Morosia's Great Civil War

Military: War

Emperor Maximus Manorion died leaving four sons and an unsecure succession.  Each son took control over vast lands of the Morosian Empire to wage war against the other.  While Morosia experienced many civil wars, this first war was their largest and most significant.

When Emperor Maximus Manorion died in 388 AR, the first major point of contention arose: for each of his sons claimed to be the next emperor. The previous two Emperors had one son each - his grandfather Cracer had Primus, who in turn had Maximus. Maximus, however, had now four sons: Severan, Tiberius, Janos, and Kaesus.   Each son took to governing a different part of the empire under Maximus, and did so diligently. However, upon hearing the news of Maximus' death, they each sailed to the capital on Moros island, each hosting an army of their own in the ways of their great grandfather and each proclaiming themselves the true successor. Despite Severan being the elder, he was known for little popular support, and Maximus was still deciding who to appoint his heir when he died. A lengthy battle between each brother's armies followed on the fields a few kilometers from the capital. Existing records recount an epic struggle between four idylic opposing armies which lasted for days. Temporary alliances were made and broken, flanks and counterattacks became the language of that field. The battle, predictably, ended in a draw and approximately 200,000 good Morosians slain or injured in total.   The civil war quickly extended to each of the brothers' domains. In the end, after nearly 20 years of a split Empire, Tiberius, the second son, gained decisive support from the neighboring Aeteian Kingdom of Metridonia and, along with his more robust portion of the empire, secured the position of Emperor in 401 AR. As for the rest of Tiberius' brothers: Janos was killed in battle against Kaesus' forces, Severan had perished of disease during his 13th invasion voyage into Tiberius' territory, and Kaesus himself worked out a deal with Tiberius and conceded to his older brother.   This set a precedent that the second-oldest son would always be chosen as rightful successor if one was not already chosen by their father. The event occurred rarely, as Emperors were sure to name their heir early into their rule.