"The epitome of the wretched, impoverished, ineffectual Flaugian states. A land with no past, present or future… What does it do, what is it for?" So ran Landisso's typically petulant verdict of the Kingdom of Warien. The country is rather typical of Flauge and enjoys all the problems which bedevil that land.
The territory of Warien spent Teraf's first millennium being passed from one government to another; Astic, Jurick, Noriscan, Astic, Erish and finally Astic again. Independence finally came through the Great Rebellion of Astmad's outerlying regions in 971. Warien's one distinction is proving wrong the general assumption that the rebellion succeeded solely because of Christotan interference. Erenland supported the Warrish uprising and their troops played a key role in the main battle against the overstretched Astic forces. Warien basically became a puppet of Erenland for a long time afterwards and seemed content with that role. When the power of the Erish crown began crumbling at the start of the 1200's, the reason for this docility became obvious; Warien's prosperity, such as it ever was, declined in tandem. It is currently one of the poorest nations on Teraf, its stagnated rural economy sapped by constant emigrations of its youth to richer neighbours. It has been caught up in the various grand follies of the region – both the Flaugian Wars, the Great Northern Crusade against Norisca – and also found time for a string of pointless conflicts against neighbours Yoll and Astmad. Warien's governments haven't ever been any more inspiring. Originally an oligarchy, then ruled by a string of dynasties who obliterated each other in a string of bloody civil wars. There was a brief experiment with a republican democracy in the 1290's but it was soon overthrown. Unfortunately its conqueror, Rochaite III and his son Rochaite IV seem even more hapless than their predecessors.
Loyal Warrish would retort that "what they are for" is to be an ancestor of Tangland. Warien lies within the boundaries of that ancient nation, formed in the First Partition of 77 but obliterated by a combination of Erenland and Astmad by 640. That claim, however, has also been taken up by Grail, who are currently Warien's chief concern. Grail has been grabbing land wherever it can over the past two decades but its favourite target has been the hapless Warrish. In the last two years in particular it has pushed its borders eastwards with especial vigour. The signs are that Grail's trademark 'creeping expansion' is about to become an open invasion. And that, with no allies and few troops it can afford to pay, Warien is in no condition to resist; and its years of independence are about to end. Aside from the ruling aristocracy and a few rare patriots, few Warrish would protest much at this change of nationality