Redoing this section!!! If I erase the old stuff maybe that'll light a fire under my feet

Redoing this section!!! If I erase the old stuff maybe that'll light a fire under my feet

The Grenvellan home island is the heart of Rhodinean trade and maintains great relationships with Ypsen, Amasa, and Uir. Kenor and Grenvel have a strong trading relationship, though diplomatically, things have been dicey ever since the Commonwealth took mainland Amasa in 14,375 VE, over a century ago. Grenvel and Valbaara's relationship has been hostile ever since the rise of the Third Empire. Grenvel enacted a full trade embargo on Valbaara after the violent annexation of Tirkau in 14,468 VE, and they were forced to sign an armistice after the Empire annexed Itas in a mere six days in 14,479 VE. In the ensuing 24 years, Grenvel has been sowing deeply-rooted spy networks in Valbaara as they prepare for war to reignite.

Ypsen, with their population on the downturn, begin to mobilize en-masse to stave off an unexpected Valbaaran invasion in mid-14,502 VE. They sacrifice land for time and trap the Empire in highly defensible terrain surrounding Bitter Wells, Devil's Tower, and the nearly impassible central wastes. Highly industrialized Grenvel begins feeding equipment and volunteers into Ypsen, including the exiled heir to the Itasean throne, Prince Johann. Grenvel and Amasa begin conducting military and naval drills with each other. The Kenoran Commonwealth realizes how miserably outclassed its own navy is and begins overcompensating ship building production. Not all of these vessels are up to scratch. Unfortunately, a recent purge of military and administrative officials has the entire Commonwealth on shaky footing, so a few crappy boats don't immediately ring any alarm bells. Meanwhile, the Valbaaran propagana machine is running at full clip to drum up recruitment for the war with Kenor that no one can talk Magnus IV out of. Rhodinea is a tinderbox, and that dumb bastard is enrolling in Fireballs 101.

Meanwhile, the Uirean king nervously begs Grenvel's navy for protection guarantees, because most of the country is uninterested in engaging with the concept of "government." All they can offer in return is meager arms shipments from the lightly industrialized south. The Grenvellan Royal Counsel decides this is a good enough excuse to petition parliament for a larger naval budget.

A better answer: The Third Valbaaran Empire is young and its Emperor, Magnus IV, is even younger. He's got a lot to prove if he's ever going to step out of his father's long shadow. Magnus III kept himself busy annexing Tirkau, Itas, and most importantly, a large portion of the Golden Plains, before keeling over dead and leaving the entire empire to his cringe idiot son. Now our boy Magnus IV has his eyes on the prize- the rest of the Golden Plains. It is worth noting that by the time the war begins, Imperial forces have already been bogged down in the deserts of southern Ypsen for months, in what can only be described as a vanity campaign.

The war starts in the year 14,503 VE when Valbaaran forces march south into northwest Kenor. But little does the Empire realize, the rest of the continent has been very busy catching up with Valbaara's military tech over the past decade. Kenoran fortifications stop the Empire in its tracks, and both sides start digging in. Then everything else starts falling apart in very dramatic fashion. The Kingdom of Itas decides to stop being annexed and opens another front in the north, so Grenvel declares war on Valbaara in the interest of getting their territory back. That gives annexed Amasa some funny ideas, so the home islands declare war on the Kenoran Commonwealth. Ypsen, Grenvel, and Amasa form a coalition called the Triumvirate of Nations, which leads to Ypsen and Grenvel declaring war on Kenor, and Amasa declares war on Valbaara. So much for being home by the solstice!

Redoing this section!!! If I erase the old stuff maybe that'll light a fire under my feet.

In the history of the planet Aphelion, mortal animals have had sapient awakenings no less than five times. Sapience marks the period when an animal began to speak directly with the gods, and as such were divinely charged with the responsibility of their existance. The sapient animals are held to far higher standards than the typical animal. While the simpler creatures live in a state of blissful ignorance, the sentient animals are held responsible for their roles in the ecosystem.

Ves: The most common of the sapient animals are the ves, who dominate Rhodinea. They have spoken with the gods for over 14,000 years, and they are especially aware of their roles as animals. They're the third species to have an awakening, so they have plenty of mistakes to learn from. They were also gifted methods of effective popluation control by the Elder Gods, so the vesian popluation has never had to contend with the issues of unwanted children or unchecked population growth. Though terribly flawed, the ves do their best to live up to divine expectations.

?????: A species so foul in their behavior that they have had their name taken. They were the first sapient animal to walk Aphelion, and they are all gone now. They left behind incredible monuments that have since been reclaimed by time. Cities buried under the dunes, statues worn down beyond recognition. This species has a long and storied history on Aphelion that is no longer spoken. Scholars have given them many names- the first, the unknown people, the early sapients, and so forth. Not a single divine sees fit to speak of their ultimate fate.

Reska: A satyr-like species who came after the early sapients. They were taught many lessons incurred by their predecessors, but even that was not enough. The reska were a truly animalistic species, despite their language and culture and understanding. They fell into destructive behaviors early, and this took root in their societies. The reska fell into hedonism and unchecked population growth, and they began to threaten Aphelion's ecological stability. When confronted by the deeply offended architects of their world, the reska decided they did not fear the wrath of the Elder Gods. And for their hubris, they were banished from Aphelion entirely. They were forced to take refuge in the Shadowside realms, where they continue their cancerous growth. The reska began to take on two distinct forms in their new transient home realm, and they continue to engage in their destructive behaviors to this day. With no one left to stop them, they have ventured into very dark territories.

Olegarths: The olegarth is the fourth species to speak with the Elder Gods, and they have changed little since the first year. Though they are capable of intelligent thought and complex language, they choose to live the animal lives that their ancestors did. If not for their their worship practices and ability to speak the divine language, it would be easy to mistake olegarths for non-sapient animals. They have a low understanding of the arcana, and they only use magic to improve their day to day existance. They are well-favored by the Elder Gods for their naturalistic role in the ecosystem.

Terons: The newest sapient animal to awaken on Aphelion. This is a race of winged humanoids who live a largely arboreal existance. They are extremely social and live in large migratory flocks. They fly from one portion of their tropical continent to another, depending on the movement of prey and predator. They have extremely primative stone-based technology, and they are still firmly anchored to the native foodweb. The terons met with the ves exactly once before the Old Tsenmaer took action to keep the two species separated. To this day, the terons have an oral tradition of the great white-sailed creature that once visited their homeland.