The Long Row North

The Long Row North refers to a pivotal episode in the late 900s Eastern Merkopan and Valgish history, when the southern Valg tribes of the Gruni and Lorren regions, along with the Sord tribes, faced a renewed threat from the Markians. Despite nearly two decades of peace, a massive Markian army, forty thousand strong, suddenly invaded, catching the southern Valgs off-guard. This resurgence of conflict stemmed from longstanding violent feuds and deep-rooted enmity between the Valgs and Markians.

Faced with potential annihilation, the southern Valgs devised a strategic plan to delay the Markian invasion while facilitating a mass evacuation eastward. Their primary defense aimed to hold off the Markians long enough for the population to flee to coastal towns and undertake a perilous journey across the Gray Strait to an island, where they united with northern Valgs who had previously been displaced by similar threats. On this island, the newly united Valgs invaded the Kingdom of Il Eryll and formed Valgia, establishing a new, robust community.

Back in their homeland, the defensive efforts eventually collapsed, and the Markian armies overran and devastated the remaining towns. Although the homeland defenses fell, the spirited resistance of the southern Valgs had fulfilled its purpose, enabling the survival and continuation of their people and culture. The soldiers who sacrificed their lives in defense are still honored to this day.

In the years that followed, the united Valgish people, strengthened by alliances with other local tribes, founded the Kingdom of Valgos, which later expanded into the Valgos Empire, known for its vast fleet and global influence. More recently, a revolution transformed the nation into the Democratic Republic of Valgsland, led by Chancellor Emmerich Hegel.