The Rule of Tosima

This modest compendium is written in illuminated script upon vellum and bound in leather trimmed with silver. Within contains the rise of the Kingdom of Tosima and events that led to their demise.

''Before the days of Kings and Queens, the Empire of Elysia stood. The rule of an ancient family whose name bore life the the continent, the Elysian Empire of Elysia was an advanced civilisation supported by a magocracy acting as advisors to the Emperor. But an advanced civilisation does not always equate to the advancement and progressive thinking of the elite bureaucracy that govern the lands.''

''It was in 50BT that the first recorded meeting of the Elysian Republic was born life. A guild of noble merchants who gained the permission of the Emperor to seek trade with the outside continents to see new commerce gained with other lands to the west of Elysia. But early documentation and whispers throughout history all converge upon the same hypothesis, that the Elysian Republic was not just a Guild of Merchants seeking commerce, but an agreement and pact between nobles to see the rule of the Emperor ended and its governance overthrown. At the head of the guild, a noble by the name of Antoine Tosima led the fifty-year planning and machinations of the merchant republic, until the time came to pass when the Emperor fell ill and passed, leaving just a single heir to the throne of the Empire of Elysia. There were others upon the Elysia family tree that could have been lifted to the Empirical family status, but as they no longer bore the name of Elysia, it was considered ill-thought of. All hope was placed upon the child emperor of Elysia bearing many sons in his life and rekindle the Elysia family and Empire. Just as the child's existence has been forgotten, so too has his name as all records have been physically edited and redacted to remove all history and mention of the child's name, all but extinguishing the lineage of the Elysia family.''

''A child prepared for his coronation, a child trained to be Emperor of Elysia, and yet the child would never ascend. In the dead of night, on the eve of his coronation, the child would disappear and would never be seen again. The fate of the child to this day is still unknown, and yet the earls of Elysia were so prepared and quick to take the reigns of the Empire in lieu of an Emperor. The Elysian Republic of Merchants would create the Council of Elysia to govern and guide the people. Though there had always be a face to the Empire, a name and man to aspire to and follow. A titular name only, but Antoine Tosima was named as the Lord Protector of Elysia, though commonly and colloquially referred to as the King of Tosima. In true terms, he acted as a facilitator and mediator upon the council, acting as herald and diplomat to foreign nations and politicians. Yet still, it is remarked and noted throughout history that Antoine's ambition has always exceeded that of the Council and those sat upon it.''

''In the year now marked as the Tosima Founding, war had broken out between the continent of Elysia and Rei'Caelora. At a time when Elysia needed to be united in their war-effort, the Earls and Barons refused to answer the calls to a republic, believing that their traditions of a Empire has been lost and the Council held not authority over the people of Elysia. And so a decision was made, in a vote that passed with six in favour and three against, Antoine Tosima was crowned as the King of Elysia and Capital named to the City of Tosima. Enacting new powers of the monarch, those barons and counts whom refused the calls were enlisted by force, with their sons serving in the King's personal guard as assurance of their loyalty. An act of desperation by the King and Council, that would later become a marked tradition of the Tosima family.''

''The war would never reach the shores of Elysia, nor the shores of Rei'Caelora, as the navies of both nations would see their battles start and end at sea. Before long, the war would ended with white peace with no civilian blood spilt or lands desecrated by either nation. Upon the end of the war, the Council naturally commended the King's for his idealism, but asked that the Council were reverted back into its position of governance to allow democracy to prevail and see a united stance in overseeing the protection of the country. When the papers of demand were brought to the King, all but three of the council would attend. Eight would enter the chambers in the name of democracy and the people of Elysia, eight would find their skulls decorate the walls of Tosima and named as traitors the Kingdom of Tosima.''

''In 30TF, the first rebellion againt the Tyranny of Tosima would come, as the sons of Barons and Earls who sat upon the Council born from the Elysian Republic would rise up. With the aid of mercenary companies, and those more aligned to a monarch type rule of Elysia, the rebellion was quelled and the sons of those nobles who raised arms would be sworn into the personal battalion of the King. This tradition would continue for hundreds of years, as the first bon of every noble would no inherent the titles of their fathers, but be enlisted into the armies of the Tosima family to act as loyal general to their King.''

''In 100TF, the son of Antoine Tosima, Volkmer Tosima would seek to conquer the lands of those three nobles who had refused to accept the rule of the new monarch. One ruled the mountains and grey wastes to the North, now named the Great Jarl of Grárúrgan. But the wild men of the North would see the numerical advantage of the Tosima Kingdom thrown to ashes, for the cost and will of surviving in the Grey Wastes were not possible for the Kingdom. Each time a supply line would be formed to advance their armies further into the territories of the Great Jarl, their supplies would be destroyed and ended by small militia of "wildfolk", barbarians and savages of the North. Soon enough, Volkmer Tosima would end their advance and settle with the lands south of the Grey Wastes and look the two nobleman who declared the Southern Elysia lands as their own. The Beggar King Asturcia laid claim to the South-East of Elysia, whilst the noble Caude, who had dubbed their land the Vestarian Republic. But again, the Tosima Kingdom would be pushed back. The Republic, the Beggar King and the forces of Dûrandur would hold the King of Tosima at the Peaks of the Vale until the winter, when the King would soon give up and stand within his lands once more.''

''In 200TF, the Kingdom of Dûrandur would call for aid from Tosima, the Republic and Asturcia, as the Red Dragon known as Kildrid would make claim to the Peaks of the Vale and devour all who wished live within its lands. The call would go unanswered by Tosima, whilst the Republic would arrive only too late, but in time to escort the Dwarven refugees south. The Republic would gift the Vestarian Mountains to the Royal Family of Drakehall, as they joined the Republic.''

''The Tosima family would see a successful and bountiful rule of central Elysia for the passing centuries. Some would rule through fear and misery, others with respect and diplomacy. Generations of man would look upon Tosima with anger or respect, heartache or sorrow, resentment or adoration, the family was not tyrannical in its nature, yet Kings would come and pass, and each was as different as the last, and few would learn the mistakes of their ancestors. A statement made no truer than Markus Tosima.''

''In 867TF, the Church of Zitus named Markus Tosima the King. Upon his coronation, he invited the nobles of his land to court to express his dream of uniting all of Elysia under the Tosima rule within thirty years, to serve the will of Zitus and enact the tenets where his family had failed in the centuries that had passed. He had promised that it would be their legacy, but as they shared their legacy, so too must they share the sacrifice. The taxation of the people of Tosima would rise over the years, tripling within five to see record highs in poverty and death as Markus Tosima collected a war chest for the expansion of his Kingdom. Whilst Markus Tosima never openly declared war upon the lands North and South, he would send hired mercenaries and vagabonds to venture into their lands to raid villages, temples and shrines for coin to fund their war effort. Pirate ships were paid bounties to blockade shores and docks to hinder the supplies and health of those within their lands.''

''In 890TF, the Demon War would begin before the King of Tosima could officially declare war upon the south. Those that Markus Tosima would see as enemies to be subjugated would now be allies in the war against the world-ending threat of the Demon Lords. The armies of the Kingdom of Tosima were levied and sent south to hold the Demons at bay within the Peaks of the Vale. Using the funds raised over the many years, a fortress were constructed with the aid of the mages of the Elysian Institute of Arcana, to act as the last line defence between the Demon armies and the Kingdom of Tosima. The fortress, Badengatt, now stood and blocked the way between north and south.''

''With the aid primarily of Asturcia and the Institute, the Demon Lords would find themselves imprisoned within divine castings of chains, whilst Varal of the Elysian Institute of Arcana was able to banish the majority of the Demon armies. Upon word of their success, Markus Tosima sent his forces south of Badengatt to clear up the remaining Demons within the lands. Though it is well recorded that the intent were conquer lands and hold a position from they would advance their territories and declare formal war upon the southern territories. As nobles looked upon the destruction and wrath left behind by the Demon Lords armies, seeing the death that could have been stopped if they were march south sooner, the nobles of Tosima gathered just as they had done over eight-hundred years before.''

''A quarter of their forces would never march south, instead they turned around to the North with their eyes upon the Capital. Word would reach Markus Tosima, whose spies, eyes and ears would reach even the most loyal rebel garrison. Before their forces could reach the gates of Tosima, the King's right to enlist noble heirs to their army had been enacted quickly and with a vengeful fury. With word reaching the rebel Lords, they disbanded their armies and returned home, sending letters that begged for mercy from their King.''

''None would be found. Just as their ancestors head would decorate the wall of Tosima one upon a time, the tradition had been continued, only it was the sons who would pay the price. To further belittle and enrage the nobles, Markus Tosima outlawed mage counsel in the Kingdom of Tosima, save for the King himself and demanded that the Elysian Institute of Arcana were to move to the Capital to better serve the crown. The request was promptly denied.''

''Not only would Markus Tosima name those rebel Lords as traitors and enemies of the crown, but also the Elders of the Institute. Forces had been sent time and time again to the Institute, but each time the forces returned stating that they could not find the Institute.''

''A war would rage over the coming years, five years of war in the countryside of Tosima. With the mercenaries brought in through the war coffers raised over decades of high taxation, the rebel Lords would be forced into small scale attacks on supply lines and scouting parties, just as they had been defeated by the wild folk of the North when they served under the Tosima family. With aid from the Elysian Institute of Arcana, the Vestarian Republic and Kingdom of Asturcia, the war against Tosima would bring many small victories in a war that seemed to never end as the rebel forces were unable to truly defeat the strength of the Tosima Kingdom. Where armies fell in small numbers, they would be replaced with foreign mercenaries from overseas.''

''The rule of Markus Tosima would soon end, following an internal uprising within the Capital of Tosima, seeing the gates of the city open for the rebel Lords to enter alongside the Elders of the Elysian Institute of Arcana, where an agreement would be signed by all nobles and elders as a Coalition was formed, in the same vision the Republic of Elysia had once been born. The capital once named Elysia, then Tosima, was now Valencourt and the home of the Elysian Coalition State that would see countries to the north and south as allies to their nation.''

''A continent broken and shattered by war, but yet now united with common minds and vision. A union made and agreements formed between all the nations of Elysia, in trade, military and marriage. Divided in their borders, but the most united that Elysia had been since the days of the Empire.''