History of Turmir

The Empire of Turmir is a nation that emerged from a violent and bloody secession from the larger, domineering kingdom of Velathron. The story of Turmir's rise is one of brutal necessity, where violence was not just an expression of defiance but a justified response to years of exploitation, neglect, and oppressive governance by their former rulers. Today, Turmir stands as a militaristic yet pragmatic empire, non-isolationist in its outlook, eager to expand its influence both economically and politically.

Historical Context: A Nation Under Oppression

Turmir’s lands, once part of the sprawling Velathron Kingdom, had long been treated as little more than a resource-rich hinterland. For centuries, the southern territories that would eventually become Turmir supplied Velathron with vast quantities of iron, coal, grain, and livestock. The people of this region toiled endlessly to fuel the wealth and power of Velathron’s central provinces, yet they saw little in return. Roads crumbled, education and healthcare were limited, and local governance was controlled by officials appointed from the capital, often with no connection to the region.

While Velathron’s cities prospered in the north, Turmir’s people lived in poverty, chafing under a tax burden that grew increasingly unbearable. The kingdom demanded more resources as it expanded its borders through endless military campaigns, but these campaigns offered no benefit to the Turmiri. Instead, the region’s young men were conscripted en masse to fight in wars that did not concern them, leaving farms untended and families struggling to survive.

Over the decades, protests and petitions for greater autonomy were crushed by Velathron’s military forces. The ruling elites in the capital dismissed the southern provinces as backward and unworthy of self-rule, reinforcing a narrative that painted the Turmiri people as little more than laborers for the kingdom’s benefit. Resentment built, and the idea of breaking away from Velathron, once unthinkable, became a growing possibility among the local leaders.

The Turmiri Secession: A Justified Brutality

The final spark came when Velathron, facing economic downturns, introduced even harsher taxation measures and began seizing private land in the south to fund its war efforts. This led to widespread riots, which were met with violence. When the military was sent to suppress a rebellion in the city of Kovahr, the capital of what is now Turmir, local militias resisted. This marked the beginning of the Turmiri War of Independence.

The war that followed was brutal. Turmir’s leaders, a coalition of disillusioned governors, military officers, and wealthy landowners, recognized that negotiation was futile. They knew that Velathron would never willingly allow them to break away without using overwhelming force to crush the rebellion. Thus, the Turmiri resistance committed itself to total war, where no measure was too extreme in their fight for freedom.

Guerrilla Warfare and Total Rebellion

Outgunned and outnumbered, the Turmiri adopted guerrilla warfare tactics, targeting supply lines, sabotaging infrastructure, and launching surprise attacks on Velathron’s forces. Civilians, already hardened by years of poverty and labor, played a key role in the resistance. Farmers and laborers became soldiers, and villages turned into defensive outposts.

The most infamous event during the war was the Sacking of Molgor, a key city that served as Velathron's southern military hub. The Turmiri forces, led by the ruthless General Corvek Miran, besieged the city for months, cutting off food and water supplies to both military personnel and civilians. When the city finally fell, the Turmiri spared no one—soldiers, bureaucrats, and sympathizers alike were executed. While many outside Turmir viewed this as a massacre, within the empire it was seen as a necessary act to ensure Velathron could never use Molgor as a staging ground again. The Sacking of Molgor became a symbol of Turmir’s uncompromising will to break free at any cost.

The brutality was not one-sided. Velathron’s reprisals were equally savage. Entire towns were razed, and public executions became common in an effort to break the spirit of the rebels. However, Velathron underestimated the determination of the Turmiri people, who had nothing left to lose. The protracted war drained Velathron’s resources, and with each passing year, its grip on the southern provinces weakened.

Victory and the Founding of the Empire

After six years of relentless warfare, the Turmiri rebels finally secured their victory. With Velathron’s economy in shambles and its armies stretched thin, the kingdom had no choice but to recognize Turmir as an independent state. The peace treaty, signed reluctantly by Velathron’s king, marked the official birth of the Empire of Turmir.

However, the scars of the war ran deep. Hundreds of thousands had died, and much of the region lay in ruins. But the victory was seen as righteous and necessary. Turmir’s leaders argued that the brutality of their secession was justified by centuries of exploitation, and the violence of the war was a reflection of Velathron’s refusal to allow a peaceful solution. In the eyes of the Turmiri, they had no choice but to meet cruelty with cruelty to secure their freedom.