Oppius II Eskandar, Oppius Aulus Eskandar, Oppius II son of Aulus II son of Oppius I son of Aulus I of Eskanadra
In the east. To the south, it borders Meda-Cheba. To the east there is a long coastal border. To the north it has a partial border with Belintash as well as other minor provinces which occupy the north-east of Emperiat (Andaluja has long vied for control over these north-eastern provinces, but the crown has rejected calls from the Eskandars to have them join Andaluja, and the Belintashian competitors have prevented Andaluja from taking effective control just as Andaluja prevents Beltinash from doing so). To the west it borders other provinces, among them the capital province.
Andaluja has two main specialities. The first is that it is the bread-basket of Emperiat. Its lands are by far the most fertile and its population by far the largest. All kinds of agricultural goods are produced here, and the huge coastal border (the largest of any duchy) effectively gives Andaluja a monopoly over the fishing economy, and means Andalujan seamanship is far and beyond the best in the kingdom.
The Andalujan capital, Crimsamara, is also a centre for knowledge. The huge population allows for the Eskandars to dedicate a small percentage of the citizenry to purely educational matters, which has over time created a powerful intellectual atmosphere and the setting up the Grand Institution of Higher Education and Learning of Crimsamara. Scholars, mystics, philosophers and strategists travel from all over the realm to have their works published and to engage in debate with other great minds here, and students of knowledge compete with one another for admittance to the prestigious institution. Unfortunately, demand is very high and many are let-down, which has caused many to call out for an expansion of the IHEL, or the construction of a new one. So far, their calls have gone unanswered.
This is as penned by the former Don of the Grand IHEL of Crimsamara, and later adviser to the Boy-King Elendin, Laxion Hosarusson:
The history of Andaluja stretches back to the days of Darethia, more commonly known as the 'Old Kingdom' in modern Andaluja and common usage. Back then, Andaluja was nothing more than a group of eight fiefdoms ruled over by their respective lords. The Kingdom of Darethia, in those days, stretched from the utmost north of modern Emperiat (encompassing the minor north-eastern provinces and some of modern Belintash) all the way down to modern Yenin.
Towards the end of the Old Kingdom's life (and all things, as The One (Glorified Be His Name) dictates, must come to an end), the king of that kingdom was no longer able to control his lords, or placate them with money, or use any authority his ancestors had to instil in them loyalty. And many rebelled.
Aulus I, of what became Eskanadra, was no such lord. He was, from what reaches us of his news and his days before kingship, an aristocrat who had spent most of his life amongst the peasants, escaping from his tutors and spending his days chasing after the village girls. When Darethia was consumed by war, its king having been dethroned and its many lords having rushed to take his place, he found himself conscripted by his local liege and sent to war. And he was at that time, in what reaches us of his news, a young man of twenty years.
Being young, and an aristocrat well-trained in the ways of battle despite his youthful indifference towards learning, he did well in the war. He was, however, ever after afflicted by 'the horrors', as many veterans of that long, gruelling, and terrible war came to call it. Indeed, of what can be seen from the news that reaches us of him, he never truly recovered from the trauma of 'the War of Dissension'. By the time he was three-and-twenty years, he had risen to become a commander in the army of his liege lord, leading a force of five hundred men. His charisma and talent for strategy and tactics earned him the title of 'Harbinger of Victory', or defeat in the case of his enemies.
When Aulus I was four-and-twenty years, his liege lord was slain in battle, leaving behind him no heir or family. After a period of chaos, Aulus I and another prominent commander, whose name history remembers as being Iagos, surfaced as the two potential heirs - for none could challenge their military might, and where blood and relation does not gain one the seat of power, then might of force does.
The meeting between the two ended with Aulus I submitting to Iagos and accepting the position of his right hand commander. With that, the two returned to the issue of defending the fief of the deceased lord - now owned by Iagos. The two proved to be a mighty pair, and their partnership was clearly blessed by The One (Glorified Be His Name). For not only managed they to push back the forces of multiple foes, but also increased the size of their holdings. Within a few years, when Aulus I was six-and-twenty, he and Iagos proved themselves amongst the mightiest of the warring factions in that terrible civil war, having conquered a total of five fiefs, in addition to that which they had held before.
After another year, they had under their command a total of eight fiefs. The remaining factions saw the threat and quickly formed an alliance against Iagos and Aulus I. These were what would later become the independent state of Yesini in the south (today the Grand Province of Yenin, part of Emperiat), and the north-eastern provinces (which in those days encompassed the current North-Eastern Provinces as well as some of the lands today held by the Belintashians). Even though these united factions managed to push back the forces of the two commanders, it was not long before Aulus I and Iagos recovered the upper hand and reestablished their control over the lands they had lost. It was then that their foes realised that war was futile, unification was no longer possible, and a peace treaty was negotiated.
The independent State of Yesini would last some two centuries before being incorporated into the Emperiat, and the northern provinces were conquered and reconquered by invaders until they eventually came to be held by the Grand Kingdom of Emperiat.
After that terrible eight year war, Iagos and Aulus I turned back to securing their lands and beginning the process of healing and reconstruction. After all, the eight fiefs which they had conquered were in utter chaos, having exchanged hands many times throughout the eight years.
It was not long, however, before the two men, who had formed a deep friendship over the course of the war, began to see the differences in their ideas. It became increasingly clear to them that there could not be two kings in one kingdom. Iagos requested that his friend retire to some far off place where he would be away from the day-to-day running of the nation, which soon came to be known as Iagoland. This request was rejected by the now nine-and-twenty year old Aulus I, and over a period of three months tensions between the two rose until they arrived at an unavoidable crescendo. It was concluded that their problem could only be solved through a duel to the death, a thing which Aulus I accepted without hesitation.
The day of the duel came, and with it came many people who had heard of the great happening. Aulus I brought with him his wife, Lucia, but he had not yet had with her any children at the time. Iagos too had brought his family that they may witness the fateful event. The duel, from what has reached us of it, was long and intense, neither warrior accepting defeat nor gaining victory. And, though it pains me to say so (an historian must put aside his own prejudices when recording the accounts of those who came before), it was not honourable. Both, it has reached us, used every trick the war had taught them, every technique they had mastered, even playing mind games and tormenting one another with memories of 'the horrors' and all that they brought with them. Yet in the end, it was Aulus I who was the victor. It was not because he was more skilled, but because he was the more intelligent and the more resistant. At nine-and-twenty years, Aulus I Eskandar was declared monarch over all the land, he dubbed himself the Basileus (a name derived from the ancients, said to mean 'king'), and he called his land Eskanadra.
No time was wasted. Aulus I gave Iagos a great burial and honoured his family, but beyond that (and some financial aid) he put the past behind him and set his eyes upon the future, concentrating on the land and sea. On land, he enforced the more efficient system of enclosure farming in great estates, owned by farmers. And on the sea, he encouraged innovative ship designs, which in turn made it far safer for fishermen to venture further out to sea and thus bring in greater amounts, and more diverse species, of fish. Over his long years as Basileus, he improved life greatly for the people, and the riches which accrued due to his reforms enabled him to eventually construct the great capital city of Eskanadra from scratch, the city of Crimsamara, and within it, he built the Great Palace of Eskanadra. Today, Crimsamara remains the capital, but the Great Palace of Eskanadra no longer stands - for its deconstruction was a condition of Eskanadra's eventual annexation into the Grand Kingdom of Emperiat.
By the time he of Aulus I's passing into the grace of The One (Glorified Be His Name), at the fine old age of seventy nine, Eskanadra had changed completely. Never again would it be torn apart by war, and never again would their dwell in it a starving and hungry people. Among his many works was the construction of the 'Four Courts' as they were known back then, which would later be transformed into the modern Twin Criminal and Civil courts of Crimsamara.
These Four Courts were situated in one building in those days, nowhere near as grand as the current two, but it did a very similar job. Aulus also laid down the laws of the kingdom in the Three Books. The first book was 'The Book Crime, Criminals, and Criminality' and was the skeleton for future laws regarding crime, within it were the ways in which crime should be dealt with in court as well as what kind of evidence should be accepted and which not, and of course, the punishments for certain crimes, such as execution for murder and prostitute trafficking, whipping or six months in jail for the thief, longer depending on the items stolen and so on.
The second book was 'The Book of the Divine Law' which clarified the fact that religion encompassed both the civil and criminal spheres of the law and much more on the religious stance on certain things. This too was a skeleton for future study in the relation between the law and religion. The third and final book was 'The Book of Civil Justice and the Predicaments of the People' which dealt with the day to day issues and problems likely to arise due to human transactions, as well as the way in which civil law should be carried out to ensure that the course of justice is not perverted.
This, like the second book, also contains parts which speak about the personal attributes and traits required in a judge as well as the academic and intellectual background which would give their judgments weight and wisdom. Aulus I also commissioned the construction of The School of Tactics and Strategy, the first true teaching institute in Eskanadran history which was initially meant as a place for the military leaders of the future to be trained, but was soon set upon by the richer people in society who sent their children there for the improved level of education. This, rather than creating great military leaders, caused there to be a great number of philosophers in the theories of tactics and philosophy and the art of war who were willing to discuss ideas but less willing to try them in practice. This was the fore-runner to the Grand IHEL of Crimsamara.
Aulus I expended much time and effort in securing the general security and safety of Eskanadrans, setting up many groups in different cities and towns all over Eskanadra to act as a policing force in their respective areas. While separate and largely inefficient, reforms over succeeding monarchs have meant that Police Chiefs report directly back to the Grand Police Chief in Eskanadra, who in turn reports directly to the Basileus.
Oppius I ascended to the throne after his father, in a time of relative prosperity in which employment was rising and the nation was undergoing many positive changes.
He expanded on education, the military and more, building the Grand IHEL of Crimsamara in the last decade of his life. Oppius I also addressed the growing issue of crime by adding to the Three Books and solidifying certain laws which had been left vague by Aulus I. He also established the Police Chief hierarchy which is still in place in modern Andaluja. Oppius I also expanded on many of the things his father had constructed, organising the construction of many new wings for the Great Palace of Eskanadra. During his reign, the palace almost doubled in size and its beauty increased tremendously. This was to create the long-lasting tradition of monarchs expanding and adding to the Great Palace during their reign, though this all came to nothing once the palace was deconstructed during his successors reign. Tale of the palace's beauty has passed into legend among the populace, but records and detailed diagrams of it remain in the archives the Magnificent Library. He also expended a phenomenal amount of money and resources into the structuring a small standing army and introducing ranks and divisions. However, his successor was forced to disband the force upon ascension into the Grand Kingdom of Emperiat. This has meant that while the population of modern Andaluja remains the highest in all the land, the quality of its military is rather low.
The Four Courts were also torn down and reconstructed as two separate Twin Courts, The Twin Civil Courts and The Twin Criminal Courts. Even though these were later refurbished and improved by Aulus II, the modern building was in fact constructed in Oppius I's time. Throughout the reign of Oppius I, who passed into the grace of The One (Glorified Be His Name) at three-and-eighty years, Eskanadra improved bit by bit. However, the reign of Aulus II, who passed into the grace of The One (Glorified Be His Name) at nine-and-eighty years, saw a seismic change in the little kingdom's fortunes.
Aulus II, keeping with the spirit of progress and enlightenment of the past monarchs, began his reign by pumping an astounding amount of money into the Grand IHEL and effectively conscripting selected youths from all over Eskanadra, who had to be eight years of age, into the IHEL. This huge amount of spending dropped dramatically in Aulus II's later years as the desired effect of creating a well-educated, elite class of Eskanadrans was achieved. But the tradition of conscripting those who were eight years of age continued for some years. Only in recent years, with increasing demand for admittance to the Grand IHEL, has this practice stopped.
After consulting his advisers, it was found that the due to the enormous academic output all over the nation, there was a realistic fear that a lot of the literary publications may be lost if copies of them were not kept safe. Thus it was decreed that a great library should be built, to which copies of books, poems, plays and any kind of document from all over Eskanadra must be sent upon publication, and this came to be known as The Magnificent Library of the Fertile Earth. Today, it is the largest library in the Grand Kingdom, and many manuscripts from all over Emperiat are sent here for copies to be made and preserved for future generations.
Following the conquest of Yesini an hundred years ago, in 199 PA (this, as most people outside Andaluja are ignorant about, is the dating system used in the Grand Province of Andaluja. It is one of the many things which remain from the Kingdom of Eskanadra. It stands for Post Auli, or After Aulus. The dating system begins with the alleged date of Aulus I's birth) the Kingdom of Eskanadra came under intense pressure to submit before the growing power of the Grand Kingdom of Emperiat.
During the reign of King Andèris of Emperiat and Basileus Aulus II of Eskanadra, the two realsm entered negotiations regarding the potential for a peaceful annexation of Eskanadra into the Grand Kingdom. From the moment of his ascendance to the throne until 236 PA, Aulus II negotiated with the powerful Grand Kingdom. King Andèris' father, may The One (Glorified Be His Name) bless his soul, was a rather difficult negotiator. Upon ascending to the throne, King Andèris proved to be a far more diplomatic man, and a deal was reached within the year. Not less than a year later, Eskanadra had officially become a Grand Province of Emperiat. The Great Palace of Eskanadra was deconstructed, its army disbanded and its name changed from the Kingdomg of Eskanadra to the Grand Province of Andaluja. The Basileus Aulus II Eskanadar's title was also changed, now becoming the Little Basileus.
Needless to say, Aulus II and King Andèris developed a rather good friendship, although it was ever marred by each one's suspicion and lasting distrust of the other, and it is said, though 'tis not confirmed, that he warned his heir to be ever wary of the King and ready for betrayal. For betrayal was the way of kings.
Now, in the year 299 PA, Little Basileus Oppius II Eskandar yet reigns over Andaluja, and he has done so for a good many years. And in this year, also, King Andèris has met with a most severe fate - one can only hope that The One (Glorified Be His Name) will have mercy upon his soul. The Boy-King Elendin now sits upon the throne.
[Vec] Over the years, Little Basileus Oppius II has often attempted to persuade his liege to give him rulership over the North-Eastern provinces, but time and time again King Andèris refused him. And it is well known that intrigues have taken place over the years between the Andaluja and the Grand Province Belintash as each attempted to seize de facto control over the contested provinces. No success has either met, and, as far as we know, the bitter feud continues.
[The Narrator] To the south, the Grand Province of Meda-Chaba has begun challenging Andaluja's dominance over the coast, and several skirmishes have taken place - but nothing big. The Meda-Chabian savages also provide protection to unsettled tribes and nomads who have, in recent years, been raiding the Andalujan border more and more. Whether this is orchestrated by Lord Hakim and his underlings or not is not yet known, but the Little Basileus has steadily been losing his patience with the savage upstart...
Frettzo,
Vec,
Lord Zee,
Double Capybara
