Spauria

Overview
The largest and most dominant nation in Glaun Encaru is the Spaurian Empire, founded and fought for in ages past by peace-loving peoples of all races. Spauria is a land of wealth, valor and freedom, and it's people value their freedom and prosperity. For over a century the empire has been at peace, but in a world of monsters and dragons, safety is in the hands of rangers, mages and adventurers.

Spauria's geography consists mostly of forests, grasslands and mountains. In Southern Spauria, rocky cliffs ascend from the crashing coasts of the Southern Sea, covered in leagues of dark pine forests, and shadowed by the jagged Trollspine Mountains. Central Spauria is a bridge between the north and south, with vast grassy plains and occasional patches of woodland. And in the North, the noble Mount Morinmont crowns the empire, as the Slagrim Mountains crawl eastward towards the tundra of Yookay.

Pre-Spaurian Age
(see Goblin Wars)

The valiant predecessors of the Spaurian's arrived by boat on the southern shores of Glaun Encaru nearly five centuries before the present age. They were the Calbournians; knights, conquerors, architects and mythologists, and the Feflians, who were writers, poets, and scientists. After centuries of dragon wars that ravaged their homeland, they would discover and conquer the new world they called Glaun Encaru: "the Land of Great Possibilities."

However, the settlers soon discovered that cultivating and exploring their new home would not be easy, as it was already crawling with tribes of fiendish goblins, bugbears, and orcs. This conflict lasted for approximately eight years, but saw the most activity in the first four. During this period, the settlers befriended the Fylarion elves, who were invaluable guides to the new land, and crucial allies in war.

At the end of the Goblin Wars, when the first stones of Noogle were laid and the victorious settlers raised their red flag of triumph, Spauria was named and declared an independent nation. This ended what is known as the Pre-Spaurian Age, and launched the empire into the First Age.

War of Kings
After Spauria's establishment, Lord Pyron-Mid of Nurn turned his attention toward the flowering empire and made peace with the victorious peoples, showering them with gifts and resources. However, in FA 4, Pyron was murdered by his five conspiring sons, who usurped him and became the Five Kings. Letting fear and malice drive them, the Five Kings waged war with Spauria, seeking to eradicate the newcomers from Glaun Encaru.

In the end, Spauria emerged victorious, driving back the enemy forces as Nurnian crusaders stormed the halls of the Five Kings, forcing the necromancers to slay themselves, thus ending the war.

Age of Illiteracy
From FA 23 to 81, Spauria suffered a period of mass illiteracy, where the value of the written word was forgotten by all but the most devoted of scholars. This was mostly due to a cultural movement towards survival and exploration, as giants and monsters were a more dire concern at that time than compared to the modern age. The number of rangers and explorers increased, whilst the number of scholars and writers dropped. It wasn't until almost sixty years later when the adventurous movements had died down that Spaurians realized the need for public education and literacy. The Monarch Academy of Arcana had been ready for this, and quickly saw to it that all of the empire, from the highest of nobles to the lowest of peasants, was taught how to properly read and write in the common tongue; a practice that has continued to this day.

Crowning of Chyziss
When the empire of Spauria arose, legends of a malevolent blue beast drifted throughout Glaun Encaru, especially in Nurnian culture where he was worshipped as a god; but it wasn't until IA 90, shortly after the conclusion of the Age of Illiteracy, that Chyziss the Magnificent revealed himself and declared his supreme authority over the empire. A short-lived rebellion began, but was quenched just as quickly as it had begun, when the ancient dragon used raw elemental power to incinerate a small army and most of the city of Moriguard in mere minutes. This display of power was enough to intimidate the young kingdom into submission, and from then on, Chyziss the Magnificent was the unrivaled overlord of Spauria.

Chyziss immediately ordered that a grand palace be constructed for him within the bowels of Mount Morinmont, and at the same time gathered to him a group of loyalists who were just as awed by the dragon king as they were terrified. From this group he separated the strongest, incinerating the others, and knighting the remaining loyalists as his personal knights. These primarily acted as messengers, but soon grew into a small army that spread out over the face of the empire, expanding as the nation grew.

In the coming years, Chyziss would erect statues of himself in all major cities, demanding regular worship and instituting heavy taxes, and outlawing any and all worship of the draconic deity Bahamut.

After it was made clear that acts of retaliation or treason against the Grand Emperor would not be tolerated, and would result in the immediate devastation of major cities, Spauria found itself helpless against the might of their draconic overlord. Since then, Spaurians have complied with Chyziss's demands, which have only gotten more ruthless and unbearable as the ages have passed. Though the empire dreams of a day that it will be free from the dragon's clutches, rebellion is hopeless, and as dragons only get stronger with the passage of time, it is doubtful that Glaun Encaru will ever be rid of Lord Chyziss the Magnificent.

Grimbrand War
The Grimbrand War was a seven-year continental battle for freedom and territory, involving the nations of Spauria, Yookay, Fylarion, and the invading Grimbrand dwarves, who sought to conquer the continent by force. This was Spauria's largest, longest, and most recent military conflict to date, and it's conclusion launched the empire into the Second Age, ending the First Age after 321 years.

Noogle
Noogle is the capital city of Spauria, and is the center of all commerce, trade and travel throughout the Empire, as well as the home of Spaurian royalty and the most prestigious school of arcana in the nation. The city itself, with its fortified walls and ever-flourishing metropolis, is a proud testament of Spauria's strength, wealth, and undying honor. It is the oldest remaining city in the realm, and it has been proclaimed that as long as the empire stands, so too shall its capital city.

Mount Morinmont
The greatest mountain in Glaun Encaru, watching over Spauria from the north like a great blue giant. It is the pinnacle of the Slagrim Mountains, and is the home of Arcstone Palace: the majestic lair of Lord Chyziss the Magnificent, as titanic as it is luxurious.

Trollspine Mountains
The Trollspine Mountains are the savage home of many unsavory monsters, including the last of Spauria's remaining orc tribes. The terrain around the mountains is jagged, brutal, and densely wooded, with trolls, manticores, wyverns and ogres frequently prowling the unpopulated wilds.

Slagrim Mountains
The steep and jagged mountains that divide Spauria from the untouched lands beyond. The Slagrim Mountains are a danger themselves, but the savage gnolls, unwelcoming elementals and hordes of mountainous monsters make the Slagrims anything but habitable. Though many have tried to explore the land beyond the mountains, very few have had any success, leaving the world beyond the jagged peaks shrouded in mystery.

Crownsoath
The Crownsoath are Spauria's knights in shining armor; honorable paladins who's sworn duty is the preservation of justice, order, and peace. The Crownsoath began as the personal guardians of Spaurian royalty, but their guild soon grew, and the lords of old saw it fit for the Crownsoath to be present in all of Spauria's major cities, ready to lend aid to any situation that may beckon them.

Spaurian Mages Association
The Spaurian Mages Association is the prime authority of all magic in Spauria, responsible for the management and balance of all arcana within the empire. Their duties include resolving magical dilemmas, controlling the commerce of magical goods, upholding Spauria's arcane academies, and swiftly putting a stop to those who abuse the gift of magic. The Mages Association includes representatives from Spauria's magic schools, druid circles, temples of faith, and bard colleges.



Rangers
The Spaurian Rangers are an elite force of skilled hunters, trained to hunt monsters and keep an eye on Spauria's enemies. They are responsible for keeping the roads clear of dangerous beasts, as well as making sure that brutal orc and gnoll tribes don't wander far from home. The Rangers are renowned for their stealth, precision, and keen eyes, as well as their ingenious tactics and flawless communication, which allows them to win battles under almost any circumstance.

Druidic Circle of the Land
The Druidic Circle of the Land is a gathering of druids from across Glaun Encaru that tend to the earth, and maintain the balance between nature and civilization. The circle blesses Spauria with plentiful harvests and rich farmland, whilst simultaneously tending to the natural environment by eradicating unnatural monsters, protecting forests, and preserving the beauty and richness of the wilderness. Since the beginning of the organization in SA 3, Spauria has overflowed with plenty at every harvest, allowing no village in the empire to go hungry.