Avaronian Empire
Many ancient civilizations existed prior to the Avaronians but none have been as influential to the current world. Their knowledge of elemental magic allowed them to form the Avaronian Empire which held control over vast areas of land on two continents. Even after more than thousand years since their fall, their influence is still felt around the world.The Avaronian Empire was a gigantic nation led mostly by High Elf magi. Life within it was quite good for Elves and for some Half-Elves. However, it was miserable for the other races who were frequently used as slaves.
According to Elven myths it was the great Elven hero Mackevor that founded this nation. After the Elves solidified their position in north-eastern Farlis Mackevor is believed to have conquered large areas of the continent until his eventual death during the final battle with the Selefer. The event marked the start of the Avaronian Era during which the Avaronians became the undisputed world leaders. However, over time the corruption grew and many barbaric practices were introduced such as sacrifices and slavery. It took many centuries but in the end the Avaronian Empire ended with a cataclysmic blast in its capital, Bagor. Despite that they remain the longest living nation known to history as they ruled undisputed from 1993 BF until their eventual end in 0 AF. The most commonly known date notation is derived from the year they were defeated. Every year after the year when the battle of Bagor took place is referred to as AE (After Empire). Everything before that is BF (Before Fall).
Extra Information
Continent
The Avaronians were mainly located on the continent of Farlis but controlled vast amounts of land in Pavanor as well.Origin
The migrated Elves that settled in the current Carthen region were the ancestors of the Avaronians.
Bagor Area by Kefkejaco with inkarnate
Ruled by
For several centuries the Avaronian Empire is believed to have been ruled by Mackevor himself. After his death the ruling positions was taken over by powerful Magi.History
The full history of the Avaronian Empire can be easily viewed in the Global History from the year 2871 BF to 0 AE.
Origin
Elven Migrations
Due to a still unknown event the original Elves living in central Farlis were forced to move. In the end this would result in several different species of Elves as they spread in all directions and even underground in the case of the Dark Elves. The ancestors of the Avaronians are believed to have travelled east and eventually settled in the region that is currently known as Carthen. According to the Elven myths it was the hero Mackevor who led them there but scientist have found no credible sources to verify this. These Elves would eventually become the High Elves. The name Avaronian itself is derived from the words 'Avar' which means Elf and 'Onnon' which means three. This name is likely a reference to the three journeys that the Avaronian Elves took before settling in their main region.Selefer
It is believed that eventually the great hero and general Mackevor started the expansion of the Empire aided by his magical weapon Glaverion The main enemy during the early conquests of the Avaronians were the Selefer, a snake like race who had been terrorising south and central Farlis since their victory over the Gnomes and Dragonborn. Their first losses were in eastern Farlis and unexpected as the Selefer underestimated the magical prowess of the Elves. After these events they fortified their positions in the south which became the start of centuries of war. In the year 1993 BF, however, the Avaronian armies managed to advance towards the Selefer capital, near the current Volker Desert. The final battle is thought to have taken place at the current Visar Volcanoes which according to the myth were only created after the battle. It is said that this event was caused Chaos Magic performed by the Selefer as a last resort to ensure victory. However, this did not go as intended as the result was the annihilation of both armies. This is also were Mackevor is believed to have died although there are no sources confirming if he even was alive up until that point.Expansion
Bagor, Avaronian capital by Kefkejaco with Midjourney
Farlis
At the start of the Avaronians civil war broke out. This eventually led to several provinces breaking off from the Empire. It would take several centuries before reunification wars restored the Empire to its original size. After these conquest the Empire started focussed on developing their lands. Many new cities were built and existing cities grew in size. The capital, Bagor, became a true metropolis during this period of time. Although not common during the life of Mackevor himself, the religion that worshipped him, Mackevism, grew in importance. Priests of Mackevism managed to claim important positions in the government. The regular Elves gods were still worshipped by many but the elite started to favour Mackevism. With its rise came a renewed urge to follow Mackevor's example and expand Elven rule. The Avaronian Empire started to expand westwards claiming ever more territories that were being held by other Elves. The conquered people were mainly Wood Elves who fled further west in increasing numbers. Around the year 1390 BF, however, the Avaronian advancements came to a halt as the western Elven nations united against them. There were several wars in an attempt to take control over the Baidan Jungle or the western mountain ranges but in the western border of the Avaronian Empire was set at the Infor Crater.Pavanor
Around 985 BF the Avaronian Empire set out a fleet towards Pavenor for the first time. They first landed in the Elervir Isles and conquered them after the second war with them. Only a few years later they already landed on the mainland of Pavenor. The Humans that lived in these parts were much easier to conquer than the Elves of Dwarves in Farlis as they were the least advanced and had the smallest magic using population. The first city of the Avaronians in Pavanor was Avinor which was located in current Evilyea. The city would soon grow out to be the most important in the region for the Empire. The spot itself is believed to have been chosen due to the large presence of Falls. Over the centuries that followed the Avaronians expanded further north and east and eventually stopped near the Afaliem river. The regions beyond that were more rugged and only populated by small Human clans which made them less interesting to the Avaronians.Decline
Pavan Independence
In the centuries before the start of the wars there already had been several rebellions but none of them were a great succes. However, the Avaronian Empire was already in decline just due to the difficulties of managing its enormous size. The final push towards this was the outbreak of the Dragon Scourge. With many of the Dragons going feral as a result of the disease the Avaronians were forced to spend an enormous amount of resources and troops on trying to kill Dragons before they could completely destroy their core provinces. This proved to be the perfect opportunity for the prophet Archon to start his rebellion against the Avaronians. The result would be a series of wars which later would become known as the Pavan Independence Wars. They ran from 337 BF to 223 BF and would eventually cause the Avaronians to give up most of their colonies in Pavanor. Only the provinces of the Elervir Isles and the current Evilyea would remain under their control. This would, however, only last until 153 BF when they lost these regions in a war against the Archon Alliance.
Fall of the Avaronian Empire by Kefkejaco with Midjourney
The Fall
The fall of the Empire was not fast but it was impossible to prevent. When the Pavan armies landed on Farlis in 116 BF a series of wars was set in motion that would be the downfall of the Avaronians. The border was pushed further north with each war but the Handerlith wall and the Doromir mountains proved good defences for its core provinces. Eventually however an alliance of Humans and Dwarves managed to break through. The final battle of the Pavan-Avaronian War was the siege of Bagor. The Avaronians were unable to hold of the attackers and performed a gruesome ritual in an attempt to stop the invaders. Just like the Selefer it is likely that they used some form of Chaos magic. Hunderds of slaves were sacrificed but to no avail since the ritual failed and had an even worse result. A gigantic surge of energy was released killing everyone in the city of Bagor and around it. With their capital and leadership gone the Avaronian Empire came to an end. The remaining territories surrendered to the Pavan Alliance and the practice of Mackevism was banned. Any remaining clergy of the religion fled to other regions, mostly Avak'am. The lands around Bagor are still a wasteland to this day as a result of the magic that was used. The region itself remained unstable for several years due to Chaos Tempests.Society
Language
The Avaronian Empire influenced many areas of the world. What is most noticeable today is the many languages that originated from Avaronian. Not only did many Elven languages from central Farlis originate from it but also most Human languages. Due to the long reign of the Empire over the areas of Terios and Eprus, the Median from there is a very close descendant. On top of that the language is still used today as the scientific language.Architecture
The Avaronians had a very advanced architecture given their technology level. This is mainly due to their magical knowledge which allowed them to built far more magnificent structure than what would normally be possible. The best example of this is perhaps the Skypeak in Bagor. This structure's height has never been achieved ever since. In many buildings the Avaronians opted for a style that imitated nature, such as support column resembling trees. Many architectural styles today are still based on the original Avaronian style such as can be seen in the Rigertis in Golandon.Religion
The success of the Avaronian Empire is inseperable from the hero Mackevor. The worship of him was very common within the Empire but became corrupted by the end due to the power hungry clergy. There is therefore a difference in view of him by Elves and non-Elves.
Mackevor according to Elves by Kefkejaco with Heroforge
Elves
According to the Elves Mackevor has always been a hero that helped to build their great nations. As a fantastic general he lay the foundations of the civilised world and paved the way for the magical greatness of the Elves. The majority of the Elves still believe that it was only the religion that got corrupted over time when the clergy started to use Chaos magic.
Mackevor by Kefkejaco with Heroforge
Non-Elves
Many Non-Elves and especially the followers of Archonism believe that Mackevor himself had laid the foundations of this corruption. According to them this is due to Glaverion which they call the Heretic's Sword. The vision Mackevor received on how to create his empire were given by an evil god who sought the enslavement of all Non-Elves.Magic
Magic formed the foundation of the Empire as Elves were far more adapted to magic. In addition to that the Avaronians had a vast supply of Falls in their homeland which allowed them to make armies that were able to use limited magic.Slavery
Because they were so powerful many Avaronians believed they were the born rulers of the world and other species were inferior to them. Many tasks in the Empire were therefore done by Non-Elf or Half-Elf slaves.
by Rexard
Ooh such a pretty article! And fascinating. It's written in an interesting way, not like a dry history textbook! I love the art in the article, it's so eyecatching. :D
Thank you! :) Yeah it ended up with a lot of history because they do have a very long and important one xp I am thinking of perhaps toning it a bit down and add more culture stuff as I have already hit the word limit :p