Akarvian History

This page covers the history of Akarv in depth. For more information on the nation itself, see: Akarv
==Founding of Akarv (1 - 8 AE)==
Akarv was unofficially founded the day the Voldranian Settlers stepped foot on the new land in 1 AE. There was little more than a camp constructed when the decision was made to name their new nation "Akarv". Throughout the voyage and even before, discussions had been held by voyage leaders on what to do once they had arrived. By the time the settlers arrived in Voldrania the Akarvian Government had already been written up, and was quickly accepted by the core settlers. Adam Akarvon was promptly elected President in a makeshift election, with envoys delivering votes from each of the settlements in the immediate area. Many of the settlers who moved further out were not a part of the vote, and most would later end up contributing to the formation of neighboring nations Equis and Yoren.
This earliest version of Akarv lacked a formal Senate or many administrative positions, settlements would typically choose people to represent them while they worked on building up. Nevertheless, President Akarvon, along with his vice president Christian Zen, worked tirelessly to draft and implement the structure and departments that would make up the modern Akarvian government.
By 3 AE many settlements had taken some form of permanency, and many of their representatives had become regular politicians. One of these representatives, John Ghern, had achieved regional recognition, and was considered a possible contender for Akarvs next president. At the start of his political career he had been vocally in favor of the democracy Akarv had established and of Akarvon's government, but as time passed his opinion changed. On several occasions he would debate Akarv's future with Akarvon behind closed doors, becoming more and more adamant on the necessity for a monarchy. Akarvon refused to support Ghern, who decided to run against Akarvon in 4 AE. Despite his popularity, Ghern very quickly realized he stood no chance of beating Akarvon in an election, and promptly withdrew from the race and retreated to the Voldranian wilds. Akarv would proceed to hold its second election in a vastly more organized format at the end of the year, with Akarvon again winning relatively unopposed.
Akarv continued to grow, absorbing several nearby settlements into its sphere of influence. At the end of 5 AE, though, multiple settlements were simultaneously attacked by arson's with explosives. The attacks were minor, and came with no message or demands. They increased in frequency to the point where Akarvon commissioned the formation of a militia to combat the terrorists responsible. For the next two years this militia fought against the unknown terrorists, managing to prevent any more damage to the cities. Eventually the terrorists resorted to Guerilla warfare, causing a stalemate in the conflict.
Akarv's militia finally gained traction when a captured terrorist confessed that John Ghern and a large body of his followers had been responsible for the attacks, and from him they were able to learn of his location. In October of 8 AE the Akarvian militia raided Ghern's camp, and returned to Akarv City with Ghern and many of his followers in tow. Citizens of the settlements were livid, and demanded they be put to death for their crimes. After much deliberation with his closest political advisors, Akarvon decided Ghern and his followers would not be put to death. Instead they would be exiled, given enough supplies to survive and sent off away from their new land.
Despite frustration over Ghern's survival, the conclusion to the "Ghern Crisis" helped solidify support for Akarv and its government throughout Voldrania. The nation not only proved it could defend itself from attack, it proved it could thrive despite it. It did prove, though, that the democracy was incomplete. A national court system was still required, and defending Akarv needed to be a priority.
But Akarvon would not be the one to lead Akarv into its future, as he made the decision that a new voice needed to be heard, a new person needed to leave. Akarv held its third election at the end of 8 AE, and Akarvon abstained from running again. Christian Zen, who had been at Akarvon's side his entire time as president, rose to the occasion, and was elected as Akarv's second president.
==The Expansion Era (9 - 24 AE)==
Much of the modern Government of Akarv owes its formation to Christian Zen. By 9 AE the settlements of Akarv had grown and stabilized enough that they could begin to focus on outward expansion, rather than survival. The settlements evolved from towns to cities, and structures began to turn from temporary housing to permanent settlements. Akarv spent most of the next decade focusing on these developments. Things were mostly quiet during this time, save for the formation of two new governments alongside Akarv. Equis in 8 AE and Yoren in 14 AE. Both followed suit by adopting Akarv's democratic system, though both modified to their own needs and preferences. Following the founding of Yoren an international railway system was commissioned, and construction began to ensure easy travel between the three new governments.
But as these new governments formed and the cities expanded, the government of Akarv was hard at work establishing new departments and branches of government. Upon taking office in 9 AE, Christian Zen legitimized Akarv's militia, turning it into a formal military. He appointed formal Lurvanian military commander Isabel Corinna as the overseer of this new military. Under her leadership the once makeshift militia turned into a formidable, respectable, fighting force for Akarv. Zen continued on to push for the formation of a national court system, as well as a formal Senate. The idea for the latter had been in the works since the formation of Akarv, but had not been implemented as most spent their time and effort forming their homes, not the government. But with the nation stabilizing and more resources becoming available, including latecomer settlers, the Akarv Senate was formally founded at the end of 12 AE, just in time for Christian Zen's reelection. Over the next four years he established the framework for Akarv's court system and the several department heads that make up the modern Administrative body of government.
Despite all of this progress, the nation was not without tragedy. At the end of 9 AE, months after leaving office, Adam Akarvon volunteered his time to various construction efforts around the settlements. Exhausted from politics, he longed to work with the Akarvian people as one of them. One of these projects would turn fatal, when Akarvon fell to his death from the scaffolding of a mountainside construct. Akarv had lost its founder, its leader, not a year after he had left office. He was mourned by almost every existing settlement, even those outside of Akarv's jurisdiction. Progress continued, but it was with a feeling of emptiness left by Akarvon's passing. In the end, not even his death could knock Akarv from its path.
Towards the middle of 16 AE, Christian Zen announced he intended to honor the precedent set by Akarvon and abstain from running for reelection, setting the unofficial two term limit for Akarvian presidents. His second term Vice President, Amber Alivia, decided to run herself. Many predicted she would be Akarv's next president, inheriting the position from Zen as he did from Akarvon. But in the first close race of Akarv's history, political underdog Niles Karav won a majority of Akarv's votes and became the third President, taking office at the beginning of 17 AE.
While never having served in a combat position himself, Karav's parents had both served in several battles of the Old World. He was surrounded by veterans and soldiers all his life, and that shaped the way he saw the world. While Zen was responsible for legitimizing the military, Karav was responsible for "giving it life". Going against Isabel Corinna's advice, Zen kept the military relatively small, not much bigger than the militia. Between Karav and Corinna, who he kept on as Head of the Military, the military saw increased recruitment and modernization, to the point where several settlements outside Akarv approached the nation fearing invasion. "Peace through Strength" was Karav's reassurance, promising that Akarv's military only existed to defend the nation should it be necessary, not to invade another.
Akarv was now growing in size and in strength, while the rest of the new nations were still establishing their stability. In 19 AE the previously commissioned international railway had been completed, allowing for rapid transit of people and resources between the major settlements and cities. This allowed not only Akarv to increase its productivity and expansion, but Equis and Yoren as well. With travel times reduced, new settlements could be constructed further inland without the hardships of starting from scratch. This also allowed resources to be allocated to exploring and colonizing the newly discovered continent west of Yoren. New settlements rapidly sprang up on the new continent, using the pre-gathered resources from "Primaria", the continent to the east housing the three nations. By 23 AE a fourth nation had formed, "Tripoly", with the blessing of Akarv.
Karav spent much of his Presidency focusing on the military and national defense. By this point the Senate had become a staple of the Akarvian government, acting as its sole lawmaker. In 19 AE Karav and the Senate signed into law the "Checks and Balances Act", which granted the President immediate control over the Military as its Commander and left the Senate in control of lawmaking. These laws, however, had to be approved by the President to go into effect. Furthermore, a "High Court" was implemented into Akarv's growing court system, which would deliver the final say on lingering issues, and could determine how a law is interpreted, or strike down a law that contradicts another. Furthermore, the act defined term limits for all elected officials, legitimizing precedents set by Christian Zen and Adam Akarvon. This act finalized the structure of Akarv's Administrative body of Government.
In 20 AE Karav again ran for the presidency, easily winning a second term. By this point he had gained a significant body of allies who backed his policies, and wished to see them enforced throughout the nation. While Karav had little role in their organization, citizens of Akarv slowly began to come together under this idea of a "Political Party". In 23 AE a large body of Akarvians had come together to form the "Karavist Party", a private organization that aimed to organize like minded people to support like minded candidates. Karav openly supported the formation of this "Party", and of any others, but ultimately abstained from partaking in it himself.
Following the Checks and Balances Act, the Senate had increased responsibility in the nation and its policies. They were now responsible for selecting the Head of the Military, which would be approved by the President, as well as a newly created position titled "Head of International Relations". In 20 AE Daniel Cortez was appointed as Akarv's first Head of International Relations (HoIR), tasked with forming and maintaining relations with the other nations. Cortez was present when Tripoly officially declared itself a new nation in 23 AE, and witness to demands by Heran leader Thomas Hugafia that they leave immediately. It became immediately clear that Ghern and his followers had found their way to the new continent, establishing a new nation under his leadership. Cortez returned to Akarv and informed its leaders of the transpiring events. Karav kept Akarv's military on high alert, but ultimately decided that the military's place was not to attack another, but to defend itself.
As determined by the Checks and Balances Act, Karav would not run for office again in 24 AE. His Vice President, Gordon Hull, would run in his place, backed by the newly formed Karavist Party. The party was still in its infancy at this point, and ultimately was unable to boost Hull to the victory he needed to win the Presidency. At the end of 24 AE, Mason Trah was elected the fourth President of Akarv.
==Establishment as a Regional Power (25 - 40 AE)==
Trah took over the Presidency at the beginning of 25 AE, and while he had been popular enough to win over the voters, he proved unpopular with Akarv's other political bodies. He actively opposed the reinstatement of Isabel Corinna as Head of the Military, refusing to approve her reappointment even after the Senate voted her in. After a year of debate, the Senate and Trah came together to finally appoint Rory Sven as Head of the Military. Sven had been a High Commander of Weryl, and was considered to be much more imperialistic than his predecessor Corinna. He was Trah's top choice, and the Senate only approved him on the condition that Trah approve Gordon Hull as Head of International Relations.
For the last few years there had been a push for further study of Glowstone and its properties, as well as potential uses. Trah saw an even greater push, after the discovery that when Glowstone was given a charge it could be used to create thrust. In the late months of 25 AE, a joint Akarvian, Equivian, and Yore science team crafted the first fully functional Airship. The Akarvian people embraced this new technology, and Trah defined his first term pushing for the further development and integration of these new airships into Akarvian life. The design was later modified to work with sea vessels, allowing them to travel at higher speeds with greater control. Trah saw early on the benefits these new crafts could serve in battle, and pushed for their integration into the military, as well as civilian life.
While Akarv was on the age of a technological revolution, the hostile Heran settlements made good on their threats against Tripoly, and began an organized war effort to remove them from the region. The Tripolian militia was able to prevent an easy victory, but the Heran's were clearly better organized. By 26 AE the war had reached a stalemate, with Tripoly confident it could hold its ground. News of the war eventually reached Akarv, who rallied in favor of helping the Tripolians push back the "Memory of Ghern". Trah held back, though, arguing that should the Tripolians need help Akarv would intervene. In truth, Trah had been stalling while the military built up its airship fleet, aiming to prove Akarv's might by using airships to easily defeat Hugafia's army.
In June of 27 AE Hugafia's forces led a successful raid on an important Tripolian settlement, claiming it as their own. With a hole torn into their defenses, the Tripolian militia fell into chaos as the Heran army rapidly approached the major settlements. In a plea for help, Tripolian leader Kyle Wiz reached out to Yoren and Akarv, its two primary allies. Trah decided the military was ready, and with Alexander Zen at the helm, moved Akarv's forces west into Tripoly, backed by the Yore militia. Akarv only had a few combat ready airships at this point, but the Heran's had never seen an airship that didn't belong to the Lirun before. They were completely unprepared to fight against them, and within weeks the Heran's had lost more ground than they had gained. The Heran's retreated to lick their wounds while the Akarvian and Yore forces helped the Tripolians rebuild their defense. But Hugafia refused to go down quietly, and in the early weeks of 28 AE launched an attack with every resource at his disposal. Still, the Heran forces were unable to fight against the airship, and their attack ended in failure. Thomas Hugafia refused to surrender, and was ultimately killed in battle. His death marked the end of the Heran-Tripolian War.
Hera had surrendered, and Ghern's daughter, Kathleen Ghern, was able to claim a position of leadership over the now distraught Heran's. When Akarv arrived the decision was made to allow Kathleen to remain the settlements leader, as she proved capable in influencing her people to avoid conflict. Akarv maintained an occupation force in Hera for only one year, ensuring they would not be a danger to Tripoly or any other settlement again in the future. When Akarv finally left in March of 29 AE, Alexander Zen remained. He had since developed a relationship with Kathleen's daughter Amelia, and the two married at the end of the year.
The Heran-Tripolian War helped elevate Akarv's position as a world leader, inspiring respect and fear in the nations and various unincorporated settlements. Akarv only lost five soldiers in the war, and proved it could effectively fight back overseas. While Trah earned the praise of the Tripolians and many Akarvians, a large group disapproved of Trah's decisions, and instead would have preferred a more peaceful solution. When Akarv began an occupation of Hera this group were outspokenly against it. Throughout 28 AE they organized to form a new political party, one more isolationist and less military centric than Trah or the Karavist Party. They were unable to put up a political fight against Trah, however, who proceeded to be reelected at the end of 28 AE. The following year Akarv's second political party, the Populous Party, was formally founded, in an effort to push Akarv away from its recent militaristic agenda.
The era following the Heran-Tripolian War saw a rapid increase on the number of nations in Voldrania. In 29 AE Hera was recognized by the other nations as a sovereign state under Kathleen Ghern. later that year a new government formed in a group of settlements north of the continent of "Ghern", ruled by Samantha Navor. This new nation, Fallnavor, had established itself quickly, utilizing recent airship technology to build up faster than most older settlements like the ones in Akarv. Despite being a new nation they were able to form a military and begin their own airship construction within a few years of their formal recognition. In 32 AE several settlements in the Cannibal Islands, a region Fallnavor considered its own, rallied to break off and form their own government. By the end of the year they had organized into the nation of "Scavoran", while a few years later, in 35 AE, yet another government was formed in a former Fallnavorians territory, Fhia. Akarv remained one of the strongest of the nations, with Fallnavor quickly catching up despite all odds, helping to establish international stability and borders.
Trah's entire second term was relatively quiet, spent fortifying Akarv's military strength and air fleet while simultaneously forming relations with the various new nations that formed between 29 and 32 AE. In 31 AE Trah saw to the formal organization of Akarv's military into three branches: The Army, the Navy, and the Air Force. By this point most of the major Akarvian cities had taken shape, and there was a boom in the shipyard industry.
Bound by Niles Karav's Checks and Balances Act, Trah's Presidency ended at the end of 32 AE. Gordon Hull, who had ran against Trah in 24 AE, ran again, and was elected the fifth President of Akarv. By this point both the Karavist and Populous Parties had members in the Senate, but Hull's victory marked the first time a member of a Political Party was elected President. Hull's Presidency was marked by exploration, rather than military expansion. Backed by Mosneal Colcar, the new Head of the Military, Akarv's army saw a decrease in activity, but an increase in stability. Looking outwards, Hull helped to organize colonization parties to discover and settle the unexplored regions of the world. At the end of 33 AE new settlements had sprung up to the east of Akarv, and in 34 AE Hull backed a colonization effort in Ghern led by Cali Pox. By 36 AE these new settlements had grown and adopted Akarv's government, becoming colonies of the nation. Eventually the eastern settlements would grow to the extent of becoming fully fledged cities of Akarv, most notably the city Taylen. Later, in 39 AE, Akarv would back yet another major colonization effort, this one to a cold southern continent. Unfortunately, contact with the colonists was soon lost, and seasonal weather made a search effort impossible.
Hull was reelected in 36 AE, but not after a close race with the first major Populous candidate. Neil Jons. By this point Akarv's rapidly paced progress had slowed, and the nation could begin to sit back and relax. Hull second term reflected this, as he spent most of his time sitting back and allowing the nation to progress naturally without his involvement. But in 39 AE, Hull and leaders from the seven other nations came together to draft the formation of an international organization. This organization aimed to promote peace and stability throughout Voldrania, and acted as a means to formally recognize the nations and their borders. In 40 AE the "International Council of Voldrania" was officially formed, with its headquarters located in an agreed upon location, inland Equis. Members of the Council agreed to honor decisions it made, which included the sovereignty of its members, and in exchange were offered the same protections. Furthermore it offered a method of communication between the nations to further progress them into the future.
Hull left office at the end of 40 AE fully expecting his Vice President, and former Head of the Senate, Teresa Silvia to succeed him. She was challenged by a rising political star, Alan Fruith, who was a political outsider, not directly associated with either party. He had a growing popularity in Akarv but feared he couldn't defeat Silvia and the Karavist party. He formed an alliance with the Populous Party, agreeing to accept Neil Jons as his Vice President and to appoint several members of the Party as department heads should he win. Despite ideological disagreements between Fruith and the Populous Party, they were able to get along long enough to run a competitive campaign. Despite this, Silvia maintained a lead in earl election predictions. Unfortunately, a week before the election she was found dead in her home. The cause of her death was unknown, many called foul play but it was determined that an unknown, preexisting health issue was the most likely cause. With his chief competition gone, Fruith won the Presidency with little effort.
==Rising Tensions (41 - 52 AE)==
Alan Fruith was now the President of Akarv, and despite his growing popularity, he did nothing. For the first several months anyway, which he mostly spent locked away in the Presidential Office. Not even his Vice President Neil Jons knew what he was doing during these private sessions. Confusion began to grip those Akarvians who were paying attention, as their President came off as lazy, or useless. Even the Senate struggled to draw him out to sign bills into law. At a certain point it seemed as if the Department Heads were running the nation, not the President.
Things changed, however, as in August of 41 AE Monarchist Gary Wig staged a coup in the democratic nation of Fhia. Its President, Gary Wig, was killed, and Wig assumed power in the nation. He and his loyalists saw to the nations conversion from democracy to monarchy. News reached Akarv soon after, and Fruith finally emerged from his shell of silence. In a public speech he denounced Wig and his coup, demanding that he and his people step down or face retaliatory action from Akarv. There was a mixed reaction from the public, many supported the notion of defending a nation unable to defend itself and the ideals of their democracy, but even more felt as if it was none of Akarv's business to get involved in other nations business, that they were not the world police. In order to maintain an image of Governmental stability, those closest to Fruith supported him in public, but violently opposed his rhetoric in private.
By the end of 41 AE Wig's government has refused Fruith's demands, and Fruith made the order for Akarv's military to attack. Despite widespread uncertainty, several of the leading Generals backed the plan, and thus a relatively small fighting force was dispatched to Fhia at the beginning of 42 AE. It came as a surprise when the people of Fhia fought back, having actually rallied behind Wig and his government. Fruith seemed reluctant to increase Akarv's presence in the region, likely to avoid attracting too much attention from Fhia's neighbors, and ordered the Akarvian forces keep pushing. It took several months for Akarvs forces to gain a foothold on the mainland, but once they did they began making more progress more quickly. Fruith, meanwhile, had again disappeared from the public eye, delivering orders through the current Head of the Military, Milton Aiken.
By the beginning of 43 AE, Akarvian forces had claimed much of Fhia, and were making a continued effort to seize the capital. In a desperate effort, Wig reached out to the leaders of nearby Fallnavor and Scavoran, begging for assistance against "Imperial Akarv". Scauv and Fallnavorian attack forces were on the front lines within two weeks, and Akarv's once imminent victory began to slip from them. Regardless, Fruith maintained a constant supply of forces in the region, failing to garner the support to increase the war effort. Back at home most Akarvians had turned against him and his war, demanding no more should lose their lives over the silly conflict. Vice President Jons joined the protestors, verbally attacking President Fruith and his imperialism. Fruith's public approval had plummeted by this point, but many Generals remained loyal to him and so the war continued on.
The war continued on for another year, until the end of January, 44 AE. Akarv's forces had now been fully pushed out of Fhia, and an enraged Fruith once more returned to the public spotlight to try and woo people back to his side. He argued it was for the good of the democracy, that if the nation couldn't defend its allies how could it defend itself, and continued to insist on the necessity of the war. Slowly but surely his few remaining allies left him, until the Military itself refused his commands. Fruith had little time to react or cry foul, as the international community, citing the power of the International Council of Voldrania, stepped in to block any further aggression from Fruith's administration. In March of 44 AE Akarv's Senate moved to impeach Alan Fruith, and he was formally removed from office that April. For throwing away the lives of so many, for instigating a needless war, for failing to lead, and for perpetuating the very ideals of the Old World they had all fled from, Alan Fruith was sentenced to a permanent exile from all Council Nations. He was given the necessary supplies to survive and was sent off on a ship for the Old World.
With Fruith removed, Neil Jons took his place. Despite being associated with Fruith's presidency, he had been vocally against his actions, and had earned the trust of the Akarvian people. By this point the process had begun to elect the next President of Akarv, and Jons feared his inherited Presidency would not last. But he was proved wrong by the end of the year when he overwhelmingly won the election, becoming the seventh President of Akarv. Following the Akarv-Fhia War, the nation had become disillusioned and longed for isolation to reassess their role in the world. The Populous Party saw a major spike in its membership, winning a majority of members in Akarv's Senate.
Much of Jons Presidency was marked by his effort to repair morale in Akarv, and the nations image in the world. Efforts were taken to help Fhia rebuild, and Akarv reduced its expansion efforts, leaving its overseas colonies neglected. And so Akarv began its first period of relative isolationism. The military's numbers dropped, construction of military vessels slowed, and Akarv generally had little to do with world affairs for the next few years.
At the end of 47 AE, Akarvian Military scouts discovered a fissure in the wilds that had previously not existed. Upon investigating the fissure, it was discovered that it went all the way to the bottom of the world, and teleported people directly into the Nether. When this information made its way to the government in early 48 AE the decision was made to keep it a secret, causing a public unrest would do no one good. Still, Jons reached out to members of the Voldranian Council to inform their governments about the anomaly, only to discover similar fissures had been appearing around the world. Efforts were taken to hide these "Void Rifts" from the public, but rumor still began to spread. Much later, in 52 AE, the governments began to discover evidence that there was a conspiracy involved with the rifts, which seemed to point to the involvement of the biblical "Void Devourer".
In late 48 AE Jons made the decision to step down and not seek reelection, despite begin able to run again as he had only served a few months of his first term. Instead, he threw his support behind his Vice President, Jeffery Michaels. He was challenged by another member of his own Party, Graz Eldar, who sought the Party's backing over Michaels. In the end the members of the party came together to vote on which candidate to support, and the decision was made to back Michaels. Eldar accepted defeat graciously, and watched as Michaels would go on to become the eighth President of Akarv.
Not long after Michaels election, long time Queen of Fallnavor, Samantha Navor, died and left her son, James Jaykay, as ruler. Jaykay proved to be much more aggressive than his mother when it came to Fallnavor's place in the world, increasing military production and led the nation to rapidly expand westward, encroaching on Akarv's nearby colonies. As news slowly reached Akarv unrest began to spread. There was still a desire for isolation, but what were the consequences of an unchecked Fallnavor? Michaels, ultimately, upheld Akarv's isolationism, not even offering a comment on Jaykay's government.
Later, in 50 AE, Akarv rejoiced at the news that contact had been reestablished with the settlers sent to the south years prior, who had long since been thought deceased. Under the leadership of Errick Ohn these settlers formed a new settlement, and had been slowly building up since. Their progress wasn't without struggle however, and they made reached out to Akarv for assistance with food and other survival essentials. After failing to answer in a timely fashion, Michaels came out and denied Eirros their requested support. The decision came from indecision, having misread the extent of the public's isolationist desires, and a belief that the settlement would be better off if it could overcome these obstacles itself. This proved to be a wildly unpopular decision, many Akarvians offering what little they could in place of their government. By the end of 50 AE Michaels reversed his decision and started a shipment of care packages to the Eirrosians, but the damage to his reputation had already been done.
Among his biggest critics were the Karavist Party, who's members had grown tired of the isolationism and complacency in the world. They longed to see their nation stand up to Fallnavor and defend its colonies, and they wanted Akarv to remain a world leader. The neglected military, the ignored colonies and allies, and the threat of an unopposed Fallnavor drove a revival in the Karavist Party. Michaels tried to appease his critics, but did little to disprove claims that he was slow, indecisive, and unable to properly read the will of the people. And so opposition against him grew throughout 51 AE and into 52 AE, election year.
Despite all of the criticism directed at him, Michaels was confident in his administration, and vowed to seek reelection. He was not without his supporters, the Populous Party still largely supported him, though there were critics within his own party as well, such as previous rival Graz Eldar. It came as a shock to Michaels and his allies when the rising star of the Karavist Party, a 27 year old politician with little experience, began to take the lead. It was clear to Michaels long before the election that he was going to lose, and at the end of 52 AE Akarv elected Adam Pyro as its ninth president.
==Era of Conflict and the Nether Conspiracy (53 - 59 AE)==
On the first day of his Presidency, Adam Pyro came out strongly against Fallnavor's rapid expansion. He began moving military assets into the region to defend Tedre should it become necessary. Pyro did not support a war with Fallnavor, but made it a priority to appear strong as to not be stepped on. Within the first few weeks of his Presidency the Military experienced a spike in its membership and productivity it hadn't seen in a decade. James Jaykay of Fallnavor refused to back down, though, and looked as if a war was going to break out between the two Voldranian Powerhouses within a few months.
Pyro stood his ground despite mixed reactions from the Akarvian public, but taking a hard stand against Fallnavor generally earned him to peoples trust. Throughout 53 AE the military continued to grow and modernize, standing ready to face Fallnavor should it become necessary. Neither side made a direct move against the other, though, leading to a tense stalemate that left the entirety of Voldrania on edge. Both started forming friendships and alliances should anything happen, but still no war broke out. A year into Pyro's Presidency the stalemate with Fallnavor had only grown even more tense, with a war of insults being waged between their governments, and increased showboating from Pyro and Jaykay.
The events of that year, 54 AE, only served to intensify the conflict between the two. Early on in the year, the International Council of Voldrania voted to formally recognize Errick Ohn's settlement of Eirros as a sovereign nation. By this point Akarv had repaired its relationship with Eirros following Michaels reluctance to lend them aid, and Pyro had spent much of his first year establishing relations with their forming government. Akarv was one of Eirros' biggest supporters in the vote for Council recognition. This earned Akarv some favor with Eirros, but Fallnavor quickly took an interest in the new nation, attempting to win them over in the raging "Near War". Akarv followed suit, attempting to solidify an alliance with the new nation that was mostly trying to remain neutral.
Later, in the summer of 54 AE, the newly elected president of Tripoly Zade Zen performed a coup, backed by several of his followers, revealing himself as a monarchist sympathizer. Having been secretly backed by Jaykay, Zen successfully converted the once stable democracy into a totalitarian state. Losing Tripoly as an ally was a blow to Akarvian morale, who had long considered Tripoly to be a close friend. By this point both Yoren and Tripoly had allied themselves with Jaykay's government, while Equis and Scavoran remained on the side of Pyro's, with Eirros tending to support Akarv. The situation became even more dire for Akarv when Charles Kah was elected President of Equis and pulled the nation back to a state of isolationism, withdrawing support from the war. Despite Akarv's best effort at diplomacy, it failed to gain many allies against Fallnavor. Most nations had adopted a policy of neutrality, and Akarv's few allies were loosely involved. Still, Akarvian confidence did not waver, and its military continued to grow and prepare.
In 55 AE the Equivian colony of Mynyyd broke off and sought recognition from the Council. While Akarv largely disapproved of their totalitarian leaning, they helped support their bid for recognition, and within a few months they had been recognized as the tenth nation of Voldrania. Both Akarv and Fallnavor competed to win Mynyyd's favor, much like they had in Eirros, but Mynyyd ultimately appeared to favor a policy of neutrality like most other nations. By this point Akarv had a large military presence in it's Tedre and Murena colonies, larger than it ever had. This began to cause unrest with the colonists who had become accustomed to life without interference from the Akarvian Government.
While the "Near War" raged on, the community of scientists and realm experts continued to investigate the mysterious Void Rifts that had continued to appear around the world. July of 55 AE marked the first known instance of a Nether Create crossing through the rift into the Overworld, and the frequency of these appearance increased in the following months. At this point the rumors about the rifts had spread across Voldrania, and it became increasingly difficult to deny the ever growing problem. Some even began to claim that Nether Spirits, which had long been passed off as a myth by many, had begun to appear, terrorizing whatever they could. Akarv dedicated whatever resources it could spare to keeping the public calm, and the apparent Nether Invaders from causing any realm harm. It was a delicate balancing act, fighting the Nether while expecting an attack from Fallnavor at any moment.
The Near War would reach its climax the following spring, in May of 56 AE, election year in Akarv. Being on the brink of war for four years had left the Akarvian population nervous and exhausted, and Pyro's popularity had suffered for it. His strongest supporters stuck with him, and most people realized they couldn't risk showing any sign of weakness or Fallnavor may take advantage of it. But just when it looked like there was no end in sight, Yoren broke rank and ended its alliance with Fallnavor. They approached Akarv and informed them that Jaykay had been orchestrating a plot to remove Akarv from the Council, in an effort to undermine the nations legitimacy and remove its Council protections. As it turned out, Mynyyd had secretly been involved with Fallnavor's plot since its recognition, and other nations such as Equis had been aware of it.
Enraged, Pyro made information about the plot public. He accused Jaykay of trying to undermine the Council, a body of peace and stability in Voldrania, in order to further his own militaristic agenda. The people of Fallnavor began to turn against their King, having been completely unaware of the plot. The revelation inspired James Navor II, Jaykay's cousin, to lead a coup that left Navor the nations new ruler. With Jaykay presumed dead and Fallnavor's future now in the hands of a far less aggressive ruler, the tension between the two nations rapidly dissolved. By the end of the year Akarv and Fallnavor had reestablished relations and had even set the formation for an alliance. Fallnavors two major allies, Mynyyd and Tripoly, each had a different reaction to the collapse of their plans. The people of Mynyyd turned against their rulers, leading the nation to enter a state of anarchy while the Tripolian Government began plotting its next move.
Pyro's firm hand had paid off and the threat of an imperialistic Fallnavor was no longer a concern. As Jaykay fell from grace, Pyro returned to it. He was easily reelected at the end of 56 AE, having given Akarv a renewed sense of pride and place in the world. This feeling of peace ultimately did not last long, as Akarv's Ghernian colonies had become increasingly restless, and had organized to demand Akarv leave and allow them independence. Akarv resisted these demands, and was blindsided when Tripoly revealed themselves as an ally of the Tedre colonists. Without warning, a joint effort by the Tripolian Army and the Tedren Militia attacked the nearby Akarvian Military presence, forcing an emergency retreat. In a bid to weaken Akarv and its grasp in Ghern, as well as "finish what Jaykay started", Tripoly and Tedre declared war in October of 57 AE.
The first formal front of the war formed in January of 58 AE, on the shore of the Tedre colony. In an act of unity, Fallnavor came to Akarv's aid in the Ghernian War, fighting alongside them. Scavoran, Akarvs ally throughout the Near War, also joined the effort. Nearby Hera supported Akarv and its allies, but did not commit resources or soldiers to the war effort. Despite being outnumbered, the Tedren and Tripolian forces fought a rough fight, but weren't able to hold off three attacking nations. Still, the push through Tedre was slow and filled with hardships, but by July of 58 AE Akarv and its allies had reached the Tedren capital. But the effort to overpower Tedre fell apart when Scavoran pulled its forces out, questioning its role in the war and its alliance with Fallnavor. With a renewed confidence, Tedre and Tripoly, now backed by the Murena colony, pushed Akarv and Fallnavor back, and the two made the tactical decision to pull out of Tedre for the immediate future.
While the Ghernian War raged on, more information continued to come out about the ongoing Nether Conspiracy. Dedicating more resources to researching the problem, Akarv sent explorers to Eirros, along with Fallnavorian, Heran, and Equivian representatives, to investigate a mysterious Nether linked ruins. The expedition proved the Nether Conspiracy was more dire than originally thought, and confirmed the presence of Nether Spirits in the Overworld. However, it ended in tragedy when the Equivian official was possessed by said Spirit, who then killed a present Heran bodyguard. The chaos atop the mysterious structure caused part of it to give way, resulting in the death of the present Akarvian diplomat, Jeffery Michaels.
Meanwhile, in Hera, temporary ruler Yenklet Lupice had been voted out of power in favor of religious leader Undek Mag, who demanded compensation from Equis upon learning of the events in Eirros. With hardly enough time to react, Mag declared war on Equis and began mounting an attack force. Akarv, Fallnavor, Equis, and Eirros mounted a retaliatory force to stop Mag's attack before it could truly start another war, but when they arrived in the Heran capital they discovered Mag had already been killed. Inker Poker, an exiled Heran warlord, had returned and overthrew Mag, taking power for himself. This put a strain on Akarv and Hera's relationship, the former of which had little trust in Poker or his intentions.
Regardless of the chaos in Hera, the Ghernian War raged on, with a new front forming in Tripoly. But no matter how hard Akarv and Fallnavor pushed, the Tripolians defenses proved difficult to overcome. But they wore down as time passed, and in the November of 58 AE Zade Zen personally led a large Tripolian/Tedren attack force north, into Fallnavor. They intended to force the Fallnavorians to pull out of the war, or at least damage their morale. They were able to move deep into Fallnavorian territory before Fallnavor could even react, and they were forced to reduce their presence in the Tripolian front to defend themselves.
Zen's army continued to push deeper into Fallnavor well into 59 AE. By this point Akarv had redirected a large portion of its forces to the Fallnavorian front, but Zen continued marching towards the Fallnavorian capital. So the decision was made by Fallnavor and Akarv to set up a final major campaign in central Fallnavor, at a critical outpost Zen looked to conquer that would grant him easier access to the rest of the nation. In the spring of 58 AE Zen and his army reached the outpost, and the Akarvians and Fallnavorians were waiting. In the most brutal battle of the war, Zen's army fell. Zen and the Tedren leaders were killed in the fighting, and the remaining army surrendered soon after. Meanwhile Hera performed a surprise attack on the remaining Tripolian government, swiftly taking control of the nation and forcing it into submission. With this, the Ghernian War ended.
Akarv had now experienced a seven year period of war or near war, and was ready to return to peace. Pyro pushed for a transitional occupation of Tripoly, which strained relations with Hera even further. Tedre continued to push for its independence, and with Akarv now tired of war, it gave in, and pulled its influence out for good. But peacetime was short lived, as tensions between Scavoran and Fallnavor sharply escalated when Fallnavor granted full citizenship to a number of convicted Mynyyd conspirators. Fallnavor refused Scavorans controversial demands that these convicts be barred from all political or public office, and war seemed likely between the two. Exhausted and against the idea of yet another war, Pyro took a neutral stance on their conflict, attempting to act through diplomacy rather than violence or showboating. This new "Near War" was short lived, however, as the actions of the Nether Conspirators came to fruition early the following year.
==The Fall of Voldrania (60 AE)==
Public knowledge about the Nether Conspiracy had grown significantly over the years, by 60 AE most were aware that something was going on. Over the years it had been determined there were a number of humans involved, including the once thought exiled Alan Fruith. It had long since been determined that the being responsible for void rifts, and the overall leader of the conspiracy, was a being that matched the description of the biblical Void Devourer, a name that became widely used as its official description.
Akarv did its best to combat the growing problem of the Nether, but lacked the means to prevent or even block off the growing number of Void Rifts. The entire situation climaxed in a large scale assault on Voldrania by Nether related forces, pouting out of the Void Rifts. More, larger, rifts began to open, and the entirety of Voldrania shook as the land began to tear itself apart. The destruction was relatively slow, as the biblical "Void Protector" Inversion had been combating the Devourer's advances without the nations knowledge, though not enough to prevent Voldrania's destruction. It served to buy Akarv and the leaders of the other nations time to prepare a massive evacuation. With great sorrow, Pyro led the Akarvians once more into exodus in order to escape. The event became known as the "Fall of Voldrania".
And so the Voldranians sailed away, their homes collapsing as they left. Panic and despair plagued the Akarvian vessels, and it fell to Pyro and the now scattered government to maintain morale. Through their leadership they were able to maintain the basic form of the government while the navigators led the Akarvians to a new land, a far away region of the world they had heard of only in stories. The refugees began to refer to this rumored land as "New Voldrania". Despite all of the chaos, Pyro insisted that in order to maintain the integrity and continuity of Akarv, the regularly scheduled election must go on as normal. Smaller scout ships and aircraft's went from ship to ship to gather votes. It took longer than usual to register all of the votes because of the chaotic nature, but they were able to determine than Populous candidate Graz Eldar was the rightfully elected tenth president of Akarv.
The announcement that Eldar would be Akarv's new President coincided with the Voldranians arrival in New Voldrania, a region far larger than "Old" Voldrania and already inhabited by native humans and Old World settlers, who had been there for centuries. Fortunately several regions of the world had remained sparsely populated, and the Voldranians were able to peacefully settle and reestablish themselves. Akarv had found its new home.
==The Reestablishment Era (61 - 68 AE)==
The Akarvians wasted no time reestablishing itself once its many ships arrived in the region that would become the new Akarv. In the chaos of the evacuation it had been difficult to properly organize everyone. Once landfall was made, families were reunited and organized onto the same ships for temporary living, and the scattered government compiled themselves onto ships to use as temporary capitals. The people of Akarv then got to work, once again establishing their homes. The mostly built outwards from the peninsula they arrived on, which would become Alred's Port District, and out from there. Using resources they managed to bring from Voldrania they began constructing new homes, and a new nation.
While the people of Akarv were busy rebuilding the nation, the Government, particularly president Graz Eldar, were busy legitimizing the nation. Gradually the government found its stable footing once more, and an effort was made to establish relations with the native nations. Eldar and his Head of International Relations, Adam Pyro, were quickly able to establish a relationship wih Krolesk and the Llysian Tribes, two of the largest preexisting bodies in New Voldrania. The International Council of Voldrania was gradually reestablished as well, as the other surviving Voldranian nations(Tripoly, Tedre, Scavoran, and Equis) also began to stabilize in their new homes. While its legitimacy was questioned, the elder nations of New Voldrania were given the opportunity to join as well, to strengthen all of them.
In 62 AE, after nearly a year in New Voldrania, the Llysian tribes formally organized into the nations "Llysos" and "Altenahnenwalde", the former of which Akarv established a quick bond with. The southern, more barbaric, Altenahnenwalde remained skeptical of the new settlers, and no formal relations were established. Soon after, a mismatched bunch of Voldranians came together to found a brand new nation, Varrenholm. They immediately allied themselves with Jados(formerly Tripoly), Baratan(formerly Tedre and Murena), and New Scavoran to form the "Western Accord", a political and military alliance designed to increase their influence, and ultimately control, of the Council. Eldar's administration was slow to respond to these events, but as news spread the Akarvian people became increasingly nervous that an alliance of this nature with Tripoly and Tedre, two former enemies of Akarv, would end in disaster.
In 63 AE political affairs in Krolesk had stabilized after a short civil war, and Akarv was able to form an official alliance with the nation. Using their friendship with both Krolesk and Llysos, Akarv drafted the formation of the "East Voldranian Alliance of Independent Nations", EVAIN. The EVAIN alliance was formed to directly counter efforts by the Western Accord, as well as create a bond between the three nations that would increase trade and communication. Almost immediately the EVAIN and Western Accord alliances bashed heads, anger erupting over the intention of each. While not as fierce as the rivalry between Akarv and Fallnavor in the fifties, this prolonged state of tension between these alliances was effectively the second Near War.
Eldar continued to lead the Akarvian people through their reformation effort, but infamously slacked when it came to the military. While the military was able to reform effectively enough to defend the nation, Eldar paid little attention to them and delegated the work to those below him. It would take years for the military to properly organize itself and achieve its former strength. Nevertheless, Eldar maintained a popularity with the Akarvian people, and allied world leaders, that enabled him to win the election the following year, earning him a second term. Still, the war of words continued with the Western Accord. By 64 AE Aea had partially joined EVAIN, putting them on effectively even ground with the W.A. Eldar, on numerous occasions, publically spoke down about the Western Accord and ensured the Akarvian people if they were idiotic enough to start another war they would be dealt with, but Akarv would not humor them.
64 AE was also notable for the formation of the Special Agents Network of Akarv, SANA. SANA was Eldar's response to Akarvian concerns that its military was too unorganized and that Akarv should have a larger presence in the world. In addition, the concern of Jadosian Jaden was growing, and so a special tasks force was formed to calm those fears. At the same time, Akarv had been sponsoring students to attend the mage colleges in Krolesk and Llysos, and the nation was beginning to gain an understanding of the mystic arts so that it could combat Jaden mysticism.
In 65 AE a small unit of Akarvian soldiers allied themselves with a team of Krolesk'Kans who aimed to remove the corrupt king Vilatro from the Krolesk'Kan throne. Akarv had taken part in this conspiracy for some time, at first reluctant but later a main contributor. Vilatro, who turned out to be a Keeper, had imprisoned a number of Fallnavorian refugees that arrived in Krolesk after the Fall of Voldrania, forcing them into slavery. Among them were James Navor II and James Jaykay. In an act of diplomacy, Akarv traded Krolesk for their release and took them into their own custody. Navor was released but Jaykay, who the government had thought dead, was imprisoned for conspiracy against the Council and Akarv. They would release him soon after, the courts failing to uphold the charges. Once the extent of Vilatro's nature, and his true identity, were revealed, Akarv came fully on board with the conspiracy, and supported Rodesk Navor and Wizard Alfred's coup.
After political unrest in Krolesk and the short lived reign of Jason Vrock following Vilatro, Rodesk Navor became its new king, leading the nation to adopt a democratic government similar to that of Akarvs in 66 AE. This served to strengthen the Akarvian/Krolesk'Kan alliance, while relations with the nations of the Western Accord only continued to worsen. Starting in 63 AE, Akarv had colonized a series of islands located between itself and Jados, naming them the Namessian islands. Little effort was made on Jados' part to contest the colonization, and the islands were used to set up defenses should Jados attack. But as time passed more people settled there, most notably political extremist Vala Khan who was infamously a member of the Interferist faith. Over the next few years Akarv's small community of Interferists migrated to the Namessian islands, following Khan's promise of a better life separated from the rest of the world.
With Vala Khan's history, most Akarvians became concerns that she intended to cause political problems in Namess, or even attempt to secede. Eldar passed her off as a madwoman who would never act on anything she said, and even if she did, would fail at it. On multiple occasions Eldar merely grunted at the topic. Akarvian fears were confirmed when, in late 66 AE, Vala Khan approached members of the Council not involved with EVAIN seeking council recognition. She intended to secede, making Namess into its own sovereign nation. The vote passed, primarily due to the backing of the Western Accord nations, all behind Akarv's back. When Akarv did become aware of the vote the Namessians had already seceded, and the Western Accord swore they would uphold the decision with force if necessary.
With their hands tied, Akarv had no choice but to honor the Namessian secession, losing a vital base of technology and defense. Any effort to established relations with this new nation were cut short when Vala Khan performed a coup that overthrew the nations democratically elected leader, Ias Sofer, who fled to Akarv for safety. Khan demanded he be turned over, a demand which Eldar's government refused. The secession of Namess caused most Akarvians to lose faith in Eldar, who had been so adamant that she wouldn't be a problem. Despite apologizing for his negligence, Eldar's popularity never recovered. The event only made tensions with the Western Accord worse, as well.
By 67 AE tensions with the Western Accord had reached their peak, and many saw war as imminent. Unknown to Akarv, the Nether Spirit Nem had been secretly influencing the Jadosian King Zarkan Zen, pushing him towards war. Zen became convinced Akarv was conspiring against him, and moved to declare for war. But in the final minute he backed down, for unknown reasons. The drama within the Western Accord began to weaken the alliance, and member nation Varrenholm made the decision to leave. While civil unrest began to brew in Jados and it was slow to react, Baratan became enraged and moved to attack Varrenholm for its "betrayal". Now aware of what was transpiring in the west, Akarv moved in and offered its protection to Varrenholm. With Jados slowly destabilizing and Scavoran focusing its resources on the growing Dauan crisis, Baratan backed off. This event marked the "beginning of the end" for the Western Accord, and tensions began to diffuse following it.
68 AE arrived, and Akarv's second New Voldranian election began. Norman Grahck, Eldar's vice president, had made the decision to run some time before. While he remained a popular choice among the Populous party, despite being a retired general, he gained little ground throughout Akarv. His association with a now very unpopular Graz Eldar served to hurt his chances at the Presidency, not support them. The candidate from the Karavist party, Sarah Nass, had the backing of Adam Pyro and quickly rose to popularity. In a result many saw coming, Sarah Nass was elected the eleventh President of Akarv, and its first female President.
==Exploration and a New Nether Conspiracy (69 - 73 AE)==
With the nation stabilizing and its cities starting to focus on outwards expansion, the new President Nass made the decision that it was time to organize an exploration effort to survey the damage done to Voldrania, to figure out what had become of their home. In late 69 AE a team including members of SANA, some Jadosians, surviving Fallnavorians, and Lirun made the long voyage back to Voldrania. They found it in ruins, with few structures standing in a recognizable, or even safe, form. Much of the forests had been burnt to the ground, bodies of water had dried up, and lava had seeped to the surface.
Ultimately, the team made the decision that Voldrania was uninhabitable, that Voldrania had been effectively destroyed. They did not return empty handed, however, as they managed to discover a bunker that had been uncovered by the devastation containing several written documents, one of which was a journal written by Adam Akarvon himself. The journal confirmed the existence of the Cult of Inversion, and implied that Voldrania's colonization had been orchestrated by the cult to combat the Void Devourer. The other records were written in Narin and an unknown language, which the explorers could not translate, so they were taken back to New Akarv.
Meanwhile, President Nass had been working hard to establish the proper organization of the military, helping lead it back to its former glory. The navy began to grow, and new air bases sprung up around the nation. In 70 AE Nass and her administration drafted the "Akarvian Most Wanted" list, a list of criminals at large who were considered a threat to the world or to the nation. A reward was offered to anyone who could provide useful information on any of those on the list. This further helped to organize the military's purpose, as it began an effort to hunt down these criminals.
As all of this was happening, more incidents relating to the Nether Conspiracy began to occur. Krolesk'kan Netherans such as Jason Vrock were revealed, and Nether-based cults came to light. Others, such as Calatan Morentius in Baratan, returned after having been assumed killed. More and more Nether Spirit sightings were reported, as prominent members of their race plotted alongside their human allies. Despite tensions between nations, many came together to strategize on a response. The void rifts did not appear to be a problem, but it was becoming increasingly clear that the Void Devourer would make another attempt on the Overworld, soon.
As these fears lingered over Akarvian heads, more information began to come to light on the Trikash ruins west of Krolesk. The Trikash had been a once great nation, but mysteriously disappeared centuries earlier. In 69 AE Akarvian and Llysian representatives joined Krolesk'Kan archaeologists in uncovering the secrets of the ruins, with members of SANA partaking in the more dangerous expeditions. Together they discovered previously lost information on the Keepers and Void Lurkers, and Akarvian and Llysian representatives even managed to free a benevolent Keeper than had been imprisoned since before the Trikash fell. It was also discovered that the "ages" referred to in Krolesk'Kan society had roots linked to the Trikash, and that an upcoming event, the turning of the era, would spell chaos and destruction. A prophecy at best, but Akarv took this as an implication that the Void Devourers assault was imminent. And so they began to prepare a response in 70 AE, years before the war was set to begin.
In early 70 AE the Voldranian Survey team returned, and presented their findings to the government. The document written in Narin was translated by Khan family member Waryndo Khan, who was one of the few Voldranians who knew anything about the Narin language. The other, though, remained a mystery. Until in June of 70 AE a series of letters appeared on the doorstep of every major government and newspaper in New Voldrania, signed by a mysterious informant referring to himself as "The Monitor". He claimed to have a vast store of knowledge and a secretive information network spanning across the world, and had managed to receive a copy of the mystery text. He provided a translation, revealing that it was an ancient prophecy of sorts, talking about a great war between the protector and destroyer of the Void. He only backed up the claim that a "Nether War" was imminent.
The Monitor revealing himself to the world also, effectively, revealed the details of the Nether Conspiracy to the public. Panic ensued but many Governments were able to reassure their people that they would be prepared. The Monitor would continue to send these messages at random, revealing more information about Keepers, Void Lurkers, creatures of the Nether, the nature of magic or powerful materials, even about the Trikash. His identity could not be established, so he remained as a mystery informant seemingly on the side of the Voldranians.
These messages, and information about the Nether Conspiracy, continued to come out well through the next few years. In 71 AE, field leader of SANA Tony Slaver was determined to be associated with the conspiracy, and went underground. Paranoia gripped Akarv, its military, and it's people, no one was entirely sure who to trust. The nation began to fall into a state of silence, people becoming less social and international interaction was cut down. The continued degradation of the governments within the Western Accord allowed Akarvians to breath a sigh of relief, but the looming "Nether War" added a whole different level of stress.
In 72 AE Sarah Nass announced that she would not seek reelection. She and Adam Pyro had been privately seeing each other for some time, and both made the decision to retire from politics, at least temporarily, so they could get married and start a family. Despite being a member of the typically isolationist, pro-small military Populous Party, candidate Oliver Herwall quickly rose in the polls for his strong stance on the seemingly imminent Nether War. The election came and went, and as most expected, Herwall was elected as Akarv's twelfth President.
The first year of Herwalls term, 73 AE, proved emotionally conflicting for Akarv. The year saw Scavoran leaving the Western Accord, shortly after Ralkeis had joined it, which many saw as the beginning of its end. The Western Accord was no longer seen as a threat, but at the same time an Akarvian colony, Teas, has made an effort to secede. With no desire to combat the imminent drama of a seceding colony, Herwall put up no contest, and Teas was formally recognized as a sovereign nation later that year. This hurt Herwall's popularity, but his condensed focus on preparing for the Nether War balanced it out.
And so 73 AE came and went, Akarv had spent much of its time preparing a response force armed to handle Nether Creatures, hoping to cut the problem off at the head. By all accounts, the "changing of the era" was the come the following year, and if everything they had learned had been correct, it would mark the beginning of the Void Devourer's assault.
==The Nether War (74 - 76 AE)==
In the early hours of 74 AE, an enormous portal opened over the eastern ocean, and an army of Nether Creatures loyal to the Void Devourer poured through. Netherans long thought dead or vanished returned, and Nether Spirits poured into the Overworld at an alarming rate. International fears had been confirmed, the Nether War had begun. With a tip from the Monitor, the Akarvian Response fleet had already mobilized by the time the portal opened, and made its way to it in an attempt to block it off. They could not have expected the sheer strength of the invading Nether army, and after a valiant but short battle, the Akarvian Response Fleet was decimated. Only a few survived, retreating back to Akarv to inform them that they had lost.
And so the Nether Creatures invaded, attacking cities and nations in droves. Individual cities and city defenses proved capable in fending off attacking blazes and pigmen, but Nether Spirits and Netheran conspirators remained a problem. Krolesk suffered a coup attempt by Netheran Jason Vrock, while Scavoran faced down an army of mindless spirits released by Nether-allied Dauans. Akarv, meanwhile, retreated into itself and focused on defense. Fortunately for the world, the Devourer's attempts at destroying the Void barrier were directly countered by the Inversion, sparing New Voldrania from the same fate as Old Voldrania. Despite several minor victories across the nations the war raged on, with chaos preventing a formal, organized, response. Communication between cities became limited, and between nations rare. Nations such as Baratan and Jados had since devolved into anarchy or civil war and were wholly unprepared for the invading Nether Creatures. And despite the hope of many, the Keepers did little to assist.
Life on the run from Nether Creatures became regular, with many Akarvians fleeing the smaller cities and settlements for the safety of the major cities. The Akarvian military, which had been severely wounded with the failure of its immediate response, made a concentrated effort at repairing itself. It saw the highest level of recruitment it had ever experienced, everyone in Akarv knew what was at stake and were willing to fight to prevent disaster. After a few months it appeared the war had come to a stalemate, the nations had begun to counter the chaos the war caused and were able to more effectively fight back against invading Nether Creatures. Mining efforts in the Nether itself increased and Glowstone was distributed throughout Akarv to minimize the threat of Spirits. Glowstone-infused weaponry was developed to further combat the more powerful spirits, giving Akarv an edge it did not previously have.
In 75 AE the Lirun fugitive Lao returned and, with an assortment of hired and Netheran allies, invaded Alred City and bunkered in its Hospital. City defenses were unable to prevent this invasion, but were able to contain it to the hospital. At the threat of murdering those inside, Lao managed to keep the Akarvians from doing anything more than waiting. With their hands tied, the government turned to SANA, sending its members trained in stealth and infiltration inside. Led by Akarvian mage Ulles Wolhol the hospital was slowly liberated, floor by floor starting from the roof. By the time Lao and her chief allies were aware of what was going on Ulles had reached her command center, with his SANA allies following closely behind. A signal was given to outside forces who stormed the hospital, wounding Lao's Mercenary ally and taking both of them into custody.
News of SANA's success echoed throughout Akarv. Rather than cause more panic and doubts that the nation it could defend itself, it brought Akarvians together. It inspired them, it replaced fear with anger and drove a newfound will to fight. No matter how many Akarvians came together, though, military leaders knew that in order to end the war the Void Devourer had to be eliminated. Scout ships had determined the giant portal over the sea, still open, was the Devourer's direct access into the Overworld, and in theory could be used to reach him. The failure of Akarv's forces to face the Nether Creatures head on proved they could not do it alone. In mid 75 AE Akarvian general Dakota Peerk led the effort to form the Anti-Nether Response Team, an international alliance that aimed to pool all of their resources into one concentrated attack. President Herwall put his trust into General Peerk, elevating her to a position to fully lead the Akarvian military.
And so the effort began to built ANRT's numbers. Not all nations joined, but those who did put everything they had into it. Akarv's allies in EVAIN, the Lirun, and even rivals Ralkeis, Jados, and Varrenholm all came together to form the largest coordinated international assault in history. As the ANRT forces slowly came together, Peerk led a secondary international effort to construct the ASV Predator, a heavily armored submarine that would be able to escort a strike team safely to the portal to face the Devourer directly, while the fleets ensured the Nether Armies defeat.
More and more resources poured into the ANRT alliance until finally, in 76 AE, General Peerk led the fleets west towards the Devourer's portal. The Nether army had since built up in numbers around the portal expecting an assault, and more continued to poor out. This time, however, the Nether Creatures were less able to overpower the Voldranian forces, and the two opposing forces clashed. Meanwhile, the ASV Predator approached the spire leading up to the portal and the forces it carried, including members of SANA and several other special forces groups from other nations, disembarked and slowly fought their way up and through the portal.
Perhaps miraculously, the ANRT Strike team suffered no casualties even after tense battles with two powerful Nether Spirits guarding the Devourer's fortress. They continued towards the central chamber, running across a Netheric prison containing longtime Akarvian fugitive Alan Fruith. Fruith revealed the extent of his involvement with the Devourer and how he had survived all this time, but offered no apology. And so the strike force left him, and came face to face with the Devourer itself. With the aid of the Inversion, injured but still able lend its help, the strike team fought and managed to kill the Devourer. With the death of the Devourer the invading Nether army ceased its attack, no longer being controlled or influenced by it. The creatures slowly began returning to the Nether as the Inversion returned the strike team to the Overworld, forcibly closing the primary portal.
After two and a half years of constant warfare, and decades of running from the Devourer and its conspiracy, the Nether War had finally ended. Akarv had survived, and though it had suffered countless tragedies, it was ready and able to move on into the future.
==Returning Strength and Isolation (77 - 93 AE)==
Akarv had a renewed sense of strength and pride following the end of the Nether War. It had suffered losses in the war, its fleets had been broken and weakened, but they had won. Unfortunately, peace was short lived. At the end of 76 AE, after the Nether War, bombs went off in Alred City, causing damage to areas around the capital. Panic again ensued as Akarvian officials ruled out the possibility of Netheran retaliation. The investigation ran into early 77 AE, and implicated nationals of Altenahnenwalde. The Llysovians had been traditionally hostile towards Akarv and its settling of nearby lands, but had never made any violent retaliation.
Upon confrontation, the Llysovian government not only failed to deny their involvement, they took pride in it. Bragged about it, even. In a controversial move, President Herwall demanded that the Llysovians turn over those responsible to face trial and pay Akarv reparations or face war. Herwall had no serious intention of going to war so soon after the Nether War, he had expected the Llysovians to back down. He misjudged, and The Llysovians instead made the decision to attack Akarv first, igniting the Akarv-Alten War.
The Llysovians were faster and more brutal than expected, and were able to to swiftly push north through Midocon towards Alred. Akarv's initial response forces couldn't physically match up with the Llysovians raised and trained in a warrior culture. Fortunately a defensive line was formed before the Llysovians could reach any major settlement, locking the two sides into a stalemate. A month into the war Akarv was finally able to organize a more concentrated effort, sending a force of airships to the front. This marked the turning of the war, and with the assistance of technology the Llysovians lacked they were pushed out of Akarv within a week.
The Llysovians refused to back down, and Akarv was forced to continue its war effort. They began to push the Llysovian front back to their capital, in an effort to force them out of the war. The Llysovians struggled to face off against Akarv's superior arms and armor and were quickly pushed back into Altentad. The war, again, reached a stalemate as Akarv failed to seize the city. This continued on for the next few months, with Akarv attemtping and failing to organize peace with the Llysovians. After five months Akarv had been able to further organize its forces and made a final concentrated push on Altentad, taking the city from the east by air and west by sea. With Akarv in control of their city, and Llysos urging them to back down, Altenahnenwalde finally negotiated peace. Thus began an extended period of occupation by Akarv.
With the end of the five month long Akarv-Alten War, the nation finally had the opportunity to relax. Due to the war, efforts to repair the military had been delayed, and could now resume. Herwall's popularity had suffered, but he was early enough into his second term that he had the time to repair his image. He led Akarv into an era of isolationism, following the trend around the world following the Nether War. And so Akarv fell silent, focusing on repair and expansion rather than politics or the international community. The government mostly left the people to their business over the next few years, slowly earning a reputation of being lazy, or aloof. This however didn't stop Herwall's Vice President Herman Stalke winning the election in 80 AE.
The Stalke Presidency saw no major changes from the latter half of Herwall's. The nation fell deeper into isolation, neglecting its allies in EVAIN and elsewhere, and even began to neglect its military reformation. The Military fell to its smallest size in decades, and despite Akarvian desires for a stronger defensive force, President Stalke made no effort to revitalize it. He cooperated with the Akarvian Senate and laws were passed that helped revitalize structural repair. Towns that had been abandoned during the Nether War again saw activity, growing into larger cities. Yet Stalke continued his minimalist approach to the presidency, a policy many in the nation and its government quickly became tired of.
83 AE saw the formation of a new Western Accord, and outcry echoed throughout Akarv as its population feared a repeat of the 60s. In an attempt to decrease international concerns, this new Western Accord re-branded itself as "The Accord", reaching out to several nations around the world to join the new alliance. The Accord made efforts to appear non-aggressive and convince those concerned it had no intentions similar to those of the old Western Accord, but Akarvians remained skeptical and on edge. The complacent Akarvian Government made no real effort to ease their concerns, which only allowed baseless paranoia to thrive.
Stalke made the decision early on to rerun for the Presidency in 84 AE, making a push to appear more proactive throughout the year. The damage had been done to his reputation, and Karavist candidate Abigail Kosch quickly rose in public opinion. Her platform was built on a message of rebuilding Akarvian strength and pride, while reestablishing its place in the world. In a landslide election, Kosch was elected the fourteenth President of Akarv.
Kosch saw the revitalization of EVAIN, reestablishing relations with Krolesk and Llysos while also extending an offer of alliance to Varrenholm. Varrenholm, who had founded the new Accord, in turn extended an offer to join the Accord to members of EVAIN. Llysos joined, and Akarv cautiously signed on as the alliances security provider. Within just a few months of her presidency Kosch had calmed Akarvian nerves and established peaceful relations with the New Accord and its major members. Baratan had even stabilized to the point where Akarvian businessman Waryndo Khan was able to establish a branch of his restaurant in their capital. Continuing an effort to revitalize Akarvian strength and morale, Kosch lobbied for the appointment of general Dakota Peerk as Head of the Military, and both oversaw a military reconstruction effort.
Over the next few years the military saw a dramatic increase in the strength of its fleets and ranks, coinciding with an overhaul of the military's structure, spearheaded by Peerk herself. Together, they drafted the construction of a new Warship for the Akarvian Navy, an enormous sea vessel capable of withstanding heavy warfare and transporting more soldiers and supplies than previously possible at one time. This project, the ANWS Akarvon, would take several years to complete, but was successfully finished in 89 AE. The construction of such a massive war vessel raised concerns in the international community, but Akarv continued to insist that it was constructed to combat another Nether War, or anything similar.
Kosch grew increasingly popular throughout her first term as she worked to revitalize Akarv's strength. Despite strengthening Akarv's alliances and joining the Accord, the nation remained largely isolationist. Most nations were still recovering from the Nether War and, in general, had no desire for international drama. This applied to Akarv as well, and so the nation mostly kept to itself. Nevertheless, Kosch's popularity spiked, and easily won reelection in 88 AE. The next four years continued to see the reconstruction of Akarv's military. Between this effort and the cost of the ANWS Akarvon, Akarv experienced its first budget deficit in its history in 89 AE. This turned around the following year, but proved Kosch's critics correct in claiming she was spending far more money than past presidents.
Akarv continued to dedicate more resources to its presence in the Accord, cementing its position as its security. Still, Akarv benefited from the relevant trade agreements in exchange for its services, focusing more and more on that alliance over EVAIN. Over time Aea had grown further and further from the alliance, which it had hardly partaken in anyway, and political drama in Krolesk, along with the formation of the Northern Empire of Scythia in 89 AE, pushed them further and further from the alliance. With the alliance neglected and falling apart, President Kosch led its members to dissolve the alliance in 92 AE.
Despite the massive popularity of Abigail Kosch throughout her Presidency, her Vice Presidents never managed to earn that same level. Her second term Vice President, Dennis Hagen, made the decision not to run for President. Many expected Dakota Peerk to run instead, but she also made the decision not to run for personal reasons. The nation was left with few major popular candidates to choose from in 92 AE, which gave way for Akarv's third largest political Party, The Reformation Party, to establish a stronger foothold with its candidate Victoria Khan. Being the daughter of Waryndo Khan she had access to a vast fortune that aided her in advertising her presidency, making her and her party viable competitors with the Karavist and Populous candidates. In a close upset of a race, Victoria Khan won the election and became Akarv's fifteenth President.
While Kosch defined her presidency by revitalizing Akarv's strength and alliances, Khan aimed to repair Akarv's relations with those it was not allied with. To start, in order to manage the military she pushed for the appointment of Abigail Kosch, who had a better understanding of the new military than most. Kosch was appointed, and military decisions were left mostly to her. Khan did, however, push both Kosch and the Senate to end Akarv's still ongoing occupation of Altenahnenwlade from the Akarv-Alten War over a decade ago. By mid 93 AE Akarv left Alten, leaving Llysos to help ensure their mutual neighbor would remain peaceful.
Khan continued her policy of repairing relations by reaching out to the Lirun and renegotiating the release of Lirun and Akarvian fugitive Lao, who Akarv refused to release to the Lirun after a miscommunication in post Nether War interrogations. They were able to reach a deal, and Akarv turned Lao over to the Lirun after years of Akarvian imprisonment. Relations between Akarv and the Lirun remained unstable, but Khan successfully began the process of establishing a friendship between the two.
In November of 93 AE the world was taken by surprise when the Monitor returned, once again having notes delivered around the world. These were much more cryptic than past notes, and spoke specifically about powerful artifacts and, more concerningly, himself. With cautious trust people thought little of it, the Monitor had been an ally during the Nether War after all. The intention of these new messages from the Monitor would be revealed soon after, on the first day of the new year.
==The Monitor Invasion and its Aftermath (94 AE - Present)==
On January 1, 94 AE, the Monitor delivered another message, this one to far more outlets and locations across the world. Newspapers, public centers, military bases, every imaginable branch of a nation's government; all were fair game. The message revealed pieces of the Monitor's identity and that he had been afflicted by Kysteric for some time. It also warned the nations of the world not to fight back against the ongoing invasion, or face the wrath of a super-weapon backed by the power of the Siphon. This was a confusion to some, but many never even received the message before they were already at the mercy of the Monitor's forces.
Within a day the Monitor's vast network of contacts and allies had seized almost every major political and military center in New Voldrania, taking its leaders hostage and forcing them to stand down. While many doubted the legitimacy of the Monitor's claim that he was in possession of a super-weapon, Akarv's military and political forces had been completely crippled without a single drop of blood. There was nothing the nation could do to fight back, and it was one of the first to succumb in the Monitor Invasion.
Akarv, along with other larger powerful military nations such as Krolesk and Llysos, saw a large presence of Monitor agents, who were primarily focused on the big cities and important areas within them, such as capitals or military compounds. Civilian centers were left largely unguarded, but patrols would sweep through to ensure the peace was kept. After all, the Monitor's message claimed this was an effort to end all war, not to conquer. There were plots by Akarvians to fight back, but civilian access to arms and armor had been made impossible, and military bases were some of the most heavily fortified during the Monitor Invasion. With no true way to fight back, and the fear that the Super-weapon might actually exist, no one in Akarv could make any retaliatory effort.
In Krolesk, meanwhile, Akarvian national Tym Vanir had managed to liberate a grouping of diplomats, including those from Akarv, who gathered a small band of allies and set sail south for Akarv. They arrived in Alred City by the River of Akarv approximately two weeks later and the combatants among them snuck into the Citadel in an attempt to liberate the diplomats present. After battling the present Monitor forces, the combatants managed to free the few people still being held within the Citadel, including Adam Pyro. Just as they escaped the Citadel's central tower the sky erupted in a flash of bright light, and a hole was torn clean through the central tower, a clear demonstration of the super-weapon's legitimacy.
Utilizing a small civilian transport shuttle that had been present in the Citadel they made their way to the Khan Mansion where the rest of the diplomats had fled to. Led by Major Henry Khan, the diplomats from Krolesk and from the Citadel met in a stronghold beneath the mansion where they worked to come up with a plan to defeat the Monitor. They ruled that the best possible way to end the invasion would be to wrest control of the super-weapon from him. The diplomats stayed behind in the safety of the stronghold while the combatants split up to seize the necessary resources to take the super-weapon. A third team returned to Alred to investigate a lead received from an agent of the Monitor captured at the mansion. The former teams received the support of the Llysian mage college and managed to seize a small number of armed ships from a military base in Ekive before setting off to fight the Monitor forces present around the weapon.
The latter team, meanwhile, arrived in Alred and managed to discover that the captured agent had been a citizen of Alred, and when they investigated his home they discovered a secret passageway leading to a teleporter linked directly to the Monitor's main chamber. The attack on the Monitor's weapon occurred simultaneously, who discovered the forces weakened and in disarray after a failed attack by the Lirun the night prior. A strike team disembarked and successfully navigated their way through the inner workings of the weapon, clearing it out. After a short battle, the weapon was theirs.
The Monitor quickly discovered that he had lost control of his weapon, and cut short the attempted confrontation by those who had discovered him but not before revealing more about himself to Akarvian Natalie Evans. The Monitor escaped on his command ship, but Evans and those with her managed to discover evidence in his hideout that there was a second super-weapon primed to fire at the Old World. Evans used the teleporter to warn the forces at the Super-weapon that the Monitor was coming while the combatants proceeded to teleport to the second super-weapon.
In two climactic battles, the Monitor's ship was defeated, forcing the Monitor into retreat, and the second super-weapon was disabled. The battle resulted in the death of SANA's field leader Patti Teel, but the Monitor was on the run and his weapons were no longer a threat. News began to spread around the world, and people and their governments finally began fighting back after three weeks of submission. Without the guidance of the Monitor, his forces quickly broke rank and crumbled. Within a few months, almost all of the Monitor's forces had been killed, captured, or gone underground. The Monitor Invasion had been thwarted, thanks in part to the several Akarvians involved in the retaliation force.
The Monitor Invasion turned out to be a pivotal moment in Voldranian history, more than anyone ever could have expected. As Adam Pyro would later describe it, it ignited the "Age of Chaos". Almost immediately after the Monitor Invasion, while Akarv was settling down and repairing the organizational damage the Monitor had caused, war broke out in the north between Krolesk and Ralkeis. Krolesk disputed the legitimacy of a Fallnavorian colony on Kal'kan and had made moves to forcibly eliminate it, while Ralkeis aimed to stand against Krolesk in an effort to combat its imperialistic tendencies.
Victoria Khan, not wanting to compromise Akarv's steadily declining relationship with Krolesk and gradually improving relationship with Ralkeis, made the decision to sponsor a peace summit between the two nations before they could enter all out war. In a summit moderated by Adam Pyro and Philip Trenduz on the ANWS Akarvon, leaders from Krolesk and Ralkeis met. In a very tense meeting, the two shakily agreed to a truce. The Krolesk'Kan representative, consul Ostavius Dravicus, clearly had ulterior motives but with an at least temporary truce established the representatives departed. Dravicus was soon after approached by Tougur Vazen, a known agent of the Monitor, who severed Dravicus' arm in a threat on his life.
Elsewhere in 95 AE, the powerful Nether Spirit Tethris had emerged, forcing a response from Varren officials. Akarv participated in a multi-national assault on Tethris but was completely unprepared for the power he possessed. Another, more powerful, supernatural being was able to put an end to Tethris' assault, but it proved to Akarv that they were wholly unprepared to deal with some of the powers that were beginning to emerge. And Tethris was not the only "super villain" that had emerged since the Monitor Invasion. With their ability to defend themselves from the emerging dangers in the world, and the usefulness of SANA in its current state, the decision was made to disband it in 95 AE, with the intent to reform and prepare it for larger, non-national threats.
Later in 95 AE the effort to uncover the Monitor's secrets was fully underway. Utilizing the teleporter to his chambers underneath Alred City, explorers were able to pinpoint their precise location to eastern Animadev. So began a multinational effort to research the Monitor's resources, partly led by Natalie Evans. By the end of 95 AE, the researchers had managed to discover more about the Monitor's teleportation network, leading them directly into a massive archive which would become know as "The Monitor's Archives". The archives were completely sealed, the only way in being through the teleporter, so determining their exact location was impossible.
Akarv poured resources into studying the massive archives, continually discovering new information about subjects the Monitor had previously spoken about, and about his entire operation. With the sheer number of written works within the archives, researchers predicted it would take years just the catalog them all, much less learn from them.
Category:New Voldrania Category:Voldrania Category:Akarv Category:History