Aloria was the kingdom of the Alorns, the people of the Bear God, Belar. Alorns were one of the more diverse races, consisting of four different nations: Riva, Cherek, Drasnia, and Algaria. Sendaria could also be described as being partly Alorn, as it was a racially mixed nation which was geographically close to Aloria. All five of these nations took part in the Alorn Council, with Sendaria not taking part in all functions. The term "Aloria" was a very useful tool in diplomacy, as, if Drasnia, Riva, Algaria, and Cherek had made a treaty to not attack a country, Aloria had not, so they would be free to attack as Aloria.
History
The people of the Bear God were one of the first races to wage war. Even before the War of the Gods, tribal wars were considered the norm. Indeed, when called upon to march on Torak, the Alorns spent a great deal of time warring over who would be the commander the Alorn horde, and Belar refused to pick one clan-cheif over another as king. This was settled by Belgarath insisting that each of the potential leaders drew lots. The winner of this lottery was the first king of the Kingdom of Aloria and the ultimate ancestor of Cherek Bear-shoulders.
After the War of the Gods, Belar lead his people to the far north, where he insisted they would search for a way across Torak's new sea in order to retreive the Orb of Aldur. Ultimately, two Alorn princes, Riva Iron-grip and Algar Fleet-foot, found the string of islands to the north that would become known as the land bridge. The princes, along with their brother, Dras Bull-neck, and their father, Cherek Bear-shoulders, journeyed across the bridge with the company of Belgarath the Sorcerer to steal the Orb of Aldur. After the successful theft, Belgarath ordered Aloria to be broken into the four nations. Cherek was given a peninsula in the north, and was ordered to build ships and make the sea his nation; Dras was given the moors to the east; Algar was given the plains to the south, and was ordered to tame and breed the horses there; Riva, the bearer of the Orb, was ordered to a small island where he would build a citadel. All this was done to protect the Orb from the ultimate retaliation from Torak and his Angaraks. These then developed into the four Alorn nations.
Characteristics
The dividing of Aloria following the theft of the Orb caused a polarization of the Alorn people. Though in general they maintained certain defining traits (generally large and blond), the specifics changed over time to reflect their individual country.
- Algars: The Algars were a nomadic tribe, descended from Algar Fleet-foot, that were generally thought to live on horseback. They were loosely joined by a tribal system where each individual cheiftan had just as much power over his own tribe as the Algarian king. Their capital was officially Aldurford, but the de facto capital was the Algarian Fortress, a manmade mountain that was designed more as a trap to the Angaraks than as an actual city. The inside of the fortress was a maze of corridors and dead ends meant to confuse any enemies that may enter. Due to the nomadic nature of the Algars, its population was non-permanent.
- Drasnians: The Drasnians were the descendants of Dras Bull-neck. The Drasnians themselves were split into two groups: city Drasnians and plains Drasnians. City Drasnians were mostly merchant class, and the preferred profession was as a spy. The Drasnains were said to have the largest and most detailed spy network, so much to the point where the Drasnian king, if he were to wish it, would know what Salmisssra had had for breakfast that very morning. Plains Drasnians, on the other hand, were a superstitious group that fell prey to easy manipulation. Due to this, the Drasnian moors were a natural recruitment ground for the Bear-cult.
- Chereks: The Chereks were the descendants of Cherek Bear-shoulders. Cherek was not happy about separating his kingdom, as he only received as small part, so Belgarath suggested that the Chereks become a seafaring nation. It was said that every Cherek was a pirate; this was not too far off the truth. Cherek warships were generally considered the best out of any navy. The Chereks themselves were the most similar to their ancient ancestors in build. They were large and generally blonde or red-headed. In battle, Cherek warriors were berserkers, with a single man being able to take on a whole regiment by themselves.
- Rivans: The Rivans were the descendants of Riva Iron-grip. The Rivans were the most "normal" out of all the Alorns. Isolated on the Isle of Winds, they were distrustful of any but other Alorns. Due to the horrendous weather, it was normal for a Rivan to wear a thick, wool cloak that was grey due to the fact that no dye would take to it. This earned them the nickname "greycloaks". Their entire society was based around the protection of the Orb of Aldur. As such, their capital city, Riva, was planned in a stairstep fashion so that even if an invading force was to break through the first gate, they would face countless more tiers before even arriving at the citadel.