Orochtha

Historically, the resource wealth of Orochtha proved more detrimental than beneficial to its native peoples. Early in its history, Orochtha traded openly with other realms, more than happy to exchange their overabundant resources for goods that are so scarce as to be considered priceless in Orochtha. Unfortunately, this meant that Orochtha's resource wealth soon became known to the denizens of other realms, and while the initial gold rush was viewed as nothing more than an amusement by the natives, what followed constituted one of the darker chapters in the realm's history.   Suffice it to say that Orochtha's resources made it a prime target for external actors motivated by greed. Initial relations were perfectly amicable, but invariably, one taste of Orochtha's wealth incited an almost obsessive desire for more. While the Orochthans were content to let outsiders help themselves to the realm's mineral wealth, as these industries developed and began to damage the environment, they sought to rein in the activities of these external forces.   Attempts to regulate were met with hostility, and on occasion, outright violence. As discontentment and tension between both sides grew, negotiations broke down, and it became clear that open conflict was inevitable. The Orochthan peoples were unwilling to allow the outsiders to run roughsod over their world, and the outside interests were unwilling to give up the stream of wealth that Orochtha represented. Predictably, war soon broke out.   The incursions proved disastrous for the people of Orochtha. Accustomed to relative peace, with most conflicts rising only to the level of brief skirmishes, the Orochthans were unprepared for the outsiders' onslaught. Although they adapted and learned, they were too decentralized and inexperienced to face the might of the outsiders' trained militaries. The tide only turned when the realm itself rose to the defense of the Orochthan peoples, and the awakened Elemental Lords obliterated the enemy's advance forces.   In the aftermath of the conflict, the leaders of Orochtha convened. Despite principled disagreements on certain details, they agreed on one thing: that such devastation could never be permitted again. Thus, with the help of the Elemental Lords, the people of Orochtha closed the realm off to outsiders, barring access altogether until only recently.