Dreadful Years

"My dear, best it would be, if I leave my sins untold to you; but one thing that I shall tell you, and the thing all of Russius must know is that it should be me, myself, who bare the suffering of Russius, for my many sins and the deals I have made with the devil himself. If I must lay dead in my bed from the judgement the gods have incurred on me, let it also be known to all of Russius, that you will decide who the throne goes to."

- Last Will of Emperor Rey Stevan

The Dreadful Years is a four-year period of degradation in the Russius Empire. The empire of Russius nearly faced collapse, but was averted thanks to support from the empire of Suna. A plague took place in (mostly) Riverdale, killing one in ten of civillians. Emperor Rey the IX contracted the disease and died of it.

Event
The dreadful years, depending on how people see it, is either an untimely coincidence, or a curse imposed on Emperor Rey the IX for masterminding the Feast of the Devils. Rey the IX himself confessed in his last will that "it should be me, myself, who bare the suffering of Russius, for my many sins and the deals I have made with the devil himself."

Following the death of most Suna nobles in the Feast of the Devils, Russius underwent economic stagnation; crops failed to grew, fish was nowhere to be found, livestock were consumed by Russiwolves, and a plague plunged the country. For four years, these events struck Russius land. It managed to pull through with extensive support from the Suna Empire. The plague would infect Emperor Rey (Stevan) IX, and he died in the year 4 BC.

Aftermath
The death of Rey (Stevan) IX left the Russius throne unoccupied just as the Dreadful years was closing. His last will was for the people of Russius to abide by Braina's decision as for who to sit on the throne. A fortnight after his burial, Empress Braina announced at castle Riverdale that she has chosen to abdicate as the Empress of Suna, and rise as the Empress of Russius.

Her claim to the throne was questionable, since this would make her the first foreigner to rule Russius and the first Empress of Russius. But most people in the higher-ups had far more things to be concerned of- they were in fear that the Empire would shatter and break apart. After all, the majority of Russius adored Braina for her intelligence and keen interest in Russius traditions. She was also fluent in speaking the Old Siberian language of Russi. Her reign would mark the reconstruction period of the Russius Empire.