Valaran Empire
Public Agenda
The current Valarans continue working towards making the entire Solaran Sea into a Valaran "lake". They view controlling both the western and eastern entrances to the sea as key to this goal. Wallacia's firm control of the eastern entrance is seen as a major obstacle to this goal. Valaran has made both diplomatic and military attempts to dominate or conquer Wallacia, but has been thwarted each time.
When Valara emerged from its civil war, it openly practiced slavery. Under pressure from its Solaran Sea neighbors, as well as Shurrea, Valara has ostensibly outlawed slavery. However, it is widely believed to still practice it. This includes so-called "indentured service" to pay off debts, and sometimes debts inherited from parents.
History
After The Shattering, the island of Valara was populated by only orcs. These orcs were known to set out in small sailing vessels to raid coastal settlements along the shores of the Solaran Sea as well as attacking merchant and fishing ships.
Then, about five hundred years ago, the raids by orcs suddenly stopped. Because of the savagery of previous raiders, no one dared to venture close enough to Valara to investigate. However, about one hundred years later, Valaran ships once again sailed forth, but this time they were large galleys, crewed by humans and half orcs.
After making diplomatic contact with neighboring kingdoms, the Valarans revealed a curious history. They claim to have been the capital island of a human empire in the waning days of the God Wars. When The Shattering occurred, the population of the major cities were knocked unconsciousness. They awoke to find the areas outside the city walls drastically changed, with no sign of the original villages and estates. Instead, the land was untamed, and overrun with orcs. After a hundred years of conflict, the human city residents eventually conquered the rest of the island, and in the process intermarried with the orcs who they had subdued. By the Valaran calendar, only five hundred years have passed since The Shattering.
Shortly after the new human/half-orc Valarans made contact with the outside world, they began trying to rebuild their former empire. They have fought at least minor conflicts with most of the kingdoms of the Solaran Sea. After a few defeats, most notably an undeclared war with Wallacia, the current extent of the empire includes the island of Valara, small colonies on the north and south shores of the sea nearest the island, and the straits which open to the western ocean.
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