Meraedon

The kingdom of Meraedon is the largest and most prosperous human kingdom on Nivarra. It was originally founded by Tyr Ulises Baranil, from which the kingdom took its name. In its early stages, the kingdom was little more than a sparsely populated collection of tribes. But over the millennia it has grown into an economic and military juggernaut, whose influence is felt across the continent.

For the last 600 years, Meraedon has been ruled by House Tyber. Under Tyberian reign, the kingdom was responsible for the creation of the multi-racial League of Arnen. House Tyber has led humanity through the First War, Regani Skirmishes, and the Second War, and is largely held as the greatest humanity has to offer.

## History

Meraedon, like most other human kingdoms, started off as a collection of loosely aligned tribal states. It was united by Tyr Ulises Baranil when it was centralized into a monarchy. The area that would become home to the kingdom was verdant, fertile, and experienced relatively mild winters. Its long growing season and easy access to rivers for trading allowed Meraedon to quickly rise to prominence.

####  Unification War

Over the centuries the six tribes warred and traded with one another. The Highlands spent more time at war than it didn't, leading many of the older races to completely avoid the area.

This changed when a Meraedonn by the name of Ulises Baranil organized Meraedon into a feudal monarchy. He created the title Tyr, leader of the Meraedon Kingdom. Tyr Baranil saw a future where each of the six tribes would unite under a single banner, and become a major factor in global actions. He saw humans for what they could be ─ not for what they were. Baranil created a professional fighting force known as the *tyrguard*. He then dispatched runners to the other five tribes, demanding they bow to his authority. Refusal would mean war. All five tribes refused him as a madman. The Unification War had begun.

Tyr Ulises Baranil used his tyrguards to great effect, conquering the other five tribes with little difficulty. Their lightly armored and unprofessional armies stood no chance against the heavily armored and disciplined Tyrian fighting force.

### Baranil League

Having conquered the other five tribes, Tyr Ulises Baranil stood triumphant. He reorganized the six tribes into six kingdoms, all of which answered to him. He summoned the surviving leaders of the five tribes and presented them his idea of a unified human nation: the Baranil League. The tribes would retain their cultural identity and land borders prior to the outbreak of the conflict. In exchange they would all answer to High King Ulises as sole authority. A council would be later formed to represent the six tribes' interests, and to help mediate disputes. High King Baranil agreed to its creation, and the Baranil League was born.

The League then dispatched ambassadors to the dwarven hold of Steelhammer, which occupied the mountains to the far south. Steelhammer was initially hesitant to deal with the humans who only a century ago were raiding their villages. After many long months of deliberation and negotiation, the dwarves agreed to allow the humans to establish a diplomatic office in the city. The League also sent ambassadors east, deep into the Singing Forest to make contact with the elven kingdom of Tal'Sharah. Weeks went by and no word had come back. High King Baranil feared the worst and rallied his now considerable army.

### Regani Wars

Unbeknownst to the League, the Singing Forest was home to an enormous tribe of trolls, known as the Regani. The trolls and the high elves had been at war for the last century and a half. As the League's army marched to the Singing Forest, they were set upon by a troll warband. The conflict was brief, bloody, and devastating. The League's armies had been crushed beneath the troll's superior unit tactics. It was only because of a timely intervention by the high elven prince Terel'anath that Tyr Baranil wasn't killed, and with it the League.

As the high elven forces rallied the human army, the trolls were pushed back into the forest. The two races became fast friends, as Ulises pledged to support the elves in their war in exchange for alliance and trade agreements.

The Regani Kingdom could not beat back the human and elven incursions into their lands. The combined might of the two races proved to be too much for the trolls, and their kingdom was virtually destroyed. The high elves reclaimed lost land and the League annexed a large swathe of troll territory.

Tyr Baranil died at the age of 93, the oldest living human on record. He was succeeded by his daughter, Allysa Baranil.

### Daramaar

In exchange for assisting in destroying the Regani, the elves dispatched a group of Magisters to the League capital of Meraedon. There they established a school designed to teach humans about ley line and the arcane ─ something that up to this point they were largely ignorant of. Allysa agreed, however was discouraged by the dangerous nature of the arcane. She instead proposed to establish a new city dedicated to magical study, away from major population centers. This new city was to be built on an island in the middle of Lake Darel. The elves agreed and the two races set to work, building the first joint-city between humans and elves: Daramaar. Daramaar rapidly grew into a center for learning and cultural exchange. Given the limited space available on the small island, the city began to build upwards. These gleaming white and blue spires can be seen from all directions for miles. At the center of Daramaar sat the Cerulean Spire, home to the council of archmages who ruled over the city.

### League's End

As peace settled over the continent of Ras Navar, the human nation set to lifting its people out of poverty. For the next four hundred years the Baranil League existed in relative peace as its constituent nations grew under the umbrella of protection.

As all things, the Baranil League eventually came to an end when Jeremyah Baranil died. With no surviving heir Rhen Tyber, patriarch of House Tyber, ascended to the throne of High King. However the council moved to block Tyber's ascension. Feeling threatened at the growing power of the council, Rhen rallied the tyrguards to seize control of the council chambers and arrest the upstart councilors. However they managed to flee Meraedon before Rhen's plan was set in motion. Civil war erupted across the League and quickly dissolved all that the Baranil had fought to organize.

Rhen proved to be a victim of his father's success as the other five kingdom had achieved similar levels of advancement, and Rhen was a poor military commander. He was eventually forced to the table to recognize the sovereignty of the five other nations. The Baranil League had collapsed in less than a month. The now King Terel'anath dispatched a company of elven swordsman to reinforce Daramaar, which raised tensions between the newly formed human kingdoms and the high elves.

Tensions continued to mount when an elven patrol was ambushed and killed by rogue tyrguards flying the colors of Rasgoth. King Terel demanded answers, and threatened war with the (in his eyes) rogue kingdom. The leader of Rasgoth, Queen Lhorraine, simply ignored the elves' demands and secured her border. Open war broke out between the two kingdoms, as 1,000 elven warriors were sent across the border between Daramaar and Rasgoth.

Fearing his father's legacy falling to ruin, Rhen pushed to negotiate a treaty between the elves and the gothics. A ceasefire was called as Rhen managed to bring the two to the table. A treaty was signed that effectively removed Daramaar from the political ongoings of the continent. It was to remain a neutral haven for all races who wished to live there.

### The Great War

However the negotiations were a ruse, as Queen Lhorraine's forces moved to siege the city. Trebuchet rounds flung into the city crushed buildings, toppled spires, and killed thousands. A magical field was erected over the city to protect against further projectiles. The queen's ambassador was arrested and thrown into Sunfury Hold ─ a magical elven prison designed to hold magical experiments. He was never heard from again.

Rhen sent word to Meraedon to rally the army and move on Rasgoth. Hilgarde dispatched troops to reinforce Rasgoth's borders, officially forming the Liberty Freeholds. King Terel dispatched a messenger to Mydras, who shared a border with the high elven kingdom, to request assistance. Mydras obliged and began to mobilize. Meraedon, Mydras, and Tarel'Sharah signed a document officially forming the Central Alliance. The Great War had begun.

The war lasted for over a decade and saw to the deaths of over a hundred thousand humans and elves. It resulted in Meraedon once again rising to premiere status over the other human nations. The Central Alliance had won out against the Liberty Freeholds. Meraedon annexed Hilgarde, and installed a puppet regime in Aaran Kol.

### Formation of the Coalition

The Central Alliance, made up of Meraedon, Mydras, and Tarel'Sharah, did not dissolve at the conclusion of the war. It was reformed into the Coalition. The Coalition would serve to ensure that nothing like the Great War was to happen again, by ensuring peaceful cooperation between the various countries of Ras Navar. Members of the Coalition dispatched peaceful envoys to their former enemies, requesting them to ally or outright join the Coalition. Rasgoth refused, erecting an enormous wall that isolated them from the rest of the continent.

### Regani Conflicts

The Coalition deliberated on what to do about the gothics. Believing Rasgoth to be no longer a threat, many councilmembers felt that their attentions were better put elsewhere. Regani raiders had resurfaced and began to launch raids from deep within the Singing Forest.

## Culture

Meraedonns are renowned diplomats and explorers.