Castil

Castil was a Damasian civilization that began on the Austurian Peninsula some time in the 6th century BE (Before Empire), approximately at the same time the goblins of the Bloodclaw Tribe were expanding throughout the northlands after the Elvish War of the Sundering. Located along the Gold and South Sea, and centered on the city of Castil, it expanded to become one of the largest empires of the ancient world, and easily the largest human civilization ever to rise on Damasia.

In its approximately 8 centuries of existence, Castilan civilization shifted from a monarchy, to a republic, and then to an increasingly autocratic empire. Through conquest and assimilation, it came to dominate southern and eastern Damasia, and parts of central Damasia. Through its extensive reach, Castil was one of the most powerful entities of the ancient world.

Ancient Castilan society contributed a great deal to all human civilization on Damasia, including government, law, politics, engineering, art, literature, architecture, technology, warfare, religion, and language. A civilization highly developed for its time, Castil professionalized and expanded its military, achieved impressive technological and architectural feats, such as the construction of extensive aqueduct and road networks, as well as large monuments, palaces, and public facilities. By the end of the Republic, Castil had conquered all of the lands of the southern peninsula of Damasia, and stretched partly into what is now the City States of Ea. The Castilan Empire emerged under the leadership of Titus Sabacius Augustus, a great military leader, Titus was elected as First Praetor of the Castilan Legionarres and led the legions in many great victories. He returned to Castil a great hero, beloved by his countrymen, and was eventually chosen as Princeps Senatus, a position originally appointed by the Senate, and eventually becoming hereditary through the creation of the Empire.

Eventually, Castil became plagued by instability and suffered attacks by various migrating peoples, including the goblins, and the barbarians of the Valelands. Its final deathknell was struck when the Emperor Caius Remus chose his second son as his heir over his eldest son, Belthasar. Outraged, Belthasar gathered together his supporters and began a bloody coup to seize the throne. While he was successful in killing his brothers, he failed to kill the ailing Emperor and was driven into exile. Belthasar's coup was a sign to the rest of the Empire that Imperial control was failing, and so rebellions sparked across the Empire. Unable to deal with insurrection and instability due to its sheer size, the Empire began to splinter, and eventually broke apart with the death of the Emperor. With no heirs to the Imperial line, control returned to the Senate, which pulled back its legions and collapsed the Empire back to the Austurian Peninsula, where it last was able to stabilize the country. By that time however, its former provinces had restructured themselves into fiefdoms and kingdoms, a state of affairs that has remained for over one hundred years.