Editing Chernarus (section)

===Early History===

The earliest known inhabitants of what is now Chernarus were the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scythians Skyths], a nomadic tribe who inhabited the valleys of the [[Burnaya River | Burnaya]] and [[Svetlaya River| Svetlaya]] rivers sometime in the 5th Century. The Skyths wouldn’t stay in the region however, as they would travel further south-west to establish the foundations of what are now Karzeghistan and [[Takistan]], including the capital of the latter, Takmyr, on the banks of the Salak Darya.

Slavic peoples inhabited the area sometime around the 11th and 12th Centuries. The basis of modern Chernarus was established in the delta of the Burnaya River, divided from much of the Zagorie region – under the control of the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Duchy_of_Moscow Moscow Principality] - by the [[Black Mountains]]. The Slavs of Chernarus shared a common enemy with their Slavic Russian cousins, in the form of raiders from the south-west; the two Slavic peoples were traditionally bound for this reason, although the Slavs of the Burnaya delta always sought to maintain their independence.

The first of several dukedoms were established in the area during the 11th and 12th Centuries, the most notable of which being the Kozlov duchy in South Zagoria, headed by [[Duke Ivan Kozlov]]. Kozlov constructed a series of [[castles]] and keeps to protect his dukedom from raids via the [[Green Sea]] and Black Mountains. Kozlov’s dynasty would collapse at the turn of the 13th century, precipitating the collapse of his fortress system; two notable ruins remain of his work – the infamous [[Devil's Castle]] and the lesser-known [[Rog|Rog keep]]. Despite the collapse of his dynasty, Duke Kozlov is considered to be an important figure in the early history of the establishment of Chernarus.

At the turn of the 13th century, the Kozub Dynasty, led by Taras Kozub, would ultimately usurp the various dukedoms of the region to successfully create a unified Chernarussian state. Around this time, Karzeghis in Zagoria staged a rebellion, led by Ataman Simurg. Despite this there would be no other major rebellions during the rule of the Kozub Dynasty, and in 1631 Chernarus would join the [[Russia | Russian Empire]].