Symmerian Serikos

Symmerian rule over Serikos began in 545 CE following the conquest of Serikos by the Symmerian Empire, marking the end of the Discovery Wars which had lasted for nearly six centuries.

The conquest of Serikos had been the bloodiest of any invasion the Symmerians had conducted, resulting in a 37 year struggle that ended with the overthrow and elimination of the Zhang Dynasty. The long running conflict had halved the the population of Serikos and resulted in widespread devastation that took the region more than a century to recover from. The Zhang Dynasty was followed by the Symmerian installed Yu Dynasty, which reigned on behalf of the Symmerian Archon. The Yu Dynasty struggled throughout its reign due to widespread dissatisfaction with Symmerian rule and the humiliation of foreign subjugation. Despite centuries of rule by Symmeria, Serikos remained perennially restless, with regular rebellions ranging from minor peasant revolts to full scale national insurrections.

Serikos was invaded by the Acrean Empire during the Sundering Wars, which developed into a stalemate that saw several provinces breakaway from the Yu Dynasty and ally with the Acreans. The stalemate was not broken until the chaos of the Crisis of the Ninth Century which resulted in the collapse of the Yu Dynasty. The brief warring states period that followed prevented Serikos from effectively resisting Aristoxenus, who reconquered Serikos and instated the Chun Dynasty. Symmerian rule would collapse just 50 years later upon the onset of Slavokratia, which sparked a second warring states period. Again, disunity between the different Serikese states meant that Kallixeina the Reclaimer was able to restore Symmerian rule under the Liao Dynasty.

Serikos once again became a battleground during Seleucus' Civil War, and was restored Symmerian rule in 1036. After centuries of war what had been one of the richest, most populous, and technologically advanced provinces of the Symmerian Realm had been reduced to ruin and heavily depopulated. Despite the chaos of the Âu Lạc Rebellion and the Symmerian-Ridevan War in the 12th Century, the Liao Dynasty was able to maintain authority over Serikos while the region recovered from decades of devastation. By the 13th Century however tensions began to accumulate again as Symmerian rule in eastern and central Siduri began to collapse, resulting in the War of the Marked when Prince Eryx claimed the throne of Parilla, resulting in a civil war against his twin brother Zethos IV. The war ended with the independence of Serikos from Symmeria, ending 720 years of Symmerian rule.

Despite its frequent rebellions, Serikos was a major economic hub of the Empire, bolstered by its strategic position near the Bara and Sundering Seas. Serikos was the main center of trade with eastern Eracura and home to major technological advancements in chemistry, astronomy, engineering, and agriculture. Serikos supplied both manpower and material in times of warfare and Serikese soldiers often formed a major component of Symmerian armies during the Sabrian Wars and later Sundering Wars.