Duchy of Ellesmere

The Duchy of Ellesmere was an autonomous state set up by Rahasmya Vishej following the collapse of The Kaiserreich of Kryvonea. The city-state was set up on July 1st, 2023, existed as an autonomous state within Nazarin following the Conference of Ellesmere, and dissolved after being integrated into the Kryvonean Gran Republic on September 7th, 2023, existing as a state for 2 months.

## Ancestry

### Succeeded by

Kryvonean Gran Republic

Following the Kirvograd War of Independence and the Kryvonean War of Independence (also known as: Yigon War) the government of Kryvonea was in shatters, unable to stand up on it's own. Even with vassalage from the DVR, the emperor at the time, Emperor Konstantinos, despised the way the state existed and officially dissolved Kryvonea. Then-time mayor of Ellesmere, Rahasmya Vishej, established the city as an independent Duchy of Ellesmere.

### Uraki Crisis

After Rahasmya established the city, he made attempts with neighboring city Udaffhu and it's mayor, Cao Eszperzii to establish a new, small, yet powerful state.

However, he was also suspected by Konstantinos to attempt to revive Kryvonea, in which Konstantinos made a deal with the Twilight Dominion of Nazarin; Nazarin would absorb all of former Kryvonea. However, because the Nazarii were fond of Rahasmya, they allowed his state to remain independent. Uddafhu was annexed, while the remaining cities united to create the Republic of Krivoniya and negotiated a vassalage agreement. Konstantinos went and made an illegal deal with the Second Uraki Imperium in which he "sold" the Ellesmere to them and got paid. However, after Rahasmya negotiated with Uraka, they let him go. A furious Konstantinos then demanded Rahasmya give either Ellesmere, an large amount of cash, or face war.

While Rahasmya was panning between offers, one struck out to him. A diplomat from Nazarin, Kärzen Dimitri Argead, had offered the integration of Ellesmere into Nazarin, and it's guaranteed protection and autonomy. Unfortunately for Rahasmya, he died of an infected wound he suffered from the Kryvonean Independence War. A friend of his, Kyüiks Ostri, took over control, and with no other choice, accepted the integration agreement. On the 9th of July, 2023, Ellesmere joined the Nazarii union as an autonomous state. Because Nazarii protection de facto meant protection from Ashai, Konstantinos gave up on obtaining wealth, and left the region.

### Grand Development

Under Nazarii occupation, Kyüiks, Kevhan Von Khởi Nghĩa (Rahasmya's much younger friend), and Rainan, (Rahasmya's child) prepared plans to massively expand and grow the city. With large efforts Kyüiks lead a team and was able to construct artificial mountains and castles while cherry blossoms spread throughout the city. Kevhan went to work on the construction of a large wall protecting the city (and arguably went insane while doing so.) Rainan started a brewing industry.

After years of effort, Ellesmere gradually became arguably the most beautiful and developed city in all of Nazarin, featuring a town square with flourishing markets, large, colorful houses, massive cherry overgrowths, overarching mountains and caves, with farms to feed the people and walls protecting the city, and a grand castle overlooking it all. It is around this time Ellesmere began to develop a culture separate from the original Kryvonean culture, and created it's own dialect from a mixture of older Kryvonais and modern Kryvonean languages to create the Ellesmeri culture. Rainan wanted to preserve the older Kryvonean culture from Nazarii occupation while still embracing development and growth.

### Dissolution of the Duchy and Establishment of the Kryvonean Gran Republic

After a coup retook the Republic of Krivoniya back into the hands of older Kryvoneans, they established the Princedom of Capitalous. The Nazarin High Council, feared a rebellion attempt imminent, so Kärzen Dimitri Argead took the State of Kitareia (The Nazarii province which holds land in former Kryvonea) and fully annexed the Princedom of Capitalous, and offered a merger of the two states, along with his own state, the Orisifellian Crownlands, to create a new state. The Princedom of Capitalous accepted, leading the establishment of the Kryvonean Gran Directory on July 7th, 2023. Lystro, Kyüiks's friend who took Ellesmere (following Kyüiks's death) signed the merger agreement. This resulted in the collapse of the Duchy of Ellesmere and it's annexation into the Kryvonean Gran Republic, within Nazarin. Following the merger of the Kryvonean Gran Republic, Nazarin gradually developed from a centralized government to a more confederalized system with Kryvonea and Vanshire, the two states acting mostly independent. Ellesmere became one of the biggest (population/industry wise) and the most beautiful cities within the Republic.