Russius Empire

"What can I say? The sword is only as strong as the soul."

- Elder Rey I

Russius Empire is an Empire in the Siberian region, controlling the states of Riverdale, Aldan, Tigil, Alka, Dalner. Despite the area being mostly tundra and forests, the people of Russius have become somewhat adapted towards the intense cold and lack of food, and they succeeded in farming a nearly extinct species of flowering plant that thrives in the intense cold. Starting as a small village populating the River of Dale, the ever growing population began to expand, eventually occupying larger territory.

Background
It could be said that the empire was established around the year 350 BC by Elder Rey I. He was a fierce man who was deemed strongest in his village. He would wrestle man after man from other villages to settle disputes. He gained respect from other villages for his strength, and eventually he united all villages along the River of Dale, establishing the city Riverdale. He had strict policies, allowing free religion, military service for men, controlled agriculture and limited lumbering around their city. He also forced citizens to study one common language to unite his people. He adopted a son rather than having a family, a practice that would continue for a few generations.

Conflict
As their city continue to flourish, smaller villages sought help and support from their nation. Elder Rey II was not well liked by his people, since his policies was in contrast to his father. He allowed newly annexed villages to evade military service, ignored the fact that a 'river god' religion spread quickly between the poor, started an unsuccessful war with mountainous tribes and ultimately it was his own adoptive son who murdered him.

"I did not murder my father. I murdered the man who brought chaos to Riverdale."

- Emperor Riverdale Rey III

After slaying volatile tribes that had layed shame on the city and dealing with other internal conflicts, Rey III formed the state of Riverdale, combining the city of Riverdale with other towns and villages it had annexed. He named himself Russi (Emperor) of Riverdale, only to die of an unspecified cause a year later.

Contact with Suna
For five generations, the state of Riverdale had (mostly) peace, with little border expansions, and little contact with other cities or states. It is until boats were developed in Russius; copied from sailing tribes and grounded Chinese ships. Emperor Rey the IX (born: Rey Kapitula) was the first emperor to ever sail. Sailors journeyed the river of Dale, which flowed north, and would later come to contact with the state of Suna, later known as the Suna Empire. The two states began trading, and Emperor Rey Kapitula would meet with the Suna Emperor during a Suna festival.

Rey Kapitula would be the first leader who did not adopt a son, but he still honored the custom of no more than one son. He married a Suna noblewoman and fathered two daughters and one son. He and a small band of his men traveled east to assess the possibility of expanding territory, only to be butchered by a hostile tribe. His two daughters married noblemen from China and moved south, while his son became the next Emperor of Russius.

Aggressive Expansion
"Those men in the East are no more than a beast. Time to enlighten them."

- Emperor Rey Valdorski

Rey (Valdorski) the X sought to avenge his father through conquering the free folk in the East. He, along the state of Suna (under leadership of Emperor Marcollos) began the Suna-Russius Expansions, in which Riverdale and Suna divided the eastern lands of free folk. The State of Riverdale merged with the newly formed State of Tigil to create the Russius Empire. Men, women and children would move east to populate the State of Tigil; spreading their language and increasing pro-Russi opinion within the land.

Rey Valdorski negotiated an annexation of the Aldan lands, and would later annex the state of Alka in the south, who happily joined them in a war against the state of Dalner. Rey (Stevan) the XI, the only child and son of Rey Valdorski, became emperor, and would finish conquering Dalner.

More Plans
"We've expanded to the East, the West and to the South. Why stop now? There is one more direction we have yet to go."

- Emperor Rey Stevan, speaking to his advisors

Rey Stevan had vicious plans to further expand Russius by conquering the Suna Empire, but he realized it was impossible, at least for his reign. The Suna Empire had less population, and an exhausted military after the recent expansions, but neither was his army fully replenished.

Still, he was crafty. The Suna Emperor, Marcellus, had very good relations with Stevan's father and himself, but there was no way he could sway Marcellus into giving up complete sovereignity. Instead, he proposed to marry the youngest sister of Marcellus; Braina. Braina was a beautiful and intelligent young lady, and she had far more interest in Russius than Suna.

A few years after their marriage, Stevan secretly orchestrated a castle fire that killed Emperor Marcellus along with most of his family. His wife, brothers, sisters, nephews and nieces killed during a royal feast. This incident is known as the Feast of the Devils in the Suna Empire. Of course, Braina was entirely exempt from the incident, and she became Empress of Suna the very next day.

Further Union Attempts
"Why are you crying, my dear? From tomorrow and on, the fate of the world will be determined by our children and us."

- Emperor Rey Stevan speaking to his wife, Braina, sometime after the events of the Feast of the Devils

The two empires of Suna and Russius had become binded through the marriage of Braina and Rey Stevanus. Though there were some opposition about having an Empress who was the wife of a foreign Emperor, public opinion was somewhat tolerant towards these ideas and slightly supported a united empire of Suna and Russius, but was held back by internal disputes within the monarch higher-ups.

Decline and Reconstruction
Emperor Rey Stevan would spend the remainder of his reign through the Dreadful Years, a four-year period of misfortune, famine, plague and stagnation in the Russius Empire. It coincidentally ended sometime after he died of sickness.

"The gods took my brothers and sisters, and they stole the love of my life. If the gods want me to fall, that is when I will stand."

- Empress Braina takes a stand

In his last will, Rey the IX ordered that everyone abide by Empress Braina's choice as for who to sit on the Russius throne. She abdicated as Empress of Suna, and named herself the Empress of Russius, placing her eldest son, Kornyslav (renamed Kornyslav Marcellino) as Suna Emperor. She was the first female ruler of Russius, as well as the first foreigner to sit on the throne.

Despite these facts, she was loved by the people of Russius as her love for Russius was inconspicuous. She would bring Russius back on its feet, and prevented the States Aldan and Dalner from rebelling. She later led Russius during the War of the Weary against the ambitious Setupit Empire. It was ended not long after with the Treaty of Riverdale. Empress Braina agreed to sell a portion of Dalner lands to the empire of Setupit, so as to reduce rebelling numbers and end the war. Russius was in no position for a tiring war.

Schism
"It seemed that some spirit possessed her the day Emperor Rey Stevan passed. I swear to you, she never aged since, even after two long decades. Serving her as the years go by was like a walk through time.. With an immortal. And yet here I am- burying her."

- Advisor Aldanerus Monzetski

Empress Braina received the title 'Intellect' for her hardwork in returning Russius into the power it once was, and for strengthening the states within Russius. Her death led to a schism in Russius. She had three sons: Kornyslav, Litv, and Jermija. Kornyslav Marcellino became emperor of Suna, so the Russius throne would naturally go to her second son, Litv, but her last words was to name Jermija emperor instead.

Litv seized the throne and forced Jermija to flee the country, placing bounty on his younger brother What Litv did not expect was that Jermija would flee north, to Suna, and asked for the Emperor to support his claim. Kornyslav never liked Litv, as the man was arrogant and rude to his siblings. The two armies of Russius and Suna met at the border city of Ryanka. Jermija showed the army of Russius the last will of her mother, forcing Litv to abdicate and deny ever being a Russi.

Tensions between China and Russius had risen several years past; and some spies from China tried to convince him to flee to China, and retake the throne once a war between China and Russius breaks out. Litv had several commanders and a small army still pledged to him, but he would not have such thing. He fought in the War of the Weary as a common soldier, while Jermija sat in Riverdale safe and sound. He had also gained the rank of a war commander only recently- he should be the emperor. Litv attempted to murder Jermija, but was caught and killed in action. This cleared the claim for Russius, securing Jerimija's position as the new emperor. He was renamed Rey Jermija the XII.

List of Rulers

 * 1) Elder Rey I (350 BC - 321 BC)
 * 2) Elder Rey II (321 BC - 299 BC)
 * 3) Emperor Rey III (299 BC - 298 BC)
 * 4) Emperor Rey IV (298 BC - 241 BC)
 * 5) Emperor Rey V (241 BC - 207 BC)
 * 6) Emperor Rey VI (207 BC - 185 BC)
 * 7) Emperor Rey VII (185 BC - 155 BC)
 * 8) Emperor Rey VIII (155 BC - 103 BC)
 * 9) Emperor Rey the IX, born Rey Kapitula (103 BC - 77 BC)
 * 10) Emperor Rey the X, born Rey Valdorski (77 BC - 26 BC)
 * 11) Emperor Rey the XI, born Rey Stevan (26 BC - 4 BC)
 * 12) Empress Braina the Intellect (4 BC - 19 AD)
 * 13) Emperor Rey the XII, born Brian Jermija (19 AD - 52 AD)
 * 14) Emperor Rey the XIII, born Rey Aleksei (52 AD -)

Government
The government is a form of monarch, the Russi (emperor) has most control over the empire. The Russi is advised by a handful of advisors, and he has officers who manage the states and retain the monarch power over the states. As of 52 BC, following Aleksei's reforms, a fortmeet is established, a group of elected men who have complete power over the states and cities in Russius. The Russi is therefore, limited to control of the military and diplomatic efforts although he still has influence to the fortmeet and the decisions they make. The reform, nonetheless, was an important foot that would build democracy in the nation, preventing the Russi from making subjective choices that often ruined the empire.

Culture
TBC

Military strength
The military of Russius Empire is highly adapted to surviving and fighting in cold weathers, forests and frigid tundras. They are trained for survival with bare supplies and poor clothing. The military size is (on average) 80,000 strong. The numbers are usually 25,000 cavalry, 40,000 foot unit, 15,000 naval army. At its peak it reached a number of 120,000 men.