Benalia
Benalia was a powerful nation on Aerona, on Dominaria, before the Phyrexian Invasion in which it was conquered in under a month and held for the duration of the war. A powerful military state influenced by the Churches of Serra and Gabriel Angelfire, Benalia was for a long time the trademark human race for white magic, and was the birthplace of Gerrard Capashen. Benalia has a complex caste system that changes with the lunar year. The only caste that cannot be attained by either heredity or money is that of the Hero.
Geography
Benalia is located on the west coast of Aerona, bordered to the east by the Hurloon Mountains/Kb'Briann Highlands/Ironclaw Mountains and by the Llanowar Forest in the Southeast. To the north of Benalia lies Avenant Isle, which was once part of Benalia itself.
If southern Benalia lies the Andros Bay, in the north the Red Iron Mountains. Benalia City lies on the tip of a small, west reaching peninsula in the north. The Atrivak Mounds are Benalia's greatest penal colony.
History
Shortly after the Ice Age the Sheoltun Empire, a militaristic and expansionist nation, collapsed. On its ashes Benalia would be build. Torsten von Ursus, in exile ever since an evil mage counquered his home country of Wrenna, founded Benalia. After his years among the Hurloon Minotaurs, he stumbled upon the blighted city of Benfosa which, he tought, was a perfect place to implement his gathered wisdom and philosophies. He took up the reins of the great Horse Civilization and guided the ancestors of Benalia out of the ruins of the once-great Sheoltun Empire. Torsten chose the name Benalia, which means aspiration, proclaiming it's intent to rule the world. Using sometimes-brutal tactics he brought an entire nation into being using nothing more than the force of his will and the brutal charisma of the natural leader. After succeeding in much of his goal, he died at the age of seventy-two, leaving behind the legendary Lost Edict, proclaiming that none of his seven lieutenants would follow him up as sole ruler of Benalia. Instead, Benalia would be ruled via a complex system in which the seven clans of the country each have a different possition. Like the castes of Benalia, the position of the clans change each year.
The Clans of Benalia
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