The Grand Duchy of Zarkania (also referred to as Ducal Zarkania, the Ducatum Magnum Zarkanium, and as the United Duchies) was a monarchic unified state that was located on the planet Earth.
Formed in 2,000 BBY (GDY 1 in the Zarkanian Ducal calendar, a new calendar devised to celebrate the creation of the state), the Grand Duchy was the result of a little over 50 years of frequent war between the Duchy of the Zarkan Bay and the number of duchies, kingdoms, and tribal states that had formed in Zarkania during the millennia-long Tribal States period.
These wars were mostly the result of a surge of Pan-Zarkanian nationalism within the Duchy of the Zarkan Bay, and were known collectively as the Zarkanian Unification Wars, and were largely celebrated for their effect in turning Zarkania from a mess of small warring states into a unified and pretty powerful realm of unified states.
The wars began in the year 2,056 BBY with the invasion of the Kingdom of Haroldsland by Duke Osmund Zarkan II of the Duchy of the Zarkan Bay, the war lasted two years, and saw the forces of Haroldsland defeated by the ferocity of the ducal forces, Haroldsland was integrated into the duchy as a lordship.
By 2,000 BBY only one state remained independent, the Duchy of Eastland. Eastland was located on the eastern edge of Zarkania, and was thus the furthest nation from the Zarkan Bay. Duke Athelstan Zarkan VII led the invasion of Eastland, after a two-pronged assault on the duchy the state was captured within a month and sued for peace. With this final opposing state defeated, the Zarkanian Unification Wars came to end, Athelstan VII had the would-be rulers of all of the conquered lands brought to him, where he made a treaty with them.
This treaty, the "Treaty of Alliance and Fealty", was a treaty which, in theory, returned the conquered states to a status of limited autonomy under the overlordship of the Duchy of the Zarkan Bay. The different realms would unify into a Grand Duchy with Athelstan VII as their Grand Duke, in exchange for nominal autonomy and an offer to made lords and ladies of the new lordships they would swear fealty to the Zarkan family as the new rulers of a united Zarkania.
With the creation of the Grand Duchy of Zarkania, Athelstan VII took on the title and royal name of Grand Duke Athelstan Zarkan I. Athelstan I was one of the most renowned, respected and beloved rulers in Zarkanian history. Highly knowledgeable on how to effectively govern a nation, Athelstan's firm, yet fair and kind, hand brought about a complete change in Zarkania from a highly divided tribal nation into a proudly united one with a strong military tradition.
Despite the willingness of the ex-leaders to accept this proposal to return any sort of power to them, there were many who were unhappy with this arrangement. Some nationalistic subjects of the former realms began uprisings and plots during the early years of the Grand Duchy. A secretive pro-independence group of the Lordship of the North even made a secret alliance with the neighbouring Kingdom of Nuckerby, the southern-most kingdom of the Westland Quadrarchy, to assist them in regaining their former Duchy of North Zarkania in exchange for payment and ownership of the conquered lands of their choosing. This deal effectively caused the First Zarkano-Westland War.