Kolaria

The exact origin of the Kolarians is not exactly clear. While people have inhabited Kolaria since the dawn of time, in fact, likely before even Gwithrain was settled, those who live there now are likely native to The South Seas, migrating to the mainland as weather and climate became too extreme for habitation.

The land of Kolaria lies within the realm of Akanaros, the southeastern portion of Bethoried. In the Days Of Dawning, this land was inhabited by a multitude of species, predominantly including Dwarves, Elves, Stoutfoots, Goblins, and Beastfolk.

The Dwarves of Western Akanaros eventually grew to hold much of the power in this area, early on forming the Kingdom Of The Seven Hills, often referred to as the KSH.

The KSH was originally formed in the Cataran Highlands, a tract of land that lay at the tip of the Akanarian Mountain Range. Their skill at trading and negotiating soon gave them a strong economic power in the region, and as time went on, the Kingdom began to incorporate other settlements on a contractual basis, creating a super foundation called "The Grand Union Of Akarania" around 1,000 BWT.

The Grand Union included The Dwarves' own Kingdom Of The Seven Hills, The Elves' largest two kingdoms, Seraphia and Youtar, The Stoutfeets' organization network, The Piper's Mill Company, and the goblin kingdom of Sosharo.

As the Grand Union grew, they began to encounter problems from pillagers from the north, particularly the Dwarven Raiding Clan of GūL, the Human faction of Spotaro, and many clans of Wild Orcs. These pillagers may have had a great deal to do with the weakening of the Grand Union over the course of 100 years, along with a series of droughts and famines that strained the business relationships of the leaders within the Union. It is likely that this lack of central leadership left the Union unprepared to handle crisis when business was slow.

It is speculated that the Union collapsed entirely around the year 890 BWT. Though the rot had been setting in for nearly 20 years, the collapse actually seems to have come in less than a full year, as surviving records of correspondence show that profits had dropped nearly 200% over the course of 10 months.

The collapse occured officially when the CEO of the Piper's Mill Company, Harbolo The Wit, forced an across the board buyout of all Union Assets, forming the Akanarian Corporate Government Organization.

Harbolo immediately instituted a myriad of social and economic reforms to stipend the losses of the Union, and though this left much of the nation in a terrible depression, under his first year of management, the profits jumped from -194% to 6%, an exponential growth.

These numbers fell through the next two years, however, as Harbolo budgeted a restructured military and cut back on tariffs to lessen the impact of the depression. Due to these changes, though, the ACGO would slowly climb out of it's crisis, and after 10 years of Harbolo's shrewd planning, the ACGO reported 45% profits, the highest in nearly 50 years.

Harbolo continued his reign over the ACGO for 30 years, and despite several controversies along the way, the country's economic prosperity was evident.

At 89 years of age, Harbolo knew he would soon have to relinquish control of the company, and most expected it to go to his son, Shobolo. However, to the shock of the country, Harbolo began to pass a bill that would instead hand the role to an elected individual instead of Shobolo, and before the bill had passed, Harbolo was found murdered in his office.

ACGO then continued under the Bolo family for about 100 years, though the level of prosperity under it's founder was never achieved again, and eventually, economic crisis enveloped the land once again.

With business poor, ACGO was caught flat footed by the emergence of Human seafarers from the South Sea. Hurricanes and famine had driven them away from their island hopping nomadic lifestyle, and a series of pillaging campaign began to cripple cities on the southern coast.

Within 10 years, ACGO weakened, cracked, and fell to the Islanders, and all that was built was lost by 744 BWT.

The Islanders were fierce and abundant. As the citizens of Akanaros reeled from the collapse of ACGO, the Islanders covered the land, forming into war bands, grabbing up every parcel of land in sight.

The death and destruction wreaked by the Islanders is among some of the most terrible atrocities across history, and by 714 BWT, the Islanders were fully entrenched in Akanaros.

The Islanders warred amongst each other in the years to come, their warrior culture deciding borders without the need for political intervention, their sexual freedom leading to rapid population growth, and by 650 BWT, there were 12 states established, and the memory of those who came before faded into lost memory.

These 12 states would exist in some form or another for centuries, these being:

1. Epiridia

2. Heraklan

3. Aetherion

4. Lyssandara

5. Arethyr

6. Tycheos

7. Echidonia

8. Atalan

9. Onyx

10. Astralais

11. Korsonis

12. Zophyris

These powers would continue on during the Age Of The Fist, warring against each other, but uniting as one when invaded by outside forces.

These warrior women built a fierce reputation as powerful fighters, and on some occasions, even conquered foreign lands, such as the Astralais conquering the land of Kydroxis to the west in 212 BWT, and holding power there for 90 years before a succesful slave uprising forced them back across the Kydrox Peaks.

in 194 BWT, they were invaded by the dreaded Anzens, the human nation to the northeast who held battle prowess unrivaled by any in all of Akanaros. The war proved costly for both sides and ended inconclusively, and the Akaranians were able to withdraw south, though because Anzen-Sei was so weakened they were conquered by the dwarven kingdom of Draetoss from the east in 189 BWT.

These Dwarves came from the eastern deserts, taller and stronger than the old Akaranian Dwarves the humans fought against centuries before. in 174 BWT, Draetoss invaded Akaranos, swiftly taking the nation of Arethyr and taking Lyssandara and Tycheos shortly after.

A brutal 14 year long war waged on, and Akanaros managed to retake their lands and drive Draetoss back, and the Dwarves soon focused their attention on matters to the north.

the war ended in 160 BWT, and the countries that had been taken by Draetoss were restored due to a religious revival movement that spoke of the balance of the 12 nations being imperitive for their continuation. this concept was referred to as "Kolaris" and this concept led to an era of extended peace among the 12 nations, who now acted in a loosely joined manner. This alliance was referred to as the "Issorodoka".

The Issorodoka continued until 17 BWT, when the leader of Onyx, Archonissa Eudoxia Xantheia, broke the Issorodoka and invaded Zophyris, ransacking the city of Myyrenia in an event referred to as "The Megadosia"

While some viewed the Megadosia as a greedy act of malice, Eudoxia was in fact acting quite rationally. The strength of the Issorodoka's enemies had been what kept it together, and as the War Of Thorns raged on, Draetoss was severely weakened, and it's lands in Western Akanaros were largely unguarded. However, Onyx sat at the southern tip of Akanaros, and could not take advantage of this.

Eudoxia did not choose Zophyris randomly either. Zophyris was directly east of Onyx, and sat in the shadow of the Akanarian mountains. This meant that Zophyris could not recieve help from another member of the Issorodoka in time, and Onyx would not have to guard these lands as fiercely, while also benefitting from the resources of double the original land.

Eudoxia was branded as "Isoriasi", and the remaining members of the Issorodoka declared war on Onyx. However, as the war decrees passed through court, Eudoxia was already on her way to Korsonis, to the east, and by the time troops had been levied, the Archonissa of Korsonis lay dead in her palace in Santonara.

Eudoxia did not rest, however, and she quickly struck a short term alliance with Kyrdroxia and Anzen-Sei, who had recently won their freedom from Draetoss, and the three powers converged on Akanaros, putting the war to rest after less than a year.

In exchange for the alliance, Kydroxia and Anzen-Sei had been promised land and wealth, which both countries were in desperate need of as developing, or redeveloping countries, but Eudoxia double crossed them, and Onyx legions poured into the Kydroxian and Anzen mountain passes and swept into the cities, laying destruction across the feet of their lands, clearly sending a message that they were to keep quiet.

In 16 BWT, Grand Archonissa Eudoxia Xantheia declared that Kolaris had been achieved, and Onyx was renamed "The Imperial Dominion of Kolaria"

When the dragon crisis took place, Kolaria struggled heavily, but managed to hold onto it's lands, though they have been in steady decline since then.

Several efforts have been taken to slow or reverse this decline, yet few have proved fruitful.

As of 158 ADE, Kolaria holds several islands in the South Sea under a Tributary Lease, and has set up a colonial state on the Continent of Mythras.