Pax Novum

Nicatorria was one of the biggest empires in the history of Mytas. Founded in 345 BT as an alliance of two cities in the Vadian Isles and Mainland Ildoa, it grew in size and power to incorporate territory from Trajaria to Antoka and Northern Kanta.

Foundation
In 345 BT, the king of Glorus, Canum Julianus, married his daughter to the king of Canunsum, Octum Maxensius. This alliance marked the end of 5 years of war between the two cities, both founded by Trajarians, but who had gained independence. The leaders called this alliance Nica Alliance. At first, it was just a simple alliance of two states, but in 336BT Canum Julianus died of old age, without leaving a male heir. Thus, Octum Maxensius inherited Glorus, and made the Nican Alliance a single kingdom, calling it Nicatorria. He then proceeded to expand his kingdom in multiple wars until his death, taking control of Anisum and Pontus as well as other, smaller, cities, through war and diplomacy. He also moved the capital to Canunsum. At his death in 329 BT, his son inherited the kingdom. Nicatorria was born, and it would change the history of the world forever.

Expansion of the Kingdom
The second king of Nicatorria, Octum Thurum, followed in his father’s footsteps of expansion. In 324BT, he attacked the Trajarian colony of Boscarir, in an event known as the “Night Raid” in Novian legends. Thurum sent his best general, Septimus Driulus, with a small detachment of elite troops, disguised as Boscarian peasants, to infiltrate the city walls. In rags and with their weapons hidden in charriots and buckets of produce, they entered the city, and struck when night fell and the guards slept. In a couple of hours, they captured the Boscarian king and opened the city gates for the main Novian army. That was how Octum Thurum conquered Boscarir in one night, and this story was for long an example for Nicatorrian military leaders. Octum returned to Canunsum in triumph. He was the first king to instore the tradition of military leaders parading in the capital to celebrate his victory, a tradition which lasted until the end of Nicatorria. For the rest of his reign, he remained a popular king, but didn’t do much, preferring to stay and enjoy life in the palace that he built with Boscarian riches.

While his victory made him popular with the people, Septimus Driulus didn’t appreciate how little credit he received for the Night Raid. He felt that he had been overshadowed by his king, and while Octum made him governor of the Glorus Island, he did not feel that he had been rewarded enough. Nicatorria after the Night Raid



When Octum Thurum died in 316 BT, Septimus Driulus saw his chance to mark history. He declared himself king in Glorus Island, and attacked Thurum’s son, Nonum Thurum, a weak 16-year old. The Novian army chose to help Septimus, and Thurum didn’t stand a chance: he was betrayed by his own troops and his head was sent to Glorus as a sign of submission to Septimus. Now in power, Septimus Driulus decided to lead his fleet to take the islands north of Glorus Island. He lead his armies to victory, but his mistreatment of the locals made Nicatorria unpopular there. Nevertheless, he returned to the capital, which he had changed to Glorus, and paraded in the streets like his predecessor. After this victory, he began a campaign against barbaric tribes in the east. Despite initial successes, he died of disease in 309 BT and his armies withdrew. This “defeat”, as it was seen by the Nicatorrians, made his memory a bad one. He was succeeded by his son, Driulus Movium.

Republic
The next three kings, descendants of Septimus Driulus, did little for the kingdom. They spent the tax money getting drunk with whores, and the opinion of the monarchy lowered among the common folk and the rich traders and merchants. In 286 BT, Krastavan barbarians attacked the eastern border of the kingdom, and the king, Triulanum Lanius, suffered numerous defeat, as he was a bad leader. In Canunsum, the former capital, discontent grew as the barbarians came closer to the city, and in the islands north of Glorus Island, revolt stirred. It was then that the city of Canunsum and the northern islands blew up in revolt against the monarchy, believing the king was not fit to rule. The rebellion in Canunsum, led by future consul Adrianum Claudius, defeated or convinced the legions in Canunsum to come to their side, then beat back the barbarians at the battle of Pilonine Hill, a mere 2 miles from Canunsum. Claudius then led the people of Canunsum to Boscarir and took the city with little resistance, before heading north and securing Pontus.

With the ships taken from the King, Triulanum Lanius, Claudius’ army sailed to Glorus Island and laid siege to Glorus. According to legend, the inhabitants of the city rebelled and opened the doors for the “Free Legion”, as it was nicknamed. Lanius hanged himself, and the Free Army took control of the island. It was 285 BT, and Claudius entered the city triumphant. However, rather than becoming king for himself, instored the Nicatorrian Republic, a new system based on the “demoskratos of the Trajarian colonies. This system will further be explained. After taking the role of 1st Consul, elected leader of the republic, he crushed the revolt of the northern islands, before taking his troops on a campaign against the Krastavans. Over the 6 months of the campaign, he destroyed his enemies, not losing a single battle, and took their largest settlement, Vulgrad. He brought riches, slaves, and glory back to Canunsum, which regained its capital status. After his allocated 2 years as First Consul, Adrianum Claudius peacefully retired, loved by all in Nicatorria.

Nicatorrian Republic at its foundation



Vladus Arajum’s campaigns
Nicatorria under the republic had a period of expansionism, accelerated by the 7-time consul Vladus Arajum, who came into power in 275BT and led on and off until his ostracism in 260 BT. At the time of the republic’s foundation, he was just a 14-year old boy with big dreams living in Canunsum. His father was an officer in Adrianum Claudius’s campaigns, and was given a villa in the capital by the First Consul. As a boy, he always dreamed to replicate his father and Claudius’s victories, and as soon as he was 18 he won an election to be made senator. His great orational skills as well as his political ruthlessness scared many older senators, and after 2 years at his positions, they sent him off to fight barbarians in Krastave, giving him only a small army and believing they were sending him to his death.

Against all odds, Arajum accepted, and through cunning and diplomacy found allies in some of the Krastavian tribes. With his newfound support, he had assembled an army of 10 000 men, and prepared to march on Krastavian homelands. At the battle of Giulkim, he was outnumbered 2 to 1, but deceived his enemies into thinking he had many more troops, by building empty military tents and fires. The barbarians were scared to attack, and he gained the initiative, destroying them the next morning. His military genius was unequaled in Nicatorria at the time. He spent the next 2 years beating scattered tribes of barbarians, but because he was allied with some of them, that wasn’t too difficult. In 277 BT, he came back to Canunsum, and convinced the Senate to banish those who wanted him dead. With the army’s support, no one dared resist. However, one of the men he had banished, rich patrician Claudius Romanum, owned a private army of Trajarian mercenaries, and he fled with them to Boscarir. Vladus Arajum rode south following him and laid siege to the city, which held for 18 months before surrendering. This cemented his authority and he was elected consul in 275 BT.

As consul, he wanted to greater the glory of Nicatorria, and he took his armies to the Krastavan lands once more, this time extending the border to the river that is today the northern border of Carrisia. Once again hailed a hero in Canunsum, he was elected again, and spent his next mandate building up the architecture of Canunsum. Over the next years, he built aqueducs, amphitheaters, forums, and more, of which some still stand today.

In 272 BT, he chose not to run for consul and instead was made a general. He led his armies north this time, and conquered lands north to [city name], a city which was founded as a military camp for his armies. After 2 years of campaign, he returned to Canunsum. The great support he had received from the army and the people for his victories made a lot of senators uneasy, but they didn’t have a choic but to let him, as he was more powerful than anyone in the republic. The memory of the monarchy was fresh in people’s minds, and they weren’t happy to see one man so powerful. He managed to get elected consul in elections that were rigged, according to some. Arajum was re-elected twice, and spent his 3 years unifying the culture and language of the lands he had conquered. While the locals were allowed to keep their religion, Nicatorria encouraged conversion with tax benefits and propaganda.

After 3 years in Canunsum, Vladus Arajum got bored of politics, and he decided to go conquering again. Only this time, fate would not see him victor. He sailed to the biggest of the Vadian Isles, hoping to conquer it, expanding the republic once more. It was not to be. A storm destroyed half of his fleet, and he was forced to return to Glorus Island not having fought a single battle. This defeat worsened his image among the military, and it gave his opponents political leverage to attack him.

While he was not as powerful as he used to be, he remained a very important politician and had many more of his opponents banished or killed. He was even elected consul in 264 BT. Despite his remaining support, many considered the gods were against him after they had destroyed his fleet. He was banished by senatorial vote in 260 BT, having lost the support of the army.

Nicatorrian Republic in 260 BT

Wars with Trajaria and Adonia
At this time, while Nicatorria was becoming more and more of a major power, it was nowhere near being the dominant power in the Subtorrian. In the north, Trajarian civilisation was still strong, despite having passed the height of its power. On the north Kantan coast, a seafaring people, the Adonian, ruled the waves. These powers did not see Nicatorria’s expansion in a good light.

''Major Subtorrian powers in 250 BT

In 240 BT, a Nicatorrian ship was attacked by Trajarian pirates from the city state of [name]. Outraged, the consul, Yiulum Octravum, assembled his legions and marched north. In reality, this incident may have been staged by Nicatorria, hoping to get a causus belli on the Trajarian city-states. While the cities were stronger than the Nicatorrian army, they lacked organization and centralisation. They still gave a long fight to Yiulum, who campaigned for 12 years before defeating the final city-state. It was the longest war in Nicatorrian history, but the victory meant that they were now more powerful than anyone in the Subtorrian. Yiulum Octravum brought back riches and slaves to Canunsum, and he took advantage of his emergency powers to stay consul far beyond what he was elected for.

Scared of this victory by the Nicatorrians, Adonia signed an alliance with Menasseh in 227 BT. Clearly endangered by this alliance, Yiulum wanted to declare war. However, the population was weary after the 12-year long war with the Trajarian states. In 223 BT, the Senate and people had turned against Yiulum Octravum for his abuse of power and he was assassinated. 4 years after his death, his successor, Consul Julianus Genevum, declared war on Menasseh and Adonia, and he set sail across the Subtorrian for what would be the First Adonian War. He lost a naval battle at Riulus, near Adonia, and he was forced to pull back to Glorus Island, where the Adonian landed. Despite fierce Nicatorrian opposition, Glorus and the other island possessions of the Nicatorrian Republic were taken by Adonia. In 214 BT, after 5 years of war, Nicatorria sued for peace, having suffered a grave defeat.

Roughly 15 years after the first Adonian war, Glorus Island rebelled against Adonian rule and asked for Nicatorrian help as the Adonian were sending armies to retake it. The Nicatorrians accepted, and they sent their fleet to face the Adonian’s. Having better tactics thanks to Trajarian navigators, the outnumbered Nicatorrian fleet beat the Adonians, before pursuing them back home to Adonia. They landed near the city gates, but with supply lines outstretched and reinforcements stuck in Canunsum because of bad weather on the Subtorrian, the Nicatorian army