North Vintos Proxy

**North Vintos Proxy** is a province of Isocéra, situated on the central south coast of Isocéra Island. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the most populous Isocéran province. The capital of the province is Asoxo, while other major cities include Velos, Firaxos, and Lexoso.

The current North Vintos Proxy was formed in 824 AMC by combining the territories of the former Asoxo Seat, Velos Seat, and the eastern portion of the Firaxos Seat. Before the Isocéran Reformation, these three cities controlled this region as independent city-states; since 684 PMC, however, the region has been centralized under the Order of Isocéra.

Due to its location at the heart of the Vintos Proxy, the region has been known for its strong economy for much of its history; its main exports include fine linen, copper, zinc, fur, and certain rare materials. North Vintos Proxy also features the most lighthouses out of any province in Isocéra, with sixteen.

## History

### Early history

The earliest known inhabitants of North Vintos Proxy arrived from the west in at least 4500 PMC; excavations from Firaxos have revealed tools that date back to this time. The first written records occur in writings from the Principality of Meldos from 2800 PMC, which mentions a settlement to its east called "Firaso." Later, when the Kingdom of Deraso conquered Meldos, the entire region was administered as the state of Vina. In 1950 PMC, the state was split into East and West Vina, with Velos mentioned for the first time as the administrative center of the former.

### City-states

When the Kingdom of Deraso fell apart due to internal struggles in 1861 PMC, opportunists from both East and West Vina took power. Now the Principalities of Velos and Meldos, respectively, they fought for control over the region with each other and their neighbors for the next few decades in what became known as the Forty Years' War. This struggle would continue until the governor of the recently constructed city of Asoxo, Soliss ros Sorr, declared independence from Velos, and joined Meldos and the Principality of Asios in their campaign against them. This conflict culminated in the 1823 PMC Siege of Velos, which ended after eight months when disease decimated the ranks of both the attackers and the city's garrison. A white peace was agreed upon, finally bringing piece to the region.

Politically, little changed for the next few centuries; although the aforementioned peace lasted only twenty-two years, the skirmishes that recurred during this time had no significant impacts, save for a briefly independent Principality of Lexoso in the 14th century PMC. In fact, Asoxo and Velos fought on the same side for the first time to subdue Lexoso, an alliance that would continue in subsequent conflicts with Asios and their southern neighbor, Yaxo. The next major event in the region would only occur in 1042 PMC, when Meldos collapsed, allowing Firaxos to exist as an independent city-state for the first time.

Velos fought unsuccessfully to defend itself from the invading Elesosian Empire in 780 PMC, when it was vassalized. However, Elesos was unable to expand further west, and Velos regained its independence when it was released during the Elesosian Civil War 130 years later. The entire region briefly lost its independence when it was conquered by the Elexist Domain of Aryca under Lelinero so Oridd in 616 PMC, which at its peak controlled nearly all of Isocéra Island. The Domain collapsed into four states in 579 PMC, each ruled by one of his four children: the entire region of North Vintos Proxy became part of the short-lived Domain of Vina, ruled by Teli so Oridd. The Arycan hold on the region was weak, and each city was able to expel the small force so Oridd had left, regaining independence. However, the presence of a new religion gave the leaders of Asoxo and Velos an opportunity to remove themselves from the control of the clergy of the Old Religion; instead, they embraced Elexism, which would remain the primary religion of both until the Reformation. Firaxos, which had been a stronghold for those who practiced sea magic, simply expelled the Elexist priests and retained its previous ways.

Throughout the next five hundred years, the three city-states largely continued as they were without their power being contested. The largest conflicts were those between Asoxo and Yaxo, which became the Exaltosian Domain in 456 PMC. The two fought many wars to control Vintos' Scattering, and thus a large portion of trade in the area. Although the islands of the archipelago traded hands numerous times, neither power ever held onto land on either of the main islands for more than a few months. It wasn't until the 1st century AMC when the independence of the city-states would once again be threatened, this time from both the east and the west, by the Principality of Garasos and the Kingdom of Oxmoso, respectively. Garasos was vanquished quickly when its eastern neighbor, the Principality of Elesos, invaded; however, Oxmoso, now in control of all of western Isocéra, was a formidable foe even on its own. In the 19 AMC Conquest of Vina, Oxmoso made significant progress into the region, capturing Firaxos and multiple forts up to the Cape of Trade, but when it attempted to besiege Asoxo in the spring of 20 AMC, the combined naval dominance of the three cities allowed regular shipments to make it into the city until it was relieved six months later by a force assembled in Velos. The Oxmosan king, Fovomo I, was captured, and forced to surrender, ceding Meldos as a free buffer state, along with its trade rights.

36 AMC marked the first time the religion of Canavoxa established a presence in Isocéra, when priests from Esizzo visited the court of the Elesosian prince, Domonus IV. Similarly to Elexism, the new religion was embraced by the ruling class as a political move to remove influence from the existing clergy; however, Canavoxa only took significant hold in the east, with Velos and Lexoso converting by the 70s AMC, but Asoxo rejecting its spread.

### Oxmosan conquests

Oxmoso would return as a threat to the region's stability in 78 AMC, when Fovomo I's grandson, Fovomo III, launched a campaign eastward. However, the second Conquest of Vina was even less successful than the first; this time, Firaxos held off the besiegers long enough for a combined force of 30,000 to arrive and defeat the invaders in battle. However, Oxmoso did successfully capture Meldos, removing its independent status and extending the kingdom's domain to just within reach of the region. This proximity would give Fovomo III's successor Fovomo IV the means by which he could launch a third Conquest of Vina, one that would have more success. In 93 AMC, an Oxmosan host of nearly 60,000 marched to Firaxos overnight; new innovations in siege technology allowed them to infiltrate the city's walls and compel its surrender within two weeks, before Asoxo and Velos could assemble their own force and respond. The Oxmosans moved quickly, capturing fort after fort before finally reaching Asoxo, which also fell after only a couple of weeks. However, only one day after Asoxo's surrender, Fovomo IV was assassinated in a plot led by his son, Fovomo V; the period of political unrest that followed required the new king to attend to internal affairs, stalling the war effort and ending the state's expansion eastward, albeit with half of North Vintos Proxy in its grasp.

The 2nd century AMC would see the Kingdom of Oxmoso turn its attention elsewhere as revolts sprung up in Rugos, Deracéra, and Isolos; on the other hand, the Principality of Elesos would consolidate its power over Garasos and Mixos, allowing it to look west once again. To mitigate this threat, in 161 AMC Velos ceded the lands surrounding Lexoso in exchange for retention of the city itself, as well as a guarantee of independence and trade rights. When Elesos went to war with the Exaltosian Domain over its invasion of Elesos's vassal, the Kingdom of the Delta, Velos offered naval support, blockading the Exaltosian foothold in northern Tolado; this effort created an alliance between Velos and Elesos that would persist into the coming centuries.

By 213 AMC, Oxmoso was on the decline due to a combination of political division and famine, leading to its civil war between King Fovomo XI and his sister, Finn I. Hoping to take advantage of this, Velos, backed by Elesos, declared war on the kingdom in 214. Oxmoso, whose forces were preoccupied dealing with the king's pretender sister, offered little resistance to the Velosians, who took Asoxo by the end of the year, and began making their way further west. However, a surprise victory by Finn I led to her brother's deposition, and she consolidated her forces to meet the advancing invaders. The two hosts met near Dormidd castle in the spring of 215, where a three-day standoff occurred; to avoid a devastating battle, Finn I made piece with the Velosian princess Alorr os Lixis II, ceding the conquered land.

### Wars of Vintos

In 288 AMC, Velos went to war with Yaxo, leading it to lose territory in Vintos' Scattering; this led to Asoxo's governor, Olis ros Asosos, to declare independence. Velos, whose forces had suffered great losses in the conflict, was in no position to attempt to hold the city, and so the two city-states separated once again. In 324, Firaxos would also revolt and demand independence, which it achieved as the Kingdom of Oxmoso was once again in a period of decline.

341 would see the first of the wars of Vintos, which were a series of conflicts between Asoxo, Velos, Oxmoso, and Yaxo over the islands and, most importantly, shipping lanes of Vintos' Scattering. The first war, which lasted only four months, saw further losses for Asoxo and Velos, while Oxmoso managed to obtain Elidis Island. However, the second war in 366 would return all four northern islands to Asoxo and Velos.

After the first two wars, the region saw nearly a century of peace; this was interrupted by the revolting city of Garasos in 451, which declared independence from the Principality of Elesos and declared war on its previous overlord. Velos sent forces to assist Elesos, which was once again preoccupied with the Exaltosians in the south. Once Garasos was subdued, Elesos returned the lands it had acquired from Velos almost three hundred years prior as a gesture of generosity.

The third and fourth wars of Vintos, from 489-496 and 513-516, both saw Asoxo and Velos victorious, leading to joint control over all of Vintos' Scattering save for Solodo Island. The following decades saw economic growth and prosperity for both powers. Asoxo in particular entered what became known as the Asoxan golden period in 548, when Nisari ros Asosos died without an heir, leading the nobility to elect Axa ros Sorr I and her line to take the title of prince. This period would last until 626, when Yaxo launched the fifth war of Vintos, a grueling twelve-year conflict that would leave Yaxo back in control over most of Vintos' Scattering, and resulted in the deaths of both Velis ros Sorr I and Alorr os Lixis VII. Indecisive leadership would lead to a lack of significant response by either Asoxo or Velos, even through the sixth war of Vintos in 661. However, relations between the two cities would shift in 666, when Velos declared war on Oxmoso in the seventh war of Vintos; Asoxo's prince Paramir ros Sorr refused to aid Velos, leading to its defeat only two months into the war.

### Isocéran Reformation

When Elimmus Sheené and his Order of Isocéra joined forces with Oxmoso against the Exaltosian Domain in 668, the city-states of North Vintos Proxy were initially inclined to stay uninvolved, as both sides were historical foes; however, once the threat Sheené posed became apparent, first Velos, and later Asoxo joined forces with Yaxo to attempt to repel the invading force. However, following the Day of the Sun's Wrath, which involved the deaths of Olis ros Sorr and Princess Alorr os Liximor, as well as the subsequent Battle of Mirimar, both Asoxo and Velos surrendered to the Order and its quest for Isocéran unification.

Firaxos, whose Mage Council had maintained neutrality throughout these events, would become the last independent state in the archipelago, finally being absorbed into the unified nation of Isocéra by 684.

### City seats

Following the Reformation, the three city-states maintained their pre-unification borders, but now as the integrated Firaxos Seat, Asoxo Seat, and Velos Seat. The Firaxos Seat also extended west to include Meldos and the surrounding lands. As Seats, each city maintained some level of self-governance and freedom of trade, so long as they maintained their oath of fealty, contributed taxes and manpower, and enforced the Order as the only accepted religion among their citizens.

### Rebellion of 820

Following nearly 150 years of stability and control, a series of organized revolts occurred in Firaxos, Asoxo, Velos, and other Isocéran cities in 820, attempting to overthrow the Order and restore their independence. These revolts, the Rebellion of 820, achieved some initial success, with each city able to expel the officials and clergy of the Order and destroying many temples dedicated to the Triadica; however, King New Priest Delmir Sheené II bel ax Triadica coordinated an effective military response, methodically besieging each rebelling city one at at time, a process that was completed by 824. Afterwards, a series of national trials ensued, in which all those who planned and participated in the revolts were convicted and executed. This included Asoxan governor Axa ros Sorr III and her family, Velosian governor Alorros os Dovos and his family, and Firaxan governor Rentil the Fierce; in their place, governors loyal to the Order were installed, and the allowance for Asoxo and Velos to maintain a hereditary succession was revoked.

### 9th century to present

Following the quelling of the rebellions of 820, the Asoxo Seat, Velos Seat, and the eastern portion of the Firaxos seat were merged into the far more centralized North Vintos Proxy. The western half of the Firaxos Seat, including Meldos, was given to the Oxmoso Seat as a reward for their continued loyalty during the revolts. As a result, the cities lost many of the privileges they had previously. Additionally, while each city maintained a local governor, a regional governor appointed directly by the monarch oversees the entire province.

Since 824, the region has maintained the same borders; for the most part, peace and stability have been maintained, although Firaxos in particular has continued to produce small rebellions, most notably the Mage Revolts of 1145. While the cities of North Vintos Proxy never regained the independence they once had, they continue to thrive economically, promote a unique culture, and maintain a distinct identity.

## Geography

North Vintos Proxy shares borders with the Oxmoso Seat, Etolos Region, and Vinala Region.

The Hunt River is the longest river in the province; Asoxo sits at its mouth. The largest lake in the province is Alorr's Lake, which sits just north of Velos. Much of the northern region of North Vintos Proxy is made up by the Great Spine, the large mountain range that stretches across the middle of Isocéra Island. The only maintained road through the heart of the mountains runs from Source-of-the-Hunt to Vilmir.

North Vintos Proxy also administers five major islands of Vintos' Scattering: Elidis Island, Vinox Island, Lamppost Island, Gix Island, and Oloxos Island.

### Climate

Due to the variety of terrain, the climate of North Vintos Proxy can differ across the province. However, most of the populated areas, including the four main cities, enjoy a temperate coastal climate, with warm temperatures and moderate precipitation. Further north, in the mountains, the temperatures drop more in the winter, and there is more precipitation, including snow.