Yes, quaint and curious war is
You cut a fellow down
You'd treat, if met where any bar is,
Or help to half a crown.
Before Gorgen Magnar sailed his fleet to the continent a thousand years ago, Magnaria was called "Kokuchembasha" by the short, cave-dwelling natives that called it home. It meant "Dirt Which is Precious" in their harsh tongue. He would only discover this as an old man after entirely subjugating their precious dirt and appointing scholars to translating the gibbering tongue of his subjects. Since Magnaria has been Magnaria, even for the first hundred-odd years when the imperial line had nary a throne or castle to put it in, the people of Magnaria have followed the line of Gorgen. First Gorgen Magnar, then Ardall Gorgen, then Ardall's son Kentam Gorgen, and then Kentam's son Otho Gorgen, and so on for a millenium.
Wars have been fought between the countries of Magnaria, but the line of the House of Gorgen has never been so much as questioned successfully, for the imperial army has always dwarfed the combined forces of other countries. The Gorgen Dynasty has produced unfailingly wise and benevolent emperors, or at least emperors wise enough to appoint wiser councilmen. The times Magnaria has seen invaders, it was always an Emperor Gorgen who lead the fleet of ships to the defense of his lands, and within each of the historical tomes, it is clear to see that the Gorgens have been responsible for nearly every major technological advancement. The unquestionable rulership of House Gorgen has been the backbone of Magnaria since its inception and until today, the first day of our story.
At first, the Gods showed their displeasure with a deep subterranean rumbling. Cracks formed in the soil, spreading into small ditches, which spread into canyons. The Earth shifted, tearing apart houses and roads as if the foundation they stood on had been replaced by water. For a terrible few minutes, the very ground was torn in twain, collapsing hills, villages, and most notably, the imperial castle. Every last Gorgen, from Emperor Taggart to his farthest cousin, soon found themselves crushed beneath the tremendous walls and towers that had kept them safe for sixty generations of sons. In less time than it took to bring a kettle to boil, the Magnarian Empire was completely erased from the Earth.
Chaos has stricken the quiet continent like a plague. In some lands, temples begin to overflow with panicked devout seeking answers. In others, blue-faced, swaying remains of lords and their families hang from trees, ripped from their bedchambers to be drawn and quartered in the street by peasantry, assured that law and order have left Magnaria for good. This chaos will quickly force Magnarian kings to send reinforcements to ransacked storehouses, their swords to quell rebellions, and align troops against those who now doubt their right to rule. But only days have passed since the fall of the imperial castle, and an unease malingers in the air. For the first time, Magnaria has no Emperor. The soldiers of the imperial army cannot report to their commander, because their commanders are all gone, along with their storehouses of armor and weaponry. In a few moments, all that the imperial line worked to accomplish for a thousand years was swallowed up by the dirt. Now, all that remains are five kings following a system of laws set up to give fealty to an emperor that is not there. In chaos, laws can only be followed for so long.
Wars have been fought between the countries of Magnaria, but the line of the House of Gorgen has never been so much as questioned successfully, for the imperial army has always dwarfed the combined forces of other countries. The Gorgen Dynasty has produced unfailingly wise and benevolent emperors, or at least emperors wise enough to appoint wiser councilmen. The times Magnaria has seen invaders, it was always an Emperor Gorgen who lead the fleet of ships to the defense of his lands, and within each of the historical tomes, it is clear to see that the Gorgens have been responsible for nearly every major technological advancement. The unquestionable rulership of House Gorgen has been the backbone of Magnaria since its inception and until today, the first day of our story.
At first, the Gods showed their displeasure with a deep subterranean rumbling. Cracks formed in the soil, spreading into small ditches, which spread into canyons. The Earth shifted, tearing apart houses and roads as if the foundation they stood on had been replaced by water. For a terrible few minutes, the very ground was torn in twain, collapsing hills, villages, and most notably, the imperial castle. Every last Gorgen, from Emperor Taggart to his farthest cousin, soon found themselves crushed beneath the tremendous walls and towers that had kept them safe for sixty generations of sons. In less time than it took to bring a kettle to boil, the Magnarian Empire was completely erased from the Earth.
Chaos has stricken the quiet continent like a plague. In some lands, temples begin to overflow with panicked devout seeking answers. In others, blue-faced, swaying remains of lords and their families hang from trees, ripped from their bedchambers to be drawn and quartered in the street by peasantry, assured that law and order have left Magnaria for good. This chaos will quickly force Magnarian kings to send reinforcements to ransacked storehouses, their swords to quell rebellions, and align troops against those who now doubt their right to rule. But only days have passed since the fall of the imperial castle, and an unease malingers in the air. For the first time, Magnaria has no Emperor. The soldiers of the imperial army cannot report to their commander, because their commanders are all gone, along with their storehouses of armor and weaponry. In a few moments, all that the imperial line worked to accomplish for a thousand years was swallowed up by the dirt. Now, all that remains are five kings following a system of laws set up to give fealty to an emperor that is not there. In chaos, laws can only be followed for so long.
