The Story of Royjan

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Introduction
Royjan is a land, long, long fabled. With tales of gods and pyramids nearly 5,000 years ago, giants of empires 2,500 years ago, and ruling queens and kings by the turn of the era. Many invasions, many ethnicities and many kingdoms and empires have exited and perished in Royjan. Numerous people, from the south, from the north, the western nomads and eastern migrants, have made this land into a nation numerous times, each time more advanced than the last, and at times, more violent or more diplomatic. Way before then, between 8,000 and 7,600 years ago, the northern lands of the Ophirian continent began to become a desert, forcing people to move away. Some went to the south, others to the islands of a different continent to the north, but a few went east. These ones that went east, as well as the natives of the southern areas of the northest of Ophiria, known as the Nilo, and traders and invaders from the east would be what would become the Royjan people.

The Beginning
About 7,500, agriculture began in Royjan along an extremely fertile part of the current country's borders, the Aswad river banks. Black, fertile soil made it easy for agriculture, you'd almost have to intentionally ruin your harvest. Around this same time, irrigation systems began in the continent to the east of a different people of a different civilization, the Mirdhadi. Ancient Royjan also at this time were versed in animal husbandry, making bracelets, beads, combs, pots, cups, bowls, and baskets all throughout the area along the Aswad. In the south, obsidian was used to make weapons sharper, southernlands werealso more fertile, so fields were created to feed people along thew Aswad. In the north, symbols were created to match words known as gliphs, traders and nomads from oasis' in the west and from the other settlements and peoples from the east and south, making it a central hub of the entire area, supporting even more civilizations than just that of along the Aswad. An empire was blooming.

The First Kingdom
Over 5,000 years ago, about 5,100, the regions of upper Royjan, home of the nomads of the west, and the regions of lower Royjan, home to the natives along the river, unified completely to form a mass civilization. A capital city was formed, Alyat, in the south, and once thought advanced knowledge became common. Arts, language, religion and architecture would now be formed in this dynasty that would be destined to become world famous, where these artifacts are still commonly found by excavators today. Trade and architecture during this time blossomed between Ancient Royjan and Mirdhadi. With this came diplomacy, settlements and citiesof the two civilizations being build, bridging one another, and intermingiling culture.
With this brought a new chapter in Royjan history. 4,700 years ago, a kingdom propped up in Ancient Royjan, led by kings for years, in which Ancient Royjan had an even larger agricultural boom, developing central administration by the First Kingdom of Ancient Royjan, which brought courts and law, better irrigation developents, a bolstering population and even greater architecture, building pyramids and great obylisks and statues. But this grand period was destined to fall, like all kingdoms are.

The End of the First Kingdom
4,200 years ago, the economy crashed. The kings of Ancient Royjan seen themselves as gods on earth. Each neaded a pyramid bigger than the last, each needed more riches laid upon their feet, each needed a more extravagant temple to be worshiped in after death. With this sudden crash came a drought. A drought so great, it lasted over a century and a half. The First Kingdom was broken, and city-states arose, each fighting and plotting for power, to become a king themselves. Civil war was not a major event between two factions anymore, it was as common as the sun rising from the east among any set of bricks with anyone foolish enough to call themselves lord over it. However, though bleak, artisans arose to signify regional culture, opposed to the near-monolithic one under the previous kings. City-states became richer, artisans crafted their own works based off of their region, and scribes spoke and drew more optomisticly about the cultural signifigance this had in the lands around the Aswad. Eventually, two groups were finally, through civil war conquest, large enough to compete for the kingdom once again; one in the south, and one in the north. The two dynasties clashed, with a victor, the forces of the North. This new dynasty reunited the lands of Ancient Royjan once again.

The Second Kingdom
The Second Kingdom of Ancient Royjan began 4,000 years ago, bringing a renaissance of economy and culture to Royjan. A new capital, away from the south, was formed in the north, Kusso. Kusso became the new capital, and with it, the culture that formed around Kusso became dominant. Before, under Alyat, the culture was noticiably more Nilo, and now, with this new city capital and new king, it was extremely moreso a mix of those from the west and from Mirdhadi, known as the Rahid. Though this new Royjan kingdom was more like the Mirhadi, the Royjan kings distrusted Mirdhadi. Defenses were build upon the east, shielding itself from the Mirdhadi kingdoms. At the same time, the Royjan pushed further south, deeper into Ophiria, mining for gold, taking people as soldiers and slaves, and building farming towns and fortresses. Security across the area wasonce again formed, and in evem ore strength. Religion shifted, languages were better developed, and the alphabet was created. Knowledge, art, military strength and territory were atan all-time high. To the east, in the western part of the Gaian continent, a group of people, the Gezeri, migrated to Ophiria, and settled in lands south of Royjan and inside of Royjan itself, permitted by the Last King of the Second Kingdom of Ancient Royjan.

The Gezeri and Nilo Alliance
3,800 years ago, the support of the kingdom dwindles. The Last King died with no heir, and there, the Gezeri siezed their chance. This brought upon the Period of War. Making allies to the far south where other groups of Gezeri settled, they formed an army of the Nilo people forced further south, and those taken into slavery by the Second Kingdom. The period of war began, lasting over 50 years. The Rahdi government was forced to retreat both to the south away from the capital, Kusso, and from their fertile lands to the south. The Gezeri and Nilo formed a new capital, Gohud, in the north, but farther south than Kusso. The Gezeri also brought with them, in this turn of the empire, two major technologies of warfare that would change thetide of battle forever. They were the composite bow and a charriot drawn by horses or asses. The Nilo and Gezeri worked together, with the rule being 1 to 3 in Gezeri favor in the north, and 1 to 3 in Nilo favor in the south. This kept their alliance alive and well, and with the first Emperor of the Royjan Empire being birthedof a nobel Gezeri mother and a royal Nilo father, the kingdom was seen as near even.

The Period of War
However, war began between the Rahdi and the Nilo and Gezeri. Knowing that they were unable to fight to the north, where the capital was, the Rahdi decided to attack the south, against the Nilo. The Nilo were defeated after nearly 20 years of warfare, no matter how much the Gezeri supported them with training,weapons and soldiers. This left the Gezeri as the only formidable force left in the Empire of Royjan that could repell the Rahdi. The Rahdi were once again a massive force, that could be a worthy oponent to retake Royjan. There were massive battles for over 30 years, but, even though they defeated the Nilo, the military strategy and technology was just too great for the Rahdi to handle. After long fighting, the Rahdi were forced to retread in defeat, but they retreated to the east. The Nilo were gone, with the remnants forced into the north or further deep into the south. The only large group left in Royjan, was the Gezeri. And even then, they were not strong enough for what was about to come.

The Rahdi Returns
3,500 years ago, hundreds of years after their last real battle with the Gerezi, the Rahdi formed their own, new civilization to the east of Royjan, sparking a new relationship with the Mirdhadi, whose numerous kingdoms and cities were unified under their empire of the Hamaub. The Rahdi were rebuilt under and directly along the new rulers of Mirdhadi, the Hamaub. They then marched to the west, into Royjan. With a new allyship with Mirdhadi, they fought, once again, against the Gerezi Royjan Empire. For years, it was a major battle, but with the lack of the Nilo, who, even so when the battle that forced them south taking place hunbdreds of years ago, the effects were still felt. The full might of the Rahdi and the Mirdhadi armies came crashing against the Gerezi Royjan Empire. Emperor Hamaub of Mirhadi Empire and King Rey of the Rahdi Kingdom joined together their military, effectively dismanteling the Gerezi Royjan Empire. For every 10,000 Gerezi, one was able to retreat south. The rest were killed. The Gerezi in Royjan were permanently eradicated.

The Great Royjan Empire
After the Rahdi retook power in Royjan, they named their king, emperor. this formed a new empire, under the Rahdi, and with a new alliance of the Rahdi and Mirhadi, more alliances were formed. Alliances with the kingdoms and empires of the Ashki, the Almashqui and the Hura. Campaigns under this empire would make the Royjan Empire the largest it's ever been, making it the Great Royjan Empire, securing wood and bronze to Royjan. As these campaigns grew, so did Royjan's size and wealth. This made them perfect targets by their allies and their neighbors. Royjan faced attacks by their nomadic ancestors to the west, by their neighbors across the sea to the north and by their neighboring empires to the east. At this time, the Mirhadi broke their support with Rahdi and moved to the east, building their own empire away from the Almashqui and the Hura, but staying close to the Ashki. Royjan, the largest it's ever been, was alone, as alliances proved too rocky to maintain, especially with their closest neighbor to the east, the Almashqui.

The Adar
With their empires become both the largest in their region, since the Mirhadi moved east, the Hura stayed north and the Ashki staying away from conflict, Royjan and Almashqui finally came to blows. War came upon both empires. Though, at this time, Royjan was being attacked by their western cousins and Almashqui were being attacked by invaders by the northern continent, Royjan and Almashqui came to a stalemate, signing a treaty that forced them to cease attacks upon each other. However, the empire from the north that was attacking Almashqui began attacking the nomadic cousins of Royjan. The nomads of the west began settling the westernmost borders of the Royjan Empire, making permanant homes instead of nomadic ones, calling themselves a loose connection of tribes, the Adar. The Adar followed regional chiefs of their tribe, not caring for the government of the Royjan empire. This forced the emperor's hand west, away from the east, where the Almashqui empire took the lands they were forced to ungarrison. The Adar became independant, within the borders of the Great Royjan Empire.

Civil Unrest
The people are unhappy with the emperor. As Royjan was forced to no longer garrison its outermost settlements and cities, they were ripe for the taking, and Royjan was losing in the west against the Adar, as well as the Nilo rising again in the south. The empire was losing control. Corruption was at an all time high. The threat of these invaders from the north were even worse, as Royjan was not yet hit, but places right outside of the empires borders were constantly. The Adar grew into a size to where they were not uncommonly heard or seen in some larger cities in the west,and this had an impact on regional politics. 3,000 years ago, the rule over Royjan was slipping away from the Rahdi. Nearly all at once, from the east, south and west, Royjan was losing power.

Deterioration
With the attacks from the east, the Nilo coming northward, and threats from the sea, the Royjan Empire was forced to recall even more people, soldiers and laborers from the east, where the Almashqui eventually picked up the land Royjan left. The Adar formed themselves from a loose band of tribes following their chiefs to a single entity of more dormant peoples under a single emperor, they sought to make themselves an empire. The Nilo from the south finally found themselves at the border to the south, as well as in Adar lands. As the Nilo and Adar were not allies, they, automatically, were enemies. Fighting happened on all three sides. Howeverm the Nilo already knew the empire and thepeople of the south, so as they left around a speculated 10% of their force in the west,they attackedin bulk across the southern borders, working northward. Eventually, the Adar remained sediment in their territory, but the Nilo took the entirety of the south from the Royjan Empire, and the glitter that was the Great Royjan empire lost its shine, and its allies to the east eventually fell to Almashqui rule and influence.

The End of the Great Royjan Empire
2,600 years ago, the Royjan Empire began to end. The Adar successfully transformed themselves from tribal nomads to a single empire to the west.the Nilo took the entire southern part of the empire. The Royjan Emperor was left virtually powerless. The Almashqui from the east, after biding their time and taking little by little of every grain of sand and every blade of grass left by the Royjan Empire, finally attacked Royjan. However, with this, they were forced to go to war with the Nilo. Barely winning, the Almashqui pushed the Nilo back, and left a false government of Royjan in power. Royjan kept its name and identity, but make no mistake, is was basically just a colony under the Almashqui.

Life As A Colony
Royjan, forcefully an ally of Almashqui, formed it's first armyat sea, a navy. The Athikos, a empire to the north that has been attacking Almashqui, took notice of this and readied themselves for invasions or full scale war with Almashqui and Royjan. The Athikos Empire, however, had a rift in power. Athikos has always been an empire of very loose city-states. One of these city-states, Anans, were not loyal to the Athikos Empire, and instead were famed for being mercenaries en masse. These Anans were hired to be members of the Royjan navy. This led to a huge wave of Anans and other non-Athikosian alligned people coming into Royjan, bringing with them a culture that was unique but somewhat simmilar to Royjan. During this time, the city of Nasai in north Royjan had a huge population of these people, so much to the point that only around 40% of the residents were actually from Royjan.