NationStates

~The Holy Kingdom of Lanaelis~

The oldest unified nation of Avoli is the large Holy Kingdom of Lanaelis. The Nation formed just before the Ascension of The Goddess occurred. Originally the area of Lanaelis was made up of several smaller Kingdoms and City-States that were loosely aligned in their mutual defense against the onslaught of the Tyrnia as well as the people of the Central Plains. It would not be until the arrival of The Goddess did any sort of unity begin within the region, a front led by Gawyn of Madron, a young warrior from the Duchy of Madron, and the soon to be Saint. After having found the young and lost Goddess, he proclaimed himself her protector and would go on to become her greatest Paladin among other notable heroes who would appear throughout the Continental War. Under the leadership of Gawyn of Madron and the miracles of the young Goddess, the many, oftentimes warring, states of Lanaelis were brought under a single flag, unified in purpose and faith to end the Continental War and put an end to the threat of the Tyrnia. After the Ascension of The Goddess and the end of the Continental War, the now Saint Gawyn of Lanaelis established a Church preaching the word of The Goddess and teaching her magical practices across the lands of Lanaelis and beyond. After his death some decade later the church was reformed under the name of "The Church of Saint Gawyn'' and a theocracy was established from his bloodline which ran on for several centuries before ultimately disappearing to the echoes of time. Yet the Church and the power it held still remained and throughout, stability reached out across the continent as it worked to rebuild all that had been lost in the costly centuries long war of internal and external strife. For several centuries the Holy Kingdom sat as the sole power of the Continent, governing fairly the affairs of the nations around them as the Old Central Kingdom of Efrya had once done before the war. In the current age the Holy Kingdom has competed for influence with the rising of the Enchrae Empire some hundred years or so ago, and more recently has been engaged in a terrible Holy War, the likes of which not seen since the Continental War, and which threaten to grow even larger. Though fully aware of the waning power of The Goddess' Grace, the Church refuses to admit such and has spent considerable effort covering it up and destroying those who would attempt to pursue or promote the old beliefs of the world, seeking to recover it's position as the sole power of Avoli, as it once did. A small, elite army once defended the nation, but in the years since the Holy War it has grown larger, but still pales in comparison to the experience and size of the Imperial Army. Though through the last two years of peace bought at a high cost, they have begun strengthening their ranks and attempting to call upon new allies in anticipation of a renewed front

~The Empire of Enchrae~

Perhaps not the youngest nation on the Continent, but by far the fastest growing. In the span of just fifty short years what was once a small Duchy no larger than a third of the size of the Holy Kingdom expanded into a behemoth that touted the title of the largest nation on all of Avoli and one that could easily rival if not superseded the power of the Holy Kingdom. Much like Lanaelis, Enchrae started as but simply territories and states that were under influence of the Kingdom of Efrya, however, unlike Lanaelis, they lacked the strong uniting factor that came with The Goddess and her Saint. Thus even after the long Continental War ended, they found themselves in a similar state to that just before, and though at the outskirts of the Continent, the presence of the Church was still felt. Having once been devoted followers of the Old Paganism, the church swiftly began removing traces of them with the tales and miracles of The Goddess who was still fresh on the minds of all across Avoli. However, the people of the Enchrae territories were strong and tough. They had survived the constant Tyrnian assaults that plagued the East for centuries, fought the Old Kingdom's elite, and had felt their fair share of the fallout from the Central Collapse. Though under the occasional glancing eye of the Holy Kingdom, the people of Enchrae would not be so easily crushed. They were descendants of the central people before Efrya rose. Over half an eon they slowly influenced their neighboring city-states and duchies. Built ties through trade, marriage and on occasion, force. By some two hundred years ago they had grown from one twelfth of the Holy Kingdom to a Third, and despite pressure from the Church remained defiant. The first Reformation of the Saint's Church began when the ministers from the Holy Kingdom were dispelled and a new worship of The Goddess began. The old religion had long since been driven out of them, but they would not act under the pressure of the Holy Kingdom any longer. A century later they began what was called a Great Expansion as they began to annex most of their neighbors and secured most of the north-eastern corner of the continent and pressed towards the old land of the Efryian Kingdom. And for a while there was a relative calm. Until the current Emperor Parius Myuridin took the throne. He quickly denounced the Old Goddess, telling of her unneeded power and the strength of man. With untold charisma he rallied the masses of Enchrae under his ideology of self sufficiency and shared history with the Central People and the crimes done onto them by the Church and Holy Kingdom. And thus he began his Crusade, sweeping through the Central Continent, devouring nations under the pretext of saving them from unneeded servitude to a so-called altruistic Church. Within several years most of the Center of Avoli fell under the domain of Enchrae and the Holy War was born as the Holy Kingdom sought to curb the Empire's actions. Now after a crushing loss on the Laglendi Plains, the Empire has returned to bolstering its own strength and preparing for what it hopes to be the final push to break the Church and reform the continent on the promise of Man's achievements and power. Yet, under the surface of a united front of righteousness, personal grudges and lust for power and continued expansion plague the Army and threaten the aftermath of the war, should the Empire triumph

~Theocracy of Laglendi~

A small, unassuming nation, that lies near the heartland of Avoli and one of the oldest alongside Lanaelis. At one point in time Laglendi was a core territory of the Kingdom of Efyra, though it is hard to say they were devout followers of the King. For years the Royal Family had grown weaker and weaker with each heir, and influence over their territories and vassals was quickly waning. Some had said that an old king had broken some kind of Promise and in return his Kingdom was beginning to fall apart, though whether or not that was true mattered not to the people who lived in the Laglendi territory, then known as Vaern. The Duke of the territory saw the signs of a downfall long before it had happened. The Continental war had been raging on and off for nearly a century as various groups fought for control of the continent due to the waning power of Efyra, not to mention the pillaging of the various Tyrnia who threatened the existence of all. The Duke of Vaern was no fool and thus when word came of the arrival of a so called 'Goddess' upon the world, the Duke made a gamble and through his lot in with this new group, lending them money, arms, and whatever else was required, and in turn only hastened the fall of the Old Kingdom. In the years that followed, the Duke and his children became key supporters in the rise of the Lanaelis, with his own son even rising to become one of the trusted Paladins of the Goddess. After the end of the Continental War, the Duke's efforts were not forgotten by the Saint,and in turn he was granted a large swath of land, of which became Laglendi and pledged eternal support for the Church. Since then Laglendi has remained as a steadfast ally of the Holy Kingdom and a proud supporter of The Goddess' will, being home to one of the most prestigious magical schools outside of the Holy Kingdom. However, the pragmatic nature of the Kingdom's founder has remained. Though being a Theocracy with strong ties to the Church of Saint Gawyn, the Duke's Bloodline, unlike that of the Saint, had remained. The Theocracy was not so easily swayed by the influence of the Holy Kingdom and acted on simple terms with some of the less devout nations on the Continent, namely Dion, much to the Church's often scolding. In recent years, the Theocracy has taken a brunt of the Empire's fury, having lost more than half of their territory in just a few short years of direct war with the Empire, and most of it had been destroyed due to being the epicenter of conflict after the failed conquering of West Àrsian some years ago. Now with the much needed break of the Armistice, the Theocracy has thrown its back into building up its defenses to prepare for the next push of the Empire as more and more troops from the Holy Alliance and beyond slip in. Despite this, doubt has begun to form in the minds of some as to whether or not it is best to continue siding with the Holy Kingdom, especially after certain incidents with their southern neighbors

~West Àrsian~

The remains of what was a Kingdom large in area, but small in populace. Unlike the central part of the Continent, which shared both temperate forests and many open plains, a large percentage of the once Kingdom of Àrsian was unsuited for agriculture, most of its land being infertile due to some long forgotten incident or perhaps it was simply a natural occurrence, the answer lost to time. It also sat as the oldest nation of Avoli, having formed and been united long before the arrival of The Goddess upon the continent. Though despite this, they were a relatively isolated nation, mostly based on seafaring and fishing, keeping to themselves and onlyinteracting with the other kingdoms and city-states of the time when it seemed convenient. Theywere followers of the Old Religion, of the Twin Goddess, and cared little for being involved in the affairs of the central continent. Little value was held in their lands, and they saw no need to expand their influence, content with simply going about their relatively prosperous lives upon the sea. They fought with the Tyrnia threat sure enough, and for that were relatively left alone by the Kingdom of Efyra in years past, having a healthy relationship with the Old Kingdom, but nothing that could be called friendship, hence why as they began to collapse, Àrsian stood idly by and continued their lives as they saw fit. That changed with the advent of the Holy Kingdom rising to power. Àrsian was, despite contributing much to defend against the threat of the Tyrnia was accused of harboring certain Tyrnia, despite the supposed Cleansing conducted by The Goddess, though it was likely more so due to their refusal to allow the Church of Saint Gawyn to have a presence in the nation. They were a peaceful people who wished to live their traditional lives on and off the sea and wished to ignore influence that could change such. In Àrsian the old magics were practiced and the wills of the Twin Goddess and spirits respected. There was no need and no place for the demanding, overbearing and structured beliefs of the Holy Kingdom and Church. Though attempting to remain cordial, friction continued to exist between the Holy Kingdom and Àrsian, but it never amounted to much besides the occasional border skirmish or engagement at sea. Though once Àrsian threatened to close the Northern Sea, a feat which a well trained navy was more than capable of, the tensions simmered down. In later years Àrsian continued its stance of neutrality, interacting with the other nations only when needed and watched as the continent changed without them for the most part. However, with the state of Enchrae's Crusade that all changed. Àrsian and the Empire both shared a distaste for the Church and at first were somewhat friendly, but that changed after fifteen years when the Eastern half of Àrsian was suddenly attacked without warning by Fiáin and the Empire, though it would appear the two acted on separate plans. Though they fought bravely, the Eastern Half of the nation fell under the domain of either the Empire or Fiáin and only the Western Half remained. Twenty years later, as a lull in the Holy War develops, Àrsian continues to attempt to remain neutral with strong pressure from the Holy Kingdom to lend them their strength, namely a strong Navy, but without pressure from either Fiáin or the Empire strangely enough, the nation has yet to act, though it has not forgotten the pain inflicted upon it by both the Holy Kingdom and the Empire

~Eparchy of Andamarac~

A small nation to the south of Lanaelis that shares an upbringing much like that of Laglendi and Lanaelis. The people of the Andaramac territories were much the same in respect to that of Lanaelis sharing a similar cultural origins, yet while Lanaelis was often more occupied with it's own internal fighting and eventually with the question of The Goddess, the people of Andaramac found themselves in a different kind of conflict. The south of Avoli had remained a strange, mysterious land coated in thick forests and with a climate unlike much else on the continent making it difficult for people to live there. It was also the place, aside from the Northern Sea, where the Tyrnia seemed the most active. Rather than worry over the internal strife of over confident lords and the collapse of a Kingdom, they set their sights on defeat the Tyrnia menace which unchecked would roll over the continent making the bickering and fight of the small kingdoms seem like child's play against the destructive power of the various members of the Tyrnia. Most of the continental war and even the years before that were spent fighting off this threat. However, they wouldn't be able to forever ignore the cries of the other half of the continental war. Though they united long before Lanaelis was given a chance, they still lent their strength out to The Goddess upon her arrival. For one of the first great feats of The Goddess had been performed in the Andaramac territories and brought with it a much needed rest for the tired nation, who pledge fidelity to the Goddess, in exchange for her continued protection. They would remain the vanguard of the southern front of the Saint and his fellow Paladins, more than a few of which came from the lands of Andaramac when the threat of the Tyrnia would decline, as it did seemingly randomly. In the years following the war the nation remained as a steadfast guardian and a close friend of the Holy Kingdom. However, this would not last. A hundred years before the Reformation of the Church conducted by Enchrae, a similar experience occurred in the Eastern Half of Andaramac, an event which may have partially inspired the people of Enchrae years later. An ancient artifact or text of some kind had supposedly been discovered in the Eastern portion of the country which shook the foundation of the faith found in the church which controlled that area, the exact cause however has since been lost to time, mostly due to interference from the Church itself, the revolt being chalked up to a coup started by influence from Dion to the East in order to pursue better trade deals and a wronged Duke. Whatever the case, the first major conflict in centuries erupted as a civil war broke out in Andaramac as followers of the Church battled with Revolutionaries. The war lasted for five years until the intervention of Lachlan of Achara, a small Fiefdom which had joined the revolt of the revolutionaries. Having come across a relic once used in the Continental War he sought to end the civil war and the destruction it was causing. Using Rialóir Taoide, an Axe and lesser known Relic from the Continental War, simply having been overshadowed by more monstrous weapons and warriors, was used to destroy an enormous amount of soldiers from both sides and physically separate the two sides by forming a lake in between them. In the process the Axe itself was lost to time. In the aftermath, both sides exhausted, the Revolutionaries succeeded in breaking away from Andaramac and formed their own nation in honor of their Hero, Lachlan. In the present day, Andaramac sits as a close ally of Lanaelis as they continue their long standing relationship and have donated copious amounts of troops to aid in the Holy War over the past few decades as well as being the center of research into various topics relating to The Goddess in order to turn the tide for the war

~The Kingdom of Achara~

The Kingdom of Achara shares the first few hundred years of its history with it's neighbor and rival across Lake Braeon, The Eparchy of Andaramac. The two nations having been one and the same during the Continental War and the first few centuries that followed. They were a nation devoted to the Fidelity of the Church for they had been saved and mostly relieved of their pressing duty of fighting the Tyrnia by The Goddess' Grace, though they still found themselves battling the Tyrnian on occasion but at a lesser interval than before. Much like Laglendi and Lanaelis the Church possessed enormous influence in the country, with several large Churches finding themselves there. The Church of Saint Gawyn, had a totem of power, with numerous Archbishops scattered across all of Avoli over seeing the actions and teaching of The Goddess in those areas of the world. Andaramac was no different, with two Archbishops presiding over the Eastern and Western halves of the nation. It was also the center of deep research into the history of the Continental War. While Laglendi focused on the magical teaching of The Goddess and to an extent the Saint, the Eparchy of Andaramac focused much more on the exploits of The Goddess and her faithful Paladins, many of which came from the Andaramac territories, with only Lanaelis, naturally, supplying more. However, something that was not supposed to be found, at least in the eyes of some was eventually found. The Eastern Archbishop of Andaramac, while a faithful man was also young for an Archbishop, has rushed to the position through a love of the old romances of Saint Gawyn and the Goddess' Paladins. He was a chronicler and scholar of those legends and sought to discover all he could. It was then he was rumored to have met a strange occurrence near the border with lands known as the Frontier, a moniker which the South of Avoli had carried for long before The Goddess. Upon seeking out the ruins of a supposed armory that had belonged to the Paladins, he found himself in the company of an old hermit, who proclaimed herself to have lived back during the time of The Goddess, and though doubtful at first, the young Archbishop came to believe her. Through several days she spent with him, unto his mind was recounted what he could only guess was the true nature of all that had happened three hundred some years ago, and even that which occurred before The Goddess arrived. His view on the Church and world as a whole was radically changed after that, and the new histories he had learned were quickly imparted upon his closest followers, much to the dismay of the Church. A reformation was brewing, but such could not be allowed, and so an attempt was made upon the Archbishop's name, and though it succeeded, it was but a martyrdom. The people had loved the Archbishop and his followers, though only knowing pieces of the puzzle knew enough to act, and thus came the Civil War. Five years later a young man by the name of Lachlan of Achara followed the trail left by the Archbishop and discovered the old armory and with it, Rialóir Taoide. Using the power of the ancient Axe a war was ended and a new country born, as was the Orthodox Church, which would serve as a foundation for the later, albeit more radical, reformation movement in Enchrae. In the present day the nation continues its long standing battle against the remnants of the Tyrnia on the frontier and enjoys a comfortable relationship with Dion, the neighbor which originally supported the uprising. In the course of the Holy War they have remained neutral thus far, but enjoy somewhat friendly relations with Enchrae and have been relatively overlooked due to similar ideals and hate of the Church, however, the fate of Àrsian some twenty years prior stands a firm reminder not to truly trust the Empire, though many believe forming stronger bonds would be in order, given worry over the possibility of Lanaelis or Andaramac seeking to gain advantage over Enchrae and threaten them once more.

~Commonwealth of Díon~

By far one of the youngest nations on the Continent, but a people with a history all the same, much to the same chords as Laglendi. The people of Díon were unique in their own right, being one of the few nations that were not under the direct control of Efyra before the Continental War, partially due to the Western Baklandian Mountains which shielded the nation from most forms of direct transportation to the Old Kingdom, requiring one to go all the way around and through Lanaelis' and Andaramacian lands in order to reach them, and they also sat in a position safe from the reaches of the Tyrnia for the most part, as while common in the Northern Sea only ever appear on the southern Frontier and never from the sea that surrounded it, oddly enough. Due to this, the people of the nation were able to develop a rich cultivated culture. Rich fertile lands allowed for easy food production and access to the sea allowed it to easily transport the goods. The people of Díon were beliefs of the Old Pagan religions, similar to that of the Twin Goddess' from the north, but even less structured than that. The nation had found itself united loosely before, with most people and city-states focusing on the cultivation and creation of arts and good. It was the epicenter of development and culture for the continent of Avoli with various forms of art, craftsmanship and magic pouring forth. It was rumored to have been at one point part of the homeland held by the now nearly extinct Followers of the Heart, though if was true it was still debated with great ferment by the scholars who resided in the city. During the period of the Continental War, the nation remained neutral, seeing no benefit towards becoming involved and simply focused on it's own internal matters. It became a safe haven for those who had been turned to refugees by the war, from disgraced nobles of Efyra to Hermits and Magus who saw no point in becoming involved in the great struggle of the day and age. It also served as one of the few nations which was able to resist the influence of the Church of Saint Gawyn which rose after the end of the Continental War. The people of Díon saw no need to accept the Church over their own beliefs and lives. Though trouble did occasionally arise with that farce of an independent nation that was Andaramac, a well trained and devoted army was enough to stave off constant border skirmishes, as was the threat of cutting off trade of agriculture and refined ideas which were important for the restoration of Avoli the Church sought, and so a compromise was reached. Still, the people of Díon remained weary of the threat to their livelihood, and thus when civil strife occurred in their neighbor of Andaramac, they did all they could to support the Revolutionaries without directly sending troops to assist. In the wake of the end of the war Díon made haste to strengthen bonds with the newly formed Achara and their friendship and partnership has lasted since. In the current age Díon has remained much as it had before, having now reason to make themselves involved in the seemingly needless fighting but still they have remained weary of the threats of both Enchrae and Lanaelis, with various forced in the Commonwealth advocating for throwing in their lot with one side or the other, but thus far their stance has remained neutral

~Kingdom of Óraithe~

The youngest nation on the continent of Avoli, just being little over a hundred and fifty years old is a title held by the Kingdom of Óraithe, though the nation itself is far from a Kingdom and carries the title just in name alone. Originally Óraithe had simply been a collection of small city-states much like their neighbor to the west. The Baklandian mountain ranges protected them from much of the aggression and control of the Kingdom of Efyra and let them live seperate from the troubles of the Continental War that raged around them. Instead of focusing on the arts, however, they put their sights of raw materials and trade. The tribes which inhabited the Bakladian mountain range were relatively underdeveloped in technology and low in numbers, meaning the raw materials present in the mountains were all fair game from those who knew where to look. Efyra controlled most of the trade and distribution surround the materials on the continent, at least in large quantities which had lead to be a powerhouse in Avoli for an untold amount of time, however, Óraithe sought to change such and towards the latter few decades of the War focused on refinement and trading, making a route that would connect the areas south of Baklad and allow trade to pass over land without the need of Efyra's taxes nor the threat of war, making it a safe haven for merchants and traders which had customers on the Eastern edges of the Continent and also provided a source of raw war materials desperately needed by those who had chosen to side against Efyra in the continental war, allowing Óraithe's wealth and power to grow; a trait that persisted well after the end of the Continental War. For a long while the territory was a simple Duchy, but over time, the rulership had grown drunk on their power. Support for the uprising in Andaramac had been a boon for the small crossroads based Duchy, but it was only the beginning of the end. As Enchrae enlarged inside and pressed further into the central areas of the continent, coupled with their reformation of the Church, the foundations of the peace in Avoli began to get rocky. The Duchy which had poised itself as neutral nation now began to murmur the whispers of war and support for something was coming had driven the Merchant up a wall, as they feared choosing a side, as the current Royalty had ties to the Enchraen People that trade with the church could be severed if they announced support for the up and coming Empire. In a desperate move, the Merchant Guild residing in the nation rose up and overthrew the rulers, placing a council of merchants at the helm with a rotation of elected figures serving as the defacto king. In doing so the sovereignty and free trade of the nation could be preserved. In the current age, much like most of the southern nations they have remained neutral. The crossroad nation seeing no reason to throw their lot in with either nation, though since the subjugation of the territories surrounding Bakladian mountains, the trading nation has become weary of the Empire, despite the impossibility of crossing the mountains in large numbers. Unlike their western neighbors, Óraithe finds a better partner in Lanaelis, a country hungry for the raw materials needed to raise an army to combat the Empire, however, at present trade deals remain the only support seemingly shown to any side, and it is unlikely anything short of an invasion could convince the nation to pick a side

~The Marches of Ciolle~

An old nation and one of relative secrecy that was formed shortly after the foundation of the Church of the Saint Gawyn. The territories of Ciolle had always been one of the more overlooked areas of the continent even in the days of the Kingdom of Efyra, long before the arrival of The Goddess upon the continent. The area was thick and largely made of foliage, possessing only a few minor settlements loosely under the control of the Duchy that would some day come into being Óraithe. The few people that routinely called this home were the disgraced and forgotten who could not even show their faces in the Commonwealth which seemed to welcome all as long as they could contribute. Fallen Knights, disgraced nobles, and refugees from the Continental War and wars past holed themselves up in this somewhat frigid land that lay on the fringes of what one could call civilization, being on the border with part of the area known to those on Avoli as the Frontier. It was here that the lives of the people in the Ciolle territory were made up of constant combat with the members of the Tyrnia, even more so than near the lands of Lanaelis where a large border was shared. In the Continental War no fighting of that conflict took place in Ciolle, as it was a near wasteland with nearly no strategic value, even for the greedy merchants of lands of Óraithe. However, that was soon to change after the Ascension of The Goddess. Most of the land had been cleansed of the threat of the Tyrnia, save for the Frontier, of which Ciolle was one. Not only that, the resting place of the Goddess sat on the opposite side of Avoli and even in the years following The Goddess' cleansing of Avoli, the transgressions of the Tyrnia slowed down only slightly. Yet, with the end of war, an influx of warriors and once-heroes with nothing but their skills with a sword left in a time of peace slowly flooded into Ciolle. Loose pockets of forts and hamlets began to form in the nation in order to constantly stave off the Tyrnia, with some support from a worried pre-Óraithe to support them. That would change with the arrival of the Paladin of the Goddess, Elín of Àrsian, a warrior rumored to be second to the Saint in her skill with the Spear and equally skilled in Arcane arts of the time. She had once been a faithful defender of The Goddess during the Continental War, however, in the years that followed, especially after the creation of the Church of Saint Gawyn, did she become disillusioned and sought refuge somewhere she felt needed. Eventually, she wound her way over to Ciolle, and took charge of the situation there, forming a loose system of government around small hamlets with lords, and with herself as the self-proclaimed High King, rallied the miss-matched group of warrior into one of the most powerful groups seen since the Continental War, and drove the existing Tyrnia from the lands of Ciolle, but such was not enough. She had been to Andaramac and knew better than anyone that they would return, for the Goddess' Grace was weak here. Thus, with her knowledge of the Arcane something akin to a curse was placed upon Ciolle, enchanting the forest which made up much of the nation to become a seemingly impossible to escape forest, once one entered, effectively shutting it off from the remainder of Avoli and more importantly the Church. Such would persist all the way up until the time of the Holy War, without much changing in the Marches of Ciolle. The nation continues to remain, as it always has on defending itself, and by extension Avoli from the threat of the Tyrnia, which has only grown more imperative as the Goddess' Grace, unbeknownst to most, continues to deteriorate. Thus the ongoings of the Holy War have little interests in the minds of most of Ciolle, though on occasion by some stroke of luck, a warrior or two manages to escape the Ancient Forest of Ciolle and make it onto the remainder of the continent. In times past and even recently these few warriors from Ciolle have been known to make an impact on the ongoing fighting of the Holy War, possessing immense strength, skill and experience from near constant combat with the Tyrnia, with the High King of Ciolle rumored to even be on par with the strongest of Enchrae and Lanaelis, should she ever decide to leave the Ciolle, assuming she could

~Kasen~

An old nation, perhaps one would argue the oldest on the continent next to Àrsian, but that was if it could even be called a nation. The lands of Kasen had remained in a state of stagnation for as long as they had existed. In the days of the Continental War, they were a group of small territories and villages scattered all over the land that comprised their territory. Flanked on nearly all sides by the impassive spikes of the Bakladian Mountains which seemed to poke at the heaven's themselves, the territories of Kasen had little interaction with the outside world. Instead like the other southern nations they focused mainly on their own cultures and internal issues. Even in the days of the Kingdom of Efyra, there was little contact with the territories of the area. Such continued into the times of the Continental War where the territories remained neutral simply due to the fact that they could not even reach a battlefield, but on the other hand they saw little need to. The people of Kasen were a natural born people of arms and combat, however, large scale war was not their forte. The culture of the territories rested on dueling and the act of perfecting a singular form of fighting or weapon and raising it to the pinnacle it could achieve before passing the results onto the next generation. Bloodlines formed out of families and people who practiced a particular style of combat, and through these small villages and hamlets formed, though many remained as simple hermits living in the edges of the mountains and rivers, devoted entirely to their craft. Such was the culture of the territories and one that persisted throughout all the time that history seemed to remember them. Occasional skirmishes with the Tyrnia were present, but a rare occasion, with defeating one being chalked up to the thing of a great deed, something that would seem strange anywhere else during the continental war, despite the fact it took more than a normal man to slew one. In the present day Kasen remains much the same as it always has, almost a glimpse into the past several centuries with architecture and dialect that has remained relatively the same since the start of the Continental War, with few even realizing that it had occurred, although on occasion it has been said that a Kaseni warrior has appeared in the ranks of various armies or Knight Circles over the years. In the present day Kasen is the same as ever, with little care out towards the conflict of the Holy War. Despite this some have ventured forth from the isolated Kasen in order to test their skills against some of the rumored bests of both sides of the War

~Fìorian Lands~

A strange and mysterious place that one could hardly call a nation or country or anything of the sort. To the eastern most edge of Avoli laid an island seemingly devoid of any inhabitants. The island drew its name from the old Efyrian word for 'Forgotten' which was fitting as it was hardly relevant throughout the history of the Continental War up to the present events unfolding in the Holy War which had seemingly spread to nearly every corner of the Continent in some way or form. The Fìorian Lands were surrounded on all sides by a large jagged peak which rose up straight from the waters below making it nigh impossible for seemingly any type of ship to make landfall on the island, much less depart from it by those same means. There was also the near constant brewing of dark clouds which hovered just above these peaks, casting the entire shoreline, and likely the island itself in a grey haze which was impossible to see through and strangely existed despite the torrent winds which continued to whip all around the sharp blade like peaks. Despite that a small percentage of people were said to have been to the island in one way or another through means that they did not quite understand themselves. Yet, those who had seemingly visited the strange island refused to speak on what it was like above those impressive cliffs and past the fog of the ever gathering storm clouds which sat on the edge of the island. Less was even said about the possibility that anyone or anything resided upon that forgotten island. The only hint lay in oddities of stories about the occurrences of the Continental War, tales that appeared in no religious book held by the Church nor any scholars library and passed only on the lips of a few select individuals that had heard them and decided it necessary to continue passing them on through the old oral traditions. The most common focus was on the point that at some point, towards the end of the War and shortly after the Ascension of The Goddess, something retreated off the Continent. Not in the way that the Tyrnia had supposedly been eradicated and the land cleansed of their presence, but in the way that they had willingly left. What they were, there was never a clear answer. Some said it was remnants of Efyra, other that it was a group of Tyrnia who had seen the likely outcome of the Goddess' plan but no clear cut answer existed. In the present day, little is known about them, and as they seem to possess nothing of interest, they have largely been left alone, yet the promise of an unexplored land with unknown origins and the possibilities of ancient relics has left more than a few desperate minds in both the Empire and Holy Kingdom wondering

~Myrn~

A small nation that rests on the edge of Fiáin and as old as the Ascension of the Goddess, though at the same time much an oddity among the other nations of the continent, sharing much in common with Kasen to the East than any other nation that surrounded it. At one point it had been a part of it's southern sister nation Fiáin, though at the time of its creation was but a dukedom in the Kingdom of Efyra much like that of Laglendi to the south. Following the end of the Continental War, like many other groupings of smaller kingdoms and city-states across the land, the people of Fiáin were able to unit and form a small country, but it was not set to last. Parts of the territory held strong ties to the ancient seafaring nation to the north and were not too keen on abandoning their old traditions they had followed for many generations before the appearance of the Goddess on the Avoli Continent. However, unlike their Northern Neighbors they were not as stubborn, and a small compromise was eventually reached. Yet, it would not remain. Just like the Hero of Spear and Arcane that escaped to the South after the formation of the Church in the wake of the Saint's death, another Hero took her leave of Lanaelis and the Church when the job had seemingly been finished. One of the greatest Magus of the Continental War and the main sorceress of the Goddess' Paladins, the Hero Saoirse of Myrn, had joined solely through a connection made with the Saint Gawyn, and when the poor fool as she'd oft called him died, she too retired away back to Fiáin only to find the place far different than whence she had left a number of years ago. Feeling no love for the Church and wishing for peace, she pulled a move out of the Southern Hero's book and took the old land, Myrn of which she was born for herself. Fiáin, a small nation, was unable to do much, and not wanting to annoy one of the Goddess' more powerful followers, she was left mostly alone. Following such she began to develop the nation as one which unintentionally rivaled the practices of Laglendi, by focusing on the Archaic Arcane of the time before the Goddess and more on unorthodox magics rather than the Refined Magic teachings of the Church. The nation shared close ties with the Ancient Seafaring nation to their north, but remained relatively isolated, the inhabitants being mainly scholars and Magus wishing to refine their skill and interacted very little with the outside world. In the present day the nation has remained the same, a small hermit like nation which focuses on the Arcane with little influence of the Church, but besides that fact does very little. Though it is also known as one of the few havens on the continent in which a large number of Followers of the Heart can regularly be found, namely on the small island off the coast, allowed to live peacefully by the ancient pact arranged by the nation's founder. Due to disgust associated with the practices of the Church, Myrn finds sympathies in the ideals of the Empire, but most see no reason to stop their studies to fight in a pointless war, though some have still left to pledge themselves to the Emperor and his drive for reasons unknown

~Kingdom of Fiáin~

A small Kingdom to the north of Laglendi and possessing a similar but slightly different history. The lands of Fiáin, around the time of the Continental War were but vassals to the much larger Kingdom of Efyra which made up most of the central government, and had been one of the first to show signs of revolution. They shared a history with the northern Seafaring nation and by association that so potent sense of stubbornness and belief in their own tradition, thus they resisted the call of the Kingdom of Efyra and retained enough independence to act as they wished internally for the most part, despite having the ever watchful eye of the Old Kingdom over them. But they were not so simple to take and were a crafty bunch, weaseling their way into the ranks and upper echelon of the Old Kingdom's court and military, and thus were among the first to noticed the decline of the Old Kingdom and were even rumored to be behind the supposed curse which was slowly eating away at the internals of the Old Kingdom with each passing generation, though to what extent they were truly involved would remain a mystery. In the following Continental War they fought with many other of the rebelling kingdoms and provinces across the lands, mainly in the North, being one of the few, stable, countries which had secured itself a foothold without the intervention of the Goddess and her followers, instead relying on their own Circle of Knights which they had formed with volunteers from all across the Continent, those who believed in Freedom and followed their own will, gathered in an effort to remove that which was stagnant and oppressive in the form the Kingdom of Efyra, and in it they succeeded. However, just like the Goddess' Paladins, this group of warriors did too scatter to the winds when the fighting had ended. Since the end of the Continental War the nation prided itself on placing its own freedom far beyond anything, though the incident with Myrn was regrettable. They existed much in the same way as their northern neighbor and that of Achara, being somewhat opposed to the Church's advanced but largely neutral. However, Fiáin would appear a threat to the Church and it's rebuilding efforts and slowly but surely it wormed its way into culture of the people of Fiáin, but it was not as strong as they were not immune and within a few hundred years found the major religion slowly replaced with either the Church of Saint Gawyn or more popularly the Orthodox Church. In more recent years the Kingdom of Fiáin has found itself in a peculiar situation, with ties to their northern neighbors through culture, Lanaelis through religion, to an extent, and to the Empire threw ideals. As such while appearing strong on the outside, it's elite corp of Arcane Knights, remnants of the Old Circle of Knights which remained from the Continental War, being strongly revered and feared on the battlefields on the plains as seen with skirmishes with the Empire, the internal politics are torn between the religious follows, fervent idealists and peaceful isolationists, all striving for control of the nation. Aside from the border skirmishes with the Empire the Kingdom of Fiáin also partook in an uncoordinated invasion of the Eastern Portion of Àrsian with the Empire, having started a few weeks prior to the Empire's own invasion. To what end they and the Empire attacked a nation with peaceful intentions and like minded views on the Church is unknown, but the goals of the Fiáin people have never been simple