Introduction to Asavla

Written by Isaac Thompson

Asavla is the realm of mortals and demigods. Its patron deities are the goddess Kysro, of the dark, and the goddess Ylais, of the light. Throughout mortal history, the two have waged war, against each other and against themselves. Kingdoms have risen and fallen at their instruction, and with time, the very world would be divided into regions that favoured each goddess. The north and south honoured Kysro, while the larger east honoured Ylais. In times past, the gods themselves walked amongst mortals, possessing chosen 'oracles' so that they could deliver their message. Often it was one of division, casting out those who believed in the other god. But once, just once, they worked together.
Divinitia, a small and insignificant seaside kingdom loyal to Ylais, suffered a violent collapse. Its Crown Princess was assassinated in 601, and its King died shortly thereafter with no heir. War erupted as minor nobles tried to grasp at the throne, and as foreign royals eyed the region. Amidst it all, the common citizen attempted to flee. Their neighbours wouldn't take them in. In their hour of need, Stolisi traders, from a small part of the southern lands, arrived at Divinitia's ports to do their business. They would return home with more than they ever left with, their holds full of desperate people. In their home, their leader would give the Divinitian refugees land, and send the traders back across the ocean to bring more the desperate and needy. Despite their differing gods, they pledged to work together for the betterment of all, forming the united Kingdom of Divinice in 628. With their union, Kysro and Ylais were forced to acknowledge their own similarities, and resolved to work from the good example of their followers.
It is from this union that demigods first came into existence, in 872. Carrying the powers of both deities, they would come into huge prominence in the following decades, and Divinice would be the first country with a demigod ruler when, in 966, Queen Twila I was coronated. This marked a high point for the kingdom, but also the last great peak for the culture, for demigods can produce no children. And so, with her death, the throne would pass to her first cousin once removed, King Caelum VI. Not only were there complaints of him being a foreign prince - his grandfather had married abroad - butmany complained that he was not a demigod, and thus not fit to rule the kingdom. From this discontent rose Azure, who would lead the country into a seven year long war, which would ultimately fall in her favour. With Caelum's exile, Azure I took her place in 1004, and she promptly sought to ensure the punishment of those who had favoured her rival. This, by and large, turned out to be the various Stolisi tribes, who had been assured by Caelum that their recognition, good treatment, and relative independence would continue to be recognized during his reign. Azure would lead the annexation of all their lands, and the gods watched on. For what could they do?
Divinice would turn into a vast empire, espousing the values of Ylais while harshly subjugating the predominantly Kysro worshipping southern lands. At its peak, in the year 1247, the Empress of Divinice could claim the entirety of the southern lands, many western islands, and even a dominion in the northern lands as their own. Kysro was no fan of such arrangements, furious that lands Ylais had promised would remain under her sway had been forceably annexed and converted. And so, in both 1235 and 1247, Kysro would go behind the back of her fellow deity to support rebellions. The Stolisi Revolt of 1235 failed, underprepared and brutally slaughtered. The second, in 1247, turned out to be the tipping point. The rebellion seized the city of Kysra and declared an independent Stolisian Republic, founding it on the morals of the old kingdom of Divinice - tolerance and justice for all. A brutal nine year war followed, mirrored by divine squabbles, until the Empress Celeste II surrendered, brokering a deal with the rebellion. A few months of peace followed, only broken by mild fights over property. Kysro and Ylais calmed down, and prepared to continue working together as required to better the whole of Asavla.
That is until, in 1256, the city of Kysra exploded.
Blame flew from all sides, the war reignited, and Kysro and Ylais's alliance seemed to shatter irrevocably. While this second war would not anyway near as long as the first, its damage was perhaps worse. Despite the second Divinitian surrender, tensions remain high, hostilities brew in many areas, and the damage to Kysra and its surrounding areas was done. The explosion had, in addition to levelling much of the city and killing the interim leader, had also unleashed raw magic onto the world, which would slowly grow and spread overtime unless cleansed through a combination of dark and light magic. Kysro and Ylais refused to work together, and this dual requirement was not discovered by the Stolisians until they no longer had access to light magic.
For the bitter rivalry sparked in 1256 had ceased the creation of all demigods for 30 years, and those that remained were weak, old, or otherwise preoccupied with war and revolution throughout the south. When demigods finally reemerged in 1285, they were no longer a blend of dark and light magic. Instead they were split between Dusk Demigods and Dawn Demigods, of Kysro and Ylais respectively. Alone with dusk demigods, Stolisia could only build walls to stem the tide, and seek aid from more prosperous nations.
But the east was fragile, too. The continent which had once held the Kingdom of Divinitia had slowly stabilised throughout the preceeding centuries, and drew much of its power from the Empire of Divinice, largely considered the head of Ylais worship in the entire world. But with their devastating losses to Stolisia, and the rising tensions in other southern regions, many eastern institutions fractured and collapsed. Coupled with the thirty year demigod drought, and much of the world was in some sort of turmoil and chaos.
Divinice would lose another territory before the century drew to a close - the breakaway Republic of Tsuliya, in the far south, declared independence in 1293, and was formally recognized five years later. In 1310, they would lose the last of their conquered southern territory to the Republic of Nirvejan, which was admittedly formed diplomatically rather than through war. Tsuliya promptly declared war on this new Republic over ancient territorial disputes, and tensions remain to this day.
In this, the year 1364, much remains unclear. The south remains in a high tension limbo, largely obeying past treaties and shooting meaningful glances across guarded borders. Many parts of the east remain in high states of chaos, though some coastal countries, like the Kingdom of Santonia, have emerged from the chaos no longer relying on the gods to guide them. The north, largely isolated as it is, has continued on largely unchanged. However, tensions start to brew in the Divinitian Dominion of Maleli, which starts to demand greater autonomy or outright independence as the rest of the empire falters.
In 1364, the spread of raw magic continues, thankfully contained within Stolisia and Divinice. But solid stone walls and determination can only hold back the power of the gods for so long. Something must break. Something will break.