A Comprehensive History of Atria

A text published recently that has since made its way into academies and homes alike, detailing exactly what it says on the title.

Early Sellinos
It begins with the strange case of early recorded history being essentially nonexistent throughout most of Sellinos, only beginning once a number of city-states had already been established. For some reason Valbestia does not share this problem, and if the old Valbestian accounts can be believed, early civilization was constantly at war with the magical beasts of the Mistlands. While west of the Collean Mountains Valbestia was able to tame them, it is believed that civilizations of the east might have been frequently destroyed as the pre-Atrians struggled to fight back.

The earliest records are those of numerous small nations isolated from each other throughout the continent, gathered around different valuable resources and each defended by a small number of wizards. They are likely what finally allowed them a foothold against the beasts, the art of magic likely in its infancy from the small number of its practitioners. This time represents the beginning of the current Atrian calendar, year X0.

The most prominent of the early nations were: Sidia, expanding to dominate early trade and fishing on the coasts; Lautela, using the various ingredients of the wetlands for its alchemy; and Atria, using the mountains for mining. Of the three, Sidia was the most successful, which can be seen even today in its well-preserved capital of Gildas. Lautela mostly stayed near the wetlands, but the potions they made allowed for strong agriculture and strong warriors to defend their land.

Atria seemed to lag behind, until the discovery of lacrima. In their natural form, these crystals were overflowing with ether, and when empty provided a convenient receptacle for either more ether, or as would soon be discovered, a spell. This wondrous crystal changed Atria's identity into a land of magic, advancing magical research far beyond that of their peers. And with its newfound success, it grew.

The Atrian Empire
While Atria enjoyed its new expansion, it soon became clear that it would need more land and resources to support it. To this end, the ruler at the time took the name Atria as his own and set his sights on conquering Lautela. The campaign was long and bloody, ultimately ending in the destruction of Lautela's capital as a show of strength, but this milestone was the start of Atria's meteoric rise to power.

This stage of Atria's history is defined entirely by war, be it to conquer new territory or suppress rebellions in existing lands. This culminated in a great war against Sidia that lasted over a decade, until finally the last of the great nations east of the Collean Mountains surrendered. It was this final act that proved to the other, smaller nations that there was no resisting Atria.

At this point most willingly gave themselves up, finding better lives benefiting from Atria's advanced magic and magitech, or seeking protection from bandits coming from the north. Atria did not seek war with those who refused to join them, but as it gradually monopolized the resources around these nations, they were eventually forced to join or die.

The End of Expansion
The time came when the succession of Emperors brought another ambitious soul to the throne, with a dream of continuing the quest of his Atrian ancestors and taking the whole of Sellinos for his great nation. All that remained was the lands across the Collean Mountains, but on the other side Atria found a foe unlike any they'd faced before.

On the other side was the great nation of Valbestia, masters of magical beasts well defended by the mountains. Both wanted to expand beyond their territories, and neither would back down. This marked the beginning of a long history of conflict between the two nations, neither of whom would forgive the transgressions of the former for generations to come.

The fighting was constant, save for the occasional ceasefire that was always only temporary. Power within the nations would change hands many times before peace could finally be achieved. 15 years ago in the year X769, Emperor Arvis Atria signed a peace treaty with the Valbestian king, ending the conflict and signalling the end of Atria's ravenous quest for expansion.

Despite being at peace, though, the people of the two nations would not easily forget the past. A new battle would begin in Atria to quell its people, who at this point cared not for expansion but for revenge against the enemy. Calming these people would be especially important as Atria sought to begin trade with Valbestia, having to protect Valbestian travelers from angry citizens. It was to this end that the Grand Magic Games was created, the Emperor hoping to unite the people over the spectacle of magic practiced at its peak.

Today, these issues have taken a more quiet light. Gone are the days when Valbestian citizens seeking a new life were attacked in the streets, but they remain discriminated against. Valbestia itself always has its own share of warmongers seeking the throne during the annual competition to fill it, a competition that Atria watches very closely.