Talk:History of Caphiria

Classical imperium

- lasts from whenever until 1040 when crisis of the 3rd century type event shatters the empire. the classic imperium i would guess fell under the combined weight of increased muslim raids and the establishment of more organized better armed slavic groups combined with typical internal pressures of disease, famine, debasement, etc. This would be the logical reason for the crusades to occur a few decades later. ostensibly called to help protect Venceia but becoming a whole other thing.

First dark period

- 3 empire fragments under constant harassment from both muslims and slavs. You could also have a cartadanian population influx of people fleeing the southern and eastern parts of modern caphiria.

Second imperium

- 1124-1330 2 of the 3 empire fragments are rejoined and gradually reconquer some parts and expand out elsewhere. Cartadania is more settled during this period.

Second dark period

- Empire entirely fragments under internal political disorder. the caphirian "core" region - that coastal bit around Venceia north of the mountains - is basically ruled as a classical republic by the senate. Most provinces become pseudo independent warlord states. Eventually a latino-slavic warlord marches north and conquers the republic but rather than sacking Venceia he stands outside of it and accepts, under force of arms, the imperial title from the senate. The Pope recognizing the new dynasties after both dark periods would be good to legitimize continuity of government. There is probably an air of romance in some political quarters about the second dark period when the senate ruled the capital/core region but the majority recognize it for what it was - an oligarchical period where the Empire was at its lowest. The latino-slavic dynasty lore could intermix nicely with Romanian border NPCs. I also think that dynasty could create some fresh institutions for you historically or even just like random slavic loanwords for assistants of magistrates, some officers, etc.

Third imperium

- 1392-1782 - this is a somewhat stable version of the empire reunified under the latinized slavic dynasty but with a lot of breakaways. The schism happens here. Plebeian assembly meets for the last time although it became popular during an attempted coup against the main ruling dynasty of the time. During this time the first concepts of a rotating imperial office - which we discussed - came about after the end of the slavic dynasty. The veltorine uprising occurs and cleaves the empire in two.

Fourth imperium

- 1783-present - major reform efforts are launched after the loss of the veltorine war. No discontinuity of government but a new Imperium is proclaimed anyway on the back of reforms and return to wholly caphiric ruling dynasties and families. Most lasting slavic dynasty traces are removed. the fourth imperium would give rise to the national assembly.