Holy Tree of Azeras

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## History

### Builders

Planted by Azeras

The Holy Tree of Azeras is a large warped tree located in the central region of The Kingdom Anglunia named Yirsaad in a town named Rezuraia. It stands atop Mount Arros which forms part of a larger mountain range which has historically separated the North and South of Mirau. The tree is said to house the spirit of the Azeras, the all-father and the leader of the Arternaian Pantheon. As such the mountain is considered to be the holiest of sites in the Arternaian faith and receives many pilgrims. Since ancient times the mountain has been protected by the Rezuraian Family who have founded the Holy Order of Rezuraia to defend the site.

## History

### The Chyweld Byd

It is said according to the Arterna that the celestials created the world. In the events that followed a popular myth of events is the Chyweld Byd. In this story a great hero named Vela'ryisaan Arternathal rebelled against celestials.

In his chronicles you find one of the earliest mentions of the region of Mount Arros.

> His path led him through forest and desert, snowy plains and ocean. He searched for a thousand years and he gave up. He stood still in a snowy forest, with trees covered in white dust that fell off in droves as soon as you touched one of them. The snow that fell somehow moved while locked to the ground, converging to a small spot in front of a pine tree. And so he decided to dig. With his bare hands, he unearthed the ground beneath him and formed a mountain behind him. This mountain would come to be known as Mount Arros.
>
> From the Chronicles of the Chyweld Byd & Vela'ryisaan Arternathal

### The Tales of Taeral

Around 5000 years ago the peoples of Yirsaad lived in scattered communities. From these scattered communities emerged the Yirsi daughter of a shepherd, Taeral. Her tale (which can be found here) tells the founding of the Kingdom of Rezuraia around the center of Mount Arros, and the founding of House Rezuraia. In her tales she makes many perilous trips to the top of mountain meeting the God Azeras and seeing the tree when it was once a small sapling. Azeras aids her in the success of her village granting her many gifts. At this time the Holy Tree was much smaller in size and more comparable to a normal tree.

Later he grants her great power to defeat the Warlord Ballambor who inhabited the Island of Redowl to the South. It was in these events that the first Rezuraian state was slowly established. The newly more fertile lands, and resolve of the people aided in its expansion and in the development of the Arternaian faith.

### The First Rezuraian State

In these years the holy tree finds itself within a growing Rezuraian state. Westwards the state of Tyra is established and several wars are waged between the states of Rezuraia and Tyra. Isaz begins its colonisation of the North Eastern part of Yirsaad and the Isaz-Rezuraia-Xiraia Trade Route is established enabling further spread of Arternaia.

### Heylusin State and Isazi Empire

The Great Elven Wars begin and many battles are fought between the Rezuraian and Isazi States in the Northern regions of Yirsaad. A betrayal leads to the collapse of Rezuraian forces into the rump state of Heylusin before the Yirsaad region becomes under the control of the Isazi State completely.

### Fractured states

Eventually the Isazi States hold over Yirsaad collapses and many small states are established in its wake. Rezuraia, Herunna, Aeth and Rezaleth are established. Wars between each of the states lead the region once more into turmoil. It is during this time that the Holy Site in Rezuraia grows significantly becoming a point of pilgrimage across Nefelis.

### Isaz-/Nuvon Empire

The State of Nuvon rises to the West of Rezuraia, a three way wars between the Nuvon, Isazi and Rezuraian states leads to the collapse of the Second Rezuraian State. Eventually Nuvon wins annexing most of the region.

### Third Rezuraian State

Human migrations shattered most Yirsi states in Mirau. In its wakes the Third Rezuraian State was established. As human conquest collapsed most Yirsi states they fleed Southwards into the Mountains of Yirsaad. With the Human Nefelian Kingdom of huge strength to the North, Rezuraia was the last holdout of Yirsi in Mirau. A great Battle was fought where Houses Betal'lan, Nuwan, Rezuraia and Vindya came together to fight back against the humans winning an important battle at Isaz. The Long war between the humans eventually concluded with much Yirsi territory retaken.

### Anglath and Gnome Wars

In the years that followed there was a great rivalry between the three states of Yirsaad. Wars between each were fought with Apriney eventually being annexed.

In the east, in the lands of Phoenix, there was a race known as the Gnome race. It is unknown how this came to be, but there was a conflict between the Yirsi of Isaz and Yirsaad and the Gnomes. This war, which lasted a long time, led to years of oppression by the Gnomes toward the Yirsi. They were cast as slaves, forced to do labour in the sand mines, horrible places for Yirsi.

The states Rezuraia and Vindya merge to form the nation of Anglath (which has been named the precursor to the future Anglunian State) and
manage to hold the Gnomish expansion at bay in the mountains of Yirsaad, and win a great victory that enables momentum to change and allows for the gnomes to be pushed back out of Mirau.

### Viodoxa Colonisation

The Anglath State continued to expand and build the beginnings of Yirsi Nationalism and an Anglunian identity until it (along with the rest of Nefelis) was conquered by the Rathnir colonial power of Viodoxa under the Osteri Plagosi Trading Company. House Vindya flee Southwards. The Three Great Founders, Elyani Taygen-Blizun, Lord Bekrija and Lord Baeyzil Menoskairos first set foot on Mount Arros and embarked upon the process of freeing Anglunian from Viodoxa's hold and creating the Anglunian Kingdom.

### Kingdom of Anglunia

With the resurgence of the Zeladar cult in Anglunia it threw Anglunia into disarray. For much of the conflict due to the efforts of Zehros Elzar-Rezuraia despite the growing influence of Zeladar in Anglunia as a whole, the Holy Site of Rezuraia and Yirsaad generally remained largely untouched by the cultists for the majority of the conflict.But as the cultists incursion reached a crescendo, its attention fell upon the holy city. The cultists belief that to corrupt the holiest of site of the Arterna would be enough to bring forth Zeladar into the world once more. Cultists descended upon the holy city in all their might in a last act to resurrect their patron. The Anglunian Military bolstered the ranks of the Rezuraian Holy Order to counter them on the battlefield.

The resultant skirmish resulted in street by street fighting across Rezuraia, with the cultist's and their demons confronting the Arternaian forces at every turn. Zehros led his Holy Order into the fray in protection of the great tree, slaying many cultists and beasts of Zeladar's creation. Eventually Yinsaghal Eliyawin-Nuwan, (who had been possessed by Zeladar) and Yizawan Eliyawin-Nuwan duelled one another enacting a ritual to summon the Arterna to dispel Zeladar for good. The Arterna froze Zeladar along with the rest of Anglunia sending a sheet of ice and snow across the realm.

## Geography

The Holy Tree of Azeras is located in Yirsaad the central province within the subcontinent of Mirau. It stands atop Mount Arros the tallest mountain that forms part of the largest mountain range in Anglunia. This mountain range has often formed historic borders between nations and provinces, currently separating the regions of Yirsaad and Andor. The mountain is completely engulfed by a tundra biome, with large spruce forests to the North and East. A large river runs under the mountain from Yirsaad to right the way through to Saint's Port and Ashenvale.

## Wildlife

### Snow Leopards

The snow leopard is a species of large cat native to the snowy mountain ranges across Eldham and Rathnir. The snow leopard's fur is whitish to grey with black spots on the head and neck, with larger rosettes on the back, flanks and bushy tail. Its muzzle is short, its forehead domed, and its nasal cavities are large. The snow leopard shows several adaptations for living in a cold, mountainous environments. Snow leopards are of particular importance to House Rezuraia who feature them in their coat of arms.

### Stoat

The stoat is a mustelid commonly found in tundra and forested regions. In Anglunian society they are commonly kept as pets.