Soon, he discovered his mines overflowed with unusual precious stones and metals. His territory of Blood Mountain was the richest. These treasures formed from geographical shifts or the merging of a horizon realm. Appalachia began to gather all manner of raw materials, a far step up from a simple logger.

A cunning and ruthless businessman, Hatfield built Appalachia in his own image. He expanded his labor force, bringing wild vampires in line, and courted investors. He gathered Nockers, Boggans, Ogres, Gremlins, and all manner of contacts.

For 5 years they dug into the mountain, building and creating custom equipment and space to live. Only Boggan craftiness could meet the harsh deadlines. They completed 15 years of construction in only 5 short years. The mines, once in full production, had the one customer they cared about: King Balor.

Alice's political cunning secured the Second City as a vassal domain to Appalachia. Her marriage to Devil Anse's own son, Cap, secured the couple as governors of the territory. Her Patron, the Voice of Balor, awarded her the prosperous title of Imperial Treasurer. Another of their nobles, Sylar Veselov McCoy, aided in closing a dangerous trod. His aid contained the volatile St. Louis portal, and earned him the title Master of Trods.

The Second City domain lord, Adam of Rome, was little more than a figurehead. Yet he, and the council of elders beneath him, squandered every opportunity. Their repeated failures created a rift between them and the Second City's true power... the crime bosses.

Aided by her prophetic arts and political savvy, Alice MacGregor of Appalachia saw the Second City begin to falter. She laid plans to annex it, but she was not alone. One of the Second City’s nobles, Gemini, was, in actuality, a willing pawn for Gabriel De’Angelo and the Society of Deus. With Gemini’s aid, De’Angelo was able to abduct and imprison Capone. Gabriel dominated Al Capone to gain information and a foothold in the Second City.

When one of the bosses, Torrio, discovered Gemini's duplicity, he was furious. He threw his support behind Appalachia. He saw the profit and power they represented as a better fit. Also, as a long-time friend of Capone, he rejected De'Angelo's offers.

For her accomplishment, Devil Anse gave Alice his blessing to marry his son, Cap. The two were put in charge of governing the Second City on Appalachia's behalf, and they claim it as their own.

Dischordia caught a glimpse of the chthonic, primordial horror of the Nightmare Lands. Aitu, the Crimson Weaver, spread a plague of nightmares, which threatened Dischordia. It spread first from the Wolves of the North, when they sent infected couriers to warn the other domains. The plague infected peasants and nobles, alike, turning them into indescribable tentacled horrors. It threatened to devastate the populations of Dischordia.

The priests of the New Faith, present in many domains, did what they could to heal the plague. After many months of nightmares, they came to court prepared with a solution. They crafted Dream catchers, combining New Faith rituals and Appalachian gems. They were a tangible symbol of hope to combat the fear spread by the plague. Though effective, they were little better than band-aids. The two domains formed a partnership to mass-produce the Dream catchers. Together, they brought the plague under control, saving Dischordia from horrors of nightmare. However, empowered by raw belief, even the slightest doubt would cause them to fail.

When the call to war went out, Odin awoke from the Odinsleep, and the Wolves of the North fell in line. They had waited long enough, and were eager for battle against their enemies. They marched to battle in silent unison, with crows devouring all in their wake. The Wolves faced the armies of Sargon of Akkad. As Odin and Sargon fought, each shrugged off blows that could shatter mountains. Yet Odin's soldiers lacked his godlike resilience. When he led them into the thick of battle, many of his men fell in the assault.

Lord Devil Anse Hatfield of Appalachia, faced the spectral Queen Amytis. Even the the Spectre's corpus was no match for the Redcap's jaws. One taste was all he needed, and Devil Anse would sniff her out from across the battlefield. His relentless pursuit exhausted even the rage of the Spectre of Despair, until she fell to his teeth.

Bartholomew Roberts, Warlord of Bermuda and Aranta-Shadur, inspired his soldiers into battle. He, the Herald of Poseidon faced Mangora, the Drowned Mage of Mu. Bart's armies appeared from the shadows, and the oceans themselves fought at his side. Nothing slowed the archmage. Mangora's wounds healed faster than Bart could inflicted them. Reality twisted at Mangora's whim. Raw magical power overwhelmed the Bermudan lord, encasing him in an metallic prison.

The countryside was alternately incinerated and frozen with magic. The Praenomen, mysterious domain lord of Archive, faced Shokar, the Immolator of Pompeii. The Praenomen, the most magically adept of Balor's generals, called ice down upon his foe. Shokar summoned the fires of his own rage. The magics they wielded destroyed swaths of the battlefield, and armies with it. Neither could best the other. Yet, Shokar surrendered, hoping the Praenomen's icy magic could cool his tormenting flames. Shokar was returned to Dischordia in cold iron chains.

Dischordia had defeated the Crimson Weaver, and his generals had fallen or fled. The Dischordian armies returned to their kingdom, bloody but victorious. They knew, however, that they could not defeat the nightmares forever. They would thrive in this era of fear and darkness, and Dischordia could only weather the storm.

The Praenomen did not swear oaths to Bistri as agreed. Instead, he joined instead under Devil Anse Hatfield of Appalachia at the last minute. This single act sparked centuries of animosity between Bistri and the Hatfields. The two domains teetered on the brink of war.

Shortly after this merger, Imperial Prince Ailil revealed Archive's most closely-guarded secret. He revealed that Archive's role, as cartographers and historians, was only a ruse to conceal their true purpose... as Balor’s personal spies, saboteurs, and assassins.

But the death of the Praenomen severed the Archive’s oaths to Appalachia. Rather than re-swear oaths to Appalachia, Calamity instead chose to join Aranta-Shadur. The loss of Archive stripped significant title from Appalachia's lord. Appalachia learning that Aranta-Shadur had aided in the rebellion, fractured their strained alliance. Discovering that Bistri had also benefited from the coup led to continued hostilities. Calamity's efforts to mend the conflict had only worsened them. Devil Anse Hatfield considered Bistri directly responsible for Calamity’s betrayal.

Syler Veselov, Ravager of Roads, lost many of his trods leading out of Dischordia. Those that remained were essential to the movement of armies across the kingdom. Without him to guide the domains along the quickest path to where they were most needed, Dischordia would have fallen in the first year.

Appalachian gems proved to be an effective and necessary weapon against Aether's shadows. The kingdom called on them to contribute a vast amount of their domain's wealth to the war effort. At great cost, Alice Hatfield kept the war chest full, and ensured the gems never stopped flowing. This earned goodwill from Ordo and Wolves, who used the gems with great effectiveness in the war.

After the War of Aether, Devil Anse wasn't quite the same. Alice Hatfield managed the domain as she always had, but rumor spread that Devil Anse was weak. Before long, these rumblings erupted into a full, but bloodless coup.

The Ravager of Roads, Sylar Veselov McCoy, seized control of the domain from the Hatfields. He persuaded Devil Anse to step down as domain lord - for the good of the domain and his family. Anse agreed, and the McCoys returned to prominence under Prince Sylar. There was no doubt, though, that such a betrayal reignited the long-dormant feud. Many suspected that Devil Anse was playing a longer game. Appalachia's representation returned to court and the domain returned from their obscurity.

When the war started, the domain lord, Sylar Veselov, showed little interest in pursuing it. A few eager nobles were the sum total of Appalachia's contribution to the war effort. Nobles from Ravensholt and York devoted themselves to supporting the Dischordian forces. They earned great glory for their part in the victories on many battlefields.

Kiev was a secondary, but contentious battleground in Carpathia. Empyrean's nobles conquered one of the two primary fortifications early. A temporary ceasefire interrupted the pursuit of the second. A Lazarean officer approached Empyrean's officers. He appealed to their humanity to bring an end to the violence. He tried to persuade them of Lazarus' righteousness, and Dischordia's monstrous corruption.

The ceasefire ended abruptly with an attack by Appalachia. Devil Anse Hatfield himself marched upon the battlefield, slaughtering Lazarean soldiers. He faced Alyosha Buljiev in single combat. Calling upon his powers of Winter, he froze and shattered the Carpathian lord. With the the city's defenders routed, Hatfield staked his own claim, contesting that of his Empyrean rivals.

The Grim Legion's ghost fleet launched coordinated strikes against Dischordia's east coast. Unification, still reeling from the loss of their capitol, was overrun by legionnaires. Survivors of the destruction fled as refugees to the next city, with wraiths in pursuit. The New Faith's northeastern coastal cities fell to naval bombardment in a matter of days. The Legion made landfall and an infantry skirmish ensued. Further inland, the New Faith reinforced their defenses. The siege lasted for months, as more Legion reinforcements arrived. They struck at other domains. The Grim Legion marched on Appalachia, bringing several cities to their knees. None were able to prevent the Legion from marching through their northern mountains. They struck deep into Aranta-Shadur and to the Second City. The Legion marched on Dischordia with impunity. No domain could muster a strong defense to turn aside their assaults. The chances of Lazarus’ victory grew.

No matter how insignificant, Aztlan needed to see the error of attacking a Dischordian city. In response, Aztlan’s ambassador threatened retribution, and delivered an ultimatum. Dischordia would return Juarez, and Pascal the Traitor, or Aztlan would join the war. What's more, they would bring the full support of their South American allies in Ukhu. The Imperials decided it unwise to provoke war on another front. They decreed that Appalachia return Juarez to Aztlan.

As Europe reeled from Dischordia's devastating attack, Aether seized their chance to cripple both. Cities which had fallen to darkness during the War of Aether bled shadows like an open wound. Abyssal armies swarmed from these tears in reality. Shadow-eaten vampires, spectres, and demons laid waste to surrounding territories. The Aether fought without regard for their own destruction, and inflicted considerable damage.

Unbeknownst to Appalachian nobles, Syler Veselov's domain of Underfoot, having fallen silent since his death, was festering with such a threat. In Sylar’s absence, the Wraiths of Underfoot had fallen to their shadows, and the tunnels were now overrun with specters and darkness. Oblivion itself had bubbled into the deepest recesses of Underfoot. When Underfoot failed to send soldiers to the defense of Appalachia, as demanded by Devil Anse, investigations disovered the threat. Devil Anse did not wait for the threat to rise, but took the battle to them, driving the forces of Aether back into the tunnels. Though the darkness of the Abyss claimed many before receding into the darkened tunnels once again. Even then, a few tendrils of darkness overflowed and attacked surrounding cities, and the darkness remained beneath the mountain.