Cyren

Located in the Bay of Pent along the northwestern coast of Alkebu, Cyren is a thriving metropolis built on innovation and adventure. Known to many as 'the edge of the world', it is the gateway to the mysterious continent that holds secrets and treasures untold.

It was founded as a trading post in 1592 AE by the famous explorer Marko von Pentenberg under charter from The Great Ulthian Company, the fledgling town experienced firsthand the sharp edge of the hostile environment and natives. Through much hardship and change in its history, Cyren has come out the other side not only a survivor, but one of the most valuable territories in the known world.

## **Crisis and Revival**

Throughout the 17th century, the colony was defined by native violence and exploration into the vast unknown of the Alkeban desert and rainforest. The native Halta Banu reacted well to the influx of settlers (provided they supplied them with guns and possessions from their homelands) and provided the newcomers with valuable assistance. However, relations between the two groups had become strained with when Doux Markus Lee took power in 1620 AE. A harsh man who felt his people superior to the natives of the jungle, Lee was convinced the only way of expansion was through force, and he set about putting in plans in place. By 1627 AE, he had the support of newly-appointed Major-General Ries de Villiers of the Grand Ulthian Security Force, and moved fanned out around Cyren burning native territory and taking what resources were left. Lee and his ilk, however, did not have the support of Cyren's population on their side. With backing from partners Edward Bloemfeld and Johann Baadenhorst of the local Baadenhorst Shipping Company, an armed revolution broke out in Cyrenic territory. Rebels attacked the Corps' forces in the jungle and in the city streets, and for almost nine years there was a stalemate in the territory. By 1630 AE, the Grand Ulthian Company saw no other solution to end the issues in Cyren except to disband their charter and cut losses in order to save what profits they could. Cyren had officially become a rogue territory with no formal government, and the majority Grand Ulthian Security Corps' forces embroiled in a war beyond their contract. The Corps was let go from the Company, and eventually the group was dissolved following the disaster.

In 1634, a Dorminian trader-turned-rebel named John Wilson traveled to Dormin in order to appeal directly to King Richard IV for assistance. Without a formal charter, government, or stable military, Wilson felt the only option was to offer the city to Dorminia as a colonial settlement in order to achieve "some ounce of stability" as Mr. Wilson later wrote in his journals. Richard was sympathetic to the request, and ordered a charter written that declared Cyren to be an official colony of the Union States of Dorminia, with all the rights and responsibilities that followed. John Wilson was sent back to Cyren with who would become the first Governor of Cyren, Edwin B. Smyth and a large division of His Majesty's Royal Expeditionary Corps. Within a year, Markus Lee and de Villiers had been hanged and their forces had surrendered to the Dorminians, and order was restored.

Smyth's Governorship was primarily calm afterwards, and focused on transforming Cyren from just a wealthy

port city into a grand capital of trade, culture, and influence throughout the world. No longer were ships simply exporting raw materials as refineries, mines, and logging camps were placed and used to make exotic goods that were coveted both by locals and foreigners. Import tariffs were placed according to Dorminian standards (Though Dorminians paid less), and the Royal Expeditionary Corps expanded beyond the city to establish forts at Simbak-Sun, Xhona Valley, and along the banks of the river Eliza.

Cooperation with the Halta-Banu resumed once more, as well. Colonists flocked to Sangaan to build trading posts along the rivers and work with the natives to harvest more resources than ever before. Between 1650 and 1700, the city became a bustling center of Colonial and Native culture.

## **A New Man in Town**

All was not perfect during Cyren and Sangaan's growth, however. With such progress came critics, and none were louder than the natives who disagreed. Many tribes considered the Halta-Banu traitors to the jungle for working with the colonists, though they were still the largest native population by far. The Oromi, Asari, Kuzul and Apele were vehemently opposed to letting the same happen to them, and decided to take matters into their own hands. The borders of Cyrenic territory were lit with raids and colonial retaliation in 1683, and the settlers who once moved to areas such as Lake Listen and Evelyn Falls to establish trading posts with the natives soon abandoned their homes for the safety of Cyren. Governor Henry Hewitt welcomed the settlers into the city, but refused to press any sort of offensive against the natives for fear of retaliation, and so a sort of 'no man's land' was established along the western edge of Cyren's territorial border with the Oromi, Xhona, and Huli that lasted until the 18th century.

In 1699 AE, a new Governor had taken power after the death of Governor Hewitt. Frederick Bloemfeld was a Cyrenic native, whose family ties stretched back to the city's first founding alongside von Pentenberg. A veteran of the Royal Expeditionary Corps and an unapologetic businessman, Bloemfeld was the first Cyrenic to be appointed Governor by the local council. Immediately, he made known his desire to make changes to the city government that increased its independence from the Dorminian Crown such as renaming the Governorship to the original title of Doux and appealed to separate the Royal Expeditionary Corps from the Dorminian Military.

Bloemfeld was said to be a 'typhoon that simply wore down his opponents, no matter his position.' by people that knew him well. He not only bombarded the Dorminian government with correspondence requesting updates on the progress of his motions, but it is known that Frederick actually went to King Edmund II himself for approval. The two became fast friends, bonding over their shared wartime experiences and outlook on life, and by the time Bloemfeld had arrived back in Cyren, He found his requests granted.

Subsequently, the Royal Expeditionary Corps was reorganized into the Alkeban Expeditionary Force under the command of Major-General Lukas Carter in 1706. The two wasted no time in launching a forward offensive against the native tribes to push them out of Cyrenic territory and established several border forts in former settled areas. Bloemfeld's public opinion during the offensive steadily grew, he knew he had the city on his side with his famous "And What of Us?" speech in which he stated;

*"And what is to become of us? We native people who, yes, are native to this land just as any other tribe. We have settled, bred, killed, taken and given back to this land just as the Xhona have! We are no longer outsiders. This is our home, our land, and we WILL protect it!"* - Frederick Bloemfeld in Grand Fountain Plaza, 1707

By 1710, a young shipping magnate by the name of Lukas Aten had come under the wing of Doux Bloemfeld as the Minister of Business and Trade. Aten was ambitious and idealistic about the future of Cyren's cooperation with the natives, and while he did not see eye to eye with Bloemfeld on every issue, they both agreed peace was inevitable, given the right leader. Lukas was determined to make it a reality himself, and worked tirelessly over the next 4 years to prove himself a worthy successor to Frederick.

## **The Peace Agreement of 1719**

When Bloemfeld resigned from his position in 1714 in failing health, he declared Aten as his successor. The newly-appointed Doux of Cyren had spent most of his time in the shipping industry in Sangaan, as his family were one of the first to capitalize on the Halta-Banu's opening of trade in the 1680's. After once again repelling native raids from Apele land, Aten called the Halta-Banu chief Nyasa to Cyren for a meeting in 1716. There, the two leaders worked together to plan for the future between their people. As a result, Nyasa offered his tribe's land to Cyren as a joint venture between the two cities in equal cooperation. With the population becoming increasingly restless as a "colony" and not their own state again, this deal was made with a possible future free from Dorminian rule in mind. As part of the deal, all Halta-Banu lands southeast of the city, which included the middle and northern regions of riverlands, would be under the protection and jurisdiction of Cyren. Sangaan would still be governed separately by Nyasa and his descendants, but there would be greater cooperation between the two cities than ever before. There was room, as well, for other native tribes to do the same. Over the next three years, Aten and Nyasa worked tirelessly to convince the other tribes to join them out of protection for their own people, but only parts of the Xhona, Apele, and Huli gave in .

In 1719, five years after Doux Lukas Aten was elected, an official agreement was drafted and signed by the Halta-Banu, Xhona, Apele, and Huli. In the agreement, practices such as slavery and human sacrifice were outlawed, and colonial law was implemented. Many native traditions remained, however, to appease the more conservative leaders. Still, the 1719 Peace Accord stands as one of the most important moments in Cyrenic history, and served to place Doux Aten among the most beloved leaders of the city.

## **The First Alkeban Bush War (1726 - 1730)**

By 1726, the relationship between Varenth and Dorminia turned hostile once again through the attempted Fraesn uprising and proxy wars between Mascron and Briece. During the latter conflict which both powers supported a side in, Doux Aten and Major-General Sebastian Baker were ordered by the overarching Dorminian government to launch an attack on New Varenth in order to distract the hostile nation. Thought the Doux was hesitant to do so, he could not refuse an order from the King. So on September 13th, 1726, the 5th, 7th, 2nd, and 3rd Rifle Battalions attacked New Varenth. the AEF were victorious and the attack launched what would come to be known as the first of two Alkeban Bush Wars, which would ultimately outlast the Mascron-Briece conflict as well.

Battlefields such as New Alberstville near New Varenth, and Simbak Sun on the coast of Alkebu saw brutal struggles between the two armies over the next four years, with neither side gaining any territorial advantages over the other. In spring of 1730 AE, the Varenthian offensive had made its way to 'Little Hill' (An ironically large hill), deep in Cyrenic territory. It was there that the combined defenses of the AEF, Dorminian Colonial Light Brigade, and The Volunteer Army held back a larger Varenthian assault for over a week before they were finally routed and pushed out of the territory. This victory signaled the end of the Varenthian offensive and not long after, the war was brought to a close.

## **Between the Wars**

After the First Alkeban Bush War, the colonial territories of Cyren and New Varenth attempted to resume their previous normal interaction on the continent. In Cyren, the import/export of raw and refined materials that was so needed during the recent conflicts plateaued, but the city's revenue was still on a steady incline. The Alkeban Expeditionary Force found themselves with a surplus of well-trained and experienced soldiers without

jobs, so Doux Aten and Major General Baker devised a plan to provide the Cyrenic veterans with their choice of education or land in order to help them adjust back to society. The program was mostly a success, with most of the Bush War veterans staying in reserve in case of another conflict in the future. The attitude of the city, however, was forever changed. What once was an attitude of general indifference to their Dorminian overlords became a small whisper of distrust that seeped through the public over the next six years. Rumors of independence or even revolution were few and far in between, but almost every Cyrenic citizen heard them at one point. Native relations progressed as well, with the 1719 Peace Accord holding up and more tribes joining at the behest of the Halta-Banu each year.

## **The Second Alkeban Bush War (1736 - 1738)**

By 1736, however, New Varenth and Cyren's governments fell into disagreement over territorial borders and while Doux Aten was preparing an ultimatum for the colony, New Varenthian colonial forces launched a massive attack on Cyren. The city was unprepared and was eventually sacked by the enemy, who left almost as quickly as they had arrived. The Second Alkeban Bush War was declared. Almost immediately, Doux Lukas Aten and the AEF were able to regroup and re-arm their regulars and returning veterans and launched an offensive of their own, meeting the New Varenthians in Xhona Valley for the first time since 1729. The battle would end in a Cyrenic military victory, though two more battles would occur in the same area over the course of the war. Being a conflict started by the colonies and fought only on Alkebu, Dorminia lent little support to the AEF during the first half of the war, with both powers wishing to feign a measure of neutrality.

The war continued in a very give/take format for most of 1736 and into 1737. By mid-May, the Varenthians and AEF forces were locked in the Third Battle of Xhona Valley, one of the bloodiest battlegrounds of the war. After weeks of brutal fighting up and down the hillsides of disease-ridden jungle, the AEF forces were able to break the Varenthian defenses and push them back across the valley. The victory was short lived, however, as it was soon discovered that while AEF forces were locked in combat at Xhona Valley and Simbak-Sun, the city of Cyren had been occupied by Varenthians.

Over the next eight months, the AEF forces under Longhurst and Krüger kept under the radar and employed hit and run guerrilla tactics against the Varenthians. They sacked supply caches and transportation lines, liberated prison camps, and in late August, pushed back the offensive forces at Simbak-Sun, breaking the siege and freeing up not only an entire company of AEF men but also their artillery and airships. From there, an attack to retake Cyren was planned and in mid January, eight months to the day after "The Occupation" began, AEF forces attacked their own city. In what would come to be known as "The Reclamation", AEF artillery battered the occupying force from Table Mountain above the city and ground troops, with airship support stormed the eastern jungle gate and pushed into the city. While the battle raged on, a Dorminian airship fleet under the command of Commodore Marcus Aureas blocked Cyren's harbor from the north and either scattered or destroyed the Varenthian fleet. The battle lasted only two days, and while the city was reclaimed, several government and AEF officials, Alchemy Guild members, and citizens lay dead.

The Varenthian offensive was finished in Cyrenic territory, and what remained of the army was pushed back by outlying AEF and native battalions through the spring of 1737 until finally, New Varenth's governor called for peace. The forces that had occupied Cyren were, according to the government, acting outside of their orders from command and the leader of the attack had been tried and hanged almost immediately upon his return to the colony. Wary of the truth but tired of war, Doux Lukas Aten accepted the call for peace and worked with the Varenthians to draft an agreement. The Second Alkeban Bush War came to an official end on April 27th, 1737.

## **Recent Events**

In the years since the Bush Wars ended, Cyren has seen a miraculous period of growth and rebirth in all facets of society. Business owners from every nation flocked to the city between 1739 and 1741 when new sources of crude oil and raw metals were discovered to the southeast of the city in Halta-Banu territory, though increased colonial activity in native land brought with it new disagreements and dangers. The East Alkeban Trading Company had also returned to the jungles of Alkebu in order to stake their claim and create a monopoly on the resource trade as they had in the eastern deserts. The newly-elected Doux Daniel Krüger's response to the issue was to draft a plan for the expansion of Cyrenic territory to encompass native land that the city government and the AEF could then regulate and protect in order to ensure the stability of the region. To accomplish this, an agreement with the Halta-Banu was absolutely essential, as they would be given direct authority from Sangaan to regulate and police their own lands using Cyrenic resources. When Doux Krüger officially unveiled the expansion plans to the Dorminian government at the council of nations in Cyren in 1743, the act was officially sanctioned and Cyrenic expansion began immediately.

From 1743-1744, small border skirmishes were fought between the AEF and EATC in the newly acquired land, but eventually the trading company was forced to stand down in the face of lost profits and took a small amount of land near the the center of the riverlands, on the border of what came to be known as "Wild Land". There are rumors that the EATC was able to strike a deal with the Kwa and Kru tribes of the southern region, but nothing has been confirmed as no news of foreigners in Kwamset has ever returned to the civilized world.

In the meantime, Doux Krüger's administration continued their work on infrastructure both in Cyren proper and in native territory in order to secure their combined futures. One of Krüger's favored phrases was that everyone, Cyrenic or native, is an Alkeban. In the face of Dorminian colonization, that they alone are the masters of their own destinies. Krüger's nationalist sentiments resonated not only with the people of Cyren but the natives who over the past half century had become increasingly modern, as many of the tribal leaders came to understand Daniel as a man who had all their interests at heart. In 1744, Daniel, Arno and other Cyrenic officials traveled to Dormin for the grand World's Fair.

## **Line of Douxs and Governors**

* Marko von Pentenberg (1592 AE - 1598 AE) \*First Doux of Cyren
* Niko Belic (1598 AE - 1610 AE)
* Maximillian de Ville (1610 AE - 1619 AE)
* Markus Lee (1620 AE - 1636 AE) \*Deposed and replaced by Dorminian Governor
* Edwin B. Smyth (1636 AE - 1660 AE) \*First Dorminian Governor
* Henry Hewitt (1676 AE - 1683 AE)
* William Aurelius (1683 AE - 1699 AE)
* Frederick Bloemfeld (1699 AE - 1714 AE)  \*Returned the title of Doux
* Lukas Aten (1714 - 1740 AE)
* Daniel Krüger (1740 - present)