Picketralia

Early Days and the Pre-Zorthenian Kingdoms

The Piks started out as the “Kronx” in what we know now as the Kronx Formation, ontop of Picketralia and east of Moria. Today, it is a red desert mesa with tall hills and peaks, with some signs of what it used to be. They were a loosely united group of tribes who lived in a large grassland for many millenia, with many rivers and streams. Because of this, they had no reason to go elsewhere. 

The origins of the Piks lived in the Milacorsa Valley, which is located at 67, 68, -1133. Today, it is just a strip of green soil, surrounded by tall terracotta peaks, the remnants of a flowing river. They lived in wooden and stone homes around here and farmed by the river, with a settlement known as Belakrosckikepitoma, on the Kruschimakin River. 

The Kronx is an umbrella term for many different groups of people who lived in the area. They weren't really united but shared a similar culturel 

However, it began to quickly dry up for unknown reasons, likely changing climate. One rabbit hunter, Burla Mayn, wandered off the beaten path and discovered the Mollard Valley: Grassy, hilly, and dotted with dense thickets. He kept this as a secret and returned home. 

Three years later, a huge boulder keeping the ocean out of the Kronx Formation tumbled out of the way, and chaos ensued as people tried to survive this onslaught of water. Burla Mayn, who was still alive, pointed in a direction where he promised lush fields and many trees. It is unknown if he survived the drowning but we do know he did not make it to the Mollard Valley, or he died very shortly after. This was around 1800 BCE. Today, the Kronx Formation is a red desert. Conditions settled at the Kronx Formation a few years later, and the ocean partially receded. 

The group of people who are now known as the Burlamayn Caravan traveled for days through high peaks, burning hot terracotta, and went for days with little to no food. They approached what is now the Sea of No Hope, which has it's name for a reason. It is a large lake just north of the Stimpton Delta.

They then approached the Stimpton Delta, and swam down the Stimpton River until they finally found a good place to stop swimming. Archealogical evidence proves they likely landed where the Headmasters Mansion of Pigot School is located today. They walked in a straight line until they finally stopped to build a settlement. Today, every Picketralian is a descendant of the Burlamayn Caravan, as it only consisted of 54 people, with only 20 survivng.

They began a settlement on what is now Farm Hill in Stimpton at the intersection of Stair Place and Haybale Street. There were dotted wood houses on the hill, and where South Stimpton is now, the flat land was used for farming. They elected Burla Mayn's next of kin, Abilin Grivan, as their leader and he built himself a Royal Residence. Today, it is the Royal Berry Farm. The settlement quickly grew and grew. In 1775BC, a messenger from the nearby kingdom of Flourtess, who were over the river and through the woods, asked to begin a trading relationship. Only 4 years later, they merged to create the Empire of Pik-Flourtess. The ruler of Flourtess ascended to become their king. His name was Czeaica. 

Before this, the Mollard Valley was known as the Burla Mayn Valley, which was named after Burla Mayn, who discovered it. However, when the Piks and Flourtesians united, Burla Mayn was awfully similar to the Flourtesian word, "Burlamæn," which meant "thread." The Piks had a word for thread, it was "Malird." Somewhere along the way, it was spelt as "Mollard" and the name stuck.

This kingdom flourished for 271 years, ever expanding. They conquered the Kingdom of Railtown, and the Kingdom of Bentenon. However, when they wished to conquer Mordor, they failed. Railtown did kick them out in 1599 BCE.

However, nothing good can last forever, and a Flourtess man named Jubol Xcak, a Flourtess nationalist, which was a growing and scary idea, was rising the ranks in the Pik-Flourtess government. He took control and seized Pik lands. On February 2, 1500 BCE, while sitting in a meeting, he killed everyone in the room and declared the dissolution of the Pik-Flourtess empire and declared dictatorship, calling his new country the Flourtess Dictatorship, which inherited all of the Pik-Flourtess Empire. It did not last long as he died 10 years later. His remains were burned by the both angry Pik and Flourtess tribes. The charred body was thrown into the Stimpton River, and became fish food. No attempt at finding the bones was ever conducted.

The Pik Tribe were chaotic and divided into factions: Philow, Suntan, Ot, and Grivan. They fought and fought and Grivan, who were the original descendants of the Pik-Flourtess monarchy used bigger army diplomacy to rule.

They became very equal to form the Equal Pik Union which lasted 5 years 7 months, before Ullaba Ot, a powerful military figure gained control. Sounds familiar? He was loyal to the Ot faction and was disgruntled they lost. He lasted 16 years before he died. He operated the Pik tribes with an iron fist, chucking anyone who disagreed with him in lava. When he died, everyone was in a state of chaos that lasted 8 months. The in-exile Grivan family regained control. The House of Grivan still rules today, but under the name of the House of Bartholomeu, as most of the world's population can trace some ancestry to the House of Grivan.

They started the Stimpton Monarchy. Stimp means prosperous, Ton means town. This was the first use of the word Stimpton as the settlement had no official name. Many just called it "The Settlement" which was Taton in Pik. 

They ruled under ten rulers. 

Horshaw III (1450 BCE-1449 BCE)

Culkin III (1449 BCE-1432 BCE)

Horshaw IV (1432 BCE-1420 BCE)

Jallfa I (1420 BCE-1348 BCE)

Jallfa II (1348 BCE-1300 BCE)

Horshaw V (1300 BCE-1277 BCE)

Gullie XV (1277 BCE-1222 BCE)

Tell IX (1222 BCE-1174 BCE)

Tell X (1174 BCE-1120 BCE)

Carus I (1120 BCE-1117 BCE)

The Stimpton Monarchy dissolved in 1117 BCE by King Carus I of Pik. He turned it into an empire, but it was more of sending threats to nearby kingdoms to attempt to submit them into joining. When he dissolved the Stimpton Monarchy, he named his "empire" the ECPU, or Emperor Carus Pik Union. He lasted 17 years until his son took over.

Carus II renamed his empire C2PU or Carus II Pik Union. By now, Railtown had become independent and would rule as a sovereign kingdom until 978 CE. Zorthenia, a rapidly growing empire, set their sights on the C2PU, and were actively fighting their neighbors, the UKoD and Barne.. Carus II died in 1077 after being murdered by Zorthenian troops. A year prior, the C2PU had been put under Zorthenian control. It was now the Zorthenian State of Pik. The UKoD and Barne would fall a few years later.

Zorthenian Days

Stimpton became the 7th largest city in the empire and the capital city of the State of Pik. They built many new things, such as Calyur Chapel, completed in 1069BC. Five Zorthenian officials are buried there: King Calyur, King Calyur II, King Baron I, Governor Westwr of Pik, and Governor Yurtur of Dwarfland. 

The Pik lands were treated as a vacation destination by the Zorthenian elite, which did not sit well with the Piks. The Pik lands were the warmest corner of the Zorthenian Empire that wasn't a desert, and the warm beaches of the Stimpton Delta soon became home to Zorthenian nobility. Many Piks had no other choice but to become indentured servants to the Zorthenian nobility's beachhouses and cater to them, as the economy in Stimpton failed and Zorthenia forced many farmers off their land to build what is now South Stimpton. 

The town of Sand Dune City, now today a tiny incorporated hamlet, with it's only notable feature is that it is the High Court Seat and the Capital of the Council of Nations, was originally founded as a town for all the Zorthenian manor homes on the Stimpton Delta, of which all are gone. After the war, all the manor homes were torn down and the remaining servants built a small community of sandstone shacks.

However, the Zorthenian Governor of Pik loved the Royal Berry Farm and insisted to the Zorthenian monarch that it shall remain. The Zorthenian king reluctantly agreed.. 

The Piks had been under Zorthenian rule for 1,174 years when they revolted. With the help of Morian troops, by 99BC, they had mostly kicked out Zorthenia and by 100BC, they were gone. The Free Pik State was established after 2 years of not being able to agree on the future of the Piks.

Railtonian Days

Independence would not last long, however. In 126 CE, Railtown seized the Free Pik State. They wanted that sweet sweet copper as Railtown was already disadvantaged. They set up a puppet state with the House of Grivan ruling, yes, somehow still alive, but Railtown would control them.

Railtown was not lenient and turned the Pik lands into a police state and frequently attacked anyone who could have "dangerous thoughts." The Railtonians did not treat the Pik lands as a vacation destination, but conditions in Stimpton took a nosedive. However, outside of Stimpton, while Railtown technically owned the land, they lost their sphere of influence, and many from Stimpton moved out. To counteract this, the Grand Wall was built, which kept the Stimpton population in, and they could only leave with express permission,

In 971 CE, Bartholemeu, part of the Grivan family, started a revolution against Railtown who had been ruling them for 845 years. He found a vulnerable part of the Grand Wall in a rather rural area with no guardsmen or civilians and hammered through it, with his group of 10 rebels. They sent a distress call to Moria's monarch Kim, and soon, many Morians joined Bartholomeu's cause. They hid under Salva Rock near the Mordor ruins. A complete description of the war can be found here. 

On May 25, 978 CE, Bartholemeu finally kicked Railtown out by turning everyone into mindless beings. May 29 was when all the details were settled. Railtown was ceded to Moria, and all of Railtown's money, and believe me, there was a lot, was given to the new country.

Modern Era

Bartholomeu was crowned king of Picketralia on June 1, 978. He created the "Common Entitlements" including, but not limited to, the government cannot take property without buying it, a citizen has free will, and that taxes shall not be raised too high for the common man to afford. His reign would end in 1000, when his son, who wanted to be king, cleaved his head off with an ax.

In 1018, 40 years after the Fall of Railtown, panic ensued. Railtown's money had dried up and the "Panic of 1018" began. The Picketralians were not taxed at all because the government simply had piles of money and taxes were unnecessary. The Picketralians are still not taxed very much because the country makes so much money from the copper industry.

Peace and order was maintained until Cardashia, a kingdom north of Flourtess, wanted to become the second Railtown, but the Pik's were sick of being invaded for the third time and kicked them out rather easily in the Battle of Kennings in 1201. Cardashia was not too smart with their money and went bankrupt 8 months later. They were ceded to Flourtess.

In 1363, a fire swept through Picketralia and destroyed most of Stimpton. Calyur Chapel and Pigot School remained, but the government building, which was a beautiful piece of architecture completed in 1027, was now smoldering ruins. A new one was completed in December 1370 and expanded in October of 1373. 

In August of 1373, the Rural Areas representative Morgan Korkin proposed the Counties Act. The Stimpton and South Stimpton representatives disagreed, but they were voted out in December of that year. The new representatives were much more keen on the idea: and the old government system was thrown out: in favor for county representation.