The Kingdom of Aruthien

The Kingdom of Aruthien is a rising power in the west of Nova Eian.  For many years the land was ruled by outside powers, or mercilessly raided and looted.  The folk here became tough and taciturn, and quick to fight.  Finally a king arose and gathered to himself an army, and passed the sword laws, requiring all his folk to arm themselves against any threat.  With little else of value, many of the swordsmen and soldiers of Aruthien turned to mercenary work, selling their skills across Nova Eian.  Finally secure behind their armies, the people of Aruthien grow in strength and wealth, and begin to desire more than just to defend themselves.

Aruthien is our young and rising power; they’ve been kicked around by nearly everyone else for a good long while, and they’ve had enough of it. They grew strong enough to defend themselves, and then, being poor, found that the skills they’d learned doing so had value. So a lot of mercenaries around the continent are Aruthien. Now that they’re finally getting some wealth and stability, they’re coming into their own, and finding that they are strong - and it remains to be see what they do with their strength.