Unification of Westeria

The Unification of Westeria was a series of diplomatic victories and wars spanning three different Kythiran Emperors and most of the Third Era, during which House Viromaro was able to successfully unite all of Westeria under the banner of the Kythiran Empire. It happened around the same time as the Eastern Conquests which formed the Imperius Reich in the far east.

Kythira Rises

The grandson of the last Kythiran King, Prince Richard I Viromaro, decided that the time

The Conquest of the Confederacy of Ragh

After what is today the northern half of Ardoragh had fully united behind the imperial crown, Emperor Francis Viromaro's eyes settled on the vast territory south of the new province. Together with his long time friend Grand Chancellor Leonard Von Roterstein, the brother of the Ardoraghi High-Lord, they devised a plan to conquer this untamed region. The south, with its dense forests, wide rivers, and rich mineral deposits, promised great wealth, but the people there were fiercely independent. The Emperor, keen to finally consolidate his empire, sought to bring the region under imperial control, and so, the southern conquest was set in motion.

When the Kythiran armies, alongside Ardoraghi troops, moved into the southern territory, they encountered far more resistance than anticipated. The tribes of the south, long divided by internal rivalries but bound by common culture and pride, feared that their way of life would be crushed by imperial rule. Though they had traded with the north, they valued their autonomy far more than any economic gains from that relationship. Recognising the threat of northern expansion, they took an unprecedented step—they united.

Under the leadership of a charismatic chieftain named Odvarr, the southern tribes formed the Confederacy of Ragh, a loose alliance held together by the promise of resisting the invaders. Odvarr, elected as their king, led a campaign of guerrilla warfare that exploited the northerners’ unfamiliarity with the terrain. Their forces ambushed supply lines, harassed Kythiran troops, and even launched daring raids into northern territory, forcing the High-Lord of Ardoragh to construct a massive wall around the northern capital of Alralysva for protection.

Frustrated by the slow progress of the campaign and the mounting casualties, Grand Chancellor Leonard Von Roterstein proposed an audacious strategy: to divide and conquer by seeking an alliance with one of the powerful southern tribes, the Ulveflokk. This tribe, known for its formidable coastal fleet that terrorized the Dodehavet Sea, had grown wealthy through piracy and controlled key sea routes. Its chief, Baldor, was a shrewd and ambitious man, who had not joined the Confederacy, but who was on good neutral terms on them, agreeing to not attack any of their ships. Grand Chancellor Leonard personally sailed from Helmira to meet Baldor, and extremely dangerous mission, bringing with him promises of land, titles, and wealth. The two men struck a secret deal: Baldor and his warriors would assist the Empire in defeating the Confederacy, and in return, Baldor’s family would rule the conquered southern lands as vassal lords, answerable only to the imperial crown and High-Lord Von Roterstein.

After discussing it with his elders he agreed. Knowing they had the element of surprise, he sent a messenger to King Odvarr, offering to join the Confederacy and help fight the Kythiran invaders. To sweeten the offer, Baldor sent a gift of 500 fine swords and helmets, crafted by his tribe’s finest smiths. Odvarr, grateful for the unexpected support, accepted Baldor’s offer, never suspecting that the chief had already betrayed him.

As part of their newfound alliance, Odvarr invited Baldor to partake in a Veriside, an ancient tribal ritual in which bonds of brotherhood were formally forged between leaders. According to the custom, the ceremony was to be held in Odvarr’s royal tent, where no weapons were allowed, symbolizing the trust and loyalty between the two chieftains. Baldor accepted the invitation and travelled to Odvarr’s encampment deep in the forests of southern Ardor. The Veriside proceeded as planned, with ceremonial drinking and ritualistic gestures of peace and unity. As night fell, the camp erupted into celebration, the tribesmen drinking and feasting under a full moon. The bond between Odvarr and Baldor seemed sealed, and the Confederacy appeared stronger than ever. But Baldor’s treachery had only just begun.

As the revelry wound down and many of the warriors grew drunk or retreated to their tents, a group of Baldor’s loyal Ulveflokk warriors, who had been hiding in the nearby woods, emerged silently and surrounded the camp. With terrifying speed, they stormed the tents, cutting down any man, woman and child who stood in their way. Baldor, carrying a hidden dagger, grabbed the king before he could cry for help, and sliced his throat. The massacre was swift and brutal. The camp was set ablaze, and by dawn, there was nothing left but smouldering ash and corpses. Baldor and his men fled east, back toward Ulveflokk territory. As they rode, Baldor sent a single rider north to deliver a message to Leonard Von Roterstein: “The fire has been extinguished.” Upon receiving this signal, the imperial armies marched into the south, knowing that the Confederacy was broken.

Without Odvarr to unite them, the southern tribes fell into disarray. Some surrendered immediately, realising the futility of resistance, while others, defiant but leaderless, continued to wage sporadic guerrilla warfare. The Kythiran forces, bolstered by the betrayal of the Ulveflokk and the relentless pressure of their imperial war machine, slowly ground down the last pockets of resistance.

Baldor, now a commander in the imperial forces, led his warriors in several key battles, securing vital territories for the Empire. However, he would never personally see the fruits of his labour. In a fierce skirmish deep in the forested hills, Baldor and a group of his warriors were ambushed by a remnant band of southern warriors. Though he fought with the ferocity of a lion, Baldor was ultimately slain, struck down by a spear of one of his own men in the chaos of the battle. His body was lost in the wilderness, and the Ulveflokk retreated, leaderless but determined to honour their fallen chief.

The war dragged on for several more years, but the tide had turned decisively in the Empire’s favour. One by one, the remaining tribes capitulated, and by the time the last holdouts surrendered, the entire southern region was under imperial control. The conquered territory was formally annexed into the Province of Ardoragh, and the Emperor declared the creation of the Ardoragh Day, a national holiday that celebrates the victories in the process of Ardoragh joining the Empire and remembers those who fell to achieve those goals.

In recognition of Baldor’s pivotal role in the conquest, Emperor Francis Viromaro granted his son, Mennal, the title of Duke of House Ulv. Mennal, though young, quickly proved himself a capable and ruthless leader. He consolidated his family’s power in the south, ruthlessly pacifying rebellious tribes and establishing trade routes to bring wealth back to the north. His seat of power was established in the coastal city of Yrticil, from where the now Ducal fleet continued to dominate the Dodehavet Sea. Grand Chancellor Leonard, in recognition of the valuable contributions to Ardoragh's power by the new Dukes, also successfully argued to his brother that the Dukes of House Ulv should also receive the honorary Ardoraghi title of Warden of the South. To this day the family still carries both titles.

occurred at the same time as the Eastern Conquests of the Imperiu

The Unification occurred after the Minecraftian Dark Ages ended with the start of the Third Era. It was the unification of all lands and kingdoms from the First- and Second Era as well as all lands west of the Narrow Sea and the 1150-line.

In exchange for having him colonize the west of Westeria, then-King Coetzeeclan Viromaro pardoned Whazajottom Von Roterstein for his participation in the Great Grief. This ultimately led to the creation of the Province of Ardoragh, with Whazajottom Von Roterstein being named High-Lord.

During the Treaty of Blackwater, in exchange for Blackwater Base, Borous Von Dragestein's castle from the Second Era, King Viromaro granted Von Dragestein a small island east of Redstonia, which he named Dorwall. Viromaro also granted Dragestein all lands of Eastera, being all lands east of the Narrow Sea and the 1150-line.

After these events King Coetzeeclan Viromaro named his new formed land the Kythiran Empire, of which he crowned himself Emperor.