Diocese of Pianzia

Once the largest and most powerful nation in the world, the former Diocese of Pianzia has been perhaps the most heavily devastated by the Empire of Shar's unstoppable onslaught. However, some of the older nation still hangs on to their independence, mustering what forces they can against Shar's might.

Early History

Much in the way the expansion of Shar would later birth the third era, much of the second era's forming was led by early Pianzia. For much of the Age of Gods, the nation did not exist in it's current form, most closely resembling the elven Imperium of Volus in culture. Instead, for much of the first era, the plains and forests of the central continent were the battlegrounds of a variety of faiths and peoples, each vying to prove their pantheon as the true faith, each eager to carry out the will of their gods. These conflicts continued until Silas Vilmont, paragon of the human tribes from the South, conquered his way Northward, uniting the fledgling nations along the western side of the continent. With most of the human and halfling tribes in the region united, Silas led a long and bloody war against the Krystala Sylvon and the Elves of the West, finally ending with the Pianzian Concord in 3613 1e. Under this new agreement, the two empires concocted a means by which the faiths of both nations could be unified under a single clergy. Thus was born the Diocese of Pianzia.

Age of Kings

Pianzia enjoyed the majority of the second era as one of the world's most prominent political, military and religious powerhouses. The New Faith, under the leadership of the Archbishop, was successfully integrating the diverse cultures and beliefs, but under the surface, another kind of tension was brewing.

The War of Dukes

While the religious tension of Pianzia's various cultures was gradually subsiding under the guidance of the New Faith, tensions of royal lineage arose in their place. During the final days of the Pianzian Concord, both Silas Vilmont and Krystala Sylvon were recognized as paragons of their deities and divine inheritors of much of the Diocese. While the Archbishop remained the head of state, the power offered by these positions was comparable to a king or queen of smaller nations. Over the centuries, various families claiming to be the direct descendants of Silas Vilmont and Krystala Sylvon all held competing claims for these titles, until total war broke out across the country. Nearly every province of Pianzia attempted to secede from the larger nation and either claim their rulership or their independence. In response, the Archbishop organized the knightly orders, and with the aid of the remaining loyal provinces brought each of the rebellious dukes back in line. In the end, only the Principality of Shar and Kingdom of Lublesia were able to retain independence.

War Against the Empire

As the Principality of Shar encountered The Oracle and began the third era, the long-held grudge between the previously weakling nation and Pianzia put the Diocese on the front lines from the start of the conflict. After an early string of consecutive losses, it was clear that the nature of this threat could not be dealt with by normal means, and thus sent envoys to the Republic of Cepro and Kingdom of Arga to form the first wave of the Resistance. Since then, Pianzia has endured endless fighting and repeated losses for the past century, the once-proud nation now being beaten back to the edge of extinction.