Navarr history

Centuries before the Empire was formed, humans already lived in the fertile plains around the Bay of Catazar. They built cities, organized themselves into lose kingdoms, and formed alliances with one another. Even then the human kingdoms were threatened by the orcs - savage barbarians who attacked the human settlements. At the heart of these human kingdoms was the flowering of civillization that serves as the forerunner of the Navarr. Records and the stories of the Navarr call this nation Teruniel and record that its cultured cities were run by its magicians.

While other human tribes engaged the orcs in face-to-face battle, the nobles of Teruniel increasingly came to rely on magic. Initially, their magic served to bolster the war against the orcs, but over time the stresses of constant magic use took their toll. Without warning, something went horribly wrong. The magical effects woven around Teruniel unwound catastrophically, creating or summoning the Vallorn into the heart of their kingdom. The cities were consumed by spreading forest, their people attacked by monstrous insects and deadly plants, and though the people tried everything to stop the it, in the end they had no choice but to abandon their homes to the Vallorn.

The Navarr are descended from those who swore to restore the might of Teruniel. Bound and branded by oaths to regain the cities, they fought desperately to destroy the Vallorn. When it became clear that the Vallorn vould not be defeated by force of arms alone, a magical solution was sought. The heroine Star and her lover Thorn, and many other magicians, gave their lives to set in motion a poweful ritual that would eventually allow the Navarr to defeat the Vallorn.

The ritual requires the Navarr to walk lines of magical power, called trods. These migrations draw off the power of the Vallorn, weakening it. The further the Navarr travel, the stronger the effect. When the Vallorn is sufficiently weakened in an area, then the Navarr and their allies are able to attack and retain the land if they are successful in driving the Vallorn out. Without this ritual, the battle is impossible, for the Vallorn regrows more quickly than it can be cut down. The Vallorn grows more powerful as the Navarr advance closer to its source, so successive generations of Navarr had to travel further to succeed in weakening it. A task that soon became impossible as the lands around the Navarr cities fell under the control of the orcs.

The arrival of humans from across the sea - the forerunners of the modern Imperial Nations - drove the orcs from the fertile lowlands. Initially the Navarr treated them the same way as they had the orcs, but the soon realised that these new humans were potential allies. They emerged from the woods and engaged in diplomacy, seeking to ensure the safe passage of their Stridings, and encouraging the new humans to focus their attention on the orcs rather than engage in costly squabbles with each other. They facilitated trade and travel between proto-Nations, and cultivated a reputation for being well-intentioned supporters of humanity.

One of their most successful efforts came when they introduced the Highborn to the "liao" plant. Fascinated by its ability to unlock visions, it served as the foundation for the revelation that lead to the formation of the Imperial Faith and, indirectly, to the appearence of the First Empress.

It is popularly held amongst the Navarr that their blood ran thick in the veins of her family, and there had long been a friendship between her house and the Navarr. A Striding of Navarr were among the first humans to hear her message of unity. The Thorn Telanel became one of her first companions, protecting and guiding her through human lands, while other Navarr brought her message first to their own people, then to anyone else who was prepared to listen. They helped arrange the first meeting at which the foundations of the Empire were laid. The goals and philosophies of the First Empress struck a resonant chord deep in their hearts. The Navarr stridings became the standard-bearers for the Empire, carrying its message to the divided human nations.

Most Navarr could see that the Empire represented a great opportunity for them, a chance to drive back the barbarian orcs meant that their stridings could travel further than ever. The more perceptive saw something deeper, that the Empire that was proposed was not just a tool to help them regain their cities, it was in fact the first glimmer of the civilisation their ancestors had once enjoyed.

Since then, the Navarr have dedicated themselves heart and soul to the success of the Empire. Their oft-stated goals are twofold. First, with the help of the Empire, they will destroy the Vallorn, reclaim their lost cities and discharge their ancestors oaths to protect them. Second, they will help the Empire to protect humankind and its civilisation against barbarians and internal threats alike.