Irydine was founded upon ruination—ruination brought about by the arrogance of acivilization that vied for the power of the Raavan, a civilization where magic flowedunchecked by wisdom, where the dim light of the moons tried to rival the glory ofIreal, the Sun. It is said that in the aftermath of this ruin, during a time of darkness and despair, Ireal turned his back on the world in anger, and that no propitiations or offeringswould appease Him. In an attempt to understand the Raavanites wrath, one old priestesssojourned to the mountain temple of Ireal’s Oracle at Lake Monlon, only to find thetemple abandoned and the Oracle’s voice silent.
In despair the priestess returned toThalia, the valley of her people. There, she called the people of the various clans andvillages to her, and together they climbed the Basran Hill and faced to the East. Fordays they fasted, prayed, and made offerings to Ireal so that He would return Hisradiance to them. On the morning of the eighth day, just as the despair of the peoplehad encompassed them fully, Ireal re-embraced the world, and once again it knewlight.
The people rejoiced and hugged one another, and ran to where the priestess sat inprayer. When they reached her and shook her to rouse her from her devotions, theydiscovered her dead, a slight smile on her face, her eyes open to the morning Sun. There, they buried her and erected a shrine in her honor to Ireal of the Morning, whose aspect shines upon the world each day with compassion and hope. That day also, Tulca, chieftain and champion of his clan, called a festival anddeclared that a city would be built upon that hill in honor of the priestess’ sacrifice, and that it would be called after the priestess, Irydine. Although the Tulcas wereSineran—the chieftain was brother to a Sineran warlord—the gathered eldersselected him as the Chieftain of Chieftains, and Tulca I became the first King ofIridine. After the ascension of Tulca I, Iridine was ruled by 6 monarchs for aperiod of 213 years, most of whom were descended from Tulca’s Sinerandynasty.
His successors were Gaise, Vetallun, Quintus, Tulca II, and Parsos Emrial. It was during this period that many of the rudiments, if not the actual incarnations themselves, of present-day political, social, and religious institutions were established. It was also during this period that the Irydine people developed their fabledintolerance for monarchs.
As the line of kings grew increasingly abusive of itspower, the concept of the Republic incubated. Parsos Emrial, the last monarchof Iridine, was overthrown 213 years after the ascension of Tulca I, andthe Republic was born. During the period of the monarchy, Irydine expanded, conquering Monlon andwarring against both the Aevestian League and Sinera.
These conflicts havecontinued unabated into the era of the Republic. Today, some 350 years afterthe foundation of the Republic, Irydine is locked in a bitter war with bothCinera and the Aestivans. There have been few decisive battles, and the costin soldiers and gold continues to grow.