Kingdom of Tyren

Tyren, officially the Kingdom of Tyren, is a country located in the south-east of the Continent of Tyren. It covers an area of 6,552,069 square kilometres and is home to a population of over 69 million people. Tyren is bordered to the north by Dominion East Tyren, and to the west by numerous independent warlord states. Throughout most of its history, Tyren has been an absolute monarchy, where the king was worshipped by the general populace. However, Tyren has undergone a revolution in recent history and is now under a new regime.

History
(note : Tyrenese history is written in BC (before Comet) and AC (after Comet) but will be translated to a Glorian timeline).

(note: Due to the colonisation of northern Tyren by the Autumn Dominion, many historical sites and artefacts have been destroyed/desecrated. Hence, much of our knowledge of Tyren's pre-history comes from Chudaxi archives)

Before Unification
Around 40,000 BC the first Tyrenese people migrated across land bridges from what was once Chudaxi, settling in northern Tyren. Archeological finds including pottery and stone tools date agriculture to around 10,000 BC with rice and coca leaves being cultivated around Akatāl Unang ng (The River of Life). Multiple Tyrenese tribes formed along the river, each with their own distinct dialect. A single tree bark inscription carbon dated to this time features the first appearance of the Tyranese proto-language, and also the first mention of religion in Tyren. The discovery of bronze by the Chudaxi in 1000 BC and its subsequent introduction to Tyren led to the creation of advanced tools, which increased agricultural production. Several states, kingdoms and empires arose during the following years. One of the first and largest states was the Tasa Empire. The Tasa Empire was situated on highly fertile land and had gained significant territory by 1100 AC. In 1137 AC the Kingdom of Phol, alongside coalition composing of multiple other Tyrenese states, revolted against the Tasa Empire and its current king, Matu, beginning the Unang River War, which lasted from 1137-1159 AC. The war ended with King Phadungphol taking the Tasa capital of Sātolubaya (Base of the Great Tree), defeating Matu in singular combat, and the remainder of the states conceding defeat. Phadungphol proclaimed himself the first King of Tyren, or Tairenu (United People). By 1164 AC, Phadungphol had subjugated the remaining states, unifying northern Tyren. Phadungphol was 62 at the time, and is currently regarded by all Tyrenese as the father of modern Tyren.

"For years bloated corpses filled the Akatāl Unang ng. How ironic." - King Phadungphol, 1169 AC.

The Golden Age of Tyren
The period following Tyren's unification is often referred to as "the Golden Age of Tyren". Phadungphol, now too old to lead the army, made Sātolubaya the capital of Tyren and settled there. The Tyrenese had mastered agricultural practices over the past 11,000 years and the now unified kingdom saw massive economic growth. Phadungphol utilised the Akatāl Unang ng to assist in trade, with goods such as rice, coca leaves and cocoa beans being transported up and down the river. Phadungphol and his advisors met and divided northern Tyren into several states, each governed by a lord that would serve the king. Phadungphol was able to keep the loyalty of his former enemies in the Unang River War by electing them to this position, often granting them their former land. Sātolubaya expanded greatly at Phadungphol's request, becoming the central trading hub for northern Tyren, as well as the most populated city in the kingdom. King Phadungphol died at the age of 89, in 1191 AC. The entire kingdom accompanied him on his last procession. His body was carried up the Akatāl Unang ng followed on foot by the people of Tyren, until his body was laid to rest in the centre of Sātolubaya, in the Takima Elateramao ng (Garden of Kings). A tree sapling was planted with him, so that his body would feed the tree and he would become part of it, as per the ancient Tyrenese custom.

(note: at the time of its founding the Garden of Kings was called the Takima Rapu ng, using the old Tyrenese word for king, rapu. However, after the religious reforms of King Sikhritphol in 1211 AC, the word king was changed to Elateramao, which translates to Servant of the Elatera).

Phadungphol had two sons, Khaphunphol and Sikhritphol. Khaphunphol was the eldest at 45 and thus inherited the Kingdom of Tyren after his fathers death in 1191 AC. He was an expansionist, and focused on expanding the kingdom his father had created. In 1194 AC, Khaphunphol led the Tyrenese army south, through the mountains and into southern Tyren, leaving his brother Sikhritphol in charge. Khaphunphol discovered the Som Ela ng (Bay of Elephants), where he founded the port city of Tolukor (Tree Root) in 1197 AC, which would later become Tyren's capital. Khaphunphol then headed east in 1204 AC. He discovered, named and crossed the Kaphun Akatāl (Kaphun River) and began venturing into the Sā Tasakatoluma (Great Rainforest). Khaphunphol and his party never returned. After a year of searching Khaphunphol was presumed dead and his brother Sikhritphol became the official King of Tyren in 1205 AC. There are a wide range of theories concerning Khaphunphol's disappearance. Many think he was killed by a rapa (tiger), while others believe that the party were driven insane by spirits and killed each other. Regardless of his death, Khaphunphol is regarded as a great explorer and king, the land he settled becoming crucial to the Kingdom of Tyren. A tree was planted in his honour in Takima Elateramao ng.

Sikhritphol was 50 when he inherited the Tyrenese throne in 1205 AC. He was an insular, deeply religious man who spent most of his life in the Kings Palace in Sātolubaya. He was involved with many administrative and religious reforms during his reign. The disappearance of his brother led him to create a set of laws in 1206 AC concerning all future kings, one stating that the king may not leave the capital unless absolutely necessary, and may never leave the kingdom's borders under any circumstance. Before 1211 AC religion in Tyren was uncommon with only a few village elders and monks following Elatān (Worship of the Elatera). Sikhritphol helped facilitate the growth of Elatān, having the religion transcribed into a book which was distributed across the Kingdom of Tyren and taught in schools. He invested heavily in the construction of temples around Tyren, where people could present offerings to the Elatera and pray for bountiful harvests. Sikhritphol died at the age of 71 due to heart failure. He had a successful reign and was well liked by the general populous. Due to his insular lifestyle, Sikhritphol never married or had children, and his cousin Songchim inherited the Tyrenese throne in 1226 AC, ending the Phol Dynasty.

Chudaxi Wars and Subjugation
For most of its history the Kingdom of Tyren had little exposure to the Chudaxi. The Chudaxi were a large, technologically advanced empire, having been the first nation in Known to create gunpowder. They were well known for their mastery of magic and use of megafauna in warfare, such as the infamous "fortoises". The Chudaxi had accumulated significant territory in their homeland to the North, and had ignored the Tyrenese for most of their existence. However, news of Tyren's wealth and abundance of natural resources reached the Chudaxi emperors during the early 1200s. In 1246 AC, the first Chudaxi ships arrived in Northern Tyren. King Songchim sent a diplomatic party to meet them, led by his chief advisor and close friend Paopeng. Tyrenese archives feature his firsthand account of the meeting;

"''We were greeted on the shore by several men who introduced themselves as the Chudaxi. They were tall and well-built, with facial features similar to our own. They wore their black hair up in buns and braids and were draped in robes made of a strange, smooth fabric that felt odd to the touch. Behind them, out to sea, hundreds of long and slender ships waited, poised like hungry rapakaa (tigers). To my surprise the leader of the group spoke fluent Tyrenese, introducing himself as Cheng. He led us into a colourful tent where we were sat down on cushions and offered refreshments. Unexpectedly, it was not at all an unpleasant experience. The Chudaxi shared many of our own values; politeness, devotion, hard work, honour. We discussed many topics, often in agreement with one another. However, it was the future of Tyren that we disagreed on. They offered us peaceful integration into their empire. I had to refuse. King Songchim had given me strict orders that the Kingdom of Tyren was not to become the vassal of another nation so soon after its own unification. The Chudaxi understood wholeheartedly and we parted ways pleasantly to prepare for war." Chief Advisor Paopeng, 1246 AC.''

Songchim was able to raise 27,000 men. Each soldier was equipped with a shield made of hardened wood, a spear, iron helmet, iron breastplate and the infamous Tyrenese soykan knife. The first war lasted for 12 years, with both sides sustaining heavy casualties. Most of the fighting took place along the coast of Northern Tyre. Songchim's advisor for war observed that the fighting was not at all spiteful. The Chudaxi and Tyrenese fought honourably, allowing each other to retrieve the dead and wounded after battle, with several skirmishes ending in a draw allowing both sides to live. Despite their mastery of magic, the Chudaxi did not deploy any theomancy on the battlefield during the first war. It was the Chudaxi's use of gunpowder cannons on board their ships that allowed them to gain the upper hand, with the Tyrenese experiencing frequent naval bombarding. In 1258 AC a truce was established and Chief Advisor Paopeng was once again sent to negotiate. The Chudaxi admired the Tyrenese for their honour and prowess in battle, and did not annex any sovereign Tyrenese land. They signed multiple trade treaties with the Kingdom of Tyren, as well as establishing several colonies across the mountains in Western Tyren where they could access their own supply if cocoa and coca.

The Tyrenese lived in peace for the next 20 years alongside the Chudaxi, integrating their culture and language into Tyren thanks to the diplomacy of King Songchim and Chief Advisor Paopeng. However, the death of Songchim in 1278 AC and the inauguration of his eldest son Kochim fractured relations between The Kingdom of Tyren and the Chudaxi. Kochim was a radical xenophobe who grew up hating the Chudaxi and their growing influence over Tyren. He believed the Chudaxi were attempting to destroy Tyrenese culture and tradition. He sent several diplomatic insults to the Chudaxi, and encourage violence and uprising. In 1283 AC, Kochim declared war on the Chudaxi in an effort to expel them from Tyren. Paopeng attempted to assassinate the king but failed and fled to the Chudaxi, living with them in exile for the rest of his life;

''"I know now what I must do. I hope that future generations of Tyrenese do not resent me. I hope they know I take no pleasure in this. I promised dear Songchim that I would look after his boy, but circumstances change. I see none of his father inside him. Where Songchim was kind, wise and well spoken, Kochim is an impulsive, hateful brat. I will not stand idly by while he destroys what his father and I worked so hard to create. I will strike at midnight tonight. I may be going to hunt rapas without a spear, as the elders say, but I must try. I am so sorry Songchim. I have failed you." Chief Advisor Paopeng, 1283 AC.''

Much of the initial fighting occurred in the mountains, where the Tyrenese had the advantage due to their knowledge of the area and Chudaxi's inability to use cannons. They were able to overrun the Chudaxi to the west and seize their colonies. However the Chudaxi counterattacked in the North, this time sending sending their infamous fortoises, as well as deploying battlemages to the battlefield, one for every 100 foot soldiers. The diary of an officer in the army describes fighting in the second Chudaxi war;

''"Fuck this Kochim bastard. I hope the Elatera feeds him to the rapas. I fought in the first Chudaxi war and it was nothing like this. Let me tell you what occurred yesterday: we were attacked at dawn when half of our men were still asleep. They descended upon us swiftly and fiercely, yelling battlecries in their native tongue. We managed to hold our encampment for maybe an hour before our formation was splintered by Chudaxi cannons. They charged again and many of my men fell screaming. I wearily continued to fight with my soykan. In-amongst the chaos I saw flashes of light and smelt the awful stench of burnt flesh. I fought my way to the source; a Chudaxi battlemage, atop a pile of dead Tyrenese soldiers. He wore ornate gold armour, his face covered by a terrible mask. In one hand he held a glowing sword that cut though our armour like it was cloth. From his other hand he conjured flame. He fought like a rapa, cutting down men left and right, and turning many more to ashes. This was a battle we could not win. "We are routed" I yelled "retreat!" My men turned to flee when the ground shook and we fell to our knees. I looked up slowly, and said a prayer to the Elatera. A tortoise, the size of a mountain, with a fortress on its shell that rained arrows and fireballs. It lumbered towards us, shaking the Earth, roaring. I ran for dear life." Unknown Tyrenese General, 1286 AC.''

The Tyrenese lost battle after battle, being pushed back up the Akatāl Unang ng all the way to Sātolubaya. By this time the capital was in chaos, with frequent riots and mutinies against the monarchy. When the Chudaxi reached the gates of Sātolubaya in 1294 AC, the royal guard presented Kochim in chains. He was executed the same day. The Chudaxi placed Kochim's cousin Yumpūn in charge as a puppet, allowing them to take control of Tyren and govern them for the next 500 years.

Chudaxi Rule and Decline
The fall of Sātolubaya in 1294 AC marked the beginning of Chudaxi rule over Tyren. The Pūn dynasty were nothing more than figureheads, enacting the policies of the Chudaxi. Many Pūn kings were never even seen by the Tyrenese people, spending their lives in the Kings Palace under the watchful eye of Chudaxi soldiers. Much of Tyren's agriculture and industry were seized by the Chudaxi and used to support future military endeavours, as well as many Tyrenese being forced into slave labour. There were several small uprisings in the major towns across Tyren, but there were quickly suppressed and destroyed. A large number of Chudaxi migrated to Tyren, leading to a blending of cultures and mixed-race relations. Chudaxi architecture spread around Tyren, many examples still present in Tyren today in the form of temples and ruins. Around 1600 AC the Chudaxi began to decline due to numerous failed military endeavours. Chudaxi influence in Tyren slowly lessened, until 1815 AC when the last Chudaxi ship left Tyren. The current king, Dompūn declared independence just as the ship was leaving in what was called the "First Tyrenese Independence War", which lasted less than an hour and composed of a dozen Tyrenese men shooting at the boat with muskets and promptly missing every shot. For the next 50 years Tyren suffered greatly, due to a weakened military, economy and administration. During this time several glorian nations including the Autumn Dominion and Roberta began making contact with the kingdom of Tyren.

Glorian Colonisation and King Sumpūn

 * Occurrences in the Life of Chief Advisor Paopeng