Aranwaën

Araner banner

Map of Aranwaën and its provinces as of 1241

* 248 NA - Hosaq Empire proclaimed and reorganization of Aranwaën into a kingdom
* 452 NA - Merchant's coup
* 736 NA - Lost territories recovered
* 1190 NA - Reorganisation into Grand State

### Preceded by

* Free City of Onanelh
* Hosaq Empire
* Kingdom of Doriniem
* Duchy of Emirìa
* Great Duchy of Asentir
* Margravate of Santel

**Aranwaën**, officially the **Grand State of Aranwaën**, sometimes referred to as the **Empire of Aranwaën** is a large plutocratic empire located in the north-west of Var Venail, east of the Red Mountains. It is home to a population of over 35 million, making it the most populous nation in the world. Whilst humans make up around three quarters of the population, the state is heavily influenced by the culture of the ancient elves, and has a sizeable population of red and imperial elves. It is made up of eight administrative provinces, called aranvems. Aranwaën is a plutocratic state led by its merchant class, with its capital being Aranaine, on the Waënil river.

Aranwaën (literally Bloodwine in Ancient elven) has been inhabited since around 3500 OA, according to dwarven historians. At the time it was settled by men collectively known as the remanite tribes. It was one of the first regions to be annexed by the Zodiac Empire, leading to a distinct Araner culture, distinct from both the remanite and elven culture. Collapsing into warring states following the elven withdrawal, Bloodwine was conquered by the Hosaq in the early 200s. With the collapse of the Hosaq Empire Aranwaën was once again split up among local warlords, steppe nomads and orcish invaders. It was at this time that the merchants, which had become more powerful than landed nobility during the Hosaq reign, proclaimed a republic. Although most of its territory lost, Aranwaën was able to sustain a large mercenary army thanks to trade. It used this advantage along with well-placed alliances to recover most of the territory it had lost by the mid 700s. Over time it grew to become one of the wealthiest and most prosperous areas of the continent. Beginning in the early 1100s, Aranwaën began enforcing an extremely aggressive foreign policy. In a series of conflicts known as the Wine wars, mostly against the remnants of the Hosaq Empire, Aranwaën more than doubled its territory and population. Emerging victorious, Aranwaën became the first power in the world, dominating the rest of the continent primarily through trade. It has taken part in the efforts to rediscover Sol Venail in the early 1200s. Whislt it didn't discover it first, it has set up several forts on the coastline to assert its influence.

Aranwaën is the primary centre of learning, art and science in the world. It is home to one of the holy sites of the Miratiri faith in Varul. It is one of the wealthiest nations in the world, and its citizens enjoy better living standards than most. Cities like Aranpor are also home to some of the largest industries in the world. It is one of the only realms which can truly call itself a great power, with its embassies in every nation without exception in Var Venail. It has the largest standing army in the world, which is also one of the best equipped in the world, having fully embraced both magic and gunpowder within its tactics. Its navy is also one of the largest. It however primarily uses trade to influence other nations, as any nation embargoed by the Grand State would see its upper class quickly turn against it.

## History

### Pre-imperial times

Before the arrival of men, the area now known as Bloodwine was already inhabited by gnomes. Their rural agrarian societies were unprepared for warfare, and they were subdued upon the arrival of men. According to Dwarven archives, this arrival of men happened in the 4th millennium of the Old Age. These men, called the Remanites, cames from the Great Desert west of the Red Mountains. Whilst they subjugated the gnomes, they were treated as near-equals. Already by the 3400s OA, the Remanites began to trade extensively with the dwarves. They adopted the lifestyle of the gnomes, and became more preoccupied with trade and the cultivation of land than warfare. Over the course of many years, the gnomes which began breeding with the Remanites slowly faded from memory as they were replaced by the halflings, taller, only slightly shorter than humans and elves.

The earliest non-dwarven records date back to the 2900s OA, and are compiled in the so-called *Seventh chronicle*. It tells the tale of the founding of the first city of Wanel. There seem to have been earlier chronicles, recording earlier history but these were lost to times. The language and script in which the chronicle was written are very far removed from the modern arannese language. However it was fully translated thanks to Imperial documentation which translates old human languages to old elven.

The great city of Wanel, at the time known as Fereshiyat, was founded in 3124 OA, and became the center of Remanite civilisation. The city became the capital of a sort of confederation of tribes, which stretched throughout what is now Lower Bloodwine and Ardhor. There are ruins of several other settlements which have been found over time, but none of them seem to have had the same importance as Wanel. In what is now Bezgar, there are extensive complexes now found under the city which seem to suggest that the city was an important religious center. By the 2600s, the Remanite tribes had peacefully expanded and settled into Doriniem, Upper Bloodwine and Emirìa. It is believed that it's also around this time the Remanites discovered the fabrication of wine.

In 2064 OA, the first elven scout-ships arrived on the shores of Ardhor. They peacefully interacted with the native tribes, exchanging various gifts. One of the most important gifts to be exchanged at this time was wine, which the Remanites gave the elves. Bringing it back to Sol Venail, the elven upper class grew very fond of wine, and sent multiple expeditions, each one larger than the last, to exchange wine for various goods and technologies.

### Imperial era

#### Imperial conquest

In 2003 OA, the elves arrived with a massive invasion fleet. Part of it landed at what is now Heliaine, and the rest at the location of Onanelh led by Aislin I. Whilst these areas were not populated by the Remanites at the time, news quickly reached Wanel of the mass arrival of the elves. Emissaries were sent by the Remanites to contact the elves and propose various trade agreements. Whilst the elves initially accepted, upon their arrival at the edges of the confederation they sent demands of subjugation. These were denied immediately. The elves had kept from giving the Remanites any technologies which could be applied militarily, and they swiftly defeated the indigenous population with little organised resistance.

After the conquest of of the Remanite confederation, the region was carved up into several manervems (literally men-region). The elves founded several cities, most notably Waënpor to export wine and Waënul. The elves also founded several forts, notably Varul (then Var Hul, "red fort") and Nelhuan (then Nel Hul, "new fort"). After the founding of Onanelh in 1986 OA, the elves continued their conquest throughout the rest of the continent, using Bloodwine as their base of operations for other invasions.

#### The Great Peace

The Great Peace or Sol Serilia in elven was a period in Araner and elven history which lasted from the elven conquest of Bloodwine to the mid 1300s OA. Due to elven complete technological superiority and their use of magic, up until then largely unknown to men outside of small circles of priests, they were able to subjugate the rest of Sol Venail by the 1700s with little to no resistance. This era brought immense prosperity to the elves back in Sol Venail but also to their new subjects. Bloodwine in particular saw its economy skyrocket thanks to its importance to the elves, as it was near Sinarvem, which became the main source of silver for the Empire, and as it was the main producer of wine which had become extremely popular with the elves.

The elves initially treated the men of the Remanite tribes well, as their resistance had been relatively limited and they had largely accepted elven rule. In 1908 of the Old Age, the new emperor Varian I, later nicknamed the Wise, issued a decree, now known as the Narahuën decree, which made all species equal to elves in the eyes of the law. It also effectively decriminalised the worship of the main gods of the Zodiac pantheon for other races. This cemented the Remanite loyalty to the elves, and due to their importance in wine production they were granted special privileges on top of those of the decree. These included the ability to serve in the elven army, acquire administrative positions and to study the arcane arts.

The Remanites began utilising the elven script, and over time a mix of the old remanite language and of the elven language emerged, Arannese. The vocabulary and sound of the language came to resemble elven, but it retained much of the complex syntax and grammar of human languages, which the elven language lacks. This was part of a wider assimilation of the Remanites into elven culture, and they were soon called "the most elven of men". Already around the 1600s of the Old Age, the Remanites begin to be referred to as Araners. The halflings however did not assimilate as well, and their culture and language remains distinct to this day.

In 1546 OA Aranaine was founded to serve as the overall capital of the Bloodwine region, which at the time was still subdivided into smaller administrative districts. Due to its location near the coast and midpoint between Onanelh and Waënpor from Wanel and Waënul, it quickly grew to eclipse Wanel as the largest city in the area. It is also at this time that Varul transitioned from a mere fort to a city proper, and it became a major center of learning due to strong magical presence in the area.

#### The Troubles

The Troubles began with the death of Varian II in 1368 OA. As he only had three daughters, his cousin's grandson, Morien, was chosen to become the next emperor. Over the course of his reign he made a series of poor decisions which ultimately weakened the empire and put it on the path of collapse. In 1343 OA he revoked his predecessor's edict, making elves superior to other races legally. He also made it punishable by death for any member of another race to worship the gods. As the edict which granted the Araners their privileges was separate from the main Narahuën edict, they were spared from these changes. However, in 1198, he revoked Araner privileges as well. This sparked widespread unrest across the region.

The nomads of the Cold Steppe, south of Aranwaën had never been completely subjugated by the elves, and they always kept their independent spirit. By the 1100s, the nomads of Santel began launching raids into Upper Bloodwine. A delegation was sent by the Araners requesting aid after they were defeated in battle, but the emperor refused to help, citing that humans should work out their differences among themselves. This caused outrage in every part of the empire populated by humans. In the end, the regional army of the Hosaq came to aid the Araners, and their combined forces defeated the nomads in 1086 OA.

With the emperor refusing to even attempt to placate the humans, goblins and dwarves of the realm, the entire continent entered a state of pseudo-revolt. Elven officials and armies were openly attacked, supply lines and ships destroyed, shipments delayed, equipment sabotaged etc. Even the Araners, traditionally loyal to the empire begun organising resistance. In 997 OA, Morien sent a great force of 100,000 elven soldiers to effectively re-occupy the continent, twice the size of the original invasion force. Whilst none dared fight them in the field, the army was slowly sapped of its strength, and over time many of its soldiers began deserting, due to their own disapproval of the emperor's conduct. By 994 OA, the force was left with barely a dozen thousand troops. The emperor, preoccupied by mage revolts back home was forced to placate the humans, and he conceded to them the equality in front of the law. He however did not reinstate Araner privileges or religious rights. This succeeded in calming the local populations, which still did not wish independence but merely reform. Nevertheless, seeds of rebellion had been planted and they would grow over the coming centuries.

As time went, many independence movements grew across Var Venail. Even the red elves, which had risen from their breeding with humans wished to separate themselves from the Empire, which they now saw as decadent, corrupt and needlessly authoritarian. With the rise of the orcs from goblin-elven breeding in the Great Desert, came a new threat to the Empire. Ultimately, the Troubles would see a short recession during the late years of the reign of Varian II the Just. Like his namesake, he reinstated the edict of Narahuën in its entirety. However, he also decreed that not only was it no longer criminal for other races to worship the gods, but that it was now fully legal. This caused a deep split in elven society, and he was assassinated shortly after. This announcement he made during a visit in Varul, making Varul one of the main holy sites of the Miratiri religion, the newly reformed faith. Whilst it was unpopular with the elves back home, the red elves embraced it as well as all other races, other than orcs, across Var Venail.

This short pause in the independence movements was however only temporary. The Cold Steppes declared their independence in 776 OA already, and although they had nominally been re-annexed into the Empire they were never truly integrated again. This was an example for many others to declare their independence. It began with Semania in the far south-east of the continent, followed by the Orcs in 400 OA. Many nations followed, and by 300 OA over half the continent was effectively independent again. Aranwaën however remained loyal to the Empire now that their privileges had been reinstated. This would not stop the Empire from withdrawing, as an unknown series of events in the 3rd century of the Old Age made the elves slowly withdraw. By 139 OA, they had abandoned the entire continent except for Aranwaën, Sinarvem and Silur. Silur was abandoned in 86 OA, and Aranwaën was abandoned in 73 OA. Onanelh remained part of the Empire all the way up until 5 OA, when it was officially made independent. Five years later, the last ships departed for Sol Venail. Thus began the New Age.

### Warring duchies period

With the departure of the Empire, large parts of the continent were left in a state of perpetual conflict, and Aranwaën was no exception. Whilst for instance the dwarves quickly rebuilt their society around their ancestral city-states, Aranwaën was unable to return to the old and outdated confederacy of tribes system. A great meeting of the local lords, merchants and remaining elven administrators gathered in Wanel in 68 OA to decide what to do of the territory. The bureaucrats of the departing Empire and the merchants quickly began reaching agreements, to effectively make Aranwaën into a union of largely independent cities ruling the lands surrounding them. However, the human nobility forced the negotiations into a standstill, equally because of their disagreements with the administrators and merchants as their individual differences. Finally, two months after the conference was called, negotiations collapsed into war as one of the most powerful nobles in the realm, which would go on to become Emirìa, declared his independence and tried to capture those which attended the meeting. Elven spies were however able to intercept his orders and effectively stopped his plan in its tracks. Following this, several lords proclaimed their independence, whilst Aranaine and Waënpor were seized by the merchant guilds, and much of Upper Bloodwine came under elven control again.

The various independent states limited themselves to small border skirmishes for a few years, but by 56 OA the entire region had effectively entered a state of perpetual conflict. It is said that none of the realms of the time knew peace for even a moon. With perpetually shifting alliances and enemies, Aranwaën was stuck in a state of inner conflict and perpetual war for over 250 years. However, the fighting largely spared Bloodwine proper, and concentrated itself on the borderlands between it and the rest of the region. Nevertheless, Aranwaën was largely devastated economically and demographically during its period, its population being halved in 100 years. The period of most intense and brutal fighting occurred between 43 NA and 63 NA, when two large coalitions fought for the control of Nelhuan. This period is known as the Dark Twenty, or Shet Tum in Arannese.

### Hosaq period

The Hosaq, in their own civil conflict, emerged united under king Manar I in 196 NA. They would quickly absorb many of their neighbours, including Aranwaën. Their use of heavy cavalry, well-established feudal system and united nature allowed them to easily overrun other nations. The Hosaq invasion began in 232 NA, under king Vurom I. The invasion was kickstarted by the capture of Varul, whilst the Emirìan ducal army was away fighting in the west. He then marched with his army on Ardhor, capturing Dorain later that same year. He spent the winter in Dorain and was reinforced by an additional army led by his son, future king and emperor Manar III.

In 233 NA, Vurom moved south and captured Bezgar with little resistance. The Araner merchant-elven alliance, left with their main western enemies considerably weakened were able to push into Doriniem, ending the everlasting civil war. They were not blind the Hosaq threat, and an army was assembled upon the news that Nelhuan fell. The Hosaq army met the Araner army on its way to Wanel. The Araners had 8000 men where as the Hosaq had 13000. The battle, which would eventually be known as the Battle of the Purple Hills, begun in the Hosaq's favour. As the two main infantry lines clashed, the Hosaq were able to come out on top and a decisive cavalry charge led by Manar himself seemed to have sealed the fate of the Araner army. However, the elven mages invoked a powerful spell, creating a massive sinkhole in the ground, which engulfed a large cavalry contigent and the king himself. Seeing their king disappeared, the Hosaq retreated in a panic, although they had considerably less casualties than the Araners. Nevertheless, Manar refused to return to Hosaq city for his coronation and continued his offensive. He met the Araner army a second time near Wanel itself, but this time he bribed some of the elven mages to join him before the battle, and they were able to negate the spells cast by the Araner ones. The Araner army was effectively wiped out, and with little to no resources left most Araner cities simply surrendered upon seeing Manar's army approaching.

The Hosaq period saw little resistance. The Hosaq were unlike the elves, happy to leave the local populations to their own devices in exchange for minimal tribute and military aid. In 248 NA, following a pledge of loyalty of the ruling council of Onanelh, Manar III became the first Emperor of the Hosaq, Manar I, forever afterwards known as the Great. He reorganised Aranwaën into a kingdom, ruled by a council made up of the old elven bureaucrats and merchants. He did this as they were effectively the legitimate government of the region following their victory against the nobles. The remaining nobles were steadily stifled out and lost any real power. The elves themselves were slowly relegated to the role of advisors and ministers and the merchants grew ever richer as trade began to prosper again under the Hosaq peace.

## Society and culture

Araner culture is known to be one of the most unique on the continent. It is a mix of ancient elven culture and native human culture. Whilst Aranwaën is one of the wealthiest nations in the world, its people generally frown upon excess and lavish displays of wealth, with the notable exception of cuisine. Araner culture is also one of the most zealous, fiercely adhering to the Reformed Star Pantheon.

Aranwaën is one of the most magic-friendly nations in the world. Whilst mages are often limited to positions of court advisors among the higher nobility of most other nations, and are persecuted in orcish realms, Aranwaën makes use of mages in all sectors and stratas of society. The great Academies of Varul and Aranaine are some of the largest and most prestigious in the world. The University of the Arcane Arts of Onanelh hosts the largest library of books and runes in the world. Araner culture holds scholars, mage or not, in high regard. Wealthy merchant families will often offer patronage to scholars to display their support for the sciences.

The Araner culture is also distinguished by the near complete absence of landed noility. The upper class is nearly entirely made up of merchant families, called noënils in Arannese. These families hold most of the political power, especially in the cities, and make up the near entirety of the Assembly of the Merchants, as the name would suggest. Farmland is mostly held by individual farmers. When it is not, it is often part of bòcnelus, land collectively owned by members of a community, most often a village. This is similar to the communal land ownership systems which are common in the region of the Great Plains.

### Cuisine

Wine being its prime export, it is no surprise that cuisine is one of the most well-known aspects of Aranwaën abroad. Its wine is famed all across the continent, especially in further away areas such as the Border Duchies and the two Grey Kingdoms. Araner food is described in the *Guide to Var Venail's cuisine* of Blue Mage Soppar, published in 983, as "...a menu where every meal contains, to various degrees, wine and sea fruits". Whilst most of Aranwaën proper isn't a coastal region, the extensive trade and communication with its neighbouring regions (which are now part of the nation) of Sinarvem and Sel Helior, both of which lay along the coast, has ensured that sea food is overrepresented in Araner cuisine relative to its geography.

### Fashion

Arannese fashion is known for being extremely minimalistic. As the merchant class replaced the old nobility in the early 300s, the old noble extravagant fashion became seen as outdated and a symbol of the nobility. This is best reflected in the armour worn by the Emperors, which whilst decorated does not have any gold or precious metals on it.

### Architecture

Following its fashion, architecture in Aranwaën is relatively minimalistic. However, this is less extreme than with fashion. Araner architecture is well known for its usage of domes, mosaics and various geometrical patterns, especially in public buildings. Whilst coats of arms are sreserved for wealthier families, almost every family in Aranwaën has its own pattern. These patterns are replicated in the homes of that family. These patterns are of high importance to the Arannese, and a major symbol of identity. They are called poliors. There is also a general pattern used to represent the nation as a whole. This pattern, as well as several familial patterns have been sourced back to pre-Ancient Empire times, at the time of the Remanite Tribes.

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