The following is a memorandum published by a Laghiman politician who noted significant events during Laghima's Isolation Period.Laghima during it's Isolation Period was everything but what Darius II promised it would be. The Vulcite Elves and Mercurian Humans clashed in the streets, the military executed who they wanted, when they wanted, the government cut funding to vital public programs, famine ravaged the settlements of the state, and worst of all, the people grew disillusioned with the government. With tensions rising internationally over the Laghiman government's war with the Vulcites, Darius II's regime became universally hated by many.
Most of the despair started with the 'Restoration of Order in Vulca Act', which was created and signed into law by Darius II. The act immediately gave the Laghiman Guard the authority to autonomously invade and systematically destroy Vulca and it's people as retaliation for terrorist attacks committed following the death of Lady Theodora. The Laghiman Guard immediately requested a mandatory draft for all able bodied citizens, which soon took effect. Much of Laghima's population was thrust into a war with it's western counterparts over many painful months. At the end of the campaign, the Vulcite Elves were nearly extinct; the survivors were at the bottom class of Vulcite society, being former slaves, peasant farmers, and the uneducated masses. Darius II had succeeded in effectively destroying the Vulcite Elves, but he also succeeded in creating a situation that was reminiscent of the Dark Age. Laghima estimates that 3,000 refugees, the last of the Vulcites, fled into the wilderness around Laghima following the conflict's end in early 532 A.I..
Following the end of the Vulcite hegemony in the west, Darius II expanded the military's powers with the 'Domestic Military Expansion Act', allowing them to become the police of the state. Any person who was believed to be assisting the small amount of Vulcite's left was to be executed immediately, without trial. These new powers allowed the military to destroy any resistance to the state. The military, which was primarily Karsite, also used it to promote their ideology of Karsite Nationalism. Karsites rose to national prominence for their dedicated role in Laghima's military and the conflict against the Vulcites. Because of this, and the Karsite Duke, Laghima saw an increase in Karsites holding crucial positions throughout the realm.
Many Karsite government figures started advocating for a renaming of the state to reflect the Karsite demographics, but Darius II insisted on keeping the name of Laghima because of obscure reasons. Though another name, Greater Karastan-Laghima, was drafted up, which is what many Karsites refer to the state as domestically and informally. These advocates for a Karsi based naming system would be heard, and actual changes would be implemented. For instance, the Grand Duke came to be known as the Ilkhan of the Ilkhanate, while those under him would be Beys of Beyliks, and Efendis for those at the bottom of Laghiman nobility (vassals). As Karsite Nationalists started promoting more of these changes, their power would soon become dangerously unchecked. Eventually, many Karsites government figures united and formed the political body of the 'Karsite Nationalist Party' (KNP), and used their unity to take near total control of the pseudo-legislative side of the government, the Laghiman Convention.
Laghiman Convention Delegates before the Vulcite Conflict: (Purple - Vulcite Assembly, Blue - Mercurian Convention, Yellow - Native Mercurian Entete)
Laghiman Convention Delegates after the Vulcite Conflict: (Red - KNP, Blue - Mercurian Convention, Yellow - Native Mercurian Entete)
Following these events, life in Laghima continued to deteroriate, even with the KNP trying their hardest to stabilize the realm. However, the Ilkhan of the realm would not do his role and rejected all or most legislation, hurting the nation even more. Continuing to go against the KNP's wishes, Darius II appointed his son, Darius III, as Bey of the Vulca Beylik and his grandson, Darius IV, as Bey of the Ihaa Beylik. A clique within the KNP felt threatened by having these two "brainwashed outsiders" rule such integral parts of the realm, so they began formulating a coup to overthrow Darius II who had disgraced Laghima and it's people. Instead of a direct approach, the members of this clique (called The Radical Karsite Nationalist Party, RKNP for short) decided to manipulate the people of Laghima to make this coup seem justified. First they cut funding to public programs, such as the Laghiman Educational Service and the Laghiman Road Service, rendering these things unusable. Secondly, they stopped subsidizing farmers who relied on government funding to maintain their farms and security. Without this funding, farmers refused to use public roads to transport goods, due to a fear of being robbed, thus causing a nation wide food shortage, leading to famine across the state. The RKNP successfully painted these actions as the direct will of Darius II, making him seem like an enemy to the people.
Eventually after losing much of his community to the famine, a soldier who served in the Vulcite Conflict grew angry with Darius II, believing the RKNP's ploy. This soldier, Erdogan Garaf, rallied other soldiers who were dissatisfied with Darius II called for a military coup. This coup was a failure as the majority of the military was loyal to Darius II and refused to rally behind an angry soldier who amounted to nothing after the Vulcite Conflict. Erdogan would however survive and become a speaker for those fed up with Darius II. His voice would inspire many and reveal to them the true horrors of Darius II's brutal regime. The RKNP recognized this, and started to use him as a pawn until they were able to strike and succeed with their own coup.
Erdogan's failed coup would destabilize the nation even further, diving Laghima's people between Darius II supporters and revolutionaries. Both factions would clash in the streets for weeks before the Laghiman Guard was deployed to maintain order in the more unstable areas of Laghima. As this chaos settled down Darius IV, who was half Vulcite, died of a disease exclusive to Vulcites, known as "The Vulcite Red Fever". Darius II had kept Darius IV's heritage a secret to all of Laghima, including other Starks. So naturally when the re voluntaries and rogue military elements of Laghima learned of this, they were furious. Laghima had executed many people for being associated with Vulcites, yet a Bey, even a Stark, was half Vulcite himself and allowed to live freely. This thrust the more radical members of the Laghiman Elite Guard to execute Darius III for association, and ultimately attempt to execute Darius II for withholding crucial information about his Vulcite associates. Though the attempt on Darius II failed, forcing him into hiding in unclaimed regions of the Empire. Instead of allowing the next Stark to inherit the throne, the RKNP made themselves public, using the chaos to activate their plans, and ultimately declaring themselves as the leaders of Laghima.
The post Darius II era of Laghiman Politics was ruled by the self proclaimed 'Revolutionary Council of Laghima' (RCL), which was made up of entirely the RKNP members who formulated the downfall of Darius II. The RCL immediately drafted a new government, dissolving the old one in the process. This government would be more rigid and firm than the last, keeping the hereditary structure of Laghima but also allowing for democracy to be an actuality. At the core of this government would be a constitution which would ultimately govern the nation. The RCL restored order by immediately removing the military's extensive powers and making it clear that Darius II would be punished severely if he were to set foot in this nation again.
With the death of Darius III, and Darius IV, as well as the fleeing of Darius II, Laghima was without an Ilkhan to rule. The RCL instituted the KNP's first ever election to determine the successor of Darius II. A prominent figure (who was apart of the RKNP) named Abahai Nura was seemingly the most popular choice to be the new Ilkhan of The Ilkhanate of Greater Karastan-Laghima. Abahai had been a high ranking military official in the Vulcite Conflict, and organized the party's rise to power after the war. However, Nura was nearly 90 years old, so he chose not to run, and instead nominated Hasan Stark, who was his second in command. Hasan won with a landslide victory, defeating the ultra radical party member Andrey Orat. Almost immediately, Hasan instituted the tradition of the Ilkhan adopting the regnal name of Darius (as an effort to bring honor to Darius I who is considered Laghima's greatest leader), and later became Darius V.
Following the first legislative elections, the Laghiman Parliament's lower house seats(called the Laghiman Democratic body) were distributed between the Laghiman Mercurian Party (blue), which was the successor to both the NME and the Mercurian Convention, and the Karsite Nationalist Party (red).
The Laghiman Parliament's upper house (called the Laghiman Royal Body), was led by the Karsite Nationalist Party (red), followed by the Mercurian Nobility Party (blue), and the Native Mercurian Royalty Party (purple).
The RCL's final act was to proclaim Laghima's isolation period was over, and then disband itself as it was no longer needed with Parliament and an Ilkhan ruling the realm.
