Decline of the Old Guard



= Overview: = The 'Old Guard' the being the Big 4, as well as the leaders of the Big 4 include Eschariea, Yimmu-Audal, Uldarash and Valdreach. These 4 empires, at the time of writing, maintain just about 50% of the entire population of Rathnir, the First Rathnir Census placing 15.9% in Valdreach, 12.8% in both Uldarash and Escharien each, and 8.7% in Yimmu-Audal. Additionally, these nation all predated Stoney's video on the Turtlonian Wars. In their high-time, world politics were entirely influenced by the actions of these nations, any and all conflicts had an eye peering in from these nations. Interestingly, as a testament to the power of these nations the Empire of Uldarash, which itself would become amongst their ranks later, originally formed as a Western counterbalance to these nations, and a coalition of nations in Haven. This would serves as a predecessor to similar to unions in Alteniquia Minor and the North, with the Vastallos and Silver Coalitions respectively.

Eventually though, these nations would begin their descent downwards, most markedly with the fall of their leaders.

That being Emperor Siegfried (ES), Empress Viomelia (VIR), Emperor Blue-Marble (YA) and finally Emperor Wilusa (EU)

Empire of Escharien:
The 'Empire of the East' has long since been a staple of 'Eastern Civility' or rather just how for the longest time, the majority of nations, as well as people, lived in the East. Despite their victory in the Turtlonian Wars, their downfall is marked by the resignation of power by Emperor Sieg (SikkeOSt). Admittedly, he still holds on to quite a bit of power as well as influence, although with own order, he did step down from being an 'absolute monarch' of Escharien, taking up a figurehead position. In his stead, he granted governing of the country to the Senate, which ironically, more or less made it into the republic that the Pax Romanians, at the very least, 'claimed' they wanted in the Escharien Civil War. Additionally, and perhaps more importantly, the fall of this empire has been characterized by the alliance between Yimmu-Audal and Valdreach, which effectively cut Escharien off from the rest of Rathnir, all of its actions being overshadowed with the lingering threat of foreign invasion, as well being undermined in regards to those who could have been possible allies to the Eastern Empire, however often instead elect for neutrality as to not bring upon the wrath of the Yimmu-Valdreach alliance.

Empire of Yimmu-Audal:
Yimmu-Audal, the foreign empire form Jagdas, has, although experienced less of it, certainly also been a victim of the fall of the Old Guard. Before the actual events attributed to the fall of the Empire, Yimmu-Audal had been experiencing a steady decline in player activity. This was no more highlighted than in the Rathnir Census, whereupon it was revealed that Yimmu-Audal, once the most powerful, if not most populous, of the Big 4, had declined in population of only 8.5%. Yes, this is still quite a large amount, however when compared to the solid 2nd place it held before hand, it quite the shocker. Of course this wasn't public knowledge until the release of the census. The real event at least markedly representing the fall of the Old Guard, was the resignation of Emperor Blue_Marble, passing on control of the empire to his former Head Diplomat Harbdr. While Harbdr's reign has, at the very least so far, been a positive force in Yimmu-Audal, with their mainland territorial claim extending wildly, his imperial administration did oversee the loss of Lumaire, the administration giving up the colony without a fight, despite receiving vicious insults and denouncements from the Lumaire government upon their declaration of independence. Seemingly, this signified to the rest of Rathnir, that the new emperor was one he could be ignored. Of course, Yimmu-Audal's alliance with Valdreach has kept both powers, despite their player declines, a formidable force to be reckoned with.

Empire of Uldarash:
The 'Empire of the West', counterbalance to the 'imperialistic ways' of the Easterners, despite being founded much after those 'imperialistic' Easterners, has itself experienced the downfall they've been facing. Their downfall however, remains unique amongst the Big 4, primarily in that its fall was much more sudden, and much more pronounced. While player attendance from the rest of the Big 4, had steadily been going down, and rapid political instability(or at the very least change) had been ravaging their lands, Uldarash, ever isolated in The West, remained untouched. This of course, was up until the Great Western War, whereupon their loss to Bardonia, the empire suffered catastrophic loss of territory, with their holding in the Mesa and Ummarnu being lost. Additionally, they suffered the loss of Paloro, whom upon the war's conclusion, sought independence. On top of all this to, mere hours before the war started, Emperor Wilusa announced his resignation. With him announcing no clear heir to his seat of emperor, the positon was abolished, making Emperor Dentro, sole emperor of Uldarash. Also worth mentioning is, while at least at the time of writing no change has taken place, the Council of Lords, have been discussing significant governmental reforms

Valdreach Imperial Republic:
The Valdreach Imperial Republic, long since by far the most populous of all the empires, certainly, still maintains it influence over world affairs. However, the Old Guard of this nation, that being Empress Viomelia as well as God-Empress Mera, have both been ousted, representing their beginning decline. On the same day of Harbdr's coronation as the new emperor of Yimmu-Audal, Empress Viomelia was expelled from the VIR in a religious coup-de-tat, commonly referred to as the Valdreach Valor Rebellion, establishing God-Empress Mera in her place. In a case of cosmic irony, not a few weeks later on November 9th, would God-Empress Mera herself be coup-de-tat'd, by Interim President Noodles, whom herself was now proclaimed Princess Regent Noodles. Certainly, the intense political instablity of the VIR remains a prevalent factor in their downfall. Of course, alongside this matter, the loss of the territories of Posaravia and Tlahatl additionally remain as strong sign of their downfall

Final Word :
Finally, it is particularly mentionable from the decisive loss of the Empire of Uldarash to the allied VAWR and Bardonians forces, both 2 international entities which are actually quite new on the worldstage, that this Fall of the Old Guard, does not represent a Dark-Age like event. Rather, what it represents is a massive, if slow, shift in global power. For most of Rathnir's history, power has presided primarily in the East, with Escharien, Yimmu-Audal and the VIR all be clustered around the Central-East. Admittedly, Uldarash itself served as a factor to pull influence away from the East, however the empire, for the most part, instead seemed to act as a boogey-man: someone commonly referred to instill discipline, however rarely actually involved (i.e. by citing that in a conflict, the lesser side would run to them for defense) Overall influence remained in the East.

At the time of writing however, the Great Western War, despite not including any of the Easterners, serves to represent something. It represents a shift, or perhaps the beginnings of a shift. That shift being, slowly from the great, sprawling empires of the East, to the diverse coalitions of the West and North. The Vastallos Alliance of Western Rathnir, the Republic of Bardonia and the Silver Coalition, all proved themselves, not only able to stand against the old world order-but to annihilate it. Certainly, if all the Big 4 united against the rest of the world, at the time of writing: they would prevail. However, with every passing day, this victory becomes, little by little, more and more unsure. Unless something changes, the current evidence projects that one day, it will not be the 'imperialistic' Easterners calling the shots and influencing world affairs, but instead will be some others. Hopefully, this others take kindly to the forefathers, Eastern, Western or otherwise.