For generations, the realm of Xephus stood as one of the great unifying powers of eastern Ocara. Unlike many kingdoms of its age, Xephus was not forged through conquest or fear, but through diplomacy, shared culture, and carefully balanced authority. River cities, inland trade hubs, and fertile plains were bound together under a single crown, creating a realm defined by cooperation rather than domination.

At the heart of this unity ruled the monarch later remembered as the Father-King—a figure less celebrated for military triumph than for stability, law, and consensus. Under his reign, Xephus prospered as borders softened internally and trade flowed freely across regions that would later become divided.

Yet this balance depended on one fragile assumption: continuity.

When the Father-King died without formally naming a successor, the foundations of Xephus began to crack. No clear law governed succession beyond bloodline tradition, and no single heir commanded unquestioned loyalty. Rather than immediate civil war, the realm fell into paralysis.

Councils delayed decisions. Garrisons awaited orders that never came. Noble houses aligned cautiously, unsure which claim would prevail. What had once been a unified kingdom now lacked a single voice of authority.

This uncertainty did not divide Xephus by climate or distance—but by orientation and purpose.

Two visions for the future of Xephus emerged, rooted in geography, culture, and power.

The western regions, home to the old courts, archives, and administrative capitals, believed that Xephus must endure as it always had. For them, legitimacy flowed from lineage, law, and continuity. The crown was not merely a symbol of rule, but the keystone holding society together. To abandon that tradition was to invite chaos.

The eastern regions, shaped by trade corridors, river crossings, and outward-facing cities, saw the collapse as proof that the old system had failed. They believed authority should adapt to reality rather than tradition, prioritizing control of routes, economic leverage, and regional autonomy over inherited titles.

What followed was not a single decisive break—but a slow, irreversible drift apart.