Agathor

The sigil and words of Agathor

*"None shall fall eh? If that isn't the biggest load of horse shit I've ever been served."*

 —Soldras Reddigan

Agathor is a human nation located in central Thanalor, currently ruled by Lelliana Reddigan. Founded by the legendary Agathor the Great and his Faithful Five, it has long served as a symbol of human strength and resilience. Agathor is ruled by a hereditary monarchy, and traditionally the reigning King of Agathor is also the Herald of the Council of Kings.

The sigil of Agathor is a silver roc on a navy blue background. Their words are "None Shall Fall", a reminder of the vow Agathor the Great took thousands of years ago.

Nyralor is its capital: the largest and oldest city in all of Thanalor.

## **History**

Agathor can trace its roots to the ancient Agathori Tribe, one of several that crossed The Western Waters in search of a new homeland.

Shortly after First Landing, the elves of Leavenwood provided the human tribes with the land of Thanalor. In response, Agathor the Great and his Faithful Five led the Agathori Tribe on a great journey into the heart of Thanalor, searching for a place where they could establish a new home.

Their trek eventually led them to the Plains of Delethor: a fertile region in which the great Palenir river flows. Agathor declared that this land would serve as the new home of his people, and work quickly began on what would become the city of Nyralor: the first city ever built by men on Karothoz.

Shortly after Nyralor was constructed, Agathor and his armies joined the elvish houses in their war against the dwarves, and in doing so successfully fulfilled the deal that was struck after First Landing. Agathor died sometime after the war, allowing his son Khalithod to come into power. One of Khalithod's first actions as leader of the Agathori was to establish a clear system of power: a hereditary monarchy. He also named his kingdom in honor of his father.

### The First Ghalendan War

In 340 A.G.W. Agathor had grown to become one of the most eminent kingdoms in Thanalor--her capital Nyralor remained the largest and most prosperous city in the subcontinent, and her lands had grown to encompass the entirety of central Thanalor, and all territory south of the Volithon not claimed by Reddigania or the Ghalendan Empire. But for King Farinthal III this was still not enough--he was a firm believer in the Aenothori school of Agathori philosophy, that one must expand himself beyond his means in order to become a Great Man, and that "it is the province of Great Men to make empire." As such, he set his eyes upon the Ghalendan stronghold of Vherendal, which had only been established 5 years prior near his kingdom's eastern borders. Farinthal sent a large army--far too large to take such a small settlement--and ordered his general to leave no survivors. The Battle of Vherendal was short-lived and beyond devastating--a few dozen soldiers were killed, but hundreds of women were raped, and many more children butchered. The battle was so gruesome, that it became infamous even in ancient Thanalor, where such acts of violence were fairly common.

In response to Farinthal's raid of Vherendal, the two Emperors of Eld Ghalendal, Frojcus of Hernsted and Likel the Fearsome, launched several attacks on Agathor's western cities of Khalithor and Denithon. These sieges were mostly repelled by the Agathori, who were able to drive the Ghalendens off with their superior metallurgy, magics, and battle tactics. Hearing of the sieges of Khalithor and Denithon, Farinthal rode off with 400 men to the Whispering Willow, an incredibly important religious site for the Ghalendans, where roughly 200 priestesses resided. Farinthal and his men slaughtered the priestesses, and burnt the ancient forest to the ground before swiftly returning to Vatholir with news of their victory. However, it was there that they were routed by a Ghalenden host of 2000 men that decimated the Agathori in the night, with Farinthal barely escaping with his life.

After this close call, Farinthal resided mostly in Nyralor, staying far away from the front lines in order to not risk his life. Many battles and sieges occurred over the course of 12 years: Denithon was occupied by Ghalenden forces and locked off from the rest of Agathor, while Farinthal sent his men to lay siege to the Ghalendan city of Daighwen for countless summers. Ponithas II, exiled lord of Denithon and brother to Farinthal, took his legions of soldiers south to defend Agathor's southwestern borders against his brother's wishes, believing him to be an incompetent and unintelligent king. Eventually, Farinthal was coaxed out of hiding by Likel and Frojcus, when they laid siege to the city of Aralor. Farinthal met their besieging army upon the field, and with the help of his far wiser generals managed to drive the Ghalendans from the city's outskirts. During this battle, Frojcus of Hernsted was killed, leaving the vengeful Likel the Fearsome to lead the empire.

Farinthal returned to Nyralor to celebrate his victory, feasting and drinking for 12 days and 12 nights, believing he had finally won the war by killing one of the Ghalendan emporers. However, his festivities would be cut short when Likel the Fearsome laid siege to the great Agathori capital, and within a matter of weeks managed to breach the city's defenses--a truly remarkable feat. Nyralor was then sacked by Ghalenden forces, who destroyed almost a third of the city, raping and pillaging as they went. Likel captured Farinthal, and brought him to the city centre where he personally beheaded him in front of a group of terrified Agathori cityfolk. By all rights, the war was over, yet the Agathori had one more chance at victory. Thankfully, the disgraced brother of Farinthal, Ponithas II, returned to Nyralor with a host of 10,000 men who quickly purged the city of any Ghalendan raiders.

Ponithas saved Nyralor, and took the throne due to his brother's demise. His first act as king was to begin peace negotiations with the battered Ghalendans, arguing that both sides had suffered enough atrocities and losses. Ponithas agreed that all lands conquered by his brother would return to the Ghalendans, and in return both sides would agree to cease hostilities for 100 years. Likel readily accepted these terms, and both Agathor and Eld Ghalendal set about rebuilding their civilizations.

### The Great Severance

The Great Prophet Daloth was one of the first men to successfully integrate into Elvish society. After spending a decade living amongst the elves, he single-handedly constructed a road from Leavenwood to Lokthor. When Daloth returned to his homeland in 707 A.G.W., he brought teachings which he claimed to have received from the "Holy Mother." Daloth implored his fellow men to turn their backs on the Old Ones, and worship only his Holy Mother, who he believed to be the one true god. His teachings spread slowly at first, but after several years the majority of the people of northern Agathor had begun worshipping the Holy Mother. However, the rural south still believed in the Old Ones of their ancestors.

Daloth's influence spread so far, that it eventually reached the royal palace of Nyralor. The royal family were split in their beliefs: some believed in the Goddess, others the Old Ones. This theological conflict was far more noticeable between Agathor II's sons Dilaron and Khalithod II. Dilaron firmly believed in the traditional ways of the Agathori, while Khalithod had come to believe in the Holy Mother after a priestess saved his wife's life during childbirth. The relationship between the two brothers became so tense that one night during an extremely heated argument, Dilaron slit the throat of Khalithod's daughter Rothlora I, claiming that she only lived because of a witch's dark magic.

Shortly after, Dilaron fled the north and joined with armies loyal to him in southern Agathor. He proclaimed that all lands south of the Volithon river belonged not to the royal family, but to the people of the south who still believed in the Old Ones. Khalithod quickly gathered his armies and marched south, hoping to end the rebellion before it became uncontrollable. Loyalist and rebel forces met each other by the Volithon river, with Khalithod's forces on the northern banks, and Dilaron's on the south. A bloody battle began soon after. The river's shallow waters allowed both armies to cross with ease, but it was Dilaron's wolfriders which provided the rebel forces with a great advantage, and allowed them to slaughter thousands of loyalist men. It is said that the battle was so gruesome, that the waters of the Volithon were tinged red with blood for a week after.

After the brutal battle, small skirmishes between loyalist and rebel forces continued for several months, culminating during the First Siege of Denithon, when Khalithod sued for peace. Dilaron's terms were short but absolute: all lands south of the Volithon would no longer belong to Agathor, and instead would comprise an new independent kingdom known as Muthuilor. Despite feeling great despair over the loss of the south, Khalithod accepted his brother's terms and put an end to the war in 711 A.G.W.