The transient realm of Western Rivea has long been a region fawned over for its immeasurable capability to amass wealth and to use the incredible influence that accompanied it to make sure it's ideas were heard in whatever nation should occupy its borders.
Founded originally far back in the Dark Age of Aphal by Antramarian naval colonists in the Hastorian Sea, the city that would later grow into the economic powerhouse of Waven was supposedly or little consequence for many of its early years.
Known originally as Wavehaven, it’s primary settlement was situated on a small hill atop the wet and marshy island that lay between the banks of the mouth of the great South Lyans river.
It is said that the Dark Age kingdoms that abutted its borders such as the Newellen Antasians and the Western Agrignian Riveans knew of Wavehaven and perhaps even conducted trade that flowed back to Antrum, but the colony was mostly overlooked in what few Dark Age records even mention it at all.
It is after the great Midlon Hastorius Centenius’s victory over the rising Ustagradian Empire had secured his claim over much of mainland Aphal that Wavehaven would begin to see greater relevance.
The colony was incorporated into the Antramarian domain, citing Midlons heritage as King of Antrum, and as a reward to the formerly Centinalian General known as Kornalus Binn who had aided Midlon in securing the trident, they were granted stewardship over the colony.
The Binns proved prudent administrators and soon exploited the extremely advantageous position Wavehaven held along the South Lyans river as well as being a near perfectly central position in the Hastorian Sea to become the main hub of several major naval and land trade routes.
In particular, charging tolls for any merchants seeking to pass over the bridges dotting the South Lyans and trade goods flowing from the eastern provinces and client states trade ships baring exotic treasures from Halasphora left the Binns with enough disposable income to transform the city into a wonder of the empire.
By the time of Kain the Binn’s and Wavehaven were already well known and recorded as being a great influencer in the politics of the debatorium, despite not having the prestigious and elusive title of “Provincial Lord”, which would grant them far more autonomy from the imperial taxes and greater self governance as well as a far louder voice in court.
To this end, in the 6th Age when the Gailenrise revolts had begun to spiral towards chaos, the Binn's of Wavehaven supposedly stoked the eastern provinces to push for independence in order for their valuable positions as Provincial Lords to fall into their hands.
And by the end of the war this was indeed the case, many of the eastern territories of the east fractured off from the Empire, with their Provincial Lords now mostly resuming their position and authority, but calling themselves “kings.”
Rivea itself, the great midlands province once ruled by the Provincial Lords from the house of Tulon had fractured into the Kingdom of Rivea, leaving Waven to claim much of Western Rivea as a frontier land in what became the new province of Western Rivea, with Waven as its capital, and the Binns as its Provincial ruling family.
This would satisfy the Binns for a time, they had unrivaled prestige within Antramar and Antramar was still the greatest power in Aphal without question.
But as the Binns influence stagnated while their wealth and power grew and grew, and their great city expanded from its solitary island onto the many others that dotted the mouth of the river and even to the banks of the South Lyans itself, the ambitions of the Binns began to grow.
At this point it was even whispered that Wavehaven (at this point beginning to first be refered to as Waven) was the true capital of the Empire in all but name, and with that perhaps the Binns the true Emperors.
Following the Last War of Wyverns in the 11th and 12th Ages, and the shameful reign of Emperor Barun Arcwin, who would die heirless, it was clear that tensions would soon lead to civil war, and the Legions of the empire began to fracture and split between the major factions jockeying for power.
The largest 3 being the noble families of the Savisons of Imro, the Callistars of Smana, and of course, the ever wealthy Binns of Waven, ironically enough stating their primary claim to the imperial throne being their position as one of the few Provincial Lord Liniages still in rule since the reformation’s following the Gailenrise War.
The War of the Second candexes was a bloody and tragic affair from first blood to last, but at its end the Callistars had proven the clearly dominant combatant, but although their ambitions to see themselves as Emperors of new Unitine, the Binns did see a careful and cautious alliance with the Callistars near the conclusion of the war allow the Binn’s to fracture their province as a now fully independent Kingdom, the Kingdom of Waven.
Founded originally far back in the Dark Age of Aphal by Antramarian naval colonists in the Hastorian Sea, the city that would later grow into the economic powerhouse of Waven was supposedly or little consequence for many of its early years.
Known originally as Wavehaven, it’s primary settlement was situated on a small hill atop the wet and marshy island that lay between the banks of the mouth of the great South Lyans river.
It is said that the Dark Age kingdoms that abutted its borders such as the Newellen Antasians and the Western Agrignian Riveans knew of Wavehaven and perhaps even conducted trade that flowed back to Antrum, but the colony was mostly overlooked in what few Dark Age records even mention it at all.
It is after the great Midlon Hastorius Centenius’s victory over the rising Ustagradian Empire had secured his claim over much of mainland Aphal that Wavehaven would begin to see greater relevance.
The colony was incorporated into the Antramarian domain, citing Midlons heritage as King of Antrum, and as a reward to the formerly Centinalian General known as Kornalus Binn who had aided Midlon in securing the trident, they were granted stewardship over the colony.
The Binns proved prudent administrators and soon exploited the extremely advantageous position Wavehaven held along the South Lyans river as well as being a near perfectly central position in the Hastorian Sea to become the main hub of several major naval and land trade routes.
In particular, charging tolls for any merchants seeking to pass over the bridges dotting the South Lyans and trade goods flowing from the eastern provinces and client states trade ships baring exotic treasures from Halasphora left the Binns with enough disposable income to transform the city into a wonder of the empire.
By the time of Kain the Binn’s and Wavehaven were already well known and recorded as being a great influencer in the politics of the debatorium, despite not having the prestigious and elusive title of “Provincial Lord”, which would grant them far more autonomy from the imperial taxes and greater self governance as well as a far louder voice in court.
To this end, in the 6th Age when the Gailenrise revolts had begun to spiral towards chaos, the Binn's of Wavehaven supposedly stoked the eastern provinces to push for independence in order for their valuable positions as Provincial Lords to fall into their hands.
And by the end of the war this was indeed the case, many of the eastern territories of the east fractured off from the Empire, with their Provincial Lords now mostly resuming their position and authority, but calling themselves “kings.”
Rivea itself, the great midlands province once ruled by the Provincial Lords from the house of Tulon had fractured into the Kingdom of Rivea, leaving Waven to claim much of Western Rivea as a frontier land in what became the new province of Western Rivea, with Waven as its capital, and the Binns as its Provincial ruling family.
This would satisfy the Binns for a time, they had unrivaled prestige within Antramar and Antramar was still the greatest power in Aphal without question.
But as the Binns influence stagnated while their wealth and power grew and grew, and their great city expanded from its solitary island onto the many others that dotted the mouth of the river and even to the banks of the South Lyans itself, the ambitions of the Binns began to grow.
At this point it was even whispered that Wavehaven (at this point beginning to first be refered to as Waven) was the true capital of the Empire in all but name, and with that perhaps the Binns the true Emperors.
Following the Last War of Wyverns in the 11th and 12th Ages, and the shameful reign of Emperor Barun Arcwin, who would die heirless, it was clear that tensions would soon lead to civil war, and the Legions of the empire began to fracture and split between the major factions jockeying for power.
The largest 3 being the noble families of the Savisons of Imro, the Callistars of Smana, and of course, the ever wealthy Binns of Waven, ironically enough stating their primary claim to the imperial throne being their position as one of the few Provincial Lord Liniages still in rule since the reformation’s following the Gailenrise War.
The War of the Second candexes was a bloody and tragic affair from first blood to last, but at its end the Callistars had proven the clearly dominant combatant, but although their ambitions to see themselves as Emperors of new Unitine, the Binns did see a careful and cautious alliance with the Callistars near the conclusion of the war allow the Binn’s to fracture their province as a now fully independent Kingdom, the Kingdom of Waven.
