Lemuria
History of Lemuria
The Kingdom of Lemuria was founded 512 years ago. It covers a majority of the continent.
Prior to the Kingdom, the continent was divided into several small territories governed by local lords. Politicking and skirmishes were common as the lords vied for power and more territory. Adam Aestus was born the second son of one such lord. Knowing he would not inherit his father's lands, he set off on his own journey to see the world. Along the way, he gathered friends and made contacts. He also saw how the people suffered under the constant fighting and instability. Aestus returned home and persuaded his brother, now a Lord, to begin a campaign to unite the fractured lands under a single banner.
At first, Aestus experienced a string of successes both diplomatic and military, forming a burgeoning Kingdom from the nearby territories. The Kingdom continued to grow, but after a few years, Aestus hit a block as his enemies allied against him. His borders were now vast and he lacked the troops to defend them. Aestus sought aid by traveling to the Feywild with a small group of trusted companions. Not much is known about what transpired there, but when he returned, Aestus had fey with him that built a magical portal. This portal allowed him to send small but powerful squadrons anywhere he needed them in the blink of an eye. The portal turned the tide of the war, and in the year 1487 of the Third Age, the last of the enemy alliance broke and swore allegiance to the Kingdom.
Aestus allowed many of the local lords to retain their lands and titles in exchange for swearing fealty to his crown. He maintained the Kingdom army, but even allowed the local lords to keep their own forces if they wished to help fight against local threats. The Kingdom took on the defense of the borders and responsibility for larger threats within the land from monsters and rebellion. Use of the portal was granted to an offshoot branch of the military named the Lemurian Guild. The Guild's rapid response due to the portal helped the Kingdom to flourish and is credited for the relative peace the people have enjoyed since the Great War.
The Two Brothers
For all that he unified Lemuria, historians argue over who exactly King "Adam" Aestus was. King Aestus only ever went by his last name, Aestus, and there were two contemporary Aestus brothers at the kingdom's founding. Due to the lack of records, it has led to to two competing theories over who the King exactly was, the Traveler Brother or the Noble Brother.
The Traveler Brother was known to travel, wander, and be an excellent conqueror. It is suspected that he journeyed and presented the deal to the Fey that led to the Portal's creation. He was the adventuring and military mind behind the nation.
The Noble Brother was supposedly an expert diplomat and able to deftly navigate the political landscape. It is suspected he wrote the deal to the Fey that led to the Portal's creation. He was the diplomatic mind behind the nation.
Though King Aestus is named as "Adam Aestus" he is only referred to as such in treatises and documents that do not clarify which of the brothers was "Adam". Regardless of whoever eventually became king, the other disappeared from the historical records after the other's ascent.
"The way I see it, the traveler brother served as an ambassador to the noble brother. It makes sense that the noble would ascend to king. It's unknown what happened to the other brother regardless of which ascension you believe in. My personal theory, backed by some learnings I've obtained during my time at the Guild due to a similar relationship, is that the traveler brother went to the Feywild after Lemuria was established and served the fey court as part of his bargain he struck for their alliance." - Ashe :::