governatus marched forth with his troops, restoring order. After quick campaigns around the North Valley, including a fierce battle at Colusa, the Governatus was once more secure in his position, having slain Malthus and exiling his son. He placed the son of a loyal retainer, Richard Winkler, as the Prefect of the North Valley. However, the Central and Southern Valley remained out of his grasp, as did the rest of California. He amassed his forces and marched into Mariposa, where he was laid upon in ambush by Amber Colbart, the Countess of the area. Here, despite his attempts at facing off the enemy, the Governatus was slain, and with him, most of his loyal retainers.

The Imperial Court was thrown into disarray, as the Valley dissolved into chaos. Will Steely's sole child, Susan Ann, was quickly raised by her father's remaining supporters as his heir, and she set out from her base in the Motherlode to crush the remaining dissidents. Richard Winkler submitted peacefully - the others, including Amber Colbart, were met with the fury of the Fist, and none remained who opposed her hegemony in the Valley. When she entered the Imperial Palace, armed and flanked by soldiers, the Emperor Chad willingly granted her the rank and prestige of Governatus, ensuring her domain over the realm.

### The Usurpation by Goldin Moore

In the court of Gran Frisco, Prefect Chen Daoming did what he could to stem the tide of the rebellion, but he was a lanky and near-sighted scholar who had spent his time working to improve the lands he governed, he had no experience in leading soldiers, and knew he would be unsuitable for the task. He had hoped to appoint a competent prefect to lead in his stead but internal squabbles kept arising, the prefects were too busy arguing who would lead the armies to actually quell the rebellion, and Chen's attempts to broker some semblance of peace with the rebels continually failed to bear fruit.

A solution was proposed by Chen's Seneschal, Goldin Moore, who suggested that the position be put to a vote amongst the leading prefectures of the area. Through a campaign of bribery and Blackmail, Goldin himself was elected nigh-unanimously to be placed in charge of the Bayfolk armies. Despite his lack of military experience, Goldin proved to be an adept administrator (and very good at delegating command to minor lords who were good commanders with little influence) and successfully put down the rebels in Wineland and Salinas.

This led to the prefects of the Bay to see Goldin Moore as the leader who led them through the crisis, and Chen's influence at court gradually diminished as Goldin refused to relinquish command of his new armies. Shortly after the death of David Carmine, Goldin called a grand council of San Francisco where he asked the prefects to name him "Lord Protector of the Bay" and the new prefect of Goldengate. Chen was powerless to oppose the united force of Goldin's loyalists and was removed from power. As Chen and those loyal to him sped away to Sacramento to warn the Emperor, the Governatus, Susan Ann Steely, seized Yolo county from Goldin's domains. Goldin began amassing his forces for war.

### The First False King

Dramatic changes began to unfold quickly in Socal. Imam Yassir was struck with an illness the likes of which has never been seen before and died a sudden death. His grief-stricken widow, Seneca, was appointed regent over her stepson, Imam Yunus. Though she was not his biological mother, the two were very close, and Seneca treated Yunus like her own son, Salim. However, her brother, General William Carmine, Prefect of Pendleton and Protector of San Diego, rushed to the court, and in a dramatic turn of events, marched into Balboa, unseating the young Yunus, and placing his nephew Salim on the throne, claiming loudly that Salim was Yassir's desired heir.

Though Salim was her own child, Seneca refused to submit to her brother's actions, and she was swept aside out of the political situation entirely. She organized Yunus' escape from her brother, and Yunus was first taken to Los Angeles, and then to Orange, where he regrouped with loyal retainers. Less than a year into Salim's reign, the infant died in his sleep, along with his mother, Seneca. General William Carmine loudly mourned the deaths of his sister and nephew, and then unveiled a will - the final order of Salim - which granted Socal and its domains to William.

None protested, as William had taken steps to ensure loyal followers would be with him, and William, in the year 2622 AD (American Dating), proclaimed himself King. This violated the law laid by the Lawgiver that there shall be no Kings in the realm, but the Governatus, Susan Ann Steely, declined to prosecute William for his offense, viewing the opportunity as a means to gain an advantage for her own ambitions.

### The Baja

To the far south of the empire, Prefect Esteban del Caballero reacted quickly to the uprising in his territory. Before rising to become a Prefect, he had been a military commander and while his days of defending Hoover Dam from barbarian raids were long gone, his skill at strategy remained. When the Green Sashes rose up in his lands, he was temporarily forced to retreat up to Socal, where he fought alongside the armies of Imam Yassir.

Once Yuk Kuan-Yin was defeated in Tejon, Esteban pursued him southwards, liberating Baja as he went. Eventually Yuk was slain outside of Baja Sur and Esteban reclaimed the last of Baja. The losses were great but Baja had been saved. It was on his way back to Mexicali that Esteban received word of William Carmine proclaiming himself king, as well as the deaths of Yassir and Salim. Esteban knew that the empire could ill afford lords naming themselves kings, and that it would likely tear apart the Empire, but his losses were too great to force the Carmines to stand down, and he was isolated from any allies he could have sought. So Esteban relied not on the sword, but the pen.

In a letter sent to the Emperor, Esteban acknowledged that he lacked the ability to save the empire, and offered to protect the Imperial court if they relocated to Ensenada, which would be given to Emperor Chad as his new Court. This offer enraged the Governatus who saw it to be a bare-faced power grab intending to place the Emperor at the mercy of a Warlord. It was ordered that all envoys and officials from Baja were to be expelled, and so Esteban received his reply not in words but in actions.

The Emperor would remain isolated in Sacramento. Cut off from the north by the new Kingdom of Socal, and faced with Barbarians across the gulf, Esteban declared himself as King of Baja in order to consolidate his realm and defend the people he could reach.

### The Jefferson Kingdom

As news of the chaos from the south reached Kirk Gable, he quickly set about raising armies to reassert Imperial authority, but one morning did not rise from his bed in Reno. The servants found his body cold and lifeless, and the physician who examined him concluded that the prospect of the empire he had fought so long for collapsing was too much for his heart. Regardless of the cause of his death, the lords of Jefferson were left leaderless, until Marilyn Thielsen, the Gaian lady that was to be married to young Quentin Gable took charge.

She declared her betrothed King of Jefferson and herself the Queen and set about consolidating her reign. Marilyn was the daughter of the duke of Williamette and had spent years amongst the court of Kirk, where she established connections to many powerful nobles. While there were rumors she was tied to the infamous Bohemian club, such hearsay was dismissed out of hand once she came to power.

The Gaians rallied to Marilyn's cause, and many common folks remembered Kirk fondly enough to accept his son as their King, but several lords remained loyal to the empire and declared Marilyn to be a traitor. She took the armies meant to save the empire and used them to crush those who would oppose her. Quentin (who would later come to be known as "The Unready") came of age shortly after she quelled the last loyalists and the two were married in a great ceremony in Reno.

While Marilyn formally relinquished her power to her new husband, she was his leading advisor and the commander of his armies. Their union bore a son, Stanford, who had both the blood of Gaian lords and the beloved Kirk Gable. With their position strong, Jefferson established itself as yet another warlord state.

### The King of the Bay

As changes occurred throughout the realm, the Goldengate was experiencing its own events. Goldin led his army and surprised all, marching southwards as opposed to Yolo, with the intention of "Bringing the traitorous 'king' of Socal to justice." Goldin's armies captured Obispo quickly, and Goldin received an envoy from the Carmine king shortly thereafter. It is unclear what the terms of peace exactly were, but the next day the Socalian armies ended their march to take back Obispo, ceding it to the Bayfolk. When Goldin returned to San Francisco he held a great ceremony which ended in him crowning himself king of Gran Francisco. Thus fell the lands of the Bay.

Cut off from all sides, the Paiute lords of the Valley of Death declared themselves their own independent, though none around them regard them as significant enough to acknowledge.

### The Governatus Queen

With all of the empire effectively contesting her rule, Governatus Susan Ann Steely proclaimed herself queen of the Valley and ten years later Emperor Chad Yudkow died comatose in his sleep, leaving his hollowed out Empire to his son Elton IV.

## The Birth of the Republic

Elton IV would attempt to implement some reforms in order to put imperial power back onto the throne but the Governatus, Susan Ann, would led another coup against the throne, this time resulting in Elton IV's seclusion at her direction and the question of the Yudkow's being puppets or not was answered.

Civilian uprisings would start happening shortly after, leading to the Governatus beginning to violently and brutally suppress any domestic rebellions. Anti-Governatus, Anti-Imperial, Pro-Republican, and Anarchist societies began forming and spreading.

Many revolutionaries would begin to preach a return to an antediluvian form of government, away from the chaos of the Warlords and the unreliability of the Emperors.

A revolutionary named Alexander Vandegriff would unite several major rebel factions together into one group, called the Golden Poppy movement. They would announce their purpose as "To expel the unrighteous Governatus, to revive California, and to establish a most awesome Republic." Supported by non-Cetic intellectuals, the movement gained ground quickly and spread like wildfire throughout the 5 kingdoms. The shock of this when told to Emperor Elton IV was said to have weakened him, with him retiring to his personal quarters and passing away days later.

The pace of the Revolution would pick up immensely when several Black ships, led by people like the Chinos but not them, calling themselves the Edokko and demanding the the city of Los Angeles open itself for trade. This would jumpstart the Revolution as word spread of these foreigners from across the ocean spread and people realized the need for reforms or their country would be swallowed by these colonizers from the west. Included in them would be King Quentin Gable of Jefferson, having the foresight to understand a united California was needed against future colonizers and aggressors.

The king, along with Vandegriff and his Golden Poppies managed to secure the essential support of both the Brotherhood of Steel and the California Rangers and began a civil war with the remaining Warlords. Before they could capture any major cities though, San Francisco itself would rise up in rebellion against King Cullen Moore of Gran Frisco. Captured in the chaos, King Moore himself was beheaded and his head out on a spike overlooking his precious Bay.

Whilst the King of the Bay was losing his head, in Socal the Carmines had a problem of another kind. The Edokko had seized the islands of Santa Catalina and San Clementine and Rancho Palos Verdes on the mainland. The Carmines would quickly work out a treaty recognizing the Edokkos hold of their lands in return for a cessation of hostilities in order to confront the rebels. However they would not be able to work it out quickly enough, for once they were able to begin moving armies into a defensive positions, they were already being overrun by rebels. Alexander Vandegriff would allow the Carmines to live, while being exiled across the Colorado River.

During the chaos, the Second Alawiyya Uprising would begin, starting in Socal but were pushed out of the kingdom by revolutionary forces into Baja, where they would be able to usurp the Callebaro King and finally establish an Islamic realm, Dar al-Narr, on the west coast.

While the revolutionary armies were planning their assault of The Valley Kingdom, an assassin attacked the Governatus herself. Pretending to be a fleeing minor noble from Socal, the plan being to pretend to have important rebel communiqués and information to present to Susan Ann in order to get close and use a poisoned dagger hidden in a scroll.

The assassin approached Governatus Susan and politely presented the map scroll. When the Governatus unrolled the map, the assassin immediately seized the revealed dagger, grabbed the Governatus' clothes and attacked him, who somehow managed to back away from the initial thrust by tearing off a sleeve in the process. While Susan Ann fled from his attacker on foot, she attempted to draw her own sword hanging from her belt, but was unable to do so while running desperately as it was a very long ceremonial sword. None of the other California officials within the vicinity were armed and able to stop the assassin, and the guards stationed outside the palace were unable to reach the scene in time. In the confusion Jing Ke began to close in on the king, who struggled to get away from the assassin by circling behind a pillar.

Seeing the Governatus in grave danger, a royal physician grabbed his medicine bag and hurled it at the assassin, which slowed down the assassin just enough to allow Susan Ann to recover some distance. Reminded by cries from other officials, the Governatus managed to shift his longsword behind his back and unsheathe it over the shoulder. Now armed, he immediately turned back and struck the assassin in the thigh, effectively immobilizing him. The injured assassin, out of a desperate last attempt, threw his dagger towards Governatus Susan, only to miss his target. The Governatus then proceeded to stab the assassin eight more times, mortally wounding him. At this point, the guards arrived at the scene to finish him off.

Despite the failure, the next day the Governatus Susan sent a message to Vandegriff, pledging her loyalty if they didn't organize any more assassination attempts and promising to get the Celestial Emperor to abdicate the throne. Telling Emperor Reuben II that his and the imperial families lives would be in danger if they didn't abdicate before the rebels made it to the Golden City, Susan Ann managed to secure his abdication.

After long negotiations, it was settled with a vote that the Former Governatus Susan Ann would become the first President of the nascent Republic and that Vandegriff would be her Vice-President. Establishing a one party system by transforming the Golden Poppy into a political party, and within 2 years the Senate would be formed and filled while the former Emperor's, the Yudkow's, would be allowed to continue to live in the Golden City and be treated as a separate country, due to their religious and cultural importance. Accordingly the capital would be moved to San Francisco.