The Bloody Conquest of Nyrotha

A brief history of how the Aurorium Empire rose to power in world of chaos.

Welcome, dear traveler, but do not rest, for you have wandered into the continent of Nyrotha—a realm steeped in unending war, where the brutal nature of humanity is laid bare for all to witness.

Explaining such a land is no easy task, as it is diverse, with a myriad of factions and beliefs. Shall we delve into the subjugated soldiers of the Stoneborne, a brutal militaristic faction from the North? Or perhaps the rebellious Scalebound of the Dragon Pass mountains, with their molten dragons forged from earth and stone? Or do we speak of the Aurorium Empire itself, a dynasty that has ruled for the past century and is responsible for more deaths than any other human or beast combined?

There is much to explore and so little time. For now, I shall simply tell you a tale—a tale of how these factions came to be. In the early days of Written History, hundreds of years ago, the land was in ruins. Small tribes were scattered throughout Nyrotha, living in a far more chaotic existence than we see today.

There was no Aurorium Empire, and the Stoneborne were only just beginning to gain a foothold. Other factions, such as the Scalebound, had yet to emerge.

This chaos of tribal warfare persisted for some time, with no one seeking to conquer—only to survive. The ambition for conquest first came to Nyrotha through a human from the western lands: Astal Velsara. Astal was a gifted fighter and a rare spellcaster, and it was his ambition and perceived purpose that marked the beginning of the Aurorium Empire.

Over the next ten years, Astal rose to prominence in the southlands, rallying many tribes to his cause, either by force or diplomacy. As his forces grew, he soon gained control of the provinces now known as Althium, Ostrad, the Faded Fields, and Ethos.

Nyrotha World Map

Throughout his conquest, Astal spoke with a sense of divine purpose, claiming he was uniting the people of Nyrotha to save them—that only through unity could they survive a threat he alone was deemed worthy to know. No one, not even his most trusted advisors, had a clear understanding of the nature of this threat. However, by the time he had conquered Ethos, no one dared question him. Divine purpose or not, he had united thousands under his banner, with only one power rivaling his own—the Stoneborne.

Astal, the would-be god-king.

You see, as Astal extended his conquest across the southern lands, the Stoneborne were simultaneously building their society in Stone Holme. Massive structures carved from stone had existed long before written history, and these monuments quickly united the Stoneborne people into a single faction. Inspired by the murals on these monuments, the Stoneborne were founded on discipline and militaristic culture, making them a formidable contender in Astal’s conquest.

Astal knew the Stoneborne would be his final and greatest challenge, and when the time was right, he marched on Stone Holme to fulfill his divine goal of conquest.

While Astal’s army fought bravely for their would-be god-king, they were outmatched. Skirmish after skirmish proved that Astal was losing the war, no matter how fiercely he pushed his army. It was only during the fifth battle that Astal himself joined the fray, determined to find and cut down the Stoneborne King, Gravik.

After much bloodshed, Astal found his target and ensured the duel would be a spectacle for all to see.

With his massive granite blade soaked in blood, Gravik accepted Astal’s challenge. For the first time since Astal had entered Stone Holme, the bloodshed ceased as both armies paused to witness the duel.

The duel of Gravik and Astal.

The battle was fierce and long. Astal and Gravik fought tirelessly, their magical armor giving them the strength to endure each other's blows—Gravik wielding his granite blade, and Astal, his twin cold steel scimitars. As the battle wore on, Gravik eventually found an opening, disarming Astal of his weapons. Without hesitation, Gravik closed in to deliver the final blow, and as the granite blade swung forward and the Stoneborne began to chant and cheer, a bright light erupted from Astal’s hand.

The granite blade was sliced through, and Gravik’s boulder plate armor pierced straight through the chest—not by a material weapon, but by a glowing spectral blade, summoned in the final moments by Astal himself. Both warriors stood frozen, unable to comprehend what had just transpired. Even Astal was unsure how he had conjured a blade capable of slicing through granite and piercing Gravik’s armor.

Moments after, the conjured blade vanished, and Gravik collapsed, breathing his final breath—slain by Astal for all to witness.

What followed has defined the continent of Nyrotha to this day. Gravik’s son, Eryndor, approached Astal and to the surprise of both armies, dropped to one knee, swearing fealty to the would-be god-king. To this day, it is speculated what motivated the young prince of the Stoneborne to take such an action. Was it cowardice, honor, or respect that drove him to surrender to Astal’s army? It is likely we will never know.

With the Stoneborne conquered, Astal halted his conquests to recover from his losses and wounds, declaring all his captured lands part of the Aurorium Empire. However, to this day he never pursued the remaining lands of Nyrotha, leaving regions such as Arandium, the Stormlands, Hexal, and other outer territories unconquered. These areas later became known as the Free Provinces, though they never formed any meaningful alliance.

Now, nearly a century after the Stoneborne were subdued, we find Nyrotha under Astal’s continued rule. Though he never took an official wife, he has three children and still governs the provinces he claimed so many years ago, with the Stoneborne army as his primary military force. Astal and his children now rule with an iron fist, prompting rebellion groups such as the Scalebound to rise from the outskirts of the Empire and fight back against the oppressive regime.

Astal’s divine purpose has yet to reveal itself.

And there you have a small glimpse of how this land came to be. There is still so much yet to discuss and uncover about the vast realm of Nyrotha, but I fear my ramblings have already gone on for far too long.

Those stories, dear traveler, will have to wait for another day.