At the dawn of industrial age, the rival nations of Northwest Varden were locked in an arms race; each country isolated in imperialistic ambitions. Sensing a war that would blight the entire region, the states of Alidor and North Bergenstein united to protect each other from the threats outside their borders. Wars erupted in the central lands as predicted but the alliance of the two nations allowed them to weather the storm. Through seven years of war with neighbours, the combined might of the two allies allowed them to stand their ground and defeat their particularly troublesome rivals, resulting in large expansion of Alidor and North Bergenstein. Eventually they also victoriously incorporated the duchy of Westphalia into what was soon to become known as the United Western Empire.

The empire recognised and respected the cultures of its states and developed a system of monarchy from Alidor’s royal line and democratic government. After five years of relative peace, enforced by the new super power’s presence in West Varden, the final major state of South Bergenstein was annexed into the empire. In the prosperous years to follow, the Western Empire's state’s combined efforts allowed them to gain the technological edge over the now pacified smaller countries, resulting in some territorial gain.

The Empire realised its large presence may intimidate smaller Varden countries, so it vowed to act more as a protector than conqueror and ceased expanding anymore into mainland Varden. Instead, the island of Fvardus was then settled and colonial provinces set up in the vastly unexplored continent of Alia.

However in the east a storm was gathering. Valoria has entered its own industrial renaissance and soon used an iron fist to seize the tundra and plains from native tribesmen and small kingdoms. The Western Empire watched with concern as Valoria doubled in size over a mere decade. Though the Western Empire once grew in a similar manner, Valoria’s ruthless tactics and rule were a cause for worry.

Valoria now owned all of the land in the Nordland basin. Mountains surrounded the hungry imperium on all but one side, and it now had nowhere left to feasibly and profitably expand but west. In addition, the displacement of indigenous peoples caused unknown havoc in Varden’s central barren scrub plains. Here, famine caused by the influx, drove the native tribesmen west to the fertile lands. Horseback nomads clashed in the central mountain pass with the "civilised" nations. Novatal, a small kingdom could not stem the flow on its own. Likewise the Western Empire was not willing to see its protectorates overrun by "savages" Garrisons of western troops were placed in Novatal and managed to hold the hordes at bay, bows and sword being no match for rifle and cannon.

---

Valoria too purged its borders of tribesmen and set its eye west. The Western Empire issued a warning about their hostile intentions and war broke out as Valoria continued to push west into the Empire’s neighbours. The time for negotiations was now over. A great war ensued, where two superpowers and their allies fought for dubious imperialistic agendas, matched in their technologies. The savage rending war would drag on; Varden’s fate resting on which empire would be the first to crumble.

---