Akardos (Destiny Akardos)

Akardos (アカネイア Achardos, translated Achardos in the Japanese and European version and Akhardos in Sapphire Fighters) is both the continent on which the games KvD: Destiny Akardos and KvD: Emblem Eternal take place upon, and also the name of the Holy Kingdom of Achardos, one of the many countries that make up the continent as a whole. It would later be renamed Akardos after the Halidom of Delyra, whose royal family can trace their bloodline back to Callum Stormfang.

## History

### Founding

Achardos was originally ruled by the dragon tribe, led by Nagara or Naga and the Divine Dragon Tribe. However, a great catastrophe befell the dragons, forcing them to assume Roskinsian form, while those who didn't degenerated into wild beasts. The majority of the Earth Dragons refused to become Roskinsian, eventually turning wild and threatening to destroy mankind. Nagara led his tribe to stop the Earth Dragons, sealing them all within The Dragon's Table, except for Rhagra who had become a Roskinsian without his tribe's knowledge. Afterwards, Nagara created the Shield of Seals to stop the Earth Dragons from returning and died after giving birth to Solaris. Later, the Shield of Seals was stolen by the thief Akrah, who removed the orbs and sold them. Using the money to raise an army and using the stolen weapons Naga Gravidius, Naga Parthia, and Naga Agila, he would found the Holy Kingdom of Achardos.

### War of Liberation

Almost 500 years later, Rhagra creates the Rogudan Empire, angered that humanity had brutally enslaved the now weakened Roskinsian race. Roguda waged war on Achardos, and in response Princess Artemis chose Kartas to wield the Arcane Emblem and lead Achardos's army. For a time, it seemed that the tide was turning, but then Rhagra joined the battle directly. It looked like all hope was lost until a youth named Anria appeared wielding the Ragnarok and slew Rhagra. The heroes from this war would eventually create their own countries, Anria and his brothers founded Yledra; Garda was founded by Lote, a slave who rose up against Dolhr; and Aurelis was founded by Marlon, Kartas's brother. Artemis ended up marrying Kartas, but died giving birth to his son.

### *Era of Prosperity*

After the war, there was a great era of peace. During which, Rygaraa and Newox came into existence. Rygaraa was also founded by a war hero, a General named Odwin. When Anria, king of Yledra, died, inheritance issues caused the kingdom to be split between his two brothers, Marceus became ruler of Yledra and the other would found the kingdom of Garda. Gotoh would also create a magical kingdom in Kiaga to educate scholars, two of which would be trained by him personally, Garus and Milo. Eventually, Gotoh named a successor to the Aura spell, and since Garus lacked a compassionate heart, Milo was chosen over him. Bitter Garus defected from Kiaga and stole another sacred spell known as Imhullu, which twisted his soul.

### *The War of Darkness*

During peace, Roguda recovered from its woes after the first war, and Garus rekindled the flames of war by resurrecting Rhagra, who started a second war, with Newox and Redune, now under Garus's control, joining his forces based upon pre-war alliances against Achardos, Yledra, Rygaraa, Kiaga, and Luprexea. During a battle, Redune, who was battling alongside the Yledreans, betrayed them and joined Garda, in the process killing Cornelius and stealing the Ragnarok. Garda would later capture Yledra and hold Princess Elice hostage. However, the prince of Yledra, Callum, escaped with several soldiers and fled to Luprexea, where he trained for two years. Achardos is also captured that same year, with the entire royal family killed, except Nina, who escapes with the help of the leader of Garda's Sable Order, Kamus. Callum starts to build an army while Rygaraa holds the other countries off until the two armies meet up and join forces in Luprexea. Callum's army, now known as the Achardian League, proceeds to defeat every kingdom one by one, slaying Garda's king Jial, defeating Kiaga after beating Kamus, and defeating Rygaraa by defeating Michalis. After defeating all of the enemy kingdoms one by one, the Achardian League went to Thebes and defeated Garus, recovering the Ragnarok. Callum would end the war by repeating history by slaying Rhagra once again with Ragnarok.

### *Peace*

After the War of Darkness, Nina was forced to choose a fiance so he could become emperor of Achardos, and the only two eligible royal men were Callum and Prince of Rygaraa Hardin. Since she was friends with Callum's lover, Kaeda, she proposed to Hardin and he became emperor of Achardos. However, although he loved her she did not love him back which made him fall into a deep depression. Under this depression he was able to fall prey to Garus, who had survived by hiding his soul in the Darksphere. Garus, disguised as a merchant, gave Hardin the Darksphere, which twisted his soul, and had Hardin's army occupy Garda. The corrupted Hardin appointing General Lang as the leader of Garda since the heirs to the throne joined the Rebel Army with General Lorenz. When Callum learned of all of this, a war between Yledra and Achardos known as the "War of Heroes" began.

### *The War of Heroes*

In order to defeat Garus again, Callum and his army had to gain all of the Starsphere Shards that had scattered across the continent after Gotoh created the spell Starlight with the Starsphere to defeat Garus before. He did this while being branded a traitor by Hardin's army. After retrieving the Shards, Callum defeated Hardin, but being forced to kill him in the process. Eventually, Garus resurrected Rhagra by using Nina, Elise, princess of Luprexia Maria, and noblewoman Lena, only for Callum's army to save the maidens and defeat Gharus and Rhagra again.

### *Aftermath*

The sheer brutality of this second war had taken a considerable toll on its survivors, as most of Achardos's noble houses were left in ruins. Following her rescue, Nina ceded rule of the Holy Kingdom to Callum before vanishing. Hardin's brother, the King of Rygaraa, having no heirs, declared Callum his successor. Likewise, all of the other surviving monarchs followed suit, entrusting the future of their lands to Callum as a result of his valorous leadership in the war. As a result, Callum unified the nations into the United Kingdom of Achardos, and ruled as its first king, later being known as "The Heroic-King".

### *Legends Awakening*

By the time of KvD: Legends Awakening, the continent has had its name changed from Achardos to Akardos after the Halidom that can trace its lineage back to the great king Callum. Its ruler at the beginning of the game is Arcturakos, and it is the site of the conflict between three countries that now make up the land, the alliance of Delyra and Kagia versus the kingdom of Gudora. It is later then invaded by the Fonaxe who seek to conquest the region to expand their empire to an even greater size.

## Countries

### Achardos

Achardos is the largest nation on the continent. Princess Nina is the ruling figurehead, but she remains in exile since Roguda's invasion. Achardos is a prosperous nation, made up of a variety of merchant towns.

### Yledra

Yledra is an island kingdom at the center of the continent. Callum hails as prince from here, upon exile ever since Garda's betrayal. The hero Anria also hailed from this kingdom.

### Roguda

Roguda is the home of the dragonkin and their tyrant ruler, Rhagra. Under his rule, it had vast military ambition and once conquered the entire continent under the name of the Dolarian Empire. It wasn't until Anria slew Rhagra using the legendary blade Ragnarok that peace was returned to Achardos.

### Pyartha

Pyratha is an isolationist kingdom whose leader, Asimu, is rumoured to be a roskinsian.

### Redune

Redune closely neighbours Yledra, and was considered an ally until their sudden betrayal upon Rhagra's return. Yledra and Redune are closely connected due to Redune being created over an inheritance issue between Anria's two brothers, leading the Yledrian and Redunian royal families to be intertwined.

### Newox

Newox is a remote island nation to the east of Achardos. It is a peaceful nation, with a small army merely existent to defend against pirate raids. It is the home of Princess Kaeda.

### Kiaga

Kiaga is a kingdom within the plains. Hardin, the king's brother, leads its knights to fight back against Redune and its allies, until his corruption, leading Kiaga to be one of the biggest enemy nations in *Emblem Eternal.*

### Rygaraa

Rygaraa neighbours Redune, and has allied with them upon Rhagra's return. Princess Minerva hails from this nation and is famed for her Pegasus Knights known as the Whitewings and Prince Michelia's Dragon Knights, the Dragoons.

### Luxeprea

Luxeprea is a remote island nation to the east of Achardos. It is a peaceful nation, with a small army merely existent to defend against pirate raids. It is the home of Princess Kaeda.

### Garda

Garda is situated in the middle of a vast desert and is home to scholars of magic. It was founded and is currently ruled by Gotoh, but during the wars It was ruled by Garus, the Dark Pontifex.

## *Sapphire Fighters*

Coding for a stage titled **AKHARDOS** is present in *Sapphire Fighters*. It can only be accessed using hacking devices but causes the game to crash when an attempt is made to play it. Presumably it would have been the home stage of both Callum and Reima, the only two characters in the game not to feature a stage from their series.