The Golden Divide

The war/coup in 8 First Arrival Era (FAE) that torn apart the Golden Expanse and turned it into 5 separate petty kingdoms has been dubbed "The Golden Divide".   The Golden Expanse was once a single nation united under a single king, before ripping itself apart from the inside as each of the noble houses quietly gained power and influence for years before threatening a coup against Geofri Dalca, The Usurped.   As the king's power dwindled by the wealth and flagrant disregarded for laid laws by the 5 houses, each Noble house began to build up their own city. As walls were raised, private armies trained and funded, and pressure increased from every side, the King was forced to flee his own nation before a bloody coup could claim his life.   After the king fled, each of the houses immediately tried to claim the throne and power vacuum that formed. Sadly for the further houses, Ghika already had it's forces in the walls having been "The King's Military", and short of a siege, the throne was already claimed. Refusing to accept the new king, each kingdom began to declare independence from the newly self appointed King-General Miron Ghika, and the seniors of each house claimed themselves to be king of the cities they had the most power within.   After dozens of skirmishes and boundary lines being informally laid by military might, the kingdom stabilized after nearly 12 years. Now, the Golden Expanse is split in 5, each kingdom lead by a former noble house that tried to overthrow Geofri Dalca, The Usurped.   The political gears have been grinding to even now, decades later. Whispers of war, assassination and sabotage drift through each of the kingdoms throne rooms and noble houses. It appears to only be a matter of time before an all out war is declared.