Fact Box for Ophiussa

Here is the fact box for the Autocracy of Ophiussa, located to the west of the Inner Sea.

This will be the focus of the next high-res and textless atlas maps that will be published next week, exclusively for Acolytes, followed by the normal version and encyclopaedia entries the week after that.

Thanks all for your support :)

As always, feel free to point out typos in the comments :) 

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A History of Ophiussa

C. -1500 - 0 RM - the region occupied by present-day Ophiussa emerges into the Fifth Age following the Fading of the Fourth Age as a relatively fertile land, dominated by a wide bay, known as the Bay of Snakes (on account of the many eels and sea snakes that could be found there) reaching some 475-miles inland. The area is replete with the ruins of Fourth Age cultures, particularly along the then-coastline and in the far north. Of note is the Minaret of Tae Inoru, a major fortress and centre of Fourth Age politics. By the time mortals re-emerge into this region, the fortress is crumbling but remains an impressive structure. It becomes a source of marble and other materials to people who settled in the area, with a primary example being the city of Ashurhaddon, whose walls are built from materials plundered from the site.

The Sea of Snakes attracts mortals settling the region, and by the time of the rise of the Korachani empire in 0 RM (around 1500-years into the Fifth Age), the bay is surrounded by tens of dozens of polities. They subsist on fishing, herding and simple agriculture, and trade across the narrow bay with each other, creating a network of alliances and enmities.

C. 200 RM - a handful of polities have emerged ahead of their neighbours - these are Ashurhaddon, Meguos, Nale, Phesia, and Sulesia, forming a trade network with each other.

C. 350 RM - the body of Etamosis is first documented, though at the time it is unknown what it is.

C. 500 - 1500 RM - the waning level of the Sea of Snakes starts to be felt and many coastal cities suffer as a result. This leads to a cycle, with people from coastal polities eventually forced to leave their homes, migrating to neighbouring polities. Over time this led to the growth of certain polities and the appearance of new ones, which would eventually inherit the people of older abandoned cities. This served to bring together various cultures, with some abandoned as others gained influence, slowly bringing the region closer to the culture of present-day Ophiussa.

C. 600 RM - Aquarii mariners make contact with the region, establishing trading colonies. Many natives join with the Aquarii and leave with them, returning to Aquariia.

C. 920 RM - the body of Etamosis is first recognised as belonging to a scion

C. 1000 - 1200 RM - many major coastal polities are abandoned following centuries of waning sea levels. These include Meguos in c. 1000 RM, Suleisa in c. 1020 RM, and Phesia in c. 1100 RM. Some are assimilated by other polities, which grow further in power.

C. 1100 RM - Phesia is abandoned following centuries of waning influence after it found itself landlocked following waning sea levels. It would later be resettled thanks to the course of the river Maraga flowing close to it.

c. 1200 RM - intermittent mining of the scions’ fossilised body begins after it is discovered that the rocks act as a focus to oneiromancers. An oneiromantic tradition starts around this time in the region surrounding Etamosis, with shapers establishing various bases there. The settlement of Etamosis is established at the base of the scion’s body, becoming a centre of oneiromantic research.

c. 1400 – 1500 RM - a religion emerges across the Sea of Snakes as disparate people begin to revere the scions’ body as a god. This serves to further unite the region.

1523 RM - worship of Etamosis solidifies into an organised religion, with the construction of the Temple of Etamosis atop the inert body of the scion.

C. 1600 RM - the Church of Etamosis begins to form a government of sorts.

1623 RM - the Church of Etamosis becomes a ruling theocracy, exerting its rule over the surrounding region, which becomes known as Etamosis. Missionaries are sent to surrounding areas, and the religion eventually takes root in

C. 1650 - 2010 RM - the theocracy suffers at the hands of Korachani piracy but establishes a sizeable navy to counter the threat. This also pushes many coastal settlements, already ailing in the wake of lowering sea levels, to desertion, with people moving inland.

2012 RM - Korachan launches a crusade against Etamosis, with exocrines spreading propaganda. The war lasts for a few decades, though primarily consists of naval engagements and propaganda by imperial exocrines, and by the time it subsides in 2044 RM, the economy of Etamosis is crippled, and the theocracy compromised.

2044 RM - Korachan establishes a government in Etamosis, though it struggles over the coming decades with unrest from Etamosan partisans. Despite the opposition, the temple of Etamosis is toppled with a new church dedicated to the Undying Machine established in its place. Worship of Etamosis is banned. Secretly, the occupation continues mining the body for the valuable resource, while it tells the people that the scions’ body has been destroyed. People secretly continue worshipping the scion.

C. 2100 - 2127 RM - the city of Aphalass remains the sole independent region, opposing Korachani influence. It is heavily fortified with complex redoubts and bastions behind which batteries of artillery wait for Korachani armies that never arrive. Unrest increases in Etamosis, Aphalassi armies move out to harass Korachani troops, exacerbating the occupiers eventual retreat.

2127 RM - following decades of unrest, Korachan abandons the region, this is partially due to the increasing difficulty of mining the oneiric stones from the body of the scion and increased unrest under its rule. When it is discovered that the body Etamosis is still intact, the church leaders declare that his body will no longer be mined, and that it will only be consumed in small quantities in religious rituals. As a result, since this time most priests are also oneiromancers and dreams have become interpreted as messages from Etamosis.

C. 2130 - c. 2200 RM - the region recovers from the Korachani occupation, and the city of Nale begins to grow in power. In the north east Aphalass and Drak Lon also grow in influence.

C. 2200 RM - the settlement of Nale finds itself along the course of the river Maraga as the Bay of Snakes disappears, bringing fresh trade to the region. It grows steadily after this, attracting people from other cities, becoming the largest and most powerful political entity in the Ophiussan region.

C. 2400 - 2700 RM - Nalish merchant houses found new harbours and settlements in strategic points along the new coastline and upstream along the river Maraga, forming influential caravanserais and markets that influence trade and culture. Over the next centuries it forms alliances with many cities

2702 RM - Nale signs a treaty ratifying its dominance over the surrounding region, which together become known as the Ophiussan league. The cities of Drak Lon and Aphalass oppose this, and remain independent.

C. 3000 - 3400 - The Naleni language appears in the city in Nale, becoming the main language spoken in the region, and remaining the official language of Ophiussa to this day.

C. 3130- 3250 RM - The Ophiussan League finds itself crumbling due to a variety of factors, including the continued change in coastline, opposition by Drak Lon and Aphalass, which by now have formed their own alliance, and the growing decadence of the merchant houses of Nale. During this time many of the cities of the League break away, with many of them declaring their allegiance to Drak Lon.

3262 RM - Drak Lon and Aphalass move against the E trade-routes of the Ophiussan League. The Ophiussan League offers little defence and loses a third of its settlements and trade-routes. This exacerbates the fracturing of the League, and cities continue to break away over the coming decades.

3285 RM - the Ophiussan League is officially dissolved, with the culture of Drak Lon eventually coming to encompass the entire region. The former merchant houses also fracture, though form their own alliances, and trade federations across the region, becoming powerful political entities.

C. 3300 RM - the region, which has been known to most outsiders as simply Ophiussa, is now also known to people of the region as Ophiussa, though it is not yet a united state.

3308 RM - after decades of exerting its influence on the region previously dominated by the Ophiussan League, Drak Lon becomes capital to a growing autocracy.

3308 - c. 3420 RM - the autocracy concentrates on uniting disparate cities of the region, laying new roads and strengthening the links of the old caravanserais. The old merchant houses now form an oligarchic upper-class that benefits from the new trade-routes and concentrate of forgin relations with neighbouring nations. Over the decades it becomes clear that the autocracy is corrupt, bestowing power upon the oligarchs and ignoring the populace.

C. 3430 - 3480 RM - the Ophiussan government begins enforcing centralised laws, cementing its status as an Autocracy. In 3451 RM it signs a trade treaty with Korachan, which lasts until the Sundering of the empire in 3705 RM.

3514 RM - The Church of Etamosis is absorbed by the state after years of consolidation.

C. 3650 - 3705 RM - the alliance with Korachan grows closer and Ophiussa establishes major embassies in Korachani cities and invites patricians and merchant houses to its own cities. This comes to a rapid end in early 3705 RM as the strife that eventually leads to the Sundering of the empire escalates. Ophiussian ambassadors in Korachan are rapidly evacuated back home, and many businesses are abandoned as patricians and industrialists return to Korachan.

3705 - 3711 RM  - this has a negative effect on the Autocracy, much of whose power lay with Korachani businesses. As the empire sunders in two Ophiussa loses various sources of revenue, which leads to increased unrest as various groups rise against it in hopes of revolution. Among them is a young shaper of unknown heritage with aspirations of greatness. He rises in the ranks of the revolution, coming in control of a cell within the capital in Dral Lon, and is eventually directly responsible for the assassination of the autocrat.

3752 RM - having nurtured relations with many allies over the years, the young shaper rises to power, taking the mantle of Successor-king. He abolishes laws and customs most opposed by the common people and makes efforts to foment relations with neutral parties, avoiding the favouritism that eventually led to the collapse of the previous regime. Relations are made with Parthis and Almagest though Ophiussa remains neutral in military matters.

Though the nation remains an autocracy, living conditions are more favourable to the general populace, and trade deals with Parthis and Alamgest have led to a stable economy.