Thousands of years ago, Erkwan was home to aboriginal peoples that lived on the islands. They were hardy and peaceful fishermen, mainly, but often warred amongst each other in small battles. Ekwan grew into a major power nearby, and eventually absorbed Erkwan peacefully, giving it its current name. Since trade became more and more frequent between them and intermarriages were more and more common, it was a natural merge for both of them. However, when Ekwan allowed Vale to take them over, Erkwan was unhappy with the deal and broke away again, remaining independent for another 8 years before Vale conquered them by force. As a result, they are now fairly impoverished, since to this day Vale over-taxes them as punishment.
