Difference between revisions of "Nation/Avaerilon"

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The Magnificent Kingdom of Avaerilon Y Regnil Magnaddog Avaerilon
Motto:  "Ylf ī’n Qidīol īr Fyr Aspar" "I am true to my spirit"
Map of Avaerilon
Region		Social Liberal Union
Capital		Minas Avalon
Largest city		Lyndainium
Official languages		Avaerilonian, Dunmeri, Fereldonian, Godeleic, Sindarin
Recognised regional languages		Aeglinic, Fiorentine, Froiselle, Gododdeg, Oxantine, Venciin, Skaal
Demonym		Avaerilonian
Government		Constitutional Monarchy, Parliamentary Democracy
-	Monarch	HMRM King Aubrey the Dragonheart
-	Patrician	Lord Havelock Vetinari
-	Prime Minister	Dr. Gwilym Gladstyn, MP
Establishment
-	Founded	3rd of July, 793 A.D.
Area
-	Total	24,378,801 km2 9,412,708 sq mi
Population
-	2010 census	54,898,204
HDI (2014)		0.98 very high
Currency		Aub Ā
Time zone		GMT
Date format		dd-mm-yyyy
Drives on the		left
Calling code		+477
Internet TLD		.av

Avaerilon, officially the Magnificent Kingdom of Avaerilon (Avaerilonian: Y Regnil Magnaddog Avaerilon), is a sovereign state located in the central-western waters of the Social Liberal Union, northwest of the main continental body. Geographical Avaerilon is composed of four large islands (Fereldan, Arnalor, Morrowind and Dunaemair) and numerous smaller surrounding isles. Avaerilon as a nation is further comprised of 14 overseas kingdoms and 3 additional overseas territories, along with each of the four 'home isles,' which are administered as kingdoms also.

The country's form of government is a Constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system and its capital city is Minas Avalon, Fereldan, with the majority of the Avaerilonian Parliament located in the largest city of Lyndainium, also in Fereldan. The current Avaerilonian monarch is HMRM King Aubrey the Dragonheart, elected to the position in 2011, and also a descendent of the royal line of Avaerilon. The Prime Minister is Dr.Gwilym Gladstyn and the Patrician is Lord Havelock Vetinari. Each of the kingdoms of Avaerilon has its own devolved parliament, and the three overseas territories also have their own devolved assemblies. Avaerilon has been a kingdom since being founded in the year 793 A.D., and the current political system can be described as having evolved from the original structure of government.

Avaerilon is a highly-developed and wealthy nation, with some of the highest standards of living in the world, particularly in terms of education,with Avaerilon's educational system regarded as being one of the best in the world. The country is considered to be an industrialised nation, though it developed differently from a number of others after the introduction of steam power and industrialisation. Avaerilon has one of the world's highest HDI ratings, strongest economies, and a high GDP per capita score. It joined the SLU in 2011, and has since served as the region's chair on domestic affairs. The current position of regional delegate is held by Avaerilon.

Etymology

The name for Avaerilon derives from Avaerilonian, but there are strong cognates in both Fereldonian and Sindarin The first part of the name, avaer, means 'sanctuary' or 'haven,' and comes from the Fereldonian word ffer 'glade.' The ending is ilon, 'realm' and derives from ilnys, island. Literally, the name means "realm of the sanctuary," and was deliberately chosen for that reason by Arthur in 793. Until then, the term did not exist, and the various places that form what we know call Avaerilon were known individually by their own names, or together sometimes as the Western Realm (Ilon Nyrmeln).

History

Pre-History and the Mythic Era

One of the images of wild oxen at Fferod Varn, drawn in charcoal

The earliest evidence of settlement in Avaerilon dates back to around 1,200,000-1,000,000 B.C., with archaeological finds in central Fereldan and eastern Arnalor suggesting that Fereldic humans and Sylvan elves may have arrived in Avaerilon at around the same time. Early man would have found Fereldan a treacherous and challenging place to live, with large numbers of deadly predators such as wolves, lynxes and dragons posing a sizeable threat, though the thick woods which still survive today were rich in food and materials. These early humans hunted and gathered as per the norm elsewhere, chronicling their achievements on cave walls such as at Fferod Varn in Forlindon, which contains some of the earliest known human artwork. The site was discovered in 1837, when prominent geologist Dr. Iago Heforn Fforwelys noticed the prominent sandstone outcrop in a wooded area, and discovered a small series of caverns, along with the perfectly-preserved drawings. Tests conducted concluded that the artworks were drawn in charcoal, suggesting that the early Fereldics were an inventive and intelligent people.

The early Sylvans were also a hunter-gatherer people in the beginning, but chose to dwell in trees almost exclusively, as has been determined from archaeological remains. Most of these dwellings were at first crude shelters of grasses, leaves and twigs, but soon developed into more complex and strong structures made from a variety of nearby materials. The early elves were literate long before their human neighbours, developing an alphabet and written language sometime around the year 12,000 B.C., sometime after the end of the Ice Age.

The Dwemer are believed to have lived in Morrowind around 880,000 B.C., though little is known of their early existence save for the fact they probably lived underground.

The Mythic Era (ME) is generally agreed to begin with the introduction of literacy into Sylvan society, who began writing in a prototype of the modern Twengar script. Its introduction revolutionised Sylvan society, coinciding with the development of Valarism, the oldest surviving religion native to Avaerilon. The Sylvans began to smelt metal, beginning with softer metals such as copper, but relatively soon after discovering bronze, which they used to fashion weapons, armour and other such items. Sylvan society became more militarised, saw many single social norms develop among different groups of elves, and organised communities began appearing. The Fereldic humans saw their own society develop some time later, when agriculture came to Fereldan. Using crude-fashioned stone and metal-ore tools, the Fereldics began ploughing areas of flat land and planting wild grains and roots, cultivating some of the world's earliest-known crops. This change occurred around the year 10,000 B.C., which is also approximately when the first recorded contact between elf and human is believed to have taken-place. While many historians are unwilling to trust oral accounts of the first meetings, it is generally agreed they were not overly hostile, due to a lack of Sylvan weapons or remains found in Fereldan, and vice-versa. In-addition, several short and fragmented Sindarin inscriptions exist, made by Sylvans at the time. one such tablet reads:

"Upon [entering] the glade, the sound [of] voices... began to be heard. though (?) not unlike [their own], the tongue was distant. [Several] individuals emerged from the trees, [clothed] in leathers. These people [were]... tall and short, fat and thin, of fair and of dark hair. The leader (?) rose his hand in an awed greeting, and [presented] his arm in a sign [of] good faith."

Ancient flint tools found in south-west Fereldan. Before metalworking was discovered, these tools were commonly used for a variety of purposes

As a result of contact between the two peoples, the Fereldics acquired literacy, and began writing with the Twengar script like their neighbours, though they wrote in Ancient Fereldonian. Due to the literacy shared by the two peoples, we begin to get a clearer picture of the state of affairs in Avaerilon at this time. Both the Sylvans and Fereldonians lived in small communities, though formally-organised, often ruled by a council of elders, nobles, or mages. It would be these small communities which would lay the basis for the creation of the first kingdoms of men and elves. In the year 9000, Lorien was founded by Galadriel her husband Celeborn in the south-east of the isle of Ithildol, with its capital at Lothlorien. It had an organised military and the beginnings of a small navy, as well as an excellent defensive position being in dense woodland. Though it grew slowly, Lorien remained a prosperous kingdom, despite not having any currency. The first human kingdom was Nyrmenor, founded on the islands of the same name in northern Arnalor, in 8131 B.C.. Fereldonians had migrated in large numbers south-west via the sea currents to the isles, which enjoyed large amounts of sunshine, a pleasant maritime climate and fertile soil, for a number of years before the kingdom was founded, and already several settlements were present. Nyrmenor differed from Lorien in having a more centralised monarchy based in the capital of Arminaleth (now Minas Arminaleth) and a more formalised set of laws; in-short more recognisable features of a modern-day country.

Not long afterwards, in 8102, the kingdom of Eriador, another Sylvan realm, was founded to the north of Lorien in north-west Ithildol. Its first capital, Mithlond, being on the coast gave the new kingdom a great advantage, with the areas natural harbour making for a safe place for ships to be built and dock, and the kingdom grew prosperous from a steady supply of fish and being an early centre for trade.

Classical Era

The various realms that composed Fereldan and Arnalor underwent a number of important changes in the Classical Era (CE), which begun around 8000 B.C.. Petty kingdoms formed where various tribes and communities banded-together, often with a ruling aristocracy, warlord or council of magi. Some emulated the large, increasingly powerful kingdoms of Eriador, Lorien and Nyrmenor, though many others were different in nearly every way. However, it was clear a number of uniform changes were occurring in the three true kingdoms; their various armies became more organised and professional, maps were made and borders declared, and the system of government in each state became more defined and formalised. Though all three retained their different style of rule, all of them were increasingly modern and organised. These changes inspired elves in central Arnalor to found their own kingdom, and in 7147, the kingdom of Gondolin was founded along the southern coast of central Arnalor. Gondolin was responsible for some great Classical innovations, such as the invention of longer-distance sailing vessels (the trireme), and some of the basic principles of modern construction and engineering. Their capital of the same name was the first purpose-built citadel in Avaerilon, and would inspire the construction of such settlements into the 18th Century AD.

A replica of a typical Classical-Era Sylvan trireme. These were the first true sailing ships in Avaerilon, and were the backbone of the powerful Gondolin fleet

For the first part of the Classical Era, Nyrmenor was the most powerful kingdom, commanding large armies and a powerful, organised navy, and owned considerable wealth. It was the first place in Avaerilon coins were minted and a formal currency implemented. The kingdom was originally ruled by a monarch, who was advised by the heads of the powerful noble families of the realm, the elites of the magi and also by the officiants of the Valar, for the kingdom was mostly Valaristic in its religious beliefs. The kingdom held extensive territories outside of the islands themselves, with lands held in other parts of Arnalor, and also a large colony on the island of Vanlonil. However, as time went on, some monarchs gained more power for themselves, and began exerting their control via a powerful oligarchy of their favoured nobles. Some nobles warned against this situation but were often silenced, either through intimidation or by their concerns falling upon deaf ears. By the 5200s, many of these nobles and their followers, tired to the corruption rampant in their kingdom, set-sail for western Ithildon and Vanlonil.

The Cleansing of Nyrmenor occurred in 5131 BC, during the reign of the last of the old kings, Ar-Phalazon. Intent on establishing an absolute monarchy, Ar-Phaalzon had swept-away the last remnants of old society, including most of the magi and all of the Valar officiants from his court. He was opposed by Elendil, who warned of impending doom, but such was his power he did not listen to his enemy. From the writings of those both inside and outside Ar-Phalazon's court, it appears the king became insane due to his obsessional megalomania. Paranoid and unpredictable, he declared his elven neighbours to be traitors for refusing to share the secrets, as he called it, of their long-livedness. Preparing to make war upon them, he mustered a great force of nearly all his ships and soldiers, and intended to attack them by surprise. The war would undoubtedly have killed thousands, and left the lands in a state of ruin. Foreseeing the terrible consequences, Elendil gathered his family, his followers, and a large number of refugees, and set sail for modern-day Gondor. Refusing to leave was the master-wizard Jubasto, who summoned what is perhaps the most powerful spell in history, and cast a tsunami upon the assembled forces of Ar-Phaalzon. The raw arcane energy killed him outright, but the spell was successful, and the entire force was destroyed. A great number of people were killed, refusing to heed the warnings of Jubasto, mostly living in villages close to the affected area in the west of the country. However, most of the population (who lived further inland) remained unharmed, and were thus able to re-establish a functioning country.

The great citadel of Minas Arminaleth, the capital of Nyrmenor. It was built after the Cleansing, and took fifty years of construction.

However, the country had lost its capital, much of its wealth, and all its armies. Nobles from its colony in Vanlonil had to be dispatched to Nyrmenor itself, as none save Elendil and his followers survived. They managed to slowly restore the nation to a portion of its strength, but failed to achieve anywhere near the wealth and splendour of the old kingdom. It retained Vanlonil, and achieved rebuilding a powerful navy, but was a lesser power from then on. Elendil himself was invited back to the kingdom, being offered the crown as was his right as the most senior old noble remaining; he refused, though by rights his lineage was entitled to claim the throne of the kingdom. No successive ruler ever revoked this entitlement, and it remained when Arthur claimed the throne thousands of years later.

A little after this time, the kingdom of Gondor was founded in 5129 BC, with its first city located at Osgiliath. Elendil ruled as its king, and their language was for a time Nyrmenorian (a dialect of Fereldonian), written in the Twengar script of the Sylvans. Gondor prospered, with its holdings eventually spreading as far south as the Aeglinic isles. Around this time too, the Aeglinic alphabet was born; the first Fereldic alphabet. It would eventually give rise to the Aelginic language, still spoken in southern Deracilon.

In 5129 BC, the kingdom of Gondolin was founded in south-east Eredorn, by Sylvan lords from elsewhere, and over the years grew to become the successor of Nyrmenor's wealth and territory. By 3970 BC, it was the most powerful kingdom ever seen, with a modern, powerful navy, the trading-capital of all the land, and the most-admired army that had ever existed. It was perhaps this wealth and majesty which drew its eventual destruction, as in 3094 BC, orcs from the continent invaded and began their siege of the citadel of Gondolin itself. Some of the most legendary weapons, such as Orcrist and Glamdring, were forged in that period for the terrible wars, and the elves were confident of their success. However, they refused the help of their neighbours, and a surprise landing by orcish spellcasters, with demons in-tow, caught the defenders off-guard. The citadel walls were breached, and the invaders managed to take the citadel successfully, though not before a stream of refugees were able to escape.

Part of Gondolin's mighty sea walls, which held the waters at bay, allowing the land to be farmed and settled. Much of the outer walls survive today, and are a haunting reminder of the once-great citadel which stood there

It was then that the chief lord of the citadel, Cevelon the Great, opened the floodgates of the city (which had been built in a former cove drained of its water), which drowned the entire citadel and buried it underwater, killing the invaders. Some of the outer buildings escaped the water, and can be seen today, and the impressive seal walls are equally pristine, though the citadel itself is still underwater. The kingdom, like Nyrmenor, was crippled by the loss of its capital, though it remained and important realm for many more years, thanks to the port town of Lothdeingdel and the strength of its surviving armies.

In the year 4585 BC, the Chimer people, led by Veloth, arrived in Morrowind, which they named Resdayn. They brought with them Daedra worship and the Chimeri language, and first settled in the north of Vvardenfell, around the present-day village of Ald Velothis. These people would be the ancestors of the Dunmer, and began colonising wide areas of Vvardenfel and Velotheran. The early Chimer were literate, and recorded much of their history which survives today. Their meeting with the Dwemer appears to have been ambivalent, with the Dwemer content to allow these newcomers to live on the surface, though they were less than favourable to their religion. Nevertheless, relations between the two appear to have been relatively cordial. The Chimeric society at this time was nomadic, with camps of Chimer romang the wide countryside of Morrowind, staying in one place for a few months and then moving on. They cultivated little at this time, foraging for vegetables and the suchlike instead, though they did begin domesticating creatures such as the Shalk and Guar and this early time. Clans of Dunmer were ruled by an Ashkahn, a sort of warrior-leader, with his trusted lieutenants as Gulahkahns, and the most learned woman of magic as his chief advisor.

4801 BC saw the first formal religion outside of Valarism develop; the Aedric faith. The earliest references to the Eight are found in modern-day northern Cyrodiil, with inscriptions in Aeglinic describing various aspects of the gods. It is believed groups of worshippers began meeting in the same places, and thus the earliest shrines and chapels came-into being. These would have been simple structures, made of stones and wood harvested from surrounding areas but later grew-into more complex structures. Aedracism began to spread south of Cyrodiil, though slowly, and also north and west.

The first Gaelic peoples, speaking the ancestor tongue of modern-day Godeleic, arrived in Dunaemair around the year 4078 BC. It is speculated that they had arrived earlier, though no archaeological evidence of this exists. Our earliest account of them is from Fereldonian scholars sailing from Nyrmenor to northern Fereldan, mentioning:

A typical Dunmeri image of Veloth. Veloth continues to be venerated and worshipped in the Daedric faith

"Oddly-speaking peoples from the north, dressed for rough weather indeed, calling themselves, we believe, 'Gaels.' Our languages are obviously not totally alien, but they know nothing of our lands to the south, and were most amazed to gaze upon the elves with their long ears. Some of them look like pirates, and this may well be trouble. Others seemed more interested in doing business, and had no trouble trading with some of the men. They were eager for wheat and the suchlike, for it appears the weather is foul where they live, and gave in return furs and leathers of excellent providence."

One of the earliest kingdoms of men, Braconil, was founded in the year 3272 by Brachon I, who hailed from southern Fereldan and desired his own kingdom. Braconil grew into a modestly wealthy country, and prospered in modern-day Pernlem. A number of large, early castles were built, exhibiting advanced construction techniques such as modern mortaring and buttresses. However, strife came to the kingdom around the year 3080 BC, when the new king Qerthelos curtailed the status of mages in society. He was part of a growing number of nobles unhappy with the power of those with magical abilities, and the prominence of the Council of Magi within the court of the king. Accusing them of meddling in affairs that did not concern them, Qerthelos planned to expel all spellcasters from his kingdom. This eventually led to a large opposition to the king arising, led by the charismatic noble and wizard Aubrey Lersamdrag. He represented a small but powerful group of nobles favourable towards magic, with some of them having arcane powers themselves. He urged tolerance and understanding, and asked his king to reconsider his position on magic. Although we do not know if he was forced-into exile or chose it himself, Lersamdrag was ultimately unsuccessful in that venture, and so in 3065, he left with a great retinue of his family and household, his warriors, allies and many of the kingdom's mages, heading north-east. This train of exiles faced many hardships at first, but due to good weather and luck they were able to arrive at Lake Sarn, with the Isle of Avalon in its midst, in modern-day Avalon. Lersamdrag decided to found his own kingdom, and named it Avalon, meaning 'isle of the verdant glades.'

The Dwemer

A drawing made in the Classical Era of two Dwemer noblemen by a Chimer artist. The Dwemer were incredibly skilled smiths and craftsmen, and had a bounty of material wealth

The Dwemer people, the oldest inhabitants of Morrowind, are believed to have arrived in Morrowind sometime after the lands of Arnalor and Fereldan were populated, though little is known of their activities at this time. Our only evidence of this existence is from archaeological finds and brief references to their ancient past in their own literature, and little can be gathered from this other than that they chose to dwell below ground, and lived most abundantly in Vvardenfell. However, our information increases greatly during the Classical Era, primarily due to Fereldonian sources. The Gondorian explorer and philosopher Marthendil mapped parts of Morrowind from the years 4052-4044 BC, and came across the Dwemer during his travels. From him we gain some of our earliest evidence of them.

"It was not long after leaving the marshlands of the south [Vvardenfell] that I came-upon a most peculiar site, which was six great towers of metal and what appeared to be stone, upright like the fingers of ringed giants, and then, in their midst, was a number of low buildings and a sort of sphere of stone. I advanced in wonder, and then a great surprise came-upon me as the sphere revolved, revealing a door, and out of this door came a group of three individuals. They were shorter than I, though not by much, and were clad in the most exquisite robes, with metal armour the like of which I have never seen upon them. Bearded luxuriantly, they spoke to me in a tongue I did not know. As I could not understand them, I hailed them in Chimeri, for I have learned that tongue so as to traverse Resdayn, and asked if they spoke it. One replied that he did, and made himself known as Azmurador, a Deep-Elf, or Dwemer."

It was during the classical era that the Dwemer first forged their famous amber-coloured metal, heavier and stronger than iron, and their deep-mining began, as did their early attempts at machinery. At this point in time, they had not achieved the levels of sophistication which have made their kind famous, though they did have crude forms of pumps and pulleys to drain water. Approximately 17 separate Dwemer sites from this period have been found; though smaller and less complex than their later settlements, they were made of the same concrete-like stone invented by the Dwemer, and their art style obviously derives from this period.

The Dwemer appear to have lived alone from the other races, shunning their company and seldom receiving visitors, though they were happy to give men like Marthendil accounts of their history and heritage.

The Skaal and Solsteim

A Skall settlement in northern Solsteim, using architecture not usually seen elsewhere in Avaerilon, sharing more with Nordic building styles

Around the year 5000 BC, the frozen island of Solsteim, located to the north-west of Morrowind, was discovered and inhabited by a group of Nordic people, calling themselves the Skaal. They brung with them a Nordic language, Skaal, and also a culture akin to Nords elsewhere. Their first settlement was made at Skaalhold in the north-east of the isle, and later they travelled south to erect a town at Thirsk. Little is known of their history before the arrival of the Cyrodiilic Empire in the Ancient Era, though from literary tradition and archaeological finds, we know they buried their dead in the rare material Stalhrim, within mounds marked by standing stones, and worshipped various aspects of nature, which is still prevalent today. Though unable to farm extensively, they were a successful people, able to hold their won against the elements and the beasts which stalk the land. They were not made known to the rest of Avaerilon until the War of the First Council, when they appeared as mercenaries, having landed on the coast sometime previous.

It appears that the Skaal began settling southern areas too, those these were much smaller settlements, barely more than large camps. Most of these were later abandoned for unclear reasons, as no evidence of war exists, nor are any tales told of these happenings. However, not long after the Skaal returned to the north of the Isle, the Reikling people arrived. These diminutive elves, related distantly to the Dunmer, lived in small tribes or clans, led by a warlord, and would often train and mount the large boar that dwell in the forests. Their history with the Skaal is not a peaceful one, as the two began attacking and raiding each other, interested in the various treasures the two peoples collected. The Reikling society would not change at all for a very long time, and they were continuing to live in the same way during the reign of Cyrodiil on the isle.

Ancient Era

Avalon , Gondor and Anoren

Hwgō the Bold built numerous towers and fortresses to cement his kingdom's borders

The fledgling kingdom of Avalon in central Fereldan began expanding in the Ancient Era, a process started by Hwgō the Bold in 2999 BC. Having recently risen to the throne after the death of his father, Persival Lersamdrag, Hwgō had ambitions to increase the size of his fairly modest kingdom considerably. Having begun as essentially an isle in the midst of a lake (Llīn Sarn) with surrounding farmland, Avalon would hugely increase in size under Hwgō's reign. Sending teams of men far and wide, the young king had simple towers constructed at various strategic pints, essentially forming a border. Once a complete set of outer towers was established, some of these wooden structures were converted into more complex stone towers, while others became fortresses, some utilising hills and high ground to become hill forts. Hwgō also built towers and forts within his new borders to ensure security from bandits and any other undesirables, which encouraged his denizens to settle other parts of the kingdom aside from Caer Sarn.

By the end of Hwgō's reign in 2957 BC, Avalon had expanded to include much of the modern-day shires of Caradon, Amdragilorn, Branlorn and Gwesterlorn, making it the largest kingdom in Fereldan. Growth would continue under Hwgō's son, Garadin the Wise, who turned his attention northwards. On the back of his father's successful program of fortress-building, Garadin sent men into modern-day Fferwen to build fortresses for the purpose of expanding and guarding his northern borders. Relations with the wilder folk of Fferwen were not always warm, and in 2873 an invasion threatened the existence of Avalon's northern territory, when the barbarian folk began raiding a number of more isolated villages, and were in sufficient numbers to threaten Avalonian fortresses. Avalon defeated them, however, under the brilliant leadership of the seasoned fortress commander, Bran the Stern, who allied with a number of sympathetic wilder clans and organised the northern Avalonian soldiery in an expert plan. Bran's victory led to King Alstern granting the commander the title of Marqes, which itself led to the creation of the formal system of regions and marquises which exists today in Avaerilon. Bran's name also gave birth to the region of Branlorn, which he governed on behalf of the king until his death in 2808 BC.

Ruins in southern Deracilon, typical of the kind left when the Gondorians abandoned the area.

Gondorian territory over the years

Fortune had not been so kind to the Kingdom of Gondor by this time, however. Gondor had once controlled a wide swathe of territory, mostly stretching along the eastern coast of Fereldan from modern-day Denelon to the Aeglinic Isles, and had for a time been considered the most powerful kingdom of men. However, a series of costly wars against rival powers, barbarians, invaders and powerful dark wizards had taken their toll on the kingdom, and by 2685 BC, Gondor held around a quarter of what it once controlled. Its rulers had believed their naval superiority and citadels, which had made Nyrmenor so great, would do the same for Gondor; while initially this was the case, the kingdom overstretched itself, and became over-reliant on ships and fleets of war boats to defend it, rather than ensuring it had a land army to protect its wast swathes of land. Its southern colonies in Aeglinica were cut-off as a result of the war with Umbar, its holdings in modern-day Vencestia and other parts of Deracilon saw rebellion, exodus and invasion, and its northern territories were seized by dark wizards and barbarian mercenaries. Eventually, the kingdom could not afford to look after anything but its core areas adjacent to the central part of the kingdom itself, and parts of the kingdom which remained loyal were left to fend for themselves.

Gondor increasingly relied on its western neighbour, Avalon, for assistance in defending itself, and the mood of many Gondorians was that a union with Avalon was preferable to their current situation. This was seen as practical by the rulers of both Gondor and Avalon, particularly since Prince Lēowellyn of Avalon and Princess Elwen of Gondor were courting. Their fathers decided to abdicate in favour of their respective heirs, and the two married, created a united kingdom of Avalon and Gondor known as Anoren.

A typical infantry helm used by the Anorenian armies. This advanced style had been developed over the years beforehand in Avalon and Gondor.

Anoren prospered over the course of its existence, with the great port-city of Osgiliath being unrivalled in size nor wealth, and a great number of citadels built across the kingdom. Its borders expanded and Anoren was regarded as easily the most wealthy and powerful kingdom in the land. The arts flourished, as did literacy and arcane studies, and its existence is generally reckoned to be a golden age of enlightenment and prosperity. Even today, second only to the later realm of Arnor.

By 2250 BC, however, the kingdom was fighting for its life, with the terrible armies of Angmar in the north descending upon Avalon, and the Orcs of the east invading Gondor. The kingdom began to lose territory and battles, and it was feared that the realm might even be defeated in the face of such opposition. However, thanks to the sheer iron will of the armies of battlemages, and the courage and tactical brilliance of the young king Arathorn, the tide was turned when the vile Witch King of Angmar was defeated in a surprise attack, and then again at his fortress in his own kingdom by Arnorenian troops, led by their king. Armed with the ancient sword of Īsildyr, Arathorn cast-down the vile wraith and warlock and took his territory for Avalon. The Orcs were disheartened at the loss of their principal ally, and began a retreat from Gondor. The did not leave before striking a crippling blow to the kingdom, however.

For some time, since the war had begun, the nobles of Avalon and Gondor had been bickering, with the two parts of the kingdom being at-odds with each other. The Avalonians accused the Gondorians of leaving them to fight the major battles, while the Gondorians insisted their smaller region was contributing the majority of the produce which kept the kingdom going. Furthermore, Avalonian nobles supported the continued high position of mages in the kingdom, while the Gondorians favoured abolishing magisters from the senior positions and instead having stewards fulfil the roles. The contemporary scholar Dolan Derastil wrote of the strife, describing a kingdom on the verge of breaking-up.

Ruins such a these in Avalon are common, and result from the catastrophic war of Angmar that ended the Kingdom of Anoren

"Caer Sarn and Caer Lorn felt they were the workhorses in the struggle, whilst Osgiliath and Minas Tirith believed it was they who were giving the most in the war. And the passions of the mages- those in the west of Caer Sarn, and those in the east of Minas Ithil- were also aflame, with the rival wizards grasping for power in the unstable atmosphere. Hostility towards one's neighbour was nearly as common as to one's enemy, be it the northmen of Angmar or the dreaded Orcs of the east. Farmers in Ithilien readily believed their western counterparts were failing to pill their weight, whilst officers in Fferwen swore only their troops were fighting the major battles. It was an atmosphere as poisonous as a warlock's gloam."

The fragile kingdom was arguable held together only by the charisma of Arathorn, who acted as a figurehead and a leader the men of Avalon and Gondor could both identify with, and many saw him as a sort of spiritual and moral figurehead. The nobles were content to follow his lead due to the respect they had for him, and believed as long as Arathorn, who had the blood both of Avalonian and Gondorian royalty in his veins, was their leader, they would remain a single kingdom. The inevitable happened when Arathorn was killed in 2225 BC, while routing one of the last parties of Orcs in Gondor. Struck from behind with an arrow, he died on the battlefield, and many believed he died without an heir. With tempers strained and passions fierce, the nobles of Anoren declared that though their people had survived, the kingdom had died with their king, and so it was decided that the two realms of Avalon and Gondor would part ways. Avalon continued to be a monarchy, with the mages appointing a noble to lead as king until his death, while Gondor, though it retained the title of 'Kingdom,' effectively became a republic, with a Steward chosen to lead.

Early Era

Arthur and Avaerilon

The Medieval Period

The Renaissance

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The 20th Century

Present-Day Avaerilon