[shunwick]

I am not sure that a brief history would suffice. It is an epic tale of tradgedy, treachery, shameless opportunism, missed opportunities, demented diplomacy, bravery, heartless heroes, outrageous bad luck, and desperate last stands.

It deserves to be written. Perhaps, one day, a furture scholar will stumble across the ruins of this great nation, unearth the lost archives and breath life once more into the hopes and dreams of the dead.