History of Rossheim-Slavonia

[Max von Rossheim]

I'm far from happy with my first attempt to write up the history of the duchy, so I've decided to try again. I've tried to align IC history as closely as possible with OOC history, which sometimes interferes with my attempt to create a coherent narrative; I may be forced to retcon certain elements.

Anyway, this is a very rough outline of the main events:

2113: Ruler of Treisenberg grants eastern Cibola to Viscount Christoph von Rossheim, who becomes first Duke of Slavonia (Voivode od Slavonija).
2164: Slavonia renamed Duchy of Rossheim as part of the process of Germanisation.
2190s: Central government collapses in Treisenberg. Rossheim, Rhaetia and Morovina form a new confederation, the United Principalities of Treisenberg, with the prince of Morovina as Grand Prince. Rossheim proclaimed a sovereign principality in 2196.
2290: The grand prince cedes the home islands to Stormark, prompting the collapse of the Grand Principality. The Duchy of Rossheim lingers on for a few years before its territory is overrun and its last ruling Prince is killed in battle. Refugees flee to the Corumese Kingdom of Sangun, where another branch of the Rossheim family have ruled the since 2049. The Kings of Sangun subsequently style themselves Prince of Rossheim and Duke of Slavonia.

4546: Descendents of the refugees (known as Cibolan Saxons) petition the King of Sangun, Sadamara Aptrgangr, to help them establish a new homeland on Cibola.
4547: Sangunese forces occupy the former Holzer colony of Volksburg and found the Duchy of Rossheim-Slavonia-Volksburg as a self-governing state within the Kingdom of Sangun, Riskai and the Idunn Isles.

4683: Sadamara, by now Emperor of Greater Sangun, gives the Duchy its independence. A relative of the Emperor, Max von Rossheim becomes duke.
4779: The Duke’s health collapses. His chief minister, Karl Drosselmeyer asks the Duchess of Lichbrook (another member of the Rossheim family) for assistance. The Duchess’ daughter, Marie Dolores, Marchioness of Modania, informs Drosselmayer that the Duke can only be saved if he is made a lich, with his soul bound to the land. Exploiting his unwillingness to have the ritual performed locally, she persuades the minister to support an expedition into the heart of the continent; her real aim is to secure the rich gold mines rumoured to be in the area.
The expedition arrives at the mountains and performs the ritual. The Duke’s soul is successfully made a lich, but Marie Dolores arranges that her soul is also bound to the land. The Duke and marchioness declare the region the Duchy of Rossheim-Leichenberg.
The new Duchess brings in necromechanical miners from her mother’s duchy to work the gold mines.
4795: Duke Max proclaims the union of the Duchies of Rossheim-Slavonia-Volksburg and Rossheim-Leichenberg.
4816: The ruined cities of Eisenstadt and Swak Steer are annexed and resettled with Cibolan Saxon colonists. The Duke announces his intention to rule jointly with his wife and grants a new constitution.