AN: I do not own any part of the Final Fantasy XII universe except the crazy ideas I may write about for your viewing pleasure.

(Story)

Now my child we must understand that it was in the year 784 that the tragedy that befalls man occurred. However, I have thus far given you the reign of four territories that more or less have fallen into that general time. Yet, there is one that did not. The Dalmascan Kingdom.

We last left off with Dalmasca in full detail in the year 754, the year that Queen Ashelia died and that Prince Dio was crowned king. This 30 year time period is not as blank and even as one might expect in the shorter periods left undisclosed with the other three.

King Dio, born in 737 to the Queen Ashelia and Vaan of Yensa, a sky pirate suspected of robbing the other three powers blind in order to fund Dalmascan expansion. King Dio is reported to have long dusty yellow hair and a wide, stout nature that did not leave him like a pole, but more like a totem. He was a rock which would fuel the growing expansion of Dalmascan might.

In 754, with his mother gone, King Dio sent his father forth on an official quest to quell the beasts of Nabudis. The area was leaking powerful monsters which the Archadians were not only not dealing with, but directing south into Dalmascan lands (naturally a political issue which only a world-hero was capable of dealing with).

With the source being fought under official note, as if daring Emperor Larsa to try and stop them, even if the move was beneficial to both states, King Dio returned his look to the infrastructure which his mother had set up.

One could travel by land and find themselves deep underground and follow a single winding path to arrive at another beloved Dalmascan city. Nebra, Nalbina, and Rabanastre enjoyed the tranquility of their area due to the enforcement of palings to keep beasts away, as well as a vigilant sweeping army which regularly trained against the beasts of the areas that were more frequently traveled now.

King Dio found two areas of interest, early on in his reign. To reach either Archadia or Rozzaria by land, one must travel a long winding road which had long been in disrepair. King Dio would not allow it. His first goal was to establish more friendly connections with the Archadians, and in order to do so, land travel had to become much more safe.

A collected effort, with minimal effort on the side of the Archadians, was then launched in 758, a full year after the death of Vaan of Yensa, to improve the land route to Archadia through Archadian lands. The Dalmascan road was in very good shape. It was the Phon Coast road, as it was referred to as, that was the problem. The official roads had long since worn away. A complete overhaul would have to be arranged.

With local effort included in the Mosphoran Highwaste area, a suspension bridge connected the towering peaks of the area to level out in Salikawood. In Salikawood, all of the wooden bridges were replaced with finer, sturdier wood. This was then reinforced for a variety of local townships to spring up.

What was left unsaid was that these townships could be used as jumping points in either direction during warfare. In an area where airships would mean nothing, this was an advantage that King Dio could and would use to his advantage.

In Phon Coast, an original idea of raised ground over the area was left after a series of beast attacks which crippled the entire project. Therefore the network in Salikawood was connected to the open sea, and from there, bridges would connect the island system along the coast till Balfonheim was reached. Funding for a further project was scrapped to connect Balfonheim to Archades by land when Peking was built with a river harbor which would connect it to the open sea.

This project was completed, per say, in 764.

You must not forget that the political policies of a country are part and parcel of the narrative we construct into that loose term 'history'. Failing to realize this you will become bored with these 'ramblings' as I've heard you discuss with your friends. Oh ho! You think I am not able to walk these halls at night time too? Hmmm?

Very well, apologize later. I have more to tell and this candle is yet burning low.

So...

Meanwhile, before Archadian investors had run dry, King Dio had switched his focus to the Rozzarian Empire. It was clear that it was embroiled in the near catastrophic state of tipping towards civil war. Therefore a far more secure road network would be needed.

The path set up by the machinery left by the Rozzarian Empire in 392 was still in decent shape. However, for the sheer size of people that was being considered, it would simply not do.

King Dio set forth some of his own royal architects to survey the deconstruction of these large machines. They were torn down and would be used for the final project, which sparked the travesty that befall man.

Instead of the machinery, a network of metal bridges and area was used at a height of 10 feet to keep it out of range of the local humanoid Yensan people. This was such a complete trying project that one of the larger platforms became the fortress town of Yazul, which would be officially recognized as a royal city of Dalmasca in the following years. For now, it's paling and high stone walls kept the local Yensan in line.

When the road was complete in 769, it wound it's way through the Jagd all the way to MaudDep, where much to the surprise of the Rozzarians, many of their own numbers left them to populate Dalmasca. This rapid depopulation was seen as weakness by the Gnomes in the eastern section who sought to reduce the number of great cities to two and present a unified front against foreign invasion.

This invasion lead to massive causalities in 771, the year Emperor Larsa died to be replaced by his son Halim. This first open battle of internal struggle within the Rozzarian Empire lead to a coalition of forces with the Dalmascans under King Dio, the Archadians under Emperor Halim the II, and the Dorstonians under Prince Halim the I went in by the new land route and by air to surround and subjugate the area.

When, after three hours, the Gnomes vs. Margraces vs. coalition Tri had failed to produce anything other than a ruined city, it became obvious that the fighting was wasteful. The first to pull out were the Dalmascans with minimal losses. They had used the battle as a testing ground for their elite units anyway, and had only promised three hours to the coalition. When the Archadians pulled out with their new 8th Armada in full reverse under fire from the ruined city walls, the Gnomes renewed their invasion and the city wall turrets turned inward.

The Dorstonians were the final ones to leave, after the eighth day of battle. Prince Halim the I felt he had successfully proven that Dorstonians were of superior make than the others.

This, my child, proved to be the downfall for all in their squabbling. Three hours had been promised so that an official view of Dalmascans could be made. Whilst others were fighting bitterly and slowly draining their power, the full force of the Dalmascan army lay in wait just beyond the border.

After the Dorstonians had left the battle scene, the Dalmascans returned in such force that both Gnomes and Margraces could not hold up against them despite joining together.

Claiming ancient holds to the land, King Dio officially claimed the area around MaudDep and renamed after it's old name, Hungares. Without the Gnomes or the Margraces able to retaliate due to a fear of betrayal from the other, the Margrace Royal Council officially said that King Dio could have the city.

Hungares was overhauled within three years time, even being connected to the Barheim Passageway. With this, the two frontiers of the kingdom were rapidly more and more defensible. Hungares was even equipped to be able to withstand more firepower than it had during the invasion which had preceded it's fall under Rozzarian rule.

Now with an improved wall, and the technology of the turrets being transfered and used in Rabanastre, Nebra, Nalbina, and Yazul, one might postulate the aging King Dio might be satisfied at last. His royal vaults were beginning to look empty in comparison to their once proud gleaming look.

Instead, in 773, a new project was hatched. Two fortress cities to the North, and two fortress cities to the West. However, Rabanastre was a city. It's walls might be upgraded, and it might be deeper within it's own territory than before, but an armada could simply bypass the other four cities and come in from an alternate angle. It would be unorthodox, as there would be little in the way for a close prep before the siege began, but it could be done. That had proven in the War of 706, when the Bahumut had came in from the East.

King Dio proclaimed to his people that the decrepit monument to their surviving state, the wreckage of the Bahumut, would be fashioned into a fortress for Dalmascan use.

The crowds of course were ecstatic. Hard times seemed to be approaching, with war on the horizon. If Rabanastre could be made into a city you simply did not want to approach, all the better for them. Many of them were refugees from Hungares before it had switched hands. They knew what it would be like, they had rushed off to see their own home and seen the utter wreckage that had been wrought.

The first work was sweeping it out, cleaning it up. Passageways were formed and the entire outside was scrapped and refitted for a spiraling network of cannons and hidden hangers which did not have to have attackers flying out of them, or even a full storage behind them. A series of platforms was built around the central core so that they could raise or lower, and turn all about as they pleased in order to divert attackers in any given direction they needed.

When the project was nearly complete in 783, it's straightened appearance alerted both Archadians and Dorstonians that it was operational once more. The paling attached to it's top even strengthened the paling over the city.

Thus a private meeting between Emperor Halim the II and Prince Halim the I convinced both that a united effort against the Dalmascan Kingdom was much needed.

This is the travesty that befalls man. War. In 784 both Empire and Principality declared war and launched a full scale invasion, their ultimate aim was to subvert the growing power that was Dalmasca.

(Story)

AN: May 21st, 2012: Hey guys! Are you enjoying the edits? I know I'm enjoying some peace and solidarity in my household for once: no screaming baby, no moody wife, no pain-in-the-ass mother-in-law (Lord Satan), and no damn barking dogs! Sadly this is only because they're asleep and I'm not. I need to be ready for work tomorrow night anyway, so might as well swing my sleep schedule back around to sleeping during the days.

Now for that list I promised!

Dalmasca

King Raminas B'Nargin Dalmasca the III: Lived 637 to 704. Reigned 653 to 704.

704 to 706 marks the Dalmascan Protecterate under the Archadian Empire.

Queen Ashelia B'Nargin Dalmasca the I: Lived 688 to 754. Reigned 706 to 754.

King Dio Dalmasca of Yensa the I: Lived 737 to ?. Reigned 754 to ?.

Archadia

Emperor Gramis Gana Solidor the II: Lived 610 to 706. Reigned 671 to 706.

Emperor Vayne Carudas Solidor the I: Lived 684 to 706. Reigned 706.

Emperor Larsa Ferrinas Solidor the V: Lived 694 to 771. Reigned 706 to 771.

Emperor Halim Ronsenburg Solidor the II: Lived 728 to ?. Reigned 771 to ?.

Rozzaria

Emperor Alehandro Margrace the III: Lived 665 to 715. Reigned 692 to 715.

Emperor Al-Cid de Margrace the X: Lived 690 to 731. Reigned 715 to 731.

731 to 771 marks the 'unstable' period without direct conflict between royalists and the Gnomes.

771 to ? marks the Rozzarian Civil War.

Bhujerba

Marquis Halim Ondore the IV: Lived 643 to 716. Reigned 669 to 716.

714 to 716 marks the advanced age of the Mqs. Halim Ondore and his heir-apparent acts in his stead.

Prince Shemling Ondore the I: Lived 700 to 771. Reigned 716 to 771.

Prince Halim Ondore the I: Lived 749 to ?. Reigned 771 to ?.