North

***“**They were the first to rebel against non-Humans but defended them with all their might centuries later. When I look at a map of the North, I see chaos, war, destruction, and misery. Yet, I also get a glimmer of hope for a better world.**”***
— Lyxis the Blind

**The North** is a geographical term referring to the Marenbach Mountains and all lands north of it. It also includes a number of islands, which are: Woodhall Island, Frosthaven Island, The Sylvir Cluster, Serpent Island, and Ice-Rock Island. The North is the birthplace of most mortal races of Enselonde.

## History

The North was initially dominated by the Freeholds, these "Old Freeholds" were ruled by Faerians, Naerisi, and Hyllidans, and were personally supported by the Divines. However, these Freeholds were corrupt, unpopular, and, most importantly, built on the backs of Human slave labor. Slave revolts broke out constantly, yet things changed during the First Human Rebellion in 378 BW, which managed to overthrow the Freehold of Jaeria altogether, shocking the world. The first rebellion was a failure in the long term, yet managed to set the tone for Human relations with non-Humans. The Second Human Rebellion in 144 BW was much larger, destabilizing almost the entirety of the North. Once more, they were beaten with the aid of Divines. However, crucially, the Third Human Rebellion in 96 BW would be a tremendous success, as the first Human nations in the South set out to liberate the North. These Humans would have the support of Divines and rapidly pushed north past the Marenbach Forests, right into the heart of Freehold power. What resulted was the total collapse of non-Human rule in the North, with only a handful of weakened Freeholds remaining.

The Third Human Rebellion would have been a total victory had it not been for one Hyllidan, Lyxis the Blind, whose newly formed Empire of Nytalyria defeated the Human armies, sending them back to Marenbach, where a stalemate broke out. As the Third Human Rebellion evolved into the destructive Divine War, Lyxis set up new nations. These "New Freeholds" were a lot more lenient, outlawing slavery, many of them giving rights to Humans, as well as limited autonomy. After the Divine War, the world had been divided into two spheres of influence, the Freeholds in the North and the Human Kingdoms in the South, both spheres separated by the newly formed Marenbach Mountains.

However, in the centuries after the Withdrawal, these Freeholds slowly began to crumble, as the Nytalyrians refused to defend them. Human nations slowly began to sprout up in the North, some cooperating with non-Humans and others slaughtering them. The two leading powers to rise out of the Freeholds were the Kingdom of Fühlgart and the Kingdom of Wyrsia, which became rivals after the Wyrsian-Innyrian War. Much of Northern history has been dominated by these two nations and their allies.

The North was further divided during the Darkest Decade, with the Fühlgartians siding with the Sapphire Inquisition, and the Wyrsians siding with the non-Humans. The resulting Battle of the Green Grove was a stain on Human history, with tens of thousands of soldiers being butchered by the Divine Nyara, who created the Four Races in the aftermath. Further destruction followed, at the hands of the Divine Cossyxia. However, for most of Enselonde, it was already too late, as the Humans had established hegemony over the world. With non-Humans in the North killed by the hundreds of thousands, they remained in only a few specific areas, the most notable of which is the Green Grove, the Kingdom of Gurtrenn, and the City-State of Whitecrest. Yet, whereas Humans were the majority in the North before, they now had complete dominance over it.

The Great War has changed the North significantly, with the Republic of Fühlgart conquering many of her close neighbors, establishing aligned governments. Strangely, this has led to a close alliance between the Kingdom of Fühlgart and Wyrsia, who have all but forgotten about their historical rivalry to defeat the Republic. Yet, as the Republicans crumble, many of her associated states falling with it, it seems that many old borders will be re-established. Interestingly, many non-Humans sided with the Monarchists during the Great War, and many of them are settling down in Human cities. Perhaps, after centuries of fighting, Humans and non-Humans can share the North in peace. That remains to be seen.