Elias delved deeper into the historical archives, his fingers tracing dusty timelines. He unearthed the origins of the Federated States of Aethelgard, formed in the early 2000s. Six disparate nations, once rivals, had reluctantly unified, driven by the existential threat of rampaging barbarian hordes from the perilous Outlands. This loose alliance had solidified into Aethelgard, its very foundation built on a desperate need for collective defense.
Across the Great Divide, these very "barbarians" had forged their own formidable power. Under the cunning and brutal leadership of a chieftain named Velgarth, his namesake tribe—whose very name meant "victory" and "conquest" in their guttural tongue—had systematically absorbed other clans, culminating in the fearsome Velgarth Empire. Their expansionist desires clashed violently with Aethelgard's nascent unity, sparking decades of brutal conflict.
Elias devoured the accounts of the Aethel-Velgarth Wars, a 13-year period of relentless skirmishes and devastating campaigns that bled both sides dry. He noted the pervasive undercurrent of fear and hatred described in the historical texts – a fertile breeding ground, he realized, for Eldritch incursions, even if unacknowledged by the chroniclers. The sheer volume of negative emotion, the widespread despair and anger, must have been a feast for the Other Side.
Then, a specific entry caught his eye: "In the year 2013, after thirteen years of bitter strife, peace talks were finally initiated. Elias's eyes widened. A crucial piece of lore. The Federated States dispatched a surprising envoy: Lyra Volkov, the sharp-minded daughter of General Anton Volkov, Head of Aethelgard's Military Operations. Her audacious diplomatic mission to the heart of the Velgarth Empire, a desperate gambit to prevent mutual annihilation, marked a turning point. The fragile peace, brokered by her unlikely ambassadorship, held.