Grand Principality of Syrenia: A State formed from the ashes of an old one.

When the Great Siege of Atalanta ended with the destruction of the entire city of Atalanta, Pomerlane was left with a realm scarred by war whose identity had been broken entirely. Much rebuilding needed to be done and new projects needed to begin. Like a Phoenix, Pomerlane wanted this new nation Syrenia to rise from the corrupted ashes of Feeshland.

Starting in Aquileia, Pomerlane and his advisors quickly came to the conclusion that Aquileia was ill-suited to be the Capital of the Principality. Aquileia would need major infastructure projects that would in the end cost more money than building a new city from scratch. But Pomerlane, who considered Aquileia his second home, would honor the city as being the "Second Capital" of his Principality and over the coming years, splendor would be brought to the city in major construction projects.

After going over various places, it was ultimately decided that the new capital ould be founded on the north bank of the Vesta, where the river met the sea. Allegedly, Pomerlane himself was told the location of this place in a dream by Finana herself but that seems more like an invented myth to give the new capital the same honor as Atalanta once had. The new capital would be named after Pomerlane's mother, Laodice, and construction of the city began in 1107. Laodice was designed in both form and function to be a magnificent capital, worthy of the Grand Prince himself. It was divided into 6 districts: the Market District, the Temple District, the Residential District, the Royal District, the Entertainment District and the Administrative District; all carefully mapped out by its city planner Silanus. A more detailed overview of the city will be found in a separate work.

Laodice wasn't the only new city founded, two new ports in the Western lands were founded, that being the port of Neapolis and Concordia. Both were designed around the idea of bringing in more trade to the historically poorer regions of the west that always struggled in comparison to the Vesta and Aquileian valleys thanks to their isolation. Neapolis was built on the site of the destroyed city of Poseidonia while Concordia was built on its namesake Concordian peninsula. Both of these ports, along with the major road networks that connected them to the interior and other cities, would help the west grow rapidly in wealth and population over the next two decades.

Syrenia had long needed infrastructure improvements, especially in regard to its neglected road network, which had seen almost no improvements or regular maintenance under the Republic. This laborous task was also approved by Pomerlane and the current road network would be improved, and more roads added to it over the next 5 years. Another great project that was undertaken immediately was the construction of border fortifications with Selenium and various outposts across the countryside, particularly in the west to rid the bandit infestation that plagued the region. Though some of the forts would be built by the time of the Great War, most were incomplete. The outposts, however, proved to be a great success and along with the infastructure improvements, were vital in the West's growth.

Farming production would also rise to never-before-seen levels under Pomerlane thanks to the irrigation project in the Vesta Valley, which remained uncompleted for many years due to bureaucrats in the Republican days but was soon finished thanks to Pomerlane's initiative. Indeed, there was many instances of unfinished projects that Pomerlane was able to use to improve his realm, including the Aquileian Aqueduct and the Vesta-Proserpina canal, which connected the Proserpina River in Eliria to the Vesta.

Truly, one of the bigger insights about the rebirth of Syrenia was not that Pomerlane was a genius administrator or anything of the sort but that the Republic he replaced was unbelievable corrupt and inept at ruling over the land that they ruled. It is a miracle that they were not overthrown earlier for their decadence and incompetence by the populace, who as a whole felt no love when she fell.