Karstein

The first great city of Berusia, Karstein is a testament to the proud history of the people of Berusia. While it remained an independent state for much of its history, it became known as a cultural and economic hub in the area. However, those days seem behind it as after the occupation by Elderia and the vampire clans before that, much of the splendor of the city has been lost to time and war. The original settlement of Karstein was founded in the year 1043 of the Astral Divergence, primarily a fishing and farming community at its inception. Through the ages there were many kings, nobles and would-be conquerors that would claim ownership and command of Karstein’s inhabitants. Many sought ownership of the territory for its importance as a defensive position and economic hub both afforded to it by its position on the Kar river. Its longest stint of occupation under the rule of a foreign power started in 1792 when a count from Darunovia conquered Karstein and occupied it for nearly four generations. The count’s sons ended up squabbling over the territory in the following years until eventually they were forced to leave due to a civil uprising.   After the departure of the Darunovians, the Karsteiners had made a more concerted effort to guarantee their independence. The city erected a wall around its center while forming an organized military force to demand the compliance of the surrounding villages. These actions effectively solidified Kastein’s state as a city state within the region and many future lords often made efforts to diplomatically deal with the city rather than attempting aggressive conquests. It also made it a popular target for pirates and brigands who would use the flow of trade in and out of the city to their own benefit, large smuggling rings arising in the outer city.   However, as the city-state grew in prominence so too did it grow an ever tempting target for other forces. The first fears of fresh conquest came when Vasily of Dancya conquered the northern half of Berusia, leaving Karstein and much of the south independent before his death. His successor did not quickly follow up on his father’s plans to continue south but did eventually make his way to Karstein when he had secured his own domain. Throughout this time, the ruling council of the city had contacted and negotiated with many of the southern states to form a defensive pact against the aggression of the Dancyan lords. Many agreed and by the time Dimitry marched on Karstein, he was met with a force more than five times larger than what could have been mustered thirty years earlier.   When the armies first met there was a standoff that lasted many days, with soldiers on both sides unsure of why the Dancyans waited to attack. After nearly a week, the mustering horn came and the invading Dancyan army attacked, conjuring with them a hurricane of magic and destruction. Recounts of the battle spoke of Dimitry himself charging into battle with unnatural strength, cleaving soldiers before him in groups of five or six in a single stroke. The accuracy of such stories is unknown but the deciding factor is often cited as the number of powerful wizards and magics the Dancyans were able to bring to bear against the coalition, the devastation leaving the defenders scattered and broken after the first hours of battle.   In the aftermath of battle, Karstein was subjected to a three month long siege before eventually surrendering. With her soldiers exhausted both mentally and numerically, the ruling council agreed that it was better to yield rather than let the city fall to ruin. The city was officially incorporated to Dancya in 1914 and a mere 19 years later would be declared as the new capital, to house the new imperial government Dimitry formed in the wake of his conquest of the south. Some questioned the relocation of the capital to Karstein but its value as an economic hub and defensive position were almost unrivaled in all of the empire. It would be only a few years following the imperial decree that Dimity would be usurped by the vampire lords and the imperial council supplanted by a new vampiric council of lords.   Karsteins time under the hostile rule of the vampire lords was arguably the harshest experienced by any settlement within the empire. With its massive population compared to many other cities, it was the primary pool from where vampires acquired their cattle and food from. Trade diminished immensely as many merchants were afraid to set foot in a port that was so publicly dominated by the sentient undead. On the other hand, the urban metropolis was spared from many of the fresh beasts and monstrosities the vampire lords began to create and spread throughout the nation. Many public officials were allowed to retain their positions so long as they paid proper tribute and the vampires generally held the experience of such individuals in high enough regard.   This continued for approximately 300 years before the nation of Eldaria declared war upon Berusia with the intent of purging the vampiric threat from the lands. With Karstein’s position on the Eldarian border, it was one of the first settlements to be touched by the war, however despite this it would be one of the last to fall. The myriad of defenses that had been built up over the years and the defending forces supplemented by vampiric beasts made for a city nearly impossible to take by siege. The Eldarian forces would spend more than ten years in siege on Karstein alone, with the city only falling when the northern army was able to sweep around to support its sister in the south.   The long siege caused much damage to the city itself and the living populace was struck with disease and plague many times during the defense. The damage that had been caused in 13 years of battle would take almost 50 to repair but nothing ever truly returned to its former glory following the war. Trade picked back up with the expulsion of the vampire lords, arguably greater than it had been in the past with merchants now able to seek better trade opportunities with a recovering Elderia and Berusia. The city remained the capital of Berusia and the Elderian government crowned Rurik I here in 2382 where his rule was backed by the support of the occupying Elderian forces. These forces would only depart in 2440 after the ascension of his daughter, Katya I and ensuring a proper transition to the new monarch.   The city would continue its rebuilding efforts for many years after, not just to undo the effects of the war but the vampiric occupation itself. Karstein would also see an influx of refugees during 2400 through 2420 when the Great Cataclysm struck the north and sent thousands looking for new homes. While many settled in the northern regions of Berusia, the majority flooded towards Karstein as its reputation as a defensive stronghold was an attractive prospect, not to mention the burgeoning amount of trade once again surfacing in the area. Few knew that amongst these refugees, new vampire lords would make their way to Karstein as well who would quickly work to establish themselves as the true rulers of Berusia over the next two centuries.