Kingdom of Ambolaine
The Kingdom of Ambolaine is a small kingdom which once formed a powerful rival to Fraspika during the early years of its existence, but which experienced decline and stagnation, relegating the nation to a minor power. Far worse than this, longstanding grudges and tribal feuds with their neighbor and onetime subject of Sictellas have prompted numerous wars between the two, holding both back. Despite promising reforms in the 19th century, a series of crises would weaken their power base and leave their hopes of dominance dashed.
History
The Kingdom of Ambolaine has its roots in the eastern Fremedhian peoples, who had formed the Kingdom of Espatrasia during the 800s. However, this state would prove unable to survive after a devastating civil war in the early 1100s and fractured into four successor states, with the westernmost being known as Oustrasia. After defeating Oustrasia in the Battle of Quevece, the Fraspikans came into control over a significant portion of this state, known as the Ambolaine region. Although once a core part of Fraspika, it was decided to keep the region as an autonomous march, and in 1126 the old ruler of Espatrasia was installed on the Ambolic throne, as Margrave of Ambolaine and King of Outer Espatrasia*. This was an empty title, however, as Fraspika made no moves to ever expand his domain, and further rulers bore only the title of Margrave.
After the Division of Fraspika in 1164, Ambolaine was placed under the authority of North Fraspika, a situation which was resented by the Ambolic. A large part of this was the North Fraspikan ruler, Jean I, and his anti-polygamy stance, which angered the more traditionalist and less elven-influenced Ambolaine. The Ambolic were also angered by Jean I's neglect for military matters, which they saw as not only unmanly but also likely to lead to the downfall of the Kingdom. The situation worsened further under Martin II, who was an abhorrent ruler, leading to worsening relations between Ambolaine and the center of power. This continued unchecked until the Khanate of Clesentia invaded Fraspika in 1203, whereupon Ambolaine immediately declared an independent state, seized key border regions, and sent emissaries to the centaurs. They used loot from the captured Fraspikan towns as tribute to convince the centaurs to ignore them, securing non-intervention. Ambolaine then used the power vacuum caused by Fraspika's defeat to expand east. Their victories prompted the declaration of a kingdom, which presumed itself a successor to both Fraspika itself and to Espatrasia. However, this claim was clearly hollow as they were unable to conquer the other tributaries, simply preying on disorganized tribes in the hinterland. Following the implosion of the Khanate of Clesentia, Ambolaine attempted to extend their authority further into their former overlord's lands, but were thoroughly defeated by the local authorities. This actually ended up being a good thing for Ambolaine, as it meant they were not in the path of the reclamation of Fraspika, led by Charles Renvois.
Despite this defeat, Ambolaine still looked to be a nation on the rise. They conquered east to reach the modern coast of Teveska, which became a major center of the kingdom in its own right. Unfortunately, Ambolaine struggled to properly centralize their new kingdom, and it began disintegrating during the late 1200s. First, a rebellion along the southern coast in 1288 led to the rebel state of Bloeirra gaining a foothold and providing a refuge for enemies of the kingdom. Next, an uprising of tribes within the kingdom in 1292 led to the establishment of the Principality of Sictellas after much war, cutting Ambolaine off from their eastern lands. Independence for the new state would finally be recognized in 1319, after nearly 30 years of war, though Ambolaine still claimed Bloeirra. However, this was an empty claim, as their control over the coastline was essentially nothing. While Teveska claimed to still obey the King, they provided no assistance and allowed Bloeirra and Sictellas to seize much of the east. Ambolaine was finally forced to recognize the independence of Bloeirra at the behest of Teveska, as they Bloeirra had begun threatening th province. This led to the 1332 Treaty of tbd, which recognized the following partition of Ambolaine: The western provinces would remain tied to the kingdom, while the eastern Fremedhian lands would be ceded to the rebels, excluding the province of Teveska, which remained a possession of Ambolaine. In the end, the Kingdom of Ambolaine was left as a rump state, though it still had nominal control over Teveska. This nominal control soon became irrelevant, as the Teveskans abandoned royal authority in 1338; they had merely used Ambolaine as a means to solidify the border with Bloeirra and obtain a last few concessions from the ailing state. The official verdict in the Stewardship was that Ambolaine's monarchy was insufficient and incompetent, and that should the dynasty give rise to a great figure the Stewards would gladly renew their service. Over time, this has largely been forgotten in Teveska, though the nation has yet to crown an official monarch, even after firmly aligning with the Cloriadmen Confederation, which opposes Fremedhian expansion undertaken by states like Ambolaine.
Thus, by 1338, Ambolaine was an irrelevant rump kingdom, saddled with issues, unreformed tribal structures rampant, and young men lying in graves all across the land. They needed reform, and they needed it fast, but this was not to occur. True to the predictions of the Steward of Teveska, Ambolaine's monarchy saw a spate of poor rulers which failed reforms. Nothing was more distressing than the failure of Ambolaine to reform their marriage structure. Fremedhians have traditionally been polygamous, with fighting men dying in wars and a surplus of women reinforcing the institution. Still, despite the practice allowing easier recovery from war, it made peacetime difficult to manage, and the wars required for its upkeep had long prevented the Fremedhians from advancing in key aspects of their society. The banning of Polygamy in North Fraspika (and therefore modern Fraspika) had contributed towards modernization in the west. Still, the eastern, Freclidian populations of Fremedhians clung to the institution, as it allowed interclan warfare to continue. The centralization of Ambolaine raised the issue briefly, but the wars which led to the disintigration of the kingdom meant young men were once again needed at the front, pushing it into the future. Still, the levels of destruction caused by the dissolution meant that even the polygamous traditions would fail to hold the population. This is because there was rampant poverty and food insecurity, and only the rich could afford to take in extra mouths. Ambolaine was forced to support polygamy, lest their popuation collapse. Still, the excess of starving women led to a massive eruption in disease and illness, which caused more demographic strife. Even in modern times, a particularly unpleasant experience with a prostitute often leads to the slander of "an Ambolic whore". Ambolaine's demographics did eventually recover, but polygamy remained a staple for many years to come.
Despite such failures, Ambolaine did make one excellent diplomatic move in aligning with Fraspika. At this point, Fraspika was rearmed and ready to go on the offensive, but was lacking strong allies, a role which Ambolaine filled well. Ambolainer men began serving under contract with the Fraspikans, as mercenaries, and proved valuable, if undisciplined, soldiers during the Fraspikan-Barloemer wars. Although Ambolaine remained neutral during the Fraspikan-Wellenian war, their forces were once again sent as mercenaries. This company was used to stall for time after the disastrous defeat on the river, and consequentially was almost totally destroyed. Naturally Ambolaine was no stranger to losing huge numbers of men in battle; indeed relying on it to keep up the polygamous practices of the elites, but this was too much even for them. Ambolaine's monarchy accused Fraspika of letting their men die to avoid paying them in the aftermath of the defeat, demanding Fraspika compensate them instead, all while the families of the soldiers demanded payment themselves. The nobility of Fraspika, eager to embezzle the money themselves, refused, leading to the end of the alliance as the 1400s began.
Ambolaine thus faded into the background, for the major powers, though their way of life forced yet more war. Sictellas would be the target, the two engaging in 14 separate wars over the next six centuries as they fought for borderlands and threw young men at one another. Though Sictellas, much smaller, could never muster the armies of Ambolaine, they managed to turn the tables several times and do more than just defend, though this was ultimately for naught. While these policies continued, the two fell further and further behind their neighbors, using increasingly antiquated tactics and methods. Ambolaine's monarchy continued to wither, gluttonous and worthless in all things. This status quo continued until the reign of Armand IV, beginning in 1806. Armand, though possessed of similar weaknesses as his predecessors, recognized the need to reform. Armand knew that the rising powers of neighboring nations and the lack of Ambolic advancements in the preceding centuries meant they would be unable to defend themselves from attacks, much less go on the offensive. Yet, he found Ambolaine viewed as backwards and irrelevant, with few willing to travel to the economically depressed country. Thus, early efforts to obtain foreign instructors to help reform the army proved unsuccessful. He therefore set about banning the practice of polygamy, which was seen as outdated if not downright barbaric by most of civilized Telgren. This, of course, went very poorly with the nobility, and they launched an abortive coup, leading the civil war. The Ambolic civil war lasted from 1813-1819, and despite the victory of Armand's faction Ambolaine was left in a poor situation. Sictellas had seized key border areas, the countryside was devastated once more, and yet again there were far more women than men, which stymied Armand's plans to root out polygamy. Still, he managed to pass some important laws which limited the practice and led to a new system being developed- putting aside. Essentially, this allowed men to have multiple wives, but not at the same time, and they had to actually support those who were put aside. This kept the practice largely limited to the wealthy, helping to root out extensive polygamy. For the first time, as the nation recovered, its young men were not cut down in foreign fields, allowing the next generation to live a more peaceful life than any Ambolic peasant had in centuries. Although the Armandic code seems outdated today, in its time it was revolutionary for the nation.
Armand's reforms also saw a huge boost in the 1830s, as nobility from Barloem, fleeting the Fraspikans, began settling in the country. Most of these men were wanted for their actions during the Barloemer war of resistance, and had nowhere else to go. Finally, Ambolaine had competant military men to reform their army. Reconstituting it into a modern army that still made use of the martial tradition of Ambolaine's past meant that Ambolaine was finally able to stand once more as a military powerhouse. Naturally, Armand immediately used this army to invade Sictellas in 1844. The war, despite Ambolaine's reformed army, was hard-fought, primarily thanks to Sictellas' seizure of key border regions in the 1810s. Since Ambolaine lacked cannons, they took large casualties sieging back their own forts. Nonetheless, the war was nearly won before Armand took an arrow through his eye in 1849, killing him and throwing Ambolaine into a panic. The so-called "Years of Ash" which followed saw the nobility take control of the country once more, repealing the Armandic code and leading the antion on a path to ruin once more. Yet, in time, reformers prevailed and restored Armand's reforms, propelling Ambolaine towards the future. The new dynasty has steered the country in a more productive path, although the wars with Sictellas continued. During Ambolaine's Years of Ash, Sictellas had reformed its army and expanded into the halfling country to the north, putting them on more even footing. Sictellas also pursued magical reform, throwing spells to compensate for their lack of manpower. The 15th and final war between the two ended in 1990, though both nations seems eager to do nothing more than continue the fight, always hoping to finish the other once and for all.
*Technically being a king would have made Ambolaine's ruler equal to the King of Fraspika, but given that the only lands under his control were granted at the behest of Fraspika, this would have been an unwise challenge to make
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