Kingdom of Fulfwotz
The Kingdom of Fulfwotz, also known as simply Fulfwotz and Rexdoma a Fulvux in Thrennexian, was a state in the southern Shire that existed from 58 PRY to 1929 CE. Despite its name suggesting a continuous sole dominion, in reality, the Kingdom went through many phases and included multiple entities throughout its near-2,000 year lifespan, the unifying distinction being the monarchy and its capital of Fulfwotz. The Kingdom, isolated from much of the Shire in the central Demmatrodine, was often the subject of intrigue and curiosity from the interconnected and cosmopolitan states of the Oldeshire; it did not rise to global prominence until the late 19th century. For most of its history, the Kingdom was ruled by the Ich Dynasty of monarchs, with the exception of the 104-year period following the Fulfwotz Civil War in which the Sammichian Imperial Chancellery was established.
The Kingdom of Fulfwotz was formed following the Great Epiphany of Empress Flux in 58 PRY, and the dissolution of the Old Sammichian Empire. Overcome with remorse for the Empire's actions under her command, and foreseeing its eventual violent collapse due to mutiny in its territories and its enemies picking away at its borders, she chose to peacefully dismantle it into a number of small, independent domains. The Ich monarchs retained control of Fulfwotz, so it is commonly perceived as the legitimate successor to the Old Sammichian Empire. Although the millions of slaves held by the Empire were freed upon its disintegration, the Kingdom began a process of recapturing and enslaving the surrounding Demmatrodine Enpeecee tribes. This angered the developed Enpeecee state of Mekjloka Ur in the west (part of the Ur Dominion), its existence previously unknown to Fulfwotz. In 124 CE, the Mekjlokites attacked Fulfwotzian galleys transporting slaves from its client state of Levok Ur, inciting the First Fulfo-Urite War which lasted for nearly 200 years and resulted in the annexation of Fulfwotz into the Ur Dominion and the transformation of the kingdom into a puppet state. The humiliated kingdom was a client state of Ur until 460 CE when Queen Tepistra the Emancipator negotiated independence from the Dominion. Bitter over their defeat and seeking to end Ur's political dominance of the Demmatrodine continent, they covertly gained the allegiance of a number of dissatisfied Urite states and engaged the dominion in the Second Fulfo-Urite War in 521 CE. The war was a Fulfwotz victory and fragmented the Ur Dominion, granting independence to many client states.
While many Enpeecees viewed the Kingdom as a friend and ally, the truth was that the Sammichians still viewed them as barbaric and uncivilized, and their cooperation in the Second Fulfo-Urite War was simply a means to an end. However, Fulfwotz enjoyed profitable trade and security with its allies, and would not so soon violate their trust. Around 610 CE, the Orthodoxy began to gain a foothold in Fulfwotzian society, replacing the faltering Xamichine Pantheon as the preeminent religion. Under King Numex I, the state religion was changed from the Xamichine Pantheon to the Orthodoxy; this upset much of the peasantry, which tended to be slower in adapting to new social conditions and ideas. In 704 CE, the Pantheon was outlawed as paganism and observation of the Orthodoxy was enforced by law. Religious tension between the two congregations mounted, inciting the Holy Wars, a series of battles between the Pantheonic and Orthodox Fulfwotzians. While the Orthodoxy was supported by the Kingdom, the Pantheon was backed and supplied by a variety of Enpeecee states, as the Orthodoxy's beliefs outlining Sammichian divine superiority over others threatened their nations if Fulfwotz's population was united under these ideas. The Holy Wars ended in 752 CE, with the manufactured extinction of the Pantheon in Fulfwotz and Orthodox religious supremacy.
With the Orthodoxy repressing dissent and restricting scientific development, the Kingdom entered its Dark Ages which lasted between roughly 700 and 1400 CE. The capulaes of the Orthodoxy influenced the King and Queen at court, most notably Capulae Crux I; in 1270, he issued an edict that mandated the conversion of the nearby Enpeecee states to the Orthodox faith. Approved by King Tyrannax III, the Capulaeric Inquisition was commenced; Missionaries accompanied by the armies of devout nobles visited Enpeecee settlements, and forced them to convert. If they refused, the Enpeecee men and women were massacred while the children were brought back to Fulfwotz to be sold into slavery. Such religious fervor continued until Kleopintra's Plague in the latter part of the 14th century, which killed a massive amount of Fulfwotzians and shook peoples' faith in the Orthodoxy. The Fulfwotz religious establishment finally collapsed in 1456 following Capulae Crux II's attempt to meddle in the royal line of succession; announcing his intent to place Prince Numex II on the throne, his elder brother and rightful heir Nemerses V raised an army and marched on Fulfwotz. The ensuing bloodshed and destruction of Orthodox churches, monuments, shrines, and relics is known as the Great Desecration.
The sharp decline in Orthodox influence on Fulfwotzian society brought about a period of growth and progress, commonly called the Great Awakening. Lasting for the duration of the 16th and part of the 17th century, it was a time of artistic, literary, and philosophical flourishment. The new and radical ideas in circulation, as beneficial to society as they were, also began to incite discontent within the Kingdom, particularly among the supporters of the ancient Xamichine philosopher Democrites, who had formulated the basis for a democracy and was presumably executed by the Emperor. His writings, popularized by radical thinkers of the 1600's, led to the creation of a large-scale resistance movement fighting for an end to the King's absolute domination of politics and a republican government. The attempt of the monarchy to repress these ideas only enflamed them, resulting in the Revolution of 1677, a mass uprising against the monarchy, which soon evolved into a civil war between the monarchy and the republican Fulfwotzians. The war lasted for three years and ended with the collapse of the Ich regime in Fulfwotz and the establishment of the Sammichian Chancellery. For the following 104 years, the Chancelleric Republic of Fulfwotz held power; however, the lack of a strong central leader created a power void and conflict within the Chancellery. When the Chancellery came under the control of High Chancellor Preva Ich-Prama, he managed to assume absolute power in a plot with his close Ich relatives and restored the monarchy. The ensuing unrest resulted in the establishment of a constitutional monarchy with power split between the King and the Chancellery.
During the rule of King Drefnex in the latter part of the 19th century, Fulfwotz began to conquer the Enpeecee states it had liberated from the Ur Dominion centuries earlier, along with other settlements in the Demmatrodine. Drefnex's son, King Sammus II, sought to realize his father's vision of the Kingdom becoming a world power. The extremely aggressive colonization and annexation of weaker nations caused great distress in the international community, climaxing in the First World War in 1927. The war saw the Shire divided between the Liberator and Overtaker forces, the latter being led by the Kingdom in its pursuit of further power. Following the occupation of its capital city and great losses, the Overtaker coalition surrendered and signed the Treaty of Niflheim in 1929. The Kingdom was then dissolved and reorganized into the modern-day New Sammichian Empire.
Etymology
The origin of the name "Fulfwotz" sparks debate within the linguistic community; presumably named during the Xamichine takeover of Fauna, the structure of the word (along with the letter Z) occurs nowhere in the Thrennexian language. It is a widely-accepted theory, however, that Fulfwotz is derived from Fulvux, the name of the imperial province ancient Fulfwotz was located in. In ancient Xamichine texts, it is believed that Fulvux was used to refer to the city as well, which supports that theory. It is likely that the name simply changed over time to Fulfwotz, especially as the Kingdom adopted the English language in the 1400's. Fulvux, on the other hand, was taken from the name of Empress Flux, the last ruler of Xamichia and who had directed the slaughter of the Faunites in the Night of Bones.
History
Early History
Following the collapse of Xamichia, the Ich Dynasty remained in Fulfwotz, which had become the most prosperous city and unofficial capital of the empire in its final years. Seeking to retain a degree of power, they assumed leadership over the Kingdom and began an extermination of the "uncivilized" Demmatrodine Enpeecee tribes that would raid Fulfwotzian granaries and pastures. The first known ruler of the Kingdom of Fulfwotz was Queen Flux, who had died soon after and was succeeded by her son, King Tyrannax I. It was difficult for the Kingdom to function early on, deprived of the plentiful resources and labor that had been provided under Xamichine rule. While Fulfwotz had been a great city in Xamichia, its infrastructure was strained by the influx of Sammichians who had fled other former Xamichine provinces due to hostility from the indigenous population. The Kingdom needed to build roads and housing to accommodate the growing populace, as well as develop and cultivate more farmland. There were simply not enough workers; to avoid enslaving its own people and inciting popular revolt, in 14 PRY King Tyrannax I began a process of recapturing and enslaving nearby Humans and Enpeecees, who had been freed after Xamichia's collapse. It is believed that the slave population of Fulfwotz increased ten-fold under Tyrannax, and this mass enslavement continued for over a century, angering the developed Enpeecee states in the western Demmatrodine.
First Fulfo-Urite War
Most furious at Fulfwotz's actions was the Ur Dominion, the most powerful nation in the Demmatrodine. It was a federation of Enpeecee states, including Mekjloka-Ur, Levok-Ur, Anmolika-Ur, Jakarat-Ur, and Samark-Ur. Despite numerous diplomatic attempts to end the slaving on behalf of the Urites, Fulfwotz's unchecked aggression continued. Urite forces from Mekjloka intercepted a Fulfwotzian galley transporting slaves kidnapped from Levok, killing the Sammichian sailors and returning the Levokari. When news of the attack reached Fulfwotz, King Nemerses II declared war on the Ur Dominion in 124 CE.
Despite initial success, including razing the city of Jakarat, it soon became apparent that the Fulfwotzians had underestimated the strength of the Ur Dominion; this was likely due to the perceived Sammichian racial superiority over the Enpeecee people. Shocked, and unwilling to accept defeat at the hands of the Urites, Fulfwotz refused to surrender, drawing the war out to a long and bitter conclusion in 128 CE. After Urite soldiers braved the harsh Demmatrodine terrain and managed to arrive at the gates of Fulfwotz, the city was invaded. King Nemerses II was caught attempting to flee the city, and was executed by the occupying Urites, but not before he was forced to surrender.
Despite their hatred of Fulfwotz, the Urites did not destroy it; instead, it was operated as a puppet state, with King Nemerses III as its ceremonial figurehead. In reality, the city was ruled with an iron fist by the Urite Syphogrant Kemman Tet. Humiliated and defeated, Fulfwotz became Fulwojka-Ur, a resentful and submissive client state to the Urites.
Urite Rule
Despite the manner in which they conquered the Kingdom, the Urite Enpeecees were fairly benevolent and progressive rulers. Religious tolerance was granted to even Orthodox Sammichians, many of whom had always been ardent supporters of Enpeecee extermination and enslavement. Kemman Tet had directed reconstruction of Fulwojka, repairing buildings and infrastructure damaged in the Fulfo-Urite War. Some Fulwojkari, as they were now known, began to sympathize and appreciate the efforts of their Enpeecee rulers. However, this era of relatively-peaceful cooperation ended with the death of the Syphogrant Kemman Tet in 156.
His son,Tetkjal Tet, became the Urite Syphogrant; the death of his mother in the Fulfwotzian razing of Jakarat in 125 had bestowed upon him a deep and bitter hatred of Fulfwotz and the Sammichian race. While the validity of this claim is disputed, it is alleged that Tetkjal Tet brought Queen Moranene back to Mekjloka, turning her into his personal sex slave. When he was finished with her, he would have her escorted back to Fulfwojka on foot, naked, forcing her to walk through the city to Castle Mugg in front of her own people. Furthermore, Tetkjal also encouraged Enpeecee immigration into Fulwojka-Ur. Prosperous Sammichians were removed from their homes and forced to live in the streets to give priority to the Enpeecee people. This cruel and unrelenting rule of Fulwojka continued with Tetkjal's heirs until the ascension of the Syphogrant Jakor Tet around 450.
Queen Tepistra of Fulwojka realized that war was not the way to escape from Urite control; instead, she resorted to diplomacy. Forging relationships with the heads of other Urite client states, she was preparing to intimidate the Syphogrant into relinquishing control of Fulwojka and other allied states. However, upon meeting Jakor Tet, he allegedly fell in love with her. For the sake of their nations, the two kept their sexual relationship secret, yet Jakor insisted that she allow him to marry her. She agreed under one condition; that he free Fulwojka-Ur. Reluctant, but madly in love, he agreed, and Fulfwotz was granted independence in 460 CE. Queen Tepistra gained the title of Emancipator among her people, and Jakor Tet mysteriously died several months before their ceremony was to take place.
Second Fulfo-Urite War
Despite their new and peacefully-acquired freedom, the Fulfwotzians were instill incredibly bitter over their defeat and treatment at the hands of the Urite Syphogrants. The Enpeecee population of the Kingdom was expelled violently in 462, and stragglers were terrorized and murdered by Sammichians. Aware that the Ur Dominion could reconquer the Kingdom whenever they wanted, Fulfwotz built up its defenses and resolved to act. The Kings and Queens of Fulfwotz maintained close relations with the Syphogrant to deflect suspicion, while garnering the support of the nobility and resentful Urite states. Fulfwotz entered a secret alliance with Anmolika-Ur and Samark-Ur, while securing its eastern border against an attack from Jakarat-Ur which would likely ensue when war broke out; Jakarat was the closest to Fulfwotz, loyal to the Syphogrant, and still angry about the razing of their city in the first war. Castiliae Dux, a fortress in modern-day Frentwood, was constructed to fortify the eastern front and was considered one of the greatest fortresses of its time. In 521, after biding its time for decades, the Kingdom declared war on the Ur Dominion under King Pyrithenes.
As they had predicted, Jakarat-Ur had advanced on the Kingdom, but were held at bay thanks to the defensive capabilities of Castilae Dux. Samark and Anmolika had held up their end of the alliance and attacked Mekjloka, but Samark was soon subdued by the stronger Mekjlokari; legends claim that the governor of Samark, along with his family and advisors, was impaled on a stake and forced to watch his city burn. However, the Anmolikari had put up a fierce resistance to Mekjloka and were met with a Fulfwotzian force; the combined forces of Fulfwotz and Anmolika managed to invade the capital city and capture the Syphogrant Nemok Tet. In 523, the war had ended, and the Urite political dominance of the Demmatrodine had ended as the state collapsed. Fulfwotz gained a significant amount of territory in the interior of the Demmatrodine, along with the area surrounding the now-pacified Jakarat.
Post-Urite History
Following the collapse of the Ur Dominion, the Kingdom's attempts at expansion and trade with the rest of the Demmatrodine was no longer hampered. The Kingdom opened profitable trade routes with Anmolika, Samark, and Levok, forming a mutually-beneficial relationship between Fulfwotz and the Enpeecee states. Despite their closeness, many Sammichians still viewed Enpeecee people as 'uncivilized', and possessed disdain for the race through their experience with the Urites. However, the Kingdom realized that it was not the right time to assert itself over the other states and continued to partake in friendly relations. This period of peace lasted for little under a century, until the Orthodox faith began to enter the Fulfwotzian mainstream.
Rise of the Orthodoxy
While the Orthodoxy had existed since the time of Xamichia, it had been little more than a pagan cult which worshipped the god Pax. The Pantheon of Xamichine Gods and Goddesses had long been preeminent in Sammichian culture, yet in the late 500's, the Orthodox faith gained popularity among the upper classes and nobility, who wished to distance and distinguish themselves from the growing lower classes. Orthodox beliefs differed from Pantheonic ones in the sense that they were considerably more conservative and strict; the Orthodoxy was also monotheistic in nature, as opposed to the polytheism and wide variety of gods and goddesses in the Xamichine Pantheon. However, people of the lower class remained devoted to the Pantheon. Class and religious conflict emerged, and climaxed in 704 when the Orthodox Capulae Cleisthenes, the leader of the church, convinced King Theses to make the Orthodoxy the state religion of Fulfwotz, along with outlawing the practice of Pantheonic worship.
This alienated the majority of the Fulfwotzian people, as remaining followers of the Pantheon were often tracked down by the Capulae's agents and forced to convert; if they refused, it is believed that they were subject to torture and abuse until they recanted their religious convictions. Capulae Cleisthenes and his successors had been elevated to positions second only to the monarch; this outraged many people in the Kingdom and incited dissent, brutally suppressed by the Church and monarchy. The supremacy of the Orthodox Church concerned Fulfwotz's Enpeecee neighbors, as Sammichian racial superiority was a tenet of Orthodox beliefs. With the Capulae demonstrating great influence over the King, they realized it would only be a matter of time before the Kingdom began to exercise their power over them and attempt to convert the Enpeecee states by force.
The persecution of Pantheonic worshippers continued under Theses II. In 716, in an effort to finally crush the religion, leaders of the Pantheonic resistance movement were captured and burned at the stake in front of the Orthodox Temple of Virtue. The ensuing uprising against the Orthodox establishment led to the Holy Wars between the Orthodox government and nobility, and the poorer Pantheonic Fulfwotzians -- though covertly armed and supported by the Enpeecee states.
Holy Wars
Motivated by and fought in the name of religion, the Holy Wars lasted between 716 and 752. In truth, little is known about the wars, as Capulae Cleisthenes had dissolved the ancient Aggripaedic Order of historians upon his rise to power, and had heavily censored anything of the sort.
What little information that has been recovered from the time suggest a bloody and protracted war which almost saw the collapse of the Kingdom of Fulfwotz. With the kings Theses II, Theses III, and Pontulus the Pious, the monarchy and nobility was locked in bitter conflict with the masses. Pantheonic temples, notably the massive Appoxian Palace (a hallowed temple complex to the god Appox), were razed, often with worshipers trapped inside. Conflict inflamed after the ascension of Capulae Cleisthenes's more radical apprentice, Senecus. Under Capulae Senecus, anyone caught with Pantheonic leanings or paraphernalia would be executed immediately and unsympathetically. These draconian and brutal measures ensured the eventual extinction of the ancient Xamichine Pantheon. In 752, it is believed that there were almost no worshipers left in Fulfwotz; most either fled, were frightened into conversion, or were killed.
Orthodox Supremacy
With the Pantheon no longer standing in its way, the Orthodox Church was free to draw upon its influence on the Fulfwotzian people. In 789, King Pontulus the Pious granted the Capulae new powers which allowed him to participate in matters of state and levy ecclesiastical taxes on the Kingdom. With an enormous new source of income, the Church was able to construct more religious buildings and fund missionary groups to convert Enpeecee tribes in the Demmatrodine. Such missionaries were banned from the former Urite states; particularly Jakarat. Jakarat was the closest to Fulfwotz, and therefore perceived the Orthodoxy as a much greater threat. With such profound ecclesiastical influence in society, the Church's power in the management of the Kingdom rivaled that of the unusually-submissive monarchy. Without the artistic and passionate spirit the Pantheon fostered, the Kingdom entered an era of bleak repression and religiosity.
After being accused of kidnapping and killing Orthodox missionaries, the Kingdom declared a holy war on its neighbor Jakarat in 844, but the war saw no fighting; the Kingdom was threatened into submission after the states of Anmolika and Levok aligned themselves with Jakarat and made clear their intention to defend it. If the Kingdom had continued with their war, they would be fighting on three fronts with a formidable coalition of Enpeecee states. Tensions in the Demmatrodine spiked, and in 860, Anmolika and Levok merged to form the state of Anmolevok in order to better defend itself from inevitable Fulfwotzian aggression.
With the deterioration of King Pontulus II, the Capulae Acrocedes claimed to have received an invocation from Pax that allowed him to rule in the King's stead. The rightful heir, Princess Nesvina IV, was forced into exile by the patriarchal Church. With Acrocedes at the helm of both the Church and Kingdom, it was not until his death in 932 that the younger brother of Nesvina, Cassiux VII, was able to ascend to the throne. Cassiux, having only been made King 28 years after he should have been crowned, harbored feelings of resentment towards the Church and was the only Fulfwotzian monarch to outright defy the Orthodoxy at its height. He scaled back its powers and denied the Capulae a spot in the royal court. His heir, Prince Anaximus, was kidnapped and groomed by the Church in retaliation, unbeknownst to Cassiux. On his deathbed in 971, Anaximus was revealed after spending nineteen years in forced clerical isolation. He was placed on the throne, and immediately reversed his father's actions to stem the influence of the Orthodoxy.