Millaria
The Kingdom of Millaria is a large but sparsely populated kingdom surrounded on most sides by a wilderness of deep forests and tall mountains. The Stronghills to the west, Arrowpeaks to the south, and Thorund's Branch to the east leave it fairly isolated from the rest of the world. The kingdom has grown wealthy due to its vast gold reserves, and unlike most former provinces of the Aurean Empire, it has continued to grow in recent years, roads and trails spreading out to more mines deeper in the mountains each year.
Cut in two by the mountains, the kingdom is divided into flat, agricultural Lower Millaria on the plain to the north and the rugged, mountainous valley of Upper Millaria to the south, each once seperate provinces of the Aurean Empire. To the southeast are a pair of great valleys known as the Fingers, where glacial streams have cut into the mountains and revealed the remote gold deposits that power the kingdom's wealth.
The wealth and prosperity of the kingdom has recently come under threat, however, by an unusually organized army of orcs. Though it is unclear what they call themselves, as the mysterious group attacks any who approach or otherwise try to communicate, but they have become known as the Crimson Horde due to their extreme violence. The Horde seems to coordinate shockingly well, spreading out across the edges of Upper Millaria and leaving destruction in their wake, only coming together in large groups just when the kingdom pulls togther a large enough force to face them. Though the armies of Millaria have held their own so far, panic has been spreading throughout the kingdom and the flow of gold has declined severely.
History
Ancient tales suggest that what was now Millaria was millennia ago filled with numerous powerful dwarven cities. These were destroyed by a powerful foe so long ago not even the dwarves remember the details and some doubt the tales veracity, though a few ruins that may be from this era have been found, usually collapsed or in severe disrepair. Survivors fled to the north end of Thorund's Branch, where a number of dwarf cities still exist.
After some time, humans migrated into the region from the north. Though some were likely the ancestors of the tribes of the Stronghills, others remained in Millaria, many eventually starting to farm. The population remained small until it was invaded by the Aurean Empire in 2914 AY, after word got out of the discovery of gold deposits. In little over a year both Upper and Lower Millaria were incorporated into the empire.
Aside from occasional raids by human and orc tribes from the surrounding mountains, the area remained relatively peaceful throughout the rest of its time in the empire. However, after a period of decline and internal conflict, the empire broke apart in 4835 AY under the stress of multiple invasions and rebelions, particularly The Mountain War, which started that year. Finding the empires remaining armies far away and distracted, the governor of Upper Millaria raised an army—largely of mercenaries and imperial deserters— and led them into Lower Millaria, taking both provinces for himself and crowning himself King Verranus I of Millaria.
