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Much of the Spine’s fertile lands were once Aegle territory—until the Great War forced their westward retreat, leaving a significant portion of those lands to Human conquerors. Now, the Aegles cling to the Spine’s western edge, their nation of Quivtol a bristling fortress of vigilance.
Though these are times of peace and Kurestal shows no ambition beyond its borders, Queen Vega’s gaze never wavers from the eastern horizon. Old wounds heal slowly; the Aegles remember what was taken.
Should Kurestal’s ambitions ever turn westward, should Humans march once more on Aegle land as they did more than a millennium past, Quivtol’s warriors stand ready. Not so much as a finger’s width of land will be surrendered.
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MILITARY
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Quivtol’s military vigilance serves two unwavering purposes: first, to ensure that if war ever rears its head again, the Aegles will neither know defeat nor cede a single blade of grass, as they did in the Great War; and second, to safeguard their pursuit of knowledge and wisdom, protecting the very foundations of their way of life.
Given this resolve, it is no surprise that every Aegle military unit stands among the Spine’s finest—rigorously trained, perpetually ready, and utterly unyielding in duty.
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Stag Riders
While conventional cavalry falters in Verstand Mountain’s steep passes, Stag Riders dominate vertical terrain, making them the perfect defenders against any incursion into Regalle City.
Towering and fiercely unruly, Stagorns yield to riders only after years of relentless training. Yet once bonded, rider and steed become a peerless cavalry unit. The Stagorns’ ability to scale sheer cliffs makes them ideal guardians of Regalle’s heights, while their spear-like antlers shatter armor and defenses as effectively as any forged weapon.
Golden Leaf Rangers
The most elite of Quivtol’s rangers, the Golden Leaf Rangers stand as the nation’s greatest marksmen—legendary sharpshooters whose arrows fly true even under night’s dark mantle. Each Golden Leaf Ranger represents at least a decade’s worth of relentless training, wilderness survival, and battlefield experience.
Condor Riders
Inhabiting the lofty peaks of Quivtol’s mountain ranges, the Great Condors are few in number. These magnificent birds were once feared, for a single Great Condor could maim a score of Aegles with ease. That changed when Queen Lyra, during the darkest days of the Great War, achieved what the Aegles thought impossible: she bonded with one of the Great Condors and took to the skies as the first Condor Rider.
Today, Quivtol’s Condor Riders may rank among the smallest of its military units—but when they soar into battle atop their Giant Condors, darkening the sun itself, even the bravest foes will look to the skies in despair.
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SOCIAL DIVISION
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For all their racial pride and cultural achievements, the Aegles harbor a deep-seated division. This rift between the mountain-dwelling Higher Aegles and the plains-bound Lower Aegles fosters a sense of superiority in the former, which in turn fuels simmering discontent in the latter.
Perched on Verstand Mountain’s cliffs, the Higher Aegles—or “Highers”, as they self-style—view Regalle City as the majestic center for Aegle culture, the heart of Aegle civilization. They believe themselves to be blessed with Verstand Mountain’s protection, a conviction that justifies their role as Quivtol’s rulers and lawmakers.
Higher Aegles brand those who inhabit the Sagacia Plains as Lower Aegles—or, more derisively, “Lowers”. Though they acknowledge that the Lower Aegles work the lowlands to provide Quivtol with food and other necessary resources, Higher Aegles dismiss this as menial work, fit for those lacking the refinement and higher-level skills required to breathe Regalle’s rarefied air.
The Lower Aegles, in turn, resent being branded as such, rejecting the epithet “Lowers” completely, seeing it as nothing more than an ugly slur coined by those wallowing in arrogance. Their labor feeds Quivtol; their rivers water its fields; their hands build what Regalle’s vaunted thinkers merely design.
Yet, despite their resentment, the Lower Aegles endure the Higher Aegles’ disdain in silence. They have stirred no civil unrest, incited no riots. For they know that to voice their displeasure openly would only invite disaster upon the harmony of their nation.
And to the lowland Aegles, that is too steep a price to pay for what they see as foolishness on the part of the arrogant “Highers”.
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