The notable exception to this was the nation of Karthago, which, for reasons discussed earlier, was spared the horrors of much of the violence of the imperial collapse. Despite this, the Imperial Senate was very weak and had rather limited control. Many historians claim that this is the reason that Karthago was the historical seat of the Age of Enlightenment, in that the creativity of the people was uninhibited by stifling, conservative government. Ultimately, Karthago largely removed itself from the problems facing the rest of the continent as a means to avoid the lawlessness and destruction that many other peoples faced.

The remainder of the continent was a highly fragmented placed. Only Wacla and the dwarvern lands in the east remained contiguous political units, despite the ravages of the Empire’s collapse. The remnants of the old Empire were divided into a series of principalities based upon the conquests of a handful of warlords, generally composed of old commanders of the Empire, barbarian warlords, or local mayors that maintained local control. This long dark age was punctuated by nearly continuous warfare, fought for limited means and on small scales for plunder. Always armies were on the march, always fighting, always confused.

In the fourth century, Madris, the second largest city in the Old Empire and the largest city in post-Imperial Ede Rame, slowly emerged as a center of civility on the continent, other than the isolationist goblins of Karthago. The House of Salas came to power, under the control of King Cecil I, retaining power and bringing order to much of the lands along the Wepp River. Some of the old imperial norms were re-established in the city, but there was much hybridization, as a result of the loss of knowledge, diminished resources, and changing technology.

With time, other powerful monarchs, using The Kingdom of Madris as a model, began to seize the princedoms of their neighbors and establish order. Thus, it was that Madris began its traditional role as a cultural model for the disparate peoples of Ede Rame. The founding of the nations of the Champerin region of Ede Rame (Batogne, Vergone, and Vecchio), was accomplished relatively quickly, in the span of a hundred years, running from the middle of the fourth century into the middle of the fifth century.

By the seventh century, attempts were made by a little-known Trollish prince, whose name we believe to be Prince Rostov, to unify the Trollish princedoms of the north. Earlier efforts were compounded by continuous incursions by orcs, humans, Urks, and Haarken who sought the vast natural resources of northern Ede Rame. Huv’s attempts were considered to be different from others in the past, in that, rather than killing existing chiefs who opposed his will, he sought to incorporate them into a crude, but effective, imperial structure. Unfortunately for the Trolls of the growing kingdom of Khulov, this rise in Trollish nationalism was cut short by the massive Orcish Conquest.

The orcs of Waagentur (which would form the basis for the modern nation-state of Waagehaus) seized the fertile lands of south-western Khulov in a well-coordinated military campaign undertaken by a hero of orcish legend; General Harvoren. At the legendary Battle of the Troll Prince, Rostov was slain and Trollish resistance was effectively ended. Interestingly, both Trolls and orcs alike have invested much of their national identities in this battle. Modern Khulovites view this battle as a symbol of Trollish resistance to overwhelming force and the undying spirit of the Trollish people. Conversely, the orcs of modern Waagehaus view this as a symbol of their battle prowess and a milestone in the rise of their people. Regardless, the south-western lands of modern Khulov would remain under the control of the kings of Waagentur until the early ninth century when the famed Trollish warrior-prince Michaelov I would drive the orcs out and be crowned the first Czar of Khulov and All-Trolls.

The formation of the kingdoms of Ravorek and Dauberkamp defied historical precedence in Ede Rame and have undeniably had a powerful impact on their modern day interest in self-governance. In Ravorek, Prince Borge of Raver convened the Council of All-Princes in 1341. Composed of the various Wolver princes, Prince Borge convinced the Princes to elect a single King from their number to establish a true nation-state. Borge displayed great wisdom in refusing the seat for himself, lest it be viewed as a simple power-play by another power-hungry prince. As such, in modern Ravorek, Prince Borge remains seen as the “Father of Ravorek.”

In fifteenth-century Eboracum, the long struggle between civil and clerical control continued. In the intervening years after the fall of the Old Empire, it was essential to note that the Church held a great deal of power. The line of Kings had long struggled with clerical power in the state and in many cases saw this as a threat to the emergence of a powerful Eboracan state.

It was, however, King Rex Labin I who came to a solution to the deadlock. Breaking with tradition, Labin sent his son, Rex Labin II, into the Church to receive scholastic training from the church. Upon his inauguration, Labin II declared himself the Kingpriest of Eboracum and made a bold, yet successful, power-grab, by tying the National Church of Eboracum to that of the civil government. To this day, of course, Eboracum remains a theocratic-monarchy and the power of the church in that state is unrivaled by any of neighbors.

By the sixteenth century, things began to change across the continent. The last of the great warlords had been put down and the existence of large nation-states had become commonplace. The goblins of Karthago had re-opened their border to their neighbors, when a startling innovation took place.

Geon Locao, a goblin philosopher of some reknown, published his now-famous text On Faith and Reason. Locao’s writing discussed the “coming Age of Reason” and is generally considered to the modern foundation for most civilized nations. Initially, however, the text was banned in many areas, most notably and perhaps least surpsingly, Eboracum. Over time, however, the “rationalist” ideas espoused by Locao were widespread and the text became standard reading for any would-be monarch on the continent.

In 1577, sailors from the Kingdom of Andlan sailed beyond The Shattered Lands for the first time since the Imperial Collapse. Far from the vast destruction that had been the hallmark of Ede Pono in the last years of the Imperial Age, the verdant lands of Ede Pono were extremely attractive to the Andlanders. King Harold II of Andlan immediately dispatched colonists to the region and begins to make great economic gains from the virgin soil.

To the west, however, a political marriage was also changing the political landscape of the continent. In 1678, King Philip of Correllia married Queen Saratin IV of Augutain, establishing the United Kingdom of Correllia and Augutain.

The forces of Andlan were more than sufficient to prevent such an break-up of the kingdom. However, an unlikely ally emerged in the form of the Czar of Khulov, Czar Kerigin I, intervened to assist the fledgling rebellion. Most historians agree that Kerigin was less concerned about the fate of the colonists of New Andlan than he was about Andlan influence in the Areask Ocean. Nonetheless, after four years of warfare, The Treaty of Arkangelsk is signed, forming the Republic of New Andlan. So great is the frustration with the Old Country, New Andlan will break with the Universalist Church and invite the Unitarian Church into the country, establishing the Cardinal of Burlon.

Following the rebellion in New Andlan, King Alderbrecht of Dauberkamp dies, leaving no heirs. A brief struggle occurs between his half-brother and his aunt, which is settled by Parliament. No doubt influenced by the events in New Andlan, the Parliament of Dauberkamp declares itself a Republic and abolishes the office of the king.

In neighboring Ravorek, King Arjan III, fearing the precedent this might set, immediately invades Dauberkamp. The war effort, however, goes badly, and it sends shocks through the Ravorek economy. Fear of a famine sweeps the country and the Parliament of Ravorek orders the arrest of Arjan, ironically establishing the Republic of Ravorek. Despite this change, the fighting will continue for three more months before ending inconclusively.

That same year, another great innovation is taking place. In Manlu, a brief war between Neldheim and Attenik is decided at the Battle of Personii River. Neldish arquebusers are used to break an Attenik cavalry charge, which most military historians credit with the Neldish victory. Increased interest in gunpowder-based weaponry begins to slowly spread across the continent.

In 1814, the first of the great Deeru-New Andlander wars breaks out. The Battle of Minnekota witnesses a massive New Andlander victory against the disorganized and poorly-armed Deeru forces. This will set a pattern that continues through today.

In 1832, a new text rocked the stability of Ede Rame. Carl Marks, an economist from the dwarf lands, published his famous text, On Relations Between Capital and Labor. The text lays out the modern understanding of Socialism and Communism by giving detailed explanations of these ideals. While hardly being the first to explain these ideals, Marks was the first to provide a systematic approach to the ideas. As such, Marks's work became incredibly popular amongst the working class of Ede Rame, much to the chagrin of the capitalist classes.