Vasilia

What Vasilia looks like according to Vassoan legends, estimates, and old maps.

Vasilia is a region in Congeria, on the fringes of Konger control. Vasilia ia relatively small and sparsely populated compared to other Congerian regions. Vasilia was not always such an unimportant region. Centuries ago, before the devestation The God's Malice brought, Vasilia was named after Vasilias who had founded the first human kingdom in Vasilia. Great Vassos, as it was called, was a capitol of Vasilian Worship and human culture. With sects of every one of Vasilias' seven kingdoms inhabiting the city, it became a place not only for mortals to study, but for humans to learn about themselves. Notable cities in Vasilia include the hidden ruins of Old Vassos, the mythical city of Nalkros, and the Konger powerhouse Genua.

## History

### Gold Era

The oldest records of Vasilia come from oral traditions passed from generation to generation, and then were eventually written down in The Silver Era by Vassoans. According to Vassoan legend, in the first days Vasilias was said to have descended from the celestial plane with a thunderous boom. A boom which echoed through every plane, heard by every living creature in every realm, plane, and dimension. The very ground that the god walked on was said to offer up the best soil for its lord. As Vasilias spread his seed throughout the land, the ground rumbled with the god's power - enriching it and causing it to burst forth with a plentiful boon. Vasilia had brought life to Vasilia, but there was no order. Woodland beasts ruled the land. So, Vasilias once again spread his seed to the good earth.

As his crop grew, he protected the harvest. Snakes from the forest slithered hastily to the succulent crops which stood enticingly in an open field. They tried to make off with the crops, swallowing some, infecting others with poison; eventually Vasilias himself protected mankind as he bravely fought off the snakes. The seeds which had been attacked were cast from Vasilias' garden. After the storm of snakes, a hail of birds descended from the sky which attempted to make off with Vasilias' seed. The All-Powerful Lord struck down the birds, before they could make off with all of the seeds. The last trial for the crops to face was that of the panther. Sly and stealthy, the panthers crept slowly up to the crops and began to feast. Vasilias however, can not be fooled. The earth itself loved The Lord, and warned him of the intruders who he swiftly slaughtered. From the crops, after all vines and weeds had been removed, came the Seven Human Kingdoms of Vasilias.

The Vassoans, first of the seven crops, raised the walls of Great Vassos with their glorious leader. Walls, which later would house only a small portion of the great city that Vassos would become.

### Silver Era

In the silver era, Vasilia was home to the largest pre-mallus human city, Great Vassos. The city stretched for thousands of miles, a testament of human accomplishment. Thousands came to study in the Arcanum and to take in the culture - theatre, art, and literature flourished here. Elsewhere in the region, farmers and distillers worked around the town, selling fine liquors and providing food for the people.

At the beginning of the Era however, Vassos was entrenched in a bloody civil war. It was rumored that Vasilias had chosen four human knights to rule over Vassos after he ascended, but the men succumbed to their ruthless and greedy natures. The four went to battle, bringing their armies with them. Many of thousands died, and Vassos was all but abandoned. When the fighting stopped mid-way through the era, and one knight proved victorious. The knight went to take his thronw, but learnt that during the war a group of Vasilian Priests took the throne and had begun a sort of re-founding of Vassos. His armies defeated and his support gone, the knight sunk into the shadows, declaring that he would one day soon return to Vassos to take control of the lands that were rightfully he is. The Tale of the Four Kings is often told in Vasilian sermons as a warning of what human greed can cause.

It was also during this era Plautum Ios founded the first Arcanum - The Grand Arcanum, as well as The Honorable Network of Lore-Keepers. During the SIlver Era, Ios' Network spread wide and far across the continents of Uvonor.

### Bronze Era

During the Bronze Era, Vasilia was relatively peaceful. The city of Vassos became infested with the vices of gambling, sex, and illegal activity. Mortals became more concerned with material wealth than anything else, and so the land suffered. Forests were chopped down, some species of local wildlife poached to extinction, and the ground was robbed of all of it's wealth and beauty. Though the city of Vassos sees The Bronze Era as a golden age relatively free from political strife or upheaval, the people grew greedy and self-absorbed, and the lands suffered greatly.

### Pyrite Era

In the pyrite era, Vassos was attacked repeatedly by outside kingdoms, and the land became a warzone. Multiple threats from other lands threatened to overthrow the leadership of Vassos. Congerians as well as Barbarian Elves attacked Great Vassos from every angle. Luckily, Vassos' walls which were imbued with Celestial magics had kept out intruders for centuries. As the walls began to lose their magic in this era, more and more wars broke out as the foreigners were able to enter Vasilian lands.

It was a hard time for the Vassoans. The walls stood strong, but the people were plagued with famine, illness, and despair. As a result, many died, and the only thing that was able to quell the fighting was a war which distracted enemies from Vassos - The War of the Gods.

### The Mallus

Going into the war, Vassos was already weary. But the despair the people had felt in the last era made their hearts wicked. In order to remain an independent power, The Vassoan agreed to do trade with foreign powers and contribute to the war effort. Great Vassos became a great stronghold during the war thanks to the celestial magics that were innate in the city. Thousands of warriors gathered here and would use it as a staging ground for attacks on the divine.

Towards the end of the war, as the gods realized their defeat, they realized they had to do something about the city. The Orcish War God of Brutality, Ogladag, sent a storm of fury upon Vasilia that nearly destroyed every single trace of life in the region. The act was so great, and took so much of Ogladag's power, that he was never seen again and presumed dead. After the storm, Vasilia was uninhabitable for some time.

### Malachite Era

Eventually, life returned to Vasilia. The great forest that had once taken up most of the region began to return. As life returned, cities and strongholds were built in the forests. Ocelach, Genua, and Nalkros were all raised during this time. The fabled city of Great Vassos was refounded by the Vasilian People and became known as Old Vassos.