Start of the Drumidian Imperial Period

Founding

The rule of Drumidian emperors, would persist for several centuries, and leave a lasting impact on the Sunarian Empire. Beginning under Haphkanses, the empire began in Upper Sunar, but quickly expanded to include much of the Drumidian heartland as well. Tome, and later Acbur, would both fall to the imperial armies, and later, following the end of the Rot Crisis, Lower Sunar and the Sun Delta would also be conquered.

Haphkanses first actions after solidifying his rule over Upper Sunar, were to turn south and unite his own people. Likely dissuaded by the still rampant Rot infestation in the Delta, he would make no moves on the area into the crisis' end in 989 FD. Once he did though, his capture of Sunar's north wet without a hitch and the Drumidian Empire assumed its de-jure borders for the next few centuries.   While Drumidia had established itself as a new powerful actor in Magna Sunaria, it had not always been so. Its lands, vast, were impoverished, with only a few successful urban centers, Tome and Acbur being the largest. Known in the empire for its luxuries, of ivory, pelts and jewels, Drumidia did not have any significant industry either. This left the Drumidians an unlikely and unprepared people for the decadence and splendor of an imperial system.   Relying heavily on Sunarians to reestablish a bureaucracy, Haphkanses was wary of giving his newly conquered subjects to much influence. Maintaining a capital first at Khusuru, he disliked the urban environment, and moved to Tome 991 FD. Tome had always been the ancestral capital of the Drumidian kingdom, but proved remote and distant from the heartland of the empire, and left Haphkanses disconnected from his empire.   Dying in 996 FD, Haphkanses would leave the empire to his son Akhraten I. Unlike his father, Akhraten favored the wealth and lavishness of Sunarian culture, and moved the capital to Phernac. Here he would rule the entirety of his reign, beginning the closest thing any Drumidian emperor came to a golden age. The empire would prosper as the Sun Delta reestablished itself as the bread basket, and epicenter of Sunar, and times were alright.   Haphkanses' descendants would succeed him for a short time, but ultimately numerous Drumidian dynasties would come and go in their period of hegemony over Sunar. Each born in the throws of violence as one dynasty rose at the expense of another. This was the norm within the Drumidian society though, as their kings cemented their rule around martial prowess and glory seeking stunts, frequently dying young as a result.   Another lasting problem with the Drumidian period, was their inability to effectively handle desert bandits. Dwelling on both banks of the Sun river, but thriving primarily on the eastern side, the desert tribes have always proven a serious problem for the empire. Hard to catch, nomadic, and rebellious, most doubled as bandits and raiders, pillaging land based trade throughout the empire. This would normally have been a maintainable issue, and has been under previous periods in the empire's history; but under the Drumidians it became wider in spread and far worse. Unused to the saddle, Drumidians were fearful of the horse, and rarely rode them. As a result their armies were more often then not, exclusively infantry in nature. This left them unable to catch up to the desert raiders, who frequently rode camel back.   Ultimately, this tumultuous series of successions, and the refusal to handle the desert bandits, would be a lasting reminder for Sunarians that their emperors were not native to Sunar, but foreigners with strange customs. Though while not fond of the Drumidians, most Sunarians remained loyal. While not as prosperous as the Akenits, the Empire remained somewhat stable and well governed under the Drumidians, who employed thousands of Sunarians to manage it. Furthermore, while not as aggressive and war minded as the Canethops, the Drumidian reignited Sunarian conquest, and expanded the borders in a stable, and affordable manner that, as they wanted, brought them the glory and respect of Sunarians and their own people.