The Beginning
Throughout most of the 1000s, the territory encompassing present-day Lesterre, Furthing, Lotemn, Vasilca, Remstruhs, and Munnicale was under the jurisdiction of the Kingdom of the Great North, seated in Northern Remikra. Meanwhile, the territory encompassing present-day Rellihan, Sarsota, and Umcings was under Motanian Imperial rule. The West Peninsula nations of Nasem, Tennur, Yecourt, Rewen, and Paolina were each an independent nation under a constitutional monarchy, as were each of the Midland River States. The Chokian Republic was a constitutional republic, as was, Gyrosak, the Red Desert Federation and each of the Five Coastal States to in East Canticula. Finally, the nation of Prove was a constitutional monarchy.
The first change came with the overthrow of the Provan Monarchy in 1071, during which a hereditary governor-generalship, later referred to as an incumbent-appointed presidential council (IAPC), was established in its place.
Between 1081 and 1083, Great Northern territory in Canticula was sold to various wealthy families, each of whom, through treaties and compromises, established their territory as an independent nation to be governed as an IAPC. The Great North had previously fought a war, between 1068 and 1076, against the territory encompassing the present-day Acrean Republic, who had declared independence from the Great North and was now imposing a choke point on the only known supply of an essential fuel source: blue-diamond coalsands. Ultimately, in 1076, the Great North was forced to surrender the conflict; and the independent territory imposed an embargo on the Great North. This caused the Great Northern economy to fall into a deep depression during which the shipping industry collapsed. Then came the inevitable spike in fuel prices as many Great Northern houses began to go unheated and other trades dependent on the fuel collapsed. This left both the Crown and Parliament desperate to enact a measure in order to best salvage the economy. Thus they turned to selling territory. In 1078, they sold the Meredythian Isles (though they would regain some territory in the centuries to follow). This was followed by the sale of the Rim Isles in 1079, Terrings (Munnicale) and Sen (Vasilca and Remstruhs) in 1081, Lotemn in 1082, and Furthing (Furthing and Lesterre) in 1083.
The 1080s also saw growing discontent, in Nasem, from the population against the Crown over its increasing taxes. Though they were initially announced by the King to supposedly fund trade companies, many began to believe that they were a legal means to increase the wealth of the owner class at the expense of the working class. Protests began erupting, to which the Crown responded with martial law measures, assisted by the Great North. In 1089, however, the Great North announced that it would withdraw such assistance. In 1090, Tedrick Payne won the Nasemian Prime Minister election as a liberal candidate with the promise to abolish the Nasemian Crown. However, upon taking office, Payne backed down on such a promise and, furthermore, vowed to protect the Crown and the established Liberal Party from the "far-left." This sparked a general strike in May 1091 during which strikers occupied the Royal Palace and refused to leave until the King abdicated. King Robert II, in short time, followed through with this request. The strikers then occupied the State and Parliament buildings, proclaiming Nasem a Republic.
Inspired by the revolution in Nasem, the people of Paolina overthrew their Crown and proclaimed their nation a republic. This was followed by the Crown overthrow and Republic proclamation of Tennur in January 1092, Yecourt in February 1092, and Rewen in March 1092.
However, in that time, Furthing and the Great North formed a coalition to intervene and re-establish the newly-proclaimed Republics as IAPCs. This succeeded in Nasem in October 1092, as well as the Midland River States over the course of two years. By 1094, though, Furthing and the Great North signed treaties with the Republics of Tennur, Yecourt, Rewen, and Paolina, allowing them to remain Republics without further intervention.
Thus with a close to such multi-national movement came an era of peace and prosperity, lasting roughly from the 1090s to the 1190s. This would be considered the first modern era for the continent and would be referred to by scholars thereafter as Pax Canticula.
Economics and Technology
Each region of Canticula had its varied economy, both internationally and domestically. However, there were specialties serving as certain economic strengths unique to each said region. Furthing traded primarily in manufacturing, scriptfire, and hubstone. Meanwhile, the Motanian Territories to the Northeast traded primarily in various mined resources. Terrings and Sen traded in logging and lumber; Gyrosak and the Chokian Republic traded in mined currency metals; the Red Desert and Five Coastal States dealt in general trade and retail; Nasem dealt in engineering; Lotemn specialized in firepower and military resources; and the West Peninsula nations South of Nasem specialized in banking.
In 1102, the nations of Furthing, Nasem, Lotemn, Tennur, Yecourt, Rewen, Paolina, Sen, and Terrings signed the International Development Initiative, which sought to modernize air, land, and sea technologies for all Canticulan nations. Later to join this initiative would be the Chokian Republic and the Midland River States.
Nasem commenced trade and diplomacy with the Remikran nation of Combria in the 1090s, primarily in the field of hubstone energy infrastructure. Nasemian businesses helped to establish hubstone-powered energy infrastructure in Furthing between 1103 and 1104 after a resounding success in Nasem, itself. Over the years, Furthing would overtake Nasem as the leader of the hubstone industry, and would even outpace Combria, the birthplace of the modern industry, by the year 1121. The hubstone industry would continue to expand, reaching the Midland River States by 1160.
It was during this era, Pax Canticula, that hubstone technology began to be applied to shipping. With a hubstone engine, a typical trade ship could travel much further distances than with blue-diamond coalsands. This left the issue of supply storage volume. However, in 1171, Arya Dehkor, a native of the Chokian Republic, resolved this issue with the pioneering of a new form of spellwork known as granular animation. Granular animation planes are alternate dimensions opened up within the space of a ship in order to increase internal space without expanding into the external reality dimension. Granular animation planes resulted in increased commerce, salvaging an economy in recession at the time in Furthing. It also increased living standards for those living with sea entities.
During this period, House Esary, based in the East Hobland nation of Notulfa, expanded its commercial influence to Canticula, supplying the region with a great number of ships. Furthing had dominated trade in the Circlarian Ocean following the decline of the Great North in the 1070s. However, in 1169, economic downturns in the wake of the Furthish Merchant Marines Massacre of 1169 led Furthish maritime domination to falter. In the 1170s, House Esary began purchasing Furthish trade ships, including the ones enhanced with granular animation planes. Thus, by the 1170s, House Esary dominated Circlarian Ocean trade, and would hold this position until the 1210s, when political matters back in the home nation of Notulfa forced House Esary to withdraw. It is important to note that over the years and decades that followed, House Esary would regain its sphere of influence, primarily through "silent ownership" of ships and air vessels. Today, House Esary is a near-global enterprise.
Initiated and led by the nation of Nasem, mesh trains not only proved more spacious for passengers and cargo, but were also faster, more efficient, and more comfortable. Nasem boasted the completion of the world's first mesh train network in 1098. By 1110, it expanded into Furthing and Lotemn. And by the 1160s, mesh train networks connected the West Peninsula with Sen, Terrings, Gyrosak, the Chokian Republic, and the Midland River States.
Not every part of Canticula was reachable by mesh train, however. Also, many were far inland from sea ports, and were connected to road systems deemed inconsistent and unreliable. Therefore, the most convenient form of transit to these areas was by airship. Invented in Combria in the early 1100s, the first generation of hubstone-powered airships would be adapted in Canticula around the same time as a typical form of long-distance travel. These vessels were thrusted by hubstone-powered propellors and lifted by hubstone "void." They were capable of flying up to 5000 feet and as far as 250 miles. In 1195, the Chandler became the first modern traditional airship to land in Canticula, landing first in Cenofan. Like the Chandler, the traditional airships that followed had the same methods of thrust and lift as their earlier counterparts; but thanks to enhanced materials and the advent of the pressurized cabin, these were capable of flying up to 20'000 feet and a range of 5000 miles. In the early 1200s, many Canticulan nations would be included in the infrastructure servicing the Gilded Fleet of traditional airships.
Politics
Canticulan society during this period is considered to be the first society adhering to the political definition of modern liberalism. Despite differences in forms of government from nation-to-nation following the uprisings of 1091-93, Republics and IAPCs alike, especially in Western Canticula, established and maintained strong diplomatic ties with one another. Domestic and international policies fostered free trade, military alliances (especially against sea pirates), and international standards like those of measurement. Furthing, meanwhile, initiated the Universal Passport Act, which, adapted by other nations, facilitated international travel, especially by mesh train.
By the 1190s came growing calls to establish a Canticulan Union. The majority of Canticulan nations were in agreement to this, but there were points of debate, especially on where such an international organization would be seated. Many believed that establishing such a seat in Cenofan would give Cenofan too much power. Such was also the case for the Furthish capital city of Kindol, owing to its economic power. Meanwhile, other cities brought security concerns, like danger from pirates in Istona, Gyrosak. Further discussion on this, however, was interrupted by the beginning of the Nasemian Civil War in 1197.
Social Matters
Along with political changes came social changes. Under Pax Canticula-era policies, criminals (except serious offenders) were subjected to rehabilitation rather than punishment. Those having committed varying crimes were each given a chance to work or complete community service for credit; afterward, they would see their records expunged or forgiven.
Meanwhile, immigrants and travelers were not just tolerated but encouraged. One example of this was the aforementioned Universal Passport Act. Such policies were designed to promote and sustain international trade and diplomacy. The Darkfire Community was also given respect and dignity with such measures as "safe spaces," places like the present-day Lake Maern Reserve in the Retunian Commonwealth. During Pax Canticula, the Darkfire Community, while not outwardly condoned like in the present-day Retunian Commonwealth, was still tolerated. Various members of governments and churches still openly voiced distrust. However, the Darkfire Community was given peace during this time.
First provisioned by the Nasemian Crown before its downfall in 1091, the concept of racial equality, through effective policies, would be preserved by the Nasemian IAPC government and enacted throughout every other Canticulan nation. Minority groups, like the Lesterrans in Furthing, the Tymish in Nasem, and the numerous groups in Gyrosak, would enjoy full equal protections until at least the 1170s.
Racial "finger-pointing" began to emerge in Nasem in 1170s, during which the nation, along with Furthing, was in an economic recession. Some regions of Nasem even began enacting discriminatory legislation. Such a trend would have major implications in bringing about the downfall of Pax Canticula.
Downfall of Pax Canticula
The Furthish Merchant Marines was initially established to protect commercial ships, both Furthish and foreign, from pirates. Over time, though, the Merchant Marines gained a reputation for being aggressive in achieving corrupt commercial interests by engaging more frequently in acts of unprovoked aggression. A coalition of hostile sea entities formed and, in 1169, massacred a large number of Merchant Marine generals and flagships who had been lured into Mares, located on the Meredythian Isle of Kynos. In the wake of this, many traders felt unsafe while land-based businesses stopped shipping, triggering an economic downturn. Sea-based entities friendly to Furthing continued trading as granular animation planes on ships enhanced storage capacity and living conditions. However, this was, arguably the beginning of the decline of Pax Canticula.
The mild economic recession of the 1170s affected both Furthing and Nasem, the latter of whom began to see the emergence of "social blaming," especially in the subject of race. In the past, the Gamroan people of Nasem owned the Tymish people as slaves. Slavery was abolished in Nasem shortly after Furthing lost to the Great North in a war during the 970s. The nation of Nasem had made progress in achieving racial equality in the centuries that followed. However, beginning in the 1170s, the Gamroans started blaming the Tymish for economic woes and called for discriminatory legislation against them. With the Gamroan peoples having deep family roots in the Western half of Nasem, the Tymish, escaping the growing racism, began moving to the Eastern half. It was an unpopular candidate having been nominated by incumbent President Bethany Renmore which sparked outrage from the Tymish, who sent armed militants to occupy the State House on 3 January 1197; thus began the Civil War in Nasem.
The Civil War in Nasem would continue until December 1199, when House Esary intervened and ended the conflict with a treaty establishing Nasem as two independent republics: Gamroa and Tymol.
Discord emerged in the Great North around the year 1200 between the Edoran and Linbraean Regiondoms when Edora declared its Regiondom to be secular. The two Regiondoms never engaged directly with one another in conflict but there emerged tensions between the affiliated militias, culminating into what became known as the Great Unrest. Though this was never officially a civil war, Great Northern law required all laborers mandated to work during times of conflict or unrest to receive higher wages. This made trade with the Great North increasingly more expensive with Canticula, leading to inflation and increased economic strain.
The Motanian Empire served as a crucial trading hub with the West during Pax Canticula. However, they had, during that period, made enemies with a group of sea entities known as the Vandalians, who felt that they had been short-changed by trade deals between themselves and the land powers over the previous two centuries. By the early 1200s, the Vandalians had become aware that the Motanian Empire was in a weak strategic position, having its defenses thinly spread over vast areas of land and sea. On 12 April 1209, King Vandalish attacked the Imperial Capital of Motan, defeating both its North and South Keeps and assassinating the Emperor. The territory of the former Motanian Empire would ultimately be divided against its Imperial Generals, who had been internal rivals. Meanwhile, resulting interruptions and sanctions, as well as the resulting fear of trading on the high seas, led the trade market between East and West Canticula to collapse.
This caused major economic downturn across all Canticulan nations. Trade jobs disappeared while the mesh train industry collapsed. The public infrastructure economy, due to inelastic demand, remained relatively intact; however, such infrastructure as emergency public housing became strained as millions of Canticulans faced unemployment. The ensuing economic hardship sparked tensions, primarily between racial groups but also between economic classes. The latter would manifest in the May Day uprisings, which began on 2 May 1213 and ended in the working classes of Southern Canticulan nations succeeding in driving the owners and bankers, associated with Northern nation corporations, out of both the economic and government sectors.
Despite such gains, political tension was born between the Northern Canticulan nations and Southern Canticulan nations, as Northern governments declared the May Day uprisings to be a "wave of terror" and started making "war for liberation" preparations. In response, Southern Canticulan nations began building up their defenses.
In no other nation was the North-South tension more prevalent than in Furthing. In 1213, Furthish President Mervin Rook, in an apparent act of concession, enacted the Tax Re-Adjustment and Expanded Public Welfare Act. While the Act did much to alleviate the economic hardships, there were also provisions included to discriminate against the Lesterrans minority group. Rook, in 1219, enacted the Moral Code Act, which mandated religious engagement of all its citizens, but also stipulated further acts of discrimination against the Lesterrans. This Act was amended in January 1221 with the Clause for Moral Rehabilitation, which effectively mandated for all Lesterrans to engage in hard labor for low pay. By this point, most Lesterrans had moved to the Southern half of Furthing. And in the wake of such a Clause being enacted, the Lesterrans led Southern Furthing to gain independence and form the nation of Lesterre. The Furthish government considered such an independence declaration illegitimate and dispatched the Furthish Military in an attempt to bring Lesterre under martial law. Between January and March 1221, each Northern nation would join in alliance with Furthing while every Southern nation, except for Prove, would join in alliance with the Lesterrans. Thus began the First Continental War and, arguably, ended Pax Canticula.