The Nation-Kings

With the death of King Robert and the end of The Priest Kings, the throne of a the new united Sicinia passed to his Lord Chamberlin, Ellard d'Courtenay. It was Ellard and his wife Hilaire who were responsible for the main workings and foundations of Sicinia today. The capital would remain in Saint Michele, and because the city's lifeblood was the River Salis, the land already known by the name Sicinia would become Sicinia Salis.

However, the question remained as to how to govern the kingdom. The city states had been conquered by Robert, but they chafed at being ruled by another city state from so far away. It was Hilaire who eventually came up with the original institution of the United Counties. The system was very much like home rule, with each city being given great autonomy and a feudal structure within them. The king would still have ultimate control, but unless needed the cities would see out their own affairs. Any land not part of a County would automatically become part of Saint Michele. It was this freedom that kept Martinique and Chanaud as the prosperous and populated centers they were, since their wealth was not being drained by the capital.

The perhaps most important part of this union was the combined military strength it gave them, and it was not long before the King took advantage of it. in 1528 C.E. trade squabbles with the Laatzenians broke out into war, and King Lorant IV issued a general call to arms. This was the first time the forces of the city states had come together, and it did not work well. The King could not control the army in time of war, he could only command the force from Saint Michele. The General was elected by the cities and was more often than not a better compromise than soldier. Although greatly outnumbering the Laatzenian forces divisions between the forces prevented them from exploiting this advantage. The war continued on and off, the confrontations bloody and inconclusive. It was fifty years before a victory was won against the enemy, with the capture of Aristiden in 1578 C.E.

Military Reforms

The General who commanded the army at the time was a baron from Chanaud named Gordain d'Yseult. Considered one of the finest Sicinian generals of all time, he recognized the problem with the divided forces and convinced the king, who had made him baron of Aristiden to let him rework the armed forces. His product, labelled the La Légion de Choc (Shock Legion) was remarkably similar to the Shock Armies of today. Saint Michele and its wide expanses of unclaimed and conquered territories would supply the majority of the army, with each county providing toops. To prevent the counties from fobbing off their sadsack, insubordinate, or insane soldiers to the Légion, d'Yseult and his subordinates would inspect and choose the troops themselves.

The system worked so well that in 1594 it was able to thoroughly trounce a (albeit smaller) Akaeian force in present day County Denard. The last wars with Laatzen ended in the early 1600s, with Sicinia Salis coming to control everything east of the Salis. However, it was giving Saint Michele an administrative headache. All lands not owned by a County were considered lands of Saint Michele, making that county a size far larger than they could handle. The King tried to ease the problem, by creating new counties, but he could only give away so much without making a lord too powerful. It wasn't until 1674 that King Auguste XII found a solution.

Land Reforms

Auguste shocked the country by making Saint Michele its own independent county, ruled as a duchy by a member of the Royal family. The capital was still Saint Michele and the King still controlled all, but his exclusive lands were now the areas that remained unclaimed. Called Common land, they covered an enormous area, but were sufficiently pastoral that the king rarely had to trouble himself with ruling them, leaving that to appointed governors.

It worked perfectly, and administrative troubles cleared, leaving the king free to deal the impending crisis with Akaeia. The two countries had been at each other's throats for some time, and a large party in the Congress of Lords, lead by a successful businessman named James Olmestead, urged war. After the Panselle Incident Olmestead had the excuse he needed and pressured the aging Auguste to declare war.

The Fall of the King

The Panselle War lasted for seven years, and although mostly a stalemate did create Sicinia as a world power. However, it bankrupted the kingdom and left the king with a broken mind. His leadership failed and lesser men tried to run the country with disastrous results. Taxes increased and public dissent grew, until it was open riots in the streets.

Auguste died in 1711 C.E. leaving a power vacuum which was filled by his Minister of Trade Henri Rechamp, who exiled most of the Royal Family. Although Auguste's son Reynarde did return for a brief time (1715-1723), 1711 marked the end of Sicinia Salis as a Kingdom and its beginning as the United Counties.

Continue on to The Commiserat

List of Nation-Kings

High Kings

• Vraelasa c. 960 – 983 C.E.
• Keilan 983 – 1012 C.E.
• Aurlad 1012 – 1027 C.E.

City-Kings (Saint Michele)

• Aurlad 1027 – 1034 C.E.
• Cynewulf 1034 – 1040 C.E.
• Edelard of Trent 1040 – 1042 C.E.
• Victor of Upswich 1042 – 1050 C.E.
• Erconberht of Upswich 1050 – 1055 C.E.

Fairfax Dynasty

• David of Fairfax 1055 – 1069 C.E.
• Geoffrey of Fairfax 1069 – 1099 C.E.
• Godric of Fairfax 1099 – 1118 C.E.
• Bodolf of Fairfax 1118 – 1142 C.E.
• Ellery of Fairfax 1142 – 1167 C.E.
• Robert d’Fairfax 1167 – 1188 C.E.
• Reynarde d’Fairfax 1188 – 1206 C.E.

• Jean ‘The Burner’ 1206 – 1215 C.E.
• Howard d’Clainer 1215 – 1221 C.E.
• Willard Graspel 1221 – 1224 C.E.
• Thierry d’Mese 1224 C.E.
• Guillaume d’Margerette 1224 – 1255 C.E.
• Francois ‘The Peasant’ 1255 – 1256 C.E.

D’Mellowin Dynasty

• Alexandre 1256 – 1265 C.E.
• Massanger 1265 – 1276 C.E.
• Alexandrine 1276 – 1285 C.E.
• Massanger II 1285 – 1291 C.E.

The Priest-Kings

• Michael 1291 – 1348 C.E.
• Auguste 1348 – 1349 C.E.
• Frederic 1349 – 1360 C.E.
• Pascal 1360 – 1381 C.E.
• Denis 1381 – 1402 C.E.
• Vincent 1402 – 1431 C.E.
• Lorant 1431 – 1445 C.E.
• Lorant II 1445 – 1461 C.E.
• Robert 1461 – 1476 C.E.

Nation-Kings

D’Courtenay Dynasty

• Ellard 1476 – 1494 C.E.
• Hilaire (joint rule with Ellard 1476 – 1494 C.E.) 1494 – 1505 C.E.
• Lorant III 1505 – 1516 C.E.
• Henri I 1516-1524 C.E..
• Lorant IV 1524-1565 C.E.

D’Augustine Dynasty

• Auguste VI (previous five Augustes Ducs of Saint Michele during d’Courtenay Dynasty) 1565-1570 C.E.
• Auguste VII 1570-1596 C.E.
• Reynarde I 1596-1624 C.E.
• Auguste VIII 1624- 1640 C.E.
• Auguste IX 1640-1651 C.E.
• Auguste X 1651-1674 C.E.
• Auguste XI 1674 C.E.
• Auguste XII 1674-1711 C.E.

Henri Rechamp Revolution

• Reynarde III 1715-1723 C.E.

Premiership

• Joseph I 1728- present C.E.