The Hrelvist Era

The **Hrelvist Era** was a time period located some time after the Grey Kings' invasion and the fall of the Gauvajut Empire. They existed at around 7000s 16A.

## History

See also: List of Heronoi kings

Thousands of years after the Grey Kings' invasion, the lands of Rannar were divided between several kingdoms.

The Glassamyntid emperors mutated part of their people into an unstable tribe of blondes in their attempts to create a superhuman race, but they were overthrown by the Templars of Odin, who ruled over a fanatical theocratic technocracy. The Templars turned the empire into a civilisation devoted to scientific advancement, with projects and research as its grand offerings to Odin in place of elaborate blot-sacrifices of clones and slaves. Fearing that the Templars would exploit and hurt them more, the blonde tribe fled north and formed their own enclave, rejecting their "superhuman" label in favour of humbly venerating Odin in their own way.

One of them established the Third Rannarisk Empire, attempting to make all the inhabitants into superhuman warriors, but its power was challenged by two rebellions. Eventually, it was defeated. The emperor who was responsible for the downfall of the Third Rannarisk Empire was Hjaldofrey, a fire mutant whose father overthrew an extremist regime of scientists fanatically devoted to Odin.

Some decades later, hundreds of Norsefolk rejected modern technology, seeking to live a more archaic lifestyle to honour the gods. Several kingdoms retained their modern technology to defend themselves from aliens and pirates. Eventually, the "retrogrades" slowly adopted pieces of technology, such as plasma firearms and energy shields.

The lands to the east of Baesorja splintered away into independent countries, warring each other to achieve dominance. As the world became more chaotic, some of these nations launched raids on the Rakolans to the west, and the Randrosian nations to the east. Their wars were interrupted when the alien Heronoi invaded Solburd.

Three of the empires of the Reorganisation Wars attempted to conquer Palkyras and exterminate its people, so the Heronoi lost half of their people repelling those invaders.

## Nations

### Kerdolans

The Kerdolans were the nations that fought over the former Rannarisk heartland. Some of them were descended from superhuman soldiers of the Rannarisk Empire: they were known as Jotunborn, the Children of Giants. They were the remnants of the loyalists of the Third Rannarisk Empire.

* Maftori - A nation of superhumans. They practiced the harsh and rigid ways of Rannar, waging war against the other kingdoms to bind them to the rule of their Emperor. Their colour was blue.
* Thrandar - A nation of superhumans to the east. They preferred a more unruly lifestyle instead of the rigid formations of Rannarisk life, valuing freedom over firm order. Although they waged war against Maftori and other kingdoms, they mostly did so because they enjoyed raiding. Their colour was red.
* Ljostand - A nation of intelligent people to the east, at the former capital of Rannar. As worshippers of Odin, they gather knowledge and research technology and science: they prided themselves as "the sons of Var", an earlier Norse nation that used technology fuelled by slugs. Their colour was green.
* Estomark - An average nation to the east, known for its lush forests. Their colour was red.
* Maarovist Commonwealth - Norse colonies along the frozen northern continent. After the collapse of the Third Rannarisk Empire, they formed their own commonwealth.

### Gylharlings

The Gylharlings, or the Gylhar Federation, were the northerly rebellion by thousands of mutated Rannariskar who were turned blonde. They consisted of a federation of sixteen kingdoms.

While some of them attempted to relive the joys lost during their years as slaves, many of them were rather miserable and unstable due to their mutation. Most of them refused to obey the Emperors in being a "master race": they regarded their beauty as a painful mockery of their suffering. In their rage, they rebelled, and ordered their neighbours to leave them alone.

The Gylhar were seen as a tormented people, driven to anguished insanity by their mutation beneath their beautiful and healthy bodies.

Nine of these lands are known as the Paesttari, named after a board game of nine chips. Those lands were known as kingdoms, but they were republics.

* Grátna - the capital of the Gylhar Federation.
* Gledia - a nation to the east
* Vinrihavi - a nation along the northern coast. The religious centre of the Gylhar Federation, a massive complex devoted to Odin.
* Svidria - a diplomatic kingdom in the middle. They later attempted diplomatic relations with the Heronoi.

### Southlanders

The Southlanders were an earlier rebellion against Rannarisk rule. They aligned themselves with the Rakolan realms of Rutulyra in protest against the Rannarisk emperors.

With the collapse of the Rannarisk Empire, they sought allies among the fractured states, while they avoided the warlike Kerdolans.

### Vaulontirs

The Vaulontirs were several nations that were former Rannarisk colonists that revolted against the Rannarisk emperors.

The strongest kingdoms - Jadalor, Geltadal, and Efestia - were known as Great Vaulolirs. Their combined strength made them powerful enough to resist the Kerdolans' might.

* Jadalor - present-day Nolworra
	+ One of the three strongest kingdoms. A wealthy kingdom, prone to being a target of raids by the other kingdoms.
	+ Its flag was dark blue, with a crown of nine golden rings.
	+ Its capital was Draupnirberg, now the capital of Nolworra.
* Geltadal - east Baesorja
	+ One of the three strongest kingdoms. A trading power that had relations with the kingdoms of Fiera and Prydain.
	+ Its flag was green, with seven red stripes and a white spear.
* Efestia - west of Uvjora
	+ One of the three strongest kingdoms. An industrial power.
	+ Its flag was red, with three tiers of flames concealing a silhouetted man raising his arms.
* Solburd - present-day Heronoja
	+ A new kingdom ruled by the Ofrihraed Clan that enslaved the local Rakolans. Focused on industry.
* Parligrad
	+ The former home of the Ofrihraed Clan, the former rulers and tyrants of Heronoja.
	+ Attempted to revive the technological prowess of Var.
* Voliska
	+ A kingdom to the southwest of Heronoja. Notorious for murdering people as sacrifices to the gods.

### Baemari

The Baemari were the ancestors of the Pyranikans.

* Naerotaal
* Vinolar

### Rakolans

The Rakolans were the ancestors of the Marnosyns.

* Raxolai (west)
* Solarai (east)
* Irvalin (south)
* Graunias (east, near the New Republics)

### Heronoi

This is the first incarnation of the kingdom of Heronoja. The Heronoi landed on the Solburd peninsula, aiding the local Rakolans as they overthrew their slavemasters. Angered by the Heronoi for their conquest of the peninsula and their alien origins, the Norse kingdoms rallied to fight the Heronoi, only to later fight alongside the Heronoi to defend against the world empires' attempts to exterminate all of them.

The Heronoi practiced an entirely different culture from the Norse lands: they value horses, the colour blue, gold, spears, and beauty; yet they fear lunar eclipses, winter, and ice cream. The Heronoi resembled the blonde humans of Gylhar, but their blood was flammable, their skin shined in the dark, and they were quicker than ordinary humans.

Of the Norse kingdoms, only the Gylhar Federation and the Three Great Vaudolirs established friendly relations with the Heronoi, aiding them in defending their new home from various enemies. The Gylharlings, who were also blonde, regarded the Heronoi as more beautiful than themselves, not only in their appearance but in their happiness. The Three Great Vaudolirs sent emissaries and explorers to learn more about the Heronoi, and they were given many books, horses, unicorns, and gold as gifts to their kings.

The Heronoi pitied the Gylharlings, who looked more like themselves. They wanted to love the Gylharlings and take them into their care, and in turn the pitiful Gylharlings fell in love with the Heronoi. Around a quarter of all single young adults in Heronoja took in Gylharling lovers and made love with them, mainly to produce children to be loved by both.

## Society and culture

The Norse peoples used the funotisk alphabet, derived from Rannarisk futhark.

## Religion

The polar star was a symbol of the national god of Rannar, Odin, for it represents his pursuit of knowledge.

In the latter years of the Rannarisk Empire, Odin has become less of a god of war, and more of a god of knowledge, annihilation, and destruction. Deep tones and rolling drumbeats were used in galda-hymns to the High Lord.

One symbol used by the Gylharlings was the Empty Throne, symbolising humility over grandeur, service to Odin, the decay of wealth, and the pursuit of knowledge.

## Modern nations

The nations east of Baesorja and north of Heronoja are the descendants of these nations, being the Free Norse:

* Geltir - north of Nolworra
* Gyllar - west of Geltir
* Sjustjorno Islands
* Vaulon Federation - right between Heronoja and Nolworra by the bay
* Nolworra - north of Heronoja across the bay

## Trivia

* When the Heronoi conquered/liberated Solburd, the Norse kingdoms compared the Heronoi to the Ljósti dolls, as they were disgusted by the Heronoi's obsession with beauty, their excitement, and their frustration. It began the practice of referring Heronoi people as "dolls".

## See also

* Freyrgardians
* New Republics