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The Lotorian Kingdom Before the first Rune Wars, the Lotorian Kingdom consisted of Lotor's Castle, the fronteir outpost of Hothbra, the southern town of Vrethpool, and the city of Korelth. The cities of Jeel and Varg on Krythan Island were loosely affiliated with the Kingdom, but retained a considerable degree of self-determination. When Zorak invaded, his armies destroyed Korelth and drove north, only to be defeated at the very gates of Lotor's Castle by the Lotorian Knights, led by Arcus, the greatest warrior in the history of the world. Arcus weilded a powerful black blade called the Dark Sword, which he carried in a magnificent jeweled scabbard which inspired many great acts of valor in those days. Arcus died of wounds recieved in that final battle, and was laid to rest in an island tomb, along with his legendary sword and scabbard. The location of his tomb was lost in the Time of Darkness. The Second Rune War progressed much the same way, with Talazar leading the Lotorians to victory. Talazar weilded a beautiful broadsword which glowed with an eerie purple flame, and his fellow knights served him unquestioningly. Many of them followed him to their deaths in those days, and many more later followed him to a far worse fate under the power of the Runes. In the years that followed, Jeel slowly lost its independence and became more and more closely tied to Lotor, although Varg remained distant and mysterious, buried deep in forbidding forests. In the South, at the opposite tip of Krythan, sits the Orc Fort. This structure was once a garrison of the Kingdom, but has been overrun by feral orcs, and was abandoned long ago. The portal to Scarab Island was built in that area, and the Kingdom of Scarab loosely controls that dangerous sector of Krythan. In time, New Korelth was built over the ruins of the ruined city, and became a major hub of trading and commerce. When Talazar returned and the Third Rune War began, a great battle raged throughout all of Krythan, causing much death and bloodshed. Talazar's armies were finally routed through the portal to the Mainland, which was then sealed, and stood severed well until modern times. The Republic of Silvest sits on a large penninsula on northern Krythan. For most of known history, Silvest was protected by a powerful magic, which prevented any violence from disrupting its utopian society. Minor evil such as kobolds and zombies were allowed to persist only as a reminder of the terrors of the outer world. The magical barrier protecting it created the illusion that Silvest was in fact severed from Krythan by a deep sea and treacherous, rocky coastlines. This barrier was created by the leaders of Silvest in ages past by use of a powerful Rune Artifact, now long lost. The Lost City of Varg stood as a secret sentinel, an outpost built by Silvest and then severed from the motherland, to guard the passage from Krythan. Those who chose to leave Silvest, for want of adventure or wealth, were cast out into the harsh realities of Krythan. During the Time of Gold, Krythan was plagued by waves of crime that threatened to tear apart the very fabric of society. To stem this tide, a portal was constructed to the uninhabited island of Scarab off the coast of Krythan, and a penal colony called Lopal was built there. It was not long, however, until a prisoner revolt wrested control of the island away from the Lotorian Guard and the Kingdom of Scarab was founded as an ever present threat. Even during the Rune Wars, however, Lopal has been unable to organize well enough to mount an offensive against the Lotorian Kingdom In the Rune Wars, the dark power that protected Silvest failed them, and brought catastrophe into their lands. In a desperate bid for salvation, they smashed the elders of Silvest artifact that concealed them and dispatched their fastest runners to Hothbra to beg assistance. The sacrifice of their barrier saved Silvest, but the war took its toll. The city was no longer able to support itself, and was incorporated into the newly expanded Lotorian Kingdom when Talazar's armies were driven away. In modern times, Silvest has built two outposts flanking its city. Fort Eastwatch was erected first to stem the growing flow of ever stronger undead beasts from the Land of the Dead, and Cliffside was built in hopes of regaining control of the long abandoned Silvest Mine, which has claimed more than its fair share of would-be adventurers from Silvest over the years. Meanwhile, The Kingdom as a whole has been diminished. More demons have trickled through the portal from Talazar's Island, and now control most of the penninsula the portal sits on. The Lotorians have achieved an uneasy balance, but they are beset on all sides by enemies, and suffer from a loss of respect from their peers on the mainland, who suffered greatly when the Rune Armies were driven through the portal and the gate closed. Many still blame the Kingdom of Lotor for the strife that followed.
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