The Arends are a very unusual people. The all follow the Bull-God Chaldan and are about as stubborn as a bull. All Arends take offense at the slightest insult and many such confrontations have escalated Arendia into full-scale civil war. Until 2600 years ago there were three Duchies in the nation of Arendia. A fair chunk of the largest of these, the Duchy of Wacune, was given to Polgara the Sorceress in thanks for keeping the Arends from each other's throats for 30 or so years. Approximately 2000 years ago there was a betrayal within the Duchy of Wacune and it was destroyed by the Duchy of Asturia, with the survivors fleeing north to the Duchy of Erat, which is now known as Sendaria. At this time the rulers of the Duchies of Wacune and Mimbrate were very good friends, and after the Asturians were routed by Polgara's forces the Mimbrates invaded the Asturian lands and burned their capital, Vo Astur. Now the nation is ruled from the capital of the old Mimbrate Duchy, Vo Mimbre. With few exceptions the Mimbrate Arends and the Asturian Arends will not enter each other's presence willingly, except to kill one another.