History of Korlua and Isynen

Northwestern Hepekeria has had a settled agrarian culture since at least 500 BT, and by 100 BT the city of Isynen had become powerful enough to dominate its immediate area. Several of the other modern settlements were also extant by this time.

In 76 BT Korlun and Daoud conquered Isynen and over the next several years the rest of the northwest. Placing their capital on Majahit, they called their domain the Empire of Hepeker. Their origins are obscure and the different ethnic groups have different opinions. The Daoudim have very specific legends concerning these two but surviving written records in Isynen are at odds. Whatever their origins, both groups agree that Korlun and Daoud were brothers and that they had a falling out. As a result Daoud was killed, his followers exiled, and Korlun died soon afterwards. Korlun's descendants renamed the Empire of Hepeker to the Empire of Korlun, and called their capital Korlun. The Empire prospered for nearly 150 years but eventually internal strife brought about its downfall. By TR 205 the various cities had all split off, forming their own city states. Korlun became one of several such small states in northwestern Hepekeria.

Isynen prospered as an independent state, and over the next 90 years slowly conquered the area. By TR 300 all of the original Empire of Hepeker/Korlun was reunited in the new Empire of Hepeker, with its capital in Isynen. For nearly 175 years this new empire prospered, developing a strong mercantile reputation throughout the Venarian Sea.

In 475 TR this period of peace and prosperity ended when the Ibnvaaler clan Goddisen attacked Korlun and quickly captured the entire island. Founding the new Kingdom of Korlua, they changed the name of the city of Korlun to Hegovnis, after the (perhaps) mythical founder of the clan. Using Hegovnis as their base, they quickly began to prey on shipping throughout the western Venarian Sea, seriously hurting Isynen's economy and annoying the Azeryani. The Azeryani naval base of Kolvis was founded expressly as an attempt to counter Korluan piracy.

During this same period Ziryab the Elder emerged from the desert with his new religion and an army of the Daoudim. The Empire of Hepeker was sorely pressed and unable to counter the Ivinians in Korlua. By 490 Korlua had annexed Majahit and the neighboring smaller islands. Eventually Korluan expansion brought them into contact, and conflict, with the Daoudim and Ziryab died in 491 fighting against clan Goddisen. Ziryab's apotheosis was marked by the eruption of Mt. Veramel in Dalanya, and his new religion gained many converts overnight. In 508 the Daoudim forced Isynen to convert, and in the resulting chaos the Empire of Hepeker crumbled.

The next 100 years were relatively peaceful, at least on the larger scale. Korlua consolidated its gains and continued to harass Venarian shipping. The various independent Korluim cities, formerly of the Empire of Hepeker, went their own ways and slowly resolved the chaos caused by their forced conversion and their fanatic Daoudim neighbors. The only historical event of any lasting consequence was Oric Uldemar's disastrous expedition into the central desert in 559.

Oric was valhakar of clan Goddisen and king of Korlua. Determined to find the Taugari cultists and exploit their steel-making, he recruited heavily in his own clan and hired many mercenaries to create a small army. Using captured Daoudim forced to work as guides, Oric led has expedition into the desert. Apparently betrayed by his slave-guides, Oric and nearly all of his followers were captured somewhere deep in the desert. Over a period of two years, the heads of key members of the expedition turned up in prominent locations in Ivinian settlements. The heads were clearly always recently severed, indicating that Oric's followers were being held prisoner. Time and again the Ivinians led punitive expeditions into the desert seeking revenge, but the Daoudim always melted away, never giving a fight. These events served to polarize the Ivinians and Korluim, and the Ivinians instituted an even more oppressive rule. Clan Goddisen's rule was broken and clan Karir, a mixed Ivinian/Korlic client clan, took over.

By 630 Ziryabism had penetrated into Korlua sufficiently that the general populace began to use it as a rallying point, around which to oppose the Ivinians. That year fanatic Ghaziyen made five unsuccessful attempts on the life of King Rashad Felicson over the space of just four months. Spurred by fear, clan Karir began its infamous eight month "Reign of the Axe", and executed several hundred Korluim. Apparently in response, a Daoudim Ziryabite army swept into Korlua in 632 and eradicated clan Karir. As with all Daoudim confederacies, its immediate goal achieved the tribes quickly split up and returned to the desert. Behind them the left the Kingdom of Korlua broken and in ruins.

Clan Malik, another mixed Korlic/Ivinian clan, surfaced shortly and began rebuilding. In 638, with help from Menglana, Menema, and Tarkain, they were able to re-establish control over both Korlahit and Majahit and Oric Barakson became the new king of Korlua. In 658 clan Malik retook Jandar, followed almost immediately by capturing Khadris in 659. In 664 they retook Fustel. In 669 a Daoudim army sacked Fustel and laid siege to Khadris, apparently at the instigation of the Fadabarit in Isynen. Clan Malik rose to the challenge and defeated the Daoudim in a pitched battle outside Khadris. In 670 Isynen committed itself and attacked Fustel. Clan Malik was again victorious and the Korluim were forced to sue for peace. This treaty established the boundaries in their current positions. Since 670 Isynen and Korlua have remained at relative peace, though piracy and privateering remain common.

Having consolidated its rule at home, clan Malik turned its attention to raiding in Trierzon and Azeryan. Briefly they were very successful but in 684 they were caught by surprise and trounced by a contingent of Trierzi knights. Its power broken, clan Malik was deposed and clan Rashan, yet another mixed ethnicity clan, assumed rule of Korlua.