Agreans

## Early History

To be simply put the Athenian and Spartans of this world. Were the first nomads to cross the frozen seas and reach the Western mainland during the Ice Age. They set up a small hunting community in the middle of what is now known as the Agrean Peninsula. Here they lived in natural alcoves by the sea shore. It is commonly known that they used the pelts of wildlife that lived during the Ice Age; such as mammoths, sabre cats and various types of wolves along with many unnamed species to join the list. A few cave paintings have been found at the sight, but it seems most were washed away for reasons unknown. Idols and other various religious artefacts have been speculated as to be the earliest form of Agrean religion. Also they had already developed one of the first complex writing and linguistic systems which was perfected within the decades. It is considered the Agreans lived happily and well here for more than a century right. But it wasn’t until the eighth group, or the general term of northmen (see 8 for more details) in present day, clashed with this culture that later caused the separation of the Agreans.

In the late latter stages of the Ice Age, they fought. The northmen winning most spars against the other culture but Agreans fought back with all their might and cunning. It is hypothesized that they fought for over a fifty years, ending around the same time the Ice Age did. Even though the northmen continued to win, the Agreans were hidden in the alcoves, so the northmen could never fully exterminate them.

Some of the Agreans saw the only solution was in diplomatic relations whilst some others thought brute force and number of warriors was the only way to win, however in this desperate time both measures were used.

And on one battle lead by General Nysos, fought the northmen killing all of their warriors without as so much as one loss, but the General’s bloodlust had not been quenched and they continue to were the northmens innocents had been resting. But when the Agrean soldiers arrived at the northmen encampment, the Agrean leader Athrius was discussing a diplomatic solution to the problem. Athrius had offered the rest of the northmen, whom had been older folk, and women and children, along with some sickly warriors, to leave the Agreans alone and travel as far as possible away from them. The northmen reluctantly accepted and head on their way further north, see 8 for more details. General Nysos was furious and argued with Athrius for some time, for what was said see the *Breaking of Brotherhoods: A Theoretical Dialogue*. But subsequently this argument leads to the division of the society into two smaller societies: the Athrius and the Nysos.

## The Split into Athrius and Nysos

### Dialogue

One of the key moments was the separation of the society, documented as a dialogue by an unnamed scribe under Athrius’ order. Some words have been lost in time so this translated work may not fully represent some of the significance. For example the word northmen has replaced *Darthius*, for Darthius from our understanding stands for the northmen of present day.

              *Athrius: My brothers and sisters, fathers and mothers, and great elders of our commune. The savages forces have been broken and we can once again live in peace, but not without a price.*

*Nysos: Because for some reason the northmen were let free. Free to breed again, allowed by my brother here.* (Note: Athrius and Nysos have been commonly depicted as brothers, but no evidence has been found to conclude so.) *Some of us know the true way, we should have destroyed them. Crush them under our feet and burn them like the heathens they are.*

*Athrius: Nysos my brother, you forget our culture. Because when I recall the elder’s lessons we were not violent, we never killed one of our own kind. It wasn’t until the northmen attacked that we begun to crave the blood. So Nysos answer me this, are you a northman?*

*Nysos: How dare you! Do you forget who fought back those men? My father drove back those northmen from those elders when they were shitting their breaches. Did these elders words and wisdom help kill men that wanted to kill us? No, it was our spears, and our shields and souls that were shattered against the cold hearts of the northmen. You know what? Forget the elders and their lessons. The only man that truly has my ear is Lyrius, the God of War. For the flaming spear and the indestructible shield of Lyrius is what drove the northmen back, not some pretty words spoken from a fork tongue. And even now Lyrius is playing in the turn of the world. The snows are seizing and cold fleeing, a new age has begun; the age of Lyrius. And anyone has a strong heart and even stronger spear arm join me, and we will start a society that praises everything the god of war has given us.*

*Athrius: Indeed the snow begins to melt to nothing, but a flaming spear can only melt so much. For this day Helthyia, the Goddess of Birth has born us a new age, along with a new world. A new world means the birth of many new ideas and wisdoms that were thought not possible. We must learn, we must teach, we answer the questions set before us to ultimately gain praise from the gods.*

*Nysos: I hope for your sake brother, that praise protects your city when northmen regather and invade your lands.*

*Athrius: Spears and shields have the chance of falter. Strategy and planning is the true victor. So if anyone wishes to go with Nysos, I will not hate you nor will I hold a grudge, but answer me this? When history is read by our grandsons and granddaughters what side would you rather be on? The side of wisdom and progress or on the side of savages that pick their teeth with spears like the northmen we just fought, the decision is up to you.*

*Nysos: I spit on your history, scriptures can be burnt. Whoever follows me shall be remembered by the tear we make in this world, do not rely on the words of a man who writes with a feather. We shall write our history our spears.*

And so Athrius and Nysos, along with their followers separated into two different societies: the Athrians obviously named after Athrius, and so too did the same happen to Nysos. The Athrians went south whilst the Nysos’ went north, fully separating the two.

## Further History

Considering that all civilisations have shown that the cultivation of crops ultimately leads to a successful city, the Agreans finding of crop cultivation is not known. Considering the rapid growth of Helthyian and Lyrium, crops such as potatoes, wheat and so forth must of been cultivated during the time they lived within the alcoves. It is known that most human civilisations didn’t prosper until after the Eclipse, during the second age. Agreans were certainly ahead of their time.

Speculations have been made in the past about Nysos’ motives. If he wished to become a militaristic state which thrived on bloodshed, why did Nysos not kill Athrius and his followers? The answer is quite simple, a pact was made. Athrius in his later life, commonly known as Athrius the Maddened, repeatedly wrote *paci*, to pacify as known in common tongue. He wrote the paci shall not be broken; it cannot be broken, not until the moon kisses the sun, the oceans war against the land and the trees walk amongst us.
Obviously these were rants of a mad man at the time, but now we understand what he meant. Some writings have told of an eclipse, roughly a century after Athrius had passed away. Also around this time, a tsunami had hit the coast of the northern and eastern peninsula, whilst the southern peninsula was safe for the higher grounds. The last message Athrius left was the trees walking along with us, this was a metaphor for the first meeting of the wood elves. (More details later on.)