Good day to you, Commander. Previously, we unveiled the mystery of the Guthandus Empire and also saw the sharp edge of its ambition hidden beneath its prosperity, with its sword targeting the Northern Alliance. Are you curious about what the four northern kingdoms were like before forming the alliance? Today, the Continental Chronicles of Novusaes will tell the story of two of the four kingdoms—Baraigne, the land of greed, and Isettle, the land of craftsmen.
Baraigne: The Land of Greed
This barren land in the north was where another part of the exiles of the Old World struggle to survive. The permanent glaciers and tundra of the far north forced these survivors, who saw no hope of survival, to make a change. Over the generations, people of Baraigne were engraved in their bones with fierceness, rapacity and belligerence.
They had no fine equipment or soft wheat cakes but ferocious beasts on the endless tundra. The threat of life was like a blade hanging over their head, so they had to fight for survival with flesh and blood, which made them veterans. Even though they had no armour or equipment, their ability to riding and shooting was strong enough to chill the enemy.
The harshness of the environment and their desire for better encouraged these tundra-bred warriors to expand their territory to the outside world, and thus they entangled themselves in conflicts on the borders with Nortouahe and Islette to the west. Besides, there was also internal strife within Baraigne, with confusion as to "who was really in power".
It was only when the Empire marched northwards to occupy the southern lands in the north that the greedy kingdom, always eager to expand, stopped and took the lead in proposing an alliance to defend itself against the Empire. Although the proposal was ostensibly for the independence of the northern kingdoms, it was hard to tell whether the intention was served to satisfy the warlike desires of the Baraigners.
Islette: The Land of Craftsmen
Islette fought with Baraigne on the border for a long time, and its terrain was comparable to that of Baraigne. Surrounded by two mountains and rocky outcrops, it had the second most natural resources in the north. The two mountains that surround the outside of the kingdom exposed Islette to the covetousness of others, and the people of this small kingdom were extremely resourceful, compensating for the lack of population.
The craftsmanship of Islette was the result of the combined efforts of countless people, and the fine weaponry and strong war fortifications were recognised as first class in the north. There was a huge market for weapons and equipment that were a necessity in times of war, and the work of Islette's finest craftsmen was hard to come by. Islette's commerce and industry were therefore an important support for the kingdom's economic prosperity. The Delen, the silver coin circulating throughout the north, was a famous product of Islette.
Although the Islettes could vouch for the unbreakability of their fortifications, they could not guarantee that their state would be just as united and unbreakable internally. While the turbulent upper class of Islette, were quick to respond to Baraigne's call for an alliance, many were also shaken by the invasion of the southern empire...
The alliance formed by the four northern kingdoms defended firmly against the empire, which is where the story begins. Now the Continental Chronicles of Novusaes has shown two kingdoms, which demonstrated the opposite in their features, and the other two, also striving to counterattack the empire, will be revealed next time. In this war between North and South, the Continental Chronicles of Novusaes awaits you to leave a remarkable story of your own!