Brevoy/History

Brevoy is a relatively young nation, having only existed for the past three hundred years. The history of Brevoy before this time is the history of two often-warring nations, Issia and Rostland. The coming of Choral the Conqueror in 4499 AR changed all this. He arrived on the shores of Needle Lake, the current Lake Reykal, accompanied by a ragged band of soldiers and knights numbering just over three hundred. After his arrival he declared the creation of a new nation called Brevoy that would encompass much of the land that was then Issia and Rostland. This declaration was almost completely ignored by both nations as neither perceived Choral as a threat. Rostland eventually had to deal with Choral when he began sending tax collectors from his settlement of New Stetven to force the citizens to support his usurping government. They sent a small army to deal with the proud warlord.

Rostland's army seriously underestimated Choral's cunning, and their army walked into an ambush. They were lured into a river canyon south of New Stetven where Choral unleashed his secret allies, a pair of enormous red dragons. Their flames devastated the Rostland army as it was trapped in the canyon with no way to escape. There were few survivors. After this the dragons rampaged across much of Rostland proper, forcing its leaders to surrender within days. Seeing the devastation Choral caused in Rostland, the Issian lords surrendered immediately, declaring themselves to be a part of his new aristocracy and eventually creating House Rogarvia.

Choral only ruled his new land for a decade before disappearing, leaving his descendants to rule until 4699 AR using the threat of the conqueror's return and his fearsome dragon allies to maintain their power. The dragons seemingly disappeared after Brevoy's creation, but they returned once to lay siege to Skywatch, an observatory-cum-fortress held by those still loyal to Rostland.

The Rogarvians' rule ended with the mysterious disappearance of every member of House Rogarvia in 4699 AR, leaving Brevoy free, but in a precarious political position.

## Earlier History

Long ago, pilgrims left the plague-ridden land of
Iobaria, crossing the Icerime Peaks into the land that
would one day be called Brevoy. Led by cyclopean
prophets, they settled in a place they claimed held spiritual
significance. They believed it to be the birthplace of “the
Second Dragon,” an alleged figure of greatness and divinity.
These immigrants became known as the Firespeakers, and
they forged an alliance with the local warlords to ensure
the area remained a neutral territory. In exchange for this
allowance, the Firespeakers offered the warlords access
to their healers, scholars, and seers. They even served as
mediators during diplomatic sessions between the tribes.
The Firespeakers constructed a solitary temple, where they
recorded their prophecies and met with tribal representatives.

This peace ended in 2009 ar, when Taldan settlers moved
into Brevoy, seeking to stake out land for themselves. One
such settler, Lysius Corcina, set his sights on the copper-
rich hills where the Firespeakers lived. Lysius and his
retinue destroyed the Firespeakers and leveled their temple,
building a fortress on its foundation. Angered by the Taldan
invasion, local forces moved against Lysius. They eventually
killed him, and the once-neutral lands again became a site
of frequent squabbles. The keep shifted hands between the
quarrelsome lords for centuries, until an earthquake in 2920
ar collapsed significant portions of the building. The local
warlords lost interest in the ruined keep entirely.

Taldan colonists kept a firm hold on the southern portion of
Brevoy, naming their colony Rostland, while the independent
northern tribes called their land Issia. The two lands retained
fiercely independent identities for another fifteen hundred
years. Iobarian warlord Choral the Conqueror disrupted this
balance when he took over both nations and forced them
to unite into Brevoy under the rule of his family, House
Rogarvia. The strength of House Rogarvia was sufficient to
hold the country together despite internal tensions, until
every member of House Rogarvia mysteriously disappeared
17 years ago in an event known as the Vanishing. A member of
the Issian House Surtova holds the throne, but his position is
far from stable. Brevoy now teeters on the brink of civil war,
with its noble families locked in a struggle for power.