Corovaire

Corovaire is a theocracy, ruled by the leaders of the Temple of Aurifura, the Sacred Keepers. The ruling body is a council consisting of the superiors of each of the many orders of clerics within the temple. This council, called the Holy Council, resides in Lustrous Temple in Corovaire's capital, Gent. "Overseers" serve as administrators in the towns and rural regions outside of Gent.

Corovaire was one of the first independent countries to emerge from wreckage of the Great Dwarven Empire after its collapse at the end of the Third Era. Worship of Aurifura actually began prior to the country's formation as a minority religion in the region. As the Cult of Aurifura became more popular, the monotheistic religion came at odds with the polytheistic dwarven pantheon. This, along with other factors, including high rates of taxation and the region's great distance from the two centers of the empire, the Mædenjolt Mountains and the Dragonspine Mountains, led to revolts as soon as the empire showed signs of crumbling. As revolts spread through the region, the empire eventually pulled out, as they were facing external threats in other areas.   The revolts died down quickly once the empire was gone, but new problem developed. Without anyone in control, factions formed and started vying for power. After several years of wars, only two factions remained: the Sacred Keepers of Aurifura, who used their religious influence to gain support from the masses, and the Evradine Collective, an alliance between two smaller factions. The Collective was led by the Arch-mage Mendin, while the Sacred Keepers were lead by High Priest Vishnael Corovin. A rogue coven of Warlocks used the wars as an opportunity to sack Gent. The Sacred Keepers responded first to the warlocks, quickly ousting them from the city and working to rebuild what had been destroyed. Even with Gent under their control, the Sacred Keepers had difficulty gaining traction against the Collective outside of the city and its surrounding villages. Tides turned when the Evradine Collective asked the Great Dwarven Empire for aid. The empire sent a small number of soldiers, but the presence of dwarf soldiers sparked outrage at the Collective, and their support dwindled. The Collective's additional soldiers were quickly outnumbered by a spike in volunteers for the Sacred Keepers and their armies. This led to a decisive victory for the Keepers.   When the wars had finished, Keepers set to work consolidating power and rebuilding what had been destroyed by years of conflict. They named the new country Corovaire, after their leader Vishnael Corovin. One of their first major projects in Gent was construction of the Lustrous Temple. The Temple of Moradin, built by the dwarves during their occupation, had been mostly destroyed when the warlock coven pillaged the city. Using the temple's ruins as a foundation, the Lustrous Temple served as both the primary place of worship for the steadily growing religion and the headquarters of the new government. Once the fledgling country was stable, it set out to expand its borders, which was not difficult since it bordered a crumbling empire. As other lands became free from the empire, more wars for power broke out, and Corovaire, still recovering form its own wars, was not keen on fighting for more land, and their borders eventually shrank somewhat.   In the Fourth Era, the Cult of Aurifura has organized itself into an effective governing structure, using its religious hierarchy to keep power centralized in Gent, while also being able to tend to the needs of the other towns and rural regions. Worship of Aurifura has spread throughout the entire country, and while it isn't mandatory, the vast majority of the population is part of the religion. Heresy, blasphemy, and worshiping other gods is forbidden by Corovaire law, which is enforced heavily.