The Brear were the original inhabitants of the Breasia region in Aurea and lived there long before the unification of the Realm of Eros in the year 1 AAC by Aeson I. They Brear themselves even say they are descendants of mountain trolls who lived in Breasia even before the coming of the spirits and gods.

Although the region of Breasia lies almost exactly between the cities of City of Eros and Aganium, this region – and its inhabitants – has been able to live in freedom as an independent tribe for decades. The reason for this freedom is quite simple to name. Where the Polodorri and the region of Helissia – except for some hilly areas – are almost flat, the area of ​​Breasia is a hilly mountain range without many natural resources. In addition, no major rivers pass through the area of ​​Breasia.Therefore, the Erosians ignored this area for a long time and preferred to use sea routes to connect Aganium and the surrounding towns and villages with the rest of the realm.

Conquest of Breasia

It was actually only around the end of the weak emperor’s (Herculon II‘) reign in the year 181 that the Erosians and Brear came into conflict with each other, which can even be blamed on the aggressive culture of the Brear. It must be said, however, that the Erosian settlers moved further and further into the area of ​​the Brear and sometimes even took over the good, fertile lands that were very important for the food supply of the Brear, so the Erosians were certainly not blameless either.

Where the Erosians had a high culture with great buildings and statues, the Brear were still an underdeveloped people who mainly lived in forests and in small towns, in fact there was even only one village that had grown out of the clods that was known: Tracabra. Tracabra was by far the largest Hide in the lands of ​​the Brear, and therefore the leader of Tracabra was also the richest and most powerful leader in the region.

The Brear who lived on the fringes of the Breasia area began to plague and plunder the frontier villages of the Erosians. It was at this point that the Erosians asked for help and demanded strong action from the new emperor Herculon III around the year 186. It was not possible at this time for the Western Erosian army to give a strong response to the violence of the Breasians and therefore, in addition to the Western army, the help of the Southern Erosian army led by Xenetor “The Cold “.

Where the Brear produced more powerful hags in later years, this was not the case in the early years of the conquest. The Brear did not yet have a writing system at this time, so all spells and powers were passed on orally to younger generations. As a result, the attack spells of the Hags of the Brear were no match for the violence and effectiveness of Eros’ highly trained army.

The only advantage the Brear had was the area itself. They alone were acquainted with all the hills, woods and little streams that traversed this country, and they made use of them. Thanks to a long connected past with these lands, the Brear were able to wage a long guerrilla war against the Erosians.

While the outer areas were still free of Erosian influences for a long time, the same could not be said of the larger Hides. It didn’t help that the majority of the Brear Hides were also at war with each other. It has therefore only happened a few times in these years that the Brear could raise a large army against the Erosians. Most villages and areas were already conquered after the first year of conquest, for example the city of Tracabra fell within a few months after the arrival of the armies of Xenetor “The Cold”, also a young Alexos “The Wolf” (then not yet known as the wolf), Tempos “The Bowman” and Eridius were parts of the Erosians Southern Army and got their first experience with war in the lands of the Brear.

After the siege of Tracabra (the biggest town in Breasia by inhabitants) in the year 186, the conquest of Breasia by the Erosians entered another phase. It became more difficult for the armies of Eros to put down the small rebellions in the backlands because of the deep forests and other impassable lands that lie in Braesia. It also didn’t helped that the vast network of the Brass Hags were working against the Erosians and had spies throughout the region.

Finally in the year 191 it was that the remaining rebellious tribes of the Brear surrendered to the mighty legions of Herculon II and Xenetor “The Cold”. The great leader of Tracabra, Vortisar “The Unfair”, had already allied himself with Eros in the first year of the conquest after the armies of Xenetor and Herculon lay siege against his city, but now all other leaders of the Breasian hides bowed before emperor Herculon. Vortisar was named a vassal lord of the Erosians and remained in power after the siege of Tracabra.

For the following nine years the region would know a so-to-say peace – some minor rebellions against the regime aside – and it could even be said that the region prospered under the new gained wisdom of the realm. In this period a large degree of urbanization followed in these previously untouched areas and roads and trading posts were built by the erosians.

One of the biggest “novelties” the realm brought in this period was the written word. Most of the Brear used the erosian writing systems at start, but the hags who survived the conquest wars invented a new writing system based on their oral tradition in the form of runes.

After the great armies of Eros left the region, it was the task of the bureaucrats and officials of the realm to ensure that the region of Breasia would become encapsulated into the realm, as soon as possible.

One of the first impetus for this was made by Pegtorios from Akrothera, one of the newly appointed consuls of the area who advocated in the senate for the construction of a road from Aganium to Phoclyos. The road would logically have to run through the newly claimed territory of Breasia, which made him – according to himself – the right person to take on this important task because of his knowledge about the people and culture of Breasia.

However, the Senate didn’t immediately budge to his request. Criticism came from several quarters – mainly from senators and magistrates from the island of Karission who saw their monopoly on trade between Hellissia and Polodorii disappear. That is why it was not immediately decided to build a road between Aganium and Phoclyos, and a smaller building project was executed that would ensure that a cobblestone road would be built between Aganium and Tacabra. Partly because of this, a large part of the inhabitants of Breasia mastered the language of the Erosians within a few years and trade began to flourish.

The unrest between the tribes in Breasia would eventually destroy this peace in the region. After nine years of peace the people of Breasia were once more confronted with war. The first rebellion of the Brear started as a conflict between the tribes of the Brear. The newly appointed consul Cecilos in the region by the Realm of Eros first decided to do nothing about this conflict.

Cecilos was appointed as consul of the region after the unlucky demise and death of Pegtorios from Akrothera during a hunting accident, and while Pegtorios was harsh, he still had in himself the nature of a just leader who would pay respect to the laws and traditions of the Breasian people. Cecilos on the other hand was a cunning leader who used his father’s connections in the senate and his father’s friendship with Herculon II to become one of the consuls of Breasia, and used his influence to gain power and wealth.

The appointment of Cecilos as consul of Breasia was not the only change that had occurred in the world of Aurea. The Nemisian Civil War between the Erosians and the Nemisians two years after the conquering of Breasia had left the lands and people of the realm devastated and in ruin. Fortunately for the people of Breasia, much of the civil war passed them by, as it was mainly fought in the east of the realm.

For the other people in the realm it was much harder, most people lost a son or cousin in this awful periode and they were just starting to recover from the loss of life. The realm was in no state to start another war and would only use its armies and powers to protect the borders of the realm. The distrust between the grand armies of the realm – especially the southern and eastern army – did not help the senate either.

First Rebellion of the Brear

The conflict started as a heritage conflict between the hide of Tracabra and the hide of a lesser known chief named Makaror. Makaror had adopted one of the younger sons of Vortisar “The Unfair”, in his family so he could marry his eldest daughter and became the chief of his hide. In this way the hide would stay in the family of Makaror. Vortisar firstly accepted this request as a token of respect, like he was accustomed to do, but all changed after the coming of the Erosians in the year 191.

The problem for the Brear in heritage matters would come when a chieftain had no son’s and only daughters. In the past, it was customary that a second or third son of a neighboring tribe would marry into the family without sons and leave his own family behind. But due to Cecilos’ changes in inheritance law, this would no longer be possible.

Cecilos heard of the marriage between the two children and he knew about the old laws and traditions of the Brear. Cecilos, cunning as he was, already knew about the dispute between Vortisar “The Unfar” and Makaror. Makaror accepted the new laws from the realm, except for the marriage between his oldest daughter and a younger son of Vortisar. He persisted in the fact that the old laws were still valid for this marriage. Vortisar first accepted the wishes of Makaror but he was eventually swayed by Cecilos to ignore the old laws. Cecilos also promised him that he, if needed, could call on the help of the mighty Erosian armies if Makaror disputed his rule in the region.

Vortisar played along with Cecilos, because he would become the newly appointed representative of the realm. Cecilos was probably never intending to give Vortisar this honor, but he could use the wedge between the people to weaken their powers. The reason for this increased interest in the region of Breasia by the erosians was the finding of gold in hills belonging to a warbrother of Vortisar named Ottaram. The Brear themselves had no interest in the gold deposits because they saw gold as a weak metal which was easily bent and couldn’t be used in weapons.

Makaror eventually wished for a court under the supervision of the Brass’ hags and underneath the old Brear laws, after he heard of the opposing thoughts of Vortisar in the matter. In these special courts, it were the Hags who had the final verdict, like in old times. Vortisar accepted the trial, thinking the hags would choose for his side in this conflict, but in the end he came out defeated because the Brass’ hags voted for the side of Makaror. Vortisars son now belonged to the hide of Makaror and the verdict was final.

Vortisar, unfair as he was, waved off the final verdict from the hags because he tought he had the erosians on his side.

Vortisar send out a rider to Hellisia to inform Cecilos. Cecilos answered that he wished to remain neutral for the time being because he would not want to interfere in Brear business, but he gave his blessing that if necessary the Erosian troops would help Vortisar.

Makaror, who heard of the unwillingness of Vortisar to accept the outcome of the verdict, called for his warbrothers to come and fight for his name and honor. Vortisar on the other hand also called out for his warbrothers and two camps began to form. The two camps roughly conferred on the northern, more mountainous regions, and the southern, the more hilly regions.