Ards

The history of the Ards began with the expedition of Aruas and Ariviy to Yarog. The Grovns were destroying the forest around them. The trees rotted and died, so Aldeviy sent his younger brothers northwest. They were to persuade the Grovns to live in harmony with nature and do it no harm.

The Grovns refused to listen and drove the Ald detachment away. Aruas and Ariviy returned to Dyung empty-handed. Aldeviy ordered them to leave Yarog alone and never again interfere in the lives of the Grovns, but the brothers rejected his decision. They secretly gathered supporters and set out for Yarog once more. Aruas and Ariviy intended to summon the magic of Dyungius and reveal it to the Grovns.

Aruas resorted to forbidden magic. During the prayer, the brothers accidentally opened a portal at the bottom of the lake. A colossal Black Bear emerged from it, and the Grovns took him for their god. On the shore, the Bear assumed the form of an old man and called himself Namibius. He pointed his staff at the Alds and bent them to his will. Namibius’s magic changed their bodies and distorted their very nature. Thus the first Ards came into being.

Aruas and Ariviy returned to the western part of Dyung. Under Namibius’s influence, the nature of these lands began to change. The forests darkened and became dense coniferous thickets. The soil turned waterlogged, and vast swamps spread across the region. Here the Ards founded Western Dyung and built the fortified city of Peris.

After their defeat in the Liberation War, Aruas and Ariviy created the Black Bear Brotherhood. It united the remaining supporters of Namibius and allowed them to operate in secret. Through the Brotherhood, the Ards interfered in the affairs of other states and exploited old rivalries for their own ends. In Lageria, they supported the Vigs, set their clans against one another, and kept alive the dream of reclaiming lost lands, above all Dolmar.

For almost a thousand years, the Ards awaited the return of Namibius. Craft workshops and forges became the foundation of life in Peris. Weapons and armor continued to be forged there and secretly supplied to allies. Cargo was sent through the river port and in small caravans, with every effort made to avoid the attention of other states.

The Ards use riding lizards to travel through forests and swamps. These creatures are well adapted to narrow woodland roads and marshy terrain.