Ryswick the Great

Axium, dubbed the only empire on the continent today, was not that much different from other small city-states before it was unified by Ryswick the Great. It wasn't until he was designated as the Master of the Knights that Axium was in constant conflict with neighboring countries, even though its military power fell short of the elite Iron Sides (troops) of the military city, El-Tracass.

However, everything had undergone drastic changes once Ryswick was appointed to the mastership of the palace knights. The knight troops, led by Ryswick and Superion, who he recommended, demonstrated strong power in combat and started to conquer its neighboring countries one after another.

The remaining countries who thought little of it at first were alarmed by the expansion of Axium. As a result, they formed an alliance with the military city, El-Tracass, at its center. Though outnumbering Axium, the alliance was soundly defeated at the battle on Skerna Plain succumbing to Ryswick. This led all the city-states of the alliance to open their gates to accept Ryswick. However, even the Ryswick Windsbird, known as the best emperor in the history of Astra, fell short of completely unifying the continent. The story is that he lost most of the dauntless knight troops on the deadly battlefield with El-Tracass and he himself developed some unknown disease. thus, he had to stop the goal of achieving the unification of the continent.

It is not exactly known why most the knight troops of Ryswick with the superior military power were killed at the fierce battlefield of El-Tracass.

Following the El-Tracass battle, Ryswick took the princess of Axium as his wife. He then took the throne of Axium under the name of Ryswick I after the king passed away. This is the start of Axium, which was formed more than 150 years ago. This story is about its hero.

Industrial Cataclysm and the Start of a Republic

Time passed by and then a strong wind of change started to blow toward Astra. Around 100 years ago, a machinery civilization called industrial cataclysm started to be introduced to the region. This eye-popping change sparked by the invention of a steam engine brought drastic changes not only in agriculture and industry but also in every other corner of the society.

Transportation went through great revolutionary development and those who entered into the transportation business grew to accumulate huge capital and wealth. Citizens of Axium who had a long belief that being loyal to power and the authority of king was everything started to realize that capital represents another power or authority. Now appeared those kinds of people who adopted different ideologies that could undermine the safety of society. Meanwhile, gangsters looted the steam engine trains and outlaws that enjoyed gun sightings. All these drove the Empire into an unprecedented chaos.

As the group of bankers, merchants, lawyers grew to have the power equivalent to that of the nobles consisting of the royal families, nobles and the priests, the brains of Axium were divided into two group: 1) a conservative one that branded the nouveau rich as the force posing a threat to the society and looked down on them as slaves and the machinery civilization; and 2) the reformers who insisted the capital and the development of the civilization should be accepted with modesty.

Then, about 60 years ago, the Crown Prince of Baron, an extreme conservative and strong believer of the divine rights of kings succeeded to the throne. This led his younger brother and reformist, James, to take his followers to the south of the continent called Ilys to establish a republic under the name of Travia, for which he was selected as the first President.

The emergence of a republic fascinated the rich of different regions, greatly undermining the foundation of the Empire. In the end, Baron delivered an order to arrest James and other leading forces behind the Republic branding them as traitors. This led to inevitable war between the Empire and the Republic. Everybody predicted a victory for the Empire as it outnumbered the Republic. But it did not easily fall into the hands of the Empire as it was armed with capital and a science-oriented civilization.

It was about 60 years ago when the Empire suspended its attack on the Republic after a huge amount of blood was shed, and the two parties signed an armistice. This allowed the people to enjoy a moment of peace.

Age of Adventure

Even though the war was halted, each country kept on building their own military on a psychological warfare.

Amidst this confusing situation, there came a group of anarchists centered around the regions with low populations. Though they called themselves anarchist, both the Empire and the Republic called them outlaws. With no distinguishing leader at its center, the number of anarchists who lived with looting and surprise attacks kept growing in the midst of the confusion of the society.

There emerged a hero in the Empire, whose power sagged with time. The master magician, Ramitz, started to pay attention to the power of magic, which had been forgotten by the people after the advent of industrial cataclysm. Dreaming of the reconstruction of the Empire that declined after Ryswick, he accelerated his research on the magic with strong support from Baron and strengthened the army of the Empire. With the support of the stronger military force, he started to suppress the anarchists in the country. The emergence of Ramitz and subsequent appearance of a strong force irritated the Republic. They belatedly launched on the research of the magic in secret and developed its own system.

It is against the backdrop of the continent that there emerged a number of people who were willing to test their own power, becoming quite renowned in the continent as brave adventurers.