Arvania

Arvania is a small country that acts as a land bridge between the Old Imperial Heartlands and the Seven Empires. It is currently a vassal of Thane.
==History and Culture==
Arvania was originally a country entirely sustained on agriculture, as despite the land's heat there are numerous rivers flowing both above and below ground which keep the landscape lush. Like Altea, Arvania sustained many of the nearby countries, particularly Nashka, Valkar and Tasra, which relied almost exclusively on Arvanian grain and wine. The country grew fairly wealthy under the influence of its line of kings. However, Arvania was a prime target for the attack of the Old Empire. The line of kings was broken when the Empire captured the capital city, Valhandra. Under Imperial rule, little changed for the Arvanian farmers. The nobility were variously imprisoned, stripped of titles or executed, and many fled the country to Mehyr or Donruud to escape the Old Empire's grasp. When the armies of the Empire eventually withdrew to deal with the Horde in Scarfell, they did not return. Arvania returned to its monarchy and resumed serving its own interests, and the court of the time vowed never again to let their kingdom fall. For about seven hundred years little changed, Arvania growing more fertile and wealthy as the subterranean rivers were exploited to irrigate the dry land. Then the armies of Passage came, led by their warrior king, Davodred. Arvania was overwhelmed by the seafaring armies, and the city of Valhandra was stormed, resulting in the line of kings being broken once more. Even after Davodred's death in Sharhaven, Arvania did not return to wealth. After a continued period of relative weakness, Thane began attacking from the north. Arvania surrendered, and agreed to become a vassal of Thane.
Despite the poverty experienced in many parts of Arvania, the culture of farming remains the nation's greatest asset, and their wealth is slowly increasing. The old irrigation systems are still in use, the underground waterways still bringing life to the scrubland and helping the crops to grow. In many of Arvania's villages, there are terrible droughts during the dry season, although these are almost entirely in the south, seeing as northern Arvania is a mixture of lush grassland, warm forests and expansive swamps. The country is bordered to the north by the Red Rock Mountains, and to the south by the Stonelord's Hills.
In the city of Valhandra, there is more wealth than in the farming villages, as Valhandra acts as a centre of trade and attracts a great deal of merchants because of its canal system and proximity to both the Resting Sea and the Shimmering Sea. The merchant culture dominates even the highest echelons of society, as the acting rulers of Arvania are the Council of Five, who are the most prestigious and honourable traders to be found within the country. Arvania is very religious and a temple to the gods can be found in almost every village, as well as the mighty cathedrals in Valhandra itself. The soldiers of Arvania are almost all ethnically Arvanian, while the generals, captains and strategists are largely Thanish. In this way, Thane limits the chance of Arvania turning against them. The Emperor of Thane, Murad, has agreed to release Arvania should they pay the sum of three million gold pieces, which the Council of Five is still debating furiously.
==Locations in Arvania==
*Valhandra - The capital of Arvania, Valhandra is widely praised for its beauty, size and relative wealth. The city is comprised of both streets and canals, which join by rivers to both the Shimmering Sea and the Resting Sea. The Council of Five rule from the Silver Keep, the former palace of the kings.
*Mejan - A trading village in central Arvania, noted for its vineyards.
*Kiazar - A trading village in southern Arvania, noted for its production of grain and barley.
Category:Countries