| The History of Merité |
| Later on the Meritéans began to expand southwards along the coast.This expansion is dealt with by Ulanovan histories: The conquest of Ulan occured after the Ulanian Empire had begun to decline and suffer large-scale internal disturbances. The conquest of Ulan began in the 250's BP. In 248 BP, the city of Defender (called Daffendeyr by the Ulanovans), which was under the control of what remained of the Vinnish raiders was attacked by the Meritéans, and asked for Ulan's assistance. Ulan absorbed Defender into its own territory, and sent armies to fight Merité for it, defeating an invasion attempt in 247 BP. Then, in 245 BP, the Meritéans captured the Ulanian city of Czellij, which is located roughly in middle of the finger of land of Ulanova which sticks up past the Dominion of Sehria and the Kingdom of Cimera. It is generally thought that Defender itself fell to a second attack shortly after that. The Meritéans conquered the Ulanian city of Zamborigrad, located to the east of the capital, Ulana, in 243 BP, and renamed it Meritston-a name which it retained after Ulanovan independence. Ulana itself fell at about this time as well. In 242 BP, the Meritéans conquered the Ulanian city of Magrisgrad, renaming it Sainte Marie-again, the new name seems to have been kept. Merité went on to conquer parts of Rosardan fairly soon after. Modern-day Cimera, was, for the most part, a former duchy of Merité. Though its former southernmost shire was subject to some Spaneesh colonisation and was never a part of the duchy of Cimera. As recently as the year of 298, Cimera was a part of Merité. In 299 Cimera became a part of the Province of Wesmeria which was administered by Cruisiana. By 300 a quasi-nation including the duchy of Cimera, what is now Castronovia, and the area of Tara and Defender to the south, now called the Dominion of Sehria, was formed and administered by the Cruisianan. This region, called Eichensehria, held its integrity more or less until 302. Beginning in January of 302 a peaceful though persistent Cimeran independence movement took root headquartered in Sehria, a prominent city in the former duchy. The Duchy of Cimera gained independence January 24th, 302 and organised itself into the Grand Duchy of Cimera, including both the former Duchy of Cimera and the region that now comprises Castronovia. In March 302 the government decided to sell the shire of Ulnofshire understanding that for the time being, the Duchy of Cimera could only manage its own affairs. Students were joined by many other Ulnofshirans and organized into 'Cimeran Communist Revolutionaries' under Hésablo Castronovo. The CCR subsequently attempted with limited success to take over Ulnofshire. In addition three suicide bombers blew themselves up inside of the Althinghouse in Sehria causing the government to move permanently to Sligomeagh, the former capital of Cruisianan Wesmeria. The CCR eventually, with the aid of communists of the Pataki People's Republic formed the nation of Castronovia. As the Cimeran government attempted to rebuild the Crown Prince went to study abroad. Anti-monarchial, "republican" forces of an ultra-nationalist slant, bent on retaking Castronovia and deposing a monarch they viewed as weak, attempted to take over but were duly suppressed by Cimeran loyalist forces with the aid of forces from the Listonian Free State, from Porto Capital, and from Wesmerite. The Grand Duchy reorganized after this into a kingdom, crowning the former 'Crown Prince' as King. Cimera has long-standing ties to Cruisana, the current Royal Family of Cimera having blood ties with the current Royal Family of Cruisiana and of course the former Royal Family of Merité. Modern Cimerans are an ethnic mix consisting of Meritéans, Cruisianans, Careirans, Somerish (modern Estron), and Festnozish, with other small ethnic minorities. |