The Kingdom Of Balteuk'Peroj

## Map

A map of Settlements in Balteuk'Peroj, 921 AL

Balteuk'Peroj is one of the 7 prefectures of the Azhebrican confederation, the largest by land area and the second largest by population, falling only behind Narram. The population is primarily made up of the Draconic peoples, and according to the census of 922 AL, it's current population is 156,576 citizens. Of this, 127,492 are Draconics, 3,072 are Narrami, 25,182 are Humans, 197 are Dwarven, and 3 are Mushrooms. The capital is officially the city of Aratka, although the high king Toraval spends 6 months in the year in his winter capital in Sar'Dalian

## Draconics

The primary inhabitants of Balteuk'Peroj, Draconics have a long and interesting history, but perhaps even more interesting biology. Female Draconics average in height at 5 feet, 9 inches (175 CM), while male Draconics average at 6 feet tall (183 CM). This makes them taller than their human counterparts, yet the gap between average height for males and females is smaller than it is for humans. Draconics are similar to their human counterparts, except that they have Horns, and a tail that can range between 1.5 and 8 feet long with the median length being 3 feet, 4 inches. Draconics have small retractable spikes within their tails, that can be used as a defense mechanism to cut attackers. Possibly due to nutrition or genetic-based factors, Draconics in the southern Mesa regions average 1-2 inches shorter than their counterparts in the greener north, but also tend to have 30% larger spikes on their tails. The average lifespan of a healthy draconic is roughly anywhere from 100 to 120 years. Draconics fully develop by the age of 27-30.

## History Of Balteuk'Peroj

### The First Era

Draconics are first believed to have settled the region of Balteuk'Peroj approximately 25,000 years ago, long before their human relatives. They lived in small nomadic bands of anywhere from 5-25 members up until around 750 BL, when nomads in the northern regions began to found small settlements and slowly shifted to an agricultural lifestyle, most notably at the modern-day sight of Aratka, which soon became the largest Draconic settlement in the region. These cities began establishing relations with ancient kingdoms in modern day Narram. Interestingly, Archeological studies of the region from this time suggest that Draconics had wings, and were able to glide, as well as flying distances of up to 250 Meters. There are records of the Draconics trading with their pre-human neighbors in the region, although the Draconics were natrually shy and often stayed away. Around the year 7 AL, humans first arrived in the region, and conflict quickly began between the two groups, disease and human plagues weakening the Draconics, and by 38 AL the city of Aratka was burned, and the Draconics driven into the deep caves and dry wastelands of the central Badlands. Forced underground in grand cave systems, it was rumored that they had gone into extinction by many, although occasionally Miners would show up with cuts all over their body from the thorns of the remaining Draconics hunting in the depths and in the badlands, still wishing for revenge. Few records remain from the draconics in this period due to their isolation, and a massive dip in population, at one point reaching as low as a few hundred before gradually recovering.

### The Second Era

The second era was marked as a low point for the Draconics, but a high point for the wealth of Balteuk on the international stage. The human settlers quickly adapted to the region, establishing several coastal trading towns, and exploiting gold reserves in the region to become one of the richest lands of the pre-great collapse world, Where even the poorest beggars were said to have worn luxury silk and fine Jewelry, and a golden age of wealth reached the land. Due to damaged records, part of this eras history is missing, primarily with the Draconics remaining in the caves, although its clear that Balteuk was a major regional power from records from other regions and the surviving local records. The realm would occasionally join Azhebi confederations during this period, aligning themselves closely with the Latiricans, and at one point holding trading ports as far north as around the lands of modern-day Norune for brief periods of time.

#### The Great Collapse

The great collapse was a geological event that heavily affected and damaged the entire continent, leading to mass death and the fall of the first kingdom of Narram. While modern researchers agree that the quake that caused the great destruction originated from around Balteuk'Peroj, before moving north through the faultlines in a chain reaction of earthquakes. What is not agreed upon, is why it was so devastating. Here is where history is mixed with Mythos in Balteuk'Peroj. It is said that the high king Arazal, Leader of the surviving Draconics hidden within the caves, Made a sacrifice to the great god Arazukial, deep in a temple hidden beneath the badlands, and bringing the remaining Draconic survivors with him to the ceremony. The ceremony had roughly the following chant "We will sacrifice our Flight to you, if only so that we may once again claim the lands of the sun, o' lord" This ceremony was held in 735 AL. Supposedly, as soon as the chant was finished, the very earth itself began to shake, as screams, avalanches, and chaos erupted from the seaside merchant towns below. At the northern river, the central artery of the local economy, 2 avalanches completely blocked off the river, and it remains blocked to this day, throttling trade for centuries. During the earthquake, the draconic temple caved in, and it was now clear the great collapse had begun. When the roughly ~12,000 surviving Draconics emerged from the caves, Their wings had supposedly disappeared. While most modern researchers debate this telling of events, there's been a lack of theories on what truly happened to the wings of the Draconics.

#### The Reconquest Of Balteuk'Peroj

Emerging from the caves, the Draconics set upon the chaos in the Human settlements, butchering the populus, having long grown greedy from the wealth of the region, and overconfident, and the few guards in most cities is hardly enough to halt the Draconic army. They called upon their Latirican allies to the north, but the damage to the rivers and roadways prevented the message from ever arriving. Over 50,000 humans are killed in this war, versus a mere 174 Draconics, with the surviving humans fleeing west to Groteb, north to Azheb, and primarily to the southern wastelands. The lack of sustenance and extreme heat of this region led these men to turn on each other in the south, with their society collapsing to Marauding tribes of bandits and cannibals.

### The Third Era

With the reconquest of Balteuk, the Draconics quickly moved to rebuild society, as their population had a massive boom due to the new availability of lands and food in the region, especially in the north Arazal was declared high king, re-establishing relations with Narram and building new relations with Amazonia and Norhunskig. When high king Arazal died in 772, his son Guarzal took over, continuing his fathers policies before dying of a sudden stroke in 779. With his death without an heir, the realm was thrown into civil war, with other sons and daughters of the old high king Arazal rallying regions to support their claims. This era of civil war would continue until 872 when queen Vorkil seized control of the vast majority of Balteuk'Peroj, with the final holdouts in the badlands being put down in 879 AL.

### The Fourth Era

The fourth era is marked by a stabilizing, continuous rule of queen Vorkil, the longest living monarch in Draconic history. Vorkil oversaw a steady recovery of the local economy and of international relations, constructing new frontier towns and granting rights to the people, leading to a very strong pro-monarchist sentiment in Balteuk-Peroj to this day, While not as rich as it was during the second era under human rule, the land had a smaller golden age of its own thanks to its stability, the only other internal conflict under Vorkils reign being the religious wars and famine of 899-904. This war was prompted by a famine in the northern region, which had recently converted to the Veretzian pantheon, while the southern region, which followed the traditional pantheon, was reliant largely on food from the north. Faced with shortages, a man known as Halir'oba'zik declared himself a prophet and called for a crusade against the northern "pagans". Raiding cities in the north and butchering local inhabitants, they finally raised a large enough force to face the Balteuk army directly in the battle of Dalik'Lakir, as they attempt to outright seize the city to serve as the capital of a new religious state of sorts. The queen herself, even in her old age, Led her army by foot and personally led the charge, suffering several battle injuries but slaying several dozen rebels single-handily. Even with this, the battle began to go sour for the defenders, until her son Volakiah was able to lead a cavalry charge into the rear lines of the rebels, leading to a slaughter. Only 38 rebels, including the false prophet Halir surrendered out of an army of 5,200, with every remaining rebel dying in the battle. The royalist army suffered 1,507 injured and and 1,104 dead, out of an army of 3,500. When Vorkil recovered from her injuries, she kept a limp and chronic pain from her injuries until her death in 914 AL. Before she died though, she realized the need Balteuk would have for new allies, and by 905 Balteuk joined the Azhebrican confederation, and established the modern system of spending half the months in the south to help them feel represented and prevent rebellion. When she died, her son Volakiah took her place as high king, beginning modern history

### The Fifth Era

The fifth era, starting at server start in 914 AL with the death of Azhebrica, was first led by Volakiah, who was a bit less diplomatic than his mother, never passing up the chance for a fight, and dealing with problems with alcoholism. In his anger, he once ordered death to nobility in the allied realm of Norhunskig, before sobering up long enough to retract the order and apologize, and positive relations were restored. His readiness for a fight led to his early death in the Koworean war however, as he headed north on a long and tiring expedition to raid the Koworean homeland, only to find that a few allied soldiers got there a few hours before, taking the best of the loot. Enraged, Volakiah burned the remaining loot out of spite. During the campaign, as the Koworeans reverted to guerilla tactics in the forests, many coalition nations became so annoyed by these tactics that the coalition began to fall apart. High King Volakiah was able to annoy the Koworean leader into agreeing to a duel. The duel was going well for Volakiah, until something occurred. Nobody knows why or how, but Volakiah had his spear knocked from his hands, an amateur mistake for such an experienced fighter. He tried to retrieve it, but the Koworean leader grabbed it first, using her regular weapons to cripple Volakiah, and leave him for dead after taunting him. In his anguish and the embarrassment of his defeat, he took a dagger from his 1 surviving royal guard, and committed suicide by slitting his own throat.

The remaining royal guard rushed to head back to Balteuk, and when he arrived home from the long trip, he found Azheb in chaos. Kingdoms had declared independence from the confederation left and right while Volakiah was away, and the new leader of the confederation in Narram announced the disbandment of the confederation, while the previous leader fled the capital to their lands in Latricia. Koworea sent a force to seize the northern lands, and refugees fleeing from the region fled far afield, founding the colony of New Amazonia in the far north. While Narram was able to push the Koworeans out and secure their independence in a reduced state, to return the remaining lands, Koworea demanded a heavy tribute from the former nations of Azhebia. The new high king, Toraval, Was faced with these monumental challenges as he was crowned king, yet tackled them as hard he could. Helping to organize the recreation of a new federation under Narram, supplying the majority of supplies needed to pay off the tribute and get these invaders to screw off, and starting a series of new infrastructure projects, even ordering the construction of a few factories and beginning the true industrialization of Balteuk, Making an electricity plant that can fuel the entirety of the kingdom. Torval also ordered troops and settlers up north to secure the abandoned regions between then and the new borders of Narram, Establishing a new mining settlement, while also sending troops to secure the abandoned Groteb, beginning repairs on the abandoned city of Grotebia.

In 918, the king of Maritime Amazonia died without an heir, and his will stated that the weakened realm would be divided between Northunskig, Balteuk, and Amazonia, with Balteuk securing the former capital of Fasio'Pert, introducing a new significant human population to the kingdom. This also resulted in new border disputes with Amazonia, straining relations as they claimed lands as far south as Aratka, a pure insult.

In the past few years, Balteuk partially led much of the inter-provincial development, building 2 new canals to finally fully fix the trade routes destroyed in the great collapse, and assisting with the Grand Dam Project to defend from future invasion. Today, Balteuk is a rapidly developing region, yet its vast expanse means it will likely never be a consistent metropolis like Narram, and much of the land is either uninhabitable badlands or rural and undeveloped. Draconics have slowly been moving north and west to settle the new lands, causing some minor worry with the local human population, although little has come of it yet.