Empire of Narin
Narin once controlled the greatest empire in all of Gradia. The lands claimed by the Narin Empire stretched at one time from the Lorimar Sea in the south as far north as Thalarion, and from the sea to the west as far east as Illyria. The empire has grown and receded several times throughout history. In the current era, Narin may be on the decline - within the last two decades several vassal states have successfully gained their independence - first the Duchies of Greade and Illyria, and more recently the Kingdom of Corin.
Narin has always been an enterprising and imperialistic country, and there have been several reigns of the Empire of Narin. The capital of Narin is Narinth, on the Ascram river.
History
The history of Narin is said to stretch back to the very dawn of human history. With abundant coastline in the west, and the Rookspine Mountains to the east, the land of Narin has been settled and worked by humans further back than history records.
The First Empire
The first reign of the Empire of Narin is defined by historians to begin with reign of King Arlor II of Narin. At the age of 16, Arlor led the armies of Narin first against the human settlements southeast of the Ascram river, conquering territory from the river into present-day Corin. Arlor’s second campaign claimed territory east and north of the Rookspine Mountans, claiming most of modern Illyria and Greade.
Arlor claimed that Narin was the original human kingdom, and that humans everywhere owed fealty to him. After his second campaign, Arlor returned to Narinth for good and proclaimed himself Emperor.
Arlor’s coronation as Emperor marks year 0 of the Imperial Arlian Calendar.
The Age of War
The First Empire was relatively peaceful and prosperous for a period of over 300 years. Around the year 324~IA~ several years of droughts, combined with decades of erosion of the empire’s spending on public grain stores, sparked famines and financial crisis that the first empire would never fully recover from.
By 363~IA~, the empire was struggling to fund imperial legions in more remote territories. The Senate, bolstered by a growing number of Orkol raids and settlers in the east of the empire, convinced newly-crowned Emperor Riaan I to allow Narin nobles to keep their own standing armies. Corin and Illyria, seeing dwindling imperial support, declared their territories independent, fought to take back their lands, and claimed much of the Orkol lands for themselves as well.
Eventually even Greade was left to its own rule, as Narin abandoned its vassal states without the means to enforce its rule. The remaining counties and margraves of Narin would continue to rule themselves autonomously and act as a federation of independent states for the next century.
The Second Empire
Vilem, Count of Nietersia and a populist who enjoyed mass support far beyond the borders of his county, saw an opportunity to play on the public’s hatred of then-emperor Riaan III, and led his army into Narinth in 451~IA~. He met little resistance as much of Riaan’s army deserted, and the populace welcomed Vilem’s arrival. Vilem soon crowned himself Emperor Vilem I and began a campaign of reunification.
By 464~IA~, Vilem had re-conquered Greade and Illyria as vassal states and had brought many Narin counties more directly under his control. He began a push to retake Corin the following year, but was killed in battle early in the campaign. Vilem’s daughter, Empress Isaura I, ended the Corin campaign and focused on cementing political control within the empire.
The Decline
Narin made no major attempts at expansion for the next 400 years. But in 910~IA~, despite declining imperial coffers, Empress Delphine II launched an unexpected attack on Corin, and conquered the kingdom as a vassal state. However, with imperial armies and funds tied up in Corin, conflicts in Illyria and Greade gave way to open rebellion and eventually their independence in 915~IA~, as well as Corin the following year.
Narin Civil War
In 931~IA~, the Narin Orthodox Chruch refuses to recognize the beatification of The Saint of Flames, who helped Illyria and Greade gain independence from the empire. In response, clergy and followers of the Orthodox church across Illyria, Greade, and even parts of Narin split off to form The Illyrian Church.
In 942~IA~, Emperor Vileminna I ascends the throne of Narin at the age of 17. Guided by the Heirophant of the Narin Orthodox Church, she orders all counties, provinces, and vassal states of the empire to renounce the Church of Illyria.
Several counties, especially those closer to the Illyrian and Greadan borders, refuse and continue to follow the Illyrian Church.
In 944~IA~, Vileminna sends armies into the County of Breitenia to enforce her decree, starting the Narin Civil War.