Foundation: 624 to 631 CE

By the 620s CE, the South Chokian Republic had established business-militias to protect trading posts abroad, and this system was subsidized by ever-increasing taxes, which would eventually give rise to a movement led by John Redschner.

Born in 592, John Redschner grew up a passionate follower of the Alconist faith and an avid explorer. He and his family led a social group of close family and friends, who called themselves the Redschni. The Redschni opposed the South Chokian Republic's policy of business-militias, especially those funded by taxes, as they, per their beliefs, constituted the corrupt practice of imperialism. In response, the Redschni resolved to escape the South Chokian way of life and establish an independent settlement effectively isolated from society. Thus, John Redschner would lead numerous land expeditions to find a place for this settlement.

In 624, Redschner came upon a unique landscape featuring an underground fountain, later named the Fountain of Tarrigan, which flowed West out of a cave and into the Great River of Tarrigan, which split at what would be named the Isle of Tarrigan and, remaining split, went over the vast Tarrigan Falls and into Lake Tarrigan. Later on, the Lake would spill into the Great Rapids of Tarrigan, the longest rapids in the world, and feed into the Great River of Nofell.

Shortly after this discovery, John Redschner supposedly received a call from God to build a boat and travel to the Isle of Tarrigan, where he would command his followers to build a palace and city, and govern as King. As King, John would then be commanded to provide refuge to the Redschni from South Chokian taxes and oppression.

In 631, construction of the palace and city was completed, and it was founded as the city and Kingdom of Hercanon. Only the Isle of Tarrigan would be under the jurisdiction of this Kingdom, while the land beyond, starting with the surrounding river banks, would remain a part of the South Chokian Republic.

Hercanon consisted of the Abode, the Trades District, the Housing District, the Ministry of Defense, Duty, and Customs, the Piers, and the Causeways. The Abode was surrounded by a stone wall, and consisted of the Government Block, the Royal College, and the Gardens. The Westernmost end of the Government Block, facing out over the Falls, was occupied by the Royal Palace. It housed the personal quarters of the ruling King or Queen and the royal family, the Council of Ministries, and the Royal Treasury, which managed the Royal Reserve and the Royal Bank. Neighboring the Royal Palace to the East stood the Cathedral, which housed the Archbishop of the Church of Hercanon and the Clergy, serving the government as the equivalent of a judicial branch. Neighboring the Cathedral to the East was the Hall of Parliament, a bicameral legislature housing Lords and Commons.

Also within the Abode, neighboring the Government Block to the East, was the Royal College of Hercanon, established in 631 to provide CSSC spellfire-crafter training at all levels, and has done so ever since. Neighboring the College to the East was the Gardens, which included the Royal Garden, the Royal Park, and the Royal Market Square.

Standing as a ring within Tarrigan Isle and surrounding the Abode was the Trades District, home to all domestic businesses. Surrounding the Trades District was the Housing District, split into three sub-rings: the innermost for the upper economic class, the second for the middle class, and the outermost for the working class.

Surrounding the Housing District was the Ministry of Defense, Duty, and Customs. As a ring fortress, it had a stone wall between it and the Housing District, and another stone wall between it and the Piers surrounding it from the outside. The Ministry of Defense, Duty, and Customs was split into two sub-rings. The outermost sub-ring was a fortress armed with numerous defense methods, including cannons. The inner sub-ring consisted of customs offices that handled foreign trade, as well as the comings and goings of foreign visitors.

Surrounding the Ministry of Defense, Duty, and Customs was the Piers, which handled all trade ships. This was managed by the Ministry of Defense, Duty, and Customs, which also managed a grate-barrier along the top of the Falls to prevent any person, ship, or valuable cargo from going over.

Finally, connecting the Isle to the surrounding land were the Causeways, which were built quickly but sturdily using the practice of lightfire. The East End of the Isle was connected by two Causeways: the North Causeway entering the Isle in a Southeasterly direction, and the South Causeway entering the Isle in a Northeasterly direction. The West End of the Isle was connected by two more Causeways: the North Causeway entering the Isle, along the top of the falls, in a Southerly direction, and the South Causeway entering the Isle, in the same fashion, in a Northerly direction.

Over the city of Hercanon, John Redschner, in 631, was anointed by the Church of Hercanon as King John I.

First Era: 631 to 1075

The initial motive for establishing the city of Hercanon was for the Redschni to take a stand against taxation by the South Chokian government. Furthermore, the first Royal Decree issued by King John I required the Crown never to tax its Redschni subjects.

Instead, the Crown drew revenue through Royal Charter businesses, Royal Bank loans, and an early form of insurance. Regarding the Royal Charters, Hercanon law made it illegal for anyone to do business in any industry without a signed contract from a Royal Charter Establishment. That contract would award money and capital to a prospective entrepreneur in the form of a built-in loan. Once someone established a business, revenue payments would go to a business treasurer appointed by the Royal Treasury, who would send the revenue back to the Royal Treasury. The Royal Treasury would take a cut of the revenue, then send the difference back to the entrepreneur. While paying off the built-in loan, the Treasury would take eight percent of revenues to repay the loan, while the Charter Establishment would take two percent. After the payoff, the Royal Treasury would take only three percent, while the Charter Establishment would continue to take two percent.

The loan industry of Hercanon was run by the Royal Treasury, which commanded the Royal Reserve and the Royal Bank. The Royal Reserve received deposits and withdrawals from the Treasury. Meanwhile, the Treasury drew money from the Royal Reserve and deposited it into the Royal Bank, which issued both internal and external loans. The Royal Bank gave internal loans to Redschni subjects wishing to run Charter-approved businesses as entrepreneurs, with repayment plans of five years at ten percent interest or ten years at five percent interest. External loans were given to foreign nations or sea guild entities, usually with fifteen-year repayment plans and interest rates ranging from five to fifteen percent. Loans with the higher interest rates usually came with very flexible credit lines, flexible collateral policies, and loan insurance, many of these the first of such innovations for the time period.

The Royal Treasury of Hercanon was one of the first organizations in the history of the Circlarian Realm to practice a modern form of insurance, involving a special set of programs administered by the Royal Treasury in which clients would pay collective yearly premiums in exchange for coverage for financial or asset losses. Internal insurance policies were available for Charter-approved businesses and individual Redschni subjects. For businesses, a typical insurance plan would take five percent of monthly revenue as a premium and provide total financial and asset incidental coverage (i.e., coverage for items lost in a fire). For individual Redschni subjects, a typical insurance plan would charge a set monthly premium and offer various degrees of partial or total coverage depending on the plan; multiple plans, including life insurance and property insurance, were available.

External insurance plans, available for foreign nations and entities, were very much the same as those available for Redschni businesses, except that premiums were usually charged for one percent of monthly revenue. At the same time, loan insurance also existed, which would cover all or part of a debt that, for a qualifying reason, could not be repaid.

Loan insurance also existed for Redschni businesses and individuals, but loan insurance for foreign entities offered better coverage to gain and maintain warm diplomatic relations. To note, such insurance was available only for select entities approved by the Crown (meaning that the South Chokian Republic was excluded).

The Royal Crown and Treasury implemented the above policies in a way that both created a large middle class and allowed business ventures to thrive. As a result, droves of Chokians and others in the region swore fealty to the Redschni Crown. However, the Crown was selective about who it considered legitimate subjects, driven by a need to keep risks in check and preserve its economy and reputation.

Regardless, most deemed Redschni subjects were from the South Chokian Republic, which meant these people represented a significant loss of tax revenue for the Republic. In 634, the government of the South Chokian Republic, deeming the Redschni movement an insurgency, launched a war to sack Hercanon. In response, the Ministry of Defense, Duty, and Customs cast a special spellwork to make the Causeways mechanically melt and sink into the river, rendering Tarrigan Isle protected by the waters. In retaliation, the South Chokian military besieged Hercanon.

By this point, the Ministry of Defense, Duty, and Customs was a well-trained, well-equipped defense force; in fact, Hercanon's defenses during this period were far superior to those of other entities. Under their orders, cannons and maritime defense ships struck the South Chokian forces, and North Chokia joined Hercanon. Though they suffered heavy losses, the South Chokians held their siege formation, creating a stalemate costly to both sides.

As the ongoing war raised taxes, the population of South Chokia elected new leadership in 635. In 636, this new leadership ended the war and called for a council between the South Chokian Republic, Hercanon, and the North Chokian Republic. In 637, they signed the Treaty of Felsovar, which stipulated that all inhabitants of Hercanon deemed by the Crown as Redschni subjects would be immune from taxation by other nations, that all Redschni subjects who moved to either the South Chokian Republic or the North Chokian Republic were also immune from such taxation, that anyone born to Redschni subjects outside Hercanon would also be deemed Redschni subjects, and that any Redschni subject working outside Hercanon also be protected from foreign taxes.

The only exemption was that any Redschni subject who had established a business outside the Hercanon Royal Charter system could be taxed on profits by the foreign nation of their residence.

This treaty was enforced by the Congress of Circlaria, which sent a letter to both North and Chokia stipulating that either one would be dismantled into its constituent states, a process known as territorial liquidation, if the treaty was violated.

In 641, the South Chokian leadership present during the beginning of the Tarrigan Isle siege was elected back into power over the South Chokian Republic. Upon taking office, they enacted a law stating that anyone deemed a Redschni Royal subject would be legally renouncing their South Chokian citizenship. In other words, dual citizenship was now banned for Redschni Royal subjects. Hercanon, however, was not the first nation to be subject to a dual citizenship ban; the South Chokian Republic, in previous years, had banned dual citizenship for citizens of the North Chokian Republic. Regardless, this ban meant Redschni subjects could not hold public office in South Chokia, serve in the military, or vote.

In 642, the South Chokian Republic expanded its ban on dual citizenship to all nations in the West Peninsula and all nations North of the Chokian Mountains, while also protecting dual citizenship for those from nations South of the Chokian Mountains. The North Chokian Republic, in 643, having a similar dual citizenship ban against the South Chokian Republic, would retaliate by expanding the ban against those from nations South of the Chokian Mountains while protecting dual citizenship for Redschni Royal subjects, nations of the West Peninsula, and nations North of the Chokian Mountains.

Despite tensions with the South Chokian Republic, Hercanon saw an unbroken period of peace and prosperity in the years to follow, as Charter businesses thrived. At the same time, no formidable enemies threatened the city gates. This was the case under King John II, who took the throne after King John I's death in 702 and ruled until his death in 739. And such peace and prosperity continued under Queen Marya I, who ruled from 739 to 823; Queen Marya II, who ruled from 823 to 846; Queen Marya III, who ruled from 846 to 877; and King Fernan I, who ruled from 877 to 985.

The first signs of change came under King Fernan II, ruling from 985 to 1012. During his reign, the faraway Kingdom of Edora exerted economic and political influence, introducing industrial and technological advances to the region. This affected international politics, for before the Edorans arrived, the South and North Chokian Republics were seen as two largely different nations, with the Southerly Republic more imperialistic and the Northerly Republic more agrarian. After they arrived, the Edorans established numerous factories and industrial businesses throughout both Chokias, resulting in uniform industrial advancement. Hercanon kept many of its own traditions, in that sense, but yielded to some calls for industrial advancement.

After the merger of the Edoran Kingdom into the Kingdom of the Great North in 998, industrial development accelerated, leaving King Fernan III, who ruled from 1012 to 1017, to continue striking a balance between tradition and technology in Hercanon. King John III, who ruled from 1017 to 1069, continued this work.

In 1064, Menir Ordek, a Redschni merchant born in Hercanon but having established a business in South Chokia, sued the South Chokian government over an unfair tax penalty. By this point, Hercanon had won alliances with all the Midland River States, which raised armies ready to attack South Chokia if South Chokia ruled against Ordek. Amid this pressure, the South Chokian court ruled that franchises were not to be taxed if their headquarters were in Hercanon. In response, leaders resigned en masse from South Chokian government positions, forcing a special election that elected pro-Hercanon figures as replacements. In 1065, this new South Chokian government called for a summit with North Chokia, Hercanon, and the Midland River States. The summit resulted in the signing of the Compromise of 1066, which stipulated that no Redschni subject or franchise could be taxed by either South or North Chokia for any reason, and also stipulated for all states having signed said Compromise to intervene militarily against any state violating this Compromise.

Most political credit for this would go to King John III, who was King of Hercanon during the signing. However, most implementation with regard to the interests of Hercanon would fall on John IV, who became King after John III died in 1069.

Between 1068 and 1076, the Kingdom of the Great North fought a major war in East Hobland, resulting in an exponential increase in demand for industrial output and mercenaries from both North and South Chokia. Demand for the latter sparked a widespread call to reunite the two Chokian Republics into one Chokian Republic. In 1075, the Great North facilitated talks between North and South, ending with a motion to be put before the legislature of North Chokia to vote to annex South Chokia. This vote passed and was sent to South Chokia as a popular referendum, which passed overwhelmingly. The South Chokian Republic joined the North Chokian Republic, which was renamed, simply, the Chokian Republic.

Consequently, East Geldin, the former South Chokian state surrounding Hercanon, merged with the North Chokian State of West Geldin to become the Chokian state of Geldin.

Second Era: 1075 to 1095

Thus emerged the Dual Citizenship Controversy of 1076, which resulted directly from the inevitable conflict between the dual citizenship bans of the former South Chokian Republic and the dual citizenship bans of the former North Chokian Republic. Though there was no actual battle, this controversy culminated in explosive courtroom debates. By the end of 1076, the legislature of the Chokian Republic reached a resolution and enacted a new law banning dual citizenship altogether. Though this did not satisfy everyone, those of libertarian political sentiment celebrated the effective continuation of renouncing Chokian citizenship, and therefore gaining freedom from Chokian taxes, upon Redschni subjugation.

In 1077, King John IV enacted the Established Royal Subjugation Act to address the growing number of Chokians wishing to renounce their citizenship by becoming Redschni subjects. The purpose was to ease pressure on the previously established selective apparatus. The Act stipulated that foreigners could become Redschni subjects through either sponsorship by direct-blood family lineage plus one year of residency in Hercanon proper, five consecutive years of employment by a Redschni Charter business, or twelve consecutive years of full-time service to the Church of Hercanon.

Third Era: 1095 to 1209

King John IV's last major deeds occurred during the Amelioration Movement, when the nations of the West Peninsula and Midland River regions overthrew their crowns and established republics. The Great North, Furthing, and the Northerly Canticulan nations formed a Coalition to stage a counter-movement to replace the new republics with incumbent-appointed presidential council governments. The Chokian Republic joined this counter-movement in exchange for the remainder of the Coalition promising to leave Chokian democracy intact.

Meanwhile, Hercanon declared neutrality. However, King John IV enacted an exception by setting up and administering a supply depot network to assist Chokian forces, thus marking the first time that the Chokian government took loans from the Redschni Royal Bank.

King John IV would rule until he died in 1099, after which Queen Nadia I succeeded him.

Following the end of the Amelioration Movement in the 1090s, there occurred a long period of peace and prosperity known as Pax Canticula, during which the Chokian Republic modernized quickly, especially with the mesh train system. With initial high profits from this new mode of transit, the Chokian Republic paid off its debt with Hercanon, which rewarded it with a new loan to expand the existing mesh train system. Chokian leadership accepted this as well as additional loans from Hercanon for other infrastructure projects.

In 1104, Hercanon constructed a mesh train terminal station along the front of Tarrigan Isle, along the edge of the Falls. Meanwhile, throughout the 1110s, they built airship moors along the Piers section.

During Pax Canticula, however, it became apparent that Hercanon was very steeped in tradition. It modernized and advanced to a certain degree, but more slowly than the surrounding landscape. And this was most noticeable within the Ministry of Defense, Duty, and Customs, which contemporaries described as a "patriarchy within a patriarchy," because this organization valued strict adherence to tradition and customs above all else. As war never threatened the city directly, Hercanon's defenses would consist of old technologies such as cannons, muskets, and old-fashioned ramparts over the years and centuries to follow. However, the high volume of recruits and resources gave Redschni subjects a sense of assurance.

Queen Nadia I, having ruled for over 100 years, died in 1201, and was succeeded by Queen Nadia II.

Fourth Era: 1209 to 1221

Queen Nadia II was known, early on, for her actions in response to the fall of the Motanian Empire in 1209. In response to the resulting economic downturn, Nadia II enacted parliamentary bills as austerity measures to protect Hercanon. These measures included tightening regulations on loan approvals, Charter contracts, and insurance plans. The Royal Bank stopped borrowers from receiving additional loans and offered borrowers lower repayment plans on existing loans. Because of these measures, the government of the Chokian Republic narrowly avoided defaulting on its loans.

Queen Nadia II ruled until she died in 1218, after which she was succeeded by Nadia III.

Fifth Era: 1221 to 1226

During the First Continental War, fought from 1221 to 1226, Hercanon declared itself neutral, opening trade to both sides of the conflict. With previous austerity measures relaxed, the Chokian Republic took more loans from Hercanon, which profited from this approach, despite the controversy.

Sixth Era: 1226 to 1251

In 1235, the Chokian Republic, under an anti-Redschni administration elected that year, "willfully defaulted" on the aforementioned loans from Hercanon and instead submitted a petition for loan forgiveness similar to the one submitted that year by the Midland River States. While they forgave the loans for the Midland River States, Hercanon rejected the Chokian Republic's petition due to conflict-of-interest concerns (as the Midland River States and the Chokian Republic were rivals). Instead, Hercanon engaged in indirect tax-revenue garnishment against Chokia by enacting a rule removing the family-tie requirement for prospective Redschni subjects born in the Chokian state of Geldin, meaning these candidates had only to complete the one-year residency requirement in Hercanon proper. Furthermore, Hercanon proposed that the Geldin State government buy up numerous residential estates so residency there would count as residency in Hercanon to meet the requirement. The Geldin government put this proposal to a popular referendum, which passed during the 1236 Chokian gubernatorial election cycle.

In October 1239, the Acrean Kingdom, located in East Hobland, lost much of its property and assets in the Meredythian Isles in a coordinated attack by the Vandalians, a formidable maritime enemy. As a result, the Acrean Royal Bank collapsed, prompting the Acrean Crown, that November, to petition the nation of Tandeiyah for economic aid. Tandeiyan banks responded by reaching out to other banks throughout the Circlarian Realm to build a collective trust fund for the Acrean Kingdom. In January 1240, the central banks of Furthing, Gamroa, Lotemn, Vasilca, and the Edoran Regiondom answered this outreach. During the following month, the fund was implemented, allowing the Acrean Royal Bank to recover.

In March 1240, the banks of Furthing, Gamroa, Lotemn, Vasilca, Tandeiyah, and the Edoran Regiondom formed the Collective Northerly Bank Lending Program, or CNBLP, which pooled together designated loan money and divided it equally among participating banks. With such funds, these banks set collective quotas to optimize loan interest returns. If one participating bank failed, a policy required the other members to provide collective, equal bailouts and then refinance the remaining loan money. This stimulated the lending industry, and led the Acrean Royal Bank to later enroll in the Program.

During the summer of 1240, the CNBLP extended an invitation to the Royal Bank of Hercanon to join. However, Royal Bank leadership hesitated because of CNBLP rules on how to craft loan policies, as well as a rule requiring unanimous approval from the other members for any deviation. Traditionally, out of respect for Hercanon's opposition to outside government interference, the Royal Bank of Hercanon had always set its own loan policies.

In 1241, the next gubernatorial election cycle was held in the Chokian Republic, during which the Chokian states of Migram, Semerrer, and Nofell, through popular referendums, voted to petition Hercanon to join Geldin in adopting the easy one-year residency citizenship path. The Parliament and Crown of Hercanon approved all petitions. However, this move drew contempt from the Chokian federal government in Token, as well as the Chokian states of Ghues, Teltio, Hoht, Vonakish, Selie, Molosa, Sugek, and Koskiluwks, because it would significantly reduce tax revenue. This led to political gridlock in the Chokian Republic until 1251.

In May 1246, the CNBLP made another attempt to have the Hercanon Royal Bank join, an offer the Royal Bank refused yet again. The following month, the CNBLP succeeded in getting the lending banks of the Chokian Republic to join, creating loan opportunities that pulled increasing numbers of borrowers away from Hercanon. The Redschni government retaliated, in September 1246, with a law prohibiting Redschni Charter businesses and franchises from taking out CNBLP loans. In October, Hercanon workers, opposed to the law because it restricted freedom of choice, staged a general strike. In November, while the strike was ongoing, the CNBLP sent lobbyists to the Hercanon Parliament to either get the Royal Bank to join or at least for the government to repeal the prohibition. The Crown of Hercanon responded, in December 1246, with an order to suspend Parliament.

In January 1247, striking workers organized and formed the Hercanon Peoples' Parliament, backed by loans from the CNBLP. By the end of the month, the Peoples' Parliament had reached out to the Ministry of Defense, Duty, and Customs, requesting to join forces.

Wishing to avoid a coup, the Crown of Hercanon, in February 1247, caved to demands and allowed Parliament to convene once again. Parliament then passed a law requiring the Royal Treasury to join the CNBLP, which Queen Nadia III signed. In an act of consolation, the CNBLP unanimously approved a policy allowing the Royal Treasury more autonomy: its Royal Bank could set its own loan policies without further CNBLP approval.

Thus, Hercanon's original policies remained intact. However, this turn of events, known as the Hercanon Royal Bank Crisis of 1246-47, marked the first time in history that Hercanon caved to this type of international pressure.

Seventh Era: 1251 to 1255

In 1251, Hercanon proposed a new citizenship rule to Geldin that would allow anyone born in Geldin to become a Redschni subject through simply the person's signature on a special self-declaration form. This proposition was put to a statewide popular referendum for the 1251 Chokian gubernatorial election cycle.

Geldin had a particularly hot contest that year, with Kaul Moric of the mainstream National Liberal Party running against Amroe Korrin of the Libertarian-Conservative Party for the Geldin State Governor seat. The most important issue was a recent hike in federal taxes to offset economic strain over the past four decades, which increased demand for residency in Redschni-owned estates, allowing newly deemed Redschni subjects to avoid paying Chokian taxes.

For his platform, Kaul Moric vowed to negotiate with the federal government in Token for lower taxes. In contrast, Amroe Korrin, a supporter of the Redschni Crown, vowed to facilitate the mutual Redschni-subject self-declaration rule and have Geldin receive loans from Hercanon to help Geldin residents pay federal taxes for the next five years. When the election was carried out, Korrin won by a slim margin, and the new citizenship referendum passed by 60 percent.

When Korrin took office, and the new rules took effect in June 1251, Chokian President Aledin Mornek considered Korrin's administration to be engaging in sedition over the Hercanon matter, and demanded that Korrin resign in the name of due process. Korrin refused, citing his position by popular mandate, which was supported by the Chokian states of Migram, Semerrer, and Nofell. In response, Mornek sent the Chokian military to forcibly seize Geldin's state government offices in the state capital of Felsovar. However, Geldin State Trooper forces, joined by State Trooper forces from Migram, Semerrer, and Nofell, stopped the incursion. On 4 June 1251, Mornek's forces, now joined by the State Trooper forces of Ghues, Teltio, Hoht, Vonakish, Selie, Molosa, Sugek, and Koskiluwks, launched a second offensive against Geldin, thus officially beginning the Chokian Civil War.

No new nations formed during this conflict, as each side, having formed Anti-Geldin versus Pro-Geldin Coalitions, deemed itself more legitimately Chokian than the other. To note, the Pro-Geldin Coalition consisted of the states of Geldin, Migram, Semerrer, and Nofell, while the Anti-Geldin Coalition consisted of the federal government and the states of Ghues, Teltio, Hoht, Vonakish, Selie, Molosa, Sugek, and Koskiluwks.

The second offensive by the Anti-Geldin Coalition led these forces to occupy Semerrer and Nofell for the remainder of 1251. However, in 1252, the Pro-Geldin Coalition pushed back, retaking Semerrer and Nofell and capturing the Anti-Geldin Coalition States of Ghues, Teltio, Hoht, Vonakish, and Sugek. In 1253, the Anti-Geldin forces launched another offensive, first taking the Pro-Geldin States of Semerrer, Nofell, and Migram, then retaking Ghues, Teltio, Hoht, Vonakish, and Sugek. Pro-Geldin forces pushed back in 1254, taking Ghues, Teltio, Hoht, Vonakish, Sugek, Koskiluwks, Semerrer, Nofell, and Migram.

Up to this point, Geldin and its capital, Felsovar, served as a stronghold and saw little to no conflict during the war. This changed, however, when Anti-Geldin forces, in early 1255, captured the Geldin state capital of Felsovar, forcing the Geldin state government to evacuate and set up an emergency government seat in Lana and leading the Hercanon Ministry of Defense, Duty, and Customs to begin arming Tarrigan Isle for a possible attack. Pro-Geldin forces rushed in and staged a battle to retake Felsovar; however, the Anti-Geldin Coalition held its ground. A gridlock ensued as Anti-Geldin forces in the western part of the state of Geldin attempted to push East toward Hercanon while Pro-Geldin forces in the East pushed West in hopes of pushing out the Anti-Geldin forces. During this gridlock, Anti-Geldin forces retook Semerrer, Nofell, Migram, Ghues, Teltio, Hoht, Vonakish, Sugek, and Koskiluwks.

The gridlock was broken when the Canticulan nations of Vasilca, Remstruhs, and Munnicale stepped in to support the Pro-Geldin forces in a new offensive. With this push, the Pro-Geldin Coalition retook Felsovar and the states of Geldin, Semerrer, Nofell, and Migram; however, they failed to retake Ghues, Teltio, Hoht, Vonakish, Sugek, and Koskiluwks. Thus, another stalemate emerged as each Coalition held the same supporting states as before.

Such a stalemate, however, would be broken in October 1255, when, in response to a petition submitted by Vasilca, Remstruhs, and Munnicale, the Congress of Circlaria sent a letter to the Chokian Capital, Token, ordering President Mornek, his entire cabinet, and all affiliated political party members holding government posts to resign, and for a special election to occur for their replacements (there had just been a regular election in the Chokian Republic earlier that year). The letter made a further call for the new government to honor the 637 Treaty of Felsovar or face aforementioned territorial liquidation, allow for every Chokian state to decide through popular referendum on Redschni Royal subjugation rules similar to the ones enacted in Geldin in 1251, and to honor states' decisions on penalties stated in the 637 Treaty. The new government of the Chokian Republic, on 18 October 1255, signed this agreement and ended the Chokian Civil War.

Eighth Era: 1255 to 1267

Though threatened during the conflict, Hercanon was ultimately spared from the fighting during the Chokian Civil War. Furthermore, they received backing from the state government of Geldin, seated now in Lana and having preserved its self-declared Redschni subjugation rules. And in 1256, the states of Semerrer, Nofell, and Migram voted to establish similar self-declaration rules.

With her renowned diplomatic skills, Queen Nadia III, having ruled Hercanon since 1218, facilitated fair terms of trade with the new Chokian government. Thus, the political environment was stable until the mid-1260s, when the Lykian Republic, located in the far-East of Canticula, began expanding its influence.

When the news broke in 1265 of the Lykian takeovers of Southeast Canticula and the Red Desert, both the Chokian Republic and the ten Midland River States became wary of a possible takeover in the West as well. Though rivals, both the Chokian Republic and the Ten Midland River States formed common ground with the signing of the 1265 Pact Mandating Lykian Non-Intervention, which stipulated that member nations avoid giving military or territorial concessions to the Lykian Republic and increase defense spending. However, this Pact included an exception to allow Lykian forces to protect Chokia and the Midland River States in the event of external or internal threats if there was no other defense alternative; and the Lykian Republic would take advantage of this.

In May 1265, Lykian representatives approached Hercanon and convinced its Royal Bank to back Jon Dow in a run for the Chokian presidency on behalf of the National Labor Party. This ultimately led to Dow winning the general election that year. A driving factor in this outcome was stoking Chokian voter contempt for the incumbent National Chokian Diplomatic Party, which campaigned on progressive social issues but favored business owners over workers. The new legislature, in 1266, passed a measure, at the secret urging of the Lykians, to impose taxes on the Crown of Hercanon, violating both the Treaty of 637 and the Compromise of 1066. Similarly urged by the Lykians, President Dow signed this into law, prompting the Chokian Treasury to send a tax bill to Hercanon. Hercanon sent a statement of refusal, citing violations of the Treaty and Compromise. President Dow responded with the establishment of toll gates on the Chokian side of each Causeway onto the Isle of Tarrigan. The Midland River States responded with a joint letter to Dow, warning him of possible intervention as prescribed under the 1066 Compromise.

Made aware of this, Lykian representatives secretly approached Dow with an offer to station ten Lykian Secret Troop Reserve divisions, each one to defend against one of the ten Midland River States. Meanwhile, Lykian representatives also secretly approached each of the ten Midland River States with a similar offer to protect against the Chokian Republic.

On 3 June 1267, after what proved to be biased Lykian intelligence, the Midland River State of Josohnjon invaded the Chokian state of Geldin to forcibly remove the toll booths surrounding Hercanon. On June 4, President Dow authorized Lykian divisions to attack Josohnjon's capital with a particularly destructive weapon known as a Red Desert Bomb. In defense of Josohnjon and the Midland River States, the Midland River State of Ansohnjon, that same day, responded by authorizing its Lykian division to drop a Red Desert Bomb on the Chokian capital, Token. Dow, having survived, directed Lykian divisions to send a Red Desert Bomb against Ansohnjon.

On June 5, Morstrah had its Lykian forces bomb the Chokian state of Ghues, which prompted a Red Desert Bomb attack from Token. On June 6, Neehs dropped another Red Desert Bomb on Token. Token responded with Red Desert Bombs against Neehs and all the other remaining Midland River States. And on June 7, the Midland River State of Chufsa hit Token with another Red Desert Bomb.

Though the initial perpetrator of this conflict, the Lykian Republic, on June 8, stepped in and declared a cease-fire for both sides, ordering them to attend a peace conference. By June 9, Chokia and the Midland River States signed peace accords that placed their territories under Lykian supervision, thus effectively beginning the Lykian Occupation of these territories.

During this same conference, Hercanon petitioned for full autonomy in exchange for having the CNBLP offer much-needed loans to the Lykian Republic. Because the Lykian Republic was obligated, like all other nations, to honor Hercanon as a protected enclave under the Congress of Circlaria, they readily agreed to this compromise; relations between the Lykians and Hercanon were surprisingly warm. Now, with access granted, the Lykian Republic began taking out CNBLP loans, primarily to fund infrastructure projects in occupied territories.

Ninth Era: 1267 to 1290

Relations between Hercanon and the Lykian Republic remained stable until the Lykian Loan Strike of the early 1280s. In 1281, the Lykian Republic sacked and subjugated the Meredythian Isle of Vantacula. In response, Furthing, politically disagreeing with this move, directed the CNBLP to finance housing for Vantaculan refugees, an action followed by a decision by the CNBLP to establish similar housing programs in all the Northern Canticulan nations. In doing so, they raised interest rates on loans given to the Lykian Republic. The Lykians retaliated by voluntarily defaulting on all their current loans, prompting the CNBLP to freeze future loans. The Lykian Republic, now desperate for alternative loan opportunities, turned to the Big Five Banks of the Hasphitat, located in the Retunian Republic across the Circlarian Ocean. However, a conflict of interest erupted between the Lykian and Retunian Republics, to which the nation of Furthing, allied with the Retunians, would retaliate, triggering the Second Continental War.

Despite the aforementioned actions taken, the CNBLP was nevertheless deeply affected by the Lykian Loan Strike and was forced to downsize its Program, triggering economic downturns throughout the Circlarian Realm.

The Royal Bank of Hercanon, however, was one of the stronger banks to survive, with another being the Central Bank of Furthing. In 1284, instead of terminating the CNBLP, Hercanon and Furthing restructured it. Although the acronyms would remain the same, the CNBLP would now stand for the Canticulan National Bank Loan Program. And Hercanon would lead this restructured program with the establishment of secondary loan options for national central banks throughout Canticula. Furthing, meanwhile, would have its Central Bank serve as a debt collection institution for such loans in default. This would bring about the peak years of the Royal Bank of Hercanon.

Tenth Era: 1290 to 1294

On 17 June 1290, the Chokian Republic was liberated from the Lykian Republic by the United Coalition of Canticula. Merit Andrin was then appointed to serve as the Chokian Interim President.

In September 1290, Chokian voters in the Western counties of Geldin, unhappy with the restoration of the self-declared Redschni Royal subjugation rule, voted overwhelmingly to separate and form the new Chokian state of West Geldin. Per Chokian constitutional protocol, this measure, having passed, was sent to the Legislature in Token for majority approval, after which it would go to the acting president to sign into law. However, before the Legislature even voted on it, President Andrin announced that he would veto the measure due to it being considered too radical. This prompted backlash from West Geldin supporters; nevertheless, Andrin and the Legislature held firm.

In November 1290, Aledin Mornek, now in his late 80s, returned to the political scene with a vow to run for another term as President of the Chokian Republic, promising to allow for the formation of West Geldin. Endorsing representative candidates in key seats of the Legislature, Mornek called for a special election, which the High Court subsequently approved for May 1291. When the May 1291 special election took place, Mornek won the presidency by 60 percent of the vote.

In June 1291, the West Geldin measure passed the Legislature and was signed by Mornek, thus officially creating the new state. Meanwhile, the remainder of the former state of Geldin would retain its name, re-establishing its capital in Felsovar.

In 1292, following the death of Nadia III, Emelie Redschner became Queen Emilie I; and shortly after her coronation, Emilie I issued her first decree, which called on Parliament to pass a bill to send a proposition to Felsovar for the state of Geldin to gain independence from the Chokian Republic and become the Kingdom of Redschni. Hercanon would be the capital of this new nation, and the Crown, Parliament, and Clergy of Hercanon would form its government. Parliament eagerly passed this measure, which was then turned over by Felsovar to a popular referendum set to take place in May 1293.

Upon learning of this, Mornek's administration sued the Geldin state government, and when the case was heard, the Chokian High Court suspended the May 1293 referendum. However, this triggered an eruption in protests from the Geldin people, which led the High Court to turn this over to the Chokian Legislature. Also caving to popular pressure, just enough moderate members of Mornek's political party voted with the Pro-Redschni bloc in June, amounting to just enough votes for the independence referendum in Geldin to proceed.

The referendum would ultimately take place on 16 October 1293, resulting in the measure passing with 65 percent of the vote. Thus, Geldin became the independent Kingdom of Redschni.

Mornek retaliated, on 23 October 1293, with 50 percent tariffs against the new Kingdom. Hercanon, on November 7, retaliated with 50 percent tariffs against the Chokian Republic. Mornek responded, on November 23, with the tightening of border security with the intent of making it more difficult for Redschni subjects to enter the Chokian Republic. And on December 7, Hercanon responded with a property tax, named the External Business Property Tax Act, against Chokian businesses not registered with Royal Charter contracts.

Most Chokian non-Charter businesses throughout the Redschni Kingdom were silver mines, which agreed to pay the new taxes. However, the Nameson Vineyard, located on a small piece of land named the Commencement Isle, which was situated between two tributaries and the beginning of the Lesser Teltio River in the Southwest corner of the Redschni Kingdom, refused to pay. Commencement Isle was under Redschni Kingdom jurisdiction but was located within a mile of the border with the Chokian Republic, and was joined by land only by a causeway from the Chokian state of Nofell and a causeway from the Chokian state of West Geldin. The only way to access the Isle from the Redschni Kingdom was by water or air. Hercanon was going to remedy this with a causeway from the Redschni side, but such construction plans were still being debated by Parliament. Furthermore, the Isle had previously been a part of the Chokian state of West Geldin. However, in November 1293, one month after the referendum, the greater community of Commencement Isle voted on a referendum of their own to join the Redschni Kingdom in order for residents to be free from Chokian taxes. This referendum also passed.

The high managers of Nameson Vinyard, which was part of the Chokian franchise named the Karly Vineyards, were starkly opposed to Commencement Isle joining, due to the requirement by Hercanon for the Vinyard to either register with a Royal Charter or pay the External Business Property Tax. However, this only boosted morale among the Commencement Isle residents, who, in addition to not having to pay taxes of their own, included a large number of Vineyard employees engaged in an ongoing labor dispute with the managers.

In April 1294, Hercanon sent the managers of Nameson Vinyard a tax bill, to which the Nameson Vinyard managers wrote back, refusing to pay the bill and informing Hercanon that Royal Treasury representatives were trespassed from the Vinyard in perpetuity. The Royal Crown of Hercanon responded, on 15 June 1294, with the deployment of police forces, who seized the Vinyard and arrested the Vinyard Manager. Chokian President Mornek responded, on June 16, by sending land, water, and air military forces to the Redschni borders; and on June 18, Mornek gave Hercanon 72 hours to withdraw the police forces from the Vinyard and release the Vinyard Manager.

On 19 June 1294, Hercanon dispatched boats from the Royal National Guard to establish a perimeter around Commencement Isle and give backup to the police forces stationed there. En route, these forces were spotted by Chokian planes, which reported the sightings to Mornek's administration. Mornek determined that Redschni forces were preparing to cross the border, and deemed this an act of war. With this biased notion, Mornek ordered the full deployment of the Chokian military into the Redschni Kingdom.

By this point, the Ministry of Defense, Duty, and Custom, being steeped in tradition and not having seen a direct conflict in centuries, was woefully unprepared to take on the full might of this Chokian offensive. In fact, numerous contemporaries had observed the defenses of Hercanon and the Redschni Crown serving more of a ceremonial purpose rather than practical preparedness. Hercanon's defenses were nearly 300 years out of date, while Redschni personnel were severely uneducated in how to handle the high-tech equipment the Lykians had given them. Combined with a perpetual sense of tradition and pride, Redschni defenses gave its soldiers and subjects a false sense of security.

Therefore, when the invasion began on 19 June 1294, Chokian planes easily destroyed the Royal National Guard boats and pushed on into Redschni territory while Chokian planes shelled Hercanon proper. By June 20, all Redschni territory was taken, and Chokian land and marine forces arrived at the gates of Hercanon proper. Hercanon, with its outdated stone fortress lined with cannons, held back Chokian forces for about 91 minutes before Chokian barges landed and flooded Tarrigan Isle with tanks and troops. Within minutes, Chokian soldiers occupied Parliament Hall and the Royal Cathedral. And they also stormed the Royal Palace, placing the Royal Family under house arrest and demanding their surrender.

Sadly, during the ongoing standoff, Nadia IV, heir-apparent to the Redschni Throne, died by suicide.

News of the invasion and the Royal Family tragedy reached the Congress of Circlaria in a short time. On 24 June 1294, citing Mornek's actions as a violation of international law concerning protected enclaves live Hercanon, Congress of Circlaria launched Operation Nadia.

A new fleet of gyroplanes that had been tested, approved, and delivered to the nations in Northern Canticula and the West Peninsula was slated to begin service in October 1294. However, Congress of Circlaria overrode this schedule with an order for their deployment in Operation Nadia. These aircraft bombarded the Chokian capital of Token, targeting military bases and hubstone facilities. Mornek chose to personally take part in the battle, but was killed instantly. The next day, 25 June 1294, Aron Dor was sworn in as the new president of the Chokian Republic, after which Dor immediately capitulated to Congress of Circlaria.

Meanwhile, Congress of Circlaria forces liberated Hercanon and the Redschni Kingdom, restoring its government and assisting in reconstruction. Congress of Circlaria also ordered the Chokian Republic to cease to exist as a sovereign nation, establishing each constituent former Chokian state as its own independent nation governed by an incumbent-appointed presidential council government structure, following the actions of territorial liquidation. One exception here was that the Redschni Kingdom was allowed to remain its own sovereign Kingdom.

The city of Token proper was divided by walls into sections belonging respectively to the now-independent nations of Semerrer, Nofell, and West Geldin.

Eleventh Era: 1294 to 1361

Shortly after the dissolution of the Chokian Republic, there arose a controversy regarding Operation Nadia, which critics abroad condemned as an act of revenge by the Congress over Nadia IV's death. However, the Congress of Circlaria refuted this claim, stating that they were acting solely in due process, and allowed the vote on the name to occur in order to boost troop morale.

Another controversy was over the decision by Congress of Circlaria to require each of the former Chokian states to function as an incumbent-appointed presidential council, which critics cited as not a democratic government structure, and that this requirement was unfair to those former Chokians who never supported Mornek. Along with this condemnation was a call for these new nations to vote on whether or not they wished to become republics. However, Congress of Circlaria refuted this argument, stating that the requirement to force these new nations to function as incumbent-appointed presidential councils was due to suspicions of oathcrafting mechanisms established by Mornek's spellcrafters prior to the 1294 conflict.

Queen Emilie I directed Hercanon to maintain neutrality on such matters. Meanwhile, the Royal Bank of Hercanon, still functioning as part of the revised CNBLP since 1284, gave loans to the central banks of the former Chokian states, West Peninsula, and North Canticula for reconstruction and economic recovery.

In March 1300, scientists from the West Peninsula nation of Lesterre discovered rich henshale deposits off the coasts of the Meredythian Isles claimed by Lesterre, thus prompting Lesterran businesses to take interest in offshore drilling. In May of that year, Jean Martineau won the election for the Lesterran presidency. And that September, shortly after he took office, Martineau directed the Lesterran Central Bank to take out extra loans from the Royal Bank of Hercanon to bankroll this new business venture. The concern was that drilling equipment was expensive, and that demand was low at the moment. However, the expectation was that a sudden spike in henshale supply would stimulate demand, and that the returns would pay back loan amounts many-fold. After careful consideration and debate, the Royal Bank of Hercanon agreed to give the loans accordingly.

Between 1301 and 1305, the Central Bank of Lesterre used its loan money from Hercanon to lend to prospective henshale drilling businesses. This move was significant because the Central Bank of Lesterre had virtually no regulations on loan approvals, following a "free-for-all, first-come, first-served" approach. Lesterre's financial reports were worded to prevent Hercanon from detecting financial recklessness, and Hercanon agreed to grant more loans to Lesterre upon request when the first loan funds were depleted. Thus, the Lesterran Central Bank gave loans to prospective businesses "with gay abandon."

From this, problems first arose when the first rounds of loan repayments were due to Hercanon in 1305. By that point, numerous offshore drilling sites had been constructed and open for business; however, the increase in output, though it did stimulate demand, did not lead to a demand increase sufficient to pay off the loans. Martineau and his colleagues, during this period, had made an erroneous assumption that numerous political and business leaders throughout the Circlarian Realm were just as opposed as Martineau was, himself, to doing business with the hubstone industry, and were as willing as he was to switch energy infrastructure to henshale. In making this assumption, Martineau failed to consider that while hubstone had less energy output than henshale in the short term, this drawback was far outweighed by hubstone's reliable long-term energy output. Meanwhile, henshale offered extremely high energy outputs in the short term but offered virtually no long-term energy outputs.

The second error that Martineau made in his assumption was the steep cost for a nation to switch from hubstone to henshale infrastructure. And third, most entities abroad were neutral, some even friendly, to henshale industry leaders, including the Retunian province of Combria.

As a result, in 1305, lackluster demand, combined with the sudden increase in henshale supply from the Meredythian Isles, caused global henshale prices to crash. All the businesses that had taken loans from Lesterre were forced to close and consequently default on their loans. This forced the Central Bank of Lesterre to default on its loans from Hercanon, forcing Hercanon to cut off its credit lines to Lesterre and transfer the defaulted loans to the CNBLP Collections Office in Furthing. Lesterre requested negotiations with Furthing, but Kindol rejected such requests. The Furthish Collections Office seized all Lesterran henshale drilling property and assets in the Meredythian Isles region, and called upon all other Canticulan nations to freeze Lesterran financial and material assets in their jurisdictions.

This had a devastating impact on the Lesterran economy, stirring the voter base of Martineau, who began accusing Hercanon and Kindol of conspiring to slight Lesterre. With 1305 being an election year for the nation, Martineau used this sentiment to justify the disenfranchisement of opponents, both voters and office-holders alike, and accused them of being insiders and traitors. In May 1305, as a result of this, Martineau was re-elected, though experts argue that this election was possibly rigged.

In March 1306, after managing to secure a loan from the Central Bank of Remstruhs, Martineau began building up military defenses along the Furthish border, prompting the Furthish government to call for aid from the Retunian Republic. In June 1306, the Retunian Republic responded by advising Lesterre that Furthish defenses would be enhanced unless Lesterre began to respect an established demilitarized zone covering a strip of Lesterran land up to 10 miles away from the Furthish border. To this, President Martineau agreed reluctantly.

Despite this precarious balance in diplomacy, there continued to be tension in the region between 1307 and 1308, where the nations of Remstruhs and Munnicale were allies to Lesterre against Furthing and its allies. However, Remstruhs and Munnicale offered only resource-based aid in the event of a war. Meanwhile, Furthing stood allied with the remainder of the West Peninsula nations, the Retunian Republic, all the former Chokian states, and the Kingdom of Redschni. Lotemn, Vasilca, Rellihan, Sarsota, Umcings, Gyrosak, the Midland River States, the Red Desert States, and the Southeast Canticulan States remained mostly neutral. However, they voiced support for Furthing's bloc.

In May 1309, Martineau had the Lesterre Central Bank recruit large Retunian Banks to invest in an Ancondrian deep-trade venture that Martineau knew would fail. When it did in September 1309, the Retunian Republic, already in a steep economic depression, experienced societal collapse and regime change, and was forced to pull out of all Canticulan affairs. This opened a door of opportunity for Martineau, who, on 06 October 1309, ordered the Lesterran military to invade Furthing.

Thus began the West Canticulan War. Early on, Kindol was taken rather quickly, but Furthish forces in the North and East parts of the nation held their ground. Meanwhile, Lesterran forces overran the nation of Gamroa in October 1309, Tymol in November 1309, Tennur in December 1309, Yecourt in January 1310, Rewen in February 1310, and Paolina in March 1310. Then Martineau turned his attention to the former Chokian states, overrunning Ghues in April 1310, Teltio in May 1310, Hoht in June 1310, Vonakish in September 1310, and Molosa in October 1310. The significance of these former Chokian states was that they comprised the largest portion of loan interest revenue for the Hercanon Royal Bank, which Martineau hoped to undermine.

Martineau's original plan was to extend his military agenda to the East toward Hercanon once Molosa was toppled. However, when Lesterran forces reached Molosa in October 1310, Gyrosakian-owned silicon mining facilities, still paying loans to Hercanon, came under threat. The government of Gyrosak sent a warning to Martineau not to touch the mines. But Martineau ignored this communication, seeking to further undermine Hercanon's loan business structure, and ordered mine personnel to evacuate. Gyrosak considered this an act of war and dispatched its troops, who engaged the Lesterran forces; and thus, the Kingdom of Gyrosak entered the conflict.

On 2 November 1310, Gyrosakian forces recaptured the mines, then all of Molosa. Over the week that followed, Gyrosakian forces liberated the remainder of the Western Chokian former states, and afterward reimbursed the Royal Bank of Hercanon for damages incurred by Martineau.

Meanwhile, Martineau was forced to pull Lesterran forces out of Furthing to attempt to fight back against Gyrosak. Meanwhile, Furthing began rebuilding. And in February 1311, new leadership took over Remstruhs, leading Remstruhs to cut off its credit line to Lesterre and join Gyrosak against Martineau's forces. They also convinced Vasilca to do the same. Before long, the conjoined forces of Furthing, Gyrosak, Remstruhs, and Vasilca pushed Martineau back to the Lesterran capital of Colline, where a brutal last stand took place. Like Mornek years before, Martineau personally took part in this battle and was killed in action. On 7 March 1311, the next acting president of Lesterre, upon taking Martineau's place, immediately surrendered, thus ending the war.

In May 1311, new terms were signed, allowing Lesterre to have military personnel but only for ceremonial purposes. However, these soldiers were recruited by Hercanon and were assigned to give service time through ceremonial tasks as part of a program for Lesterre to gradually earn loan forgiveness from Hercanon. Meanwhile, real defenses for Lesterre would be authorized only by Congress of Circlaria.

News of Gyrosakian forces preventing the complete takeover of Molosa by Lesterre provoked anger from the population of Vonakish, who believed that the 1294 international terms violated their freedom to sufficiently defend their nation from outside threats. On 7 September 1312, a large wave of protestors drove out the government of Vonakish and proclaimed the nation a republic. This prompted a call for Congress of Circlaria to intervene. However, fears of unfavorable publicity from the Chokian Republic's 1294 intervention led many Congress members to vote against intervention in Vonakish, bringing the measure to a standstill. It was at this point that the Redschni Kingdom intervened, stating that the Royal Bank of Hercanon would bankroll an election in Vonakish as well as facilitate a peaceful transfer of power. This gained an overwhelming majority vote from the Congress. On 16 October 1312, the election in Vonakish was held, and the nation became a republic.

This prompted peaceful protests in Geljer and West Geldin. In response, Hercanon came before the Congress of Circlaria with a proposal that all Canticulan nations hold a collective popular referendum on self-determination over government structures. Congress of Circlaria approved this, including an opportunity for the Chokian former states, provided that no mergers took place.

The collective referendum took place on 16 May 1313. Most nations voted to become republics that day, though not all. Democratic republics would be retained in the West Peninsula nations of Paolina, Rewen, Yecourt, Tennur, Gamroa, Tymol, and Lesterre. Furthing and Lotemn voted to keep their incumbent-appointed presidential councils. The nations of Vasilca, Remstruhs, Munnicale, Rellihan, Sarsota, and Umcings voted to become republics.

In the former Chokian Republic, West Geldin voted to become a republic and rename itself the Federation of Chok. The Redschni Kingdom voted to keep its constitutional monarchy. The nations of Ghues, Teltio, Migram, Hoht, Semerrer, Selie, Nofell, Molosa, Sugek, Vonakish, and Koskiluwks voted to become republics.

In October 1294, Gyrosak held a popular referendum that passed a measure to restore it as a constitutional monarchy. For the collective referendum on 16 May 1313, they voted to keep this structure.

Meanwhile, all ten Midland River States voted to retain their democratic republic structures. All eleven Red Desert States, which, like the former Chokian states, had previously been required to function as incumbent-appointed presidential councils, voted to become republics. And in Southeast Canticula, the nations of Prove, Nomo, Sellsur, Nowac, Lebmac, Yeopart, Frawcord, Strawtep, and Raisek voted to retain their democratic republic structures.

Yarol, during this time, was enveloped in political turmoil. After its liberation, in September 1291, from the Lykian Republic by the United Coalition of Canticula, Yarol voted in an Interim Consulship government and constitution, which proclaimed Yarol as a republic. In May 1296, the people of Yarol elected Toma Mar as its president. Mar would lose re-election to Maylor Endri in May 1302 owing to the latter's popular appeal. However, between 1302 and the next election cycle in 1308, Endri gradually dismantled Yarol's democratic institutions, turning Yarol into, effectively, an authoritarian regime. In May 1308, Endri won re-election amidst strong speculation, internationally, of election fraud. Thus, when the collective referendum of May 1313 came, Endri launched a military takeover to stop it from being held in Yarol.

With permission from the Congress of Circlaria, Hercanon bankrolled opposition forces challenging Endri, who would be killed in action in 1314. However, civil strife would continue in the years to follow as internal factions emerged to fight. Hercanon would continue bankrolling militant groups in a vain attempt to stabilize the region, until the arrival of Jed Mandoven from the Retunian Republic in the 1350s led to permanent resolution and stabilization here.

Meanwhile, in 1315, the Kingdom of Gyrosak purchased the Meredythian Isles of Terasy, Arnaki, and Vantacula. As part of the transaction, they paid all remaining debts Lesterre owed Furthing. By this point, demand for henshale was higher, and Gyrosakian businesses that had inherited the offshore drilling assets made large profits. As a result, Gyrosak further developed its financial sector, including a lending industry that would dwarf Hercanon's in the years to come. Alongside this, there emerged a new type of industry: private equity negotiators, who would serve as an additional complication to Hercanon.

Upon her death in 1323, Queen Emilie I would be succeeded by King Nathan I, who would attempt to preserve the Royal Bank of Hercanon as a competitive lending firm against the growing market of the Gyrosakian Kingdom. However, the Gyrosakian banks and firms saw Hercanon as an inconvenient competitor to be pushed out of the market. Around the 1320s, Gyrosakian franchises and private equity negotiators began undermining Hercanon's loan business network. The Gyrosakian franchises acquired smaller businesses in West Canticula that had previously taken out loans from Hercanon and had them begin taking out loans from Gyrosakian banks instead. Meanwhile, Gyrosakian private equity firms began buying out businesses and negotiating "low-ball" repayment plans with Hercanon. Afterward, these acquired businesses would turn to Gyrosakian loans instead. They also bought out Gyrosakian franchises, gaining more control through measures such as policies prohibiting employees from doing personal business with the Redschni Kingdom. Also, the private equity firms began having the governments of newly-acquired Gyrosakian territories, primarily in the Meredythian Isles, appoint "financial efficiency advisors" who effectively steered local businesses and their trading partners abroad away from Hercanon.

King Nathan I died in 1341 and was succeeded by Queen Sara I, who, that year, filed a Congress of Circlaria lawsuit against the Kingdom of Gyrosak for trade damages done thus far. Per legal protocol, the Congress did not review the case until 1344, when it cited some of Hercanon's practices as predatory, particularly those surrounding Lesterre during the first decade of the 1300s. In this case, the Congress of Circlaria pardoned all unfair practices by both Hercanon and Gyrosak, dismissing them as ethical and natural dynamics of capitalism. Thus, the case was closed.

Left on its own, the Royal Bank of Hercanon shifted toward the tradestone market, investing even in Gyrosakian companies. Such a move would balance out the previous economic losses incurred by Hercanon for a time.

Meanwhile, the Kingdom of Gyrosak would continue to expand its economy and territorial holdings. In 1346, Gyrosak purchased the Meredythian Isles of Mikropouli, Megalopouli, and Forsy, and the Rim Isles of Mallew, Cidbury, and Nalow. Alongside these expansions came a parallel expansion in the lucrative henshale offshore drilling enterprise. In 1354, Gyrosak expanded its Meredythian Isles claims to Ta-Didyma, Ankistra, and Petalouda, and its Rim Isles domain to Orensan, Genyrsa, and Reus. In 1357, Gyrosakian claims in the Meredythian Isles expanded to include Korumta, Kynos, and Siyr, while its Rim Isles claims expanded to include Ecanos, Tekosae, and Keens. And in 1361, they acquired the Rim Isles of Donal and Donras.

Twelfth Era: 1361 to 1401

Queen Sara I directed the Royal Bank of Hercanon to take defensive economic measures over its position in the global market against Gyrosak, which had been increasingly pushing the Redschni Kingdom out of loan and trading markets since the 1340s. A precarious balance was maintained; thus, the economy in the Redschni Kingdom remained stable until Sara I's death in 1372. And succeeding her that year, King Nathan II preserved Sara I's approach for a time.

However, beginning in the 1380s, Gyrosakian private equity firms began investing heavily and gaining the upper hand in international tradestone markets, directing them to pull demand away from Hercanon. Furthermore, in the 1390s, a new and radically conservative leadership, having been elected to the Congress of Circlaria, began pushing demonizing propaganda against Hercanon, going so far as to call them "corrupt elites." They also urged business sectors and nation-states throughout the Circlarian Realm to boycott Hercanon. By the year 1400, this left the Royal Treasury of Hercanon struggling with budget deficits and coming dangerously close to having to declare bankruptcy, an unprecedented situation in its nearly 800-year history.

From this backdrop came a call from numerous factions representing half of the population and half of the Parliament of Hercanon for the government to levy taxes. Not wanting to break with tradition, Nathan II famously refused, saying the economy would correct itself soon. However, matters worsened when, in October 1400, the tradestone market of Hercanon crashed, causing massive job losses and entire Royal Charter Establishments to shut down. In January 1401, Parliament caved to the growing calls and passed a bill to levy taxes for the first time since Hercanon's founding in 631. Not wanting to be the one to decide on this, Nathan II resigned his Scepter to his heir, Nadia V.

Thirteenth Era: 1401 to 1431

Upon her coronation in January 1401, Queen Nadia V signed her royal assent to levy taxes upon the subjects of the Redschni Kingdom, breaking 770 years of tradition. The population, by this point, was split in half over the matter; thus, half of the population demonstrated outrage over the move. However, Nadia V, that very same month, placated the anti-taxation bloc by abolishing the Royal Charter system, thus establishing a free market.

This would begin a period of unprecedented economic growth, driven primarily by lightfire and tradestone marketing incentives. In 1418, the lightfire industry of the Redschni Kingdom brought forth the practice of automatically-generated lightfire scripts, or auto-gen lightfire scripts, a practice developed by Gamroan engineers years before solely for experimental purposes but now considered by Redschni businesses for commercial ones. That summer, these businesses attempted to showcase commercial auto-gen lightfire products at the Hercanon Market Square Summer Exhibit Fair with the intent to eventually sell such products to the wider international community, thus putting Hercanon "back on the map."

However, the agenda was a disaster as auto-gen avatars generated random, and occasionally dangerous, results. This led the involved Redschni businesses to face ridicule, both locally and from abroad. More seriously, this led demand for Redschni lightfire products to plummet. And over the course of the year 1419, such a fall in demand led the Hercanon tradestone market to collapse, triggering a steep economic recession in the Redschni Kingdom. Between 1419 and 1422, Queen Nadia V and the Parliament of Hercanon struggled with measures to stimulate the economy.

However, resolution came when, in 1422, Queen Nadia V, via a royal decree, legalized gambling and established the New Royal Casino on the riverbank northeast of Tarrigan Isle. Up until this point, while gambling was illegal, a secret casino existed underneath the Cathedral, where secret games and bets were played by a variety of people ranging from Clergy members to even Kings and Queens, themselves; thus, the reason for the name "New Royal Casino."

With its construction finished in 1422 and the establishment opening its doors in January 1423, the New Royal Casino began attracting tourists from all over the Circlarian Realm, leading to an explosion in the tourism industry and economic recovery for the Redschni Kingdom.

Fourteenth Era: 1431 to 1448

Such economic growth continued until the arrival of the Coughing Affliction Disorder Viral Pandemic, which overtook the entire Circlarian Realm in 1431 and led to mass shutdowns and quarantines. The New Royal Casino was no exception, shutting down that year in compliance with quarantine orders. The Casino would open and close on an inconsistent basis in accordance with waves of quarantines, which continued until the rollout of the vaccine in 1443, and was one of the few businesses to survive this period.

Queen Nadia V would never contract the virus but would die of natural causes in 1439, and was succeeded by King John V. Under his rule, vaccines rolled out in 1443; in 1444, the Royal Bank purchased tradestones whose prices had crashed during the Pandemic but were guaranteed to recover. In 1445, as a result of the tradestone purchases made by the Royal Bank, tradestone market prices began to increase. This, however, coupled with a combination of a post-quarantine rise in demand and lagging shipping logistics, led to inflation over the next three years.

Chairman of the Royal Treasury of Hercanon since 1423, Oliver Morison had gained a reputation for being absent-minded, leading the Bank and Treasury to become a total quagmire in terms of communication and logistics. In 1448, the worst year for inflation in the Redschni Kingdom, Morison caved to growing public calls and took early retirement. In his place, King John V appointed Aron Delving as the next Royal Treasury Chairman. Wasting no time, Delving reorganized Treasury communications and discovered it was running a shocking budget deficit. To fix this, as well as nationwide inflation, Delving raised Royal Bank loan interest rates and called on Parliament to raise taxes. King John V, caving to pressure from the pro-business voting bloc, issued a royal decree rolling back the interest rate hikes. However, this outraged the liberal voting bloc, from whom began emerging calls for John V's abdication as well as abolition of the Hercanon Royal Crown.

Wishing to preserve the Crown while also protecting it from further political liabilities, King John V abstained from the Royal Scepter, meaning he remained King on paper but did not actively reign. In his absence, King John V ceded all his executive powers to the Prime Minister of the Redschni Kingdom. Furthermore, John V signed a royal decree calling for perpetual withholding of the Scepter by future descendants, who would each sign a statement of renewal upon becoming heir unless there arose a significant call from the Redschni population for the monarchy to return to active rule.

The Kingdom of Redschni has since been functioning without an actively reigning monarch.

Meanwhile, King John V died in 1474 and was succeeded by King Darion I, who would continue to abstain from the Royal Scepter until he died in 1491. Queen Emilie II abstained from the Scepter from 1491 to 1502, and Queen Emilie III has abstained since 1502.

Fifteenth Era: 1448 to 1489

With the Royal Scepter abstained, Redschni Prime Minister Kara Kimer, governing on behalf of the Liberal Party of the Redschni Kingdom, enacted numerous measures, including a minimum wage hike in 1451 (the first ever since its establishment in the year 1200), full legalization of darkfire trade in 1455, the commercialization of darkfire in 1457 (with the first legal selling point in the Basement level of the New Royal Casino), and the establishment of the Felsovar School of Engineering in 1459.

In 1460, Prime Minister Kimer announced that she would not seek re-election, endorsing her sister, Sarah Kimer, to run in her place. However, Sarah Kimer would lose the 1460 election to Heather Melvins of the Conservative Party of the Redschni Kingdom.

Between 1461 and 1463, as the new Prime Minister, Melvins enacted tax cuts to foreign franchises, primarily Gyrosakian businesses. In 1464, she passed the Foreign Business Acquisition Allowance Act, which allowed for Gyrosakian banks and private equity firms to purchase large quantities of commercial property in the Redschni Kingdom.

In 1465, Heather Melvins won re-election.

Between 1466 and 1467, Melvins enacted another round of tax cuts, these exclusively for Gyrosakian businesses. However, this provoked strong ire among Redschni voters, who elected the Liberal candidate, Thom Gorner, as Prime Minister in 1470.

To everyone's surprise, Prime Minister Thom Gorner went back on many of his liberal promises, starting with his veto of numerous liberal-backed repeals of former Prime Minister Melvins' policies. Gorner then promoted further tax cuts to Gyrosakian businesses. This resulted in Gorner losing to Erik Kollar of the Conservative Party in 1475.

In 1476, Prime Minister Kollar signed into law the Conflict of Interest Tariff Act, which levied tariffs against people and businesses whose business interests conflicted with those of Gyrosakian banks and businesses. An opposition group filed a lawsuit against this Act with the Clergy of Hercanon in 1477. However, the Clergy ruled the Act to be constitutional.

Nevertheless, in 1480, Kollar was defeated by Thom Gorner, who became Prime Minister for a second non-consecutive term.

Like in his previous first term, though, Gorner continued his notorious legacy of blocking liberal policies and passing conservative ones. In 1481, he signed into law an amendment proposed by Conservatives to the Conflict of Interest Tariff Act, with said amendment requiring the Royal Bank to cut credit lines to those persons and businesses in conflict with Gyrosakian business agendas. In 1483, Gorner further aggravated his Liberal voter base by calling upon Parliament to draft a law to sell the Royal Bank to the Gyrosakian-owned Setforth Bank. In 1485, Gorner would lose again, this time to the Conservative, Marya Neff. Between 1485 and 1486, Prime Minister Neff would implement a series of tariff and tax hikes as well as other measures favoring Gyrosakian businesses.

Then, in 1487, former Prime Minister Gorner called for Liberal and Conservative Members of Parliament to unite in a coalition. Both parties agreed and formed the "Coalition for National Leadership."

This prompted a general strike from the working class throughout the Redschni Kingdom. The Coalition-led Redschni government responded to this with a brutal police crackdown. Unions and allies responded to the crackdown with the formation of the Redschni Workers' Party, which overran the Parliament and government buildings in Hercanon in October 1487. The Coalition-led Redschni government fled to Felsovar and called upon the Congress of Circlaria to intervene.

In 1488, Congress of Circlaria lent assistance to the Coalition-led Redschni government, but that would only bring the ensuing unrest to a stalemate, as the Workers' Party continued to hold Hercanon. In 1489, the Congress of Circlaria helped the Coalition-led Redschni government lead a sweeping counter-offensive that drove the Workers' Party out of Hercanon and allowed the Coalition-led Redschni government to regain its seat.

Upon return to Hercanon, the Coalition-led Redschni government enacted numerous laws curbing union power and prohibiting public gatherings. As it turned out, Gyrosakian banks helped fund this effort.

Sixteenth Era: 1489 to Present

In 1503, after numerous calls were made for her to re-invoke the Scepter and restore the monarchy, Queen Emilie III came forward with a formal statement of refusal. The decision sparked popular backlash, but a state of normalcy followed.

Since 1489, that normalcy has meant the "Coalition for National Leadership" remaining in power over both Parliament and the office of the Prime Minister, inflation and wage stagnation, and an economy in the Redschni Kingdom dominated by tourism, the service industry, and the New Royal Casino. Occasionally, minor acts of resistance occurred, but their success was limited by legal limits on union power and public gatherings. Since 1495, there has also been in place a legal mechanism limiting candidates running for, and voters voting for, Liberal and Conservative Prime Ministers and Members of Parliament. Furthermore, a law permits only the Liberal and Conservative Parties and prohibits third parties.

According to some economists and sociologists, the Redschni Kingdom is, effectively in all but on paper, a vassal state of the Kingdom of Gyrosak, which has been a global superpower since 1361. However, the aforementioned speculation regarding the Redschni Kingdom is debatable.