Though it is not a nation, the Unclaimed Territory has certainly had a profound
effect on the countries in Lavacia. Before their lone pursuit of money, the Kingdom of Sartan
had a militaristic King who boldly laid claim to the land to his north, on that
side of Thornhaven Forest. He had good reason. The land he coveted was a vast
prairie of long grasses and untilled soil. It stretched from Thornhaven in the
south to the edges of the Sorrowful Sea (a great fresh water lake) and Silver River in the north. Dense mixed
deciduous forests bookended the east and west of the prairie. Since no one had
made a rightful claim to the land, the forests were simply called the Great
Eastern Forest and the Great Western Forest. Herd animals roamed unafraid in
the free land. The soil was rich and could prove to be a bread basket capable
of feeding the world if managed properly. There was also a financial reason to
want the land. Being centrally located trade between Romadon in the west and
the counties of the east often travelled through the territory to save time.
The owner of that land could tax such trade and make vast sums of money. Those
reasons also made Lord Mandrean the 12th desire the land. The Mandrean Empire
was the largest nation in the world and always sought to increase his holdings.
It stretched from the Sorrowful Sea to the Realm of the Ice Giants in the
arctic. The territory offered him an excellent opportunity to expand. He laid
claim to the land as well. Negotiations broke down as both sides felt their
military to be superior and war soon followed. It dragged on for years with the
tide of battle going both ways. The Mandreans finally summoned all their forces
together and pushed the Sartanians back to the edge of Thornhaven where the
entire militia of Sartan had gathered to spring a trap. In what became known as
the Tree Line Stand the Mandreans marched into the snare, losing the bulk of
their forces. Sartan too had almost no men left. Entire generations on both
sides were wiped out leaving the old and the young with a few crippled men in
between. Mysteriously both the King of Sartan and Lord Mandrean the 12th died
soon after the battle. Both sides sued for peace but they had to save face. It
was decided that neither of them would have the territory and it would exist as
a buffer between the nations. No soldiers would be allowed into the region and
it would remain untamed. The agreement was beneficial to both sides. The
Mandreans had time to refill the ranks of their army with goblins purchased as
slaves from the Goblin Nations (another blog). Without law in the territory the
trade routes all shifted to Sartan as no one wanted
to go through the Mandrean Empire. Sartan turned its eye to the money they were
making and vowed never again to go to war. Though they missed out on the
monetary gains, Sartan’s stance could not have made the Mandreans happier.
effect on the countries in Lavacia. Before their lone pursuit of money, the Kingdom of Sartan
had a militaristic King who boldly laid claim to the land to his north, on that
side of Thornhaven Forest. He had good reason. The land he coveted was a vast
prairie of long grasses and untilled soil. It stretched from Thornhaven in the
south to the edges of the Sorrowful Sea (a great fresh water lake) and Silver River in the north. Dense mixed
deciduous forests bookended the east and west of the prairie. Since no one had
made a rightful claim to the land, the forests were simply called the Great
Eastern Forest and the Great Western Forest. Herd animals roamed unafraid in
the free land. The soil was rich and could prove to be a bread basket capable
of feeding the world if managed properly. There was also a financial reason to
want the land. Being centrally located trade between Romadon in the west and
the counties of the east often travelled through the territory to save time.
The owner of that land could tax such trade and make vast sums of money. Those
reasons also made Lord Mandrean the 12th desire the land. The Mandrean Empire
was the largest nation in the world and always sought to increase his holdings.
It stretched from the Sorrowful Sea to the Realm of the Ice Giants in the
arctic. The territory offered him an excellent opportunity to expand. He laid
claim to the land as well. Negotiations broke down as both sides felt their
military to be superior and war soon followed. It dragged on for years with the
tide of battle going both ways. The Mandreans finally summoned all their forces
together and pushed the Sartanians back to the edge of Thornhaven where the
entire militia of Sartan had gathered to spring a trap. In what became known as
the Tree Line Stand the Mandreans marched into the snare, losing the bulk of
their forces. Sartan too had almost no men left. Entire generations on both
sides were wiped out leaving the old and the young with a few crippled men in
between. Mysteriously both the King of Sartan and Lord Mandrean the 12th died
soon after the battle. Both sides sued for peace but they had to save face. It
was decided that neither of them would have the territory and it would exist as
a buffer between the nations. No soldiers would be allowed into the region and
it would remain untamed. The agreement was beneficial to both sides. The
Mandreans had time to refill the ranks of their army with goblins purchased as
slaves from the Goblin Nations (another blog). Without law in the territory the
trade routes all shifted to Sartan as no one wanted
to go through the Mandrean Empire. Sartan turned its eye to the money they were
making and vowed never again to go to war. Though they missed out on the
monetary gains, Sartan’s stance could not have made the Mandreans happier.
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