Posts from The Empire of Reimia (3) Auto-translated

Actually, this event was supposed to be one of the "blue" ones, but I'll still write it to close the chapter.
— Was it worth it, Romeo? — Azarina's reproachful gaze also conveyed sympathy and sadness.
— My lust was fully satisfied. But was it worth it? Obviously not. Fleeting physical pleasure is foolish to even compare to missed opportunities and wasted energy.
— Then why?..
— I don't want to make excuses for myself, but I think I'm still too young and inexperienced, and therefore I was unable to resist the stress that has accumulated recently.
— ... What are you planning to do now?
— I plan to transfer to the Larian Military Academy named after Sonata Reim. I am confident that my abilities will be sufficient to pass the tests, so the decision will remain with the director of this academy, whether he will accept a student with a tarnished reputation or not.
— So that's how it is... It will be difficult for you, in a foreign country and in a new place...
— On the contrary, this will allow me to broaden my horizons and become stronger as a person. If anyone will have a hard time, it will be Parfinore. Unfortunately, commoners are not used to keeping their mouths shut, and...
— It's not about the commoners! She did the same thing as him... She shouldn't have reported it to Yuki...
— I violated the rules that I knew and agreed to when I enrolled here. There is nothing reprehensible in her actions.
— But aren't you offended?!
— Reporting a crime is the duty of every citizen of the empire. If anything needs to be done in this situation, it is to praise her for her vigilance and initiative. A class representative should be just like that.
— ... I don't understand you...
— What?
— I don't understand you! — For the first time, tears appeared in Azarina's eyes. — Sometimes you behave like a complete snob, justifying tyranny and various atrocities in history, and then you show attention or talk about such noble things!
— I've already told you, Azarina, the world is not divided into black and white.

at least he didn't die

A personal view of the monarchs of the Remian Empire and the periods of their reign


Lapis Rem (191-240)
The first ruler and, in a certain sense, the founder of our empire, is undoubtedly very difficult to judge critically or to view in a negative light at all. Thanks to his remarkable charisma, his confidence in victory, and his courage in taking sole responsibility for the lives of an entire country (whereas previously this had been mainly the business of a weak-willed senate), Rem was able to secure a foundational position on the world stage and leave a decisive mark on the history of the whole continent.
Assessing the military deeds of the former Egir Valenshtein, I cannot recall any serious blunders or failures that, in hindsight, could be held against him. Moreover, in the works of a fairly well-known Remian historian, Karper Shennakh, an curious statistic is cited that points to the overall ineffectiveness of a democratic republican regime under conditions of prolonged warfare and an unlikely victory. Thus, I consider the granting of exceptional and absolute dictatorial powers to Lapis Rem during the period 191-226 to have been a necessary step and one of the utmost importance for the formation of the entire future state.
It is difficult for me to judge the peacetime rule of the first monarch from a single perspective, since in those troubled times everyone had to devote far more attention to the military craft than to the development of trade or agriculture. The only question I would like to consider here is the necessity of dissolving the senate and creating a new monarchical system of government as opposed to returning the country to its pre-war political regime. From a legal standpoint, Lapis Rem ought to have immediately returned the high powers granted to him after the end of the Thirty Years' War; however, the general instability of the region, the frequent armed clashes between neighbors and the betrayal of those neighbors, taken together with the general weakness and corruption of the senate, would most likely have left the country with no chance of fruitful development and would in all probability have ruined it within the following decades.

Hegon Rem (240-277)
The reign of Hegon Rem seems to me ideal in that particular historical situation — offering economic prospects and civil liberties to citizens weary from years of war, establishing friendly ties with neighboring countries, developing trade and diplomacy. I would like to separately mention the conclusion of a peaceful alliance with the kingdom of the elves and the introduction of the first magical arts onto the territory of the country.
I could not recall any particular negative factors during the reign of Hegon Rem, except perhaps his strange and probably not very far-sighted decision in choosing his successor to the throne.

Archon Rem (277-323)
The third ruler can be singled out on both the positive and the negative side in roughly equal measure. The strengthening and development of the magical arts within the country, the creation of new kinds of magic, and the construction of the first magical academies made a significant contribution not only to military might but also to the culture and art of those times. Below I quote lines from a work by the ancient Remian poet Khabartar:
"Truly, I cannot even imagine how wretched and pitiful our life was, like rainworms, before we attained magical knowledge!"
Despite the significant contribution that Archon Rem made to the history of the country, his deeds also had a negative character, dealing a serious blow to the traditional orders and foundations of Remian society. The mass curtailment of the civil liberties of the populace, the construction of prisons, the shifting of the law-enforcement apparatus toward the introduction of harsh and severe — often even inordinately so — justice, were the first alarming bells, to which was subsequently added the general madness of the third monarch. Could the opposing faction, led by his own children, have halted the deformation of the country without so many victims? I think the absolute conviction in his own infallibility and authority, established back under Lapis Rem, played a cruel joke on his heirs, and from then on very many of them, to my greatest regret, would be subject to this hereditary stubbornness and self-assurance in their own rightness — as effective in wartime as it was ruinous in peacetime. Archon Rem was no exception here.

Eirin Rem (323-382)
The fourth ruler, like the founder of this line, was far more taken with foreign policy than with domestic. Since by this time the country had already recovered sufficiently from the old wars and was ready for offensive campaigns, it is no surprise that Eirin Rem chose for himself a fairly aggressive policy of conquest.
The subjugation of the western mountains, the annexation of the elven kingdom of Alait and many other countries of the continent was an obvious consequence of the superior strategic command of the first emperor.
Nevertheless, I would like to give separate attention to the genocide of the western mountaineers, as well as to the failures of the eastern campaigns, which resulted in great losses and economic damage for the empire. My view is that Eirin Rem, for all his positive qualities, was a man not only impulsive but almost entirely devoid of patience and mercy. Qualities useful for a commander and a conqueror, but which risk leading, in peacetime, to a rise in protest sentiments among both the common populace and the aristocracy. And had it not been for the might of the legions of Rem, the unpreparedness of their opponents, and the death of the emperor himself in an arena duel, who knows what his further reign might have led to. The absence of any serious successes in domestic policy may serve as a certain confirmation of this.

Reisen Rem (382-444)
I would like to divide my assessment of the deeds of the second emperor in the post of ruler of the Remian Empire into two parts:
First, the creation of the class system became the third and last key factor in the reorganization of Remian society. Relying on the works of the advisor on domestic economy, Lovekhs Mi'itar, I have singled out the three most significant of these processes:
1) The elimination of the elected senatorial system of government by Lapis Rem.
2) The tightening of legislation and the shifting of the hierarchy of power toward the nobility and civil servants by Archon Rem.
3) The establishment of a class-based society, finally burying the democratically free regime in favor of the absolutization of the power of the monarch and the aristocracy, by Reisen Rem.
Lovekhs Mi'itar concluded that all three of these key reforms finally "maimed the traditional views of Remian citizens and in fact drove them into slavery under the heel of all-powerful emperors."
note: For his views Lovekhs Mi'itar was subsequently executed, and although we live in much freer times, I would not recommend his works for overly careful study, since they, despite being almost completely censored by Kamiya Ren, can still fall under articles related to the overthrow of power, the instigation of banditry and violence.
Be that as it may, Reisen Rem's reforms led to the creation of a stable state order that endured right up to the time of Olivius Lapis Rem. One of the most difficult questions remains: was there really any need for such a significant change in the way of life of the country's inhabitants? The twenty-year civil war that followed can give its own definite answer to this. And if one examines the whole situation from the vantage of several centuries, one can discover that the regime created by the first Remian rulers ultimately served the significant enrichment of its inhabitants and the development of the state as a whole. My personal opinion on this matter, however, remains more negative: I believe that the rulers of Rem should not have tried to reorganize the orders of a free society, and if they were to do so, then by far slower and gentler methods.
The second important factor of Reisen Rem's reign I consider to be his forbidden activities and connection with the dark arts. Unfortunately, information related to this still remains quite classified or else has slipped outside my field of view; however, it is quite obvious that the second emperor engaged in carrying out some terrible experiments in his palace, which was subsequently sealed off for many centuries. As evidence I can cite notes authored by Seliad Kovencrar — one of the first explorers of the palace in the year 762, which were partially published in one of the yellow press papers. For the reliability of this information, unfortunately, I cannot vouch: 1 2
Thus, I consider the figure of Reisen Rem to be on the whole a negative one for the history of the empire. Quite possibly, the cause of this was some outside influence, or else an innate weakness of mind of the second emperor.

Beryl Rem (444-496)
The era of Beryl Rem's reign has not been preserved particularly well in the historical chronicles; however, numerous positive mentions by his contemporaries allow us to conclude that the third emperor carried out many internal reforms and transformations designed to smooth over the sharp corners and reduce the degree of aggression between the common citizens of the country, the aristocrats, and the members of the imperial family.
Despite these positive achievements, my impression of Beryl took shape as of a very cautious and mild man, not ready for overly harsh actions to develop the ideas of the previous rulers or to return to traditional civic orders and foundations. Probably, in trying to sit on several chairs at once and to please everyone, he nevertheless may have let slip many attractive projects that could have been carried out earlier than they ultimately were.

Verilian Rem (496-~520)
The era of Verilian Rem is associated with a new important turn in the evolution of our species as a whole — the discovery of erinium and, thus, the appearance of the first technologies of the future. Everything that has already become a habitual part of our life goes back to the times of the fifth century. And even magic gradually began to move into the background.
Having at his command a huge and powerful state, all that was required of Verilian Rem was not to let slip such an important chance to forever take the leading position in the world — and with this task the fourth emperor coped excellently.
I believe that Verilian did everything necessary from a state standpoint, and I append to my opinion quotes from a contemporary study by my sister Marlea Leveristos, who three years ago graduated from the capital's academy in economic sciences.
"... thus, it is quite obvious that for the most effective development of the key external and internal economic indicators the country requires a full-fledged competitive private market, whereas the functions of the state should include exclusively the regulation of antitrust legislation, the carrying out of logistical linkage, and the construction of the necessary infrastructure for future private projects and investments."
It was precisely along such a path that Emperor Verilian went, simply seizing the territories necessary for the development of the state. Did he have the right to lay claim to lands belonging to the primitive snake-creatures, to burn their homes, to drive them by force into reservations? Aggressive expansion can never be assessed in a positive light. But for the inhabitants of the country itself it had a beneficial effect, and to remain idle in times of a great historical redrawing of spheres of influence means to sign one's own death sentence.

Olivius Lapis Rem (730-762)
Olivius Rem turned out to be the last ruler of the main historical period in the history of our country, and I consider it necessary to evaluate his decisions and actions in the most detail.
The entire thirty-year term of his reign can be divided into several key foreign-policy decisions:
1) The unleashing of war with Beliad, Tanarsis, Areid, Khem, and Astea.
2) The unleashing of war with Nihon.
3) Numerous and many-year conquest campaigns.
To generalize, it seems to me that all of this is a rare and quite unique historical case when resounding victories and incredible successes exert a far more destructive influence on a state. Of course, a century later it is fairly easy to draw such conclusions, but could Olivius's contemporaries and his advisors have suspected the first alarming notes?
1) The first victorious war ended with the annexation to the empire of part of the territories of a close ally, Beliad, and access to the southern waters of the continent. But was there any sense in it? At that moment the Remian Empire possessed unlimited military and economic might, as well as political influence and numerous trade agreements. Even in the long term, was this new sea route advantageous compared with the loss of the support of several countries and allies at once? Instead of cementing their relations through mutually beneficial trade, the government of the time considered intimidation through fear and the rattling of an ephemeral weapon a more advantageous way of conducting international relations.
2) The war with Nihon, which resulted in great losses and the empty expenditure of budgetary funds, ultimately provided the empire with access to extremely disadvantageous territories, whose freedom-loving inhabitants were ready to seize any opportunity and weakness of the opponent to start riots and armed uprisings. The subsequent questions of cultural assimilation — neither of this nor of any of the other subjugated peoples — were given due attention under Olivius Rem.
3) All the new and new military campaigns could have been justified in the historical periods of the early Remian emperors, but by no means in the prosperous seventh century. The time of the development of private enterprise, freedom, and trade was in no way compatible with bloody conflicts and a militaristic theme in general.
At the very moment when the emperor realized the need for internal reforms rather than military campaigns, the right time had already been missed. By the end of Olivius Rem's reign, the empire had in its arsenal three of the most serious problems, which would ultimately lead to its disintegration:
— The faction of the aristocrats had significantly separated from the imperial family and clearly laid claim to control over the entire country;
— The common inhabitants were being subjected en masse to the influence of various opinions, both political and religious, which, together with the already existing racial and class distinctions, only added fuel to the fire;
— Individual duchies and border territories had in effect acquired full autonomy and sovereignty, which made the local population question the need to remain part of the Remian Empire.
For some reason, all these important questions went unnoticed both by the emperor and by his advisors, and his sudden death and testament became the first heralds of the coming of the bloodiest conflict in the history of the continent.

Sonata Rem (762-765)
To acquaint myself with the personality and ideas of Sonata Rem I used the works of several respected Remian historians, including Lergar Mitchers and Elevara Beraviin, as well as the autobiographical notes of aristocrats of the time. As follows from the retelling of one of the marchioness's friends, who was present at the well-known coronation of the new emperor:

— To this day, and throughout all the past centuries, a large share of the resources of our enormous country has, unfortunately, been spent and continues to be spent on the very voracious desires of the aristocracy, whereas they could have been spent on solving more pressing problems — raising the standard of living, developing science, improving the quality of education and medicine, strengthening defense capability... There are many ways to use the resources of a country for the benefit of all its citizens, and various entertainments and the wasteful lifestyle of the representatives of high society, in my view, do not number among them. At the very least, that is not what taxes should be going toward.

To this, in turn, her interlocutor objected to the future empress:

-I understand your position; however, the redistribution of economic resources is no simple process. It will require, above all, decisive action and firm resolve, but what worries me most are the specific methods by which this may be achieved. From history we know what it can lead to if one suddenly and too sharply begins to oppress the higher estates of our society, and this may bring about the most varied unpleasant consequences for the country.

This short dialogue, quite possibly, did in fact take place and turned out to be quite prophetic. But I will not go into the details that followed, since they are already known almost verbatim to the general public, and will proceed directly to an assessment of the three-year reforms and ideas of Sonata Rem.
Unlike many other bearers of imperial blood, Sonata set as her goal, in a certain sense, a return to the traditional foundations of Rem — the building of a free and highly organized civil society and the deliverance from the aristocratic estate that had taken shape over the centuries. As her partner she took, perhaps, the only person who was capable of carrying out such a risky project — Larian Twise. By joint efforts they brought to life a new system of taxation, which in fact put an end to the class inequality that had existed in the empire, but which also spilled over into an active conflict with the representatives of the nobility. A further summary of the most important laws is published in the "Remian Chronicles" (issue 101 and onward)
Analyzing part of the works of Larian Twise, officially published by the modern Larian government, I cannot but agree with many of his arguments. To solve the political and economic questions that existed within the country at that time by soft and slow paces was not possible. The development of the private market was indirectly hindered by representatives of the nobility, who bought up the shares of entire companies and in essence became the sole owners not only of their own lands but also of hundreds of thousands of common workers. Jointly they controlled state officials, the courts, and the police, which gave small enterprise and ordinary citizens no chance whatsoever to defend themselves in any way within the framework of the law. From this standpoint, Sonata Rem's actions can be considered quite positive for the common population of the country.
But was everything so simple with Sonata herself? Numerous witnesses point to the excessive rigidity and unscrupulousness of the young empress, and her unwillingness to enter into any cooperation, make concessions, or settle matters with little bloodshed. At times it seemed that many of her political decisions were more "against" something rather than "for" anything concrete. And the fact of her unlawful occupation of the throne in the end only added enemies to her and gave the aristocrats and the future emperor Tiarius a significant trump card against the then-government. Additionally, it is worth mentioning that Sonata's government also did not strive to carry out an equivalent privatization of industry, in fact taking away the most promising companies such as "Remford," and then restricting access to external investment in them. Such were the Remian "sixties."
In conclusion, I think that the pile-up of serious questions accumulated under the reign of Olivius Rem could no longer be resolved by peaceful means, and an internal conflict in the empire was already unavoidable. Whether Sonata Rem was a lawful and merciful empress or not, the war would have happened all the same. And therefore she can and should be judged only to the same extent as, for instance, Lapis Rem for the dispersal of the senate and the seizure of power.

Tiarius Rem (765-769)
Of the three key problems of the then-Remian Empire that I indicated above, Sonata Rem tried to resolve the first, connected with the influence of the aristocratic nobility on the development of the state, which led in the end to a short but bloody coup, as a result of which, as many believed, the lawful heir to the throne, Tiarius Rem, stood at the head of the empire.
It makes little sense to describe all the countless atrocities and madnesses perpetrated by the latter; however, it is quite curious that, just like his own sister, he in the end fell victim to the third problem unresolved by his father — the excessive independence granted to individual regions of the empire. Having sensed their own strength and the weakness of the central state apparatus after the burning of the capital, the empire instantly split into separate sectors, which marked the beginning of a new, still more terrible war.
Tiarius's reforms were aimed at the strengthening of his sole power and the most brutal eradication of any representatives of the opposition. Old friends and supporters could not understand the changes that had overtaken a once noble and selfless man, and how in such a short time he had turned into a bloodthirsty, hard-hearted, and self-absorbed tyrant. Unfortunately, in my own research I was unable to find a single fact that could be used to describe the reign of Tiarius Rem in a positive light. The fragmentation of the country, the destruction of the economy, the halt of trade, the decline of magic and technology — such are the results of the short reign of the "ideal prince."

Vagael Rem (~770-790)
Despite the fact that many respected historians connect the reign of Vagael Rem in the period of the "shards" with the final and irreversible decline of a once great nation, I would also like to bring forward several arguments in his defense.
Corruption, bureaucracy, greed, and venality of power, the absence of any control over his lands are the main arguments against Vagael, not to mention his true origin. And with them it is indeed very difficult to argue.
However, it is important to mention that it was precisely he who managed, albeit unconsciously, to briefly divert the main conflict away from the war-ravaged capital, preventing the complete and final destruction of all of Ackervald. Even under a bad ruler, torn apart by bandits and demons, the name of the empire survived this historical conflict, and the damage inflicted turned out possible to restore. In the future these lands were seized by "Orion," who likewise had no desire to destroy them, but rather to rule them. As I see it, the true cultural value lies not in specific objects — paintings, ornaments, or furniture — but in the name and the idea associated with it, for the sake of whose existence people are ready to go to voluntary suffering in order to preserve it at any cost and pass it on to future generations. Did Vagael and the members of "Orion" pursue such ideas? Very doubtful. But did their desire to hold onto power in these lands by any means serve the preservation of the capital and the entire central region? More than.

Kamiya Ren (790(?)-827)
Historical justice, in a certain sense, was done when the throne of the empire was taken by Kamiya Ren — the son of Kamiya Kyokhei, who is known to us under the name of Yubin Rem and the true heir of Emperor Olivius. A separate theme of many writings are the speculations about what would have become of the empire had Yubin taken the throne that belonged to him by right?
Once an ally of Sonata's daughter Simfonia, upon learning the truth about his origin, Kamiya joined the organization "Event Horizon," where he quickly attained the rank of grandmaster. Into my hands fell the records of Selkhia Seymour, who once served under his leadership. She described the then still young Kamiya Ren exclusively in positive terms.
Since the contribution of the previous emperor to the victorious war with the demons and the beginning of the second era of flourishing in the history of the Remian Empire is difficult to overestimate, I will devote attention only to his subsequent reforms. In some ways this story may be reminiscent of the rise of the first ruler, Lapis Rem. The same strict but just laws, harsh censorship, broad propaganda, and a significant strengthening of monarchical power. And, much like the events of seven centuries ago, the empire's external surroundings simply oblige it to be ready for anything and to stay on its guard. But unlike the old times, nowadays people have at their disposal entirely different technologies, orders, and even a way of thinking. In order that all of Kamiya Ren's achievements not go to waste, the next emperor must give the younger generation, which has not seen the horrors of the demonic war, a positive contrast. And, thanks to the deeds of the present emperor, his name together with that of his father evokes in people mostly positive associations.

Yujian Rem (827-?)
The era of bloody battles and squabbles for power is gradually receding into the past, new people are born with different dreams and ambitions, and the present state system must ideally reflect their vision of the world. Only thus will it be possible to achieve development and prosperity.
Fortunately, over his seven-year reign Yujian Rem has shown himself a man of exceptionally high moral qualities, hardworking, merciful, understanding. He gave the people what they desired — more freedom and self-expression. He promoted friendly cooperation with neighbors, the development of trade and the economy.
Despite this, the development of society never stops, and the desires and appetites of common people have no limit. I see the following important questions ripening in the empire:
— The need for a change of the state order / the granting of additional powers to posts elected by democratic means and a corresponding reduction of the power concentrated in the hands of the emperor.
— The resolution of the question of the research centers and secret laboratories left over after the war with the demons, rumors of which are increasingly seeping into the public. Should the empire, for instance, rid itself of the weapons of mass destruction, biological and subjugating weapons, that are at its disposal?
— The resolution of the diplomatic question with the neighboring Larian Republic. It is unknown who will have to make concessions, but the prolonged "cold war" between the two states threatens negative consequences for them both.
— The creation of a new, modern codification of laws providing for a clear establishment of political, economic, and class rights and freedoms for every inhabitant of the country.
These and many other important problems will face the new emperor to solve. I am not a politician or an expert, and so I cannot give a single-valued answer as to which path he should take. But I hope that our emperor will continue to leave behind only a positive impression, and that he will have enough strength and courage to make the key decisions at the right moment.

S
An excellently executed work. An excellent knowledge of history and the ability not only to think critically but also to express one's own opinion place this essay on a level with the works of professional historians and political scientists.

For this work the student Moriner Leveristos is awarded the medal named after Kamiya Ren, given only to the most diligent and talented students.

+1 to event points, +25% to learning speed.

_______________________________
Lapis Rem
Also known as Egir Valenshtein, he went down in history as a genius strategist, a cunning politician, and, most importantly, the first king of Rem, who turned a once-small country into a superpower. Had it not been for the military talents of Lapis Rem, the country would scarcely have withstood the onslaught of the anti-Remian coalition. And yet, even so great a man had his flaws, the chief of which, without any doubt, was his thirst for power. It was this that prompted him to overthrow the senate that had until then ruled Rem and to become its sole ruler. It was this that prompted him to conclude a secret alliance with Beliad. And it was this that prompted him to expand his lands. The period of the first king's reign was characterized, above all, by the strengthening of both the external influence of the newborn kingdom and the personal power of Lapis Rem himself. In my opinion, in modern times a figure like Egir would not have gained popular support, despite all his talents. In the past, the difficult situation of the country played into his hands, making him a hero in the eyes of many of its inhabitants. The king died at the advanced age of 89 and left behind a strong country, the rule of which was taken up by his eldest son.

Hegon Rem
Having served as the right hand of his father for forty-nine years, Hegon Rem came to power in the sixty-fifth year of his life. His policy was radically different from that of the previous king. Where Lapis waged active conquests of his neighbors, there Hegon established trade relations with the new neighbors of the kingdom. During the reign of the second king, Rem took part in not a single major military conflict, enjoying a period of cultural growth and improvement of the citizens' condition. His greatest achievement, however, was the establishment of contact, and subsequently of friendly relations, with Alait. It was precisely in the times of Hegon Rem that the first mages appeared on the lands of the kingdom. In my opinion, Hegon Rem was a talented ruler who proved the ideal successor to his father. Where someone else might have tried to "capitalize on" Lapis's success with a series of new conquests, Hegon consolidated that very success. A truly wise ruler, he deserves no less praise than his predecessor. Hegon died in the one hundred and second year of his life, appointing as his successor his third son. One of the few known mistakes he made during his reign.

Archon Rem
The first, but unfortunately not the only, of the madmen on the throne of Rem. Being a graduate of one of the Alaitian magical academies, Archon saw perfectly well the whole range of possibilities that the sorcerous art opened up before people. Whereas the first mages had appeared on the lands of Rem through the efforts of his father, it was through the efforts of the third king that they were fully integrated into the life of the empire. Someone might say, even too densely. While no one would dispute the usefulness of a special educational institution for mages and their use as part of armies, the use of magic in the judicial system was a highly questionable decision. Leaving aside even the influence of corruption among the mage-investigators on the process, this directly contradicted the laws on the rights of the empire's citizens written by Hegon. And, who knows, had Archon's reign continued further, might he not have begun to execute people for thoughtcrimes? In the end, this was not the only case where the new king neglected the welfare of the common people. Moreover, he diligently imposed his own ideals upon them.
Naturally, under such a policy, Archon earned many ill-wishers — both among the common people and the nobility. And whereas in any other situation they might have resigned themselves and waited for the natural death of the ruler, Archon, being an extremely talented mage, diligently did not want to die, clearly planning to outlive even his own children. As a result, it was one of them, his eldest son, Prince Leos, who made an attempt to eliminate the tyrant, by means of the services of a Beliadian hired killer. To the conspirators' misfortune, even here magic helped the tyrant survive. But, although it dealt with his physical wounds, the wounds of the soul stripped Archon of those last scraps of humanity that he still had left. His regime grew even harsher, and for the opponents of the regime a special prison was built, named after its first prisoner — Leosfort. Only by the year 323 did the patience of the inhabitants of Remi finally snap, and Archon, at last, found peace. Perhaps for the first time in many years.

Eirin Rem
The youngest of the rulers of Rem, the grandson of the previous king, was chosen as ruler by the organizers of the second conspiracy against his grandfather. The reason for such a decision by the conspirators is simple and obvious — they hoped to make of the youth their own puppet, taking decisions advantageous, above all, to themselves. This plan, however, was not destined to come to pass — upon reaching majority, Eirin completely renewed the state apparatus of the kingdom. The bungling manipulators lost their posts, but kept their lives.
In terms of cunning, firmness of character, and readiness to go all the way, Eirin was no inferior to his distant ancestor, Lapis Rem. And like him, the young king brought stability to the country and significantly expanded its territories, including annexing to Rem the kingdom of Alait and the lands that would in the future become the duchy of Larian. Also like him, he transformed his country into something greater — the Remian kingdom took on the proud name of the Remian Empire. Despite all his successes, Eirin died as tragically as he did absurdly — at one of the tournaments he himself had founded, at the age of sixty-five. An incredible stupidity for, it would seem, a very talented ruler. One can only guess whether many of the merits attributed to him were in fact the result of his own efforts, rather than the hard work of his advisors.

Reisen Rem
A madman and a bloody tyrant, Reisen Rem came to power owing to the fact that all the other heirs had "mysteriously" died, in one way or another. Unlike Archon, the reign of Reisen had not a single even remotely positive moment. It was through his efforts that the class system became officially entrenched in the country, and the attempts of the people to stand against it led to the twenty-year civil war, after which Reisen practically ceased to leave his equally mysterious as he was sinister palace. The regime of the second emperor ended after his mysterious death — for an unknown reason, Reisen's heart stopped. And the sight of what Reisen had been doing in his palace was so terrible that the palace remained sealed for several hundred years. Historians still have not agreed on what exactly the dead emperor had been doing there. According to one of the most popular, though unofficial, versions, Reisen was a dark mage and a demonologist who filled his dwelling with unclean spirits of every kind.

Beryl Rem
Known for his saying "I will take upon my shoulders the sins of my grandfather," Beryl was among the first to step across the threshold of Reisen Rem's palace and to decide to seal it. Although he was not the direct heir of the previous emperor, his charisma allowed him to convince the other claimants to the throne to yield this right to him. Absorbed in the work of restoring the damage inflicted by Reisen's reign, Beryl did not leave behind in history so noticeable a mark as many of his descendants and predecessors. Yet everything that is known to us about him characterizes him as a very talented and wise ruler.

Verillian Rem
The period of the reign of Verillian Rem, crowned in the year 496, is above all characterized by the active development of erinium technologies. So characterized, in fact, that it even exerted a great influence on the foreign policy of the empire. It was precisely the wealth of the swamps of the snake-men in erinium that became the cause of the armed conflict between them and the Remian Empire — a conflict from which the latter, thanks to its superior technologies, emerged the victor. The discovery by Remian navigators of Frongkhvar, the "continent of pain," is also in many ways connected with their use of erinium ships. Unfortunately, Verillian's death came precisely during the time of this very expedition, and the government that succeeded him, lacking the foresight of the late emperor, put an end to further exploration of the mysterious continent. Perhaps not the greatest of the Remian rulers, Verillian more than earned his place in history as an active champion of technological progress.

Olivius Lapis Rem
Of all the emperors of the Remian Empire, Olivius was closest in character to his distant ancestor and founder of the dynasty — he was as talented as he was, but in equal measure as power-loving. It was precisely as a result of his ambitions that the long peace that had reigned in the empire for many years was broken and its territories once more began to expand. First at the expense of a former ally, Beliad, and subsequently at the expense of the empire's long-standing opponent — Nihon. It was precisely the desire to seize this country that drove Olivius, as though the expansion to the east never completed by Eirin had been a personal insult to him. However, its capture did not satisfy the emperor's ambitions, and his expansion continued for some time, until he deemed further growth of the empire inexpedient and took up the strengthening of the position of his own line.

Sonata Rem
The first empress, the mere mention of whose name to this day can give rise to heated debate. An extremely talented and purposeful personality who, in following her own ideals, was ready to go to great lengths. For instance, to usurp the throne, which, taken together with her striving to abolish the aristocracy, did not meet with the approval of the majority of the noble houses of the Remian Empire. Nevertheless, the common folk loved their new ruler, who spared no effort to improve the quality of their lives. And perhaps, had she acted more cautiously or had the situation with Tiarius unfolded somewhat differently, she might have succeeded in leading the Empire into a new golden age. Unfortunately, Sonata rushed with some of her reforms and, in only a few years, managed to set against herself a whole row of influential factions at once, which dealt a heavy blow to the integrity of the empire. And this was enough for her brother Tiarius Rem, more popular with the aristocracy, to succeed in overthrowing her and laying his hands on the throne. The subsequent history of Sonata Rem, no matter how anyone may relate to her, could not be called anything other than a tragedy.

Tiarius Rem
In the early years of his life, Tiarius was famous, if for anything, then for his positive personal qualities and numerous talents. A wise leader and a favorite of the aristocracy, he was regarded by all as the most likely heir to his father's throne. But at the moment when Sonata usurped power, the "ideal prince" showed his true face. In the course of the civil war, by means of weapons of Reisen Rem obtained from unknown sources, a personal army of thugs, and the support of the "Legacy" faction led by Thalassius Semis Deim, later to become the demon lord Thalas, Tiarius occupied the capital and seized power in the empire.
Compared with what Tiarius and his bandits did, even the crimes of Reisen and Archon pale. Numerous brothels with slave women, the legalization of slavery, and the "academy of brides" — this is only a small part of the list of his crimes. The invasion of demons arranged by Thalassius was the cherry on the cake. By his atrocities, the usurper united against himself the fragmented factions of the empire and, in the end, was defeated. But behind him he left only broken lives and smoking ruins. What none of the external opponents had managed to do over many centuries, Tiarius achieved in only a few years — he destroyed the empire that he had wished to rule.

Vagael Rem
Also known as Vagael L. Morr, he was a distant relative of Olivius Lapis Rem. Although initially, after the overthrow of Tiarius, power had been planned to be placed in the hands of Luciola Rem, she was severely wounded in the battle with the usurper and fell into a coma, which continues to this day. It was precisely the absence of direct heirs, taken together with the lack of desire on the part of the coalition members to engage in the restoration of the empire, that allowed such a pitiful and weak man to seize the throne. In any other situation, a petty rogue like Vagael could not have counted on such an honor. In part, it is precisely for this reason that beyond the borders of the then "Remian Empire" he was not even considered an emperor. The new ruler could not and did not wish to deal effectively with any of the problems that his country faced. Bandit groups, ignored by the official authorities, were the norm for his regime. And, in the end, it was precisely one of such groups, "Orion," that gained sufficient influence in the country and overthrew Vagael. Only a bullet from an unknown hero, fired at the coronation of the leader of "Orion," saved the empire from yet another usurper.

Kamiya Ren
The son of the lawful heir of Olivius Lapis Rem — Yubin Rem, also known as Kyokhei Kamiya. Nevertheless, despite his being the lawful heir to the throne, Kamiya Ren never took the surname of Rem, although he had a far greater right to it than his predecessor. A skilled warrior, a genius strategist and scholar, the possessor of many talents — he was exactly what the country needed at that time. He raised the Remian Empire from the ashes, won back the lands of Laytia from the demons, and even completed part of the reforms begun by Sonata. Under his rule, the empire ceased to be a pitiful shadow of its former self and once more became a country of which its citizens were proud. But, despite all his merits, Kamiya Ren was, above all, a leader for wartime. And, when peacetime arrived, the legislative code of the empire began to become overgrown with ever new and new prohibitions, while representatives of the press and culture were subjected to harsh censorship. Despite this, Kamiya Ren is deservedly considered one of the greatest heroes of the empire. In the year 827 the emperor fell victim to a hired killer.

Yujian Rem
The younger son of Kamiya Ren, Yujian was crowned at the age of nineteen after his elder brother, Kamiya Yuki, had renounced his rights to the throne. Over the seven years of his reign, the young emperor has achieved much, repealing many of his father's controversial laws and continuing the course once taken by Sonata Rem toward the expansion of civil rights. Despite his age, Yujian Rem gives the impression of a wise ruler who genuinely cares for his subjects, and I am confident that under his leadership the empire will enter a new era of prosperity.

A
No remarks concerning this work.

_______________________________
Lapis Rem – a great man who saved our country, paralyzed by a weak and corruption-ridden senate, from inevitable ruin. In essence, the founder of our state, without whose actions Rem would now either not exist at all or would be a weak power of no geopolitical significance. He spent more than a third of his life fighting for our country, and although some historians now try to revise his merits and call him a "dictator" and a "usurper," I am deeply convinced that he was a true hero.
Hegon Rem – a true son of his father, who carefully preserved and enriched what the previous king had created. If Lapis Rem gave Rem its territories, then Hegon turned those territories into flourishing lands. His foreign policy, too, proved to the whole world that Rem knows how not only to fight but also to befriend, which was especially important after the protracted wars of the previous ruler.
Archon Rem – a tyrant who forgot that the aristocracy of spirit is the most important thing and decided that he could solve any question by means of magic. His only merit is that he developed the system of magical sciences in our country, thanks to which for a long time the imperial school of magic was one of the strongest in the world.
Eirin Rem – a capable sovereign who ably employed both diplomacy and military action. His method of incorporating Alait into the empire has deservedly gone down in the textbooks of history as one of the most brilliant political moves ever carried out by our rulers. It was he who turned Rem into an empire and became our first emperor. I would like to note that although his death was an honest and noble one, I still consider it extremely unreasonable – a ruler must put the needs of the empire and the people above all else, and not the desire to demonstrate his skill in a martial duel.
Reisen Rem – a madman who nearly ruined the empire – if rumors are to be believed, twice. The first time he did so during his own reign. The second time it happened when the greedy mercenaries who penetrated his palace released from there a multitude of horrors theretofore sealed away – knowledge of necromancy, demonology, and also a woman who became the cause of the fall of Tiarius Rem. Of course, this information was not officially confirmed, but I deemed it still necessary to note. However, like Archon, he did after all do one correct deed – he gave the aristocracy its privileges, for nobility of spirit and of birth ought to be recognized and exalted above the common people.
Beryl Rem – although his name did not enter the annals of history as the name of a great diplomat, conqueror, or politician, it was he who saved the empire from ruin. As often happens in this life, the one on whom many lean remains unnoticed by the majority of people.
Verilian Rem – gave the empire emirium and, in essence, laid the foundations of the country's future industrialization, thanks to which Rem was for a long time the most technological country in the world.
Olivius Lapis Rem – it seems to me that his middle name does not coincide by accident with the name of the founder of our nation. After all, he conquered lands as though the spirit of our first king had entered into him. A great emperor who managed to bring such a mighty country of warriors as Nihon to its knees.
Sonata Rem – a usurper who unlawfully seized power, trampled the will of her father, the customs and traditions of this country, and also doomed our state to the most painful civil war in its history, from the results of which we have not been able to recover to this day. Sonata also destroyed the institution of the aristocracy as such, replacing the rule of noble blood and spirit with the rule of money.
Tiarius Rem – a man who ascended the throne because of the actions of the previous empress, who replaced the true testament of the emperor. A tyrant who split our country, ruined and destroyed countless lives, and ordered things to be done with his sister that cannot be described even on paper. Truly, he was the embodiment of evil.
Vagael Rem – a talentless individual who was engaged in his own enrichment instead of governing the country. Doomed to be forgotten by history.
Kamiya Ren – when it seemed there was no longer any hope for Rem, we were given more than just a ray of hope – we were given a veritable sun. Emperor Kamiya Ren saved our country from ruin and transformation into an insignificant state. In essence, one may say he founded the country anew, much like the first king, Lapis Rem.
Yujian Rem – strictly speaking, it seems to me still too early to add this emperor to a history test, for his reign has not yet ended. But if one sets that fact aside, I consider him one of the "peacetime" emperors who so often appear in history after those who expanded the borders of the state. Yujian Rem – a ruler who can heal the wounds left by war. From what I have personally seen and heard of him, he is also the kindest of men, who loves and values his subjects above all else.

B
Recommendations: take a harder and more skeptical attitude toward unconfirmed facts and rumors, and distinguish truth from fiction.

Lapis Reim - it is extremely difficult for me to judge our glorious founding father from the point of view of a modern citizen; after all, it was he who set the direction of our country's development for many centuries. To criticize his decisions is to reject whole ages of history, and with that approach, for a proper assessment one would need to know how our civilization would have developed had it remained a republic. That is far too vague and uncertain a subject, more in the realm of fiction.
However, I can say this. Empires, by their very nature, do not live forever, as indeed many other constructs of nature and humanity do not: every living thing is doomed to entropy and decay sooner or later. And yet, after the fact, we see that seven centuries later, after all the trials sent down upon our peoples, we still exist, and in a fairly strong form. At minimum, that means the state laid down by Lapis proved strong enough to last seven hundred years. And the fact that the man born Eghir Valenstein, in a difficult hour, essentially saved our population from destruction or enslavement with his talents deserves respect.
Hegon Reim - they say that the better a ruler is, in terms of peace and prosperity, welfare, and the freedoms of citizens, the less there is to tell about him. Accordingly, I cannot say anything interesting about this emperor; from what I know, he is a completely uncontroversial figure, a typical kind and wise ruler who replaced a harsher one. I think the period of his reign was one of the best for every layer of the population.
Archon Reim - here too I do not think my opinion will differ from the common one. All the constructive potential that came from Archon, based on Hegon's groundwork, namely the development of the institution of sorcery, which could potentially have brought enormous benefit, was trampled into the mud by Archon himself. It is not fully known whether he envied his father and disagreed with him on governing the state, or whether he had some mental abnormalities, but this man proved completely unsuited to his role. The fact that he was hated both by the higher classes and by common folk only confirms it.
Eirin Reim - unquestionably a strong personality, a man who overcame the fate allotted to him and restored trust in the imperial dynasty. To some degree he can be called a personification of Lapis, but with a plus sign. Although I personally am not a fan of warmongering, Eirin's good qualities redeem that. Probably. In any case, the people who died during his campaigns can console themselves with the fact that the foundation of a monumental empire was laid on their blood and corpses.
Reisen Reim - I know almost nothing about him. All the textbooks, lectures, and other study materials touched on was a meager description of the direct events of the civil war and its preconditions. I do not know exactly why: loss of documented materials, or their classification. In any event, it is too dark a period of our history for me to evaluate it somehow.
Beryl Reim - likewise. Even less is known about this emperor than about Reisen, which is obviously connected. All I found were formal notes about how he labored to preserve the state. Well, if so, then honor and praise to him as a typical crisis manager. But I find it incredible that official history simply erased the events of those decades from textbook pages.
Verilian Reim - a man of progressive views, sufficiently carried away by his ideas to unleash a war, but fortunately devoid of vanity and cruelty, keeping a cool head to the end. At present we can only guess how justified the expansion west and north was almost immediately after the end of the civil and other wars, but based on the other facts about the ruler's personality, I am still inclined to believe that by then the situation in the country was under control, that these decisions were justified, and that they gave our civilization exactly the edge it needed to resume unconditional domination in the region. The decades after his death confirmed this. Either Verilian was the best ruler of those centuries, or he was lucky to land in a period of rise caused by other processes.
Oliviy Lapis Reim - as I already mentioned, I do not much like warmongers. I do not know whether he was named in honor of the founder, or whether he assigned himself such a name for solidity, so everyone would tremble with delight and associate him with Valenstein's second coming; my personal attitude toward him is sharply negative. I hope I will not be sent to torture dungeons and executed for this essay. A catastrophic failure inside the state: he raised descendants who dragged the country into another bloodiest civil war, repression, and death. Outside it: he quarreled with Beliad, went to war with a handful of neighbors, and ruined a huge number of lives. Thanks to the groundwork of his ancestors, he did manage to snatch a few scraps of land, but at a huge human cost and not without consequences reaching into the future. Not the blackest streak in our history, because there have been worse times, but very close to it.
Sonata Reim - she was born much earlier than she should have been. Or much later? In any case, the country was not ready for the changes conceived by her clique. Someone will say she acted courageously: she simply took what she wanted, refusing to put up with the consequences. I think, rather, that this was very characteristic of an oppressed woman: breaking all the rules of the game established before her, she staged a coup and clawed out her right to the throne with her teeth. I would not, of course, put all the blame on her alone: her convictions, which diverged from official imperial policy, merely proved convenient to other people, who sent her to ram through social foundations while they themselves followed step by step along the path she had broken. The materials from those times show that she did not display excessive cruelty; all repressions were quite in the spirit of the glorious ancestors of her imperial family, except that in their goals they were aimed at the "ultimate good." Nevertheless, Sonata's example shows that convictions alone are not enough; besides that, she showed neither the desire nor the talent to lower the degree of internal tension. In the end she could not hold power and was thrown onto the trash heap as used material. Despite her good intentions in a vacuum, their execution, and the events that occurred after her reign, do not allow me after the fact to assess her contribution as positive.
Tiariy Reim - an ordinary psychopath. For a time he seemed like excellent human material, but he was outwitted by Sonata. I do not think, however, that the coup "made" him what he ultimately became; people do not simply change one hundred eighty degrees. Most likely, he successfully mimicked for the time being, playing along with social demands, as psychopaths do, and his true nature would have revealed itself one way or another, gradually during his rule or all at once. It is possible that he was partly affected by his appointment in Nihon, with its heavy psychological consequences, as well as by his direct connection to bloodthirsty Oliviy. In the end, both he and Sonata can be blamed for the same thing: the banal inability to discern the nature of their closest blood relatives and take appropriate measures long before all of it grew into conflict. It is funny, of course, how daddy bit off and recolored new territories, while his children ruined not only that, but everything built up long before them. Not the most successful generations of rulers for the country's history.
Vagael Reim - apparently this is a trick question, because I have no idea who that is. I heard one mention once: a random talking head, soon separated from its shoulders.
Kamiya Ren - a traditionalist warrior, not noticed in any vices, another incarnation of the honored crisis manager. One can argue with the forcibly instilled ideological points, but that is each person's individual matter. They did not affect me personally; I was too young. With all respect, against the background of many previous rulers, I simply have nothing to say about him. For a while after all the disasters, people breathed freely; that alone is good.
Yujian Reim - likewise. In the current emperor I see a continuation of the previous one, with the only difference that he is more oriented toward peacetime. Being a contemporary of events, I cannot assess what is happening in full. In historical perspective, the current years are not even a grain of sand, but only a thousandth of one. Today one thing, tomorrow another, and the day after tomorrow it may all lead to a third. Therefore I will refrain from an extended answer to this question.

B
Recommendations: fill gaps in knowledge about certain periods of imperial history.

No country is characterized only by its rulers, but much depends on rulers. A wise ruler blesses his people, while a foolish one, even if it is not immediately visible, curses them and dooms them to years of torment. All our history bears witness to that.
The history of our imperial dynasty begins in the year 191, when Eghir Valenstein, the future Lapis Reim, was appointed ruler by the senate of the republic and granted broad powers. At the time this was considered a necessary sacrifice to preserve the state from the pressure of external enemies, but the senate did not know that Eghir would not only cope with his task, but also become king, finally removing the senate from power. At the same time he seized the territory of several kingdoms that had previously threatened Reim. Sources claim that he was treacherous and power-hungry, but in my view those were rather dark times overall, and no one knows how another ruler, or the senate if it had won, would have acted in his place.
Hegon Reim was the son of Lapis Reim and helped his father from youth (thought in my head: wow, he was the same age as me!), although he became ruler only in old age. He did not like war; instead he focused on science and art, befriended the elves, and in the end magic began to be practiced in Reim. It seems to me that Hegon Reim truly was the right person in the right place; without him our kingdom of that time risked going entirely down a purely military path, without serious internal development, and that would have ended badly.
Archon Reim is known as the mage-king, though mostly from the bad side. In fact, evaluating him is a little difficult, because although he used magic against people, the idea of developing magic itself is not bad. Perhaps he simply became too fixated on it, or there was some bad influence? In any case, things become worst with this king after the inhuman attempt to kill him by his son Leos. After that, Archon built the Leosfort prison for his enemies.
In the end Archon is believed to have been killed, but I have encountered sources that doubt it. That is logical, since dark mages can sometimes do strange things, for example transferring their souls into other bodies.
Eirin Reim was Archon's grandson and came to power at only six, because Archon's killers, who were also his advisers, wanted to control the monarch. I do not know whether they were driven by caution or lust for power, but in the end Eirin did not allow it, and at sixteen was already ruling almost independently, having appointed other advisers for himself. When they tried to kill him, he not only survived but pardoned the organizers of the murder, for which he immediately earned people's respect.
Eirin established a protectorate over Alait and defended it from highlander raids. Although it is said this was largely for resources, I think he acted not only from selfish motives, since Reim had had good relations with the elves since Hegon's time.
In the end Eirin expanded the territory and renamed the kingdom the Reim Empire.
Then Eirin seized numerous territories in the East and suffered defeat only in Nihon and the Celestial Empire. It is a little hard for me to understand why all those territories were needed and why he fought so stubbornly with the same Nihon; perhaps the previous war embittered Eirin beyond measure... In the end peace was signed with the Celestial Empire, but military actions with Nihon continued for a long time, needlessly taking lives on both sides.
Eirin did much within the country, especially in education and military sciences. He died at a tournament.
Reisen Reim introduced a class system which, though it seemed fair to him, still displeased a great many people. A civil war began in the country. The rebels fought the emperor for twenty years, apparently not suspecting that powerful magic and structures throughout the capital, built by the emperor's architect, were on the latter's side. Some sources claim the magic was as black as possible, and in that connection the news that Reisen died of cardiac arrest raises some doubts. He spent the rest of his reign in the palace, never leaving it and keeping his life secret.
Reisen's actions would still have a bad effect on the empire much later.
Beryl Reim, Reisen's grandson, was not heir by right, but became one solely through diplomacy. He sealed his grandfather's palace and tried in every way to restore the empire after his reign. The history books write little about him, and I understand why, because he was neither a great warrior nor a tyrant, and did not carry out reforms that shook society. For some reason, it is precisely such people who always earn the most attention and glory, even though the consequences of their rule are often debatable. But I personally am certain that if the empire still stands, it is largely thanks to people like Beryl, who do their work quietly and without needless noise, but with enormous diligence and understanding.
During Beryl's reign, eriniun was discovered, but it was learned how to use it later, under and with the help of Verilian Reim. Blue eriniun became fuel for the empire's new ships, but there was little of it, and Verilian decided to begin a war with the serpent-people, whose territories were rich in this resource. The war was long and difficult, and ended entirely inhumanely: with scorched-earth tactics carried out with bombs of red eriniun.
The sad consequences of this deed, it seems to me, we see right now, when Larian periodically threatens us using ether weapons, while we ourselves are forced to invent other technology for our defense.
The serpent-people were enslaved, and the new ships helped make geographical discoveries.
The following roughly two hundred years are characterized by strong senate power and further development of the country. As with Beryl, there is little information about what the imperial family did at this time, but I suppose their contribution actually existed. If their office had become purely formal, Oliviy Lapis would not have been able to strengthen his power when he was crowned in his time.
The new emperor immediately declared war on Beliad, with which Reim had previously had good relations. All of it looked reckless, because Beliad began defending itself together with an entire coalition: Thanarsis, Areid, Khem, and Asteya, countries of the Enclesian faith. Even so, Oliviy Lapis won the war.
Then the ephemeral weapon itself was invented. It was expensive and not widespread, but it proved enough for victory over Nihon, the war with which had not ceased. It seems Oliviy did not understand that all his territorial expansions led not so much to improving the country's economy as to accumulating internal contradictions.
When he died, Sonata Reim took advantage of the fact that one of the pretenders to the throne was in the capital at that moment and seized power by force. Although her idea that the old class system had to be abolished was probably good, Sonata's rule rather proved that who you are matters more than what ideas you have. The violent seizure of power led to claims from Tiariy Reim and to the bloodiest civil war in the empire's history. It also mattered that the empire had many different groups with different interests, from serpent-people and Nihonians who wanted freedom to old kingdoms with their own dynasties.
At some point, Tiariy gained access to structures from Reisen's time, and also to some superweapon that destroyed any forces within a certain radius of Reim, so he managed to seize power in the capital. Tiariy proved incredibly cruel in his treatment of his defeated sister, and then of the people as a whole. I have seen the opinion that he came under the influence of a Nihonian woman with whom he traveled, but I do not know whether that is true. In any case, the war did not end with Tiariy's victory; Larian, Darkiria, and Nihon formed an alliance against a ruler they disliked. The leader of the alliance was Luciola Reim, who led it to victory through operations to eliminate the structures beneath Reim and the subsequent duel with Tiariy. Having killed the emperor, however, Luciola herself fell into a coma. A relative of Oliviy Lapis, Vagael, became the new emperor, but Darkiria, Larian, and Nihon remained independent.
The remaining Ackerwald and Brightwin were governed by the new emperor not very competently, but worst of all, the empire encountered Eos. The appearance of such a scourge looks very much like a logical consequence of all that black magic Tiariy used, inherited from Reisen, and all that pain and suffering brought by the civil war. It is no wonder that dark beings from another world found the idea of finally destroying every hope in people interesting, especially since the path had already been paved by unholy arts.
At this point the initiative was seized by an organization called "Orion." They broke the weakened state, but themselves became bogged down for a long time in internal conflicts. In the end, victory over them was won by the head of the largely scientific organization "Event Horizon," Kamiya Ren, who seems to have been one of the few who was good not only at military affairs but also at the competent use of technology. Moreover, with active support from Larian, Kamiya Ren managed to defeat Eos. I should note that my family, the Nerisses, around that time decided to accept the idea of the Flame Cult and move to the empire, mainly because they wanted to fight the filth of Eos, seeing it as a threat to the entire world. So my grandfather Gerwalt fought side by side with Kamiya Ren.
Kamiya Ren cared greatly for moral values and ruled for a long time, developing them in people, although many disliked that he was too strict in this respect. It seems to me, however, that some years of strictness after the decline in morals that had occurred were necessary to compensate for it somehow. The main thing is that Kamiya Ren did not organize mass executions and the like. The drawback is that over time Kamiya Ren began restricting his citizens' religious freedoms.
In terms of weapons, there was a flourishing under Kamiya Ren, since firearms technology came to us from Tiaral and was developed very strongly.
It is still difficult to speak about the current emperor, Yujian Reim. Probably much more can be said about him after his rule, not now. Personally I like him, despite the fact that people often speak not very well of him and criticize his indecision.
People are divided into two types: the first treats their actions and the possibility of making mistakes responsibly, and the second frivolously. Most people like the second type, especially when they succeed, because such figures seem bold and decisive; as long as they do not admit their mistakes, it seems there are none, and if something does not go according to plan, some villains or circumstances are to blame. But all of that is wrong. Everyone makes mistakes, and the person who makes fewer of them is the one who can learn from them. Yujian Reim resembles exactly such a person: he will not immediately decide to do something, but before doing it he will think carefully and in the end do everything right. And if he does make a mistake, it will not be repeated.
Under Yujian we live in such a happy and free country that I cannot imagine the like in another place or under another ruler. He also supervises our academy, and studied here himself, being a good shooter. It was all the more surprising for me to learn that in reality our curator and history teacher, Kamiya Yuki, was supposed to become heir. I would never have thought that Yujian had not been prepared for this responsibility from childhood and yet manages no worse than the best emperors of the past!

I hope my essay is not too full of conjectures, but it seemed important to me to emphasize certain things in history, since while studying, some connections impressed me. I hope to draw a lesson from this for myself as well. (thoughts in my head: "And I did not even want to do this! I do not know how much more useful it is than other subjects, but it seems this really is important in itself; I did not work hard these three weeks for nothing.")

B
Recommendations: structure your thoughts better.

Lapis Reim - real name Eghir. He was a commander who, during wars with neighboring countries, managed to strengthen his power in Reim and then proclaimed himself ruler, changing his name at the same time. A harsh, domineering, and cunning man. Died at around 90 years of age.
Hegon Reim - Lapis's eldest son. He was more peace-loving than his father. He did much for culture, science, trade, and people in general. During his reign an alliance was concluded with the elves, and the empire learned the basics of magic. At the time of death he was about a hundred years old.
Archon Reim - Hegon's third son. He brought magic to a new level; it began to be used in many spheres of life, but not always on the positive side. Many bans appeared for ordinary people, which caused dissatisfaction among the country's residents. His son ordered his assassination, but he survived. After this incident the ruler's mind clouded even further, which ultimately led to his death at the hands of his subjects.
Eirin Reim - Archon's grandson, took the throne at a young age. He joined Alait to Reim by concluding a treaty. After that he announced the creation of the empire and became its first emperor. Then he sent the army east, annexing ever new lands. The conquest stopped at the border with Nihon, which managed to resist and remain independent. He died in battle at a tournament he himself organized.
Reisen Reim - Eirin's son. He introduced a class system in the empire, which led to civil war. But the emperor's forces ultimately won. The ruler himself practically became a recluse in his palace, where he died. Later the palace was sealed, and after some time it became the site of terrible events.
Beryl Reim - Reisen's son, who spent his whole life trying to correct his father's mistakes and everything that had been destroyed and lost by the previous emperor.
Verilian Reim - developed seafaring and began a war with the lizardfolk over valuable resources discovered in the marshes. In the end the imperial forces won, though not at once. The lizards began to be used as labor. Died around the year 520.
Oliviy Lapis Reim - was a conqueror, started a war with Beliad, and annexed part of its lands to the empire. He managed to defeat Nihon, which in the end also became part of the empire.
Sonata Reim - seized power by deception, forging her father's will. She wanted to create equal conditions for all residents of the empire, which was opposed by many aristocrats who had built up their status and wealth over generations. She provoked a civil war with her actions, thinking power could simply be taken for herself.
Tiariy Reim - opposed his sister, believing he was the lawful heir to the throne named in the will. He had always been described positively until he became emperor. Such changes in character are difficult to explain logically, but the fact remains. In four years of his rule, very many terrible things were done.
Vagael Reim - became the first ruler of the remnants of a once mighty empire. He was not remembered for anything outstanding.
Kamiya Ren - the man who began Reim's revival and did much for it. He was talented in various fields, strict with himself and others, as could be understood from the bans he introduced in the country, though he most likely did it from good motives. He established contacts with neighbors, which of course had a positive effect on the country.
Yujian Reim - a young ruler who mostly continues his father's work. Though he has lifted some bans, believing residents deserve more freedoms than they had before. A diligent and hardworking person who gives all his strength for the country's good. He resolves many matters personally, perhaps wishing to stay aware of all events or simply taking his duties responsibly.

C
Recommendations: pay more attention to analysis of historical events.

Lapis Reim
A legendary figure, without question, and therefore not susceptible to critical analysis. I believe no one now living has a fully correct idea of this man. On the basis of my knowledge, I can first of all draw the following conclusion: all this man's deeds were done for his own benefit. In our age it is customary, and rightly so, to believe that a ruler should think only of the good of the country and the people, but I personally cannot condemn Lapis Reim for selfishness, authoritarianism, or cruelty. He lived in a far less humane era, and besides, regardless of motives, the results of his actions brought the country more good than evil.
Hegon
I know very little about him, and most likely from this one can conclude that he was a good ruler. The reigns of those who leave no loud trace in history are usually the calmest and most favorable. Most of the people would undoubtedly have preferred peaceful prosperity to great conquests and radical reforms.
Archon
Being a mage, I undoubtedly sympathize with Archon Reim as a person and welcome the policy this emperor pursued at the beginning of his reign. Magic is power, and it is the strong who should rule the weak, not the other way around. However dissatisfied the plebs may be with the infringement of their rights, it is done for their own good. In the end the people might perhaps have understood and accepted it as an inevitable lesser evil for the sake of a greater good, but Archon made a serious political mistake: by creating a new privileged layer of society out of mages, he failed to take the interests of the aristocracy into account, and this mistake quite naturally led to his fall. Based on the later years of his reign, only two conclusions can be drawn: in some very rare situations the people must go beyond their authority, and one person must not occupy the position of head of state for too long. Even leaving such excesses aside, people as a rule fail to keep up in their ideas with the demands of the age, and the older they become, the more they "slow down" the state.
Eirin
I know little about him as well. I remember that he led military expansion and that under him we obtained Alait; in general, that is enough to assess the period of his rule positively and place him in the same row as Hegon.
Reisen
A mystical figure, without doubt. I am sure we have not unraveled even half his secrets, from succession crises to the devices he designed. His policy again repeated the same idea as Archon's: the idea of the strong having the right to power. His fate is also similar to Archon's fate. I cannot assess him as a ruler, and I do not think such an attempt makes sense; this man hardly cared seriously about his country's fate. But I will not hide that I admire him as a man and researcher.
Beryl
I can say nothing except that the fact the empire was able to continue existing after the crises under Reisen speaks in his favor. Again, he can be placed in the same row as Hegon.
Verilian
Dash
Oliviy Lapis
An expansionist; he must have been popular in life and cursed more than once after death. Was he not involved in the crisis of power that arose? Does he not bear responsibility for the personal qualities of his own children, who plunged us into the abyss of civil wars? Did the conquest of Nihon bring us good; could we even have held it, theoretically? He gives me the impression of a lucky adventurer whose motto was "After me, the flood."
Sonata and Tiariy
With your permission, I will consider them together, since they are not only key figures of one era, but also much more alike than different. Sonata was a usurper and tyrant no less than Tiariy, and though her ideas were much more humane, she used the same methods of gaining power. She merely chose a more favorable moment and therefore did not have to resort to terror. She was just as authoritarian; we know perfectly well that in her day she had no fewer opponents than Tiariy. I would say Tiariy is a more "honest" version of Sonata. But "honest" does not mean "better." In this case, the case of an authoritarian system, everything rests on the ruler's personal qualities, and here Tiariy showed himself from a much worse side than Sonata. What is most curious in that era is Tiariy's victory. Clearly, Reisen's artifacts played a role, but still, what was Tiariy's secret? Was it that the best people of the empire followed him, thereby proving the aristocracy's right to rule as the stronger class, while Sonata had support mainly among the lower orders, who lacked the strength to support her? Or was it only incredible luck? But years of tyranny cannot be justified by luck alone. How strong, domineering, and charismatic a personality must one be to, while in the position of an enemy of the state and a terrorist, gather supporters, hold power, nearly win the subsequent war, and even after death and universal condemnation leave behind an order of personality cult? Again, this can with a great stretch be projected onto Sonata as well, but there the idea now preserved by Larian still plays a role. Summing up all the above, I will say this: these people cannot be considered politicians. They can be considered adventurers, revolutionaries, usurpers, but not rulers. All the more remarkable, then, that these two determined the course of modern history, and I state confidently: history is made by personalities.
The very history of their rise and the subsequent crisis of power again makes one think about the fairness of the succession system. It is difficult to say what it should ideally be, but it is obvious that the personal factor at play in it can lead to catastrophic consequences: when power is passed to someone who does not want it, it can easily pass to someone unworthy of it. I write all this without reference to the present time, to you, or to the emperor.
Vagael
I do not recognize the emperor of a nonexistent empire.
Kamiya Ren
I unquestionably respect him for the history of his ascent to the throne. As for his reforms, I will say this: they do not work everywhere as one would like (I speak from personal experience), and the fact that they did not outlive the reformer does not speak in the latter's favor. One way or another, he revived the empire and undoubtedly deserves respect, even if his rule was... controversial from the point of view of the empire's residents.
Yujian
His policy is to my liking. It seems he holds very liberal views, but as it seemed to me, he is too... indecisive. That speaks in his favor as a person, for the mind reaches truth, and the strength of the mind lies in doubt, but for a ruler this is not the best quality. And he allows the plebs too much; far from all people are capable of using freedom wisely. Overall, however, I think Yujian Reim has chosen the right course, even if he steers with an unsteady hand

B
Recommendations: do not neglect certain periods of history because of your personal attitude toward them.

I've made some minor formatting adjustments to the text for better readability and added captions similar to those used by Heroist. If you notice any inconsistencies, please let me know. I mention this because while preparing the message, I noticed that quotes from Moriner's report had disappeared, as quotes from the original message are lost when quoted. So, I'm quite aware that I might have missed something.

Also, I want to say that I was very impressed with these works. It might seem that this is my setting, and I should know everything about it, but despite that, it was very interesting to read various opinions about certain events. It gave the impression that over the course of several games in this setting, it has developed a real history, full of its own intrigues, historical figures, wars, eras of discovery, and more.
Thank you.

Results of other students in class III.

Eli – E
Azarina – A
Shogo – F

Fantasies of a sexual nature about Empress Sonata Reime are not considered a historical analysis of her personality and the period of her reign. In addition, the inscription "not interested in men" next to the names of other emperors is not a reason to ignore their role in history.

Berwang – F

A blank sheet of paper is a rather curious way of expressing one's thoughts on the given topic, but it cannot be considered a correct answer.

Relgar – B
Anelotta – C
Ifeon – C
Light – B
Imir – C
Romeo – A
Yaspis – D

"B!" - Xenomia took a deep breath and exhaled. "A truly good grade! Of course, it's not an A, and even less so an S, but considering how much time was spent preparing, I'm quite satisfied with it! I'll try even harder next time!"

Upon learning his score on the history test, Moriner couldn't believe his eyes: he was overcome with joy, and a happy smile lit up his face. In his room, he jumped for joy, danced, and hummed, proudly examining his first medal ever.
"Now he'll understand! He'll be proud of me!" - with these thoughts, he sat down to write a letter to his father. In it, he told about his magical potential, his successes in history, and his certain progress in combat training. Even the lashings no longer seemed terrible to him, and life at the academy, even if only for a few days of euphoria, took on exceptionally bright colors.
Amidst all these events, the young man completely forgot about the recent scandal and the expulsion of two students, but why should he care about them if they had exchanged, at best, a couple of greetings in three months?

if it's already possible, I'm using the extra event for magic on week 4

- Eh, - Bert sighed indifferently, seeing his score.

Linnea was pleasantly surprised to receive such a high score. Out of the entire class, only Azarina and Romeo received the same score, and only Moriner's work, who never missed a single lecture by Yuki, the history enthusiast, was rated higher. During the test, the girl had serious doubts about the quality of her work, especially regarding the rulers who were not known for their heroic deeds. But these doubts, apparently, were unfounded.

Marey sighed with relief, seeing the test result: he himself was dissatisfied with his work, blaming himself both for the insufficient knowledge of the subject and for the excessively expressive and sloppy writing style; he should be more restrained in his statements. In addition, he felt a slight shame for the undeservedly high score, which, however, disappeared when he realized that the works were not evaluated according to an absolute criterion, but according to a relative one, and "B" primarily means not his level of erudition, but the quality of the work in comparison with other students. But in any case, he needs to work on the essay.
Kamiya Yuki was right: when studying history, he always followed personal motives, studying only what appealed to his spiritual aspirations. It is quite possible that this not only leads to poor academic performance but also forms an incorrect picture of reality. He sees only what he wants, and not what is true.
"Hmm, I need to remember that."

June, Week 3.
- Art of Pistol Handling 3 – headshot (Realgar Muscari)
- Darkiria (Kamiya Yuki)
- Dolls (Avion Craig)
- Combat Training – agility (Mari Kamiya), mandatory for students with F grades
- Shogun’s Room (?)

Darkiria and dolls (in that order, meaning the penalty applies to dolls).

Pistol and Agility

Agility and whips.