Rise of the Republic

So we cast off the chains of blood and claim our freedom!

— Rosaria de Angelis

The Vostene Republic is the first modern republic to exist upon Valathe, having successfully ascended from the ashes of the former nation Vosmeno after a long and bloody war. Almost two centuries of fighting led to the collapse of the Vosmen royalty and its subsequent military successors, paving the way for a united government and a democratic election process that saw their expulsion from all alliances across the continent.
The republic is still staggering from the revolution's impact. Their losses, both civilian and military, were immense, and rebuilding their military and way of life has taken time that they do not have.
Even now, the shadows of their great neighbours - most worrying being the might of the Medimian Empire to the north - looms over them, and they watch the War of Empires with great trepidation, knowing full well that the victor may well come for them next.

The Conflict

Prelude

How dare they waste our lives for some pathetic quarrel?!

— furious citizen at the revolution's beginning

As the 5200s began to flicker and die, the sparks of revolution set alight the pyre of revolution for Vosmeno. The royal family - the Casa di Vacilia - had pushed the citizens too far, encouraging war on their neighbouring countries and struggling to sustain the commonfolk through the oddly strong winters of the decade. The murmurings of revolution had been heard for years, but until a miserable military loss against Ordan, were easily quashed by the combination of royal decree and religious sponsor.

On Eduardo

History spells out Marciano's defection to the rebel cause and his eventual fate, but is less certain on what happened to Eduardo. The younger brother was married within the month of the revolution's start, and fathered three children with a royalist wife. He was not seen in public again until the time of his early death, and his funeral was a quiet affair.
The official story claims that his death was an illness -- letters from the King to Marciano suggest that this was a fabrication to cover something far more tragic. Unfortunately, the letters went undelivered.

The final spark was a love story gone wrong. The eldest son of the royal family, Marciano di Valicia, had fallen for a common baker, and intended on marrying her behind the backs of his family - an act wholly supported by his younger brother, Edoardo. Edoardo was caught taking his brother's flowers to the baker, and forced by divine magic to spill the entire truth.
Furious, the King sent a squadron of guards to capture the baker's family and bring them before the court to be judged. And naturally, the attempt went disastrously. Marciano had overheard the proceedings and was attempting to flee over the border to Ordan with his fiancée and her family -- unaware of his pursuers, who were equally unaware of his presence.

When the guard caught up to him, his own bodyguards attempted to stop the oncoming guard. The cover of darkness was enough for an enterprising rebel to fire a shot, gravely wounding Marciano... and inciting the two sides to clash, the innocent family caught between them. The noise awoke the locals, who jumped into the mess and turned it into a riot, and the King -- watching via scry -- sent out the Vosmen army.
In the end, countless civilians were slaughtered in the riots. Marciano's fiancée was among the dead, but he had survived -- dragged away from the battle by the revolutionaries seeking to overthrow the nation, delirious and badly injured. The violence split the nation: the young princes were highly popular, and the King had set his forces on his own sons. Many of the king's own military defected, seeking out the rebellion's cause to aid the prince -- yet just the same, many stayed, and even more joined to protect the nation they loved.

This was the prelude to a long and bloody war...

Conflict Type

War

Battlefield Type

Land

Start Date

5292

Ending Date

5479

Conflict Result

The Vostene Republic arose; Vosmeno fell.

Belligerents

The Holy Kingdom of Vosmeno

• Vosmeno

the Vostene Revolutionaries

• Vostene Republic

Strength

Indeterminate; estimated well over 700,000

Indeterminate; estimated well over 400,000

Casualties

Indeterminate; casualties continued past revolutionary success due to mob justice

Indeterminate; entire towns wiped off maps

Objectives

Destroy the rebellion and re-establish order; protect nation against external threats

Reclaim their homeland from the monarchy and gain freedom

Outcome

In the modern day, the Vostene Republic has spent the past centuries recovering from their losses and building their society. The loss of most military strategists has left deep scars in society, and families remain split over their opinions of their revolution - even this far on, it's not hard to find sympathisers to the former royal family.
Unless the nation can spring to life and befriend its neighbours, it is not likely to last forever - the fate of Terenholt alone is enough to confirm that. The nearby orcish nation of Ylt has been a surprising friend to the Vostene Republic, and the nation's academics have earnt them many colleagues and allies among some of the smaller Valathean countries.
This, above all else, is what grants the Vostene hope that they will continue to flourish - and the recent actions of Riven Drast and the Drastic Reformers have inspired hope that their feat will soon be replicated.