Excerpted from A History of Kings, by Beratel Voleman, Scholar of Balashad

The continent of Faranin, sometimes referred to as the Kingdom of Faranin, is the only body of land on Ereksby united under one crown. The Kingdom of Terne, led first by King Barstov Vonamart and later his son, Aretlan Vonamart, conquered its four neighbors in a war lasting from approximately the year 937 to the year 960. Yet while Faranin is now united under the crown of Terne, it was not always so. The Kingdom of Faranin finds its origins some two hundred fifty miles to the northwest in the city of Balashad. Indeed, prior to the construction of Balashad, there is no record of Faranin or the rest of the known world.

Balashad is the oldest city in Faranin, though it has never been one of the land’s capitals, which consist of Kreone, Lorat, Terne, Roe and Segova, each of which was once its own autonomous kingdom. Balashad has passed from ruler to ruler over the years, once being a part of Krone, then a part of Roe, and most recently Terne. It is a city of learning -- one in which people from all lands and walks of life gather to discuss science, religion, trade, philosophy, art and life. It is beautiful and serene. It is the crown jewel not only of Faranin, but of the world as no other place in all the land can hope to match Balashad for sheer wealth of knowledge and prestige.

After its founding, the people of Balashad spread slowly to the east, south and west, though they did not expand beyond the northern borders of the Karees River.

…More text to follow as it is uncovered from the ruins of the Great Hall of Balashad.