The Domination of the Draci

This is an article on the History of Feyworld
Years: c. 450 NC to c. 900 NC
Age: The Third Age of Man
Continent: Aurea
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The History of Dracia
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With the defeat of Zyrapys the Bloody, civil war erupted in the Temesh river valley as various factions fought for control. Five factions became dominant:

• In the east, the Ampulae unified under Volodymyr Monomakh of the Negruj. Though many of the still-living nobility of the Blood Empire united under his banner, Volodymyr was of mixed Negruj and Ampulae heritage and chose his lieutenants based more on merit than tribal heritage.
• The Draci unified under Dobromir the Smith and Božena Flameweilder, two of the adventurers who had defeated Zarapys the Bloody.
• The Vatali, clansmen of the Dracian Wood, unified under Miško the Maker.
• The Temesh and the Bastrei along the upper Temesh river valley pledged themselves to Radecek Zhivko the Bald, a former brigand of legendary mirth and charisma.
• The Bolji of the northern hills were enslaved by the undead general Scârbos, who unified the Mortivii, ogres and remaining Negruj under his banner.

For over a decade, the five factions fought for the future of the Temesh river valley. The Vatali were the first to relinquish their claim, as Miško the Maker claimed neutrality and began selling weapons and food to the other four factions, content to ensure the war did not ravage the woodland home of his people. Volodymyr Monomakh was killed in battle with the Draci and his soldiers were incorporated into the army of King Dobromir as mercenaries, while his Negruj supporters fled to the banner of Scârbos. Scârbos proved himself an able general and marched his armies on the Temesh and Bastrei, killing King Radecek Zhivko the Bald and sending his people into the arms of the Draci. Finally, the armies of the Draci under King Dobromir and the armies of the Negruj-Bolji under Scârbos met on the shores of the Temesh river around 289 BI. Scârbos' undead and ogre auxiliaries outmaneuvered the Draci and King Dobromir's forces were forced to retreat to a promontory in a bend of the Temesh river, where they fortified their position. The Negruj-Bolji laid siege to the makeshift fortifications for a month, their losses only adding to the undead legions at Scârbos' command. All seemed lost as Scârbos launched what was to be his final assault against their position, but the woodsmen of the Vatali arrived under the leadership of Miško the Maker. The Draci surged forth from their fortification to take advantage of the arrival of their unexpected allies and Scârbos army was forced to leave the field in tatters. Miško the Maker pledged his fealty to King Dobromir of the Draci, finally unifying much of the Temesh river valley under a single, native king again. Though the war against the Negruj-Bolji would drag on for another five years, it was at the Siege of Kzerna that most scholars agree Dracia was first established as a nation.

King Dobromir of the Draci built a castle upon the hill he had fortified, called Kzerna or 'Refuge' in his tongue and established a new capital for the unified territory under his command. In deference to the legendary King Byrebanus, he took the White Eagle as his banner. Dobromir continued to personally lead his armies in the field against the Negruj-Bolji while Queen Božena ruled from Kzerna with Miško the Maker of the Vatali as her closest adviser. Eventually, King Dobromir defeated Scârbos in battle, where it was revealed that the undead general was actually King Cotyx the Fat, resurrected after his execution at the hands of Zyrapys the Bloody. With the defeat of Cotyx, the Negruj fled back to their homeland in the southeastern hills of Dracia, eagerly pledging their support for King Dobromir. The Bolji begrudgingly accepted defeat, remaining rebellious and wild in their northern highlands even to the modern day.

King Dobromir died at the age of 40 in 279 BI while working to solidify the Dracians under his rulership. His son, Dobrivoje was only six years of age at the time and there was brief conflict among the Dracian generals as questions about succession rose. The widowed Queen Božena quickly called together the nascent nation's nobility and won them over, becoming Queen in her own right until her son came of age. It is notable that though Queen Božena's reign had a finite conclusion, the Draci at this time had no concept of regency and therefore she is included on the royal lists. Her reign would establish precedent for royal succession for centuries to come. When her son reached the age of 18 in 267 BI, the transition of power was a smooth one, with Božena assuming the role of a Dowager Queen, remaining an adviser to King Dobrivoje I.