Post by Viola on Mar 7, 2015 16:23:38 GMT
As you might have read in the description of the local land, this story takes place within four different countries- Seara, Niveus, Viridis and Ardor.
Yet... what exactly went on between these four places to divide them the way they are now? Here, I will tell you... the legends behind the origins of the Iris Islands.
Once, quite long ago... the Iris Islands were not inhabited by humans at all, in fact. Manaketes... and Fiara. Those were the only two peoples, and they were quite peaceful with one another. While the small number of Manaketes hid in isolated villages, Fiara populated the lands and created vibrant cities. Worshipping the goddess of the earth itself, Silvestra, they built altars in the name of peace among the lands.
Within the past three hundred years, humans did eventually settle in the islands, taking up the mainland. As Fiara are carnivorous and only cared much for forest and grassland to catch wild game and raise animals such as chickens and cows, they had no problems with the human settlers taking over the wet farmland to the east. After all, most Fiara lived on Viridis, a northwestern island sprawling with rich forest and savanna. The place that the humans an area that was transformed into the kingdom of Niveus.
But... that peace did not last. After spreading their influence to the uninhabited Southern Desert, they wished to expand further west. Even in Niveus, mountains, hills and lakes limited the amount of hospitable land, and a great population that needed to be sustained. The ruler at the time, King Mason, ordered a hostile takeover of the land of Seara- an enormous patch of hospitable land that had long been a Fiara homeland. A brutal war-- a first for the Fiara people-- was witnessed, with beasts fighting men for the vacant land. Thousands of soldiers were lost in the dispute... but in the end, the Fiara were completely outnumbered. Unable to produce enough capable fighters, the remaining Fiara were forced onto Viridis.
Though... not long after, the new Searans found error with the King's ways. The Fiara who stayed in Seara were willing to adapt to human government and culture, and many sympathetic travelers soon befriended them. Merging cultures, the newly-settled areas soon rallied for a peaceful division from Niveus in return for staying an ally and a trading partner. This was granted... and Seara became its own nation, being the cultural dividing line between Viridis and Niveus. The three nations, after the long disputes, were finally at peace. Tensions between humans and Fiara dropped dramatically, with insults such as "animal" and "warmonger" falling out of use for one another. Diffusion occurred at a rapid rate, with colonies of both Fiara and humans (even married couples between them) becoming widespread throughout all three nations. Viridis kept its status as an oligarchy, and Seara and Niveus became peaceful monarchies.
About one hundred years ago... war broke out again- civil war. Southern Niveans were increasingly disgusted with their own living conditions and constant poverty, despite the actions of the current King at the time to try and equalize the bountiful North and the barren South. Angered soldiers, unable to feed their families and children due to the imbalance of transportation (and therefore, goods), attacked the palace and attempted to overthrow the King. The more capable Northern army was able to fight them off... and while the war only lasted for half a year, it left hundreds upon hundreds of soldiers dead, and destroyed over a century of peace in the blossoming nation. Niveus was forced to create a border and a new country- Ardor. Containing the southern mountains and desert, the land was barren at best, and inhospitable at the very worst. Despite this... to avoid future war, the King made a second agreement- to give one-fifth of its gathered crops to Ardor each winter, despite the dismal conditions. Ardor would become a trading partner and use its mountains for mining, and perhaps all would be well in the future. No more Ardorean lives would be lost due to hunger.
Ardoreans soon created their own government and chose one of their soldiers as an Emperor. And, for the next forty years of that man's reign... things stayed fairly out of turbulence. The four nations- White, Black, Red and Green... were in quite good harmony.
Though... there is a legend. Four great treasures are known to lurk within the islands- one within each country. Weapons of no equivalent, yet ones that are able to be wielded by anyone, regardless of skill. Said to be left by a mysterious wanderer, the four weapons are said to only be able to be located in a time of great need, wherein the wanderer's path can be traced. The wanderer herself... is said to be none other than an incarnate version of Silvestra, the great goddess of the Earth. The Fiara were able to spread their religion to humans... and throughout the land, Silvestra is revered as the presence in nature- a being who bestows and takes away life force, and while she exerts no direct control over humans... she does occasionally guide them on a path to avoid ruin. It is said that when she appears incarnate to others... it will be because the end could be near.
And, well, that's enough about the past. What is going on, now?
Well... Niveus has grown into a prosperous kingdom to the northeast, a rich and elegant nation attempting to heal the scars of its past. While it may be a fraction of its former size, it is now a place of safety and protection under the rule of Queen Gretchen- a young woman of age 30, she has been ruling since her father gave up power five years prior due to suffering an illness. Gretchen herself is well-liked as the nation's fledgling ruler, and values order above all else. Despite her collected appearance, she is confident and not soft-spoken- being educated by her father from birth, she takes after his bold nature. She tends to be on rather friendly terms with other nations, being quite the peace dove herself.
Minister Kyne Aldridge of Seara is the head of the Aldridge family, which has been ruling for approximately thirty years. He is about 40 years old, and was once a military general who bravely fought off bandits from other nations on the sea, and was known as 'The Sea Knight' for his great deeds upon warships. When the last remaining member of the previous ruling family, Renshaw, died, he appointed Kyne's own father the nations ruler. When that man died, Kyne took over as the one in primary control. Seara is a nation that trades off natural resources for food, as its land is good for just about everything except farming.
The elder of Viridis Council is Jasiri, a Fiara man reaching the age of 70. A wiseman who has lived through the previous war, he is generally slow to anger, but holds great caution to the nations of Niveus and Ardor after their bloody conflict. Despite his old age, he ventures out to Seara often to speak to Kyne in person. While his usual legs no longer do him good, he is as quick as any in wolf form. Due to hating his own aging body, he is seen as a wolf more often than he is a man. Few foreigners know what he actually looks like.
Ardor is lead by Empress Procella, a young ruler of only age 19. Put into power as a child, few have seen her. It's been said she had a great amount of trouble easing into her position, and that most of the royal duties have been carried out by advisors, consuls, and other people put into power. Despite times of peace, Ardorean thieves and brigands trying to make a living are a gigantic problem for both Ardor itself and other nations. Gretchen's troops have been attempting to cull the threat for years on end.
Yet... what exactly went on between these four places to divide them the way they are now? Here, I will tell you... the legends behind the origins of the Iris Islands.
Once, quite long ago... the Iris Islands were not inhabited by humans at all, in fact. Manaketes... and Fiara. Those were the only two peoples, and they were quite peaceful with one another. While the small number of Manaketes hid in isolated villages, Fiara populated the lands and created vibrant cities. Worshipping the goddess of the earth itself, Silvestra, they built altars in the name of peace among the lands.
Within the past three hundred years, humans did eventually settle in the islands, taking up the mainland. As Fiara are carnivorous and only cared much for forest and grassland to catch wild game and raise animals such as chickens and cows, they had no problems with the human settlers taking over the wet farmland to the east. After all, most Fiara lived on Viridis, a northwestern island sprawling with rich forest and savanna. The place that the humans an area that was transformed into the kingdom of Niveus.
But... that peace did not last. After spreading their influence to the uninhabited Southern Desert, they wished to expand further west. Even in Niveus, mountains, hills and lakes limited the amount of hospitable land, and a great population that needed to be sustained. The ruler at the time, King Mason, ordered a hostile takeover of the land of Seara- an enormous patch of hospitable land that had long been a Fiara homeland. A brutal war-- a first for the Fiara people-- was witnessed, with beasts fighting men for the vacant land. Thousands of soldiers were lost in the dispute... but in the end, the Fiara were completely outnumbered. Unable to produce enough capable fighters, the remaining Fiara were forced onto Viridis.
Though... not long after, the new Searans found error with the King's ways. The Fiara who stayed in Seara were willing to adapt to human government and culture, and many sympathetic travelers soon befriended them. Merging cultures, the newly-settled areas soon rallied for a peaceful division from Niveus in return for staying an ally and a trading partner. This was granted... and Seara became its own nation, being the cultural dividing line between Viridis and Niveus. The three nations, after the long disputes, were finally at peace. Tensions between humans and Fiara dropped dramatically, with insults such as "animal" and "warmonger" falling out of use for one another. Diffusion occurred at a rapid rate, with colonies of both Fiara and humans (even married couples between them) becoming widespread throughout all three nations. Viridis kept its status as an oligarchy, and Seara and Niveus became peaceful monarchies.
About one hundred years ago... war broke out again- civil war. Southern Niveans were increasingly disgusted with their own living conditions and constant poverty, despite the actions of the current King at the time to try and equalize the bountiful North and the barren South. Angered soldiers, unable to feed their families and children due to the imbalance of transportation (and therefore, goods), attacked the palace and attempted to overthrow the King. The more capable Northern army was able to fight them off... and while the war only lasted for half a year, it left hundreds upon hundreds of soldiers dead, and destroyed over a century of peace in the blossoming nation. Niveus was forced to create a border and a new country- Ardor. Containing the southern mountains and desert, the land was barren at best, and inhospitable at the very worst. Despite this... to avoid future war, the King made a second agreement- to give one-fifth of its gathered crops to Ardor each winter, despite the dismal conditions. Ardor would become a trading partner and use its mountains for mining, and perhaps all would be well in the future. No more Ardorean lives would be lost due to hunger.
Ardoreans soon created their own government and chose one of their soldiers as an Emperor. And, for the next forty years of that man's reign... things stayed fairly out of turbulence. The four nations- White, Black, Red and Green... were in quite good harmony.
Though... there is a legend. Four great treasures are known to lurk within the islands- one within each country. Weapons of no equivalent, yet ones that are able to be wielded by anyone, regardless of skill. Said to be left by a mysterious wanderer, the four weapons are said to only be able to be located in a time of great need, wherein the wanderer's path can be traced. The wanderer herself... is said to be none other than an incarnate version of Silvestra, the great goddess of the Earth. The Fiara were able to spread their religion to humans... and throughout the land, Silvestra is revered as the presence in nature- a being who bestows and takes away life force, and while she exerts no direct control over humans... she does occasionally guide them on a path to avoid ruin. It is said that when she appears incarnate to others... it will be because the end could be near.
And, well, that's enough about the past. What is going on, now?
Well... Niveus has grown into a prosperous kingdom to the northeast, a rich and elegant nation attempting to heal the scars of its past. While it may be a fraction of its former size, it is now a place of safety and protection under the rule of Queen Gretchen- a young woman of age 30, she has been ruling since her father gave up power five years prior due to suffering an illness. Gretchen herself is well-liked as the nation's fledgling ruler, and values order above all else. Despite her collected appearance, she is confident and not soft-spoken- being educated by her father from birth, she takes after his bold nature. She tends to be on rather friendly terms with other nations, being quite the peace dove herself.
Minister Kyne Aldridge of Seara is the head of the Aldridge family, which has been ruling for approximately thirty years. He is about 40 years old, and was once a military general who bravely fought off bandits from other nations on the sea, and was known as 'The Sea Knight' for his great deeds upon warships. When the last remaining member of the previous ruling family, Renshaw, died, he appointed Kyne's own father the nations ruler. When that man died, Kyne took over as the one in primary control. Seara is a nation that trades off natural resources for food, as its land is good for just about everything except farming.
The elder of Viridis Council is Jasiri, a Fiara man reaching the age of 70. A wiseman who has lived through the previous war, he is generally slow to anger, but holds great caution to the nations of Niveus and Ardor after their bloody conflict. Despite his old age, he ventures out to Seara often to speak to Kyne in person. While his usual legs no longer do him good, he is as quick as any in wolf form. Due to hating his own aging body, he is seen as a wolf more often than he is a man. Few foreigners know what he actually looks like.
Ardor is lead by Empress Procella, a young ruler of only age 19. Put into power as a child, few have seen her. It's been said she had a great amount of trouble easing into her position, and that most of the royal duties have been carried out by advisors, consuls, and other people put into power. Despite times of peace, Ardorean thieves and brigands trying to make a living are a gigantic problem for both Ardor itself and other nations. Gretchen's troops have been attempting to cull the threat for years on end.