Kingdom of Ayrisi

### People Groups

Aetheraens (Majority), Sentili (Minority), Yushalt (Minority), Mubella (Minority), Sarnaens (Minority), Sapphiri (Minority)

### Magical Affinity

Air

The **Kingdom of Ayrisi,** otherwise known simply as **Ayrisi,** or by its historical name **Aetheraea,** is a monarchy located south of the Skarn Mountains and the Mubella Woodland. It is named after its capital city Ayrisi. It occupies territory stretching from the Ayrisi Valley to the Carnelian Sea. Its primary inhabitants are Ayrisaeans (or Aetheraeans, as they are sometimes referred). Other ethnic groups include the Mobella, Sentili and Yushalt peoples. Whilst it is not a full member, it is considered to be an ally of the Pact of Goya.

## History

### Origins (5,500-3,000 B.G.U.)

The Ayrisi (or Aetheraens) are believed to be descendants of the original Mycaraen peoples, who had migrated across the Coyral Straits between 6-5,000 B.G.U. They flooded the Vycaraen peninsula and migrated in all directions across the continent throughout the next two millennia. Eventually, the western travelers settled in the Saldreen basin, Nyraeca, and eventually as far west as Avaratica and Kalysto.

The Mycareans would build one of their largest settlements at Tarmynae around 4,500 B.G.U. before crossing the Ekrit Mountains proper and into the Ayrisi Valley. Over the next hundred years they would fight many wars with the Nyrese settlers in Ucjani. They would be wiped out of the region by around 3,000 B.G.U. with their surviving descendants becoming the modern Yushalt peoples.

### Domination of the Ayrisi Valley (3,000-1,000 B.G.U.)

By 3,000 B.G.U. the Mycaraens had divided into dozens of ethnic groups across the south-west of the continent. Their descendants would settle in the Ayrisi Valley, becoming known as the Aetheraens. However, their realm was not unified, consisting of a series of independent cities. Nurysi, Valdymura and Ayrisi were the main centers of power. A large aether magic geode was discovered beneath Ayrisi around 2,500 B.G.U. however its location was known to only a handful of explorers, who formed a cult around the geode. Knowing that its discovery would lead the kingdom to seize it, they vowed to keep it a secret. Using an aether magic illusion ability, they concealed the entrance to the geode.

The Aetheraens would continue to worship the four seasonal gods of their Mycaraean ancestors (Serype, Ganysa, Valad and Tarmi) until the geodes discovery in 1,200 B.G.U. The cult, whose followers subscribed to a religion they had dubbed "Aether Wisdom", had survived for all these centuries, passing their knowledge on to a carefully chosen few. When they were discovered, Ayrisi had been conquered by the Kingdom of Tarmynae, and a war immediately ensued between the two entities. The aethermages overpowered the Tarmynaen forces, despite their superior numbers. They ejected them from the city and declared a new state - the Kindgom of Aetheraea. Its first ruler was Mandri I, who immediately began the process of converting the cities large population to Aether Wisdom, ordering them to abandon the Mycaraen gods. Their victory over the Tarmynaen's served as a symbol to the people of a shift in powers, and the defeat of the old gods by the new god that resided beneath their feet. Many followed Mandri's instruction, with the few who refused fleeing the city and establishing a new settlement on the shores of Lake Fruila named Serypae (after Serype, the Mycaraen god of spring).

Mandri and subsequent kings would go on to expand the kingdoms borders by 1,000 B.G.U. including the cities of Naephri and Basilaea. They would also sack Serypae in 149, resulting in the disillusion of its leadership and its conversion to Aether Wisdom. Very few worshipers of the Mycaraen gods survived the attack, with those that did fleeing into the Ekrit mountains.

### Expansion and the First Kalystaen War (1,000 B.G.U. - 0 A.G.U.)

Under King Rumari II, the kingdom attempted to expand its borders once again. They attacked the Mobellan settlement at Saravhin in 965 and conquered it with relative ease. They pushed on to Dalgodir in 964 and Skarn in 962. The Ayrisi's ambitions for northern expansion halted when it came under attack from the Kalystaen Empire to the south in 932. The Empire had expanded to control most of the Tyraen coastline, utilizing highly skilled aqua mages to further its military advancement. It quickly attacked and conquered Naephri in 931, and held the city of Serypae under siege for one and a half years under it eventually fell in 929. Rumari III sued for peace with the Kalystaen's, ceding the territory taken and the city of Basilaea to the Kalystaen's. This was met with general outrage by the higher nobility and aethermages, as well as Rumari's wife, Samara, who conspired to assassinate Rumari in 927.

Samara replaced her husband as ruler of Aetheraea and became the kingdoms first Queen. She immediately began by attacking the city of Serypae, using the element of surprise to quickly re-take it. Despite this initial victory, the Aetheraeans would struggle against the superior power of the Kalystaen aquamages. The Aetheraens narrowly survived sieges of Valdymura and Nurysi between 924-921, and failed in a counter-attack against Basilaea in 922. In 920, the Kalystaen's attacked the capital and besieged it. The siege lasted two full years until a rebellion amongst the commoners saw Samara overthrown and placed in the cities dungeons. Despite the city inhabitants welcoming the Kalystaen forces, going so far as to open the gates for them, they were met with extreme brutality. The subsequent sack of Ayrisi is regarded as one of the most bloody events in the continents history, with killing, rape and the burning of buildings. One scholar reported that Samara herself was raped and then murdered by Kalystaen forces, although only the first part of this story proved to be true, with the Queen actually escaping to Ucjani.

With Ayrisi conquered, the lords governing Valdymura and Nurysi agreed to become vassals of the Kalystaen emperor. Samara had escaped to Ucjani, although her aids write that she had gone mad, and had begun to bathe in the blood of rats and refused to eat. When the Kalystaen's arrived at Ucjani, Samara ordered her aethermages to combine their magic and create a hurricane-like storm that would blow away the invaders. This feet proved to be far beyond the mages skills, and although a minor storm was created, destroying several buildings, it was not sustained. When the Kalystaen general leading the invasion learned what Samara had planned, he moved his forces to higher ground up the valley. As a demonstration of their power he had the aquamages create a tsunami which washed the city away. No prisoners were taken in the aftermath and it is believed there were no survivors.

1. ↑ The Pact of Goya is an alliance of several southern kingdoms, intended for self-defense against attacks from northern powers such as the Sentili or the Pozhari. It includes the kingdoms of Sarnaea, Basiliaea, Vanosaea, Ivatica, Kalysto and Ganymedaea.