Arnellia Clan

The Arnellia Clan is the unity clan that formed between the Winoc, Yannic, Yezekael, Elouan, Nolwenn, Paol, Maelle, Rozenn and Loic Clans. It was founded in the year 1078 of the first age, and lasted until it's disbanding in the year 587 of the second age. The descendents of the Arnellia Clan went on to form the nation of Arnellia.

Founding and Early Conflict
The Arnellia Clan was founded in 1078, following the Winoc, Yannic, Yezekael, Elouan, Nolwenn, Paol, Maelle and Rozenn Clans interest in the teachings of Arnel. The tension between the Clans living so close demanded a solution, and the Clans unanimously voted in favor of creating a unity clan with Arnel as their leader. The Loic Clan joined shortly after, when the Arnellia Clan marched to save their enslaved Clansmen. With the Loic Clan marching with them, the Arnellia Clan destroyed the Oanez Clan, and assimilated the peoples they had enslaved into the clan. These people were not added to any sub-clan, but instead joined a new Arnellian core of the clan.

Over the next twenty years the Arnellia Clan slowly grew, and spread out, claiming more territory, and subsuming the smaller, less rigid clans into the Arnellian identity. Finally in 17 2A the Clan was drawn into a proper war with the Gael Clan. The Arnellian Army suffered an initial loss, and was driven back to defend itself against the raids of the Gael Clan until 19 2A, when the army moved out and managed to defeat the two armies of the Gael Clan.

The First Dragon
During the Gael War Arnel was slain. His son, Pierrick Arnel took over. Having lost his father to war Pierrick was hesitant to make any acts of aggression. He instead turned to religion, and with his sister Gwenaelle Arnel, he helped further the religious unity of the Arnellia Clan. This unity created a surge in the number of practicing priests, and in turn a surge in the number of paladins.

This surge of paladins proved useful in 33 2A, when a large red dragon settled into the mountains to the south of Lightsnest. Dragons had previously been a problem for clans before, but typically they were simply endured until they grew bored and left, or the clan decided to relocate to avoid them. With so many people settled into the area however, relocation was not an option. And so the most powerful paladins of the Arnellia Clan traveled to the dragon's nest, and engaged it. The paladins emerged victorious, returning to the Clan with the head of the slain dragon.

The prestige granted by defeating the dragon granted the Arnellia Clan a period of great influence among the rival clans. Smaller clans opted to join them, while the larger clans treated them with respect. This influence led to the church spreading into the other clans, which adopted the teachings to varying degrees. Most of them took the core beliefs and added their own values atop the religion.

Infighting
The Paladins that had defeated the dragon became particularly well respected among the church. Many members of the church sought to learn from the Paladins, however they all disagreed on many things. To this end, they elected to each found an order of paladins, trained according to their own personal doctrines. At their peak, these orders boasted 1300 members between the 11 orders that had been founded.

A period of peace followed the foundation of the orders, as no other clans sought to bring harm to them. The paladins also greatly increased the security of the clan, and they traveled to other clans to help them with their own problems with monsters and angry spirits. With the passing of the founders however, disagreements between the paladin orders began to form. By the year 210 2A they had reached such a point that the Order of Crusaders marched on the Order of Roses to resolve their issues. The resulting battle decimated the Order of Roses, which was left barely clinging to it's existence.

This conflict set a precedent, and for the next hundred years the orders, and the clans that supported them turned on each other, resolving their differences on the battlefield. During this period the culture of war shifted. Neither side wished to suffer the fate of the Order of Roses, and so single combat on the battlefield became increasingly common, with the champions of orders fighting to resolve such issues.

Fall to the Corentin
In 343 2A the Arnellia Clan was invaded by the Corentin Clan. The Corentin Clan had been a distant clan, which had enjoyed the protection of the Arnellian paladins until the infighting drew them home. During this time, a blue dragon had arrived. Spurred on by the Arnellians, they had attempted to fight it, and failed. The clan seemed doomed, until a young hero emerged in the form of Sari Corentin. She managed to soothe and tame the dragon. From there she directed it to their neighbors, wrecking such destruction on the clans around hers, that none would attempt to capitalize on the Corentin's weakened state. With the dragon's assistance, Sari secured leadership of the Corentin Clan, and led an effort to rebuild.

With the Corentin Clan restored, Sari set her gaze to the other clans. She rapidly absorbed the smaller clans around her, demanding submission with her dragon. The Corentin Clan grew rapidly, until soon it was the largest clan in the region. Sari declared herself no longer a chief, but instead a queen, and demanded submission from all other clans.

Arnellia refused to submit, and thus was invaded. The Paladin Orders reunited in the face of this threat, but their infighting had weakened them, with many of their former champions slain by rival orders. Despite a valiant effort, the Arnellia Clan was defeated, and surrendered. The Arnellia Clan was one of the largest clans in the area, and Sari saw fit not to destroy or subsume them into her new kingdom. Instead she claimed the chief's daughter, Katell Arnel as her wife, and declared the Arnellia Clan was now the Arnellian Province of her new kingdom.