The Kingdom of Airyglyph, also known as the Military Superpower of Airyglyph, is a kingdom located in the continent of Gaitt, on the planet Elicoor II. It is described as a military nation ruling the mountainous southern regions of the continent of Gaitt. Its current ruler is King Airyglyph XIII, Arzei Bohnleid.
Some of the kingdom’s territories include:
- Royal City of Airyglyph
- Mining Town of Kirlsa
- Bequerel Mines
- Traum Mountains
- Granah Hills
- *Kirlsa Hills (disputed; also claimed by Kingdom of Aquaria as "Aire Hills")
All Glyphians are the modern-day descendants of former Kingdom of Aquor royalty, due to the initial founding group of Airyglyph comprising of Edyglyph I, her son Airyglyph I, and a handful of young nobles from Edyglyph I's court. This fact is often boasted to by various Glyphian NPCs, who distinguish themselves from Aquarians by their royal ancestry. Meanwhile, in Aquaria, Edyglyph I and her descendants are derogatorily branded as traitors and thieves.
Dictionary Entry[]
Dictionary/Places: Kingdom of Airyglyph
A military nation ruling the mountainous southern regions of the continent of Gaitt, which is located in the southern hemisphere of the planet of Elicoor II. Seeking to establish a unified rule over the entire continent, the prowess of its three armies strikes fear into the hearts of those living in neighboring lands. These three armies include heavy cavalry (the Storm Brigade), heavy infantry (the Black Brigade), and an air assault brigade (the Dragon Brigade).
Accessible Towns in the Kingdom of Airyglyph[]
Characteristics[]
Mainly located in the mountain ranges of Elicoor II, the winter is especially harsh in Airyglyph, which is in stark contrast with the lush landscape of Aquaria. Airyglyph has little resources and instead relies on its massive military for influence. The military of Airyglyph comprises of three factions: the Storm Brigade, the Dragon Brigade and the Black Brigade.
All Glyphians are the modern-day descendants of former Kingdom of Aquor royalty, due to the initial founding group of Airyglyph comprising of Edyglyph I, her son Airyglyph I, and a handful of young nobles from Edyglyph I's court. This fact is often boasted to by various Glyphian NPCs, who distinguish themselves from Aquarians by their royal ancestry, claiming that Crestia Dyne (the first ruler of Aquaria as Sirvia I, who secured the popular support of the people after claiming to have had a divine revelation from Elena, the Goddess of Light, that she was descendent of the royal family of Aquor) only had the "slightest" trace of royal blood.
Meanwhile, in Aquaria, Edyglyph I and her descendants are derogatorily branded as traitors and thieves.
History[]
Founding (as descendants of the Ancient Kingdom of Aquor)[]
320 years ago, Airyglyph was unofficially founded by Edyglyph I, the last queen of the Ancient Kingdom of Aquor, who fled Aquor for the frigid mountainside with a small royal entourage (mostly children at the time) after the Lost City of Surferio, the former capital of Aquor, fell to Greeton during the ancient war.[1][2] Greeton had invaded Aquor under Snake of Valeria and was able to seize most of Aquor's territory within half a year.
Edyglyph I took the Legendary Sword of the Crimson Sword with her as she fled her kingdom, along with her infant son, Airyglyph I. Many in the fleeing royal entourage died on the journey, and those who survived struggled once they reached frozen, barren lands. Edyglyph struggled day by day to keep the young ones alive and build a new world in which people could lead humane lives.
289 years ago, when her son, Airyglyph I, turned 31, he gambled his life by climbing the Dragon Road leading to the Urssa Lava Caves to enlist dragons' aid against the threat of evil demons plaguing the fugitive tribe. He became the first person to ever succeed in completing the Accession of the Flame ceremony, which would later become enshrined as a vital initiation of the Dragon Brigade military. After this success, Airyglyph I formed a covenant with the air dragons, drove out all the demons in the area, and officially built the Kingdom of Airyglyph.[3]
Pre-Aquarian War[]
Prior to the political reformation lead by Glou Nox and Count Woltar, Airyglyph, always known as a poor country, never possessed a powerful military in comparison to its three neighbors on the continent of Gaitt.[4] That changed when Glou, Woltar, and a handful of sympathizer nobles led a political reformation to install a new King and military system. Spurred on by several assassination plots, as well as "accidents and coincidences," Arzei Bohnleid, who was twelfth in line from the throne and studying in Aquaria at the time (initially having no intentions of becoming King), was crowned King Airyglyph XIII. When the possibility of becoming King became real, Arzei was forced to break up his relationship with Elena Frahm.
One of Airyglyph XIII's first royal decrees as King was to institute a merit-based system, which led to several nobles' banishment (some of whom promoted his rise), and the appointment of others who had previously been languishing in obscure posts. This decree as well as other reforms transformed Airyglyph's three brigades (the Storm Brigade, the Black Brigade, and the Dragon Brigade), which used to be nothing more than clubs for nobles to fraternize in, into formidable military units in a relatively short time. This military overhaul led to Airyglyph possessing enough force to overwhelm the Kingdom of Aquaria, the Sanmite Republic, and the Kingdom of Greeton, all in a brief period of time.[4]
War with the Kingdom of Aquaria[]
Since the majority of Airyglyph's territory is barren, snow-covered land, Airyglyph's economy is almost entirely dependent on the mineral deposits mined in Kirlsa. Due to over-mining in recent years, their mineral resources have begun to run out. This was Airyglyph's rationale for war - specifically, Airyglyph wanted to assume control of the Aire/Kirlsa Hills located between Kirlsa and Arias. Both Airyglyph and Aquaria claim sovereignty over this vast, hilly region for different reasons — Airyglyph wanted it for growing crops, since it never freezes, and Aquaria wanted it for the wealth of resources hidden underneath its soil.
During the war, Airyglyph XIII would rely heavily on his uncle Duke Vox as bona fide commander-in-chief to spearhead the war efforts. As head of the Peacekeeping Force as well, Vox began arresting Church of Apris followers living in Airyglyph who he claimed were supposedly planning to assassinate the King. It was because of Vox that the war between Airyglyph and Aquaria lasted as long as it did, with Vox constantly pushing for more attacks, despite the objections of Count Woltar. However, since Vox was the King's uncle, his advice took precedence over all others. It is later revealed that at one point after Glou Nox's death, Vox attempts to wield Glou's Sword of the Crimson Scourge, a magical, sentient sword that corrupts the mind of everyone the Scourge deems unworthy. However, the Scourge rejects Vox, and Airyglyph XIII later claims Vox "fell in part under its sway." This mental corruption may have played a role in Vox's subsequent efforts to wage war against the neighboring Aquaria.
Sometime during the war, a Glyphian double agent infiltrates Clair Lasbard's Shield Legion, posing as one of her subordinates. The double agent disappears after Nel Zelpher returns with the stolen Copper Ore from the Bequerel Mountain Path. He leaks to Airyglyph top secret information exposing Aquaria's plans to use the Thunder Arrow during the planned battle for Arias, which Vox is leading. This leak emboldens Vox to assume command of both the Black Brigade (now that Albel is imprisoned on treason charges) and Dragon Brigade. Vox decides to expedite the Glyphian offensive against Arias, forcing it to take place before Aquaria has the chance to complete the Thunder Arrow.
Vox's ultimate goal was to conquer all of Aquaria (and eventually, all of Gaitt) for Airyglyph. Before the battle between Vox and Nel, Fayt, and Cliff concludes, the Vendeeni ambush the battle between Aquaria and Airyglyph, and Vox is killed by a stray Vendeeni laser, effectively ending the war between the two countries. Upon witnessing the Vendeeni, Fayt inadvertently activates his Destruction powers, destroying much of Aquaria and Airyglyph's troops.
Later, Lord Demetrio and Schweimer at different times hold the position of Captain of the Dragon Brigade, each dying after unsuccessfully attempting to avenge Vox's death and restart the war.
Post-war[]
After the peace treaty is signed between Airyglyph and Aquaria, the King of Airyglyph, Airyglyph XIII asks Elena Frahm's hand for marriage, a proposal to which she declines. Afterwards, Airyglyph XIII becomes engaged to Rozaria, the daughter of the Church of Apris' High Priestess. Airyglyph XIII briefly met Rozaria in his youth while studying in Aquios. During his stay in Castle Aquaria, Airyglyph XIII also saved Rozaria's life when she was a child, 15 years before the events of SO3. Rozaria claims to have been harboring feelings for him the entire time they have been apart.
This marriage is expressly identified as a political union, which represents a sincere effort from both Airyglyph and Aquaria to strengthen the bond between their long-warring countries and usher in a new, peaceful age.
Trivia[]
- According to the royal cook in Castle Airyglyph, Glyphian cooking is heavy on sauces and spices, due to the lack of readily-available ingredients in the country.
- Puffy mentions that the people of Kirlsa speak with an accent, that among other things, makes them pronounce the double ff [/f/] sound as "puh" (e.g., Puh-hee instead of Puff-ee).