Biman and Estaren
In the years following the Chemkan Senate overthrow, guild owners and corrupt former Senators were scattered throughout Chemko. Biman, a former Senator and ship guild owner, established a network, in the early 220s, to bring together all of the scattered members, and subsequently met with Estaren, a notorious sea pirate at the time, on the Meredythian Island of Zenan. Here, they held a council, where a deal was agreed upon to have Estaren's forces launch an assault on Corbo, overthrowing its current Senate and establishing an authoritarian oligarchy run by both the pirates and guild owners. In exchange for Estaren's help, Biman would reward him with a share of wealth gained from the resulting raids. Such an assault would be carried out by a Kestavian strategy.
The First Assault
Restorm, a spy disguised as one of Estaren's pirates, reported the plan to the Chemkan Senate, who then had Legions well-armed and troops stationed with spellcrafters at every Corban street corner. In September 223, Biman and Estaren launched their assault, which proved to be a disastrous failure. Nearly every enemy fighter inside Corbo was either killed or taken prisoner while Estaren's fighters at the hidden encampments near the city were taken out by arrows. Estaren's distant front along the coast was also overcome and forced into retreat.
Sowing of Internal Conflict
Between November 223 and March 224, Biman and Estaren, having survived the loss, fled to a hidden compound in the Chemkan Ridges, where they had a network of spies plant rumors that Kisdero, a popular Chemkan Senator, had employed Legion troops to hijack one of the pirate ships and take all of its wealth, and to hide that wealth from the rest of the Chemkans. Before long, accusations and trials began against Kisdero; and evidence planted by Biman and Estaren brought about the Senator's conviction. Others believing that conspiracy was afoot against Kisdero began rioting in the streets, as Legion troops sought to restore order. Biman and Estaren then began arming a group of the pro-Kisdero fighters with swords and arrows, insisting that the new Senate was, itself, corrupt. This cunning tactic on behalf of Biman and Estaren succeeded in creating deep political division. And before long, civil conflict emerged within Corbo city walls.
The Council of Aron, 224
Between January and April 224, Biman and Estaren, aware of their success at inciting civil strife within the walls of Corbo, held a hidden council in the Wannonian city of Aron, where they crafted a letter which successfully convinced Emperor Murstallar IV to hold a Chemkan-Wannonian Spellcrafting Guild Council in Tekon, which effectively pulled defender spellcrafters from Corbo. The plan for Corbo was to have a division of Biman and Estaren's forces disguise themselves as a renegade Tahnish faction and attack the Chemkan countryside along the border from the West. While the Chemkan Legions, already fighting resisters in city streets, split to fight in the borderlands, the remainder of Biman and Estaren's soldiers would launch an attack on Corbo by storming its walls and attack from these Corban structures via flaming arrows. Meanwhile, infantry would storm the city streets, carrying out looting and pillaging, before storming and overthrowing the Senate. After the toppling, a new internally-nominated Senate would be established, occupied by members of both Biman and Estaren's factions.
The Second Assault, Establishment of the Chemkan Kingdom
In May 224, the plan of Biman and Estaren was carried out. At this time, Corbo was already in chaos, due to the civil conflict arising from the Kisdero controversy; and the enemy succeeded at setting structures ablaze, raiding homes and shops, slaughtering Chemkans, and freeing the prisoners previously captured by Corbo during the first assault. The Senate Hall was stormed as the Chemkan government fell in short time.
However, Biman had a plan of his own. He suddenly turned on Estaren, having his fellow guild members slaughter the pirate figure and his followers. Biman promptly crowned himself King of Corbo, as he established the Chemkan Kingdom.
The Territorial Split
Kisdero and his fellow Senators escaped the downfall of Corbo and, in June 224, settled in an area at the beginning of the Jo Reneed River, where they established a walled settlement to defend against King Biman. Very shortly, King Biman's soldiers attacked. The settlement was well-defended; and Kisdero's soldiers were even able to protect their supply lines, thus preventing an effective siege from materializing. However, the Kingdom took large swaths of land here.
Meanwhile, the Senate body met in a main hall in the middle of this settlement, where evidence was presented that the proof convicting Kisdero was, in fact, planted in such a trial by the spies of Biman and Estaren, solely for the purpose of weakening the Chemkan Republic. Kisdero was subsequently re-nominated to the Senate, who then voted to have all Legions convene in surrounding secret locations. Here, they made Legion uniforms disguised as ordinary clothing, undetected by King Biman's forces, while these Legion troops also concealed weapons via spellcrafting methods. Meanwhile, Kisdero dispatched other agents to secretly recruit farmers around the area, as they fashioned weapons disguised as farming tools. In January 225, a coordinated attack by the concealed Legion troops and the farmer-soldiers drove King Biman's soldiers out of the Northwest territory, as that land became part of the Chemkan Republic. Meanwhile, the Senate voted to carry out the same approach against King Biman as was carried out against Wannonia eight years previously, in which disguised soldiers infiltrated the walls of Corbo and attack from here while another division attacked from a distant front.
The Re-Establishment of the Chemkan Republic
King Biman was not as good at recruiting soldiers for his defenses, and, furthermore compensated them rather poorly. He drew from his population of guild members and pirates to man the walls, having received news about the growing threat to the new Chemkan Republic to the Northwest. He paid these soldiers in coppers while promising them gold in the future; however, just before the assault, information was presented publicly that the King was planning to break his promise. As a result, many of his own soldiers turned against him. In response, Biman had these opponents killed; but these defectors comprised a large portion of the fighting force, weakening his defenses. It was in May 225 that the Republic's planned assault was set in motion. Biman's archers soon ran out of arrows; and Biman's infantry, sparsely numbered, became quickly overwhelmed by the Northwestern onslaught. Before long, soldiers fighting for the Republic stormed the Senate Hall, which had been made into King Biman's palace. And King Biman was killed, having been stabbed through the heart.
That month, all Chemkan lands were proclaimed to be part of the Chemkan Republic. That September, the Senate voted to end their terms at the conclusion of the following month, subjecting their seats to an election. In October, the election was held, allowing most of the incumbent Senators to keep their seats by popular vote, as the said Senate voted to remain in the Jo Reneed River settlement, establishing it as the capital city of Sorto.