Post by scud47 on Dec 23, 2011 11:47:51 GMT -5
Jaska are organized into city-states. Interstate cooperation is limited to a few loose alliance groups, and total war is uncommon. Usually, if a city-state is poised to take over another, the latter will become a vassal of the former, making payments in order to avoid being taken over. This can lead to a cycle in which the payments allow for additional military expenditure which allow for more vassals to be to be obtained, most famously in the cases of the Slex Dominion 47 years ago and the historical Tkon Empire.
Tkon Empire
One summer, about 500 years ago, the small city-state of Tkon discovered a rich diamond deposit buried directly beneath its territory. Rather than attempt a direct attack, the leader of Tkon, Eustacion, commissioned several submarines to travel underneath the neighboring great city of Gloej. When a small detatchment of Tkoni soldiers popped up in the center of town, Gloej surrendered immediately. They were forced to contribute much money to the Tkoni treasury, allowing them to build up their army and navy to sizes the world had never seen. This date marked the start of the Tkoni calendar: TK 1.
Eustacion was soon faced with a problem; Gloej had been waning while another city, Kleed, threatened the fledgling Tkoni Empire. Therefore, from TK 5 - 13, Eustacion embarked on a series of side conquests, capturing dozens of smaller towns and enhancing his income stream. Finally, in TK 17, he felt secure enough to besiege the city, although he knew it would be a long process.
In TK 19, Eustacion died mysteriously, and his twenty-three year old daughter, T'blia, assumed control. Under her leadership, Kleed was captured in the harsh winter of TK 20. Though frontier wars were still expanding the reach of the Tkoni Empire, by TK 25 peace reigned throughout the empire. TK 30 is often cited by historians as the high point of the Tkoni Empire, though its golden age was during Eustacion's reign. Unfortunately, in TK 31 a coup led by Eustaction's brother's grandson, Hogle, threatened the security of T'blia. She was forced to raise taxes, and was presumed killed in a riot in TK 33. Hogle took the name Eustacion II, but he turned out to be an inexperienced military leader and refused to halt the Tkoni advance even when advised to shore up the boundaries. In TK 37, a large frontier army was ambushed and annihilated by enemy forces, and the southern frontier began to collapse. By TK 40, the situation was untenable, and Eustacion II tried to divert forces from other areas.
In TK 43, three women claiming to be T'blia arose simultaneously. Though Eustacion II was able to to fend off all three pretenders, the real T'blia, who had been gathering support in Kleed, marched on Tkon virtually unopposed, and in TK 44 T'blia, now forty-seven, was re-crowned Empress of Tkon. In the next six months, the pulled the remaining Tkoni forces back, intending to rebuild, and in early TK 45 Kleed was abandoned. These moves made T'blia unpopular, and she was assassinated later that year. A power struggle arose between T'blia's five daughters and the lone son of Eustacion II. In early TK 47, the Tkon Empire broke up into three smaller states, led by T'blia's daughters T'blia II and Ajra, and Eustacion II's son Eustacion II. By the summer, only Ajra's empire existed, and in late TK 47, her forces were destroyed at the Battle of Gloej, marking the end of the last remnant of the Tkon Empire.
The Slex Dominion
The city of Slex had been powerful before it won a major victory over its rival Gloej under the leadership of Slexion XI. Instead of making its new prize a vassal, the leader of Slex decided to occupy the city. Over the next three months, he acquired many other cities, including Kleed and the shell that was Tkon. Though Slexion XI was a gifted tactician, he was also somewhat crazy, and he liked to call himself Eustaction IV and call his empire the Tkon Empire. He continued to conquer, loot, and pillage until his empire rivaled that of Tkon itself, though it had been built in three months and not thirty years. Seeing the threat, the remaining free cities formed the Anti-Slex Alliance, which gathered strong public support throughout the Slex Dominion, even in Slex itself. As the allies pushed further into Slex territory, the few soldiers defending the outposts defected to the Alliance. Slexion XI was also facing a monetary crisis, as the cities he had taken over refused to pay taxes, and so his soldiers were demoralized, undernourished, and underpaid. Six months after the conquest of Gloej, the Slex Dominion imploded. Slexion XI was killed, and his infant son was adopted and raised by another family. The Alliance, no longer united by a common government, fell apart a month later.
Tkon Empire
One summer, about 500 years ago, the small city-state of Tkon discovered a rich diamond deposit buried directly beneath its territory. Rather than attempt a direct attack, the leader of Tkon, Eustacion, commissioned several submarines to travel underneath the neighboring great city of Gloej. When a small detatchment of Tkoni soldiers popped up in the center of town, Gloej surrendered immediately. They were forced to contribute much money to the Tkoni treasury, allowing them to build up their army and navy to sizes the world had never seen. This date marked the start of the Tkoni calendar: TK 1.
Eustacion was soon faced with a problem; Gloej had been waning while another city, Kleed, threatened the fledgling Tkoni Empire. Therefore, from TK 5 - 13, Eustacion embarked on a series of side conquests, capturing dozens of smaller towns and enhancing his income stream. Finally, in TK 17, he felt secure enough to besiege the city, although he knew it would be a long process.
In TK 19, Eustacion died mysteriously, and his twenty-three year old daughter, T'blia, assumed control. Under her leadership, Kleed was captured in the harsh winter of TK 20. Though frontier wars were still expanding the reach of the Tkoni Empire, by TK 25 peace reigned throughout the empire. TK 30 is often cited by historians as the high point of the Tkoni Empire, though its golden age was during Eustacion's reign. Unfortunately, in TK 31 a coup led by Eustaction's brother's grandson, Hogle, threatened the security of T'blia. She was forced to raise taxes, and was presumed killed in a riot in TK 33. Hogle took the name Eustacion II, but he turned out to be an inexperienced military leader and refused to halt the Tkoni advance even when advised to shore up the boundaries. In TK 37, a large frontier army was ambushed and annihilated by enemy forces, and the southern frontier began to collapse. By TK 40, the situation was untenable, and Eustacion II tried to divert forces from other areas.
In TK 43, three women claiming to be T'blia arose simultaneously. Though Eustacion II was able to to fend off all three pretenders, the real T'blia, who had been gathering support in Kleed, marched on Tkon virtually unopposed, and in TK 44 T'blia, now forty-seven, was re-crowned Empress of Tkon. In the next six months, the pulled the remaining Tkoni forces back, intending to rebuild, and in early TK 45 Kleed was abandoned. These moves made T'blia unpopular, and she was assassinated later that year. A power struggle arose between T'blia's five daughters and the lone son of Eustacion II. In early TK 47, the Tkon Empire broke up into three smaller states, led by T'blia's daughters T'blia II and Ajra, and Eustacion II's son Eustacion II. By the summer, only Ajra's empire existed, and in late TK 47, her forces were destroyed at the Battle of Gloej, marking the end of the last remnant of the Tkon Empire.
The Slex Dominion
The city of Slex had been powerful before it won a major victory over its rival Gloej under the leadership of Slexion XI. Instead of making its new prize a vassal, the leader of Slex decided to occupy the city. Over the next three months, he acquired many other cities, including Kleed and the shell that was Tkon. Though Slexion XI was a gifted tactician, he was also somewhat crazy, and he liked to call himself Eustaction IV and call his empire the Tkon Empire. He continued to conquer, loot, and pillage until his empire rivaled that of Tkon itself, though it had been built in three months and not thirty years. Seeing the threat, the remaining free cities formed the Anti-Slex Alliance, which gathered strong public support throughout the Slex Dominion, even in Slex itself. As the allies pushed further into Slex territory, the few soldiers defending the outposts defected to the Alliance. Slexion XI was also facing a monetary crisis, as the cities he had taken over refused to pay taxes, and so his soldiers were demoralized, undernourished, and underpaid. Six months after the conquest of Gloej, the Slex Dominion imploded. Slexion XI was killed, and his infant son was adopted and raised by another family. The Alliance, no longer united by a common government, fell apart a month later.
