Nations of Tilendrel

"Everyone thinks that the war they're fighting in is the final one, the war to end all wars, but it isn't. Tyrants rise and fall, and historians sort out the pieces."

Jolee Bindo

As a world defined by conflict, Tilendrel's nations are constantly in flux. This is a complete list of every formal nation since the Rise of the New Gods.   Rise of the New Gods (0 ANG) - Lighting of the Everflame (478 ANG)   The Republic of Light (0 ANG - 432 ANG) - The first nation to revere Minara and the precursor to the Baronies of Everflame, the Republic of Light was an ambitious attempt to create a nation ruled by the most virtuous of its society. It collapsed after hundreds of years of subtle manipulation by Nhyzal and his agents. In its prime, it claimed dominion over the area that is now Everflame City and a few miles beyond.   The Ironheart Empire (23 ANG - 814 ANG) - The first dwarven nation, the Ironheart Empire stood as a bastion of order and justice in the formative years of the Baronies of Everflame, defeating the Orcish Hordes and liberating the Southern Elves. It eventually fell victim to secession, as the Hill and Dark dwarves left to form their own nations and the elven Bladesingers led an uprising in the south.   The Orcish Hordes of Gor-Deth (Unknown - 238 ANG) - While not considered a nation by some, the Orcish Hordes did have a clearly defined leadership system and claimed dominion over certain areas of land. An oppressive and warlike society, the Hordes subjugated the Southern Elves for hundreds of years before being defeated by the Ironheart Empire.   Lighting of the Everflame (478 ANG) - First Arcane War (1467 ANG)   The Sovereign Baronies of Everflame (478 ANG - Present) - Founded by the legendary hero Arden Sunbringer, the Sovereign Baronies of Everflame took over and expanded upon the lands of the Republic of Light, retaining their devotion to Minara. While Arden Sunbringer is dead, his spirit lives on in the Crown Jewel of Tilendrel and its people.   The First Litherian Empire (563 ANG - 1470 ANG) - A nation as diverse and powerful as Everflame, the First Litherian Empire was once considered the greatest nation in Tilen... until it wasn't. The victor tells the tale, and the loss of the First Arcane War devastated the Empire's reputation, causing dozens of uprisings and insurgencies that overwhelmed the war-wearied army.   The Southern Elves (641 ANG - Present) - A nation that to this day refuses to adopt an official name or government, the Bladesingers led an uprising against the Ironheart Empire in 640 ANG, not wishing to trade one overlord for another. Despite the Ironheart's legendary war clerics, the elves won their independence after only a year. Now, while they remain relatively isolationist, the elves are famed both for their cunning warriors and their world-class artists.   The Ironheart Kingdom (814 ANG - Present) - After the secession of the hill and dark dwarves, the Ironheart Empire was reformed into the Ironheart Kingdom. With nothing but a broken nation and pure grit, Gendren Blackrock forged one of the greatest nations in Tilendrel today, renowned around the world for their smiths and war clerics.   The Kingdom of Gildmire (814 ANG - Present) - Leaving the Ironheart Kingdom for the swamps of the north, the Dwarves of Gildmire became a deeply superstitious people, revering spirits both helpful and malevolent that they claim roam the swamps. A combination of stolen reputation from the Ironhearts, canny businesspeople, and natural gold deposits led to Gildmire becoming the leading banking nation of Tilendrel.   The Dark Dwarven Republic of Duerga (814 ANG - Present) - Striving to make a name for themselves and escape the persecution of the mountain dwarves of the Ironheart Kingdom, a large group of duergar settlers left to form the Republic of Duerga east of Gildmire. Due to their history as creations of the Old Gods, the lives of these duergar are a constant struggle against their nature, with the best of them rising to positions in government and the military.   First Arcane War (1467 ANG) - Darhemian War (2137 ANG)   The Gnomish Lands of Bentrelhold (1471 ANG - Present) - When an Everian questions the alliance between their nation and Bentrelhold, they will usually be met with the story of its founding. Using nothing more than their ingenuity and old ruins in the north of the First Litherian Empire, a group of tinker gnomes created an entire city, managing to draw on the magical production of Mechanus despite having no previous planar knowledge or experience. While they claim dominion over a large amount of territory around it, over 96% of the nation's population lives either in or in the caverns below its namesake city.   The Orcish Lands of Krin'garr (1475 ANG - Present) - Emboldened after fighting in the First Arcane War, a group of orcish nomads founded the Lands of Krin'garr (literally 'New Home') to the west of their old ally, the First Litherian Empire. After being invaded by the Baronies of Everflame for inadvertently settling in a part of Verdegar, a powerful half-orc chieftain named Akhra took control of the nation and opened up diplomacy with other nations, seeking to lead her people out of the dark age they had been in since the fall of the Horde.   The Second Litherian Empire (1620 ANG - Present) - Fighting through mountains of stigma and international bureaucracy, a patriotic Litherian elf named Eletha Tristris convinced the Head Baron of Everflame to rebuild and repatriate the Litherian Empire. Despite her patriotism, however, Eletha did not hesitate to lead her nation to war against Darhemia, disgusted at the actions of the First Empire's previous leaders.   The Independent State of Darhemia (Unknown - 2137 ANG) - Emerging seemingly out of the blue from the deserts of the east, the Independent State of Darhemia claimed to have supported the First Litherian Empire in secret during the First Arcane War and had deemed it the ideal time to reveal themselves. With a population comprised almost entirely of humans, incredibly efficient cities, and almost no crime, Darhemia appeared to be a utopia. However, a small group of refugees from Moradin Island, over which Darhemia claimed dominion at the time, came to Everflame City and revealed to its leaders the authoritarian, bigoted regime that kept the nation's people in check. Led by these natives, an alliance of almost every other nation in Tilendrel, including the Second Litherian Empire, marched on Darhemia, destroying an enormous amount of infrastructure in order to free the nation's people.   Darhemian War (2137 ANG) - Present   The Free People of Moradin Island (2137 ANG - 2640 ANG) - After the fall of Darhemia, the people of Moradin Island, despite their lack of technological or economic development, immediately formed a democratic government, inspired by the example of their newfound allies in the west. In the years after the Darhemian War, they were invaluable ambassadors, providing a bridge between the western powers and the people of the east. During the Second Arcane War, however, the Baronies of Everflame placed the island under their protection during the Battle of Moradin Island, and have not yet withdrawn, despite the protestations of the natives.   The Eastern Elves (2140 ANG - Present) - A group of settlers from the Southern Elves united with the native Desert Elves of the east to form the Eastern Elves. Like their southern allies, they refuse to form an official government, but unlike them, they do not practice bladesinging, despite having multiple notable war mages.   The Empire of Hin-Sung (2252 - Present) - A small group of travellers, one from each major monastery in Tilendrel, founded the Empire of Hin-Sung in the north-east, seeking isolation to achieve mastery of the spirit. While the Second Arcane War prevented that, it brought the rival monks together for a common purpose, forging one of the most peaceful yet morally diverse societies in the world.