Ardeiria

This behemoth is being redone entirely, and thereby the other Ardeirian pages are unreliable until it's finished. I apologise for the inconvenience, but this is for the best -- expect much more cold Hungary and no Game of Thrones. This DLC is 20$, but you can preorder and receive your very own horse meat.

 **Founder:**
Oisforth Vaught I (Kingdom of Ardeiria)
 **Language(s):**
Ardeirian Common
Dwarf: 4%
Ardeiria (Common)
Areiszág (Old Ardeirian)

Ardeiria (Ardeirian: Ardeirsvja) is a large island that was separated from the Gilnean mainland after the Cataclysm. Conquered by the Greymanes around 150 years ago, it has never forgotten its past as an independent state (First as a self-declared Empire, then a Kingdom), and retains a culture foreign to the rest of the country. Control of the area has shifted in the last few years from the legitimised bastard Braith Vaught, to Anwen's regency, to Arwel's return.

## History

Ardeiria's history spans over 2,800 years, dating back to the Troll Wars, the event which began Aderyn I's departure from the Arathorian Empire. In terms of pre-history, this extends to 3,500 to 5,000, varying from one historian to another. Conveniently, the major portions of the area's history have been dissected into four eras and one sub-era:

### Imperial Era

Main Article: Imperial Era

Vaguely defined as "From the founding to King Oisforth", this leaves if it began before or after Vaughriff was finished up to debate. Heliaetan sources, which (Bar Dahlquish revisions) have been the most accurate by far, state that the time before their capitol was created was referred to as "The Construction Era". However; historians in Ardeiria Minor insist that was an unofficial name, and Aderyn I had proclaimed the Empire once he reached the modern day location. Regardless of this dispute, there's no question that it began with the now-worshipped *Kejsare* Aderyn I and ended with Oisforth I's declaration of self-containment.

Aderyn's life was dedicated to growing and stabilising his new country, with clear insistence to his successors to "Finish what you can and crush apathy's grip on Humanity." This was mainly achieved by enslaving the native population (Something that took until the Second Crowned Era to accomplish), confiscating all property from criminals, and, most importantly, starting construction on the Vaugate. One of the major tragedies of this era was the near-complete destruction of the House of Riqen, who were intended to obtain Heliaeta in the first place, leaving only two boys unfit to rule and thereby making it a branch of the House of Caer until the Gilnean Era.

Unfortunately for the deified-Emperor, his country's only expansions outside of their mountains were unstable and abandoned once the First Crowned Era began. Nevertheless; the Imperial Era is still seen with fondness in modern times, having the most art and literature about it out of all four. There were only four Emperors of Ardeiria: Aderyn I, Terith I, Aderyn II, and Oisforth I.

### First Crowned Era

Between Aderyn II's somewhat public suicide and growing annoyance from the factions they'd invaded during his and Terith I's reigns, the prospect of Imperialism was now more a fantasy than anything. Not willing to risk war with the natives still a threat in rural areas, Oisforth I ordered the Vaugate to be shut and all non-Ardeirian ships seeking refuge burned. This is largely seen as the start of Ardeiria's contrasting foreign policy. Comparitively uneventful to its successor and predeccessor, the First Crowned Era consisted mostly of scandals and succession wars, the most famous of which involving two Riqen Äraguards murdering a bastard usurper to install a new Queen, only to be executed for betraying their oath to protect him. It is believed that this is when Alcesus converted to the Light, thereby solidifying the rivalry with Bovinia.

Most important was the region of Heliaeta, originally intending to be one of four Kingdoms within the Empire, being given to the House of Geroth. It ended after King Kirtein was seduced by the female Geroth heir, leading him not to intervene until directly invaded and, nearly a week afterwards, giving the crown to his assailants in return for becoming the aforementioned heir's consort. Prince Haerith, Prince Poirath, and Princess Anneryn were all exiled and harboured in Alcesus. During this short time, the Kingdom of Ardeiria was known as "New Arathor", and it referred to as "The Vulture's Era" -- mostly to mock their overthrow by the same people they'd exiled. Anneryn rose to prominence once given the crown, brutally executing every known Geroth and destroying the House of Swen to install her puppets, the Vauswens, in their place. This began the Second Crowned Era.

### Second Crowned Era

Anneryn, despite being a borderline sadist and more autocratic than those who came before her, was seen in a positive light due to her marriage to the Caers, clear displays of strength, Prince Haerith's popularity, and the message sent by ordering her own brother (King Kirtein) to be stripped and burned alive. The only survivors of the anti-Geroth edict, which condemned every man, woman, or child with significant blood of the traitor family to death, were the ones who made the "Vulture Brotherhood" -- a terrorist organization that was crushed, reformed, crushed, reformed, and finally crushed again in the Gilnean Era. They'd later be joined by the Swens once Queen Anneryn was done with them, and much later on the House of Baltzer. Nevertheless; her legacy was the main force which allowed Aderyn III to practically ignore the tensions between the Caers and Krestens, simply because they were unwilling to go to war with her son on the throne.

While he repealed many of the punishments for minor crimes, most notably the death penalty for anything above assault, he did retain it as mandatory for those "Degenerate in nature", mostly referring to sexual assault or favorable opinions towards Elves. Most notable about the third Aderyn's reign, however, were his attempts to emphasise the Ardeirian claim of being "The True Human Empire", which mostly involved reforms to take from the Arathorian Empire. Thereby; the language was changed to be significantly more similar to Common, the population began its bilingual tradition, and the upper classes were made to balance regality with their Vrykul heritage. The claim was something put into propaganda after Aderyn III's death, and is more-or-less a sidenote to their self-declared status as "Humanity's Beacon".

Ardeiria became a fully-functional state shortly after that, a large portion due to the creation of the Six Ministries. The objective was both to ensure the Ardeirian Monarchy stay in power by giving incompetent rulers a crutch, while also ensuring, at most, six candidates (AE: the Head Ministers) to replace rebelling nobles and thereby giving the general population a path into peerage. Immigration into the Kingdom was also finally permitted in the Middle Crowned Era, largely due to the Charred Plague taking about 10% of the population, only ended by King Arwel III -- dubbed "The Purifier" in the Ardeirian Main Pantheon -- after years of enslaving most-anyone learned to healing to create a cure (The nobility were, however, largely exempt for this). Even with the crisis over, many found themselves either without land or unable to properly work. This improved at a snail's pace until King Anrek I (Justice Made Flesh) reformed Ardeiria's arenas to allow consenting fighters, as well as reform its rules to mandate chivalrous conduct between non-slaves.

A good amount of the rulers after him were not noteworthy and whose administrations are largely lost to times, leaving only their names. However; it is known that King Ferith III (War Made Flesh) ensured Anrek I's measures were upheld throughout his campaigns. Under Ferith, the Barbarians and Natives were finally conquered fully, divided between a life in the arena or run-of-the-mill slavery. After they were destroyed, he turned his sights on the Vulture Brotherhood, leading to the infamous, unorthodox tactics that lead to his deification. Most famous of all was his assault on their base of operations, located near the capitol of Heliaeta, which involved launching flaming cow-corpses into the wooded areas. The Brotherhood, known for their guerilla tactics, were soon set aflame and largely just mopped up by the Kresten Aurochsriders thereafter. Surrender came afterwards, and all remaining combatants were enslaved to the arena, thereby ridding Ardeiria of its two main threats in the process of fifteen years.

Now with an abundance of unpaid labour, rising immigration, and an interest in martime traditions, King Roswin II (Prosperity Made Flesh. Ferith's grandson) dedicated his reign to the overall prosperity of his country. Alcesus, though already the de-facto breadbasket, was officially given its mission to feed the Kingdom while Bovinia was encouraged to continue focusing on martial tradition, on the one condition that it not be used against the Caers. The slave system was reformed and made more clear on regulations, placing a tax on the lower and non-nobility, while also officially creating a subgroup to the Ministry of War; "Sea Riders" who were, for all intents and purposes, raiders. The small beach in front of the Vaugate became a hub of activity, with eager farmers, fishermen, and miners trading their old jobs to instead steal goods for the Homeland. Finally, King Roswin ensured that the raiding tradition, which was and is the only true Ardeirian maritime one, through multiple agreements with Tirassian authorities of varying positions of power.

Through this golden age came increasingly over-confident Monarchs, sure that their realm was now without tension and that it was practically ran by its self. This was most clear in King Haron the Pious, a devout Light-worshiper who, as a sign of trust to his subjects, dissolved the Vaught forces and left only the Ministry of War and the nobility's private armies to defend the country. The Ministry of War's ranks fell within months, nearly all Bovinian soldiers leaving to join their liege's rapidly increasing army and, when it became clear what was to happen, Alcesians and Heliaetans followed suit, the latter split somewhat evenly between the two regions. The Alces-Bovinian War began with the Kresten invasion of Alcesus, destroying most religious sites, butchering civilians, forcing conversions, and finally cutting to the region's capitol. However; they were dealt a decisive defeat in the Thornwood, a region of the Elk's Keep rumoured to be nefarious to those of malicious intent. Haron was finally able to intervene and have the Lord of Bovinia abdicate, while Alcesus truly began its status as a pseudo-Crusader State.

His last action was to give Miklos Dahlquish I, the Minister of Religion, Heliaeta before abdicating himself under pressure from nearly all sources. The rulers after him were barely any better, doing virtually nothing to stop the Dahlquish monopoly on the main water supply and, in the end, blatantly betraying it and launching Ardeiria into the War of Subjugation with the House of Dahlquish alerting the Greymanes to the Kingdom's instability. Although the royal forces took heavy losses in Bovinia, Alcesus was overrun and, due to its soldiers honour in battle, largely kept in-tact. The Gilnean campaign into Ardeiria Minor began bleak, but would turn around after the winter ended and the royal forces were able to cut through "Taeron's Boys" like butter. Their only defeat in this region was at the Swan's Flight, though this only resulted in them aggressively isolating themselves until well into Greve Haron's reign.

The Second Crowned Era ended with Ardeiria's surrender after Haron agreed to kill his father for the safety of the Homeland.

### The Gilnean Era

Ashamed and humiliated, Ardeiria was subject to complete occupation throughout Haron's reign, who was stricken with guilt over his patricide and unable to bring himself to act against Greymane's forces. The Ministries were all put under Gilnean control, the only exception being the Ministry of Religion which, until Haron's suicide, was made considerably less powerful everywhere but Alcesus -- almost entirely due to the Caer's female heir marrying Prince Ambrose Greymane during the war. Although the occupation faded after time, all rulers after him were mediocre, either unable to do their job or blatantly irresponsible, with Bevan Vaught, Arwel, Anwen, and Braith's father, being the pinnacle of this. After the Cataclysm separated Ardeiria from the mainland, virtually nothing was done to handle the subsequent refugee-crisis from the areas now torn apart, along with practically ignoring the loss of Ardeiria's main silver mine.

His paranoia would eventually lead to him hatching a plot to murder Arwel, his first heir, to allow Braith to pass the newborn Awstin Vaught and Anwen in succession through legitimisation. At the same time, Anwen was made to marry the Kresten heir, well-known to be mentally disturbed at best. For fear of her life, she escaped her father's government on a diplomatic mission, thereby leaving no Vaught resistance to Braith's rule after Arwel was thrown deep into the Vaught dungeons, further ensured by Raetin's attempt at avenging the man he'd believed dead, ending in failure and his own death. Braith's rule was entirely focused on "Strength above all", meaning anyone who wasn't in the military was entirely exploited, and all outgoing goods were taxed at 70%.

Eventually found and made to return to the Homeland, Anwen managed to get support from outside sources and Alcesus, along with ensuring a moderate amount from Bovinia, and violently overthrew her half-brother. Once he and his officials were executed and their corpses thrown to the arena animals, her regency for Awstin began, which rebuilt Ardeiria's economy to its best state since King Roswin. This ended once Arwel was discovered nearly-dead and living off whatever else lived in the cells, permanently a changed man. Months afterwards and he was given his position as Greve Ardeiria, shortly thereafter reconquering Heliaeta with the assistance of John McCallan.

## Deities

1. Anrek Vaught: Justice Made Flesh
2. Arwel Vaught III: Purity Made Flesh
3. Ferith Vaught III: War Made Flesh
4. Anneryn Vaught: Vengeance Made Flesh
5. Roswin Vaught II: Prosperity Made Flesh
6. Emperor Aderyn Vaught I: Greatness Made Flesh

## Ministries

Ministry of War -- Military

Ministry of Extermination -- Extreme stability measures.

Ministry of Intelligence -- Intelligence

Ministry of Expansion -- Expanding Ardeiria's borders, culture, and religion.

Ministry of Religion -- Lead by the heads of the Svartsol, Light, and Pagan faiths for ensuring religious organization within the Homeland.

Ministry of Diplomacy -- Diplomacy.