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Chronicles of Volten: The Second Founding

Year 394 - The Imperial Transformation

It falls upon this humble servant, Brother Thomis, Senior Archivist of the Imperial Archive, to set down in writing the true accounting of the Second Founding. Young Brother Marcus having been given to other duties following certain fanciful passages in his previous works.

I set these words to parchment not for dramatic effect, as my junior colleague was wont to do, but that posterity might know the truth of how a modest kingdom became the greatest empire of our age. Let those who come after understand that empires are built not upon legends and mysteries, but upon sewers, roads, and proper documentation.

Concerning King Alexander and His Reign

King Alexander did ascend to the throne in the year 364 since the First Founding, inheriting the long conflict with the Kingdom of Tarin. Through superior deployment of forces and reformed doctrine of war, the armies of Volten did achieve decisive victory at the Battle of Silver Fields, whereupon Prince Caspian of Tarin was taken captive during the Siege of Westbridge that followed.

The Prince was treated with all honor befitting his station and was thereafter released following proper negotiations. This diplomatic course did prove most beneficial, establishing as it did the channels through which the formal accord of peace would be reached in the year 385.

Of the Strategic Alliance Through Marriage

Prince Aldwin, son of King Alexander, did take to wife Princess Serena of Tarin in the year 388, this union being part of the comprehensive agreements of peace. The ceremony was held at Gruenewald, that ancient city lying some eighty leagues from each capital. In the year 390 was born unto them Prince Alexander, named for his grandsire. King Alexander did pass from this world by natural causes in year 393, whereupon Aldwin assumed the crown as King Aldwin III.

The Declaration of Empire

Upon the spring equinox of year 394, King Aldwin III did summon representatives from all territories under his dominion, and there came also a full delegation from Tarin led by King Caspian, he who had been taken captive in his youth at Westbridge. The assembly did number above three thousand souls—nobles, merchants, and men of the cloth. When the matter was put to vote, the elevation of the kingdom to imperial status was approved with but seven voices speaking against it.

Then did King Aldwin III perform an act most unexpected—he did abdicate the throne in favor of his son Alexander, being then but four years of age, declaring that the new empire required an emperor born of both bloodlines. The Imperial Crown, wrought from two hundred ounces of gold and adorned with one hundred forty and seven precious stones given by allied territories, was placed upon the child's head. King Caspian of Tarin did step forward and bow deep, proclaiming: "Hail Alexander, First Emperor of the Volten Empire! May the friendship between our realms endure eternal!"

Lord Aldwin did remain as Regent until such time as Alexander reached his majority. This stratagem did ensure the complete support of Tarin—for was not their princess's son now seated upon the imperial throne?

Of the Great Need for Transformation

By the year 394, the capital did face most grievous crisis. The Old Crescent district, having grown without design over the centuries around the original settlement, with its winding streets and buildings pressed one upon another, was never meant to shelter more than two or three thousand souls. Yet by the time of the Second Founding, above twelve thousand dwelt within its confines. Merchants did store their goods in the very streets where people dwelt, there being no proper warehouses. Those who collected the night soil could not maintain pace with such multitudes—twice in the decade previous had plague struck the city.

Beyond the walls, those settlements lying within five leagues did petition without cease for protection against the seasonal depredations of bandits. The cost of maintaining scattered garrisons did exceed the revenues of three entire provinces. Moreover, within the Old Crescent there were daily conflicts between the glass-blowers guild of Tarin and the traditional smiths of Volten, whose forges could not exist in such proximity without strife.

The Great Decree of the Second Founding

Emperor Alexander I, though but a child, through his Regent Lord Aldwin, did issue the Second Founding Decree, being three hundred forty and seven pages of detailed specifications that would reshape not merely the capital but the entirety of the empire.

The first priority was given to Alexburg itself. Within twenty years did new walls rise to encompass thirteen villages of the surrounding lands—Vallenheim, Montaverde, Silvanak, Thornvale, Millhavn, Bellaborg, Nordavale, Castellvik, Morvenna, Goldenhavn, Terraven, Rivenna, and Lunaveste—transforming these ancient hamlets into districts of the capital. The venerable fortifications known as Fort Lupin, Fort Belmont, Schloss Knott, and Ricken Schloss were made part of the new defenses as internal strongpoints. Each incorporation did require extensive negotiations with local lords who claimed rights hereditary reaching back before written memory.

The new system of sewers, completed in year 415, did consist of above fifteen leagues of channels beneath the earth, carrying waste to treatment pools half a league downstream. Within three years, the outbreaks of disease were diminished by four parts in five. The district called Bellows did provide sufficient ground for three hundred workshops of artisans, whilst Lavendor's grounds did house the luxury trades across twelve city blocks. The Military District did bring together training grounds that had been scattered across six locations.

Of the Great Works Throughout the Empire

Beyond the capital, the transformation was no less remarkable. The Imperial Road Network did eventually stretch eight hundred leagues, with markers at every league and way stations every seven leagues. Thirty and seven bridges of stone did replace the unreliable ferries and seasonal fords. The Great Bridge at Millcross alone, spanning three hundred yards across the Lower Bryga, did employ three thousand workers for seven years in its construction.

The Imperial Postal Service, established in year 398, did maintain two hundred way stations and employ four thousand riders. An urgent letter might reach the furthest frontier in twelve days, weather permitting. Thus could contracts of commerce be negotiated between cities separated by hundreds of leagues.

Twelve ports of major importance were constructed or enlarged, with cranes of standard design capable of lifting loads of four hundred hundredweight. The Great Harbor at Lirum alone could shelter one hundred and fifty vessels at once.

The Transformation of the Southeastern Lands

Perhaps no region was more greatly transformed than the southeastern provinces. These lands, being wetlands extending three days' ride from north to south and four days' from east to west, had yielded naught but fever and disappointment. The Great Work of Melioration, begun in year 402, did employ twenty thousand workers in the digging of drainage channels totaling three hundred leagues in length.

The primary canal, being forty feet in breadth and twelve feet in depth, did redirect the overflow of the River Serren into reservoirs for irrigation. Within ten years, the drained lands—sufficient to grant a thousand knights their traditional holdings—did produce grain yields of forty bushels per morgen. Most unexpected was the discovery that the drained soil did prove excellent for the cultivation of vines—by year 430, the wines of the Southeast did command prices equal to the traditional vintages of Tarin.

In this present day, the Southeast doth provide three parts in five of the empire's grain and nearly all wine of quality. The investment did return its cost within fifteen years through revenues of taxation alone.

Concerning the Regulation of Arcane Practices

Within the Second Founding legislation was included the Decree for Arcane Regulation. Following the Incident of Riverside Transmutation (wherein three souls were lost and one entire manor's grounds were rendered temporarily without substance) and the Event of Summoning at Silvanak (wherein claims for compensation did exceed ten thousand gold crowns), the public sentiment did demand action.

All practitioners of the magical arts were required to register with approved Guilds of Alchemists, maintaining their workshops at no less than five hundred yards from places of residence. The practice without license became punishable by five years at hard labor. Within three years, the accidents of magical nature did decrease from thirty and seven yearly to but two.

Certain traditions of the common folk do claim this regulation did fulfill "ancient pacts" with "powers of the forest." The Empire doth not officially acknowledge such superstitions.

The Implementation

The Decree did authorize these works:

Extension of city walls incorporating existing fortifications—completed year 414

Establishment of districts specialized: Bellows for artisan production, Lavendor for luxury goods, Military District for garrison and training, Merchants District for warehousing and trade

Integration of the thirteen villages aforementioned

Construction of comprehensive sewage systems—completed year 415

Imperial Road Network connecting all cities of importance—eight hundred leagues completed by year 444

Establishment of thirty and seven bridges across the major rivers

Port facilities at twelve locations both coastal and riverine

Garrison fortifications at all crossings of the border and points strategic

Imperial Postal Service with two hundred way stations

Works of melioration draining wetlands sufficient for a thousand holdings of knights

Standardization of weights, measures, and coinage

Full implementation was achieved in year 444, marking fifty years of continuous development.

The funding did derive from: revenues of consolidated taxation, reparations from the Tarin treaty, restructuring of trade tariffs, and fulfillment of various obligations historical from allied territories.

NOTE: Rumors without foundation do persist regarding "treasures ancient" or "benefactors mysterious." The Imperial Treasury doth maintain complete records available for inspection by those with proper authority.

Of the Imperial Succession

Emperor Alexander I did rule from year 394, being under the regency of his father Lord Aldwin until reaching his majority in year 410. The regency did prove remarkably stable—Lord Aldwin's voluntary abdication having earned him respect from all factions, and his steady hand did guide the empire through its years most crucial. In year 420, Emperor Alexander did decree that Voltera be renamed Alexburg, honoring both his grandsire the warrior king and himself as first Emperor born to bloodlines united.

Emperor Alexander I did rule until year 450, overseeing personally the final thirty years of the Second Founding's implementation, including completion of the road network, the postal system, and the projects of melioration. The framework of administration that he did establish doth govern the Empire unto this day.

An Assessment of These Works

By year 444, the Empire had been transformed beyond all recognition. The volume of trade through imperial ports did reach sixty thousand shiploads yearly. The journey from Alexburg to Lirum, once requiring above a month of dangerous travel by river, could be completed in twelve days by imperial coach to the river port, thence eight days by packet boat to the coast. The journey to the capital of Tarin, being above one hundred and sixty leagues distant, had been reduced from two months to three weeks upon the new roads. The output of agriculture did double, and double again. The tolls from bridges alone did generate eight hundred thousand crowns yearly—more than the entire budget royal of year 390.

Most significant of all, the diverse peoples of the Empire—Volten, Tarin, and a dozen others—did become unified through infrastructure shared and law common. Roads, postal service, and currency standardized did create unity practical where marriages diplomatic had created bonds symbolic.

In Conclusion

The Second Founding did succeed through planning careful, funding adequate, and implementation systematic. Suggestions that the rapid completion did result from assistance supernatural are without foundation. The persistence of certain observances ritual in the sites of former villages doth merely reflect tradition local and harmless.

The Volten Empire doth stand as monument to what administration proper might achieve when guided by vision practical rather than nonsense mystical.

Rumors unfounded regarding benefactors mysterious, chambers sealed, or pacts otherworldly have no place in discourse historical of serious nature and are hereby discouraged officially.

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Set down in the Imperial Archive at Alexburg, Year 647 of the First Founding By the hand of Brother Thomis, Senior Archivist Reviewed and approved by the Board of Imperial Censorship Being the Official History of the Volten Empire, Volume the Third All versions previous and unofficial are hereby superseded and should be removed from circulation

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