The Eldureian War of Succession

Political event

The Eldureian War of Succession, which was kickstarted by the death of a reigning monarch (and later, the assassination of his wife) who left no heirs eventually spiralled out of control, with houses of the nobility and their various armies fighting with no end in sight. Eventually, a nuclear escalation against the city of Axbrand shocked the world, causing foreign powers to force negotiation between the houses. At the end of it all, the kingdom of Eldureia was disbanded, and the Emberleaf Republic was formed to replace it.

When King Otto Waldenfurth died in 2106, he left no eligible heirs. His wife, the queen Paola was poised to take the throne but was assassinated shortly before her coronation. With the direct succession of the throne undetermined, and with tensions heightened by the queen's assassination (which no culprit presented themselves), Eldureia's five major noble houses and their vassals made their plays, eventually leading to all-out war between the territories they governed.    As the war dragged on, each side became desperate. Some sought to communicate with foreign powers for help (to little avail), while others turned to more destructive solutions. On the tenth of Crestmark, 2114, House Ünim, believing that House Lechden was poised to do the same, broke the unspoken agreement not to use the kingdom's nuclear weapons. The centre of House Lechden's territory, the city of Axbrand was destroyed for the whole world to see. Millions died instantly, and the ensuing fallout rendered the area around the city uninhabitable for the next 100 years.    Not only did this shock the conflict to a standstill, but it galvanised the commonfolk of Eldureia, as well as the nations of the world to force a peaceful end to the conflict. Through a combination of public and foreign pressure, the nobility was forced to the negotiating table.    The foreign coalition (comprised of the neighbouring Tuserdia, Herden, and Egbonenya, as well as the predecessor to the Autezan Sultanate) enforced the peace for a time while the negotiations took place.    The noble houses, as well as elected representatives of each province's commonfolk met with foreign mediators in the port city of Tarbach.    The resulting two-and-a-half month summit saw intense debate that would become a subject of interest for scholars and citizens alike (and was dramatised in almost every media form in the years since). Eventually, the terms for peace were reached.    The noble houses were allowed to keep most of their material wealth but had to forfeit their lands and titles, as well as their stockpiled weapons. The kingdom would be dissolved, and a republic would rise in its place absent of a monarchy or a noble class. This treaty, known as the Tine Accords, ended the war and began the construction of the Emberleaf Republic. Under the coalition's supervision, civilian elections were held, and the new government reconvened in Tarbach to establish rules for governance. At these meetings, the ELR's constitution was ratified. The foreign peacekeepers departed shortly after, but those nations did contribute aid to rebuild the country. One thing that the new government could not reach a consensus on, however, was what to do with Eldureia's nuclear arsenal. The foreign coalition left the weapons in the hands of the new government when they departed. Public opinion against nuclear weapons following the destruction of Axbrand was fierce, but a political solution was...complicated. The answer would only come a year later.