The Ataster Era
 |
| This article is part of the Rethast History Compilation. |
| Articles |
|
The Ataster Era |
This is the first Part of the Rethast History Compilation. If you wish to move on, please use one of the links in the sidebar, or at the bottom of the page.
Contents
The Founding of the Empire (50BC-45BC)
The Ataster Empire was forged in the year 50BC when the two city states of Martoch and Indacria allied. They began a military build up together to ensure their control over the surrounding area. Their efforts were further bolstered when the region of Ulthwar united with them. Ulthwar was already a military superpower, and with its help, the Empire began to march on the surrounding lands. The region of Yanye was completely eradicated and brought forcefully under the Empire's control in 47 BC and when the regions of Handeran and Hernas joined with the Empire, there was no one left to fight. At least not for a while. Together, the regions took turns with the Imperial throne, to prevent any one gaining an advantage. The Ataster Empire had been founded.
The Age of Security (44BC-165AD)
The Empire then began building its military for several hundred years, to ensure that no outside armies could invade. Vast armies marched throughout the empire, and its military almost trebled in size in the space of three years. New methods of smelting and weapon forging were made to make sure their soldiers were the best equipped in history. Several small barbarian raids were made into the Imperial lands and were quickly repulsed. When Emperor Carlo from Indacria came to power in 163AD, the Empire began an aggressive series of attacks on foreign fortresses and towns, ensuring that barbarians could no longer attack Ataster lands. The citizens cried out in joy at the might of their Empire, and Carlo was hailed as a hero. But his attacks led to a series of bloody wars which would last for 100 years.
The Barbarian Wars (166AD-270AD)
In 166AD, the barbarians outside the borders of Ataster united under the Warlord Gertorix. Gertorix led his forces deep into the Empire hoping to quickly destroy several army bases before the Imperial Legions could counterattack. Three bases were targeted by Gertorix, Campus Gaetii, Campus Sholto and Campus Gurnae. Sholto and Gurnae had only a small number of forces defending them and were vastly outnumbered by the numberless hordes of barbarians. Gaetii however had a full Legion defending it. Gertorix himself led the attack. 20,000 Barbarians marched on 15,000 Imperial Legionnaires. Gertorix's forces had difficulty getting within the Camps walls, the constant hail of arrows from within holding the hordes back. Eventually, the Barbarians were reinforced with another army and surged forward. The gates were smashed down and Gertorix himself slew the Camp's general. The Legionnaires fought on but were ultimately defeated.
Gertorix used Gaetii as his stronghold to launch the attacks on the Empire. For the next ten years Gertorix's forces continually ambushed the Legionnaires of the Empire, withdrawing to their hiding places before any counterattacks could be launched. However, despite their best efforts, the Barbarians were losing. And when, in 178AD, Gertorix died, they gave up completely. The first Barbarian War was over.
Twenty years later, another Warlord began the second Barbarian War. A force three times as large as Gertorix's invaded the Empire. This time however, they wre not as lucky. Of the five targeted towns and forts, only one attack was successful, capturing a small town in a forest. The Warlord (named Dunorus) took what he could get and moved in. The Legions were quick to react and sent their two most skilled generals, Hanner and Tostilla. The generals split up, aiming to pincer the spread out Barbarians and force them towards the town where they would deal the final blow.
In 201AD, the Generals stood outside the town, ready to eradicate the Barbarian armied. Dunorus had fortified the town however and the Legions were brutally beaten when they attacked. Tostilla and Hanner raised new Legions, but were careful to keep the Barbarians contained within the forest. Sporadic raids kept the invaders fed however and the Imperial generals were forced to launch another attack. In 210 AD they began another assault on the now very well fortified Barbarian position. This time the attack was a success, wth Dunorus being killed in the fighting. The remaining Barbarians fled. Not all returned home, and some 10,000 remained, spread out in packs of hundreds throughout the Empire. From 210 until 230, Hanner and Tostilla hunted down all the remaining Barbarians. When Hanner died in battle and Tostilla of old age, the barbarians made a quick braek for home. Their numbers had been dwindled by battle and time, and with little more soldiers joining them from across the borders. They made it to the border and their numbers were boosted from an estimated 340 to 1,000. This helped them remain another forty years, hiding near the border where help would continually arrive. Eventually, in 270AD, the last of them were trapped in Fargon Valley and annihilated. The Barbarian Wars were over.
The Age of Properity (271AD-565AD)
After the Barbarian Wars, a new Emperor, Marcus Sorse, took over the Empire. After brokering peace with the barbarians, Sorse rebuilt the Legions to their former strength and beyond. The rebuilding of the Legions ended in 289AD, and Sorse embarked on Renaissance of sorts. Arts, Food and Literature became the new foci of the Imperial Citizens, and the Empire became a highly decadent society in a few short years. The Age of Prosperity is said to last almost 300 Years, so it would not be practical to state all the wonders Ataster achieved here, but by 565AD, several million paintings had been completed, chapels and cathedrals dominated the skyline and books were no longer hand written, but printed.
The Ataster also opened relations with several powerful nations of the world, forming allies with each one. Trade routes were opened and Ataster quickly became a powerful trading body. Their ships sailed to every corner of the known world, collecting rare spices, gems and foods. With this new found wealth, the Ataster funded several Exploration ventures to set up colonies around the globe. Most were unfortunately turned back, but one of the twenty ventures made proved successful, colonising an island just off the coast of Ataster in 564AD. This Colony was small and had little money, but with the constant funding from the Empire they managed to remain strong.
The Age of Strife (566-634AD)
The Plague (566-575AD)
It is unclear how the Age of Strife began, but its effects on the empire are clear. From newly discovered writings, it appears that an unmanned ship came from one of their allies. When the Ataster boarded, the crew were found dead with their skin turning black and rotting. This new disease proved extremely contagious and within three months almost all of mainland Ataster was infected. When people tried to flee to the off coast colony they were met with soldiers and closed gates. No one was allowed inside, and many people were slain when they tried.
Back on the mainland, the Plague was rampant. Every day another thousand people died and only through Emperor Forte's desperate measures did anybody survive. Everybody was, by law, ordered to bring their dead to the hundreds of fires around the land. This fires grew as more and more bodies were disposed of and the ash filled the sky. But it worked. Within the next year over three million bodies were burnt on the fires and the Plague diminished. It still held sway over the denser city populations, but the Capitol and the many small villages were free of its deadly nature. And by 575AD, the entire country was free.
The Great Fall and the Rebuilding(576-634AD)
The massive death toll inflicted by the disease led to another catastrophe. With the economy in ruins, the Empire lost its military might. Barbarians invaded in 576AD and fully one half of the Empire was lost within two years. The people began to believe all was lost and prayed for salvation. Time led to the people eventually being strong enough to oppose the squabbling Warlord Clans and the barbarians were driven from the Empire and its borders were secured. In 594AD Emperor Tsing began another military build up, and thus began the era known as the Rebuilding.
The cities of the barbarians were knocked down and Ataster cities put in their place. The army swelled to a massive size to protect the Empires borders, four times the size of any army Ataster had before. Within the cities, the emphasis was placed on cleanliness to prevent another disease. Trading routes opened again, but Imperial Legionnaires aboard each ship would turn back anyone who looked even remotely sick. No expense was spared in bringing about the rise of Ataster again.
