Soliferum/Beginning
Sparkling soul soars higher; The blighted darkness surrounds; Sunrise, Sol overcomes.
The standard of Soliferum is the burning sun disc, representing the burning light of truth and life. These are the heart and soul of our realm, for within these, all things are possible. A greatsword stands guard before the sun, warding our most precious gifts against the darkness without, but also the darkness within our souls. Our banner reminds us that only through constant vigilance may we protect that which we cherish. Our tale has only begun. Come listen to my tale, and learn of the beacon that is Soliferum.
When first I came to the port of Osaliel, I was little more than a wandering hedge knight. My brothers had sought their paths in our home, Fontan. I had sought my future elsewhere. I was a foolish child, caring little for the learning ways of my twin, Domicus. Neither did I take to the arts of war as did our younger brother, Gracus. For me, the taking of life was little more than a foolish expression of childish rage. I could see no point or purpose to the endless wars between Fontan and Caligus, and so I departed for the unknown lands of Atamara.
Knowing little of the world, I entered the lands of the Baron of Makar. The wasteful raiding and warring of these people repulsed me as I cannot describe. Trying my hand as a merchant within the environs of Eston, I found no welcome and little profit. Finally selling my last bit of property and bidding my caravan guards farewell, I set sail for Osaliel. I wish that I could claim to have heard of mighty Soliferum and its glorious history and that these led me to Osaliel. Alas, I had learned only vague reports of the far eastern lands. Rather, I accepted passage on the first ship, which led me to my present home.
I found the far east in a state of flux upon my arrival, an accurate mirror for my own inner turmoil. Little more than a hedge knight, I found welcome among the newly risen nobility in Soliferum. It is unfortunate that few historians and no libraries have survived to tell me the tale of Soliferum's history. I gleamed only tales of the fallen Svunnetland empire. I learned of the rapidly collapsing realm of Arcea, though I have yet to travel there. Rather, I set about offering my services to Soliferum's leadership in the massive task of turning this small realm into a nation worthy of memory.
At the time, Soliferum was a small realm, though the balkanization of its neighbors ensured that this was not a unique situation. The spires of Osaliel rose from the edges of the Azho Forest, resting against the southern coastline. This forest, as well as the southern reaches of the Taveris Woodlands provided the only natural protection for Soliferum's lands. Only its relative isolation had so far protected this small nation on the southern peninsula. Our neighbors to the north, Nighthelm and Batesaor, were benign, and a rich trade in foods and other goods produced within the Vale of Cutnipaniel and the Sozon coastal regions guaranteed developed. These wealthy nations held control of mighty cities, but were dependent upon the blessedly verdant lands of Soliferum to feed their people. Our sole enemy lay to the west, sharing the finger of land stretching from the mainland. Soliferum had already skirmished briefly with this realm before my arrival, resulting in a peace treaty when Soliferum found itself unable to protect its people. It was here that the future of Soliferum began.
Soliferum lacked the size to overwhelm Verita e Potere on its own. It took weeks of planning and waiting for the perfect time to strike. My fellow lords and I took advantage of that time to build a massive workyard capable of making the trebuchets and mobile towers that would make our conquest possible. Small parties of scouts and individual spies fed us a constant stream of information from the city of Ortedail. It became readily apparent that our neighbor lacked the stability to survive for long without expansion. They simply lacked the ability to feed and protect their people. This convinced me even more that our choice to incorporated this small realm into the Republic was the correct one.
When Verita e Potere moved the balance of its army into a neighboring region to assume control of it, we struck quickly and cleanly. Our forces breached the outer walls of Ortedail with barely a struggle, using the element of surprise. The Civil Corps worked tirelessly to ensure order within the city while we slowly absorbed the government bureaucracy. As we took steps to bring Ortedail into the fold, Verita had not yet placed a strong enough hold on the Dsinanas plains. Through quick and ingeneous planning, a fellow noble, Lord Hikaru Kyushuu managed to slip past the Verita forces remaining there and convince several key townships to declare for the Republic with promises of security and freedom. As a last gasp, the lords of Verita made a courageous attempt to throw us from Ortedail. A stillborn battle, most of the lords were captured during the battle. Lord Sabastian departed for other lands, leaving a certain Salvador Regula as the highest ranking noble left to fallen Verita.
What followed is one of the darkest periods in our history, but also one of our brightest. Our Prime Minister, Duke Batman Bauglir of Osaliel, negotiated with the lords of Verita that they might join with the Republic. Duke Bauglir granted Salvador Regula the Duchy of Ortedail and swore before the combined leadership of the Svunnetland fragment nations that any attempt to remove Salvador Regula from this position would be met with his permissible secession from the Republic. The Prime Minister also agreed to pay the lords of Verita a large sum of gold from Republican coffers. While the offer of bounty and citizenship sat well with the nobles of Soliferum, the power of secession did not. They brought forth their concerns to the senate floor, where Duke Bauglir was censured and removed from office. I was among the first to do so, believing it inappropriate that Salvador, who had yet to prove his loyalty receive this position when it was clear that so many amongst the Soliferum leadership had proved their loyalty and worthiness. Too, his position as Duke and the attendant political power this granted within our government concerned me to no end.
This part of the tale, we did not learn until later. Duke Bauglir, angered over his ejection from leadership apparently entered into an agreement with the lords of Nighthelm. They agreed to supply an assassin to kill our returning Prime Minister, Count Shadow Thief. Duke Bauglir then planned to assume the Prime Ministry again with the support of Duke Salvador, whom he had nominated and supported to become our Minister of Justice after Lady Annwn mysteriously disappeared for some time. Bauglir and Regula, the only Dukes within the realm, would then possess considerable power with the support of the former lords of Verita e Potere.
Duke Bauglir's plan would have likely worked but for two factors. First, Count Shadow Thief proved far more elusive than the assassin had anticipated as he led the shadowy figure on a merry chase, avoiding numerous attempts on his life. Second, Duke Salvador Regula informed our Prime Minister of Duke Bauglir's attempts to bring him into his plot. Faced with clear evidence of treachery, the nation swiftly struck Duke Bauglir from his positions as lord of Osaliel and General of the armies. Unfortunately, we had already marched a sizable portion of our force north to support the push from Nighthelm in Batesaor's farmlands at Hutael.
I can make no claim to being a great warrior. Though I have learned to defend myself with a sword and shield, my daily training with my companions commonly results in an assortment of lumps and bruises mixed with those from the previous day. My swordplay has improved somewhat and but I still have considerable difficulty judging windage. Being of average height, I am hardly the imposing figure that would inspire a bard's tales. The betrayal of Duke Bauglir had left us without a general and weakened our army on the eve of battle with Nighthelm. Confusion reigned in the camp, and so I stepped forward with a plan. I must note that my military experience prior to this was limited to a few brief skirmishes with bandits in Eston and my involvement at the siege of Ortedail. I scrapped together a battle plan from a few remembered fragments from my brother's history books. The lords around me accepted my temporary leadership, though I know not why. The resulting battle saw us victorious over the vanguard of Nighthelm's army, but left the combined armies of Batesaor and Soliferum too weak to hold against the approaching main force. I ordered a retreat, leaving a small rearguard to cover our troops' escape. Thus did my first battle as general of the Republic end in both victory and defeat.
^Qui Desiderat Pacem, Praeparet Bellum^
