History of the Aurlûnor Velande

The Aurlûnor Velande has a very long and complex history- perhaps one of the most so of all the nations in Rathnir. This article summarizes both the lore history and the in-game history of the Velande in greater detail than the nation's main page.

Geologic History
The prehistoric landscape of southwestern Syltör over 250 million years ago was once very swampy, as indicated by extensive mudstone and coal deposits located around the region. These swamps were home to various large vertebrates, most of which are of currently unknown taxonomy. Colloquially and historically referred to as "dragons" (or at least "dragon bones"), the various behemoths of this ancient era have been assumed to be large amphibians, reptiles, something intermediate between the two, or the remains of the dragons known throughout Aurlûnoran mythology. Today their remains are most commonly found in the deserts of Sharla and Erume provinces, as well as in the coal mines of Nir. It is through the coal swamps that much of the iron and coal mined today across the Velande was formed.

Between 240 and 205 million years ago a period of mountain-building known as the Sokalian Orogeny, named after the old Takumakken name for Helemar, occurred from what is now south Vorosan up through the north of the country into Norfthorn. This mountain range would be known as the Melwende Shan. A large piece of subducted and partially molten crust is hypothesized to have been thrust upward from the mantle, forcing the mountains upward. It also displaced significant amounts of its own molten mass and existing magma, which was forced upward into the faults in the fractured rock that comprised the newly-formed mountains.

The displaced magma created the vast number of igneous plutons of varying composition- allowing for diorite, andesite, and granite to form under the Melwende Shan in close proximity. This variety of stone is used in building today. It also created an impermeable barrier between the water-saturated upper rock and soil of the Nir swamps and the old mudstone beneath, known as the Nir Aquifuge. This allowed the city of Helemar to become a mining town despite being located in a low-lying swamp.

Eventually the Melwende Shan would be worn down through nearly 200 million years of weathering, creating a small band of floodplains that extended the coastline into the Lothranis Sea. The prevailing climate was very cool and dry, and the mountains formed a rain shadow over the western half of the country. The east, however, had vast floodplains that extended to the northern shores of the Great Southern Ocean and Phagosian Sea. By the end of the erosion of the mountains though, the climate shifted, drying out the east and turning the west into the humid climate it bears today.

The Fornois Ranges (Fornoisian: les Monts de Fornois), subdivided into the Northern Mountains (Monts del Nors), Morning Mountains (Monts del Mornan) and Mount Drelgaon (Mont Drelgaon), located in the provinces of Alvada and Veassda, are regarded as the last standing remains of the Melwende Shan. The dry climate persisted there longer, and as a result that region is more montane than the former southern stretch of the Melwende Shan.

Prehistoric Settlement
The first human cultures known to archaeology and folk history in the Aurlûnor Velande are the Guren- literally meaning "ancient people" in the Aurlûnoren language. Their oldest artifacts are dated roughly to 74,500 years ago, and a strong cultural tradition is maintained among their tools and pottery throughout the incredibly long time they existed. Originally foragers, the Guren would later develop agriculture in the regions favorable to the cultivation of cereal crops around 11,000 years ago. They grew mostly millet and wheat, supplementing this diet with farmed or foraged vegetables and fruit and with hunted meat. Coastal and swamp-dwelling Guren villages also fished extensively.

The Dawou culture was an ancient pre-civilized human culture inhabiting what is now Imperial province, with a capitol near the modern farming village of Pangnin. Dawou migrants would introduce agriculture eastwards, and new ethnic groups- the Fai, Nû, and Yi'yen- would spawn as a result of these migrations and cultural exchange between they and the native foragers. Though initially tribal chiefdoms, they slowly coalesced into true states during the bronze age.

At the same time as the guren agricultural revolution, elves began to migrate from the west of Syltör, settling in modern day Tacua province. The Elven Migration Period, as it is known, lasted for over two millennia and saw the introduction of rice agriculture to Syltör, and the further migration of elves into the deserts. The desert dwellers would become the Dune Elves of Ashura, and the Tacuan elves would found the city and later kingdom of Ardol on the shores of the Lothranis Sea.

Areas left mostly uninhabited by elves and humans alike became home to the various tribes of Kumiho who would settle in the Hampo region, on the Lothranis' eastern shore. The strip of subtropical forest between the sea and desert would prove valuable to both the indigenous Kumiho civilization and later the imperial interests of Almador and Aurlûnor alike.

The Kingdom of Almador
Full article: Kingdom of Almador

The elven city-state of Ardol would become a rival power to all others in the region, amassing power over the other elves and eventually declaring war on the Dawou Kingdom. Ardol- now the Kingdom of Almador- would see its borders push upward toward the southern coasts of modern day Silamar. Silamar, founded by one King Maxion, would be established as the new capital of the newly established Almador Kingdom. This would outshine their old capital of Ardol, which begun a period of decline as Celestial Elves migrated from the older capital to Silamar. King Maxion would begin drafting new laws, proper farming techniques, and assembling a more proper military. He would see his newly established kingdom stretch along the Gulf of Heaven, and down beyond the farthest reaches of the Lothranis Sea. Slavery was practiced by both the elves and humans, as Celestialkin were regularly raided by the Guren, and were taken to be forced to work on the fields for them, or taken in as concubines of the human kings.King Maxion's campaigns against the Dawou Kingdom would be the start of the Elven-Human Conflicts, in which multiple battles would happen against the Guren rivals against the Celestialkin. One of the major battles of conflicts was the Battle of Yushen, an ancient city located around 60 miles away from modern Lhûmar. This would be one of the pivotal points of Maxion's conquests, causing the downfall of the Dawou Kingdom and a series of forced migrations to the east. The Yi'yen and Nû would form an alliance to oppose the emerging Elven threat to the west that grew by the day. Multiple campaigns would occur in the course of ninety-six years, but eventually, the two other kingdoms had been conquered.

The Kingdom of Almador would expand it's borders throughout southern Syltör. Encounters with, and following subjugation, of the race known as the Kumiho, or the Huli Jing as coined by the Guren, occurred as Almador's troops moved southward into the forests. Their people were promptly enslaved, and forced to convert to the Twin Dragon religion. Many of these forced subjugations are known from found bronze slave shackles, belonging to those who did not obey, as well as work camps discovered by archaeologists. The Almadorians were recorded to be cruel toward those who would resist subjugation, but showed benevolence toward those who did not resist, earning them better treatment and peaceful assimilation into the imperial culture.

Multiple revolts by the Kumiho would occur as many clans would not accept the rule of their new overlords. For the next two hundred years, the Kingdom would maintain trouble in controlling the southern territory, until the final battle at Samgye, modern day Maldomar. The Kumiho would eventually be coined the "Nanren", or "southern folk", after years of assimilation following their last revolt. They were later slowly accepted by the Celestial Elves, becoming one of the first non-elven races freed from slavery in the nation.

The Warlord Period
The end of the Kingdom's prosperity would come around 1,500 years ago as Almador went into decline. The Dominion of Ashura would have multiple border conflicts and wars with the eroding power of Almador, and Almador would loose a large portion of the south to the Dune Elves. In addition, internal bickering between regional governors over the questionable nature of King Hireon were noted by scholars as another factor in the fracturing of the empire. Hireon's increasing indulgence with eunuchs and having lavish parties would drain the coffers of the nation, leaving the government unable to respond to banditry, foreign invasion, or disaster response. In the year 1472 BJC famine would strike throughout the empire, with which the state had no ability to deal with. This gave way to the kingdom at last seeing it's final days, with mass peasant revolts and the fall of the central government. A new era known as the Warlord Period would begin.

The fighting between the kingdoms would be some of the most gruesome years of the history of Aurlûnor. Nearly 1/3rd of the population would perish throughout the bloody 600 year period. Although multiple brief unifications were made by the central government, the remnants of the old imperial court would officially loose all authority within the 400th year, with the states of Melwende and Linren being the most powerful of the breakaway kingdoms. During this time, the Kumiho would gain independence from the kingdom, followed by invasions by the Crow Peoples from the east. The Crows would settle some of the eastern portions of the former Almador, putting many Celestial Elves to be under their new king's rule. The Takumakken Empire would be founded from among the Crow People, and would stretch out much of the eastern portion of Almador to the Phagosian Sea in modern day Ryzan.

Rise of the Velande
While the rest of the warring states were fighting, a new power rose from the small farming town of Dun, located north of modern Lhûmar (at the time also mere fishing village). This small village would give the recorded birth of the future Velereth, Sareariel Lelya-Earcala. Thanks to her timely connections with the local government of the city-state, she would see herself rise in the ranks, and would eventually take control of her own independent army. It is not clear what happened during the time between her gaining effective absolute power and the establishment of Aurlûnor proper, but she would eventually take Lhûmar, declare it her new capitol, and contested against the likes of Melwende and Linren rather quickly. By the end of the warlord period, 931 years ago (as of 2021) or year 0 of the Twin Dragon Calendar, the land around the Gulf of Heaven and south to old Ardol would be united under her rule, and she would become the Velereth of a new unified entity she would christen the "Aurlûnor Velande".

The Velande would struggle for the first four hundred years in an age known as the Four-Hundred Year Struggle. This trying time was plagued by rebellion, low harvest yields, and reform of the court system, as well as a war with the Takumakken Empire. In its more recent years, Aurlûnor would see a period of expansion along the eastern Lothranis Sea, which would reclaim back lost lands including most of Hampo. Instead of being treated as traitors, the Kumiho were welcomed in as citizens of the Velande as they were some of the most assimilated of the non-elven cultures under the old Kingdom of Almador.

Contemporary History
i might need help with this tbh lol i wasn't even on the server for like half of what happened