Arin

From Ardrana

The region of Arin lies nearly dead-center of Lanad i'Sarois. It is bounded on the north by Tanilon, on the south by the Thair Mountains, on the east by the Cardillic Desert, and on the west by Lan-Zarek. Its capital is nominally the city of Arek, but that city is still being rebuilt after the Wars of Arin of the past centuries. The country is now ruled mostly from Floyk, on the southern shore of Lake Varn.

Ancient history

Floyk, or the "city of Floyd", is named after the country's first ruler, Floyd I, who established the kingdom in 271 LC. All the kings of the line have been named either Floyd or Lloyd, after the first king's son, Lloyd I, who succeeded him to the throne. Since then, it has been a requirement that all future kings be born in Floyk.

During the first years of its existence, Arin was a lush and fertile land, known for its farms. Floyd I established its borders as the Pandem River to the east and Mindiron Forest to the west, but over time it expanded southward to the Thair.

Center of the Onyx Empire

In the mid-6th century LC, the wizard Keraptis came to Arin in disguise. He insinuated himself into the court of King Floyd V, eventually rising to a position that he essentially controlled the entire country. He then openly declared himself, and Arin was made the center of the Onyx Empire until its final fall in 801 LC.

During the reign of Keraptis, in addition to the ravages of war, the land began to suffer from an expanding drought. While the land nearest the Thair was always somewhat barren, the amount of arable land shrunk significantly due to being over-farmed to support the massive numbers of troops built by the wizard. The entirety of the Mindiron was cleared to build cities and make weapons and siege engines for the war as well.

One holdover that is still in use from this era is the Onyx Road Network, or at least the remnants of it. These roads were built mostly at the direction of Morjec for the purpose of transporting troops and supplies, but they were also used for everyday travel. While there were over a hundred such roads built, most were destroyed totally or in part during the wars. Some have been or are in the process of being rebuilt, but often at a lower quality.

Current status

After the Wars of Arin ended and Keraptis had fallen, Arin lay mostly in shambles. Arek itself was utterly destroyed, and most of the other major cities had been laid waste as well. However, the shadow of Keraptis did not pass entirely, as his associate, the wizard Morjec, took control of what remained of the country through the puppet monarchy of King Lloyd IX. That control was now limited, however, to the area between Lake Varn and the Thair Mountains.

The Dwarves of Thorin's clan and their Human allies now control a strip of the southeastern part of Arin, and have built a series of outpost towns to assert their dominance in the area. These towns are loosely governed from Arindol. They periodically send parties in to harry the humanoid bands, while others partake in the occasional skirmish with the Tanillic border towns.

The remainder of Arin, especially to the north and east, has become something of a no-man's land, ruled by warlords and petty dictators. Bands of humanoids, especially the Orcs that served as Keraptis' primary footsoldiers in the wars, have formed their own towns there. Groups of other humanoids, such as bugbears and hill giants, also roam the region, and magically-bred creatures left over from wizardly experiments are often encountered as well. All in all, the region is a fairly inhospitable place.