Alania

**Alania**, otherwise known as "The Millennial Kingdom", has the longest history of any nation that has emerged since the collapse of the ancient kingdom. The Kingdom of Alania is located in the north east of Lodoss, and borders Kanon to the south, via the Forest of no Return, and Flaim to the west through the Desert of Storm and Fire. Most of the land is occupied by the White Dragon Mountains to the north or the Forest of no Return to the south. Therefore, there is very little flatland in the region. However, what little is available, is highly fertile land suitable for farming. Agriculture is the fruit of Alania and has greatly supported the prosperity of the kingdom. It is said that the Earth Mother Goddess, Marfa fell to the land of Alania when she was defeated in battle with Kardis, Goddess of Destruction, and that she still continues to protect the land. Due to this myth, the Marfa faith is the most popular religious sect in the kingdom.

Alania also hosts the only "Sage’s Academy" on Lodoss. The school of sorcerers has spent many untold hours researching the arts of magic. Many of these graduates join the magical warrior division in the Alanian army, called the ''Silver-Hoofed Knights''. The Alanian coat of arms has adopted the emblem of this younger order.  Alania and Kanon maintain a healthy alliance, and royal marriages between the two nations have occurred many times in the past. The Millennial Kingdom has long been revered as the largest power on Lodoss. However, Alania’s long history has given birth to much corruption, especially in the ruling class. The aristocrats devote themselves to power struggles, and bribe civilians to assist them. Now the kingdom has declined significantly due to an internal conflict over the right to ascend the throne.

**Alania's Social System**

In the kingdom of Alania, the king is the absolute monarch, with the royal family and his seniors below him. There is a social division system that continues with senior knights, lower knights, civilians, and commoners. Of these residents of the kingdom, the senior knights and civilians form the aristocratic hierarchy, while the junior knights and the general public are categorised as the lower class. The king occupies a vast area under the direct control of the royal capital, Alan. He ranks above all royalty and aristocrats and also has an order of knights directly at his command. Senior knights have territories and titles, accompanied by civilians and junior knights. Even amongst the aristocrats, there is a clear disparity between great halls of those from a patrilineal tradition and those who are not. There is a long history of corruption in the aristocracy, and corrupted senior knights are in a constant power struggle. These nobles are obsessed with their own interests, yet most of the national affairs and territorial management that are in the hands of civilians, is entrusted to these civil servants. For this reason, civilians take advantage of their position.

Civilians are openly demanding bribes from the aristocrats to further their status in society. There is no sign of this trend changing. Now even commoners such as the general public and farmers excel in power and are appointed as knights and civilians. This is rare though, and most stay tied to their original lifestyle, usually as a child of a merchant or a farmer. However, in the fertile rich soil, and the thriving industry in the country of Alania, the lives of the commoners are not so poor. For this reason, the scale of open corruption wasn’t significant. However, after the outbreak of the War of Heroes, and the assignation of Kadomos VII, the political situation suddenly became extremely unstable and the land was plunged into a civil war. The lives of the commoners had become difficult due to the turbulence of the internal conflict. However, The Temple of Marfa was trusted by the people of Alania, the sect had temples all around the world. Marfa’s teachings of equality and compassion were widespread among the common people. The temple has often taken a rebellious attitude toward the ruling class. This is also a factor in the popularity of the faith.

**Founding History of Alania**

Alania was founded roughly one hundred years after the fall of the Ancient Kingdom of Kastuul. Shortly after the era of the ancient kingdom ended, a woman known as Naneel, "The Queen of the Dead", who was High Priestess of the Goddess of Destruction, Kardis, set up cults in the land of Alania. The region was a dark place before the civilians rose up in defiance, led by a hero named Kadomos, a man who would become the founding king of the Kingdom of Alania. Kadomos, with the full support of the Temple of Marfa, won the battle against Naneel and expelled her forces from the land. However, Naneel was blessed with an unholy power; her soul would reincarnate into another female's body every time she was killed. She was in a sense, immortal, and could not be forever vanquished when destroyed by conventional means such as defeating her by the sword or magic. Still, Kadomos never gave up, in his hunt to finally destroy the dark priestess and prevent her from returning to the Material World. This indomitable will was what displayed to the inhabitants of Alania that Kadomos would be a great king. Kadomos collected masses of literature from the ancient kingdom and after many untold hours of research, under numerous scholars and sages, he finally discovered how to seal the soul of Naneel. However, it would be at the expense of a High Priest of Marfa.

The battle between Kadomos and Naneel lasted for decades. During this time, many brave warriors gathered under the hero Kadomos one after another. Together, Kadomos marched on Marmo and sealed the Queen of the Dead’s soul. Thus, the Kingdom of Alania was founded, on the bravery that defeated Naneel, and King Kadomos took the throne. Naturally, the brave warriors that fought alongside him became knights of the kingdom. Alania was established as a major power in Lodoss, but immediately after its founding, the national power did not expand. In fact, a rift began between the Marfa Sect and the aristocrats, as the nobles started to fall into corruption, as seemed to be the trend at the time. The internal conflict prevented Alania from taking the opportunity to expand its borders.

**The Kingdom of Alania in the year 473 New Kingdom Calendar**

The Alania region is far away from the Moss region, which was the centre of the Demon War. However, that did not mean that the damage caused by the demons was insignificant. A wave of demons bringing death and destruction washed over the Kingdom of Alania. At that time, King Kadomos VI of the Kingdom of Alania and the aristocrats abandoned the territories and used the knights to protect themselves. For this reason, there was a backlash against the kingdom and aristocrats among the people. Some of the disgruntled inhabitants started an uprising and refused to pay taxes. However, it was the priests of the Goddess of Creation Marfa in Tarba who played an active role in protecting the people of Alania. Especially Neese, a High Priestess who was praised as "The Beloved Daughter of the Earth Mother Goddess," who would later became known as "Great Neese" after venturing to the "Deepest Labyrinth" and defeating the Demon King, were she became famous as one of the "Six Heroes". At the end of the Demon War, she stayed in the village to protect the inhabitants from the villainous impostors masquerading as members of "The Hundred Heroes" which had begun to infest Alania. The chaos and damage caused by the impostors was particularly severe, so much so that the king issued a decree to imprison all the “Hundred Heroes” in Alania.

**The Kingdom of Alania in the year 510 New Kingdom Calendar**

When the Kingdom of Kanon was invaded by the Marmo Empire, the king of Alania, Kadomos VII, though reluctant to do so, made the decision to close the border after seeing off the enemy troops. This move signalled that Alania wouldn’t intervene if the Marmo ruled Kanon, despite their alliance with the kingdom. At one point, the Kingdom of Valis, the Kingdom of Flaim, the Principality of Moss and their Allies participated in the battle against the Marmo. Alania also joined but Kadomos VII was assassinated by his younger brother, Duke Raster, and so the army was withdrawn from the conflict. Since this act, the Kingdom of Alania has been plunged into a civil war between Duke Raster and his rival for the crown, the Count of Novice, Amonson. The turmoil from the cities eventually spread to the more rural areas of the country. Thus, a movement for autonomy was founded in the village of Zaxon.

**The Kingdom of Alania in the years 512-515 New Kingdom Calendar**

Due to King Kadomos VII being replaced by Duke Raster, his younger brother, during the War of Heroes, Alania was still in a state of civil war. Meanwhile, in the village of Zaxon to the north of the kingdom, a militia was organised by the Sage of the North, Slayn. The group declared autonomy from the kingdom of Alania. However, this "Independence Movement" faced repression from both sides, exposing the wraith of both Duke Raster and Count Amonson. On the other hand, the civil war had reached a stalemate. It had been this way for a long time at this point, but it was Duke Raster who formed an alliance with the Marmo Empire to give him the advantage in the conflict. This was a significant change in the history of the "Millennial Kingdom".

**The Kingdom of Alania in the year 525 New Kingdom Calendar**

Duke Raster’s army attempted to subdue the settlements north of Alan with the aid of the Marmo forces. The Duke captured Novice, but was defeated by the Flaim Army and the Zaxon Militia. The Duke was executed and a newly discovered heir to the throne, Ropus II was crowned king. The Academy of Sages has reopened with the famous sage, Slayn Starseeker as the headmaster. Once again, Alania was becoming the centre of learning and knowledge for Lodoss.

**Other Locations in Alania**

Alan , Novice , Zaxon , Tarba , Birun , Iron Kingdom, Magas, White Dragon Mountains, Forest of No Return, Crimson Wave Bay , Ice Dragon's Tear River, Blessed Road