While the Kingmaker AP is very vague about pre-conquest Brevoy there is quite a lot of information buried in the various histories of the region. Taken together, it gives a more nuanced view of Issia and the Aldori. On the map, blue represents Orlovsky, pink is Issia and light green is Aldori influence - although it would be wrong to say that of that area was Aldori controlled. The northern Houses all stem, in some way, from Ioberia.

The Orlovsky were refugees from the city of Orlov, in Ioberia, who left to escape a foreign invasion, more than 1000 years before the conquest, and are the only one of the Great Families who came here as a unit. That same foreign invasion sent smaller groups west as well. Mountain and country folk drifted over the Icerime mountains and settled the region between the Mountain and the forest and, eventually, became the Medyed. Fishers, sailers and sea-raiders drifted west as well and settled along the norther coast - they were to become the Lodkova and Surtova. Others moved further inland, working with Dwarves and anyone else they could find. For most, Gorum was an important deity, but Pharasma and Erastil were important too.

This all happened about 100 years after the Taldan Expedition that colonized the southern part of the region. The Aldori were one of a number of small Taldan baronies, based on part of the Rostland plains. However, the Taldan armies had withdrawn, leaving these early colonists alone.

Some time later, The Surtova started to exert their dominance - they were the most aggressive and war-like of all the new Ioberian settlers - and Lord Surtova eventually declared himself King of Issia. This was a military kingship, enforced at the point of a sword and extracting tribute from every lordling that he could dominate. The only ones who resisted, to some extent, were the Orlovsky - and they didn't actually have anything that was of much use to the Surtova.

Over a longer period, the Aldori extended their influence. Like Surtova, they were the most military of the Taldan estates, and had their 'special' fighting technique. Even so, it was a patchwork of smaller states, working in association with each other. That probably came about because the first Sword Baron insisted that people who 'trained in the art' took the name and joined 'The Family'. It was never a single, homogenous, state.

By the time of the Conquest, The Aldori had two main strongholds, The Rostland Plain and Skywatch - and their area of influence extended, between the mountains and forest, all the way between them (see the green area on the map). House Surtova claimed Issia (The pink area) and Orlovsky stood alone in their, not very productive, holding at Eagle's Watch (Blue). The southwest of modern Brevoy was a mishmash of Ioberian and Taldan settlers, untroubled by either the Aldori or the Surtova.

In many ways, there is little difference between the Issian, Gorum worshipping Issians and the southern martial artist of the Aldori - who (even in modern Brevoy) are described as short-tempered, quick to take offence and ready to fight at the drop of a hat.

Brevoy during Rogarvia rule

This section mixes detail from the AP, with the flavour generated by the early history of the land.

The leaders of these houses were, in basic terms, Choral's tax and tribute collectors. Part of their reward is that they were allowed to skim some of the taxes and tribute for themselves - and really cement their place as leader in their area. Choral eventually gave them the title 'Duke'.

• Surtova finished up with the northwest corner - but didn't lose their reputation as pirates, thieves and outright badguys. They even wangled a marriage arrangement with the Rogarvia. Surtova lost their status as KIng, but became the most powerful of the great houses.
• Orlovsky continued much as it was, although it was forced to consolidate its holdings and pay tribute to Choral.
• Lodkova became the leader of the less aggressive (Issian) fisherfolk, and traders in the Northeast. Overtime, they coalesced into a (fairly) coherent Great House.
• Medveyd - coalesced out of the Erastil following farmers who lived between the Mountains and the Forest. Think of them more as a coalition, rather than a standard Noble house. The Duke is a hereditary 'First among Equals' rather than an absolute ruler.
• Garress - was formed from the issian warlords who had started working with the Dwarves from Deepdelve Minehold (The Golka).
• Lebeda - Formed from a mix of Ioberian and Taldan settlers, and a series of political marriages that tied some of the more prominent families together.
• Aldori - were the example of what happened if you didn't co-operate with Choral. Not only were they decimated (or more) at The Valley of Fire, Choral claimed their lands for his own people. The Mivon Aldori left Brevoy completely. The Khavatorov, found a way to work with Choral - but everyone else who stayed was subject top an overlord, and an array of Counts and Viscounts ruled across Skywatch and the Rostland Plains. While Choral built his capital at New Stetven, Sky Watch became his second holding - and all traces of Aldori influence in the area was removed or eliminated.
• Restov - one of the larger Taldan settler holdings, but not under Aldori rule, managed to negotiate a settlement with Choral, and remained as an Independent City - responsible for their own taxes and tributes. Over the years, more and more Aldori settled in Restov, until it became famous for them.

Great swathes of land remained unsettled, and therefore uncontrolled. The one exception is the bandits in the Gronzi Forest. They have been there since shortly after the conquest, and the Rogarvia never managed to root them out.

Post Rogarvia

Then, in one day, three things happened to throw the land into confusion.

1. Every single person of the Rogavarian bloodline disappeared - and have never returned
2. Deepdelve, the Golka Clans holding, disappeared during a massive, but very local earthquake - they have not been found yet.
3. Skywatch isolated itself from the world, using powerful magics - it is still sealed, and the even the best magical minds do not understand how.

The rest is covered all over the website :)