The Nine Nations
This campaign focuses on an area of Ferrum often referred to colloquially as 'The Nine Nations'. Settled upon two Continents - Hesperis on the west and Orientum on the east - and connected by an archipelago of large and small islands, The Nine Nation are often considered the more civilized and advanced nations of the world. A few other continents lie far across the seas, and are populated largely by the minor races of The Nine Nations. These other lands are not savage, necessarily, but rather just looked down upon by the people of this area of the world.
As you could probably guess, the Nine Nations are comprised of nine different states, each with their own culture, history, and problems. Some of these lands have closed borders, while others typically allow free travel of non-military personal through their lands. And all of them are tied together by a defining moment in the nations past called the Grand Incursion, followed by the Chaos. From that Chaos, these nine states were born, and have existed in one way or another since.
Each nation has their own way of life, and unique facets of their culture. Each nation also has their own language that they primarily use. There is a shared language sometimes used by merchants or diplomats and ambassadors called Gibbelish, but your average person is not likely to know it. Gibbelish is also quite common in foreign lands, and is spoken at large on other continents. The 'Common' Language of most campaigns is not common in The Nine Nations.
The world of Ferrum is roughly the same size as the planet Earth, though slightly smaller in scale. As a matter of giving a sense of scale to the maps and nations of the world, Hesperis - The Western Continent of The Nine Nations - is about the same size as Africa. Likewise, Orientum is slightly larger than North American, exceeding it by about three hundred thousand square miles. Expanding on this, the nation of Agual's entire land mass is roughly equivalent to that of Australia, though slightly spread out. The Ironclast Empire's area is comparable to that of Russia, and Lusach is nearly the same size as the United States. As you might imagine, this means travelling the lands by foot is time-consuming.
It also revolves around it's sun at roughly the same rate and distance, though slightly faster. If you go to the Calendar, you will be able to see that the year on Ferrum is composed of 13 months, each with 4 weeks of 7 days a piece. This gives them a total year of 364 days. The length of days, hours, minutes, etc. are all equal to how we would measure time on Earth.
Using the Map
The map at the top of this page can be interacted with in many ways to gather information about the land and nations of Ferrum. If you move your mouse cursor over any of the nations on the map, you will see it light up with a representative color of that nation. Clicking on a nation while it is highlighted in this way will cause this section to update and be replaced with information on that nation. If the map is already zoomed all the way out, it will also zoom the map in to focus on the selected nation. Under each nation's section you can find information on their size, population, offical language, and buttons you can click to leanr more about their History, Government, Geography, or Culture. If you click anywhere else on the map, you can bring this section back.
You can also click on the tabs to the right of the image to change the map from showing political information to showing geographic information. While the map shows political information, some city's names will appear translucent. City names displayed this way are temporary and may change as the campaign progresses. If you desire, you can also choose any of these cities and name them yourself as part of your backstory - just please let me know so I can update the map. Translucent names will not appear while you are viewing the geographic map, though the city markers will still show on the map.
The political map can be used to see the different national boundries and city names. The geographic map will show you less information on natiosn and cities, and instead label mountain ranges, seas and ocean, major rivers, and other important geographic regions or landmarks. It will also show the various biomes of the lands in different colors. The key for these colors will appear when you choose to look at the Gegraphic Map.
You can also zoom in to the map to view it in more detail. You can do this in a number of ways, but the easiest way is to hold the Shift Key and then click on the map where you would like to zoom in. When you are zoomed in, you can also zoom back out in a similar manner; hold the Alt Key and click to zoom out. You can also use your mouse scroll wheel while hovering over the map to zoom in and out, but it doesn't work very well, so it's not reccomended. Whiel zoomed in, you can click and drag the map to change the portion of it that you are viewing.
If you would like to explore this map more closely or see a bit more of the details, I am also providing you the raw map data file here. You can navigate to the Azgaar Fantasy map Generator, where you can load the map file and explore the map at your leisure. The map file will always be the most up to date, while the map image above will only change occasionally as needed.
Return to Top
Agual
| Nation | Merchantary of Agual |
|---|---|
| Capital | Sentry Bay |
| Largest City | Sentry Bay |
| Government | Plutocracy |
| Official Language | Aquan |
| Land Area | 2.6 mil mi2 |
| Population | 9.8 million |
The mercantile nation of Agual lies spread across the Grand Sea. While it ranks only fourth in land area, Agual is considered one of the most fearsome powers in all of Ferrum. While they do have a grand navy that nearly dwarfs the combined nations of almost every other nation on Ferrum, it is not this that makes them so fearsome. Rather, Agual has complete control of most of the other nations' trades and economies. They are the wealthiest nation in the world, lying at the center of every major trade route, and setting economic and business standards across the world. It is no coincidence that most merchants worth their salt at least attempt to learn a small amount of Aquan.
History
Agual often claims they were the first of the Nine Nations to form, and if one includes their ancient roots of the Kingdom of Badur, the claim is likely accurate. Their history has been one that was marred by conflict and destruction during much of its early years, and it was only after the Parliament took control of the nation that it shifted toward the more peaceful tactics the nation now employs and follows.
The Kingdom of Badur
The Nation of Agual was originally known simply as Badur and began on the island of the same name. It was founded sometime during the Chaos by the first Sea King, Badur Aquarius. Historical texts state Badur was a human man with naturally blue hair and eyes that could naturally control the ebb and flow of the water. He protected the island of Badur by making it impossible for any outside ships to reach its shores. However, the claim that he was human is a matter of some debate, as stories also say he ruled the kingdom of Badur for over 500 years before finally passing, being succeeded by his second son, Enki.
Either way, Badur stabilized the island of Badur for humanity, as well as welcoming some elves into the fold. He saw the nation through The Chaos and into the new age that followed. Under his rule, the nation expanded, grasping control of more and more of the islands around them, and absorbing their inhabitants into the fold. In these early ages, slavery was often seen, but a member of any race could find themselves a slave - even humans. It was considered a punishment as well as a form of payment when one's debts exceeded their ability to be repaid.
The nation of Badur maintained isolation from the rest of the world through the rule of Badur and the next five sea kings that followed him. Their instance on isolation caused them to build up massive naval forces that would attack foreign ships that entered their waters. During much of the time of Badur, they single-handedly prevented the mixing of cultures between the eastern and western continents by sinking any vessel that tried to cross the channel in their waters. During these old times, the broad ocean was not safe for travel, thus their shallower passages were the only way for most ships to bridge the ocean.
Following the death of Badur, his lineage continued to rule his nation for another 500 years. During this time, the nation expanded to encompass the entire Ninazu Archipelago, as well as the eastern island of Ruqu. During the end of the Kingdom's rule, the naval forces of Badur became particularly aggressive and began to sail most of the known world - including other areas of The Nine Nations - and destroy any other vessels they came across, basically claiming dominion over the entirety of the ocean. This policy lead to a few different national conflicts, including their first war to follow The Chaos, roughly 1000 years after its conclusion.
The Tamtu-Pa War was started when Agualian naval ships planted anchor just off the shore of Sylphe (now Lusach). Thousands of ships took up nearly permanent positions just offshore and attacked any vessels that left that tried to sail the waters. These Sylphe ships were largely civilian fishing vessels, leading to the deaths of thousands of fishermen, and a drastic shortage of food in Sylphe. It took only a few months of this before Sylphe declared war against the Kingdom of Badur after Badur openly sunk a diplomatic vessel carrying ambassadors to Badur's capital to try and peacefully settle the situation.
The war lasted almost two hundred years, though actual conflicts between the two sides became much rarer after the first 50 years, when a massive ocean storm destroyed most of the naval forces still anchored off the coast of Sylphe. After that point, Badur had a new king, and while they refused to surrender the war, they also no longer saw a need to control the entire ocean. The war only finally ended when a future king first broke the Kingdom's isolationist roots due to his fascination with foreign cultures he read of in books and scrolls.
This was Sea King Badur IX, who began to process that would eventually lead to the nation of Agual transforming into its current day form. The king was enthralled by the traditions, art, and foods of other cultures, and began to encourage the trade of Agualian goods for foreign goods. At the time, Agual had minimal resources to trade, but its dominance of the oceans and the world, meant many nations had never had the chance to actually communicate or trade. Thus began to process of setting up lucrative trade routes between different nations, charging fees for the service of transporting the goods.
Only 100 years later, the Kingdom of Badur collapsed on the Sea King Namrasu. Namrasu sought to return to the isolation of previous generations, but at this point, many merchants had made fortunes rivalling that of the nation itself. As Namrasu became more forceful and demanding in his actions, the 10 richest merchant families are said to have banded together, hiring thousands of mercenaries and bribing hundreds of the nation’s military leaders. This began the Darisam Rebellion.
The Darisam Rebellion
The Darisam Rebellion was organized by the ten richest merchants in the Kingdom of Badur. The rebellion was largely bloodless, with only a few hundred men and women dying during the two-day long coup d’état. The merchant armies slowly arrived and positioned themselves in the nation’s capital - then called Sumer - over the course of a few weeks. The forces laid in wait until the leader of the rebellion, Etlu Rapas, entered the palace for a scheduled meeting with the king to discuss his disruptive policies.
While inside, Etlu called for the coup, and roughly 90% of the guards and soldiers stationed in the castle turned on the Sea King. It took only a few hours for the king to be captured and most of the kingdom's forces in the capitol to be suppressed. Over the next couple days, similar attacks brought down supporters of the king, and Etlu was made the temporary ruler of the nation.
Very quickly after securing his power, though Etlu attempted to betray his co-conspirators and steal their lands and wealth. Before he could begin his betrayal, however, Etlu fell ill and passed away. Many believe he was poisoned, but there is no way to be certain.
Birth of Agual
The merchants who led and funded the Darisam Rebellion gathered together after the Sea King's fall and Etlu's demise to determine how to govern the new nation they controlled. Knowing at the point what Etlu had attempted, the group realized for the sake of their own security, they could not allow any one person to rule their nation. Over the course of a week, they formulated the basic rules of governance that created The Parliament and formally changed the name of the nation from Badur to Agual - the name Agual coming from a combination of Agua (meaning freedom) and Ualu (meaning wealth). At the same time, the word was close to Agualalu - meaning the deposed king.
Early years of the nation were a little uncertain. While many of the soldiers in the nation were rewarded handsomely for their betrayal of the Sea King, and offered substantial pay for swearing loyal to the new country, many distant cities of the empire were temporarily under the control of various warlords or dissenting merchants who hoped to achieve power of their own. While the Darisam Rebellion was marked by a distinct lack of blood, the Founding of Agual was not so lucky.
During this period of strife, the naval forces of Agual were disorganized and chaotic, and for the first time ever, many nations of the east and west were able to take advantage of the situation to make contact with one another, forming more direct connections that would actually weaken the burgeoning nation of Agual for centuries to come, as their stranglehold on trade would fade.
The Fuadar War
Over the next few centuries, Agual struggled to regain the dominance in the oceans that they once had. Their weakened state caused some merchant families and trading companies that once flourished in the nation to slowly begin to expand out of, or outright leave the nation for other locations. As time went on, the Orkan Confederacy began to rise as an economic power, with their trade and economy based in the region known as The Mermaid's Hook. This long stretch of land became the center of trade for Hesperis, and many former Agualian merchants migrated their businesses here to take advantage of the profitable region and trade.
Initially, Agual attempted to simple reassert their control of shipping lanes and force many Orkan ships to pay hefty tolls and taxes to pass through their waters. But eventually, the Orkan's wealth exceeded Agual's ability to contain. A few Orkan Lords on the Mermaid's Hook banded together and poached expert shipbuilders to work for them from among Agual's citizens. These ship builders brought with them the knowledge of how to make faster, sturdier, and larger ships - like the Agualian navy and merchants had. Before long, working together, they advanced the art of shipbuilding to the point that the shallow shipping lanes were no longer required - ships could instead sail straight across the deepest parts of the ocean. While these journeys were still more dangerous, the new line of ships made them much safer than before. At that point, Orkan merchants began to avoid Agualian waters altogether, and Agual quickly faced the possibility of them falling from graces.
The Parliament could see this troubling future on the horizon, and they knew they had to act. To secure Agual's future, they decided their only choice was to decimate the Orkan confederacy's ability to trade. The Fuadar War began with Agual setting up a powerful blockade across most of the Orkan shores. Doing this meant they had to pull ships and men from other areas of the ocean, weakening their control there. But with the center of trade then focused in Orkan, it didn't matter. Agual issued a declaration to the Orkan Confederacy, telling them that any ships that left their ports would be destroyed. The Orkan Lords hesitated briefly; uncertain they could win a naval war with Agual - even in its weakened state. But they also understood that this plan was a last gambit for the fledgling nation that was on the verge of failure. If they could break through, they could end Agualian dominance of the seas altogether.
The first ship to launch - The Auran Fuadar - was accompanied by three Orkan naval ships, meant to protect it. The ships engaged with the Agualian forces within an hour of leaving port and all four Orkan vessels were destroyed in a matter of minutes by Agualian forces. Powered by powerful spellcasters trained in controlling the seas and oceans, a single Agualian vessel was enough for them to win. Enraged by the destruction, the Orkan Lords sent additional ships to try and break the blockade, but each was eventually forced to retreat or be sunk like the others.
The blockade remained in place for almost two years before Agual decided to take matters further. At that point, the trade center of the Mermaid's Hook had mostly fallen apart as spices and goods from Orientum had stopped flowing entirely. The Orkan Confederacy attempted to reach out to other nations for assistance, but their prior missteps with Western nations made them unwilling to help. And Eastern nations were currently engaged in a war of their own, and unable or unwilling to commit troops to the conflict.
Understanding they had the advantage, the Parliament decided to push their hold further. They had seen the power the Mermaid's Hook commanded as a center of trade and decided it should belong to them. It would also prevent the Orkan Lords from trying to re-establish themselves later. For the first time ever, the Agualian military engaged in a land-based campaign that was not on an island.
The Fuadar War lasted a total of fourteen years. Agualian forces struggled a bit in asserting their power fully on land, but years or tight blockades and lack of support had left the Orkan Lords of the Mermaid's Hook weakened and struggling. Before long, they had taken the three provinces that composed the Mermaid's Hook and killed the Orkan Lords that commanded the area - establishing their own Merchant Lords in their place.
Many believe Agual would have pushed further if the Ironclast Empire did not take first aggression against them, conquering the island of Ruqu as part of their attempt to assert dominion over the entire eastern continent. Fearing the Ironclast Empire might push their forces further, and angered at the unwarranted aggression, Agual was forced to pull many soldiers back from the Fuadar War. Within a year, they had succeeded in negotiating the Orkan Confederacy's surrender. As part of the surrender, Agual maintained control of the Mermaid's Hook, and all Orkan Lords were forced to sign trade contracts that indicated they could only trade goods and resources through cities located in the Mermaid's Hook - making them liable for the hefty taxes and fees Agual would charge them for nearly three hundred years after.
The War of Terraformation
With the Fuadar War over, Agual moved their forces to deal with the Ironclast occupation of their former lands. But fighting against the Ironclast Empire proved much more difficult than the Orkan Confederacy. The Ironclast warriors were well trained and well supplied from their homeland - a land much more self-sufficient than others. The Agualian navy was able to keep Ironclast ships from advancing further, but unable to ever force a landing on the shores of their island. They attempted to set up a blockade around Ruqu, to starve out Ironclast invaders, but the island was already known for its rich farmlands, allowing the invaders to maintain their strength.
Agual played only a minor part in this war, and eventually abandoned their claim on Ruqu. This decision was made as the Ironclast Empire grew larger and larger, dominating more and more of the east. it eventually became clear to Agualian Merchant Lords that a prolonged conflict would hurt their bottom line. They agreed to surrender Ruqu officially if Ironclast halted further naval advancements. Ironclast agreed on the condition that the merchants of Agual help supply them with Saltpeter, Sulfur, and charcoal from the Nars nation and a highly discounted price. Agual eventually agreed, and aggressions between the two ended.
Magical Renaissance
The centuries that followed this war lead way into what many in Agual now call the Magical Renaissance. These times were marked by increased wealth and standard of living across the nation of Agual, as well as the establishment of formal school systems. Originally, these schools were designed specifically to teach all people the basics of magic, especially spells and incantations that had utility in the realm of daily use. As more and more people completed these classes, and learned minor magic, their ability to survive improved. Farmers learned spells to help strengthen their crops against famine and produce more plentiful yields. Craftsmen learned spells to help quicken their work and make stronger and more precise tools. Merchants learn tricks to help transport goods quicker or more cheaply, and overall improve their business model.
Over time, these magic schools turned into the school system the country now has and helped elevate the Agualian people to some of the smartest and most well-educated in the world. The schools quickly expanded their focus into other fields, and the training helped improve culture throughout the nation, as more people learned the nature of the world, and the mistakes of the past.
Most tend to agree the Magical Renaissance ended roughly twenty years ago. But the standing and culture of Agual still remain strong. Their drive to advance has simply waned over the years, as many believe their nation is far superior to all others, and there is no way any other nation could achieve what they have. This overconfidence has made them a bit lazier in their pursuit of advancement.
Return to Top
Government
The nation of Agual is a Plutocracy, ruled by a union of the nation’s wealthiest merchant families. However, the central mechanics of the ruling class have been stringently structured so as to prevent any one family from ever gaining fully authority or control over the nation. The doctrine by which these nations operate is known as the Resolution for Agualian Freedom, but it largely ignores the rights or will of the majority of the nation’s citizens.
The Agual Plutocracy is known as the Parliament and has a number of seats that fluctuates between 45 to 50 at any given time. These seats are filled by representatives from mercantile families, organizations, or aristocratic individuals. According to the Resolution for Agualian Freedom, in order for a person or group to be allowed to take a seat, they must meet the following requirements:
- Their wealth must rank them among the 60 most prosperous people/groups of the nation.
- Their annual wealth must exceed a certain threshold. This Threshold can vary from year to year, but it often at or above 10 million gp.
- A simple majority of the other members of the Parliament must agree to their inclusion.
Often, if a group or person meets the first two requirements, and a seat is open, a vote is automatically scheduled to occur among the parliament members to determine their eligibility.
The Resolution also dictates that every 10 years, the Parliament well take a consensus vote on some of its members to either retain or remove some of them. Members whose earning place them in the 25 most wealth are exempt from being voted out and often hold the most sway over who else stays. Other members can be removed by this vote for any number of reasons – though the most common is that their overall wealth or earnings have dropped below the expected threshold. When a member is removed, it is also common for a new member to immediately confirmed to take their place, if one is agreed upon.
This Parliament makes the majority of the decisions for governing the nation and often puts precedence on freedom of the market and lack of financial restrictions. However, the ruling class has learned over the course of many uprisings and rebellions that maintaining a minimal level or comfort and safety is also important.
The Resolution of Agualian Freedom dictates that the finances of the government are actually largely funded from the resources of the Parliament members. The nation does have a small tax on general items such as property or profit, but largely the finances of the country come directly from the Parliament members. Often those members that don’t fulfill their financial obligation to the country are voted out, while those that are willing to finance the nation are retained. Given that any of the top ten merchants in Agual individual make more than almost any other nation combined, this is often not an issue.
Because of this, most citizens of Agual have a higher level of equity and wealth than other nations. They often keep nearly all of their own earnings, and there are a number of doctrines in place stipulating ‘appropriate’ pay for certain occupations among the nation.
The Triarchy
Around five to six hundred years prior to the beginning of the campaign, the Parliament of Agual modified their Resolution slightly to create what is now known as the Triarchy. The Triarchy was created to help stabilize the interaction of the government with both foreign governments and domestic groups. Prior to its creation, members of the Parliament would sometime make unilateral agreements with nations or individuals that they were not authorized to make or unable to actually enforce. This happened mostly due to the fact that there was no standard or leader assigned to the Parliament in order to ensure these interactions were effectively managed and coordinated. At one point, this disorganization nearly led Agual to a war with the Ironclast Empire.
To solve the problem, the Triarchic Amendment was agreed upon. According to this amendment to the Resolution, the Parliament would agree to meet every three years for a vote to determine who among them would be granted a position among the Triarchy. Often, Triarchy members do not change unless they choose to retire or die, but there is always the chance of them being removed from the Triarchy, at which point they often return to simply members of the Parliament.
The Triarchy is composed of three positions: The White Lord, The Black Knight, and The Blue Arbiter. Each of these roles was assigned different duties and responsibilities in the management of the nation and maintaining order. The roles are highly sought after by members of the Parliament, as they are technically considered sperate from the Parliament itself, and thus are not required to help finance the nations funds (though many often still do, just to a much smaller degree)
The White Lord
The White Lord is considered the leader of the Parliament itself and acts similar to a Prime Minister in many ways. He often does not get an official vote in most matters but is required for breaking any potential ties. He is also the only person capable of making agreements with domestic influences. While officially, the Parliament must agree to any social changes before they are implemented, the White Lord can make declarations or even massive structural changes at their own whim. The changes are official and lawful until the next time the Parliament meets to vote on the matter. In practice, though, White Lords do not often invoke this right as it often leads to their removal.
The current White Lord is Alam Badur. The Badur line can trace their heritage back to the Great Sea King Badur, founder of Agual in ancient times. The Badur family has always held a spot on the Parliament since its inception, and their representative there often ends up with a position on the Triarchy.
Alam Badur is a man that is loved by the people, but barely tolerated by many of the Merchant Lords. Alam has used his authority at the White Lord to enact many sweeping changes that were meant to help the peasantry, often at the cost of merchant profits. He also helped create thousands of jobs by beginning the Grand Bridges project - a project designed to create massive Bridges to connect the main islands of Agual. The land routes would also help to encourage more trade - specifically with the western nations, as they would no longer be required to pay some of the fees and taxes present in the Mermaid's Hook Region.
All of these changes have earned him the ire of many Merchant Lords. However, Alam has a knack for talking his way out of many unpleasant situations and placating irate opponents in different ways. Some suspect he may not operate entirely on the level, forging secret deals and pacts to secure power for himself. But the majority of the people enjoy the increase comfort and wealth his leadership has created for them.
The Black Knight
The Black Knight is responsible for organizing and maintaining the nation’s military, as well as overseeing general enforcement of the laws and regulations of the nation. The Black Knight is often considered the weakest of the three positions during times or peace, but the strongest during times of war. During peace times, the Black Knight does not have much authority for determining changes to laws or funding of the military – this is all handled by The White Lord or the Parliament. However, if the Parliament or Blue Arbiter decide to declare war, The Black Knight’s powers increase dramatically. At that point, is takes command of most of the nation’s financial assets and can even declare the Parliament must pay additional funds into the national treasury to finance the war. They also run the military during the war, though many Black Knights often instead higher tactical or powerful Shepherds or Harbingers to do the actual commanding of forces.
The current Black Knight is a man by the name of Damarion Nergal. In respect to the traditions and culture the nation of Agual, Damarion is an oddity. Damarion was one of the first members of the Agualian Parliament that did not technically meet the standards for admission. He was not a merchant, nor was he particularly wealthy or effluent. In his youth, Damarion led a small uprising on the island of Shadu, in the city of Bayadupha. Damarion led a rebellion formed primarily of miners against the harsh and unfair practices of the Merchant Lord that owned the town and mines; Lord Kial Buzur.
While previous leaders of the Buzur mining coalition had always made changes that helped make mines safer and allow fewer trained miners to be lost, Lord Kial - at the time - ignored many of them and forced more and more dangerous excavations. At the time, a vote for continued Parliament positions was up, and the Buzur name - for the first time in nearly 500 years - was no longer guaranteed a spot on the council, and given the family's history in the Parliament, it was likely he would be voted out. As such, he began pushing for higher profits over worker safety to secure his continued position as a leader of Agual.
Damarion is to have been moved to rebel when twelve of his companions died in an accident that could have been prevented. By his words, he has since admitted that his initial reaction was one purely of passion and regret, and that he was not expecting change. But his impassioned speech condemning the merchant lord spurred many to follow him, and when Buzur sent soldiers to suppress his outcry, they quickly came to his aid. Over the next year, Damarion led the rebellion and eventually forced Buzur from the city entirely, claiming Bayadupha for the people. At the time, many wondered if he might use the momentum to declare the city was no longer part of the Merchantry of Agual.
As it were, a member of the Parliament - the now White Lord, Alam Badur - entered Bayadupha and spoke at length with Damarion in private. At the end of it, Alam Badur left, agreeing to allow Damarion control of the city for the time being. Damarion was given authority of safety protocols there, as well as the pay and benefits of the miners. In return, he had to agree to send any profits to House Buzur as normal. For the next year, Damarion did just that, making changes that greatly reduced the profitability of the mines, but still ensuring enough was made to keep Lord Buzur complacent and compliant with the agreement.
When the next vote for Parliament arose, Kial Buzur was expunged from the group and Damarion was voted in, nearly unanimously due to an exemption granted by the former White Lord at the time. Once on the Parliament, Damarion served as the first 'voice of the people' ever. While he often clashed with many merchant lords on different ideals, he also garnered much respect for his passion and charisma. Within another five years, when the former Black Knight officially retired, he was elected to the position, and has served there since.
Black Knight Damarion has admonished war and violence since his appointment. While no wars have broken out, he has helped enact some reforms to local militia and guards across the nation and helped to set up schools across Agual that teach combat to those interested. His influence over matters of civilian rights has lessened, but he is still known to speak out when he feels he must, and he has earned the respect of most of the nation.
The Blue Arbiter
The Blue Arbiter is considered the face of Agual to outside nations and forces. They act as ambassador and diplomat to the rest of The Nine Nations. They are the only person that has the authority to declare war. While the Parliament can vote to force the Blue Arbiter to declare war, they cannot vote to repeal their declaration of war. Most Blue Arbiters, though, have focused on building strong relationships with the other nations and working to establish practices that ensure the goods comes from Agual merchants are not heavily taxed and are allowed to be sold freely. They often have authority to make trade agreements or impose restrictions unilaterally. However, during times of war, they lose the authority to make any decisions related to the nations they are at war with.
Nina Anshar currently holds the role of the Blue Arbiter. A Half-elf and a woman, Nina holds the honor of being the first of either of those groups to hold a place on the Triarchy. Nina is sometimes seen as being from humble origins, but this is not entirely accurate. Nina was born to the Anshar family. At the time of her birth, the family ran a small trading company in Elenu, in the city of Katada. The trading company was reasonably profitable but subsisted mostly by serving as a restocking station for ships travelling to and from Orientum.
Nina helped elevate the company to leading status by identifying a lack present in most of the Ironclast Empire - a lack that was plentiful in Katada: Mint. Katada - and specifically may of the taverns and bars run by the Anshar Trading Company - had begun experimenting with adding the herb to food and drinks. The herb grew naturally all around Katada, making it plentiful, and during a particularly bad winter, the people of Katada were forced to try and consume it for sustenance.
The strange herb was a hit among merchants coming from Ironclast and especially Arashi no Kuni, being something fresh and new to their palettes. Seeing this, Nina capitalized and formed a deal with a few influential merchants from the other companies to be her distributor in their nations. She invigorated the Katada economy and created massive plantations to produce and supply the herb. Within 10 years, the Anshar Trading Company had become one of the most profitable in Agual, and Nina had ascended to replace her father has head of the company. Shortly thereafter, she was welcomed into the Parliament.
It was only once here that her skills truly began to shine. He expanded view of the trading routes and policies helped her quickly identify a number of gaps in the current routes that could be capitalized. She brokered numerous agreements for her company, as well as helped other Agualian merchants form lucrative deals with one another. When it became time to replace the Blue Arbiter, her skills in negotiation and ability to quickly analyze the values and merits of certain actions made her the front runner in the election.
Since her appointment, Nina has taken more of a backseat to the actual economy, instead focusing on building foreign relationships. She was the first Blue Arbiter to be invited to Luchent since it closed its borders and has helped to temper and dull conflict and building turmoil with the Ironclast Empire. She is also working to repair relations with the Orkan Confederacy, though it has been a long road with much more to go for her. Nina is rarely in Agual, instead travelling to always build and maintain relationships.
Return to Top
Geography
The nation of Agual lies roughly in the middle of The Nine Nations. Some ancient maps that are still intact show the region where Agual now lies was once a wide bridge that connected the two continents of The Nine Nations. Stories say the bridge was shattered during the Grand Incursion during a conflict between the forces of Elemental Earth and Water, thus splitting the land in twain and leaving the archipelago that Agual now dominates in its wake.
Agual lies across the Ninazu Archipelago, named supposedly after the first daughter of the nation’s founder, and one of their greatest rulers when the nation was still ruled by a dynasty millennia ago. The archipelago is comprised of four main islands, with dozens - if not hundreds - of smaller islands scattered about the surrounding seas. A few of these smaller islands have been settled by the Agualian people, and a few even have larger cities. However, many of the smaller islands are largely uninhabited. Many also do not appear on most maps, except for those used by Agualian merchant ships.
Agual also owns a bit of land on Hesperis proper, south of the Orkan Confederacy that they took be force during a conflict with the Orkan lords. This land has become known as The Mermaid's Hook and has become a prosperous center of commerce that has improved the wealth of many of the Orkan Lords as well.
Badur
The largest of the islands, lying in the center of the chain, is the island of Badur - named after the first emperor of Agual. The nation’s capital of Sentry Bay lies upon this island, and the island is one of the most densely populated places in the entire world. Most of the island has been covered either by the limits of a city or farmland of some sort. This also makes it one of the most stable and secure regions of the world, with little to know violent creatures remaining on the island, other than an ancient Diamond Dragon that resides somewhere in the center of the island - one of the few areas that is not tamed and developed by humans on the island. The Dragon, known as Treskrisulta, fiercely protects the 100 or so square miles he has claimed as his own, but otherwise does not interact with the surrounding people. Many believe the Parliament forged some sort of contract with the dragon ages ago which is still upheld to this day.
Badur is mostly covered in gentle rolling hills and grasslands, with a few remaining groves of trees scattered about. The lands have largely been converted to farms, where rice and wheat are the primary crop yields, along with a number of domesticated animals for meat. The island is almost entirely divided by the Abzu River - a long, winding river that legends say was created by the same disaster that destroyed the land bridge and created the archipelago. The river sits low, having carved a fairly deep canyon into the land, about 200 feet deep at the center point of the island. The cliff walls of the canyon are said to be home of a few Harpies and Drakes, but they are not often seen leaving the canyon.
Shadu
The second largest of the islands, and nearly the same size as Badur, Shadu lies slightly southwest of the main island. Shadu is dominated by a large mountain at its center. Stories say the mountain was once a volcano, but it has shown no signs of activity since before Agual was even established. The area around the mountain is mostly left untamed, with a thick temperate forest surrounding the base and spreading over most of the island.
There are various tales of dangerous creatures living on or near the mountain, causing most to shy away from venturing close. Some stores tell of a massive red dragon living in the dormant caldera. Others say a Manticore lives on at its base, while others claim it is a griffon or chimera. Most of the tales are believed to be mostly fiction, but there are known to be Trolls living upon the mountain, and more than a few travelers of the roads have found themselves taken hostage by crazed Derro.
The forests surrounding the mountains are no safer. A small patch of the forest north of the mountain is known to be protected by Dryads, as well as other small Fey creatures. The creatures are typically harmless unless one wanders into their domain. A past slight by humans have made the Dryad here untrusting of others, and they are quick to try and repel any intruders.
The rest of the forest is claimed predominately by a tribe of Grung - small, amphibious, frog-like humanoids. The Grung hide in the trees and marshes and enjoy hunting other humanoids that wander into their forest. They also fight often with a small band of lizard folk that have established a foothold in the forest south of the mountain. These Lizard folk are slightly less violent and aggressive than most of their kind, and even trade with merchants in Bayadupha or Leibanum. But they don't respond well to outsiders trying to visit their own villages.
The island's cities dot the coast, with very few of them positioned too far from the ocean. The one exception is Bayadupha, a large mining town south of the mountain. The mines here produce all sorts of precious metals, as well as iron and coal. The rest of the cities are largely fishing villages or stops on various trade routes. All except for Peta and Niyazar. These two cities were established about ten years ago, when work on the Grand Bridges began. They are largely home to masons and engineers, but both have large ports for receiving supplies as well.
Anu
The third of the four main islands, Anu is significantly smaller than the first two, but is touted as one of the most beautiful and luxurious locations in the world. The majority of Anu is privately owned land belonging to various members of the Parliament, but a number of towns and cities also dot its surface. Most of these towns and cities began as simple housing for servants of the Parliament, but eventually grew into resort-style luxury townships as the appeal of Anu grew.
The name Anu means Heaven in Aquan. And the island lives up to that name. It is located almost right upon the planet's equator, giving it warm tropical temperatures throughout the years. Much of the island is covered in a thick jungle, but the coasts are rolling with pristine, white sand, and decorated with palm trees - both natural and landscaped. Most of these beaches are private land, owned by different merchant lords, but Sag Ush Darisam has turned into a vacation spot of world renown for those with the financial backing to allow the trip.
The largest city on the island is that of Hurasham. Despite its beautiful location on the eastern shores of Anu, travelers are rarely allowed entrance within. Hurasham is the usual meeting location of the Parliament, despite the official Parliament house being located in Sentry Bay. Hurasham only allows Parliament members and their guests within the city, and only officially sanctioned servants and service providers are allowed to live there.
The western shore of Anu, however, is largely avoided. The west edge of the island rises 200 feet above the ocean in a sheer white cliff wall. It is known, as well, that a large tribe of Kua-toa reside near these cliffs and in the waters around. These vicious fishmen typically keep to themselves but do occasionally make themselves known in some of the more western settlements such as Balatra or Telta. When their numbers grow large, they are sometimes known to conduct full raids of towns, at which point the Agualian Military is usually called to cull the creatures, reducing their numbers to only those that manage to flee successfully into the ocean.
Elenu
The last of the four main islands, Elenu lies at the northern end of the archipelago. Elenu is, in many ways, the opposite of Anu. the northern tip of Elenu is actually one of the northernmost pieces of land in the world. The island has a series of small mountains and hills in its center but is otherwise relatively flat. The forests here still grow relatively thick and prove dangerous to travel more often than not.
Elenu is home to a few Tainted Orcs, though the tribes here live mostly in harmony with other humanoids and don't exhibit the usual ferocity of their kin. It is also believed a single Frost Giant lives in the hills of Elenu - said to be ancient, even by Giant standards. The northern peninsula is also said to be home to a small tribe of Arctic Foyel, but they are rarely seen and tend to avoid contact with the others living on the islands.
Elenu is nearly always covered in ice and snow - with only the southernmost portions of the island experiencing any form of spring or summer, and only in the shortest of amounts. The far-northern city of Umdetra hold the honor and curse of being the northernmost city of the world and is often beset by winter storms. Few live there, with most that do trying to make money by hunting whales and harvesting their blubber for oil. Umdetra spend have the year in a perpetual night, creating a town that is rife with stories of strange creatures lurking in the shadows, ghost tales, and even stories of demons or other fiends wandering openly. Most people tend to avoid it.
Minor Islands
The rest of the archipelago is composed of dozens of islands of various sizes. Many of the islands are minor and missing from the majority of maps. A few have Agualian settlements on them, but typically only if they offer some sort of strategic or financial boon. Those that do have cities n them are named after the city. They are only two other relatively large islands in the chain; Wasu and Sessu.
Wasu lies just a bit south of Elenu. While they are fairly far north in the seas, they do not experience nearly as harsh winters or storms. Wasu has only two cities on it, but they most serve as stops for trade routes. Arku is one of the nation’s larger ports, though, serving as the primary point of trade between Hesperis and Orientum - primarily serving as a major port of trade for goods from the Ironclast Empire or Arashi no Kuni. Arku is one of the few cities in Agual that is also led by a merchant group that has never had a seat at the Parliament, despite being one of the wealthiest in the world.
The Mermaid's Hook
The land known as The Mermaid's Hook lies at the southern end of the Auran Peninsula, sharing a border with the Orkan Confederacy to the north. The Hook is the only bit of land Agual owns that lies upon either of the major continents and was taken from the Orkan Confederacy. The long sliver of land curls around, forming a natural and large bay known as the Undine Bay. In ancient times, the bay and the land of the hook were once home to Marid and other Water elements that used as a port of trade with the material plane. Many ruins and ancient temples of these times are still scattered about, but most have been destroyed be the forces of time and man. Legends say that a number of the Marid treasures and goods still exist in structures built beneath the surface of the waves.
The land itself is fairly flat, and the shores are smooth and soft, with few dangerous rocky areas. The cities here serve primarily as ports to receive and process goods from the east.
Return to Top
Notable Places
This section is used to detail information about important or well-known locations in Agual. However, it is not a complete list, and will be updated as the campaign continues will information your characters learn, so you can reference the basics of them easily. However, below you can find a bit more information specifically well-known or important places in Agual.
Sentry Bay
The capitol of Agual, Sentry Bay is the second largest city in the world in terms of population and land area. Sentry Bay is a powerful center of commerce for the entire world. There is a saying that all coin begins its life in Sentry Bay and finds its way back there every year - speaking to the ridiculous amount of money that changes hands in the confines of the city.
The city of Sentry Bay covers an area of nearly 600 mi2 based upon the area that is contained within the city's walls, but if one were to include the connected hamlets, slums, and farmland that primarily feed into and belong to the city proper, it ends up being roughly 800 mi2. The city is also home to just over 3 million people of various different races and cultures. If you were to, once more, include the surrounding areas, this number easily exceeds 3.5 million.
Sentry Bay is a highly segregated metropolis, with different portions of the city being the primary living area for different races. This segregation is not mandated by any Agualian laws, but rather developed naturally over time. Residents do often break this traditional separation, but the culture impact of certain races congregated in an area of town has a noticeable impact on the appearance, layout, and culture of that portion of town.
Sentry Bay has the largest port in the world. Actually, it houses the two largest ports in the world. One point exists primarily to support trade and the arrival and departure of goods. Numerous government officials often flood this area to ensure imports and exports are being properly tracked, and tariffs and taxes are being appropriately charged. Despite this, the port is one of the most orderly and functional in the Nine Nations - though also expensive to dock at. The other port in the city exclusively serves the Agualian Navy. There are almost always at least two to three hundred ships docked at this port for either repairs, restocking supplies, or allowing sailors to return home for leave.
Sentry Bay is also well-known for its Ship-building yards which cover much of the coastal area that is not dedicated to the docks. Agualian ships are considered the best in the world, and merchants looking to set up naval routes are often forced to purchase ships from the yards at Sentry Bay. The skill of the craftsman is unparalleled, though.
Sepsu Academy
Sentry Bay is also home to the Sepsu Academy - the most prestigious center for learning and knowledge in the world. The academy was established nearly three thousand years ago and was originally dedicated exclusively to the magical arts. Over the years, the realms of study at the school have expanded, and the school now has studies dedicated to every major academic pursuit imaginable. But their magical schools are still the main draw of the academy and have produced some of the wisest and most powerful spellcasters in the history of Ferrum.
The school itself is not difficult to enroll in, though it is expensive. Nearly anyone who applies often gets in as long as they can pay the associated fees. However, many do not last longer than a year, as the school expels any student that does not meet their practical standards within one year of beginning study. It is not uncommon for some students to be expelled after only one or two months as well. And once a student has been asked to leave the school they are not allowed to return to the grounds as a student. But the fact that anyone can get in draws many to the academy that hope to make a reputation for themselves and prove their worth.
Return to Top
Culture
Agual is a nation that has always been about the absorption and acquisition of other cultures. Their people and population are the most varied of any nation, and it is perceived as one of the best nations for non-human races to achieve success, power, and wealth in. After all, Agual's entire culture is built on the idea of a free market, where anyone with the acumen for money and the desire to succeed can achieve great things. The matter of race is often ignored if a person is offering a good deal or marketable service, allowing many to grow without worry of prejudice or bigotry.
Agualians have often been characterized as having a strong work ethic, being competitive, supporting individualism, effluent wealth, and having a caring but limited government. Agualians high socio-economic standing in the world leads many of them to also be very charitable and always looking to support causes they believe in. Or just causes that will make them more money.
Educations
Agualian culture puts a heavy emphasis on the idea of everyone being well-informed and trained to succeed. While Agual is not the only nation with a structured educational system, they are the only nation where education is compulsory for children, and where the system is mostly standardized.
By the age of eight, children have often begun their schooling in Agual, unless they live in distant rural areas, or in a few cities where it is not required for certain classes of citizens. Students are taught to read and write, basic math and logic skills, and a thorough - though likely biased - recounting of the History of their nation and the world. They are also typically taught the basics of magic, and while not all students have a natural aptitude for the art, many finish knowing a few tricks.
Typically, after five or six years of general studies of this nature, most students move on to a trade school, or an academy supporting higher levels of academic learning. They often spend two to four more years in these areas before officially entering the workforce, though some will choose to enter influential academies, such as Sepsu Academy, to perfect their study of certain topics.
Art and Literature
Due to the financial stability most citizens of Agual experience, their culture has become one that celebrates works of art and performance. Artisans tend to make more money off of their goods in Agual than elsewhere, as people have more spare funds to spend on such luxuries.
Agualian artists tend to run the gambit of styles, but recently abstract expressionism has become quite popular in the nation, as well as the concepts of symbolic imagery. The theater and fantastical plays have also become quite popular, with even small towns often having a local amphitheater or other location where plays are put on weekly, or sometime even daily. In larger cities and productions, these plays are often amplified by use of magic for special effects or to emphasize artistic vision. Given the overall high level of education and literacy in Agual, books are also quite popular. Lately, trends of retelling ancient stories or working fictional characters events into historical events has become exceedingly popular, as have tales or romance and forbidden love.
Music
Agualian music is built upon an orderly organized system of diatonic scales, depending on the tuning of stringed instruments in alternating fifths and fourths. Their vocal timbre is described as being pungently nasal sounding, and vocals often don't have dynamic changes, but rely more on graces, shakes, glides, and microtonal inflections.
Agualian music has taken a recent shift away from being primarily a religious affair or used as accompaniment for other performances into an experience all its own. Many songs are created recently that lack vocals and emphasis a quick rhythm and energetic beats that promote and encourage the use of high-energy dances and freeform expression.
Food
Agualian's food tends to revolve around various forms of seafood, and they are currently experience a cultural boom in the replication of traditional Arashijin dishes, especially the practice of serving fish or other seafood raw on rice and/or seaweed called sushi. Agualians themselves, though, are known for their more exquisite dishes, and tend to enjoy and promote foods with lobster, crab, or shrimp as the main components.
Return to Top
Arashi no Kuni
| Nation | Arashi no Kuni |
|---|---|
| Capital | Toinbu |
| Largest City | Toinbu |
| Government | Shogunate |
| Official Language | Fulgur |
| Land Area | 1.9 mil mi2 |
| Population | 3.7 million |
The land of lightning, Arashi no Kuni lies south of the Ironclast Empire on the continent of Orientum. Their lands are covered in a mixture of broiling hot plains and beautiful forests. The peopl are Arashi no Kuni are proud, hard-working people who understand the duty of an individual to the greater whole - whether to the family or the nation, they understand they are only a small part of the greater world. They study the art of Kagaku and strife toward improving the world and finding modern solutions to problems that magic was once the only solution. They are idustrious and driven by the divine decrees of their powerful Shogun.
History
When the world emerged from chaos, the lands of Arashi No Kuni were scattered and torn asunder by otherworldly foes. It is unclear what forces may have laid waste to the lands during the Chaos, but the effects were undeniable. The fractured and destroyed nature of these lands had caused many communities to be isolated and cut off from others, leading to the people of the lands leaving the Chaos as part of one of seven different kingdoms.
The Seven Daimyo
At the end of The Chaos, the lands of Arashi were dominated by seven different kingdoms. While each of these kingdoms operated separately, they were all ruled and structured in similar manners – to the point that many of the remaining documents outlining their governments and rulers are eerily similar. Due to this, it is believed that either sometime during The Chaos or before it, the seven nations were actually one, but likely broken by whatever destroyed the lands around them.
Leaving The Chaos, most of the people of Orientum referred to the lands of the seven kingdoms as ‘The Ruined Lands.’ These lands had been literally torn up – with massive chunks of earth having been ripped form the earth and seemingly flung great distances. Especially north of the Inazuma Mountains, stretching well into the southern portions of the Guarisian Plains. This also left the plant life and agricultural viability of the area mostly non-existent. While a few cities and towns existed in these areas, they were mostly far up the Kumo Peninsula.
Due to this, the powers of the Lux Armiger saw little purpose in those early days of sending missions into the lands or attempting to expand and settle them. Had they not, it is likely the young kingdoms they neighbored may have been wiped out, and the hostilities between the two nations would have started much sooner.
Each of the Kingdoms existed mostly in isolation in these early times. They hardly communicated with one another, let alone the other people of the continent, with the one exception being the kingdom of Osada. Existing almost entirely on the northern side of the Inazuma Mountains, the people of Osada were quite often in need of additional food and supplies. While their interactions with the Lux Armiger were limited, they were also aware of the fanatic nature, and knew any deal with them came with many strings attached.
As such, the kingdom of Osada turned to the people of the Guarisian Plains. They had a great deal of arable land and excess food they were willing to trade for some of the medicinal herbs, precious gems, and knowledge on smiting and woodworking the Osada people had to offer. The relationship between these two cultures solidified quickly and may be responsible for the strong relationships they still hold.
War of the Seven Kingdoms
As the centuries rolled on, the nature of the Ruined Lands and the pieces that divided them began to fall. Many of the kingdoms had devoted time and resources toe breaking down and flattening the land to be more valuable and useable – whether for homes or farms. It was difficult work, taking hundreds of thousands of people countless hours to fully break down the ruins. Much of this work was finished first in the southern region, and as it was, the four main kingdoms in the area began to interact more. However, these interactions were not always pleasant.
During the 6th Century, the first of a series of wars began when Daichi Tanemora of the Mora Kingdom declared war against Yoshikage Hidemura of the Hide Kingdom over a matter of their respective borders. Daimyo Tanemora alleged that the hamlet of Kiji that the Hide Kingdom had occupied was on their sovereign territory, but Daimyo Hidemura refused to withdraw his men or surrender the village. What started a simple conflict there eventually led to the death of a hundred Mora soldiers, and a massive military campaign.
This conflict, known as the Hide-Mora War, continued on for almost a decade. As the battle ensued, the border between the two nations constantly shifted, and the two sides began to exhaust stores of food and supplies. Seeing the state of these kingdoms, Daimyo Sakurin Satsura of the Satsura Kingdom saw an opportunity to expand his lands and take out potential rivals. In the year 536 NA, he led his armies across the northern border of Mora, invading the nation as it continued to struggle against the Hide Kingdom.
Seeing these aggressive and unprovoked actions alarmed Satsura’s neighbors; Osada and Tanodaiga. The three nations had only recently come to a beneficial understanding of all three parties, trading necessary resources and knowledge among the three peacefully, with the hope of improving all of their positions in the world. Both kingdoms condemned the actions of Daimyo Satsura, and threatened to withhold agreed upon resources from them if they did not end the aggression.
In response, Daimyo Satsura declared war against them both. Unbeknownst to the other kingdoms, Daimyo Satsura had recently made an agreement with Kakkos, leader of the Storm Giants that lived in the Inazuma Mountains. Satsura agreed to forfeit the entirety of the mountain range to him and his clan if they would help him destroy the other kingdoms and conquer the lands. As he declared war, Kakkos led hordes of Storm Giants down in Tanodaiga, tearing a path of destruction.
While all of this occurred, Daimyo Tanemora began to feel pressured by the incursions of two different nations. As well, he had decided to cut off ties to Osada when Satsura invaded, believing them to be cooperating. In a desperate attempt to survive, he sent his son across the Arashinoumi to the kingdom of Araragi to plead with them or trick them into declaring war on Osada. The prince was ultimately successful, turning not only Araragi, but also Edoshin against Osada, dragging all 7 kingdoms into the brutal conflict.
Unification
The War of the Seven Kingdoms engulfed the southern portions of Orientum for more than a century. The battles and alliances got increasingly convoluted and difficult to track as the war went on, especially as certain leaders would find their subordinates rebelling or portions of their sovereign territory splintering off.
At the height of the war, the former kingdoms had splinted into over 50 different ‘nations’ as chaos began to engulf the area. Cities were conquered and rebelled so often, then more often than not the citizenry of a particular area had no idea what lord actually ruled them or who they were supposed to be listening to. This caused mass confusion, and in conjugation with the fighting, most of the farms in the area were destroyed or feel to ruin as invading armies would destroy them, or steal everything they could. The kingdoms had basically devolved into a bunch of bandits running around trying to take everything that wasn’t nailed down.
It was not until 739 NA that this situation began to change. Tellingly, it was not a member of the former nobility, or a leader of an army that brought forth change to the war-torn lands. It wasn’t even a powerful samurai or ronin. No, change began with a peasant born son of a farmer that had simply had enough.
The savior, Arashi Sengoku, was born near what is now Toinbu. Near when he turned twenty, his region was claimed by three different warring factions – each of which would constantly raid his family’s farm and steal anything they could. His mother had been taken in one such raid – stolen by the raiders after his father was killed. For Arashi, this was the last moment he would tolerate the world. The war and fighting needed to end.
Stories say he rode to the raiders camp alone. Different tales weave different narratives about what transpired that day, but the end result is always the same; Arashi slayed the entire camp in a single night. Tragically, he was too late to save his mother, but the loss drove him onward.
Arashi moved on to the next group of raiders. As he traveled, he told other farmers and citizens his story, and gained followers. As he took out more camps, he found some of the soldiers also believed in his cause and begged to serve under him. The men and women around him warned him he could not trust men who would betray their leaders like that, but Arashi waved them off. They were to weak to turn away those that might help and chose to put his faith in these men. Fate would have his faith rewarded.
It would take nearly 20 years for Arashi to lead his men across all of the Seven Kingdoms, recruiting more and more men as he moved. Many of his soldiers were commoners and farmers, with little skill but great passion. He augmented them with a handful of highly trained soldiers who admired his goals or strength and bent a knee for him. The mighty Izu Namashida, the Kaminari Senshi, and Shiten Yousuke, the Akarushi, agreed to join Arashi’s cause, becoming national heroes for their deeds in the unification of the lands. Together, his army would rid the land of dissenters and bring in an era of peace, eventually founding Arashi no Kuni in 762 NA, with Arashi as the first Shogun.
Inari-nushi no Senso
Stabilizing the nation of Arashi no Kuni was difficult, as well was the idea of uniting all people under a single banner. For so many years, the Arashijin had been divided – whether by geography or politics. Bringing them all together as a single people was not an easy task.
While Arashi no Kuni was founded in 762 NA, most historians agree that the nation had not fully stabilized and solidified its government until around 850 NA. While Arashi had eliminated the powerful who could contest his authority, gaining the acceptance of the people was more challenging. After all, he was just a farmer’s son – hardly a heritage worthy of uncontested rule.
Over the next century though, the truth of his birth began to come out. While Arashi had been raised by farmers, it was unthinkable to assume he was their offspring. After all, what farmer could lead an army to unify the fractured nation and bring them together? What mortal could wield authority without being corrupted and conquer all his enemies? The truth was, he was born from a tree struck by lightning – a vessel of the old gods, brought back to the world through their divine might to lead the people to salvation.
By the time the third shogun, Arashi Shitenbu, took the throne, the people had openly accepted their divine avatar, helping to bring the nation together and unite the people. With the people finally united, the Shogun could finally deal with a problem his grandfather had never had the chance to face: The Storm Giants.
The Storm Giants had claimed the entire expanse of the Inazuma Mountains as their territory as a result of the pact Satsura had made with them before the War of Seven Kingdoms. Satsura has fallen apart and was no more, but the Storm Giants did not see that as their problem. They had upheld their end of the deal and helped destroy the old kingdom of Tanodaiga – as such, the mountains were theirs.
For a time, Shoguns had abided their claim simply because there were bigger problems to address. But as the nation became for stable and defined, the threat of the Storm Giants became more and more apparent. They attacked travelers who tried to cross the mountains, making it incredibly difficult and costly to travel or trade with areas on the other side of the mountains. And as they grew comfortable in their domain, the giants had begun to spread further out, claiming the foothills around the mountains as well.
Shogun Arashi Shitenbu took action to finally end the threat, raising the first real army since the War of Seven Kingdoms ended. He worked with his generals to plan a coordinated attack from multiple directions on each side of the mountains, hoping to overwhelm the Storm Giants. The campaign was known as Inari-nushi no Senso, The War of the Lightning Lords.
However, Shogun underestimated the intelligence and power of his targets – especially that of Kakkos who still led the giants. Kakkos had known this day would come – that the humans would eventually go back on their word and come to try and disperse his clan and take what was promised to them. He had spent centuries preparing defenses and traps to decimate any who would try and invade.
But more than that, Kakkos had gotten his hands on a powerful weapon; The Shatter Spark. It’s not really known when or how Kakkos came by the Mystic Arm, but when Shogun Arashi Shitenbu rode to slay him, he found the giant holding it in the form of a massive great sword.
Nearly the entire Arashi army was wiped out in the assault, but the same was true of the Storm Giants. It is said that the ever-present Lightning Storms that cling to the mountains were born from these battles – created by the clash of the Mystic Arm and the power of the Shogun. In the end, neither side could claim they had obtained victory.
Seeing the destruction that was wrought, the wise Shogun Arashi Shitenbu decided to change the plan and made a new, binding pact with Kakkos. The specifics of the deal are still a highly kept secret, but when the shogun rode down from the mountain, the Storm Giants were no longer enemies; they were citizens of Arashi no Kuni.
Light and Thunder
For the next 200 years, the nation of Arashi no Kuni entered into what is referred to as the Gin’iro Period. This period was marked by constantly improving standards of life across Arashi. For the first time, the nation began to establish processes that helped ensure even the most remote villages received medical care. Devoid of conflict, the people are Arashi were also finally able to put their talents to general advancement of society – developing practices and techniques that increased the yield of harvests. And with the Storm Giants now part of Arashi, agreements were made to begin mining the rich deposits of iron and mithril in the Inazuma Mountains.
As Arashi aged, it grew more powerful, and for what might have been the first time, attracted the attention of the Lux Armiger. Arashi was no longer ‘the Ruined Lands, but a new land for them to spread their message.
In the late 1020s, the Lux Armiger began to launch missionary journeys into the eastern portions of Arashi no Kuni. These initial attempts to spread their message were tolerated by the Shogun, who even invited the Lux Armiger to the capital of Toinbu to speak with him and share their stories. This, however, would become the catalyst for the clash of these two nations.
The Lux Armiger ambassadors took issue with the divinity of the Shogun – even claiming he was lying to his people. The Lux Armiger believed only in what they called the one, true god, Ahura Mazda. They told the Shogun that Ahura Mazda was the only true god that remained on the Material Plane, and any other claims of ideal of divinity or godhood were delusions or lies. Insulted beyond belief, the Shogun had the ambassadors killed and sent their heads back home with a note stating, ‘The Old Gods have taken issue with your heresy and I am their divine vessel of retribution.’
Needless to say, Luchent was quick to declare war on Arashi no Kuni, and the Lux Armiger launched their first attacks. Of course, the Shogun has been prepared for this response and had moved his armies to the Luchent borders to repel the oncoming assault.
The fighting born of this conflict engulfed the Ame Peninsula for over a hundred years. While Shogun Arashi had been prepared for the initial attacks, he had been unprepared for the sheer volume of soldiers Luchent had ready. Over the course of the war, the Arashi lines were pushed back as Luchent captured the entirety of the Ame Peninsula.
In 1175 NA, the war was finally brought to an end at the Battle of Kohegumiho. As the Lux Armiger attempted to push the line further west, hoping to follow the coast of Arashinoumi to Toinbu, the Shogun brought forth a force that even the Lux Armiger could not stand against; The Storm Giants of Inazuma.
Their then leader, Krakkas, brought with him the might of the Shatter Spark, dragging the storms of the mountains with him. In that battle, it is believed not a single Lux Armiger soldier survived or escaped – hundreds of thousands of them wiped from the world. Within two weeks, a call for peace came, and though Arashi did not regain their captured land, they did bring an end to war with the understanding that no Lux Armiger would ever be allowed in Arashi no Kuni again.
The War of Terraformation
In the years that followed the war with Luchent, the kingdom of Arashi was able to repair and rebuild from much of the destruction and hardship of the war with the help of the Kingdom of Guarisia to the north. Since the War of the Seven Kingdoms, the relationship of those two nations had suffered and waned greatly. With Arashi so concerned with internal strife during the war and rebuilding after, their partnership had suffered.
However, the royals of Guarisia still remember and respected the help and support the people of Osada had once handed them. And seeing those former lands rebuilding, they offered supplies and men to help in the effort, renewing the strong ties they once had.
When Guarisia chose to intervene in the Theod Region, the lands of Arashi no Kuni were the only people on Orientum to support the endeavor. And not just with words. In the early days, they helped to supply expertly crafted weapons and armor, and even taught many smiths in their arts and techniques, helping to make a more powerful force for change.
When Guarisia became the Ironclast Empire and invaded Luchent, the people of Arashi shouted their approval. They had no fond ties to the Lux Armiger and were happy to see them punished for their past slights and evil deeds. Some Arashijin nationals even volunteered to serve among the ranks of the Ironclast army to help push the effort. And initially, the Ironclast Army welcomed such assistance, based on their past relations.
But slowly from that point, the Shoguns of Arashi no Kuni began to worry about the increasing power and strength of the growing Empire. Near the turn of the sixteenth century, these concerns began to heighten. The Ironclast Empire had stopped accepting foreign nationals from Arashi no Kuni into their army, and many of those that had once served were suddenly being lost in risky pushes or just removed from the army. To add to this, the positioning of troops near Arashi no Kuni borders was becoming more common. While Ironclast claimed it was to help protect Arashi if Luchent should try anything, it was clear that Luchent was in no position to push a new front on the war.
The writing was on the wall; the Ironclast Empire planned to invade Arashi no Kuni – possibly even before it finished the campaigns against Jokull and Luchent. The Shogun was feeling more and more pressured to either demand removal of troops by Ironclast, or outright condemn their actions. As this all built, the forces of the Lux Armiger were desperate for help. In their most desperate move, they broke the old treaties and sent members of the Lux Armiger toward Toinbu to try and request their help.
Shogun Arashi Hikaru could have had them slain as soon as they touch Arashi soil, but he agreed to meet them. They, as well, painted a picture of escalating forces just outside Arashi no Kuni borders, and brought intelligence that suggested once the Holy Lands were captured, they planned to turn their full force on Arashi to force a surrender.
The Shogun sent the Lux Armiger away without an answer, and shortly after, request a meeting with the Emperor regarding the plans he had for his troops near the Arashi border. The Emperor refused the meeting, and in that move Shogun Arashi understood. He began planning an assault, gathering forces, and marshalling them to action in just a few months.
The invasion of Maderad was one of the most well-coordinated strikes in Arashi history – and even Ironclast historical texts pay homage to the timing and execution of Arashijin tactics. However, there were a number of unforeseen troubles caused by a single thing, traitors. During the invasion, numerous men that had once served under Ironclast and were sent home suddenly turned traitor as key moments, sabotaging key tactics that might have seen the capitol fall in less than a day.
By the time the truth was clear to the Arashijin leaders, most of the damage had been done, and spreading the word was too slow. The traitors managed to lead troops into ambushes, or sabotage siege weapons, or simply kill their own in the confusion of battle. In the end, Prince Brawns of the Empire claimed credit for the betrayals, having trained each of the traitors under his own unit. It is unclear to this day if the Empire may have goaded the Shogun into attacking to validate their own plans of invasion, or it was all just a ploy of some sort. But in the end, the Emperor returned, and the invasion failed.
Black Powder
While the Ironclast Empire was surrounded on nearly every side, and heavily outnumbered, the war against them was still anything but simple. The betrayals during the invasion of Maderad brought a since of paranoia and concern to the soldiers of Arashi no Kuni. While this definitely caused hesitation in their following campaigns, it was not the larger problem. The large problem was the increasing arcane might of the Ironclast soldiers and their abilities to seemingly circumvent magical attacks somehow.
It was also around this time that the Ironclast soldiers began using non-magical and devastating explosive to break through defenses or poke holes in advancing armies. A few heroic Arashijin spies eventually learned the secrets of these devices and found that they were powered by a substance called Black Powder. This powder was being provided to them by the Agualian merchants. But the people of Agual refused to provide the powder to Arashi no Kuni. But eventually, one of them did let slip the source of the powder was somewhere in Nars.
An elite team of mages and soldiers was assembled to make the journey to Nars. To try and avoid Agual as much as possible, they sailed east – around the continent of Durvane – and eventually wrapped back around to Nars – landing on the White Sands. From there, they posed as people from Durvane and travelled into the nation. It didn’t take much form there to find the source of the black powder, tracking down the biggest supplier.
This supplier, as well, was not keen to break his contract with the Agualian merchants by selling to anyone else. However, an entrepreneur, he was not above being bought. Offering three times the normal value, this team was able to secure a large initial bundle of black powder. As they left, the promised to return to buy more once they finished the delivery, if he would agree. Eyes glittering with the gold he earned, he agreed.
The journey took a few years in total, but as soon as the group returned, Arashi set to work learning how to master the black powder to counter the Ironclast armies. The brightest and smartest of Arashi no Kuni were brought together, provided the destroyed remains of Ironclast devices and the black powder and tasked with discovering how to maximize its potential.
After a few decades of study and testing, this team was not only able to reproduce the munitions of the Ironclast army, by refine their own black powder that was less susceptible to moisture, and easier to control. This refined black powder would prove to be invaluable, as it allowed them to use the substance even in rain or storms – such as along their Inazuma Mountain range. This research would also lead to the Kagaku Period.
Shinobiyoru Shi
Eventually the War of Terraformation was brought to an end not with victory or defeat, but with a plague. Seemingly springing from the Frozen Wilds of Jokull, the Shinobiyoru Shi – or Creeping Death - easily passed over borders and even oceans to infect the entire world. Millions died in the ensuing pandemic, and Arashi was not immune to its effected.
At first, the disease was kept at by thanks to the natural barriers of the Inazuma Mountains, preventing any infected form entering the nation. But as with all nature, the disease eventually found a way, and the country was hit hard with the disease, losing at least half of its population.
Surprisingly, it was the Ironclast Empire that find the answer to the terrible disease. In the early years of the cure, the Ironclast Empire kept it for themselves – using it to heal their sick. But as they began to control the plague, they eventually turned to the other nations of the world. And they reached out to Arashi no Kuni to offer them the cure first. Officially, the cure also came with an apology for the destruction and death they caused during the war and was an olive branch that began the repair of their relations.
Kagaku Period
Recovering from Shinobiyoru Shi happened quickly with the help of the Ironclast Empire to distribute the cure and help produce it. As they worked to provide the cure, scholars of Arashi worked closely with Ironclast scholars to learn the secrets of the concoction. Once more, the two nations began to share secrets and ideas, cultivating a renewed collaborative effort between them.
This combined with the increasing nature of research and study in Arashi no Kuni led to the evolution of a study that Arashijin’s named Kagaku. Kagaku included the study of chemistry, anatomy, engineering, and numerous other fields, working collaboratively with others – including those form other nations to find ways to improve efficiency and power.
This gave birth the Kagaku Period – the current period of Arashi no Kuni history. This period has been marked with incredible non-magical advancements.
Return to Top
Government
The government of Arashi no Kuni is an imperial shogunate, headed by any in a long line of Shogun Arashis and managed by a number of Gicho.
Shogun ArashiThe Shogun comes form a long line of members of the Arashi family. All descended from the first Shogun Arashi, they typically adopt his name as their surname upon taking the throne. They also all have a degree of divine blood flowing through them, which is what gives them their right to rule the nation.
The Shogun was originally a title for the grand general of the armies – a title the first Arashi earned during the War of Seven Kingdoms. However, upon his unification of the nations and appointment as leader, the title took on a grander meaning and importance. The Shogun is the prime executive power in the nation. Every law or decree that is enacted is approved or created by the Shogun, granting them both legislative and executive privilege. To add to this, they are also the ultimate authority on the interpretation or punishment for criminal offenses.
The current Shogun is Shogun Arashi Kurokari. Shogun Arashi Kurokari succeeded his father roughly ten years ago. Shogun Arashi Ran’un, the former Shogun, is still alive, but had retired from his position and now lives out his last years in the Imperial Palace in Toinbu. Shogun Arashi Kurokari is now in his mid-thirties, working diligently each day in the Imperial Palace in Toinbu.
He, like his father, is rarely seen in the public eye, except to make occasional declarations. He has pushed strongly for a deeper alliance with the Ironclast Empire, and collaboration on numerous public works, including aqueducts, improving roads, and a new project called a Majutsu Hatsudenjo – a project that while employing many people, is still rather secret.
Kokumin Gikai
The Kokumin Gikai is the national assembly of Arashi No Kuni. Located in Toinbu, it is attended by the Gicho from around the nation.
Gicho are elected representatives of various regions and cities across Arashi no Kuni. There are currently 18 Gicho. While Gicho are elected, they are not elected via a full vote of all people. Instead, citizens of the nation can apply to be an elector in a given region. Typically, only wealthy landowners can afford the right to become an elector, and even among those it is a highly sought out and rare honor. A region is allowed at most 10 electors, and a new one can only be chosen if a previous elector dies, surrenders the position, or is removed for some reason.
These electors are allowed to change their Gicho only once every eight years. However, a Gicho title almost never changes hands unless one dies. Even then, it is typical that the son of the previous Gicho be elected to the position.
The Gicho help manage and enforce the decrees of the Shogun. They executive his directives and ensure order and peace. They are also responsible for collecting taxes and managing harvest donations. Each Gicho tends to have different policies and practices, and many of them assign a proxy to manage their region while they are in Toinbu.
Return to Top
Geography
One of the smaller nations of the world, the land of Arashi no Kuni is tucked into the southwestern portion of Orientum. Arashi no Kuni is commonly associated with the mountains that line their northern border, and the massive bay-like sea to their east.
The Inazuma Mountains
Stretching along the northern border, separating Arashi no Kuni from the Ironclast Empire, The Inazuma Mountains are known primarily for the endless lighting storms that rage across the peaks of the range. Most stories suggest this lightning comes from the Shatter Spark, which is still supposedly in the hands of the Storm Giants that live through out these mountains.
Many who travel across the mountains suggest the storm almost seems sentient – with the lightning bolt seemingly targeting any who would bring Arashi no Kuni or the Storm Giants harm. The constant rolling of thunder is also known to shake loos boulders or rocks and cause devastating rockslides. These factors lead to few even attempting to cross the mountains, instead either detouring to the north or south of the peaks.
Suiho Plains
Covering most of the Kumo Peninsula on the southern sides of the Inazuma Mountains, these plains are a sweltering mess. The sun beats down furiously on the land, and only the steady flow of sea storms rolling in off the Auster Ocean helps to give the area arable and habitable. The regular rain, though, also makes the humidity incredibly thick.
The Suiho Plains are also known for the regular appearance of heat lightning – especially just off the coast.
Momori Forests
Taking up the largest portion of Arashi no Kuni, the Momori Forests stretch out south from the Inazuma Mountains. The soil in this area is rich, and while the woods no longer cover everything in the area, they still cover much of the area separating towns and cities. Typically, as you travel east across the woods, the affluent nature of the cities grows more opulent and the trees become thinner and less frequent.
The forests are somewhat famous around the world due to a beautiful event that occurs for a few weeks in either the month of Gobaige or Imitud. During this timeframe, the vast majority of the trees in these woods sprout delicate, pink leaves that color the forest with a unique feel before falling off a few weeks later. Among those with the wealth and means to travel, it is a popular vacation destination.
Arashinoumi
The Arashinoumi Gulf is still largely considered a region of water that is controlled by Arashi no Kuni even though their nation no longer encloses the shores of the body. The mouth of the gulf seemingly cuts in through a small mountain, splitting it in half as it carved a large waterway toward the rest of the gulf.
The Gulf is typically very calm, with only the occasional storm rocking its waters. Its waters are plentiful with fish of various kinds, and a lucrative spot for fishermen – a primary profession of many of the cities lying near the gulf.
Southern Coasts
The southern coasts of Arashi no Kuni are marked by rolling fields of grass. Most like the Suiho Plains, this area is also warm all year round, but the humidity tends to be much more reasonable.
Return to Top
Culture
The Arashijin Culture is one that is defined by honor and reverence. They also put a great deal of emphasis on the idea of loyal service and faithful obedience. Beyond that, they are a people that attempt to live in harmony with their surroundings when possible, and largely do not consume meat – except for fish and other seafood.
Nationalism
The Arashijin culture places a large emphasis on nationalist ideals and practices, likely born from the idea that their Shogun is a being chosen by the “old gods”. The Shogun is believed to be their vessel or avatar on the material Plane and the only connection that remains to their powers and wisdom. He is blessed by divine purpose and with a vast array of knowledge and passion.
Given his heritage to the gods, the Arashijin understand that his directives are always for the greater good – even when they may be harmful in the short term. The idea of sacrifice for the Shogun or the nation is given a high degree of honor, as is service to one’s Gicho or other leaders.
Arashi no Kuni possesses a mostly closed border, not allowing the travel of foreigners through most of their lands. The only exceptions to this exclusion are the cities along the coast of the Arashinoumi Gulf, and certain high ranking figured from the Ironclast Empire. In these gulf cities, foreigners and merchants are welcome, but their departure from the cities is highly regulated and unwelcome foreigners found wandering the Arashi lands are often imprisoned – many never seen again.
Family Honor
The Arashijin believe that they individually cannot achieve greatness or earn honor. Honor and pride are tied to their family, which is why they tend to have their familial surname written or spoken first, and their individual name second. Because of this ideal, there is a great pressure on all Arashijin to not cause problems or bring disgrace to the family. As a disgraceful act effects all of their loved ones, and not just themselves.
This notion of familial honor and standing over personal accomplishments also means most actions in an Arashijin’s life are not their own to make, but a collective decision. This can range from what sort of profession they strive for to who they marry. Arranged marriages are quite common and are sometimes seen as a way to gain redemption of honor for the family unit.
Most family units are not strictly patriarchal or matriarchal, but rather run but compromise and agreement among the eldest of the family. The Arashijin have struggled with the ideas of gender norms and gender roles in the past, though, and this most equilateral method mostly came to be during the Kagaku Period.
Nature
The Arashijin practice a culture of coexistence with nature (though not quite to the same level as the Lusish). They respect the beauty of the natural world and largely do not consume the flesh of animals. There are some exceptions to this, especially during certain holidays or some other special occasions – but even then, the consumption is based highly around ancient traditions and does it’s best to pay homage to the world that gave them the feast.
Arashijin subsist largely on a diet of fish, rice, and soy, along with other vegetables. Much of their populace makes a living or survives by fishing the seas and gulfs around them. Those that do not are largely farm rice or vegetables.
Kagaku
The art of Kagaku is highly revered in Arashi no Kuni. The study of the world and the improvement is highly encouraged and supported. While there is currently no national establishment to help educate the people, many of the larger cities have adapted school systems that are largely based off the structure of the Agualian school system.
With the rise of Kagaku, a high intelligence has become a highly attractive quality, and a stigma on being ignorant or uninformed as become prevalent.
Class Divide
The Arashijin are largely separated by classes. Typically, people fall either into the Kyumin, or common folk, or the Tonohara – the enlightened class.
The Kyumin are a much largely portion of the nation and exist in every city. They are predominantly fishermen or farmers, though most artisan and craftsman professions also tend to fall in this class. They are typically poor and highly uneducated. In some areas, they suffer form a lack of sufficient nutrition and are rife with disease. They are considered necessary for the prosperity of the nation, but often do not achieve notable honor.
The Tonohara are a much smaller percentage of the nation’s population, but much more influential. They tend to live in the larger cities and have a full education. Kagaku scholars are often also included in this class if they achieve or accomplish something, but it is mostly limited to wealthy merchants and politicians, including all the Gicho.
Return to Top
Ironclast Empire
| Nation | Ironclast Empire |
|---|---|
| Capital | Maderad |
| Largest City | Maderad |
| Government | Monarchy |
| Official Language | Terran |
| Land Area | 6.1 mil mi2 |
| Population | 14.2 million |
The glorious Ironclast Empire stands as the mightest and most powerful nation not only in the Nine Nations, but across the entire wordl of Ferrum. They have the largest nation in terms of both land mass and population, eclipsing the other nations by orders of magnitude. They are also the only of the Nine Nations to have colonies in the savage and distant foreign lands, where they work to bring peace and security to the barbarous people of those areas. The ironclast Empire is protected by the greatest military in th world, and is dedicated to it's altruistic vision of a perfect and glorious tomorrow. Masters of technology, combat, and magic, the Ironclast Emprie is the greatest treasure the world has to offer.
History
The History of the Ironclast Empire is a history of the most powerful and glorious of The Nine Nations. Born from small beginnings, the Ironborn emerged from The Chaos an already mighty, if not small nation. But from those humble roots, the Empire grew and expanded, becoming the dominating power of the Nine Nations and the entire would. We recognized our greatness and strove to spread our influence and share our opulence with our neighbors. Some did not understand the gifts we offered them if they would but choose to join us, but now they understand the glory we allowed them to become one with.
Humble Beginnings
When The Chaos ended and the world entered the Novua Aetate, the Ironclast Empire was still centuries from conception. In the beginning, the Ironborn belonged to scattered clans across the Guarisian Plains – especially along the length of the Kinzaddan River. These disparate clans were often struggling to survive and quite poor. During The Chaos, the Guarisian Plains were hit hard with warring factions. The Lux Armiger of the Holy Lands to the east and the Followers of Iden to the northwest often clashed on the plains – neither side paying any mind to the natives of the area. While the Novua Aetate brought with it some stability and a tenuous cease-fire between these groups, it was not uncommon to see their armies marching across the plains.
The Lux Armiger were aggressively intrusive in their travels. They would often use their overwhelming numbers to put pressure on local lords or governors to bow to their wishes. This often meant supplying the Armigers with food and supplies – often at the cost of their own ability to eat and survive. Starvation and sickness were common. While the Armiger claimed they would provide protection and support in exchange for the goods they demanded, such compensation was rarely tendered.
The Followers of Iden were even worse. Powerful and chaotic clans of their warriors would swarm villages on the plains and slaughter all the men, stealing away with the women and anything else they wanted. They were especially fond of attacking any village or town that had housed Lux Armigers recently – waiting until the troops moved on. While such spots offered them little in value at that point, they would still slaughter everyone they could, as if to send a message to others that might help the Armigers.
The only true help or assistance that ever came to Guarisian people were occasional travelers from the south – from the Ruined Lands. Despite the treacherous crags and forests that lied to the south, visitors would make the trek north, bringing with them much needed supplies and useful devices. They often would not ask for much, except for coal and iron – two resources that were plentiful across the plains, barely hidden beneath the surface.
The Second Crusade
It was not until the 4th century that the situation on the Guarisian Plains changed. While the Lux Armiger and Followers of Iden continued their intrusive acts of non-aggression, their cease-fire was not fated to last. Around the end of the 3rd Century, the Followers of Iden officially called off the cease-fire, launching into an all-out assault on the Lux Armiger. The Armiger forces responded in kind, and the two armies met on Guarisian Plains, reigniting the Holy War, and beginning the Second Crusade.
The Second Crusade saw the Guarisian Plains turned into a bloody field of death. After some of the conflicts, the blood of the fallen would drain directly into the Kinzaddan River and turn the river red for miles before it would eventually settle or disperse in the water. The Guarisian people were stuck in the center of these battle more often than not – each side claiming a town or area as it’s own and forcing the inhabitants to serve for them, and causing them to be casualties in the conflicts that would inevitably engulf them. By all accounts, the Second Crusade almost became the end of the people of the Guarisian Plains. They only survived thanks to the arrival of the greatest hero in Ironborn history.
In the year 317 NA, Rafkin’s name was burned into history. A Guarisian native, Rafkin had had enough of being embroiled in the conflicts of forces that had no claim to his life or his land. There are varying accounts of how he wrote his name in history, but the accepted version states he first appeared at the Third Battle of Sulba.
As the story goes, Sulba was to be the site of a great conflict of the Lux Armiger and Followers of Iden. Both armies arrived on the outskirts of the town on the same day. The people of Sulba had barely recovered from the last time either force had passed through, and much of the town was still in ruins. The people were preparing to try and flee to the south as the armies approached on either side. But as they grew close, Rafkin strode out of the village, taking point on the top of the highest hill around.
“Heed my warning, invaders! You are not welcome here, or anywhere on these plains. From this day forward, the Guarisian Plains are under my protection, and I will tolerate your violence and destruction no longer. Take your armies and turn back to your arms. Your war ends today!”
Records from the observers from Sulba state that the leaders of both armies laughed at the proclamation, ignoring Rafkin’s warning as they called for their men to charge. Angered at the disrespect, Rafkin did not hold back.
Rafkin lifted the massive form of a Maul from his side, swinging it up over his head, before slamming it to the ground. As the Maul struck, the whole world shook. The land before him cracked and shattered, splitting in two as a crevasse opened before him, speeding off toward the north – stretching as far as the foothills of the Kaldbak Mountains. The charging armies came to a stop, shocked by the display of power. Rafkin lifted his Maul, resting it on his shoulder.
“I will not say this again, so listen closely this time. For centuries, your forces have slaughtered and abused my people. You have crushed us beneath your heel, treating us like nothing more than the earth you tread over. But no longer. You may crush us into the earth, but I crush the earth itself. You are no longer welcome on Guarisian lands. Take your armies and leave, or I shall make you.”
Still, the armies hesitated. While the display was definitely impressive, Rafkin was still just one man. To turn in fear from a single opponent would bring shame to the Followers of Iden, and for the Lux Armiger, retreat was tantamount to heresy in that instant. The leaders both knew what Rafkin held, but centuries of their absence made them question if the Mystic Arm was really all the legends had made it out to be. They called for their archers to take aim and fire.
Rafkin clicked his tongue as he quickly raised the maul, swinging around and crashing it into the side of the crevasse he had created, nearest the Armiger. The earth slide – the land pulling away from the maul with incredible speed. The Lux Armiger collapsed and tumbled as their footing slid beneath them.
Seeing the Lux Armiger fall to their knees, the Followers of Iden let out their war cries and tried to rush forward. But Rafkin acted quickly, spinning to bring the maul to their side of the crevasse as well, repeating the display for them.
“So be it.”
Rafkin brought forth the full power of the Earth Crusher. He slammed the maul to the ground, causing a pillar of earth to launch him skyward. He lifted the Mystic Arm above his head as he reached the peak of his ascent, beginning his crash back to the earth. Just as he was to strike the ground, he brought the Maul to break the crust. His slam sent waves through the earth. As they reached the edge of each side of the crevasse, dozens of feet of earth lifted up, swinging toward the armies on each side. The earthy beneath each army suddenly rose, flipping to a straight up wall in a matter of seconds. They were all flung away, miles into the distance – the earth acting as a powerful catapult.
Rafkin rose and bellowed out – his voice reaching the very edges of the continent. He declared:
“The Followers of Iden and the Lux Armiger are no longer welcome on the Guarisian Plains. These lands are now under my protection; Rafkin, Master of the Earth Crusher.
“My brethren, our time is now. I will protect you. These invaders have for centuries treated us like nothing but dirt – grinding us into the soil. But no longer. Now is our time to rise – to be born again. Not from dirt to be discarded, but from the iron that runs across our plains. No longer are we less than dirt. Now, we are Ironborn!”
Shortly after the Third Battle of Sulba, Rafkin set to work, travelling the plains. Over the next five years, he pushed out the Lux Armiger and the Followers of Iden. As he fought for the people, they rose and fought for him. Rafkin united the cities and towns under one banner: The Ironborn.
In order to finally end the cycle of violence and invasion from both sides, Rafkin used his power to raise the Guarisian Plains – creating the Guarisian Plateau. He kept the coastlines low, so people could still fish and trade across the seas and straights. And he created a path to the south that allowed visitors from the Ruined Lands to still reach them.
With the plateau’s walls serving as natural barriers, the Lux Armiger and the Followers of Iden could no longer cross the plains easily. They were forces to confront each other from across the Kaldbak Mountains if they wanted to fight. In turn, by saving his people, Rafkin not only sired the people that would form the gran Ironclast Empire, but also ended centuries of fighting between two needlessly zealotic forces.
Guarisia, the Iron Kingdom
While Rafkin’s goal was never to become the ruler of the plains, after his heroic acts to free the plains from their suffering, it was hard for anyone to see anyone else as an appropriate leader. Rather reluctantly, he took up the mantle, becoming the first Ironborn King.
Rafkin was a warrior, though, and the minutia of running a kingdom was not something he was accustomed to. His early years were considered quite rough. The Ironborn King often resorted to harsh punishments and swift retribution to any who fell out of line. However, the clans that aligned behind the king found him to be a fair and kind ruler.
Rafkin supported the idea of individual choice, and heavily shied away from sweeping declarations or laws. He largely left the towns and cities to continue as they had been. But this sort of policy did little to help fix the problems that remained in the kingdom, nor did it help to repair the damage that still lingered across the kingdom.
Emilise was a young woman from the coastal city of Maderad. During the Second Crusade, she had found herself swept up in Rafkin’s words, and she joined the cause for Guarisian freedom. However, her skills were never meant for the battlefield, but rather for logistics and management. Following the end of the crusade and the founding of Guarisia, she remained close with Rafkin.
Slowly, over a decade or so, she took charge more and more of the handling of governmental affairs. Rafkin was happy to let her and used his commands only to proclaim that she spoke for him. Despite this, Emilise also did not want to be a ruler, and forced Rafkin to take charge when it was necessary. Together, they slowly built the structure of the kingdom, helped introduce concepts like taxes and tariffs, and build up the central government of the land. As well, the two were eventually married, giving birth to the future generation of Ironclast royalty.
Even today, the royal family of the Ironclast Empire can trace their bloodline back to that of Rafkin and Emilise. The proof of this can be found in the Mystic Arm they still hold and wield. As Rafkin’s pact holds true, and only one that bares his blood may wield the weapon’s true power.
Ironclast Middle Ages
Guarded by the might of the Earthcrusher, Guarisia quickly solidified itself as a piece of the central lands of Orientum. There were still moments with raiders from Jokull or warriors of the Lux Armiger would encroach on Guarisian lands, but Rafkin and his descendants were quick to push them out.
This conflict eventually escalated into the Barakgan Conflict in the early 800s NA. While Guarisia had been around for quite a while at this point, it was still unclear – in many ways – where their borders lied. This was a result of the fact that the extent of the Guarisian Plains themselves were a matter of debate.
King Sylvar II was the first king to officially declare the entire extent of the plains to be part of Guarisia. At the time, this included a large portion of land that was ruled by Luchent known as Barakgan – stretching east from the Guarisian Plains proper.
The declaration heightened tension between the two nations, as the Lux Armiger were certain this would mean open aggression against their continuing operations there. But for many years, it did not. It was not until an official plea for assistance was sent to King Sylvar II that he finally took in action.
In the summer of 834 NA, King Sylvar led an army to secure Barakgan under his protection. Despite the power he wielded, though, the Lux Armiger refused to backdown. For 10 years, Barakgan was turned into a battlefield, with the power of the Earthcrusher constantly reshaping the lands – decimating forts and towns alike. In the end, King Sylvar II finally secure victory by creating the Barakgan Cliffs – tilting the entire plain up at the eastern edge to create a natural barrier that cut off the Luchent nationals. Not long after, the war was ended, and Guarisia grew.
The War of Terraformation – Beginning
Hailed as the longest and grandest of all the world’s wars, the War of Terraformation was our grand nation’s rise to power and the birth of our true empire. While the nations that surround our wonderful empire tell stories full of lies and half-truths about the war, we in the Ironclast Empire are taught only the truth. The War of Terraformation began simple as an altruistic attempt to provide humanitarian aide to our neighbors. But they would not stand for being made to look incompetent and retaliated against us – declaring they would rather their people die than receive our loving assistance.
The war began when King Gerard received a heartfelt plea from the Theod Region in the year 1525 NA. The region of Theod had long been a land of chaotic barbarism, with the various Jokull tribes clashing with one another over matters most of them no longer even understood. Not all of the people there were mindless brutes, though, and those nearest Guarisia’s borders reached out to beg for King Gerard to aide and protect them.
This was not the first time an Ironborn King had received such a request, and many monarchs before Gerard had reluctantly shied away from offering assistance. After all, such help could only come by crossing the Jokull Tribal borders and doing so would surely call the wrath of the various tribes down upon Guarisia. But this time, King Gerard could not bear their suffering any longer. Guarisia, though small, was mighty – with the most powerful weapons and sturdiest armors in the world. Their forts were impenetrable and their armies expertly trained. The time had come to finally offer help to those who pleaded for it.
The effort to help began near the border, in the city of Kengarh. The Guarisian army marched across the border and surrounded the town, standing as guards against the roving marauders of the rest of the Theod region. The people of Kengarh welcomed the Ironborn King into their city, and King Gerard offered his full support and assistance. After a long discussion, the two parties came to a mutual agreement that leaving the tribes of Jokull was the only way to ensure their freedom. And King Gerard agreed to add them to his own people and provide them protection and the benefits and wonders of Guarisia.
Word of Kengarh’s succession from the tribes spread quickly through Theod. Within a few weeks, dozens of other heartfelt pleas for the Guarisian’s protection came flooding in. But there were also men in the region, and further to the north, that would not abide what they saw as theft of their lands and people. King Gerard was devoted to saving the Theod region – even if it meant all out war with Jokull. He committed to his actions, and spread word that any tribe, town, or city in Theod that raised the Guarisian Flag would be considered one with his nation and under his protection. Dozens in the region quickly raised the flag, even as others move to suppress their actions.
Theod was largely under the control of the tribe of the same name, but they had close ties with the Kordal tribe on the north. The two tribes united in an effort to protect their lands, even at the suffering of their people – forcing them to remain in a situation where they were raided and brutalized constantly. While many small skirmishes erupted shortly after Kengarh joined Guarisia, it was not until the battle of Bremron that the war truly began.
Bremron raised the Guarisian flag in month of Frysta in the year 1326 NA. By Gelusia, the Theod and Kordal tribes had arrived, suppressing the people’s wishes with brutal violence. But when King Gerard led his armies there that same month, he quickly ended their vicious domination – freeing the town from tribal rule and incorporating them under his protection.
Embarrassed by their defeat, the leaders of the tribes approached the Chieftain of the Tosveria Tribe – the largest and most powerful of the Jokull tribes. They pleaded with him to help, spreading lies that the noble King Gerard was a ruthless invader and planned to march into the north. Chieftain Yulth was fooled by their falsehoods, and also refused to lose the plentiful lands of Theod. He put out a call to all the tribes to amass their armies and marched to reclaim Theod, issuing an official declaration of war, and beginning the War of Terraformation.
The War of Terraformation – The Ironclast Empire
The early decades of the War of Terraformation were hard fought for Guarisia. At the time, the nation was still quite small – the smallest on all of Orientum. Standing up to the combined might of the Jokull tribes was no simple task. Instead of accepting their failures to protect their people, the tribes of Jokull instead chose to exacerbate the issue and torment their former kinsmen by endlessly attacking the Theod region. The northern portions of Theod became a battle-torn warzone – racked with destruction. However, with the help of the newly freed people of Theod, Guarisia was able to hold back the northern onslaughts and protect the lands they had liberated.
Eventually the war here largely fell into a stalemate due to the difficulty of traversing the Kaldbak Mountains. Only a small gap along the western coast of Orientum was easily passable, and each side erected a fort at either end – ensuring the other could not easily press onward from there. But the savages in the north refused to surrender their claim to the southern lands, and for decades, the two sides clashed back and forth on the frigid road.
Eventually, King Gerard grew old and he could no longer lead the armies. King Gerard was forced to leave the protection of Theod and his dream in the hands of his son, Clifford IV. For 50 years, just as his father had done, Clifford helped to protect the Theod Region. He introduced knowledge and skills to the former Jokull tribesman, and truly made them feel as one with Guarisia. But one day, he too needed to pass on his command of the kingdom and the war to his successor.
King Clifford IV had two sons: Ayern and Brawns. Prince Brawns was the elder of the two and had stepped up in the capital as the war had broken continued. He had handled most of the day to day operations. His work at home helped make sure the warriors on the front lines always had supplies – with various supply routes being maintained and constant shifting of resources to keep them from being captured.
Prince Ayern, on the other hand, had fought endlessly alongside his father, having dozens of key victories under his belt, and making a name for himself as a hero of Guarisia. He was celebrated by all true Ironborn Guarisians and was the favored to take the throne, though tradition dictated that the firstborn son was to be the successor. However, when it came time for Brawns to finally take the throne, there came to be an issue: he was incapable of manifesting the power of the Earthcrusher.
While the Mystic Arm had been rarely used over the years, it was also tradition and a requirement of any who would rule to form a pact with the weapon for the protection of Guarisia. When Brawns unable to fulfill this requirement, it was quickly suggested that the second son, Prince Ayern, be allowed to try. He was loved, and still of royal blood, so it was allowed. To everyone’s joy, the Mystic Arm responded to Ayern’s persona and made its choice known.
However, this still broke with tradition. The nation was rocked with indecision on what to do – Bow to the first-born son or bow to the Earthcrusher’s chosen. The nation was on the verge of civil war as it still fought to hold back the barbaric hordes of the north. In the end, though, Brawns decided to abdicate the throne – agreeing to instead continue the work he had been doing and let Ayern rule. The kingdom was relieved to have the matter end peacefully, and Prince Ayern was quickly coronated king. One of his first decrees as King was to rule that only an heir that can wield the Earthcrusher’s true might can succeed the throne, and the order of birth would only matter if more than one eligible heir met this requirement.
Not king of Guarisia, King Ayern was dedicated to not only protecting his grandfather’s dream, but also expanding it. He strove strengthen the land’s army and decreed that all healthy citizens of the kingdom would be required to serve in the royal army for a minimum of five years after their entrance into adulthood. He also set to work creating a national program to train these new recruits, fighting experts in the field of combat to put them through the ringer and make them into powerful warriors.
Fueled by this new squadron of soldiers to reinforce what was already there, Ayern could finally turn his attention to the poor and suffering of the Holy Lands of Luchent to the east. For nearly as long as Theod had been ravaged by barbarians and brutes, the people of the Holy Lands had also been made to suffer. A strict theocracy, any who dared to step even slightly out of line in Luchent were harshly punished and discriminated. Ayren knew it was his duty to help these people as well.
Orchestrating one of the largest and most impressive incursions in recorded history, Ayren launched simultaneous aide missions in two dozen different cities near the Luchent border. The Guarisian army quickly surrounded the cities, putting up a strong defensive line as small groups rushed into the city to oust the zealotic rulers of the areas, freeing the people within. Much as his grandfather had, Ayren announced to the people of Luchent:
“We are here for you, and for all people of the world. We will protect those who are abused and suffering. We, born of iron, will stand as stalwart guardians of all that is right. We of the Guarisian Plains… no, not just the plains. Not just the people of Guarisia, but all that fight with us. We, the Ironclast Empire – help free and welcome any who require out aide!”
The War of Terraformation – Catching Lightning
Despite having two foes encompassing our lands, the new nation of the Ironclast Empire was able to powerful defend their lands while also continuing to push forward into the Holy Lands of Luchent. This was largely in part of the power of our Ironclast mages – wielding potent arcane spells with devastating and targeted force. Emperor Ayern has mobilized more spellcasters in the efforts to save the people of Luchent than had before been seen in warfare, and even with the holy protection the Lux Armiger claimed to have, there was little they could do to combat this threat.
It is for this reason, perhaps, that Luchent instead appealed to the other nations of Orientum. The tribes of Jokull were, of course, already engaged in combat with the Ironclast Empire. But when approached, they greedily agreed to form a true alliance with them and combine their forces to stop the empire. However, this did not change much in the war.
It was only when the people of Arashi no Kuni were brought into this alliance that the Ironclast Empire began to experience anything that could even remotely be called trouble. The ambassadors of Luchent appealed to the shogun, filling his head with lies against them. They claimed that Emperor Ayern was a power-hungry despot, seeking to dominate the world and control the minds of the people. They misled the shogun into believing it was only a matter of time before the Ironclast Empire wiped out Luchent and Jokull and then turned on them.
The Arashijin had long been friends of the people of Guarisia and had traded openly. The two parties had always had a symbiotic relationship and helped one another to prosper. But the shogun had been worried about the growing military might of the Ironclast Empire. As well, he had begun to grow jealous of their wealth, happiness, and strength. He let his negative emotions get the better of him and he agreed to join the Luchent Alliance.
In a surprise attack – declaring war only afterwards – the Arashijin armies attempted to attack the capitol of Maderad directly – approaching both on ships in the Magerran Sea and on land, marching through Ironclast territory. It was only because of their foot soldiers that the capital had any warning of the oncoming attack, as a few farms in their path were destroyed, but not before a few brave men escaped the assault and rode north for days to deliver the message.
Even still, the Arashijin nearly took the capital in that first assault. Much of the Ironclast army had been pushed to the north and east, and they hadn’t much of a navy at the time. It was only thanks to Prince Brawns expert tactics and strategy that the day was saved. He had long worked with and studied the Arashijin and was familiar with most of their war tactics from watching their mock battles. He was able to successfully lead their troops into ambushes and traps, as men armed ballista and catapult to take out the ships. The battle itself lasted nearly two weeks before Emperor Ayern finally returned to the capital, wielding the Earth Crusher, and dealt the final blow the Arashijin army, forcing their retreat.
As recognition for his efforts and success, Prince brawns was placed in charge of the southern front and the fight against the Arashijin. With that, the Ironclast Empire was truly beset on all sides. Stopping was no longer an option, as no force near them would allow such a thing. There was only an option to continue, and so the great nation did.
The War’s End
It was a slow process to push the war and rescue the citizens of the foreign nations bordering the empire. As time went on, though, it became easier. As the former victims of Luchent and Jokull abuse recovered and rose up, and the liberated nations of Arashi no Kuni discovered the truth of the empire, they joined the army, and fought for their right to be part of the great land that had rescued them.
The war was also helped a few decades after Arashi joined the war when merchants from Agual brought with them a powerful new tool: black powder. In the 1550s, this powerful substance made its way to Maderad all the way from Nars. When the Agualian merchant showcased this powder to a few generals and the emperor, its value was immediately apparent. The Ironclast Empire adopted this powder quickly, using it to develop cannons and other explosives. This allowed them to empower even their non-magical soldiers with powerful tools to turn the tide of any battle.
The Southern Front pushed far into Arashijin territory, but the Inazuma Mountains proved difficult to traverse – not due to the Arashijin but instead the Storm Giants that guarded them. The Giants seemed to have made some sort of deal to allow Arashijin to pass but would thwart most attempts to penetrate the range. Any armies that did pass through often found themselves cut off from supplies and usually did not return.
In the north, the Kaldbak Mountains continued to provide a powerful barrier to both sides. However, the Ironclast Army was able to push the brutes and barbarians of the north to the other side of the range, forcing them into the tundra and ice beyond. As all of their tribes were pushed back, their supplied began to dwindle, and the northern front began to turn slightly toward Ironborn favor – though it took centuries.
In the East, however, the army saw the most progress. Generations of Emperors continued to lead the advance, utilizing the Earth crusher to overwhelm opposition when needed. Luchent lands quickly dwindled, and as their people were liberated, they joined up in mass to support the freedom of their kin.
The battles were going well on all fronts for many years, but things in the south began to turn around the 18th Century when Arashi began to get their hands on the black powder as well. The Ironclast Emperor was enraged, as the powder was supposed to sold to them alone, according the original trade deal they made. But Agual had betrayed that agreement and began to trade to Arashi, who also started to spread it to the Luchent armies.
After a bit of investigation, it was found that Agualian merchants were using the island of Ruqu as a stop before trading with Arashi. To prevent this, the Ironclast sent their small navy and managed to land on the island under the cover of night. Led by then Prince Gildean, they took the island and all its ports in one night. When the next merchant ship arrived, they raided the ships and took all their supplies. They did this for nearly a year before word finally reached Agual – or at least before they finally acted. Agual’s navy came to reclaim the island, but Prince Gildean was able to defend the land and hold them off.
Eventually, Agual relented, unable to withstand the might or pierce the defenses of the great Ironclast Empire. The agreed to then uphold the original trade agreement for all time and stop trading black powder to any other nations on Orientum.
With the matter settled, the war progressed, and Prince Gildean eventually was coronated Emperor. Under his lead, the Ironclast Empire pushed forward further into Luchent than ever before – nearly ensuring the capture of the entire kingdom. He unfortunately fell in battle in 1787 NA at the mature age of 53, passing power to his eldest son, Sylvar. Sylvar continued his father’s momentous push into Luchent.
Emperor Sylvar V eventually lead the armies to what many were certain would be the final battle of the war with Lucent, as the armies surrounded their capital of Lucialis. The Emperor even took up the Earthcrusher to ensure the battle’s conclusion and finally end the conflict and truly free all of Luchent.
Emperor Sylvar V led the invasion of the capital, and Ironclast soldiers swarmed the streets, clashing with the remaining Lux Armiger. The battle was all but decided when the Lux Armiger choose to sacrifice thousands of their own in an attempt to stop their end. The entire city was bombarded with perverse magic of an unknown nature. The magic seemed to only affect the Ironclast soldiers, killing any that lingered too long inside. Emperor Sylvar unfortunately perished in the assault, but his daughter Krystel was able to recover his body and pull it from the city in her own retreat.
Hundreds of thousands of men were lost in the catastrophic assault. Princess Krystel assumed command – to some complaints from the generals. But her brother was too young to lead or take the throne, and no other was acceptable to be chosen by the Earthcrusher. Krystel ordered a retreat of most forces, leaving only those needed to defend the lands they had already taken.
By the time Princess had returned to Maderad with her father’s body, many soldiers and citizens in the empire had begun to come down with a deadly disease that would be come to known as the Creeping Death. Eventually, the plague turned into a massive pandemic, and in her brother’s name, Krystel ordered the end of the War of Terraformation to instead focus on combatting the spread of that terrible disease.
It was almost 60 years later before a true cure to the disease was discovered by an Ironborn Herbalist and Sorcerer by the name of Dirken Shoals. Shoals was able to combine a number of rare herbs found in the Kaldbak and Inazuma mountains, with trace elements collected from elsewhere across the Empire to create a powerful concoction that could finally put the disease in check.
In the meantime, the Holy Cities of Luchent had managed to erect their Divine Barrier, shutting down any possibility of incursion into their lands. And even with a cure, the people of the empire had been hit hard by the disease and would take much time to recover. The cease-fires that had been signed initially slowly because peace treaties and all sides simply accepted the situation as the new reality, and time moved on.
Greatness Achieved
The past few centuries had only shown how great the Ironclast Empire actually is, as it managed to recover from the scourge of the Creeping Death quickly – more quickly than any other nation. Their industry blossomed, and while tensions with neighbors still continue somewhat to this day, relations between them have improved. Arashi no Kuni, especially, has joined hands with the Ironclast Empire in many trade agreements, and the two nations are on the verge restoring former ties.
The Ironclast Empire still stands as the strongest, largest, and most powerful nation on the planet. While it has had no cause to continue its work in freeing the lands of Orientum from tyranny since the War of Terraformation’s end, it has continued this mission elsewhere. The Empire has many colonies on the foreign continents that stand as bastions of peace and civilization in those brutal societies.
Return to Top
Government
The Ironclast Empire employs a Patriarchal Monarchy as its means of government, centered around the Imperial Family. The rules for succession of power are simple, but quite strict, making the line of succession rather easy to maintain, and putting great pressure on Empresses to sire male offspring to ensure the propagation of the royal bloodline.
The Imperial Monarchy was first established around King Rafkin Ironborn I after his heroic declaration of the emancipation of the Guarisian Plains. King Rafkin I is also sometimes called the Grand Sire, the First Ironborn, The Land Master, or The Great Founder. All subsequent rulers to hold either the ancient title of Ironborn King or Grand Emperor can trace their lineage back directly through the royal succession to The Grand Sire and his first queen, Queen Emilise I.
Originally, the title of Ironborn King was used to refer to the leader of the lands. It was a title that was, at first, not bound to royal blood. The only requirement that King Rafkin I set forth was that the leader must be able to harness the power of the Earthcrusher in order to properly defend and maintain the kingdom’s borders. As it would happen, King Rafkin I later formed a lasting pact with the Earthcrusher that specified it would only allow its power to be wielded by those of his bloodline – though it was never clear if that meant direct offspring, or any distant relative might work.
However, the next person to properly wield the Earthcrusher was King Rafkin I’s son, King Brawns I. From there, a tradition began of passing the Mystic Arm along to the prince following their coronation. If the king was still living, and simply abdicating his duties due to health or age, he would always properly transfer possession of the weapon to his son. Otherwise, the Queen would often take of the duty, with a ranking nobleman taking the duty if neither were available. This practice has now changed slightly, and in the absence of the king, only the Grand Authoritate is the only one authorized to take this role.
It was, for many centuries, tradition that if multiple sons were born to a single king, the eldest of them would be the one to take the throne – younger siblings only being viable candidates if their older siblings died without siring a boy of their own. This tradition was called into question during the ascension of King Ayern I, later Emperor Ayern I. While his older brother, Prince Brawns IV had first claim to the throne, he was the first of Rafkin’s royal descendants that was unable to properly wield the Earthcrusher, while King Ayern could. This trouble eventually established the Law of Pacts, asserting that succession is first established by ability to wield the Earthcrusher, and only determined by older rules of succession if multiple successors meet this first requirement.
Emperor Ayern transformed the nation from a simple Monarchy to an Imperial Monarchy curing his reign, though little changed in the rule of succession or laws of the nation.
While traditionally, only sons had been considered in the kings and emperors for the totality of Ironclast’s history, it was made a more official mandate following the attempts of Princess Kystel – Daughter of Emperor Sylvar V – attempted to forcefully seize control of the nation from her younger brother, Prince Rafkin X. Following her execution, the empire established the role of the Grand Authoritate to prevent such attempts from happening again, as well as established officially that daughters were not fit to succeed the throne, even if they could wield the Earthcrusher as Krystel could.
Emperor
The Emperor holds ultimate authority in the empire. While the Emperor has the power to unilaterally pass to laws, regulations, and decrees, it is not often he does so. However, on a whim, he can create or dismiss laws as he sees fit, as well as overall any decision that comes from anyone else in the nation.
The Emperor is also considered the de facto leader of the Ironclast Army and is often taught the art of combat and masters martial tactics and strategies on both the grand and small scale. Different Emperors have displayed different preferences and abilities in combat, but most are often trained in the use of a Maul so they can properly utilize the Earthcrusher if needed.
Imperial Family
The same lineage still rules the empire now, headed by Emperor Stown III. Emperor Stown has ruled for roughly forty years, following the death of his father, Emperor Grawnd II. He is married to Empress Gemlyn I and has sired four children. In order of birth, his children are Prince Ayern V, Princess Rezlin I, Prince Aubsydien II, and Princess Emralysa III. Prince Ayern V is first in line for the throne and has already proven he possesses aptitude and ability with the Earthcrusher. With Emperor Stown III’s age and health issues, it is expected he may pass control of the nation to Prince Ayern the V within the next few years.
The Imperial Family acts with grand authority across the Empire and is considered above the normal rules and restrictions imposed on the common folk. There are few acts royal family members could commit that would see them face any consequences – and typically, they are only punished in any matter if the offense were committed against other royal family members.
The Imperial Family is strictly limited to current and former Emperors and Empresses, as well as any children such individuals have sired directly. The offspring of Princes and Princesses are only considered to be true members of the royal family if their grandfather is the current emperor. More distant relatives are often still considered members of High Nobility, and thus also exempt from most rules of law, but are not granted the same authority and rights as the Imperial Family.
Other than the Emperor, the members of the Imperial Family cannot make royal decrees or edicts, nor can they change laws themselves. However, their familial relationship with the Emperor is often enough to give them an indirect ability to do such things.
Grand Authoritate
The Grand Authoritate was a role created to ensure the proper succession of heirs occurs if one or both of the Emperor and Empress were to pass before it could be performed. It was also granted a high degree of authority in the nation, and he is granted temporary rule of the empire if an heir is too young to properly take their place on the throne.
The Grand Authoritate works as an adviser to the Emperor and is often the person the Emperor trusts the most. They keep the Emperor apprised of any information that they deem important or necessary for him to know, and often have a higher understanding of the events and goings on across the empire than the Emperor himself.
The Grand Authoritate often works closely with members of the High nobility to help manage the needs and concerns of the citizenry, as well as organize and run many of the programs in the empire. He is often considered to speak for the Emperor in the Emperor’s absence, and as such holds a great deal of influence, but he is not able to actually change or mandate rules or laws. If the Emperor ever passes before his heir has come of a proper age and ability to rule the nation, the Grand Authoritate is tasked with managing the empire and helping to raise the prince and teach them what they will need to know, in conjunction with the Empress. In this rule, he holds authority similar to the Emperor, but can never become the Emperor.
The Grand Authoritate position is occasionally given to siblings of current Emperors, though not always. It is more common for the position to be granted to a member of High nobility or the military with non-familial bonds to the Emperor. The Emperor can also remove or replace a current Authoritate at their whim or upon the previous one’s death.
The current Grand Authoritate is a High Nobel by the name of Lord Relik Yural. Relik Yural served as a Captain in the Ironclast Army during his youth, working his way up to Emerald-Class General before eventually leaving the army in service to the current Emperor as Grand Authoritate. Now well into his 70s, he is looking forward to Stown relinquishing the throne, as the current Emperor refuses to let him retire.
High Nobility
The High Nobility are the ruling class of the empire. Most of the families of high nobility can either trace their lineage back to a former emperor or king or were granted a high title and position by a former Emperor. They often act as governors, mayors, dukes, lords, or earls across the empire. They have the power to declare their own laws, rules, or regulations for the areas they manage, but their edicts can never contradict an Imperial decree and can always be overridden by the Emperor.
In their region that they have been granted control, though, they are often treated and operate with the same power and authority of the Emperor himself. It is their responsibility to report notable events or issues to the Grand Authoritate, and they also work with the Authoritate when they are in need of financial help or troubles. Each High Noble family collects taxes of their own accord across the nation, but a certain amount of taxes are also required to be sent to the Imperial Family.
New members of the high nobility are incredibly rare at this point, as most families try to maintain the class by arranging marriages between one another. While Emperors siblings do join this class, even they usually marry into an existing family of High Nobility if they are not to become Emperor.
Standard Nobility
There is also a small class of Nobility that exists underneath the high Nobility. Often referred to simple as ‘nobility’, this group is filled with families whose recent ancestors have achieved greatness or renown as part of the Ironclast Army and are rewarded with a title in honor of their efforts. These families’ nobility is often short lived, as their noble titles cannot be passed down. The title does confer them a stipend from the Empire while they live, but when the title bearer passes, their family does not continue to receive such payments. As well, while they do garner a great deal of respect, they hold little to no actual authority.
Serfdom
The rest of the nation’s populace is part of the Serfdom. Their financial state can vary, but even the wealthiest of them pale in comparison to the High Nobility and are still called serfs. They often do not own land themselves, instead borrowing land from a High Nobles – though there are some exceptions.
Serfs, like all citizens, are required to serve in the Ironclast Army upon their 15th birthday until at least their 20th birthday. Because of this, they all receive a basic level of education and training, as well as learning of the history and greatness of their homeland.
Return to Top
Geography
The largest nation in the world in terms of land area, the Ironclast Empire is home to various locales and environments. From the rolling forests of the east, to the scorching sands of the Aren Desert, to the vast expanse of the Guarisian Plains. It is defined by numerous mountain ranges that have defined natural borders with their neighbors, and their southern regions lie along the equator. Various rivers crisscross the empire, bring water and creating thousands of miles of plentiful farmlands.
The Kaldbak Mountains
Marking the border between the Ironclast Empire and Jokull to the north, the Kaldback Mountains are known for their tall peaks, steep cliffs, and blinding snowstorms. The mountains position on the globe combined with their treacherous heights leave them covered in snow and ice the entire year-round. Fridgid winter storms constantly pound the northern side of these mountains, making passage through them difficult – even along the major roads. Trying to cross them off the main roads is a death sentence for certain.
The Kaldback Mountains stretch from the western coast to the eastern coast, ending at high cliffs overlooking the oceans below. There is only one relatively safe passage through the mountains; Hrimdin Pass. The pass stretches 250 miles north through mountains, beginning at the mountain town of Velfondlan and through to Hrimgall in Jokull. Even with the work both nations go through to try and keep the pass safe and traversable, it often fills with snow during the winter, and it is not uncommon to be assaulted by Trolls, Ogres, or Frost Giants while wandering the path. Rhemoraz are also quite common and known to decimate entire travelling parties before they even know they are in danger.
The Kaldback Mountains are known for their rich supply of Adamantine, as well as the only known location where the Jofjorn Herb grows – a powerful medicinal plant that was instrumental in creating the cure for the Creeping Disease. Both of these resources are difficult to reach though, and the scattered mountain cities of the Kaldback Mountains are often struggling to defend them from the elements and hostile creatures alike.
The Forests of Theod
The region of Theod lies on the northwestern tip of the empire, and is known for it’s thick forests of pine, maples, and oaks. The forests are thick with trees, and the region is known to be incredibly fertile. Many attempts have been made to clear all or some of the forests here, but the trees and brush often grow back before the underlying soil can be tilled or converted to farmland. There are claims that a powerful and ancient Treant still lives in the region, keeping the forest around to support his own whims.
The forests also enclose the largest lake in the Nine Nations; Terrauctor’s Crater. According to legend, the 70 mile wide lake was created when water filled a massive crater left from the impact of the Aurauctor tossing the Terrauctor to the earth from thousands of feet in the air in the time of The Grand Incursion.
The Guarisian Plains
The Guarisian Plains cover the vast majority of the Empire’s interior. They are defined along the western edge and eastern edge by large cliffs that were created long ago by the Earthcrusher. The plains themselves are rolling hills of grass and wheat. The soil is fertile, and most of the area has been converted to farmland to grow food for the massive empire and their armies. It stretches around the Ironclast Mountains, running up the southern side of the range and meeting with the forests and marshes of the Holy Lands.
The plains are divided by the second longest river in the world; the Talfirh River. The Talfirh River originally partly ran through what is now the Aren Desert, irrigating the area, but was disrupted by the upheaval of land by King Sylvar II during the Barakgan Conflict when he created the Barakgan Cliffs. These cliffs now overhang the beginning of the Aren Desert.
The Aren Desert
The Aren Desert is a large desert that was inadvertently created by the actions of King Sylvar II. When he created the Barakgan Cliffs, he caused natural water flows to change, as well as slightly altered the flow of weather patterns. Due to these factors, this region transformed from part of the Guarisian Plains into a sandy and hot desert.
The Aren Desert is considered by many to be even harsher that the Shakari Desert of Nars. While Shakari at least as a few rivers to bring water to the area, the Aren desert is completely dry and scorching hot during the day. The villages and towns that once lied in the region are now abandoned, scattered across the dry and cracked earth, some half buried in the now shifting sands. Some treasure seekers make excursions into these sands to try and recover ancient treasures left behind by the people that were forced to abandon their homes long ago.
The Ironclast Mountains
Stretching down from the eastern edge of the Kaldbak Mountains and bifurcating the empire are the Ironclast Mountains, also sometimes called the Lumien Peaks. These Mountains mark the eastern edge of the Aren Desert and run southwest, nearly connecting to the Inazuma Mountains. Unlike these two other mountain ranges, the Ironclast Mountains are quite tame, with only a few large peaks.
The Ironclast Mountains are a rich source of gold, silver, and precious gems – especially near the Aren desert. There are many mining towns, as well as small villages scattered through that region looking to dig up the wealth hidden there.
The Frigid Swamps
Lying in the very northeast corner of the empire are the Frigid Swamps, also sometimes called the Haggrall Marshes. The land is a strange mix of swampland and frozen tundra. Chunks of ice float along the surface of the swampy waters, and snowfall can sometimes hide the treacherous waters from view, causing unfortunate souls to slip into the icy waters where many do not make it back out.
The Holy Lands
This region of land lying north of what remains of Luchent was once the Holy Lands proper – a glorious, gold stretch of land that was filled with plenty of food and game. Stories say that the Lux Armiger cursed the land when they were forced to flee, as it quickly began chocked with trees and marshes. Despite this, though, the land is still plentiful and giving.
The southern portion is dominated by the Luxian Flood Plains. This area was once rich farmland but is now a deep marsh. However, it is overflowing with various kinds of fish, and its mixture of salt water and fresh water near the coast makes it a perfect area for fisheries of all kinds.
The forests to the north are also quite wonderful, filled with various kinds of naturally growing fruits trees. Many years have been given to transforming the region to massive, natural orchards of apples, oranges, peaches, and other fruit-bearing trees.
The Inazuma Mountains
South of the Guarisian Plains, and stretching up the Kumo Peninsula are the Inazuma Mountains. The Inazuma Mountains are almost always covered in thick, dark storm clouds that shower lightning down on their peaks. The area north of them, along the peninsula is covered in thick woods that are often referred to as the Thundering Woods. This is partially due to the storm clouds on the nearby mountains, but also due to the strange unexplained sound of thunder that occasionally rings out through the woods – even when storms are not around.
The mountains themselves are home to powerful Storm Giants, as well as some Tainted Orcs. The Storm Giants are openly hostile to any who try to cross the mountains from the north, but often let travelers from Arashi head north – even to this day.
The Ame Peninsula
The tropical southern tip of the Empire, the Ame Peninsula is dominated by warm grassland and tropical rainforests.
Return to Top
Culture
The Ironborn are taught from a young age that they are part of the greatest and mightiest nation in the world. They are a proud people who acknowledge the luck of their birth as Ironborn. The majority of the nation never receives any official schooling, but they all receive five years of training an instruction as part of their mandatory military service. While all Ironborn are united behind the glory of the Imperial Family and their righteous nation, they are quite varied, coming from a collection or various heritages and cultures.
Military Service
Military Service is a mandatory requirement of all Ironborn people upon reaching their 15th Birthday. Within 1 month of reaching the assigned date, every child is required to report to the nearest barracks to begin their training.
Service in the Military is mandated by imperial decree, but the Empire holds no actual census or registration of children as they are born. Instead, service in the military is the only means by which even a native-born person can become a recognized citizen of the empire. Upon reporting to their initial barracks, the youth’s information is recorded in official ledgers and they receive the mark of the Ironborn – typically upon the back of their dominant hand, but some locations may place it on the shoulder, arm, or chest, but always somewhere where it is easy and convenient to display it as needed. This mark is unique and arcanely pressed into the youth’s skin. The mark is also arcanely encoded with the youth’s information, such as name, age, birthplace, heritage, family members, and record of military service.
The Mark of the Ironborn is largely required to receive any sort of social benefits of the empire and is considered proof of identity. Other than in certain state mandated areas, those who bare the mark are required by imperial decree to have it visible on their person at all times. The Iron Guard across the nation are given special magical tools they can use to validate a mark when needed and read the information encoded on it. They can also add information to the marks, specifically any criminal acts the person has been accused or convicted of.
Since it is illegal to move about without one of these marks, the option to avoid service is not available. All civilians have no choice by to serve their tie in the army in order to gain citizenship and the right to live their lives openly.
The Iron Guard
The Iron Guard are a branch of the Ironclast Army that is tasked with keeping the peace and enforcing the laws among civilians and citizens. The Iron Guard is usually hand selected by members of the High Nobility from the barracks in the lands they control, and they receive special training and lessons.
The Iron Guard typically work alongside or over local town guards, and though their numbers are small compared to the overall size of the army, they are often considered one of the more elite groups in the military. They are trained to operate covertly when needed and taught to seek out strange anomalies and deviations in people’s behavior to identify rebels, spies, or other dangerous criminals.
Often, people do not know they are being watched by the Iron Guard until it is already too late to escape their clutches.
Mixed Heritage
The Ironclast Empire is a massive land with millions of people – most of who cannot trace their heritage back to the original Ironborn of Guarisia. However, a person’s heritage is rarely a matter of concern among the populace. Even those from lands of former enemies – like those whose heritage includes Jokyn or Arashijin blood – are treated the same as any other Ironborn, as long as they (or their parents, for children under 15) have served their dutiful time in the Ironclast Army.
Because of this, the cities and streets of the Ironclast Empire are flooded with various sorts of people of various races and cultures. The Ironclast Empire is also open the inclusion of typically violent or malevolent races, such as goblins and orcs, or even more obscure creatures like Ogres or Ettins so long as they do their part and serve in the Army.
Ironborn adapt and incorporate pieces of foreign culture that others bring into the nations quite readily. They rarely reject new ideas, though they are often seen as being stubborn about giving up already held beliefs. They are also a people who embrace contradiction for these reasons, and it is not uncommon for an Ironborn to profess they believe in two completely contradictory notions.
Foreign Travelers
Foreigners are quite limited if they choose to visit the empire. The capital of Maderad, as well as few other large ports of the nation are welcoming of merchants and outsiders to come in and wander the streets. However, travelers are not allowed to leave these cities under any circumstances, unless they have been granted permission by local High Nobility.
This is due entirely to the requirement that people display the Mark of the Ironborn in all other regions across the nation. If someone is found outside these approved areas without the mark or proof of their permission to roam the area, they are treated as a delinquent soldier and brought to the nearest barracks where they are forced to serve five years in the military and become citizens of the Empire. Even if they do not hail from the empire.
Return to Top
Jokull
| Nation | Jokull Wilds |
|---|---|
| Capital | Invograv |
| Largest City | Invograv |
| Government | Tribal Chiefdom |
| Official Language | Gelugan |
| Land Area | 1.7 mil mi2 |
| Population | 2.1 million |
Jokull is the second smallest nation in both land area an population. Stuck in the northern regions of Orientum, Jokull is constantly covered in ice and snow, with freezing temperatures even in the missle of summer. But the Jokyn that live there in their eight different clans are a proud and powerful people. Many of them are celebrated as some of the most powerful warriors in the entire world. The jokyn celebrate the ideals of strength and victory - of glory being found primarily through combat. While the Clans are considered a united nation byt the rest of the world, among the clans, each considers themselves seperate and distinct from the others, but with overlapping interests and ideals.
History
Jokull’s history is one that is filled with strife, combat, and snow. Born in the frigid wilds of the northern portions of Orientum, the people of Jokull fought for centuries during The Chaos to force their way to the most hospitable regions. Once there, they were met only with further hostility, whether from the zealotic Lux Armiger, the tyrannical Ironclast Empire, or from internal in-fighting born from the splintering of Iden’s faithful. Combat has been an integral portion of Jokull’s timeline, and the Jokyn have always known suffering as they struggled for survival.
The Murderous Lux Armiger
Records of history of rare and vague in regards to Jokull’s emergence from The Chaos – even among the few studied and knowledgeable Jokyn historians. What is known is that the early history of Jokull began as a religion known as the Followers of Iden.
Emerging sometime during The Chaos, Iden was a powerful being of unknown origin that used her powers to protect the Jokyn from the harshness of the ice and snow and helped them to outlast an event known only as The Eternal Shadow. To this day, the specifics of this event are not known, and The Eternal Shadow is not mentioned in any other known source of history from the times of The Chaos. All that is known is ancient Iden texts referred to it as some sort of apocalyptic event that might have engulfed and destroyed the entire world if not for the actions of Iden and her followers.
When The Chaos ended, all the people of the frozen wilds had been united under her banner – praising her as the world’s savior and holding her to the esteem of a god. She is described as having been a mighty beauty, wielding divine powers of both fire and ice. Some accounts claim she wielded the Fang of Winter, but most accounts agree the feats she accomplished were entirely her own – unaided by any of the Mystic Arms.
Even as The Chaos is marked as ending, the tensions between the Followers of Iden and the Lux Armiger of the Holy Lands to the south were already high. At least one large scale war is known to have occurred between these two near the end of The Chaos as the crazed warriors of Ahura Mazda. The Lux Armiger saw Iden as a threat to their way of life because she was powerful, and she did not agree with their flawed religious practices. As her followers had tried to move south, into the warmer lands, the Lux Armiger fought back with extreme prejudice to stop them.
While Iden could have settled the matter with a simple display of her incredible might, she was too kind to lay waste to the foolish Armiger cultists. She did not dissuade her people from fighting for their right to expand and exist but made it clear that she would not take action to assist in a battle between them at the Armiger.
Eventually that war – known as The First Crusade – was brought to an end by the Lux Armiger themselves. They send a request directly to Iden herself, calling for an end to the fighting so that the people in the middle might no longer suffer. In her infinite compassion, Iden agreed, and decreed her followers should no longer engage in combat with the Armiger upon their Holy Lands. Many were angry with the decision, but they did not argue.
Instead, the Followers of Iden spread into what is now known as the Theod Region instead. At the time, the Lux Armiger’s influence did not stretch to these lands, and only a scattered collection of different neutral clans and tribes existed there or between them and the Armiger.
This also presented an opportunity for some of Iden’s Followers to continue to assault the Armiger without disobeying her orders. The Lux Armiger made frequent trips into the neutral lands of the Guarisian Plains, trying to convert the simple people there. The Followers knew this posed a potential threat to them if ever these simple people were to be swayed.
The Followers of Iden launched their own missions into these tribes, sharing with them their knowledge of medicinal herbs, and teaching them how to fight. At the same time, they would warn of the dangers of the Armiger, and tell the truth of their fanatic cult. Sometimes these tribes were already infested with converts or actual Armiger, and in those situations, there was only one choice: they had to be rooted out and destroyed. For the good of everyone.
Erupting Earth
It was, of course, only a matter of time before the Lux Armiger learned of the conspirings and transgressions of the Followers of Iden across the Guarisian Plains. The zealots were certainly enraged, but they also refused to be the aggressors. While the Followers actions were certainly hampering their own efforts, the Followers of Iden were always careful to never directly attack the Armiger so as not to break the already tenuous cease-fire between their two groups.
For centuries, the two groups competed for the souls and minds of the people of the Guarisian Plains, each side trying to sway their thoughts and hearts to their own cause as both sides also worked to undercut the other’s efforts in violent and non-violent ways.
This strange back and forth eventually ended at what is known as the First Battle of Sulba in 298 NA. It is a bit unclear how the battle began, but both sides had ended up at Sulba around the same time, each entering the large town in an attempt to sway them and convert them. However, both sides met in the town square, and after a great deal of shouting, it is said a member of the Lux Armiger was struck by a brick thrown by a Follower of Iden. No Follower of Iden ever acknowledged this act, though there are records of a Lux Armiger being knocked down (and the men enjoying a good laugh at their expense).
Conflict erupted in the streets of Sulba, and a good portion of the town was destroyed before both sides decided to retreat to regroup their forces. When word of the conflict reached Iden, it is said she fumed with anger over the aggressions of the Lux Armiger and demanded their heads be offered to her. The Followers mobilized for war once more, marching to meet the Lux Armiger on the Guarisian Plains.
The resulting conflict was called The Second Crusade and left most of the Guarisian Plains in ruins, as members of both sides would burn and destroy farms and villages to ensure they could not be used by or help supply their enemies. The native people of the plains were killed by the thousands, and their clans and towns were scattered to the wilds. The ones the Followers and the Armiger didn’t kill were often lost to wild beasts wandering the plains.
For nearly twenty years, though, neither side could push the other back or gain advantage, with the front lines constantly shifting from one edge of the plains to the other. The situation only changed with a native of the plains arrogantly proclaimed the area under their protection.
At the Third Battle of Sulba, the conflicting forces met once more, but as the battle was prepared to begin, a single plains-walker left the village and declared his dominance and superiority, demanding they all leave. Wulfheim Ymrin – leader of the Followers on the field – scoffed at the declaration; what could one man do. But what that plains-walker did astonished both sides as he commanded the earth itself to be his ally. It was only months later that it became clear that man wielded the Earthcrusher.
Over the next five years, he pushed both sides from the plains. While attempts to sneak across the area were occasionally successful, after a few years, it became clear it was not worth it. The front of the crusade moved back to the site of the first crusade, north of the Holy Lands.
The Death of Iden
Despite the setbacks caused by the new King of the Guarisian Plains, both sides of the Second Crusade were unwilling to end their campaigns to destroy the other. The righteous battle of extermination moved from the Guarisian Plains to the expanses of the Haggrall Marshes.
Warfare on the marshes was a risky and dangerous affair for both sides. The thickness of the icy surface was never certain and fluctuated wildly. One wrong step could lead to an entire platoon of warriors falling into the freezing waters. The few that might pull themselves out before the strange creatures beneath the surface of the chill of the water took them were fated to die soon after anyway. The Marshes were the main reason that the First Crusade had never been properly settled.
The Second Crusade dragged on for decades, progress being slow. But the Followers of Iden were able to slowly push the line further and further south, growing close to moving the battle out of the Marshes altogether. As the grew closer to that line, though, they made the defense easier for their enemies, who no longer had to cross the dangerous ice.
Even still, it was clear that the ferocity and strength of the Followers of Iden was enough to outshine the blind faith of the Lux Armiger. The zealots began to grow nervous, worrying what might happen if the followers made it to their Holy Lands. Perhaps that is why they chose to compromise on their strict code of morality and commit a heinous act; the assassination of Iden.
The code of the Lux Armiger forbids such cowardly acts, but a ranking paladin of the order devised a dastardly scheme to bypass the restriction. The man, Sir Orlandro Costa, knew such an act would be unachievable by him or his men, but not by a creature already dispositioned to such vile acts. Sir Costa employed the assistance of an Arctic Foyel by the name of Fenri Grawlin.
Fenri – and most Arctic Foyel – had an invested interest in an end to Iden and the shattering of her followers. The Followers of Iden had long treated the Foyel as wild beasts, hunting them like they would a wolf, a deer, or other such animals for their fur and their meat. Long ago, a representative of the Foyel race had pleaded with Iden to condemn their killing and command her followers to stop such violent actions, but Iden had refused them. She had stated that a creature so weak as to beg for life instead of fight for it deserved to be hunted, though she did also declare that if there was ever a Foyel that could beat any of her champions in single combat, she would reconsider. However, at the point, no Arctic Foyel had managed the feat, and their lives were a constant struggle to outrun or outsmart the Followers of Iden.
Fenri was offered what she was later quoted as calling “an obscene amount of money” to perform the deed but did so for different reasons. She also required the Armiger’s word that if her actions brought them victory in their crusade, then they would do everything in their power to protect the Foyel into the distant future. For his part, Sir Costa agreed, though it is now known that he never intended to achieve ‘victory’, but rather just find an end to the war. So, he never actually intended to need to uphold that promise.
Fenri had spent her lifetime honing her skills and abilities to avoid the attention of Followers of Iden. She knew how to lead them off her trail, and she knew what signs most Foyel left that they were aware of. Stalking into the north, Fenri headed to the holy city of Invograv. She easily avoided Followers of Iden, slipping into the city with ease and making it all the way to the Hjarnborg – the sacred temple of the followers and residence of Iden herself.
Stories say she made it all the way to Iden’s door before anyone found here. But there, she had no hope of sneaking past the mightiest of all of Iden’s Champions; Gorm Njal – a warrior that fables say wrestled Frost Giants for fun and could match Iden’s strength and cunning. His ears and eyes honed for the slightest sign of danger, Gorm spotted Fenri and pulled her from her shadows.
There are no firsthand accounts of the battle that ensued as only those two warriors were present. The halls, afterwards though, told an incredible tale of mastery of combat on both sides. In the end, though, Fenri was able to plant a felling blow on Iden’s champion and Gorm fell. At that point, she knew the element of surprise was gone, and Iden was certain to be ready for her. She was weakened and injured, but perhaps knew there would be no second chance.
Fenri entered Iden’s room, and by an unknown method, she slayed the long-lived mistress of Jokull. By the time any of her other followers arrived, Iden was dead – decapitated by the Foyel assassin. Meanwhile, Fenri has succumbed to the injuries inflicted on her by Gorm and Iden. All that was left in that room was grief and confusion.
It was less than a month later that the Second Crusade ended – not with a declaration of peace or a cease-fire, but a sudden and complete withdraw of the Followers of Iden, and the Lux Armiger simply accepting an end to the battle, finally.
Followers Fallout
Iden’s death struck a mighty blow to her followers. The entire frozen wilds fell into a momentary despair as the being who many had thought immortal slipped from the world. A service was held in Invograv, and Followers travelled from all over the wilds to pay their respects, the city literally flooded with Jokyn as they spilled into the surrounding area, covering the area in tents for miles.
However, this moment would be the last time the Followers of Iden were ever united. For as soon as the service was complete, the question of what was to happen next arose, and it was a choice that would tear the Followers apart.
Iden had ten Champions that served her in life, and of them nine still remained. Though for many centuries they had all acted as brothers in arms, the followers of Iden had all once belonged to different clans. While they were united under Iden, these clans were still recognized as separate entities, and each Champion hailed from one of the ten clans. Since Gorm was killed in defense of Iden, his son was invited to the meeting to decide the future of the Followers.
The Champions were split on many issues, but there was one matter that splintered their bond: What should be done with the Foyel? Grom’s son, Sune, demanded vehemently that the foul creatures should no longer be tolerated. He argued that even Iden had seen them as nothing as beasts and encouraged their hunting. Leaving them to roam the snow fields would only invite them to slaughter more of the Jokyn. But many there disagreed.
Revna of the Hvolkoria Clan argued that, given what occurred, they should abide by Iden’s decision, and that her decision is they should be allowed to live. Iden had said if a Foyel had ever managed to best a Champion in single combat, she would consider them worthy of the life the sought. The assassin, though disgraceful, had managed just that, and more. They should be granted their right to existence.
The Champion of the Vagrin Clan mostly agreed with Revna but argued that Iden never actually swore she would grant them their request, just that it would be considered. He did, however, agree that the extermination of the race would be problematic, as they served as the primary source of furs and meat for his clan, and they would have difficulties managing without their continued existence.
The Thors Clan argued that what Iden would or wouldn’t do no longer mattered. She had taught strength and might – the weak die, and if she died, she was weak. The Thors Clan – heretically – stated none of her teachings could be trusted any longer and he decrees no longer mattered. They would no longer count themselves as Followers, and neither should the rest of them.
This opinion enraged many of the other Champions, and numerous challenges were issued, demanding that Yirgin of Thors repent for his blasphemous voice. He, of course, refused. And it was not long before Champions were declaring their intent to wipe the Thors Clan from the frozen wilds. Yirgin laughed, inviting them to try their best, but warning weaklings such as them would never succeed.
When the meeting ended, the Followers of Iden had completely splintered, each clan leaving with a different objective – some of which were to destroy the other clans. The Higravia Clan followed Sune’s desires and declared their intent to slaughter every last Foyel and warned any clan that stands in their way would be wiped out as well. The Hvolkoria Clan declared they would oppose Sune and his ambitions in the name of Iden. Various clans declared war against the Thors Clan, and they told them to try their best. For the next three hundred years, the frozen wilds erupted into civil war.
Jokyn Civil War
The Jokyn Civil War is one of the bloodiest moments in the history of Jokull. Ten different tribes clashed with one another over various disagreements on the nature of Iden’s teachings. Of them, the Thors clan was the most dangerous. Having lived among the Kaldbak Mountains, the people of Thors were comfortable fighting in endless blizzard and snow. They commonly fought and practiced combat against the powerful Frost Giants that lived there. Stories say, even the Frost Giants fears Yirgin and his men.
Thors, though, saw no need to waste his time with the fools of the splintered followers. If they chose to continue following a being who was shown to be weak, then they were also weak. The Thors Clan admired strength above all – they would not waste their time invading the others. However, the other clans would not abide his heretical statements and moved to assault the Thors Clan on their own turf.
The fighting in the Kaldbak Mountains was deadly. Even outnumbered, the Thors clan had the clear advantage. And they fought with vigor and reveled in the bloodshed. They never discouraged the assaults, calling on the other clans to stop being so weak.
As that fighting continued, the Hvolkoria moved to surround the Higravia with the assistance of the Vagrin Clan, hoping to prevent their rage-fueled genocide of the Arctic Foyel. The Higravia proved difficult to manage, even for the two clans, as they were motivated by a desire for blood and vengeance.
The inaction of these three clans in the persecution of the Thors Clan also eventually brought condemnation of the other clans as well. In fighting embroiled the wilds for centuries.
The fighting was only finally brought to a close by Arngrim of the Tosveria Clan. Arngrim was born in 717 NA and raised as a Tosveria berserker. However, outside of battle, the man had a calm and collected demeanor and thoughtful insight in the teachings of Iden. What Arngrim eventually realized was that no clan was technically wrong in their interpretation of the teachings – as they were all following one part or another. And the only really sin any of them was committing was the senseless murder of their brothers.
Arngrim knew the only way to truly end the fighting, though, was to earn the respect or fear of the other clans. And so, he started his journey with the most powerful of them all; the Thors Clan. Arngrim marched into the Kaldbak Mountains alone, approached the Thors main city of Bjarghorn and called out the chieftain of the clan, Starkad, challenging him to single combat.
Starkad was a mountain of a man, born with the blood of the Frost Giants flowing through his veins. His skin was a light blue, and he stood almost twelve feet tall. He wielded as his weapon the trunk of a fallen tree that he had skewered with the fallen weapons of all the men he had ever beat. Years prior, Starkad has dominated the Frost Giants, pinning their leader under his thumb and recruiting them to his clan and powerful warriors. By all respected, most Jokyn considered him unbeatable.
As the story goes, Arngrim defeated Starkad in less than five minutes, invoking his berserker rage. As he took a swing of Starkad’s mighty club head on, the club shattered into pieces and Arngrim continued as if he had felt nothing. He wrestled the massive half-giant to the earth and made him admit defeat and swear his fealty. And with that, Arngrim subjugated the Thors clan.
As word spread of his conquest, words of congratulation and appreciation flowed in from other clans, as well as demands for the execution of all the heretics. But Arngrim refused, sending back that any clan that disagrees with his decision could send their mightiest warrior to face him in single combat. If he lost, Arngrim promised to let them do whatever they wished to the Thors clan. But if the challenger lost, they must swear fealty and loyalty to him and the Tosveria Clan and end the fighting.
Six of the remaining ten clans challenged Arngrim as he requested. None of them bested him in combat. As word of his accomplishments spread, the remaining clans knew that challenging him was pointless. Only the Higravia and Hvolkoria clans remained, busy with their fighting with each other.
Arngrim marched into Higravia territory and straight to the leader of the clan, Bjark. Bjark knew at that point that he had no chance in single combat, so he tried to reason with Arngrim. The talked for days as Bjark tried to convince Arngrim that the Foyel must die to honor Iden’s memory. But Bjark would not be swayed. He told Bjark, “you are free to continue your crusade – and I will even put the force of either other clans behind you – but only if your best me in combat. If you cannot, or you are too much of a coward to try, then you must bend to my will now. Or I will wipe your clan from the wilds.”
In a shameful and cowardly act, Bjark surrendered without facing Arngrim in combat. With the Higravia Clan stopped, the Hvolkoria Clan was grateful, and aligned with Arngrim willingly – respecting his strength and diligence.
In the aftermath of the Civil War, Arngrim helped to establish the council of Ten, and became the first Grand Chieftain. He also is credited with the creation of the name ‘Jokull’, meaning land of ice, as ‘Jokyn’, meaning brothers of ice.
Guarisian Invasion
It took decades for the new system Arngrim established to stabilize, and even longer for the various clans to actually abide by and respect the Council of Ten. The Tosveria took central stage in maintaining the council and ensuring all the members did their parts. While never explicitly agreed to by any of the Clans, the Tosveria Clan became a de facto leader of the council and was often responsible for calling the council together.
However, as the clans came together and began to respect and utilize the council more seriously, it back a more dependable and functioning piece of their society and nation. However, the first real test of the council’s ability didn’t come for many centuries; not until the Kingdom of Guarisia began their invasion of the Theod region during the 14th century.
In the years leading up the Theod Invasion, the world itself saw a bit of upheaval and change that would eventually be used as justification for Theod’s invasion. The dominating naval power of Badur collapsed and lost its stranglehold on the seas. While a nation quickly reorganized into the nation of Agual, it would take it many centuries to reclaim the power it once had. And in the wake of their dominance, the people of Hesperis were suddenly able to send vessels across the oceans to the lands of Orientum they had heard so much about.
Among these new travelers were people from a kingdom known as Emishia – a part of the Orkan Confederacy. They had come seeking a new land to settle, leaving behind some tragedy long past. But in doing so, these people tried to settle in the Theod Region, belonging to the Clan of the same name. The Theod Clan had always been one of the more accommodating clans of Jokull, and they tried to work with these people – to bring them into their clan. But the people of Emishia would not abide by their cultural traditions and even mocked the teachings of Iden. It became clear these people simply wanted to take Theod land without abiding by the expectations of living among the Theod. And the Theod would not have them invade their land.
The Theod launched campaigns to expunge the land and drive these invaders from their soil. At first, they tried simple intimidation tactics, but then the Emishians simply became violent. And when the first drop of Theod blood was drawn, the clan would no longer treat these thieves with respect. They began raiding towns, killing their inhabitants, and driving them form their lands with as much force as possible.
In response to this, the Emishians sent please back to their homeland, but also to the surrounding nations – including Guarisia. And it was these requests for help that drew the Kingdom of Guarisia to invade Theod under the guise of humanitarian aid. But the deception was immediately obvious when the first city the Guarisians attacked was the Theod Fort town of Kengarh – a town that had no Emishian citizens and had long worked to keep invading groups of Guarisians from sneaking into Theod to raid it for resources.
The Kingdom attacked in a surprise and quickly captured the fort. Enraged, the Theod Clan moved to reclaim it, but they alone were not going to be enough to drive out the Guarisians.
Theod enlisted the help of their nearest neighbors, the Kordal Tribe. But even combined, the two struggled to actually repel the Guarisian Soldiers. Their armor was hard, and their tactics were cowardly. In the end, an official plea was made to the Council of Ten. The leader of the Tosveria Clan, Svipdagr, was quick to act in response to the news of the Guarisian invasion and ordered all clans to send their warriors to defend the Theod’s lands.
However, many clans refrained from doing so. While the council members agreed to the decree, many of them took issue with being asked to defend the lands of another clan – especially one so far away, and with such luxurious lands and resources. They felt that Theod should be able to handle itself.
In order to avoid appearing disloyal to the council, most clans sent a small number of warriors to the battle, but even these warriors knew they were a token gesture. Many of them never actually showed up on the front lines. Some of those that did refused to put their lives on the lines. In the end, only the Tosveria and Thors clans actually sent help. The Thors clan was excited for a chance to fight real opponents, and nearly the entire clan showed up to help.
If the full force of Jokull had actually launched, it is possible that Guarisia may have failed, and may even have been destroyed. But since not every clan participated as they should have, the battle was drawn out and disastrous as the Guarisian soldiers slowly began to push the line back. In the end, they absorbed all of the former Theod’s lands and the Clan was forced to merge with the Kordal tribe. However, even the Kordal lost half of their land, being pushed back beyond the Kaldbak mountains.
The Guarisian army continued to try and push through into Jokull beyond, but they were not accustomed to cold or the mountains, as the forces were able to keep them at bay. But the loss of Theod greatly weakened all the clans. While they had had the richest resources, and benefited most from their lands, they had indirectly been supplying a great deal of month and resources to all the clans through trades. With them cone, life in the wilds became even more difficult.
Former Enemies
The true threat of Guarisia was still unknown to many of the Jokull Clans for many years as they continued to ignore their responsibilities to defend and fight. It was not until the reign of King Ayern and the formation of the Ironclast Empire that any of the other clans began to understand the real threat of an empowered Guarisia.
As the kingdom transitioned into the empire, it began to push east, capturing the lands of the Lux Armiger. For centuries, the two groups had found a fragile peace. With Iden gone, the Armiger no longer cared about the people of Jokull. Luchent had known of the battles in Theod and had ignored the issue – likely hoping their former enemies might be wiped out, or that Guarisia might be in the ensuing conflict.
But as Guarisia grew stronger, it grew braver as well. And it declared itself the Ironclast Empire as it marked Luchent as an enemy. The Lux Armiger deployed for battle but were surprised to be overpowered by the much smaller nation. Very quickly, they began to be pushed back. And as they did, the distant Jofin and Higravia Clans began to grow worried. They were aware of the trouble the other clans had been having, and at that point, even the mighty Thors clan had lost almost a quarter of their territory. There was a renewed call for alarm.
The remaining clans also began to understand, and finally, after almost a century, they decided to finally act in defense of their brethren. Every clan mobilized, marching south to defend the Kaldbak Mountains and try and push back on the Ironclast Empire. But even with their renewed vigor and men, the battle was still in a deadlock. The Ironclast Empire came out them with new armor and weapons, even more powerful than those they had a hundred years ago. And worst of all were the Mana Bombs they had devised that could destroy an entire battlefield in moments. The Jokyn were growing desperate.
It was then that the Lux Armiger approached the Jokyn, not as enemies, but bearing an offer of cooperation. They, too, knew that the empire had become too much for just one of them to handle. The Armiger claimed to have counters to the mana Bombs and offered to supply them if the Jokyn would send their warriors south to fight with them. While the Lux Armiger could handle the magic, they needed stronger warriors to stand toe to toe with the Empire. In truth, there wasn’t an option to refuse, as refusal would likely mean the end of Jokull. So, the Jokyn agreed, mobilizing armies to fight on the plains and mountains to the south.
In the end, even this was not enough to save Luchent – though with their help, the Jokyn were able to hold the Ironclast back and prevent them from crossing the Kaldbak Mountains. In the battles that ensued, the entirety of the Jofin Clan was destroyed, fighting alongside the Lux Armiger even as the battle was pressed toward their capital. But it was not only the war that would ravage the Jokyn, and before long, they were forced to pull back their men as a strange sickness spread through the land.
Death’s Shadow
It was sometime in the 1780s that warriors of the Thors clan began to fall ill with a strange sickness. These mighty warriors would suddenly find their strength sapped as they were racked with a painful cough. Over the next few days, the infected’s skin would slowly turn black, often spreading out either from their chest, mouth, or nose. They would be wracked with pain as the blacked skin began to crack and fall apart. Sometimes whole limbs would crumble and fall apart, revealing that the muscle and bone had rotted away.
These were the first cases of The Creeping Death, and the most severe of all cases reported. At first, infected were simple isolated, only attended to by healers. While it affected dozens of warriors, it seemed to be contained. But then a case popped up deep in north in Vagrin Clan. The sick reported there were less severe, but just as deadly. And these people were much more infections, with the disease spreading like wildfire through and entire village in a matter of days.
It did not take long from there for the disease to spread through all of Jokyn. At the same time, similar reports were being made across Orientum, as dozens of people began to fall deathly ill. Over time, the disease somehow made it to Hesperia, likely carried there by Agual Merchants unknowingly.
The Creeping Death devastated the Jokyn – killing roughly 70% of their population. It shattered their ability to defend or fight their lands, and their own saving grace was the fact that Ironclast was hit just as hard. In the end, The Creeping Death killed more people than the Ironclast Empire ever did but was the only force capable of stopping them. When the cure finally came, no nation had the strength to restart the fight, and peace followed.
Land of Ice and Snow
The land of Jokull is, in many ways, the same today as it was 2100 years ago. The people enjoy a simplistic lifestyle, and abhorrence of most magics, and an appreciation of life and strength. They still follow the teaching of Iden to varying degrees, and the various clans are on friendly terms. But each clan still acts mostly for itself, and the Council of Eight has never been weaker. A Council has not been called in nearly thirty years – the longest stretch since its inceptions, and faith in it among the Jokyn has dwindled.
Return to Top
Government
The Clans of Jokull have little in the way of a traditional government, following more of a tribal feudal system. Each clan typically dictates their own laws and regulations. Most of the clans have similar ideas of what is taboo or punished, but their responses to those who can commit these acts can vary greatly.
The Council of Eight
The Clans due have one overarching ruling body known as The Council of Eight. This council is composed of eight members – typically the eight chieftains or leaders of each Clan. Each chieftain is also allowed to send any member of their clan in their place as long as they are granted the authority to speak and act in their role during the council.
The Council of Eight does not meet often and is only brought together to address large issues or problems that are beyond the scope of or affect more than a single clan. Any clan can technically call for a council meeting, but the various clans are only required to respond to such a request if it comes from the Atall- Hǫfðingi. This means most clans send their request only to the Atall- Hǫfðingi and wait for them to decide whether or not to call a Council.
The Atall- Hǫfðingi is not a position that is elected, but rather a role that is won or lost. By agreement of all the clans, only the strongest of them may be the Atall- Hǫfðingi. If any clan feels the current Atall- Hǫfðingi has become weak or inefficient, they are allowed to challenge them to single combat and th Atall- Hǫfðingi is not permitted to refuse such a challenge and the challenger is allowed to choose the rules and arena of combat. If the Atall- Hǫfðingi loses the challenge, they are disposed, and the challenger takes their place. Often those that lose are also removed as Chieftain of their Clan, due to the shame of their display of weakness. Likewise, if a challenger loses, they also typically forfeit their position in shame.
While a Council is in session, any council member may voice concerns, but the person who requested the meeting is given the task of choosing the topics to discuss. Only after they are satisfied may any additional matters be brought up. It is not uncommon for Councils to break into yelling and shouting, and often such disputes are settled with single combat between the two sides, with the loser accepting the decision of the victor on the matter. At any time, the Atall- Hǫfðingi may call an end to such an argument, instead deciding themselves what the result should be. Likewise, they are the only member with the authority to end a Council.
The Atall- Hǫfðingi is currently the leader of the Tosveria Clan, a descendant of the hero Arngrim, Idenkir. Idenkir has not called a single Council in his time as Atall- Hǫfðingi. Because of this, many of the other clan leaders have challenged him at one point, but all have failed. It is believed only the leader of the Thors Clan, Turvintal, would be able to oust him, but the Thors Clan has traditionally abhorred the practice of the Council of Eight anyhow, so he has no desire to take the position.
Tribal Law
The Clans of Jokull follow individual codes of law. While many of their laws are similar to other lands, there are drastic differences in how they handle the matters. Once large thing to understand is that the Clans of Jokull, typically, do not have a concept of jail or imprisonment. As such most crimes are punished with death or banishment. And some typical crimes may not be punished at all.
For instance, in Jokull, murder is typically allowed. This is due to an accepted belief among them that is a warrior falls fighting in combat, then they were simply weak and undeserving of continuing their life. It should be stated that certain kinds of murder, however, are strictly forbidden and often carry the penalty of death. Such things include assassination (especially hiring another to do the job), poisoning, killing someone in their sleep, etc. It is also important to note that while it may be acceptable for one to kill another, it is also acceptable for the murdered’s kin to act retributively. So, choosing to kill another often caries an unintended penalty of being hunted by others.
However, thievery is considered one of the worst things a person can do. But it is important to note that the Jokyn draw a distinction between taking the spoils of a victorious combat (even if the opponent is alive) and taking something in secret. Absconding with property of another in secret from another is seen as the greatest sign of weakness. It is an admittance that you have not the strength to take the item properly, or a show of your inability to acquire what you need or want on your own. Regardless of the subjective value of an item stolen in Jokull, any theft is punished by death.
By in large, most typical crimes are considered fine as long as the culprit engages in physical combat with the victim to assert their right first.
Return to Top
Geography
Jokull, the Frozen Wilds, has what might be the most uniform terrain of any of the Nine Nations. Lying on the northern extremes of Orientum, Jokull is covered with ice and snow year-round. While it is far from the northern most country in the world, it still seems to experience the deepest colds and whitest storms.
The southern border of Jokull is defined by the Kaldbak Mountains, separating it from the Ironclast Empire. While one of the shorter ranges in the world, the Kaldbak Mountains are characterized by their extreme heights and close proximity to one another. The mountains protrude from the earth like the jagged fangs of some monstrous beast hidden beneath the surface. The mountains are also near-constantly assaulted by blizzards, hail, and snowstorms. The conditions make the area especially treacherous to travelers due to the highly obscured view.
Heading north beyond the mountains, you reach the Ice fields. Covering hundreds of thousands of square miles, the ice fields are packed with ages of snow and ice, harder than stone, and impossible for a normal person to break through. Jokull fables often tell of entire villages that were unprepared for snow and became buried in the nice over night as the storms of the mountains rolled down over the fields.
Just beyond the field, in the center of the wilds, is a stretch of ice that never sees sun, but never sees snow or ice fall either. The area is often referred to as Baniss by the Jokyn – The Glacier of Death. Thick gray clouds constantly roll over the area but refuse to release their snow or ice upon the area. The temperature here plummets substantially. It is said that during the night, it gets cold enough that your blood freezes solid in your veins. Even the bravest of Jokyn refuse to enter the Baniss.
Beyond the Ice Fields and the Baniss, the land become indistinguishable from the frozen sea. Most of the coast of Jokull is a massive glacier caused by the oceans freezing – many believe as a result of the frigid extremes of the Baniss.
With most of the land covered in feet and feet of ice, there are not many rivers in Jokull. The main river that helps supply fresh, un-frozen water is Fjorelfr. Fed by the ice of the Kaldbak Mountains, the ruver flows over the ice fields and meets the Petasus Ocean at Invograv. There is also a small river on the eastern coast.
Return to Top
Culture
The Jokyn can sometimes feel like they vary greatly from clan to clan. Some appear violent, or even bloodthirsty, and always looking for a good fight if for no other reason but to amuse themselves. Others can see compassionate and altruistic – offering help even when it is not asked for and seeking out opportunities to lift others up and encourage their growth. While these varying attitudes can sometimes seem off or strange, they actually all come from a common base; the teachings of Iden.
The Eight Clans often no longer refer to themselves as Followers of Iden, but her teachings have become an inseparable piece of their culture and daily lives. Many of the modern Jokyn no longer practice the rituals of Iden’s teaching, but still learn the messages and hold them dear. The various aspects of Iden’s teachings are deep and varied, but they often boil down to the idea of ‘The strong can survive any ordeal, while the weak will fall and fail.’
Because of the teachings, the clans all value the idea of strength above all else. One of the harshest and most damning insults in Jokyn Gelugan is ‘Lauss’, meaning ‘weakling’. The being found to be unable to survive a trial or failing a challenge is the most shameful thing a Jokyn can experience, and it can mark them for life.
But while Iden’s teachings exalt the idea of strength, they are unclear on the meaning of that word, strength. Strength is variable, and it can be measured in many different ways. It might be the might to best your foes in battle. Or it might be the ability to withstand arduous trails. It might be the concept of never needing help, or of being brave. Or it might be the action of helping others and having strength as a group and not an individual. And this highlights the differences in the various ideologies of the Jokyn Clans.
Tosveria Clan
The Tosveria Clan has the most accepting nature on the concepts of strength. They do not idolize one aspect of strength, but rather see the worth of all the various forms of strength. There is more than one way to be strong, and there is more than one way to be helpful. The Tosveria Clan is the most accepting of failure.
The Tosveria Clan is still critical of failure, though. For this reason, they often take time as a Jokyn is small to evaluate what their strengths might be – watching how they interact with other children and what draws their interest. If they show any sort of aptitude, they are pushed toward mastering it and admonished if they try and move toward a different ideal.
Vagrin Clan
The Vagrin are a bit of an oddity among the Jokyn. While most of the Jokyn Clans abhor the powers of magic, the Vagrin elevate it to an ideal. The Vagrin still idolize the idea of physical strength, but to them, the ability to master the arcane or eldritch mights of the world are true strength and power.
Thors Clan
Iconic not only among the Jokyn, but know across the world, the Thors Clan are touted as unstoppable monsters on the battlefield. The Thors Clan defines strength in the most literal way – the ability to overpower anyone and survive even the deadliest of encounters. The Thors Clan holds physical strength above all else, and the truly powerful are those that can best anyone and everyone. The best way to earn the respect of a Thors Jokyn is to beat them to a bloody pulp and then take them for a drink.
The Thors do not help one another, as needing to ask for help is a sign of weakness and stooping to help a weakling is a waste of time. If you cannot hold yourself up, you might as well stop wasting food and supplies and leave them for the strong. People that fall sick are left to die, and doctors are all but unheard of among their clansmen.
Higravia Clan
The Higravia strive toward much the same ideals as the Thors Clan. The main separator in their ideology is how the view Iden. Where the Thors now consider Iden a weakling that should be forgotten, the Higravia Clan still idolize and adore her. In many ways, their defining idea of strength might be the strength of their faith and worship of their fallen idol.
Hvolkoria Clan
The Hvolkoria Clan raises the idea of the strength of society over the strength of the individual. While they still respect and admire individual strength, the Hvolkoria Clan is one of the few Jokyn Clans that encourages the ideas of cooperation and assisting one another. It is important to note that they, like other clans, still dismiss and condemn the idea of asking for help. Instead, they encourage altruistic compassion – helping another simply because you know they need. It is often encouraged to help people without even letting the other know who helped them.
The Hvolkoria’s ideals have helped them become one of the more populous clans in Jokull, as they do not give up on the sick, elderly, or weak. They encourage their clansmen to strive to do better, and even allow people to try again at things they have failed before.
Tverduria Clan
The Tverduria Clan puts a lot of weight on the ideals of speed an agility. They still revere the ideals of victory in combat and fighting powerful foes – but they believe a true sign of strength is the ability to avoid taking hits and overwhelm their foes with a flurry of attacks.
Gogugenia Clan
The Gogugenia believe in the strength of the mind – in the power of knowledge. While physical strength is still promoted, this clan believes that a warrior is only strong when he is informed and knowledgeable. Being able to outthink or outsmart your opponent is a much deadlier force that barreling forward with blind rage.
Kordal Clan
Among the Jokyn Clans, the Kordal are the most forgiving of failure. This comes from their ideal of strength, which is that or courage or bravery. The Kordal believe it can be okay to fail as long as you did not shy away from a challenge. Struggling and failing to succeed at a difficult task is admirable if you refuse to give. The encourage their clansmen to try again, and to persevere. Never give up, and never surrender.
Return to Top
Luchent
| Nation | Holy Cities of Luchent |
|---|---|
| Capital | Lucialis |
| Largest City | Lucialis |
| Government | Theocracy |
| Official Language | Solis |
| Land Area | 110K mi2 |
| Population | ??? |
Luchent has secluded itself away for many centuries, following the end of the War of Terraformation. a massive, glowing, magical barrier encircles the entire nation, including a few miles of ocean off the coast. This barrier prevents outsiders from passing through, though apparently does allow the Luchien people inside to come and go as they please (though they rarely do). The nation, prior to their decimation by the Ironclast Empire was a powerful theocratic society that worshipped a being known as Ahura Mazda. However, not much is known of them currently, or their past, except for snippets that remain scattered about Orientum.
History
Luchent is a land with a mysterious past. While their actions in the world are known through the records of the other nations with whom they share a continent, the perspective of Luchent as been mostly lost to the rest of the world. During the War of Terraformation, the Ironclast Empire almost ritualistically made sure to burn and destroy any books, documents, or other sources of the Luchent perspectives and teachings. They claimed they did it to halt the spread of hurtful and hateful propaganda, but simultaneously also nearly wiped an entire culture from the map.
Speaking of the history of Luchent, then, is difficult to do. The historical texts and stories certainly do still exist in the what remains of the once proud and vast nation, but their choice to lock themselves away and prevent interaction with the rest of the world as created a situation where there is no clear chain of their actions from the Luchent perspective. Instead, what we know of their past and their nation at large comes from the bits of information present in the historical texts of the Ironclast Empire, Jokull, and Arashi – none of which paint a particularly objective perspective. There are also a few stories and tales about Luchent that exist in some Agualian lore and tales, and these give us a less opinionated view of the people and nation, but these are rare.
What is known of Luchent’s past is recorder here, but given the source of most of this information, it should be observed through a critical lens.
Lux Armiger
The best description that exists of the Lux Armiger and their origins comes from the Followers of Iden. However, given the constant conflict of those two groups, it is unclear how much of this information is accurate and what may have been embellishments or outright lies.
The Followers of Iden indicate that their first interactions with the Lux Armiger actually occurred before the birth of Iden and her faith. During the early days of The Chaos, the group was small, but traveled wide, and helped to teach and build many groups and people. However, their help often came with the condition of converting and joining their collective.
The Lux Armiger worship a being known only as Ahura Mazda, also known as The Wise Lord, The First Light, The Sun’s Wings, Misericordia, or True One. The Lux Armiger often spoke of Ahura Mazda as if they were a real and physical person – even talking about sharing tea with them or interacting with them directly. However, there are currently no first-hand accounts of anyone who actually interacted with this being, so it is currently widely believe the Ahura Mazda is more of a principle or idea, rather than a true physical creature.
Records from the Lux Armiger often suggested that refusing the Lux Armigers’ assistance was often not an option. They tell countless stories of villages or clans being completely raised if they refused to accept the Lux Armiger into the village. It is important to note most of these stories do come from after Iden’s rise and were the beginning of the First Crusade.
The First Crusade
From what is known, the Lux Armiger began what has been referred to as the First crusade in an attempt to halt the spread of the teachings of Iden. The Jokyn records suggest that the Lux Armiger attacked the Followers of Iden because they believed they were following a false idol. In their words, the Jokyn were called heretics and called Iden a false prophet leading them down the path of death and destruction.
While the current forms of Iden’s teachings have taken a step away from some of the more violent and destructive practices of the past, it is worth mentioning that Iden did preach the ideals of strength and conquest, and encouraged her followers to invade and rule those that were too weak to protect themselves. Her teachings were not entirely malevolent, but they were also far from peaceful.
As Iden grew in renown and expanded her follower count, it is believed the Lux Armiger saw the group both as a threat to their own beliefs and potentially just a threat to the world, if those teachings spread further. For that reason, they launched a holy war to confront and stop these harmful ideals.
Not much is known of the First crusade, or why the Lux Armiger eventually requested peace. It’s not even clear who at that moment actually held the advantage. Most Jokyn records would indicate the Followers of Iden were gloriously pressing back the Lux Armiger and on the verge of breaking them. However, ancient Guarisian journals seem to suggest the advantage lied with the Lux Armiger, and they could easily have pushed the matter further, but did not. Again, their reasoning for this is lost and unclear.
The Second Crusade
The early years of Novua Aetate for the Lux Armiger seem fairly clear from the matching records of both Jokyn and Ironborn texts. The Lux Armiger heightened their efforts to spread their religion and teachings and focused on the Guarisian Plains. Some Arashijin records also suggest they may have briefly explored the area of the former states of Araragi and Edoshin. However, they seemed to have found the people their “too primitive” and the land largely unusable, so they reversed their efforts in these lands.
The Lux Armiger seem to have been aggressive in their approach – even more so than prior to the First Crusade. Pushing their notions and beliefs hard as they condemned any who would speak against them. Their activities would occasionally cross with those of the Followers of Iden who came from the west. They invited themselves into many of the towns across the Guarisian Plains and would – at times – forcibly teach the residents their ways or even built temples to Ahura Mazda, and even force people to attend services at these temples.
This forced indoctrination made the people in these areas targets for the Followers of Iden, who still held a great deal of hostility and hatred for the group. They would often raid cities to destroy these structures, and often destroy a lot more while they were there.
This activity eventually came to a head when a group of Lux Armiger returned to the town of Sulba after an excursion to another nearby town and found the Followers of Iden invading the city and assaulting their temple. A battle engulfed the town, and the Followers of Iden killed twelve Lux Armiger and destroyed the temple before retreating. In response, the Lux Armiger declared war, and the Second Crusade began.
From the Lux Armiger perspective, it is believed they thought they were fighting for the souls of the people of the Guarisian Plains, and to save them from the brutality of the Followers of Iden. The Followers of Iden admit in multiple texts that their main goal in that war was to kill the Lux Armiger, and any who aligned with them.
The Second Crusade was largely a repeat of much of what occurred in the First Crusade, simply in a different region of the continent for the first part. Eventually, a Guarisian plainsman arose with a Mystic Arm to turn away both armies from his people. While this did end the fighting on the plains, the crusade did not end there, instead moving back to the battlegrounds of the First Crusade: the Haggrall Marshes. Here, texts from the Followers of Iden are supported by journals of some Guarisian Plainsman that the Lux Armiger were slowly pushed back.
When the battle started to be dire, a proud and well-respect Lux Armiger took action to end the war, even by a means that would bring shame and condemnation upon him. The man, Sir Orlandro Costa, was a ranking Apostalite of the Lux Armiger. An Apostalite was a position among the Lux Armiger that was tantamount to a lord or even a king, depending on the context of the title. Sir Orlandro was touted as one of the most respected of the Apostalites and one of the most loved by Ahura Mazada. This made his actions even more shocking to his people and found him receiving a decidedly horrible punishment.
Sir Orlandro had grown increasingly tired of the war and had begun to question the righteousness of it. Some accounts suggested he had begun to question the ways of the Lux Armiger, though all of these are second-hand accounts. He wanted a means to end the war for good, which meant the death of Iden. He knew the Lux Armiger would not be able to break through, but he also knew about the treatment the Followers of Iden inflicted upon the Foyel of their lands.
Sir Orlandro sought out a Foyel assassin – Fenri Grawlin – and paid her to do the deed. The act was considered cowardly, vile, and reprehensible by his people. Once the deed was done, he admitted to his actions openly, and welcomed any punishment he would be dealt. Stories vary about the details of his punishment, but what is known is that his soul was apparently branded, ensuring he would never find peace in death, and he was excommunicated from Orientum. Many tales say he sailed to Durvane, and it is unclear what happened to him after that.
The Birth of Luchent
While the Lux Armiger were around for centuries, Luchent did not yet exist. Initially, the lands of the Lux Armiger were known only as The Holy Lands. However, the beginnings of Luchent’s founding seem to have begun in 680 NA. Talks of a civil war in the Holy Lands were found in personal journals of King Jiode of Guarisia. He dedicated a few pages of his personal records in that year, as he grew concerned they might not keep their fighting solely amongst themselves. But he was not the only one to take note of it.
There are also records form Jokyn scholars talking about a great deal of fighting happening near the Jokull borders between different groups of Lux Armiger. More than a few of their forts and border towns were completely devastated by the fighting, and little was left in the wake. But there is no mention in these records for the reasoning behind the conflict.
However, an adventurer from Osada during this time frame was traveling through the Holy Lands and recorded first-hand what seemed to be happening. His understanding of Solis was limited, but he was able to understand that the conflict revolved around a disagreement over the “true Ahura Mazda.”
According to this traveler, the Lux Armiger had been thrown into chaos when a second reading and interpretation of the Lux Armiger tenants was brought forth. This traveler was uncertain what exactly differed between the two ideologies. As the arguments went on, one group became known as Solarian and the other as Luchien. The Solarians supported the original teachings of their faith, with the Luchien claimed the new understanding they preached was the only true path to peace and unity.
The two sides engaged in a lengthy civil war, lasting about 100 years. The entirety of these years is unclear but can be pieced together bit by bit via various journals. It is said the Holy Lands literally split, the western half referred to as Solar, while the eastern half was branded Luchent. These two nations clashed constantly, but eventually Luchent found victory. The nation wiped out those who opposed it and reunified the Holy Lands under the nation of Luchent.
Barakgan Conflict
It is believed at this point that the civil war was a major contributor in the struggle Luchent had during the Barakgan Conflict. The region of Barakgan was on the western edge of the new nation and had been a center of Solar powers during the civil war. Following the unification of the Holy Lands, Luchent had unofficially moved to punish the region.
Barakgan had become quite poor and disenfranchised. The government and temples of the Lux Armiger largely ignored the people here. The people here also still clung to the old teachings, even if they did not do so openly. These factors made Barakgan an easy target.
When Guarisia moved into to claim the area, the heads of the Lux Armiger did little to try and help them. It was only about halfway into the conflict, when Guarisia had taken nearly the whole area, that the main government moved in to stop them. It’s unclear why they waited or what may have finally prompted them to take action, but it is largely believed they hoped to halt the Guarisians before they could claim any of the rich mineral deposits in the Ironclast Mountains.
The Third Crusade
Most of what is known of the Third Crusade has been recorded in Arashijin records. There is little in the way of records form alternative perspectives, so as near as anyone can tell, the entire war does seem to have been caused by Luchent ambassadors meeting with the Shogun. Though the largest question that comes from the story the world knows is why the Lux Armiger would address a leader of a foreign nation in the way they had.
While Luchent was not known to have much in the way of relations with the people of Arashi no Kuni, it is still clear both nations knew of each other. Even as the Lux Armiger began their attempts at converting the people of eastern Arashi upon the Ame Peninsula, it was clear they knew the basic layout and structure of the country and its government.
But the ambassadors knowingly insulted the Shogun – and not in a subtle way. Multiple accounts of that meeting state that were immediately hostile to the Shogun and called him a liar and a fraud. If such tales are true, it can only be assumed the men attended the meeting with the sole purpose of inciting war. But the logic behind that is hard to understand. Arashi no Kuni did not reject their teachings. Even the Shogun, until that point, was interested in what they had to offer.
Many of the Arashijin of the time believed that the Lux Armiger’s philosophy was congruent and even complimentary to their own. Nothing in their teachings could actually counter the held belief that the Shogun was an avatar of the old gods – though it was clearly an aspect that Lux Armiger had trouble confronting.
So, the great mystery of this entire conflict was why the Lux Armiger ever wanted it to happen – as their actions can only dictate that war was their desired result. Some believe they may simply have wanted an excuse to try and take over Arashi no Kuni, but this is largely counter to previous motivations and actions by the Lux Armiger. They largely were not ever conquerors, though they could certainly be aggressive in their attempts to promote their beliefs. Still, they never command or tried to rule those outside the Holy Lands, rather just trying to push their religion.
In the end, we may never know.
The War of Terraformation
The War of Terraformation is largely documented in records and journals from the other nations of Orientum. What is little discussed, though, is that Luchent actually assisted Guarisia during its initial campaign into Theod. The Ironclast Empire has done much to hide this knowledge, helping to paint them as the only noble nation of the land, but there have been some old accounts found of Guarisian soldiers speaking of Lux Armiger fighting with them, or getting shipments of supplies form Luchent.
Oddly, though, Jokull has no mentions in their records of ever seeing any Lux Armiger in the Theod region. This leads many to believe that Luchent’s men may have been disguising themselves, or possibly being provided armor and weapons by Guarisia to help mask their involvement. Either way, it would not be hard to believe Luchent would be happy to aid an invasion into Jokull lands. While the two nations had not fought in many years, they continued to have sour attitudes toward one another, and many Lux Armiger still believed the teachings of Iden needed to be wiped out.
This, of course, does lead many to wonder what changed that the people of Guarisia would decide to betray their allies in this manner and turn to declare war on them. Many speculate that Arashi no Kuni may have been involved. Arashi no Kuni had long been a strong ally of Guarisia, and they – at the time – still had a poor relationship with Luchent. It is possible political pressure may have seen that relationship with the Lux Armiger breakdown. But why it would turn to open conflict is likely a different matter.
Specifically, it was likely due to the machinations of King Ayern I. Though most Ironborn records paint him as a kind, noble soul looking to help better the world, accounts form both Jokull and Arashi paint him in a much harsher light as a man obsessed with power and always scheming from control. His obtainment of the throne of Guarisia was a clear mark of departure from past policies as well. It was shortly after this point that Guarisia appears to have stopped accepting help from Luchent, and not much later, they declared war and renamed themselves the Ironclast Empire.
Luchent was instrumental in bringing Jokull and Arashi together in an alliance against the Ironclast Empire, but this move was ultimately pointless. By the time the alliance was solidifier and they were truly cooperating and working together, the Ironclast Empire had become large enough and powerful enough that they could not be held back – at least not forever.
Ultimately, the Lux Armiger resorted to a desperate move to try and save their nation by literally sacrificing hundreds of thousands of their own to at least halt the onslaught of the Ironclast Empire. Activating a spell of unknown construction, the Lux Armiger destroyed their capital and much of the Ironclast Army that was attacking it. They ultimately forced the Ironclast army to retreat and were able to stave off their own end.
Seclusion
Shortly after the Ironclast Empire fled, the nation of Luchent sealed themselves off from the world. In 1820 NA, a massive, magical wall appeared, stretching around the entirety of what remained of Luchent, even cutting through the waves off the coast and taking a few miles of ocean. This wall, at first, was believed to be temporary by most nations – something to perhaps stave off the Creeping Death or protect them from another attack by the Ironclast Empire. But as time went on, the wall remained.
Not much is known about what has transpired in Luchent since then. It is known the people there are still alive and well, as they have occasional contact with Agualian merchants. From these Agualian Merchants, it is now known that the Luchien people are able to pass through the wall without any issue – both ways. These merchants have also claimed to occasionally bring people from Luchent to other places in the world, where they intermingle and disappear into the masses – though this is supposedly rare.
The Agualian merchants say the Luchien people they deal with typically have nothing bad to say about their homes, but also typically avoid talking about Luchent much at all. The land is still quite a mystery.
Return to Top
Government
We do not know much about the current state of the Luchent Government, but it is likely reasonable to assume they still possess a governmental system largely the same as what existed prior to their Seclusion.
Luchent is a Theocratic Oligarchy. The entire nation is operated by the Lux Armiger and the Church of Ahura Mazda. Historically, the church is run by a man or woman granted the title of Mithran. The Mithran is said to be able to speak directly with Ahura Mazda and able to understand and interpret their words. The Mithran historically has not invoked changes to laws or structure of the nature, though when small changes to the faith occurred, the laws automatically changed to reflect that.
The Mithran typically had two to five people he would name Yazatas. A Yazata held much of the same authority and power as a Mithran and could often act in their stead when needed. Some stories say they, too, would be able to speak directly with Ahura Mazda, though some accounts do differ on this point. More often than not, if a Mithran died or became to old or sick to perform their duties, a Yazata would take their place.
Below the Yazata were the Apostalites. These men or women were more akin to generals than anything else, but in times of peace, or when interacting with non-hostile forces, they were also ambassadors and leaders of the people and towns. They often did not make any decisions on their own, instead receiving orders from the Yazatas or the Mithran.
Return to Top
Geography
What remains of Luchent is a mixture of beautiful, vibrant forests and sprawling pastures and fields. The smallest of the nine Nations, it is fairly uniform throughout its small area. The southern portions of Luchent were once known as the Glowing Forests, as the trees were photoluminescent. They were absorb sunlight during the day and then let off a fading glow through most of the night. Meanwhile, the northern forests were known for their predominance of flowering trees – with flowers of nearly every color you could imagine. The flowers typically only bloomed in the spring, but made for an astounding sight. The two forests are divided, as is most of the nation, by the Arnoria River.
Return to Top
Culture
Unfortunately, we actually know very little about Luchien culture. Even older stories or records on the Lux Armiger were vague as to this, and the Ironclast Empire destroyed most of everything else. But there are a few facets of their society that are known.
The Lux Armiger promoted the ideals of equality. All men or women, regardless of race or upbringing, were considered equal. Discrimination was largely not a thing. However, they were not accepting of conflicting religious ideals, and would brand those that rejected their teachings or followed others as heretics. Many records indicate they believed heretics to be possessed by evil spirits, and that their souls had been tainted. Supposedly, the only salvation for such souls is deal, where they will be cleansed by Ahura Mazda as long as their lives were taken by a Lux Armiger. In this light, the act of killing a heretical enemy was often seen as a mercy, rather than a horrible act. As if they lived and died naturally, their soul would be blackened and cursed forever.
Many stories also paint the Lux Armiger as vegetarians - though perhaps not strict vegetarians. Most accounts remaining state they would often refuse to eat meat while they were at home or within the confines of the Holy Lands / Luchent. However, if they were traveling or visiting other nations or people, and they offered meat as a meal, the Lux Armiger could consume it. It is believed this was because they saw the act of refusing a meal offered as rude and disrespectful. However, many would pay penance after consuming the meat - some in form of prolonged prayer, and some by flailing ot whipping themselves.
Return to Top
Lusach
| Nation | Kingdom of Lusach |
|---|---|
| Capital | Buillsgean |
| Largest City | Malairitch |
| Government | Theocratic Republic |
| Official Language | Lignan |
| Land Area | 3.7 mil mi2 |
| Population | 5.9 million |
One of the largest nations in terms of land size, Lusach stretches from the very southern tip of Hesperis all the way to the shores of the Petasus Ocean in the north. The people of Lusach worship the Fey creatures that have inhabited their forests and marshes, showing them reverance in return for the protection of these creatures. They worship nature in general, and work hard to live in unison with all of nature - even the plants and soil.
History
The nation of Lusach began less as a nation and more as a cult or religion spread sporadically across the lands of Hesperis. When The Chaos ended, many of the villages or people that considered themselves part of this early region were scattered, including within the stretches of the Feylei Forest that were controlled by Nox and many of the early kingdoms that would come to be the Orkan Confederacy. It wasn’t until around 500 years after the chaos that these varied people banded together and formed the nation of Sylphe.
Adhrasnadar and Sylphe
Sylphe was born from the popular cult of the lands south of what is now Nars; Adhrasnadar. Adhrasnadar emerged from The Chaos as one of the few established and structured religions of the world at the time and was centered around the reverence of the natural order. Adhrasnadar was especially popular throughout the expanse of the Feylei Forest, which is not surprising given the early structure of the faith.
Adhrasnadar was built around the worship of Fey beings by mortal creatures. It was originally crafted by Wood Elves, following the separation of the Material Plane from the powers of the elven pantheon, and at the time was varied in the being that was adored. Many fey found themselves the avatars of this faith, usually determined only by what Fey resided closest to the mortals in question.
Following The Chaos, as the world settled and solidified, so too did the faith of Adhrasnadar. While the exact date if unclear, sometime around 100 NA, Adhrasnadar was restructured, with nearly all the faithful practitioners of the faith focusing their worship upon the arch fey Morrigna. It is still unclear how or when Morrigna came to the Material Plane, as there is little mention of her prior to her rise as the central deity of Adhrasnadar. However, her pronouncement as head of the faith quickly solidified the varied practices of the followers and helped to bring the scattered souls of the south together.
Shortly after Morrigna was adapted as the faith’s central figure, the arch fey declared that any who follow her belonged to the Sylphe and would be granted her protection. At the time, this was not considered an official founding of a nation, as many of her faithful were still scattered around the lands of Nox. Despite this, many of the people that followed her considered themselves one united group, and often did not consider themselves part of the nation of Nox.
Following the Umbral Rebellion, this separation from the former lands of Nox became more distinct. When the devils and demons were expelled and humans rose to rule, all of the followers of Adhrasnadar chose to not join the new nations of Umbras, Ignis, or Lapis. Officially, both Lapis and Ignis claimed much of the Feylei Forest as their territory, but in practice, the elemental forces were careful not to enter the woods, finding the forest creatures and the fey that lived them to be quite unwelcoming and hostile to them.
This moment helped solidify in the minds of the Sylphe that they were their own nation, though once more, nothing was every officially declared. After all, the natural barrier of the Feylei Forest made it difficult for other lands to enforce any claim of rule they had over the region and helped make the land unofficially free.
Over the next few centuries, the people of the Sylphe operated independently of any nation that claimed ownership of their lands. For the most part, whether it was Umbras, Nars, or the Kingdoms of the Auran Plains, they were largely left to their devices, with no attempt from others to influence their culture or politics, though some of their people did coexist with denizens of other nations in their towns. The Sylphe people were widely welcoming of other mortal races and were encouraged to cooperate and assist them so long as they were not deemed dangerous or hostile.
The Incursion of Fire
The followers of Morrigna lived in relative peace with people of other nations until around the time the nations of Nars was formed from the remnants of Lapis and Ignis. The new desert kingdom was lacking in most resources, but especially in fertile land for agriculture and food production. For this reason, the nation of Nars – like Lapis and Ignis before it – claimed the lands of the Feylei Forest as their own.
Much like they had in the past, the people of the Sylphe attempted to cooperate with the new Narsians. They welcomed them into their towns and shared as freely as they could to help them establish themselves and grow. In 840 NA, though, these friendly relations began to break down.
Fayudan, sultan of Nars, passed, leaving the rule of the nation to his daughter Alhaiya. Sultana Alhaiya had long felt that the nation of Nars should not be asking for use of lands she considered theirs or requesting portions of the crops and profits of the forest. However, she did understand the power of the Fey that existed and protected the forests and knew she would need to be careful about any hostilities against the Sylphe people. However, she also knew the lands south of the Feylei Forest were unruled and felt they hers to claim.
Alhaiya began to send Narsian settlers through the forests, setting up towns on the other side. At first, the Sylphe people were fine with this, and even helped these new settlers to establish their settlements. But after a few decades, the Sylphe of the plains and Narsians began to find themselves at odds with one another.
Narsian men began to march further south, into the Runabogach – the vast marshes of Hesperis’s southwest corner. To this day, Nars denies these men were working directly under the Sultana’s orders, but local accounts suggest they were soldiers bearing the symbol of Nars. Once they had reached the Runabogach, these men began forcibly pushing Sylphe people from their homes and towns, herding them toward the eastern portions of the continent.
Over the next two decades, the people here were forced to fight to maintain their homes and sacred lands in the Runabogach. Despite the fighting, there was no official declaration of war, as the Narsians here were not being acknowledged by the Sultanna, and the Sylphe were not officially a nation even still.
This conflict came to a head when the Narsians finally launch an assault on the marsh city of Marécage. Marécage acted as the religious center of the swamplands for the Sylphe and was one of their four sacred cities. The Narsians invaded the town by force, ransacking the temple and taking valuable and sacred relics from within. This was the last straw for the Sylphe. When Morrigna learned of the assault, she decided the Narsians and other outsiders of her woods hand been suffered long enough. She sent word to all Fey in her charge, and decrees to all mortals that the Narsians were to be repelled from Sylphe lands, even if they must be killed.
The Burning Lands War
The Burning Lands War was made official after the Sylphe took back their lands near what is now Ath Aisig. While this village was officially outside the borders of Nars at the time, it was still occupied by Narsian forces and acted as a supply point for the guerilla forces to the south. By taking the city, the Sylphe effectively cut off the Narsian troops hiding in Runabogach. In response, Alhaiya declared war on the Sylphe, commanding her armies to wipe them from the race of the earth if they refused to surrender.
The Burning Lands War saw very few Sylphe lives taken, however. Most of the invading armies were met directly with Fey creatures or attacked by the animals that lived in the woods. Very few of their forces ever reached actual Sylphe people. Only in the Runabogach was open battle between the too common. The Sylphe were not warriors, being a culture that mostly taught peace and cooperation. While the Fey kept them safe from further reinforcements, the Sylphe actually had an incredibly difficult time in the south.
While the Fey and animals of the Feylei forest were able to quickly push back and force Narsian men and woman to flee back to the deserts, the Sylphe of the swamp found attacking their stolen villages difficult. The Narsians had erected walls and forts – a practice the Sylphe were not accustomed to at the time. While they used the swamp to their advantage, they found penetrating the walls difficult.
In the long run, the Sylphe here instead took to holding the Narsian captive in their own forts. The Sylphe cut off supplies and took to attacking any Narsians that tried to leave. Even with this tactic, the soldiers in the south managed to hang on for decades, exhausting their supplies and resources. There are many stories of these men turning to cannibalism, eating the Sylphe they had imprisoned first before eventually turning on one another. In the end, when only a few were thought to be left, the Sylphe stormed the towns and cities, finding the men were gone. But in their place, the Fear Gortach came to be, exploding out into the woods, where they still haunt the Runabogach and seek sustenance that can never sate them.
The war to the north eventually drew the nation of Umbras into the battle. While the Umbral forces had never shown hostility to the Sylphe, they had still made a practice of forcing their customs and laws on Sylphe followers. It had been tolerated in the past, but with the actions of the Narsians, Morrigna was no longer so willing to ignore their slights. Taking the Feylei Forest back from Umbras as simple, though holding it proved much more difficult when fiends of all kinds came to reclaim it. In the end, the Sylphe were forced to abandon most of the forest in Umbral territory, though not all of it. What they left, though, withered and died slowly over the next few decades as the Fey abandoned it as well.
The Orkan kingdom of Verdociel also traded allegiances during the war. Verdociel, while part of the Orkan Confederacy, had always been inhabited primarily by Sylphe. Even the royal family had members that practiced the faith. When the war reached their borders, it took only a small coup in the royal family before the kingdom officially succeeded from the confederacy and joined the Sylphe, uniting the Feylie Forest from the very northern stretches to the southern base.
Angry Waters
The Burning Lands War was one that shook up the order of the world in many ways. When Sylphe took control of the Feylei outputs, they also ended up taking control of all of the Narsian’s eastern ports. The Narsians were a people that appreciated trade and money – but these were not ideals of the Sylphe. While the Sylphe supported cooperation and comradery, they did not believe in the use of currency, or even entirely in the idea of being able to ‘own’ something. This change proved somewhat disastrous for them.
For many years prior to the war, the Narsians and the Badurians had traded in the port town now known as Malairtich. The Narsians supplied, primarily, spices and metals to the Badurians. In return, the people of Badur supplied excess food for trade in the central portions of Nars. But when the Sylphe took over, they no long welcomed the Badurians, and cut off this lucrative trade for them.
In response, the people of Badur began a centuries long blockade of Sylphe waters. Their ships set anchor not far from the shores of the Sylphe lands, stretching from where they met the Orkan Confederacy all the way around to the western coasts of Nars. These ships would fire upon and destroy any Sylphe ship trying to head on to the waters, killing hundreds of thousands – if not millions – over the course of the war.
This conflict became known as the Tamtu-Pa War. The Sylphe originally tried to negotiate with the Badurians after they began hostilities, but their attempts at peace ended when a diplomatic vessel set to speak with their leaders was sunk only moments after leaving port.
As time went on, the conflict with Badur led to shortages in supplies and resources, as well as soldiers, as the Sylphe were not trained to fight on the sea. This war is what eventually led to the Sylphe agreeing to make peace with the Narsians. With that war over, the Sylphe were better able to manage their supplies and soldiers and continue the battle against Badur.
But the Tamtu-Pa War was one that still proved difficult for the Sylphe. The conflicts continued for two centuries, but it is said that Morrigna herself finally brought an end to the war. A massive sea storm, unlike any seen since the time of the Grand Incursion, swept across the coasts of Sylphe lands, travelling along the shores in their entirety. This storm decimated the Badur ships and scuttled the blockade. The Badur navy was weakened greatly by this storm and took centuries to fully recover. Without their navy, the Kingdom of Badur could no longer maintain the war, and the two sides finally declared peace.
The Creeping Death
Following the end of the wars, the people of Sylphe were able to return to their normal lives. The Sylphe people filtered back out among the Feylei Forest, the Runabogach, and the Mag Mell plains. The people laid down their weapons – in many cases destroying them in fires or forging them into common tools instead. The people returned to their lives worshipping and serving the Fey, and in turn the Fey took up the mantle of their protectors.
For centuries, the lands of the Sylphe became considered cursed and dangerous by most outsiders. Travelers that tried to pass through the Feylei Forest often emerged of tales of strange creatures harassing or attacking them; those that left at all, anyhow. Only a small area in the north – the former lands of Verdociel – offered safe passage for any seeking to traverse the woods.
Having seen the evils of the Narsians and the Umbrans, Morrigna no longer trusted or tolerated the presence of outsiders. She commanded her Fey children to secure the borders and see any trespassers were expelled as quickly as possible. Despite her hostility, Morrigna expressly avoided killing any such people, though. She knew most were simple travelers, merchants, or explorers. Though they were unwelcome, their trespass was not a warrant to end their lives in her eyes.
Still, this isolationist platform caused the people of Lusach to be locked away and separated from the world for hundreds of years. They lost connections with the nations and were unaware of most of the happenings in the world. Occasionally, a Sylphe would head out into the world with the fey’s blessings, bringing back strange stories of the outside world, but often they were forbidden from leaving the three Fey domains.
The time eventually came, though, when this lockdown proved harmful to the Sylphe. In the 19th century, a terrible disease began to spread across the world known as The Creeping Death. This disease was highly infectious and deadly, killing nearly a third of all those that were infected. Those that recovered from the disease were often able to become infected again in as little as a month. And worst of all, the disease was entirely resistant to magic or normal medicines.
For decades, it swept across most of the world, and caused hundreds of thousands to die. It is often credited as the reason for the Ironclast Empire halting their imperial crusade. Eventually, a doctor in the Ironclast Empire was able to develop a ward to prevent the spread of the disease; a new brew of potion that prevented the disease from infecting anyone who drank it for at least a year. The potion quickly made its rounds throughout the world, and by 1856 NA, the Creeping Death was all but destroyed, with no cases being reported.
However, Sylphe’s isolation made them highly vulnerable. While the Creeping Death took longer to find its way into Sylphe lands, it did eventually find its way there, sometime between 1810 and 1815 NA. At first, it seemed manageable to them, if not still deadly. It seemed to infect only one village or town at a time, and by constraining the people from travelling, it seems to limit the spread. But slowly, over time, the plains of Mag Mell became overrun with the disease. From there, it was not much longer before all of the Sylphe lands were infected.
The challenge that made this disease more difficult for the Sylphe was that it affected even the Fey. While a Fey creature infected had a much lower chance of dying, they suffered greatly and for much longer than most. The disease ended up killing nearly 60% of the Sylphe before Morrigna herself became ill. This turn lead to most of the hierarchy of the fey beginning to crumble, and the protections they afforded their worshippers began to suffer.
The end of the disease in Sylphe eventually came thanks to a Foyel Sylphe by the name of Nemed nearly thirty years after the rest of the world had conquered the disease. Nemed had lived during the plague for his entire life, but for one reason or another, he never contracted the sickness. Hoping this meant he was immune, and with no guidance from the Fey, Nemed decided he had to act. He left the forest and headed to the Orkan Confederacy, hoping they may have had more luck with the disease, or might have someone who could help.
To Nemed’s astonishment, the lands outside Sylphe had eradicated the disease. While many of the people he spoke with were familiar with the Creeping Death, few seemed to treat with much concern. He quickly learned the outside world and concocted a cure decades prior. Alarmed, Nemed quickly set to work learning how to acquire and make the potion needed.
Nemed brought the cure back to his home, spending the next century travelling through Sylphe and spreading it to anyone and everyone. Nemed found that the potion did not seem to work on Fey creatures, but working with a few of the fey, they managed to manufacture a variant that at least lessened the effects and duration of the disease for fey. Nemed became a hero and was eventually called to meet with Morrigna so she could personally thank him.
At the resulting ceremony, though, Nemed confessed the potion was not his own creation, and explained how he had come across it – how the outsiders had created the cure and helped him bring it back to the Sylphe. Nemed, somewhat heretically, questioned whether isolation was the correct path any longer, and whether the Fey should have full authority over the Sylphe as they have for centuries. He claimed that, after all, he had had to disobey every law of his Fey to find the cure and save everyone.
To many people’s surprise, Morrigna acknowledged Nemed may be right. This moment marked the beginning of Lusach’s founding.
Lusach Blooms
As the Sylphe people recovered from the Creeping Death, and slowly live in the region began to return to normal, the stories of Nemed’s words to Morrigna slowly spread in its place. To many, the words were heretical, and they condemned Nemed’s attitude. But a large majority of Sylphe people found they didn’t entirely disagree with the Foyel. The truth was, the lockdown of their lands and the Fey resistance to outsiders and foreign communication led to a situation where they all suffered for nearly three decades longer than the rest of the world. The simple truth was something had to change.
Regardless of opinions among the Sylphe, though, Morrigna had heard Nemed’s words and recognized the truth behind them. She acknowledged that things needed to change in the Sylphe region. Slowly, over about a decade, Morrigna responded to the Foyel’s speech and ended the isolation of her worshippers. Despite this, most Sylphe still choose not to leave their lands. But it did allow foreigners to enter and begin to build relations.
As travelers began to come and go freely, other nations began to take notice. While relations had been strained and sparse for centuries, there were still plenty of stories of the rich resources and magical products of the Sylphe. Their neighbors had nearly all had conflict with them in the past, but those battles were quite far in the past at this point. Diplomacy began to flow into Sylphe.
When other nations moving to make alliances and treaties with Sylphe, Morrigna found another problem. Many nations were uncomfortable dealing directly with her or her Fey, and they had difficulty accommodating her customs. Likewise, she and her fey were not keen on leaving Sylphe lands. She realized she would need humans to represent her and her people.
In this regard, it is said that Morrigna reached out to many bright and prolific followers, working with them to develop a means of representation and support. As these talks progressed, many that were called forth echoed ideas similar to those of Nemed. It took roughly a year before the assembled managed to define a system that was pleasing both to Morrigna and her Fey, as well as the majority of Sylphe people. This system was the basis of the government Lusach has now and was finetuned and modified over the next twenty or so years until it became an official standard and the Sylphe region officially became known as Lusach to the world.
Present Day Lusach
Present Day Lusach looks and remains much the same as it has for centuries. The people still revere the Fey and work to live in harmony with nature. The majority of Lusish towns and cities are constructed with the least disruption to the environment as they can manage. To outsiders, these locales often seem strange or fanciful, and many of them are hard to find – especially among the trees of the Feylei Forest or the swamps of the Runabogach. Though the cities in the Mag Mell Plains are more recognizable to outsiders.
Return to Top
Government
Lusach has a fairly unique form of government, as they are a nation that was originally founded by a people worshiping the Fey. It was once, for quite a long while, a land that was not formally governed – at least not in the sense many people of the world would recognize. Religion and worship were the primary factors of law and order, and the Fey acted more as guardians than governors. Over time, that relationship began to change due to outside factors, and the Fey eventually asserted themselves as not only guardians, but leaders of the people. But this situation, too, was temporary, and eventually led to the founding of Lusach and the ruling government of the current day.
Theocratic Tribal Republic
Lusach is still largely what many would consider a theocratic government that is ruled over and guided by the Adhrasnadar faith. In many ways, this means that the nation is led by the fey. While the Archfey Morrigna stands as the top authority of the land, she technically shares her status with numerous other Fey.
Each village, town, or city often has a specific Fey creature that they pay homage to, on top of the archfey. This creature’s type, appearance, and personality can vary greatly, but the people mostly submit to their conditions and requests – often happily. While all the Fey of Lusach lands technically bow to the authority of Morrigna, they do sometimes disagree on certain aspects of their rule or have different needs of their people. For this reason, the laws and regulations can vary – sometimes greatly – between different regions and cities.
This difference in internal policy originally made some travel and trade difficult – even among the Lusish themselves. But the commanding Fey learned to be understanding and accommodating over time. While they hold the native people of their domain to strict standards, travelers, outsiders, and newcomers are often given leeway and allowed time to learn and coalesce into the area. Each Fey does have a different level of understanding in this regard, but this, too, can vary.
After the events of the Creeping Death, the people of the lands began to question whether immortal fey creatures could understand the plights and needs of their mortal souls. While the Fey granted protection, there were often times where they made unreasonable requests and help their worshippers to them. To help regulate and prevent this, the Morrigna allowed and help created the Tainistear.
Tainistear
This Tainistear is a large council of elected mortals; humans, elves, halflings, gnomes, and foyel are the most common races among its members, but others stay in and out. Each town in Lusach prescribes 1 representative for their area to participate in the republic. Some larger towns, such as Marécage or Malairtich will be grated more than one due to their massive size, but this is often determined by the Fey in charge more than anything else.
The people are free to hold elections for this position at any time, calling for it in response to any missteps or misrepresentation the current official may perform. They do so by beseeching their Fey Lord, and when that lord feels enough people have expressed concern, he will authorize them to elect a new representative.
In the election, natives can either nominate themselves or others as candidates, and any number of people can run. The policies and practices of the campaigning can vary from place to place, as well as the amount of time they have to do so. For some, they are given months. For others, the Fey calls for the new vote to happen the same day. Whatever the case, when a vote is called, every native is required to vote (and often punished if they don’t). The votes are tallied, and the winner of the election is named.
The winner must then present themselves to the Fey lord, who will either approve them as representative, or deny them. If they are denied, some towns recast their votes again, while others the runner up is presented as candidate instead. Either way, no one can officially become candidate without the blessing of their Fey Lord.
The approved candidate becomes that areas Ionadach – or representative. The Ionadach is vested with authority based on the Fey Lord’s agreed limits. These limits may sometimes change from one Ionadach to the next, and can even be removed, added, or altered during their time in the position. By now, most Fey Lords have a standard set of limits and powers they grant their Ionadach, as well as rules they have agreed to for the altering of their powers.
The Ionadach often becomes the equivalent of a mayor or governor for the area. They can enact or repel laws and help to manage the needs of the people and ensure the safety of their constituents. The Ionadach mostly stays in their area throughout their time in the role, but they are also called to the capitol once every two or three years to represent their people in regard to national policies or regulations.
This meeting is the also called the Tainistear, when all its elected members arrive to decide policy. The Tainistear is also attended by Morrigna, and the Three Great Fey: Beira, Elegast, and Puck. These four represent the Fey interests, as well as help to guide and run the council session itself to keep things orderly and productive. At the beginning of each Tainistear, the Ionadach’s first task is always to elect their Sionadh.
The Sionadh becomes the leader of the nation when it comes to mortal affairs from the moment they are elected until the beginning of the next Tainistear. They handle relations with foreign nations, make decisions necessary in the interim, as well as handle any emergencies, treaties, or wars that may arise during their rule. They also become the leader of the Tainistear. In order to be confirmed as the Sionadh, the chosen Ionadach must be approved by Morrigna and the Three Great Fey as well.
During the Tainistear, each Ionadach is allowed time to express any concerns, issues, or suggestions they or their people may have. If enough of the other members echo their concern, the Tainistear is tasked with devising a solution for the issue and does not dismiss until a solution is devised and agreed upon.
In all things, the Morrigna has final call, however. While the Sionadh is considered the ruler, they are still subservient to Morrigna, and she can – at any time – overrule the decisions of the council. The Three Great Fey, likewise, can object to anything proposed, voting amongst themselves for majority, to overrule its establishment. While this can sometimes make change difficult, senior Ionadachs have simple come to realize it is more important to convince the Fey of the relevant need of something than their peers, and often spend great time addressing them specifically.
Sionadh
The Sionadh of the current stretch is an older male Foyel by the name of Cael Balgair. Cael has served as the Sionadh for a cumulative 30 years of the past 50 years, though not all of it sequentially. Cael is descendant of Nemed and has gained a lot of his influence and respect from that fact. He has also become one of the most well-versed in the role over the years, having developed a strong relationship with Morrigna and the Three Great Fey – though he and Puck famously argue about nearly everything. Even still, the Fey have a lot of faith and respect for the Foyel.
It is largely under his watch that Foyel have become widely regarded as civil and welcome members of Lusish society, and he has spent a lot of time enacting legislation to help make them more accepted throughout Lusach lands. He also spends a great deal of his time communicating with other nations to try and sway foreign opinions of his people and help them be welcomed everywhere.
His personal stake in the matter have led many Ionadachs over the years to question his integrity and motives, and he has faced violent racism and numerous attempts on his life in the early years of his service. Morrigna eventually decreed him to be under her direct protection, making his life a bit safer in Lusach, but foreign agents hired by various factions still seek his life and make the occasional attempt.
While not all Lusish care for Cael, he has actually done a lot to advance mortal standings in Fey courts and narrow the gap between them. Many Fey have taken to regarding mortals as servants to their whims – a departure from the early years when they were seen as noble worshippers. This has led some fey to abuse their people, but Cael has put a lot of time into combatting this mentality and re-establishing the bond of cooperation – though there is still much work to do.
Cael is now 76 years old, and his health is beginning to fail. Many believe he will not last to the next Tainistear. He is married it another Foyel by the name of Amara, and they have four kids. He knows his years are coming to an end and he has been working for the last five years to help establish his son Velt as a future Ionadach, hoping he might be able to carry on the work he has done of the years.
Beira
Beira is said to have come from the nereid of the Runabogach and is the dominant fey of that region. She is sometimes called the Runic Queen, as she has honed powerful runic magics and spells that are used to secure settlements in her lands from incursion.
In the years of the Burning Lands War, Beira first made her name by taking back finally taking back Marecage. Rumors spread during that time that she was behind the hideous transformation of the Nars soldiers into the fear Gortach, though this was never made certain.
Beira is considered a kind fey, though is known for her strict nature in regard to the rules and laws she has set forth. She is considered to be respectful of her worshippers’ desires in most matters, and advocates for the fey beneath her to follower her guidance and work towards helping their people grow and prosper.
Elegast
Elegast is an ancient fey – almost as old as Morrigna herself. He considers himself an archfey on par with Morrigna, though in practical comparison there is a wide gap between them. Still, Elegast is easily the second most powerful Fey on the Material Plane and has dominion over the Descoille; the southern portion of the Feylei Forest.
Elegast was one of the first Fey worshipped by the early Sylphe, though even back then his methods and outlooks varied greatly from the Morrigna. Elegast demands worship and adoration, and commands people under his charge. He does not ask and has long held the stance that he knows better than anyone on all matter of subjects. His millennia of life have allowed him to amass great knowledge, but his stubborn nature and obstinate attitude often lead him to reject new information.
In older times, Elegast is said to have had a relationship with both Beira and Morrigna, as well as hundreds of different mortal women. He often uses his authority to court women he fancies, but actually shows any woman of moderate charge or intellect a high level of respect and courtesy. Elegast is famously known to abhor humans, preferring elves and even the foyel to the short-lived humanoids. He sees humans as arrogant and prideful, as well as rash and obnoxious.
Elegast has been pulled back in his near authoritarian rule of the Feylei forest over the past centuries, but he is still a being that does not allow his motives or decrees to be questioned or disobeyed. He is known for being incredibly harsh to any who would slight him and punish even small infractions. It has taken great intervention from Morrigna to temper his often-foul treatment of those who even think to question him.
Puck
Puck is strange Fey – one no one can quite understand or pin down. Some claim he was a Pixie that gained too much power and grew as a result. Others say he is a satyr that permanently altered his form to rid himself of the goat-like characteristics. And many others believe he is something different altogether.
Puck was first seen in Sylphe history during the Burning Lands War. It is said that he single-handedly wrested control of the forest from Umbras and held it with his own might. Some stories also say it was he who convinced the kingdom of Goath to join the Sylphe and leave the Orkan Confederacy. He is also noted as a prominent figure in dozens of skirmishes with Nars soldiers – including two or three that happened simultaneously on different ends of the forest. Obviously, there is a lot of myth around this fey.
Puck was given dominion over the Roinntuath following the Burning Lands War, though he never genuinely wanted such title or authority. He has a very laisse faire attitude toward the mortals and his duty. He does the bear minimum of overseeing his lands and other fey, and mostly lets towns and people solve their own problems. When something demands his attention, it is said he addresses it promptly, but also begrudgingly.
Puck has a tense relationship with Elegast – due most to his fondness of playing pranks on the elder fey. But he is quite loved but Morrigna, and most of the people in his lands. He stands as an example of the new line of thinking for fey – of allowing people to manage themselves, except when needed.
Morrigna
The ancient Archfey, Morrigna is the theological leader of Lusach. While she deals extraordinarily little with other nations, she is still the dominant authority of the land. But Morrigna has a very hands-off approach to her rule, and only acts when she sees fit. She does not like her people to suffer, but she also refuses to bail them out of every situation they may find themselves in. She acts only to prevent complete destruction.
Not much is truly known about Morrigna. Very few people or fey ever interact directly with her, and even when she attends the Tainistear, she often does so from a darkened balcony, rarely showing her face, and only speaking when necessary. It is believed there are only a handful of people alive that have ever met her directly – even among the fey.
Return to Top
Geography
The second largest nation in the world when it comes to land mass, you would expect Lusach it be home to many different terrains and biomes. While stretching from the equator to the northern reaches of the continent does bless them with a variety of climates, the land is fairly uniform. The Interitus mountains do stretch along much of their border with Shakar, and even cross the nation as they loop back around in the north, but these mark the only major variations in elevation across the nation. The rest of the land is dotted with hills and valleys, but largely smooth. As well, the Adhrasnadar traditions of harmony with nature have left much of the land still covered in thick forests, with a few jungles to the south.
The lands of Lusach are largely divided four regions, and with the exception of the Roinntuath Region, these areas are largely homogenous in their biomes and geography, with only a few variations.
The Mar Mell Plains
The Mar Mell Region lies in the very southeast portion of Lusach. The very northern portion of this region is marked by the southern extent of the Feylei Forest as it turns into mostly rolling grasslands and plains. Mar Mell is largely flat, except for a few gentle hills in the center of the region.
The eastern coast of this region is dominated by the Dluthe Jungle – a treacherously thick and warm rainforest that is sometimes difficult for even the Lusish to navigate. This area is infested with all many of beasts, as well as less friendly fey creatures. The Lusish that live here usually stick to the coasts, or along rivers, where these hostile creatures are less likely to roam.
There is all a small rainforest in the southwest of this region, though this one is much sparser. Known as Beatha, this rainforest is known for its plentiful stock of various healing herbs – most of the undergrowth of this area filled with medicinal herbs that are sought and used the world over.
The very west of the area is marked by the Diadhach River – one of the three great rivers of the south. The nation’s capital of Buillsgean sits at the mouth of the river. The delta here is massive, with intertwining branches of the main river weaving back and forth on top of one another and is nearly 7 miles wide most of the time but can double that width during rainy seasons. These deltas feed into the southern reaches of the Feylei Forest, and technically mark the western edge of the Runabogach – though the wetlands proper are still about 100 miles further west.
The Runabogach
The largest swamp in the world, the Runabogach is stationed on the southwestern end of Lusach. The Runabogach covers nearly 1 million mi2. The Runabogach is created primarily by two of the great Lusach rivers; the Inning River and the Inhafrawrie River. Both of these rivers are nearly as long and as large as the Diadhach River – which technically marks the eastern edge of the swamp.
The land in this area is almost entirely wet, muddy, and sodden with water. Rainfall in the area is always heavy, as the warm waters of the ocean evaporate, and the wind currents drag the storms northward. The Runabogach is known as being an area beset by hurricanes during the summer months, which is why despite the harsh lands on its interior, most cities in this region are not along the coast.
The swamp is credited as being filled with magic and all manner of strange creatures. Fey are plentiful in the area, but they are not the only creatures lurking in the marshes. Numerous reports exist of both a black and a green dragon that wander the area – still young, according to witnesses, but violent and territorial for sure. The area is also wear known for its assortment of crocodiles, alligators, frogs, snakes, and lizards – many of which grow to grotesquely huge sizes. There is also said to be a large tribe of lizardfolk somewhere along the southern coast, as well as numerous Bullywug tribes scattered throughout.
Descoille – Southern Feylei
The Feylei Forest itself is the largest forest in the world, stretching all the way to beyond the southern border of Nars while beginning on the northern edge of the continent. It covers nearly two million mi2. The forest is so large that it becomes necessary to discuss it in parts, as the regions of the forest vary highly in composition and climate.
Descoille is the southern region of the Feylei forest. It begins on the west coast and follows the Interitus mountains along the border of Nars, eventually stretching to the east coast of Lusach. Its southern border melds into the Runabogach and transitions into the Mag Mell Plains. The Lusish consider this region to end around the city of Malairitch – just north of the Nahr River.
This area is dominated by more tropical plants and creatures, often closer to a rainforest than a temperate forest. The forest is known for being rich in fruit and berries, with massive stretches of it made up of natural orchards. The forests are largely controlled and patrolled by Fey creatures, making it mostly safe for travel – as long as you stay on the main roads.
Slipping from the main roads is ill-advised, as the region is full of hundreds of different breeds of poisonous snakes, as well as panthers, large apes, and other dangerous beasts. The plants, as well, can prove deadly. A number of them are partially sentient and voraciously carnivorous, but there are also dozens of plants that are toxic to the touch, or spray deadly chemicals into the air either when agitated or at intervals.
The lands can also be treacherous off the main path. Quicksand is common, as are fairy pits – naturally occurring areas where the plant life has created a thin layer of foliage over deep pits or cave openings. People who unwittingly step on the surface of a fairy pit often tumble to their death below.
Roinntuath – Northern Feylei
Roinntuath is the northern half of the Feylei Forest, beginning somewhere near Malairitch and stretching all the way to the northern shores of the continent, dividing the continent in half. The Roinntuath forest is a smaller portion of the larger Feylei forest as compared to the Descoille in the south, only about half the size. It presents, as well, a much more varied climate along its length with different biomes as you move north.
Roinntuath is largely a coniferous forest, though the southern portion of it is decidedly deciduous. That southern portion tends to have more mild weather, with mild winters and little snow. It stretches northward from hundreds of miles and begins to transition into the more coniferous forests of the north around the Winvergar River.
North of the Winvergar, the climate becomes decidedly cooler, with harsher winters. The area here is often targeted by Orkan timbermen – looking to harvest the reach stock of trees. It is, because of this, one of the most heavily patrolled and protected regions of the Feylei forest by the Fey. It also works its way up to the end of the Interitus Mountains, as well as alongside the Auran Mountains that divide the forest from the Orkan Confederacy.
The very north end of the Roinntuath is the most different of all the Lusach lands. The forest becomes much sparser as it reaches the intersection of the two mountain rangers, and the region – called Gaoth – is dominated almost as heavily by mountains and stone as it is by forests. The climate is also much cooler, with long and extremely harsh winter. This area of the Feylei Forest is much less populated by Fey creatures and is seen as far less desirable.
This stretch of land has various creatures running through the trees, but is more well known for bears, deer, wolves, and other creatures or more temperate climates. It is also quite heavily populated with Owl Bears in certain regions, though these creatures are corralled rather well by the Fey. A common threat among these trees, though – much more so than anywhere else – are the blights. Perversions of natural magic, twig, vine, and tree blights roam these lands, and are difficult to spot until they are already upon you. The woods are often also filled with giant spiders and sometimes beset by Ettercaps.
Western Plains
Beyond the four great regions, there is also a small area of land on the very western coast, near the Nars border that is dominated by a rolling plain. These western plains are often filled with foreigners, more so than the Lusish themselves. The area is much more typical of the habits and structures of other races and is often a landing point for visitors from Foreign Territories. Fey involvement here is minimal, and in many respects this area runs itself almost as if independent of the nation proper.
A large portion of this western coast, though, is dominated by hundred-foot-tall cliffs that run from Aberf north to Eigaberdonna. The Lugwaunver River flows to these cliffs before tumbling into the ocean below at the Stalla Falls – a stretch of water fall nearly a half mile long and a beautiful attraction for some travelers.
Return to Top
Culture
Lusish culture is dominated by their unique religious faith; Adhrasnadar. This faith has shaped their society and their perspective of the world. The origins of Adhrasnadar stretch back into the time of The Grand Incursion, though it is unclear where or how it was originally formed. The religious mythology suggests that Morrigna used her powers during The Grand Incursion to protect mortal people, out of a sense of duty and compassion to their plight. Inspired by her actions, the other fey coalesced around her and helped to do the same. Endlessly grateful, the early people of that time began to lavish the fey with thanks and learned from them how to properly survive. Eventually, this relationship organically developed into the religion that exists today.
Adhrasnadar preaches about the importance of coexistence with nature and teaches that while plant-life is incapable of voicing its own desires, it too is alive and should be protected. Sylphe believe their role in the world mirrors that of their patron fey. As the fey protect them, so should they protect the forests, plains, and rivers of the world. They treat even weeds with the same courtesy and respect they would give a human or elf. Many spend their lives learning to communicate with nature and understand the minute variations in the environment and what they mean.
This sort of relationship has left the Lusish as a bit under-developed compared to the rest of the world. They must perform lengthy ceremonies and carefully work around nature. Most of their towns have been built around the natural world, with houses often having no flooring and trees, plants, and bushes growing in or through houses. To them, this existence is normal. The idea or living in a home without nature’s presence or building a structure without nature’s approval is barbaric and cruel to the world.
Lusish often prefer to use mud, stone, or clay to construct their buildings, allowing them to avoid the death or destruction of trees or forests. Many of their buildings are also woven by the Fey, exerting their influence over nature to compel it to provide shelter to people. This creates large areas that are built beneath and surrounded by trees that twist together, and with roofs of tightly packed leaves.
Lusish are typically vegetarians. They are selective about what plants they eat or how they eat them, however. They tend toward fruits, berries, and nuts, as they understand these represent nature’s desire to repay their favor with food. They also sometimes partake in root vegetables, such as carrots, potatoes, turnips, etc. They are careful with many of these, as sometimes these vegetables represent a large portion of that plant’s life. A few people in the very northern regions of Goath partake in meat, but only selectively and often only after performing ceremonies and burial rites for the creatures they kill. Their harsher lands and colder weather make vegan food harder to come by, so this practice is cautiously allowed by the Fey.
Regardless of what the people choose to eat, they often perform a small ceremony daily when they awake, giving thanks to nature from what it has given and apologizing for what they will again take that day.
Lusish people are strict and devout in their practices, but not forceful of others to abide by them – at least not outside their lands. Within Lusach, they enforce strict policies – even of visitors and travelers. Some leeway is allowed for newcomers, but certain practices – such as hunting – are not forgiven. The same is true of the destruction of trees.
Return to Top
Orkan Confederacy
| Nation | Orkan Confederacy |
|---|---|
| Capital | Lar Cathair |
| Largest City | Lar Cathair |
| Government | Confederate States |
| Official Language | Auran |
| Land Area | 2.6 mil mi2 |
| Population | 5.8 million |
The orkan Confederacy is less one nation, and more a united alliance of various smaller kingdoms and nations that work together to ensure their survival. Though even that may not always be entirely true. While their alliance does dictate they will always act to protect each other from the assault of foreign or unnatural forces, there is no duty to protect states from themselves. This leads to instances where many of the states prosper and flourish while others flouder under the weight of their greed and failure. The Orkan Confederacy is a difficult nation to describe simply, as it is is as varied as the nine states that compose it.
History
When the world emerged form The Chaos, the Auran Plains and Galan Peaks were dominated largely by three kingdoms. The warring of these kingdoms as well as internal dissent and strife would eventually cause them to break up into thirteen kingdoms that would move to form the Orkan Confederacy. Some of the Orkan lands also once belonged to the former nation of Nox. Since that time, one of those kingdoms seceded from the Confederacy, joining the Sylphe and eventually Lusach while three of them were claimed and conquered by the nation of Agual. But nine members still remain, their alliance stronger than ever as they work to regaining their former economic glory.
The Kingdom of Scamall
Boasting to be the oldest of the Orkan states, the Kingdom of Scamall claims it existed as far back as the end of The Grand Incursion – and there is some truth to this. Many stories and ancient tales make mention of the kingdom, especially as being the birthplace of the archwizard Mendacium. Those same stories, though, paint a picture of a much different nation, leading some to question the claim and wonder if the current Scamall may just have borrowed the name from the historical nation.
Whatever the case, the world emerged from The Chaos with the Kingdom of Scamall already established. In the early days, the lands of Scamall were much larger than they are today – encompassing what is now Breith and Feothan.
This Scamall was led already by the Scamallian lineage and headed at the time by Karlin Scamall. While not the first king of Scamall, King Karlin was often attributed with the stabilization of the nation. In the trailing years of The Chaos, as matters of the world settled, King Karlin was credited with winning hearts, rather than conquering lands. The Scamall of the time was embroiled in internal conflicts from various warlords throughout the southern regions of the nation, and these powerful lords clung to the idea of ruling their own lands.
King Karlin was famous for defeating these warlords without a single death. Many fables paint him as a man with the miraculous way with words – able to bend ears and break hearts with his flowery and passionate prose. With every warlord, it is stated he would orate for hours outside their strongholds, pleading with the men within and appealing to their morals and desire to live. Over the course of two decades, it was said that he finally brought the nation together in the year 34 NA.
The Kingdom of Gala
Around the same time that Scamall was stabilizing, similar events were occurring in the nation of Gala to the southwest. Gala’s stabilization, however, was much less peaceful and much bloodier.
The lands of Gala at the time were considered to be much larger than today, encompassing the Kingdom of Gorm as well as stretching down to the inner coasts of the Mermaid’s Hook. These lands had been a hotbed of wars and battles throughout The Chaos, and it was only as that era ended that those battles began to dwindle. This was an effort driven by Thwenla the Witch – a powerful elven warrior and spellcaster that rose to power in the early years of the Novua Aetate.
Thwenla was a vicious warrior, and her armies are famous from showing no mercy to their enemies. She burned through most of Gala, torching villages and farmland, slaughtering women and children, and decimating any who would stand in her way. The only people that survived her destruction were those that sought her out to join her forces and fought and slayed with her.
Thwenla became the first Queen of Gala in 46 NA, establishing the tradition of matriarchy in the country. She believed men to be inferior in many aspects, especially in thought and logic – though she admired their strength. They were powerful tools to be used, but inefficient as leaders or commanders.
The Kingdom of Waves
The third of the great kingdoms from which the confederacy was born was the kingdom of Waves. The Kingdom of Waves lied along the Mermaid’s Hook – comprising most of the land of the hook west of the Maltash River. The Kingdom of Waves was a bit different than Scamall or Gala – a bit less embroiled in battle.
The Kingdom of Waves was a land that was populated primarily by fishers and seafarers. It, at the time, had a culture that was quite similar to that of the foreign nation of Badur. It was populated largely by Water Genasi and Aquatic Elves, though various other peoples were mixed in as well.
The Kingdom of Waves was protected by a series of ancient creatures that are referred to as ‘Sentries’. These were large mechanical automatons that often lied dormant either beneath the waves offshore, or covered in grass, dirt, or moss across the narrow peninsula. These machines could be activated when the lands or people were threatened and were powerful tools of war. It is said they are remnants of The Grand Incursion and fought alongside the heroes who eventually ended the war. They were immune to magical influences of most kinds and towered over most people.
Scamall-Gala War
It is quite well documented that Thwenla the Witch was constantly seeking to assert her authority and expand her power. While those that followed her respected her strength, there were also many who questioned her methods and quietly spoke out against her. These people often compared her to the Scamall King Karlin – a man who achieved the same goals as their Queen without the blood or violence. Scamall King Karlin was a figure that many in the Gala lands admired and respected. And this was something that Thwenla abhorred.
Thwenla came to see Karlin as threat – a force that could undermine her authority and cause a revolt of her people. As well, the nation of Scamall rivaled her own in size and population – though Thwenla was sure her armies could best those of Scamall. But she also understood what igniting war would cause. Her people already admired the man – even wished Gala were more like Scamall. If she were to engage in war, she would likely face internal rebellions and revolts as well – possibly whole villages even rejecting her rule to align themselves with Scamall. She needed a method to weaken Scamall and King Karlin without open hostility.
Surely Thwenla was best known for her power and strength, but that notion only masks the sheer cunning of the Witch as well. Thwenla knew how to achieve her goals. Karlin was loved for achieving peace without bloodshed. If she could shatter his stability, she could shatter his reputation as well.
Thwenla sent scouts into Scamall, seeking out the former warlords or their spawn to propose a deal. She would provide them with powerful armies that would be un-swayed by Karlin’s sweet words. In return, she only wished for them to so chaos and retake their former lands. Many of the warlords were suspicious, but many of them were also desperate to return to their former dominance. Not all of them agreed, but enough of them did for her plan to begin.
It is, perhaps, fitting that Karlin as well had acknowledged Thwenla has an imminent threat. Great minds, as they say, think alike. For years, he had been sending his own scouts into Gala, singing the praises of King Karlin and poisoning minds against their queen. The respect Thwenla had seen had been unknowingly planted by Karlin’s men. When the former warlords rose up with Galan men disguised as loyal troops, Karlin set off his own plan.
He spread rumors through Gala that the revolts and rebellions were her doing. It is unclear if Karlin ever knew this was truth at the time, but he spread the stories anyhow. The people of Gala – as both the leaders predicted – rose up in revolt.
Only 10 years after Gala and Scamall had stabilized, the Auran Plains were embroiled in Chaos once more. Karlin could not refuse to fight this time, and he led his troops to battle -both against the warlords and against Gala itself. Likewise, Thwenla was forced to try and suppress her rebellions as she fought off the invasion and tried to supply troops to the Scamall warlords.
In the end, this war lasted just over 30 years, and left both nations irreparably changed. Both Scamall and Gala spread their forces to thin, trying to deal with defense, invasion, and suppressing internal dissent. In the end, Scamall and Gala ended with only a fraction of their original land.
Scamall was divided into Scamall, Breith, and Feothan. Breith was born of Galan manipulation, but rather a distaste for the violence and war of the nation they once pledged themselves to. Breith declared their independence in the year 69 NA, originally only the city of Tetrinhing and a few of the surrounding villages. But over the next few years, numerous other surrounding villages and towns banded with them. While King Karlin sought to bring them back into the fold, his priorities we focused elsewhere, as Gala pushed into Scamall lands, and the southern rebels continued to wreak havoc.
Feothan was born of the Galan influence and assistance – rallied behind the son of a former warlord, Terrick Wold. Feothan declared itself independent near the beginning of the war, but it was not until near the end that Scamall finally surrendered the land as lost. This was largely due to the fact that Breith’s growth and Galan incursions had cut the main portions of Scamall off from the southern reaches.
Gala, as well, splintered into three kingdoms: Gala, Gorm, and Aberg. Gala’s main domain settled on the northern edge of former lands, bordering directly with Scamall, as well as touching on the other two new kingdoms born from the former enemy. It is believed Gala retained these lands as in the later years they pulled back much of their armies to repel and push back Scamall invasions, solidifying their presence in the north.
Gorm splintered off from Gala not long after they pulled their main forces northward. With the main repressive forces gone, the dissenting voices of the south grew stronger, and were able to push forward their agenda, following in the examples of King Karlin of Scamall as they sought to unite without violence, while defending themselves from Gala warriors.
In the beginning, the nation of Aberg was part of Gorm, but shortly after the war officially ended, they amicably separated from Gorm. The people of the southern coast had many different beliefs and priorities, and they were unable to come to a strong agreement on most topics with the rest of Gorm. To avoid bloodshed, Gorm helped them establish their lands, placing a noble family of the coasts in charge and helping to stabilize the region as independent. Once the war ended, Aberg was able to begin functioning separately.
Even after the wars ended, it was probably almost another thirty years before the region completely stabilized, leaving the kingdoms in the much the shape and pattern they exist today.
Collapse of Nox
The next big event that led to the Orkan Confederacy after the war was actually the Umbral Rebellion in Nox. When The Knight drove the demons and devils from the lands and destroyed their regime, it left many lands suddenly without leadership. This included a few regions on the eastern edges of the Noxian Lands that chose not to band with Umbras and decided to try their own hands at rule.
Four nations were born from the former lands of Nox: Verdociel, Anfa, Buaic, and Treimhse. Each of them had been, at one point, ruled by either a devil, and found their new liberation a blessing and a curse. While devils had been heartless souls, they had at least brought and acted with order and structure. Without that structure, the lands were chaotic for many years.
The kingdoms of Scamall and Gala both saw this chaos and recognized as a chance to expand their influence and power. Both nations were wary of engaging in combat, as they knew movement of their troops would attract the attention of the other and likely lead to badly. So instead, they both began a diplomatic invasion, looking to supplant what little leadership these new nations had with nobles and knights loyal to their cause.
What resulted from this was a small civil war in the first nation they both attempted this plan in; Treimhse. Treimhse lied just east of both Scamall and Gala, stretching to the Auran Mountains in the west. When it gained freedom, it was quickly beset by bandits and despots. Both Scamall and Gala began to secretly fund efforts in the nation to dethrone the warlords and establish sane rule in the nation, and both attempts progressed in unions; Scamall in the north and Gala in the south. A few years later, this progress came to a head as both of these forces were led to the believe the other was the last of the warmongers ruining their nation.
The Treimhse Civil War lasted all of three years before an agreement was eventually met. Both Scamall and Gala, at this point, had become aware of the other’s involvement. Outside of Treimhse, the two had been at each other’s throats, demanding they withdraw, and tensions were coming close to a larger war. However, the current rules of both nations did not wish for a larger conflict that would embroil their homeland in battle again. As such, both sides agreed to encourage their supported factions to work toward peace. The matter was quickly settled, and the northern lands of Siorradh broke from Treimhse, a loyal stooge of Scamall established at the time. Likewise, Gala established their own plant in Treimhse.
Meanwhile, while they nation of Treimhse was embroiled in conflict, the other new nations quickly began to establish themselves on their own. Buaic and Anfa formed an early pact – agreeing to continue to exist separately but forming an alliance to protect and help stabilize one another. This alliance would become the first piece of the Orkan Confederacy.
The nation of Verdociel lied mostly in the lands of the Feylei Forest, and with the fiends now banished from the lands, the Fey were able to return to their former roots. While the people there had suffered many years of rule under the devils, they had never forgotten some of the old Adhrasnadar teachings they once followed. As the fey returned, so did the faith they once had. But Verdociel had also been forced to grow and change – and the mortals there had come to defend and support themselves. As such, their region never fully became of the Sylphe – or at least not for a few more centuries.
The Collapsing Wave
In the early 400s, the final piece of the future Orkan Confederacy was born from a piece of the Kingdom of Waves. After the splintering of the Kingdoms of Scamall and Gala, the Kingdom of Waves persisted large unfettered by the actions of external forces. However, sometime during the 4th century, refugees and dissenters from Feothan began to flock to the south, crossing the boarders and settling in the Kingdom of Waves.
Since its establishment, Feothan had been ruled by a brutally authoritarian family. The Kings and Queens of House Feothan taxed their people heavily and engaged in practices that would see much of their citizenry beaten or imprisoned for many years. Around the turn of the 4th century, they began to demand all citizens serve a minimum of 10 years in the service of their army, even kidnapping children when they came of age if they were not willingly brought forth. Over years, this created a large portion of Feothan that was fiercely loyal and trained to protect and defend their kingdom from all threats – including internal ones.
However, many families abhorred this law, and those that could struggle and make the difficult journey would flee south to the Kingdom of Waves. Over decades of this, the former Feothans began to outnumber the natives of the Kingdom of Waves – especially in the north. And with them, the Feothans brought a different culture and traditions.
The denizens of Waves did not care for many of these foreigners, many seeing them as invaders. The social tension rose and heightened until King Lawrence IV passed a new decree that basically outlawed having Feothan blood and required any who did to either leave or submit to subjugation as slaves. A people who had already fled one terrible life, the Feothans rejected this decree violently, and the Kingdom of Waves broke out into full blown civil war.
Over the next two decades, the former people of Feothan managed to push the people of Waves further and further south, destroying their capitol and slaughtering the entire royal family. The former Feothans stopped once they destroyed the capitol and declared the Kingdom of Waves was no more, working to establish the nation of Arantilde – a plutocratic republic with no one ruler.
The former people of waves retreated south, onto the Nereid Peninsula. While they were furious with the Feothans, they were also beaten and broken. They had few soldiers left to fight, and even fewer with the will too. If the new land of Arantilde was going to leave them be, they would settle and recover. A distant relative of the former king was eventually found and brought forward as their new ruler. They declared their new land Emishia, after the former queen of Waves, and continued on – hoping to eventually take back their lands.
The Army of the Dead
The birth of the Orkan Confederacy was born from a need to confront a great evil that had been spawned from the hatred, schemes, and mistrust that spread through the Auran Kingdoms. The story of its inception began in the year 700 NA – with the fall of a noble Paladin: Sir Arneth Aural.
Sir Arneth had sworn his loyalty to Elincia Gala, the Queen of Gala, promising to protect the nation and her from all threats. To this day, the truth of what drove his final actions is still unclear – and if anything exists to explain it, it is likely kept secret in the clutches of the Galan Royalty. But in the year 700, Sir Arneth betrayed his oath, slaughtering his queen while she slept.
Arneth was caught in the act by palace guards, hearing the noise in the queen’s chambers, and though he slayed many in his attempts to escape the castle, Arneth was eventually laid low, and slain just before he left the castle walls. But this was not the end of Arneth’s story – rather, it was only the beginning. Betraying his oath and never allowed a moment to atone, Sir Arneth’s soul was cursed, turning the once loved Paladin into a powerful Death Knight.
Arneth rose only a few days after he had been slain, his body still hanging on the castle walls to bleach and as a message to others. He tore himself from the walls and slipped off into the Galan Mountains, remaining hidden for six years. While he was gone, Gala stabilized. The former queen had not had a suitable heir, so the rule of the nation actually fell to her younger sister, Marticia. In only a short time, she was able to brush the memories of the paladin’s betrayal away.
But Arneth returned, commanding an entire army of undead soldiers. The Death Knight had thousands of skeletal warriors following him, their armor bearing insignias from all the different Auran Kingdoms. He had secretly slipped across the nation to all the former sites of grand battles and raised the fallen warriors there to follow him. Arneth laid siege to the Galan Castle, breaching its defenses quickly as he moved to kill the queen and finally end the royal line once more. Luckily, Queen Marticia was able to escape through a series of hidden passages, fleeing with her loyal retainers.
Queen Marticia fled north, the armies of the dead close on her heels. As they moved, the armies of Arneth only grew larger as the men he slayed rose to join him. The Army of death quickly grew beyond anything the nation of Gala could handle, and Queen Marticia did the unthinkable for a Galan Queen; she turned to Scamall for help.
The Kingdom of Scamall was still one of the strongest kingdoms on the Auran Plains, and while Gala had done much to undermine their reputation, they still help great influence across the lands. Queen Marticia had her retainers separate from her, telling them to head east while she continued north. The gambit worked, and Arneth followed her retainers, believing her too cowardly to travel alone. Marticia slipped into Scamall and quickly made her way to Lar Cathair.
There, she pleaded with the King of the time, King Karlin X. She warned him of the terror that was free in the lands and offered anything she could to have him help to bring an end to the army of the dead. Arrogant and Malicious, King Karlin X turned Queen Marticia away. He believed it to be a Galan problem, and liked the idea of his kingdom’s only real rival falling. He figured, at worst, he would deal with the army was Gala was no more.
King Karlin X had the Queen taken captive and ordered she be brought to the southern border and sent back into Gala to deal with her own problems. In the end, the knights ordered to carry out this task took pity on the queen, and took her to Horwest, allowing her to escape into Siorradh instead.
The Queen did the only thing she could and fled through Siorradh to the north. If Scamall would not help her, there was only one other power in the lands that might be able to assist: the allied nations of Anfa and Buaic. While she fled, Arneth caught up to her retainers, capturing and slaughtering them. Once dead, he had them rise once more as his followers and tell him of the Queen’s plot. Enraged, he turned north and brought his full army to the Scamall border.
Arneth’s undead warriors were able to tear through the border guards and cut a path of blood straight to Lar Cathair. Even there, the Scamall warriors could do little to even slow him down. He stormed the castle and confronted King Karlin X. The King told Arneth the truth of what had happened, but Arneth either did not believe him, or did not care; he slayed the king. Eventually, his armies killed one of the knights that knew the truth of the Queen’s escape and he turned his armies to march through Siorradh.
By this point, Marticia had reached the Kingdom of Buaic. With the news of the Scamall King’s death, they understood that turning her away was of no benefit. They would need to deal with this army of death – one way or another. Buaic and Anfa acted quickly, gathering their full armies to send them toward the Siorradh border. They also contacted the Kingdom of Gaoth, and they too supplied armies to try and halt army of the dead.
The allied army and the army of death eventually met just south of Warham, using the Retford River as a natural barrier to help them confront the enemy. By this point, Arneth had cut paths of destruction across most of Siorradh, and his army had grown even larger. Even with their combined forces, the allied army was outnumbered at least three to one, and they did not have the luxury of returning from death. The army of death swarmed forward, clogging the river as they climbed over one another to reach the soldiers on the other side. The battle was largely a slaughter and might have been the end of four royal lines had an unexpected ally not arrived to help.
Scamall’s Youngest Prince, Rengan, arrived on the battlefield carrying with him a sword of gleaming light. Prince Rengan cut a path through the undead forces and straight to the kings and queens. He helped them all escape, eventually fleeing with them into the Auran Mountains where they could take a moment to recover.
Prince Rengan carried with him the Sun’s Guard – though he never told a soul where he had acquired it. At this point, the Sun’s Guard would not be enough, alone, to stop the army of the dead or even allow him to reach Arneth. They would need more allies. The Royals all agreed, and they set off, riding to all the Auran Kingdoms as quickly as they could, gathering support, and building a massive army of combined Auran Kingdoms.
With all the remaining soldiers of the kingdoms combined, they outnumbered the Army of the Dead only two to one – a pitiful number when one realized the dead could just rise again. But they needed only to scatter the army of the dead and give Prince Rengan a chance to slip to the center to face Arneth directly.
The plan worked – if only barely. Prince Rengan was able to reach Arneth and finally end the Death Knight’s terror with the power of the Sun’s Guard. When the light destroyed the Death Knight, his army crumbled along with him. The living were victorious, though nearly every kingdom had suffered heavy losses, and many had had entire towns razed by the undead army. A lot of work and effort would be needed to repair the Auran Kingdoms.
The Orkan Confederacy
Recovering from Arneth’s Rampage would prove to be more difficult than any of the kingdoms had originally perceived. By the time they had brought the matter to a close, Arneth and his army had marched across the majority of the Auran Kingdoms. And while the Death Knight had been slain, the people found his impact to be lasting. Large swaths of land had become unusable for farms and livestock – plant-life withering quickly, and livestock suffering without proper food. On top of this, the numbers were never finalized, but it is believed nearly half of all people in the Auran Kingdoms lost their lives during the catastrophe.
The simple matter was that no one nation had the manpower or resources to restore the lands properly. And this is where Rengan stepped forward once more, proposing a new path toward the future. Inspired by the alliance Anfa and Buaic had shared and the success it had brought them over the centuries, Rengan proposed a similar idea – an alliance of all Auran Kingdoms. Blessed with his ancestors’ silver tongue, and riding on the glory and reputation his actions against Arneth had brought him, Rengan was able to inspire a lot of trust in the idea. And when Queen Marticia was the first to agree to the idea, the deal was basically sealed.
Crafting the standards and rules of the alliance was a lengthy process that took almost 20 years to finalize. But even as they worked on the final structure, the Auran Kingdoms began to work together to repair the Auran Plains. When all was complete, the Kingdoms were united under the Articles of Orkan Confederation – the term ‘Orkan’ coming from Auran and meaning ‘union.’
Now King of Scamall, Rengan took the lead as the first Orkan Sovereign, and helped to stabilize the confederacy for centuries to come. A new flag was designed, carrying a simplified version of the Scamall Coat of Arms and 13 stripes – one for each of 13 Kingdoms. For the first time, Scamall, Gala, Gorm, Breith, Aberg, Feothan, Arantilde, Emishia, Siorradh, Treimhse, Buaic, Anfa, and Gaoth were joined together as one – officially. Of course, this full union would not last forever.
Succession of Gaoth
The full Orkan Confederacy lasted, in total, only around 150 years before the first of its member nations chose to withdraw. In 846 NA, the nation of Nars went to war with the Sylphe people in the Burning Lands War. The war was a massive undertaking from both groups that embroiled nearly the whole Western Continent in war – only the Orkan Confederacy managing to avoid becoming deeply involved. However, as the war stretched north, concern began to arise in the Auran Kings and Queens of what might happen when it reached their border.
It was well known by the time this moment approached that the Sylphe were seeking to conquer the entirety of the Feylei Forest and unite the Fey lands for the first time in ages under one group. In that regard, the concern for Gaoth became real. Gaoth was the only Orkan nation that lied across the forest, and many of the royal court voiced concerns about having to defend it. The Articles of Orkan Confederation demanded that if any one nation were in danger or attacker that the other members would provide support in the form of supplies, gold, or soldiers. But the other Orkan Kingdoms saw this as a distinctly Gaothian problem.
The King of Gaoth at the time, King Dubert, mostly agreed with the other royals – it was a distinctly Gaoth problem, and one they had struggled with for generations. The majority of the Gaoth population considered themselves Sylphe at heart, following the teachings and practices of the religious group. Even he paid homage and worshipped the Fey of his lands, bending a knee to their requests. The truth was, he also wanted to avoid conflict with the Sylphe brethren of the south.
With this in mind, King Dubert made the only logical choice, and proposed the succession of Gaoth from the confederacy. A few of the Orkan Kingdoms were opposed to this – Gaoth was a stable supply of ironwood and some rare minerals like adamantine. The most vocal dissenting opinion was that of Scamall, who had long used trade of these goods to create wealth for his nation. But in the end, a 7 to 6 vote approved the proposal, and Gaoth – over the next year, absolved their connections to the Confederacy. In the year 890 NA, Gaoth officially joined the Sylphe, becoming part of what would eventually become Lusach.
The Fuadar War
While Gaoth was gone from their confederacy, the Orkan’s managed to labor on. Accessing Ironwood became much more difficult and costly, with only small groves of it able to grow in Anfa, this came as a significant hit to their ability to build and expand cities. Eventually, they learned to rely strongly on stone and clay, gathered mostly from the Gala Kingdom, but the loss of Ironwood was still a strong deterrent to their future.
This hinderance was eventually solved years later by the actions of the naval nation of Badur when they began the Tamtu-Pa War with the people of Sylphe. That war, combined with the continuing Burning Lands War, had left the Sylphe in a precarious position where they were having difficulty not only supplying their armies, but even feeding their people. Here, the Orkan Confederacy acted.
While Gaoth was no longer part of their alliance, the relations they had there were still strong. Using those former connections, the Orkan Confederacy negotiated with them for lumbering rights to ironwood, offering food, weapons, and other supplies in return. This proved incredibly fruitful for the kingdoms of the Orkan Confederacy overall, but most especially for the kingdoms of Aberg, Arantilde, and Emishia.
With ironwood at this disposal once more, these three nations began putting it to use building new, strong ships. The kings of these nations saw a coming weakness on Badur’s stranglehold over the waves and set to work preparing. They knew from the Sylphe’s determination against Nars and Umbras that they would never surrender, and Agual would eventually run themselves thin. When they did, the ocean would be open to new masters.
This all came to fruition when the nation of Badur collapsed in 1216 NA, and their navy began to fall apart. The kings here were quick to take advantage, sending their ships out on to the waves, and forging new tradelines with Orientum. Here they found new spices, weapons, food, and other items of value – things Badur had coveted and hid from the world. Quickly, they were able to make a fortune.
As part of the Articles of Orkan Confederacy, they shared their knowledge and discovery with the other kingdoms, and it was not long before most of them were setting up tradelines of their own. For over four centuries, the Orkan Confederacy dominated the tradelines of the sea and established themselves as world power. But as strong as they had become, the new nation of Agual still had them far outmatched in experience on the ocean and in building ships.
The time came when Agual finally sought to dominate the oceans once more. By the time it arrived, the Orkan Confederacy had become cocky and arrogant, believing their influence on the ocean was too strong for even Agual to stop. But this proved to be folly. Beginning with the destruction of the Auran Fuadar – a massive Orkan ship carrying hundreds of thousands of gold worth of merchandise to Orientum – Agual made clear their power and dominance.
Agual decimated the Orkan Navy and quickly pushed to invade the kingdoms that had started it all. In only a little over a decade, the Agualians had conquered the Mermaid’s Hook, capturing Aberg, Arantilde, and Emishia. They quickly got rid of the old royal families and replaced them with loyal puppets. While the rest of the Orkan kingdoms tried to assist, Agual’s push was simply too strong for them to counter. The Orkan Confederacy was forced to accept the complete loss of three of their members.
The war ended soon after, as Agual’s focus shifted elsewhere. They offered the Orkan Confederacy a cease-fire that eventually became a peace treaty – offering nothing in return for Orkan surrender. The northern kingdoms continued to try and push into the ocean, and still maintain a few trade routes that force them to pass through Sentry Bay, but the dominance they had was completely shattered.
Present Day Orkan Confederacy
The Orkan Confederacy of today is much less united than it once was. An inequity of resources and wealth between the remaining nine kingdoms have left many members questioning the purpose of the alliance. Tensions between some members have begun to rise as trade deals between them – a process was simplified and straightforward thanks to the articles – has become skewed and warped. The wealthier kingdoms have taken more and more of the Orkan council by flashing money and slowly modifying laws and regulations binding them.
The most hard-hit kingdoms in all of this are Siorradh, Treimhse, Buaic, and Anfa. Their geographical locations make it difficult for them to take full advantage of any sea routes. Adding to this, they have been forced over the years to give up rights to certain internal resources to maintain their ability to function. These kingdoms are filled with poverty, misery, and disease – largely forgotten by other Orkan nations. A close kin to these poorer states is Feothan. While Feothan has been able to prosper financially due to trade with Agual, their people suffer greatly due to the internal fighting and chaos.
On the opposite side, the Kingdoms of Scamall, Gala, and Breith have grown to prosper. Their close proximity to the Mermaid’s Hook, or their short sea journey to Sentry bay make naval trade easily accessible for them. Their former positions of power have only been heightened as they continue to leverage the plethora of natural resources against other member nations.
Return to Top
Government
The Orkan Confederacy, as its name suggests, is a confederation of allied states. The government of each of the allied states varies slightly, but all are typically overseen by an Orkan Lord. Some Orkan Lords come to power through birthright, while others might actually be elected by the people in their province. However, regardless of the individual mechanics of the provinces, they are all bound by the Articles of Orkan Confederation, a document forged and agreed upon by all the lords around 1,400 years ago. This document created a central governing body known in the nation as the Confederate Authority.
Anfa
The kingdom of Anfa is still a traditional monarch. The title of Orkan Lord is synonymous with the current ruling monarch. Anfa’s ruling family has traditionally been the Rephans, and they have close familial times with the Thampren royal family of Buaic. The ruling monarch has ultimate authority in the state of Anfa. However, in recent years, the monarch typically does not handle much of the actual minutia of ruling the natio, leaving it instead to a handful or individually selected citizens the monarch trusts to manage the nation.
Unlike many other Orkan kingdoms, Anfa’s government does not claim primary ownership of the land in the kingdom. Instead, the lands of Anfa are largely considered unowned, unless a citizen or structure already exists in the area. As a side-effect of this, governmental taxes are largely non-existent here. Instead, Anfa’s government finances itself through the sale of certain goods and services to its citizens and others.
The current ruler of Anfa is King Walter Rephans IV.
Breith
On its outer surface, the state of Breith appears to be a monarchy like most other Orkan states. However, it has been hundreds of years since the royal family have been anything more than ornamental political figures. Instead, Breith is a democratic republic, with the people elected representatives to represent them in a national Parliament.
The Breith Parliament currently has 15 parliamentary positions. Every two years, a national election is held, allowing land owning individuals along with some other qualified persons to place a vote for their regional representation. No representative is allowed to server more than three consecutive terms, and no more then 5 total terms throughout their life.
The Breith Parliament is the nations main legislative body. From their members, they also elect an Orkan Lord to represent their nation in the confederacy. A vote of no confidence can remove this person from the position at any time.
The current Orkan Lord in Breith is Lord Virgil Auncouth.
Buaic
The kingdom of Buaic is still a traditional monarchy. Much as with Anfa, the title of Orkan lord always belongs to the king or queen. The royal family are the Thampren. Every few generations, they and the Rephans of Anfa arrange marriages between their kingdoms to ensure ties remain close. The monarchy holds ultimate authority in the nation, and the projected heir to the throne is put through rigorous study and training to be prepared to rule a nation. The monarch is often personally involved in any decisions of state.
The current ruler of Buaic is Queen Elizabeth Thampen I.
Feothan
Feothan puts up a front as a traditional monarchy, but the truth is they are closer to a military dictatorship. The title of Orkan Lord is linked to that of their nations ‘Grand Lord’, a position of ultimate authority and power. Feothan often claims their Grand Lords inherit the title from the previous generation, but more often than not they are gained through military coup.
Feothan is in a constant power struggle as four different military powers all vie for rulership of the nation. Outwardly, they do their best to present an air of cooperation and unity, but even a small look through the nation can show it is largely decimated by conflict and war.
The current Grand Lord is Xavier Felts.
Gala
Another monarchy, the Galan King or Queen is the holder of the state’s title of Orkan Lord. The Gala region is quite stable, and the need for legislative authority or change has appeared non-existent for a few generations. That is not to say everyone is happy with the current system, but rather that there is no overwhelming majority of voices calling for specific change.
Gala has one of the highest taxation rates in the Orkan Confederacy, but the poorest of the people here are not required to pay taxes and can opt to join the Galan Employment Program. This program offers these individuals shelter and food as well as basic medical care in return for daily labor. It is widely condemned by many of the other Orkan states as it basically amounts to slavery but forces the would-be slave into the live by presenting it as the only alternative to living in filth and squalor until they die.
The current Orkan Lord of Gala in Queen Merriphen Cultoor.
Gorm
Gorm is a nation that has been highly inspired by the nation of Agual. Their governmental system largely resembles that of the Agualian Parliament, where most of the capacity of law and rule is held by the wealthiest merchants in the nation. The one difference, though, is that the role of the Triarchy is vested entirely in the nation’s monarch. The Gorm Monarch typically does refrain from interfering in the mechanics of the parliament, though – stepping in only as a means of breaking a tie or ending a debate.
The ruling Monarch always holds the nation’s title of Orkan Lord and is currently King Phillion Natalon.
Scamall
The lands of Scamall are ruled by an elected monarchy, a concept that is touted as unique but typically amounts to a traditional monarchy. The King or Queen of the nation is elected by the people of Scamall form a pool of eligible candidates. However, these candidates are highly restricted, and typically must be related to the current monarch within two degrees of separation. This can lead to a large pool of eligible candidates, but many of them do not want the responsibility of ruling, often narrowing the pool to five or less options.
The other members of the eligible pool control when a vote is called for, which is often determined by a simple majority of votes among them. At the point, a national election is organized, and efforts are made to inform the populace of the issues with the current monarch and the platforms of their detractors. Typically, though, the current monarch tends to retain their position, as except in the case of horrible tragedies or misgoverning, the people tend to be largely fine with the status quo.
Uniquely, Scamall is the only state of the Confederacy where the current ruler is not also the Orkan Lord as their representative in the confederacy. Instead, this position is traditionally elected by the populace, usually changing hand every ten years. This person does not need to come from the eligible pool as the monarch does, but they still tend to. Traditionally, a candidate serves only one term as the Orkan Lord and then moves on, but there are instances of some past lords serving more than one.
The current ruler is King Regibald Scamall, while the current Orkan lord is his younger sister, Princess Marina Scamall.
Siorradh
While Siorradh is considered a separate state by the Articles of Orkan Confederation, it has largely become a puppet state of Scamall over the past three hundred years. The nation’s ruler is appointed by the ruling monarch of Scamall and can often change as their monarch changes. Given that they are acting solely in the interests of Scamall, they often care little for the people they rule.
The current Duke of Siorradh and their Orkan Lord is Duke Maysler Twent.
Tréimhse
Tréimhse was, at one point, on track to become a puppet state of Gala. However, at some point, the Queens of Gala lost interest in the management and harvesting of Tréimhse, and it was left to its own devices. The man who had been ruling at the time continued his reign, and the nation became a monarchy following his death. However, this original ruler (King Chad Brusk) was horribly greedy and selfish, and hoarded power and wealth.
Tréimhse is a weakened nation, and much of the country is completely unmanaged as the current ruling class have cloistered themselves in the capital to avoid dealing with the populace – heightening growing tensions.
The current ruler and Orkan Lord is King Kyle Brusk.
Confederate Authority
The Confederate Authority is the coordinating central government of the Orkan Confederacy. However, the Confederate Authority is largely powerless and weak compared to the individual rights of the states. The central government can pass laws and regulations, but each individual state can choose to override the decree or make their own changes to its form. Because of this, it is difficult to impossible for the Authority to create wide-spread plans of laws for the confederacy.
The Confederate Authority does possess the right to form a centralized army that can be deployed to any confederate state, but it is much smaller and weaker than most of the individual states’ militaries. As well, this central army can not be deployed to a state without that Orkan Lord’s approval.
The Confederate Authority does have some power in the realm of negotiating trade agreements internally and externally, but there is currently no penalty for a state that ignores or disregards the agreements of the Confederate Authority.
Each state of the confederacy supplies one person as Orkan Lord to serve as part of the central agency, but these people typically never actually report to the central agency unless there is a crisis or they are specifically called by the Orkan Sovereign – the leader of the central agency chosen by simple vote of all Orkan Lords.
At this point, the Orkan Confederacy has become mostly ceremonial, and acts only as a means of standardizing trade practices among the individual states – though many of the accepted practices highly favor some states over others.
Return to Top
Geography
Tied for the third largest nation in land mass, the Orkan Confederacy supports a variety of biomes and geographic oddities and landmarks. As with most aspects of the Confederacy, it becomes easier to discuss the specifics of the area by looking at the individual kingdoms.
Anfa
The furthest north of any of the Auran Kingdoms, Anfa is a colder land, known for its harsh winters and heavy snowfall. Anfa is a relatively flat area, with a small deciduous forest in the northwestern corner. The trees here are mostly pine, but this is one of the few areas of naturally growing ironwood in the Orkan Confederacy. The amount here is limited, and Anfa goes to great lengths to make sure it is never over harvested.
The southwestern corner of the kingdom touches the Auran Mountains and is deformed by the foothills that surround the area. Some of the hills here have small deposits of silver and copper, but the area is largely owned and controlled by the royal family. There have been times in the past where the Cloud Giants from the Auran Mountains would wander further north and attempt to claim some of these areas. Typically, the royal guard stationed there is able to repel them.
Most of the rest of the land is roll grasslands and plains – flat enough that travelers have an unobstructed few of the horizon in every direction. The ground in these northern lands is largely unsuitable for agriculture, and the only crop that Anfa tends to grow in abundance in potatoes. While crops are difficult in the northern soil, the kingdom has had a lot of success in raising sheep and goats here.
Breith
Laying along the eastern coast of the Orkan Confederacy, Breith is just south of Scamall. Breith is largely dominated by forests and woods, with an expanse of rolling hills along the northern border to Scamall. The southern portion of Breith is shares a small wetland with Feothan created by the Horford River. And of course, the western edge of the nation borders the foothills of Gala and the Galan Mountains.
Buaic
Buaic lies in the northwest corner of the Orkan Confederacy, sandwiched between the kingdom of Anfa to the North and Siorradh to the south. The nation’s geography is dominated and divided by the Auran Mountains. The western portion of Buaic is covered by the mountains, with the western edge of the range fading into the Feylei Forest and acting as the natural border between the Orkan Confederacy and Lusach.
The Auran Mountains are known for the extreme steepness of their slopes and are incredibly difficult to navigate through. Buaic has spent a great deal of time and money to create the few roads that traverse the mountains. These roads are largely composed of stone or wooden bridges that require occasional maintenance. A few towns lie up in the mountains – many near peaks and summits. The cities were all founded by dwarves and the portions on the surface are only a peak at the expansive layout that burrows into the mountains they are built on. These are home to lucrative mines for all sorts of metals and gems.
The Eastern have of the nation is mostly covered in forests that hug the coast. However, there is a large valley splitting the forests and mountains. This valley is filled with fertile soils, and would serve as great farmland, but it is also home to both Remorhaz and Purple Worms. These burrowing menaces are drawn by the vibrations of people wandering the valley and make it most inhabitable. A narrow road runs along the southern edge of this valley, connecting to two sides of the nation. This road runs along the Retford River, and borders Siorradh.
Feothan
Feothan occupies the southwestern corner of the Orkan Confederacy. It shares its northern border with Breith, while Gala lies directly to the west. To the south of the kingdom is the Mermaid’s Hook, and the nation of Agual.
The coasts of Feothan are some of the longest in the world, with soft white sands stretching almost the entire length. Feothan is a popular vacation spot for the rich and elite of the Orkan Confederacy. Its position on the eastern coast of the confederation also puts it in one of the best spots for trade with Agual and nations beyond.
The interior of Feothan is mostly covered in forests, with some pastures and plains cleared out from them. It is also positioned in between two swamps – with the smaller Swamer Bog near the northern border, and the larger Stot Marsh completely covering the southern portions of the kingdom, stretching into Agual to the south and Gala to the west.
The western border of Feothan rides up along the edge of the Gala Mountains.
Gala
Lying in the center of the Confederation, Gala shares borders with more of the Orkan Kingdoms than any other. In the past, this central location made it difficult to defend, but it now positions it as a powerful kingdom among the others, as travelling through Gala is often the easiest and most direct path for Orkan merchants.
Gala shares its southeast border with Agual. This area of land is fairly flat, and half of this border is barred by a large stone wall that stretches thirty feet high – reaching from the very western edge of their shared border to near the beginning of the Stot Marsh.
The flat area near this wall continues west and across the southern border they share with Gorm, reaching all the way to the western coast near the Sea of Aban. Despite the beautiful scenery and temperate weather of this area of Gala, it is very sparsely populated – at least as far as Gala citizens go. However, the area is constantly being fought offer by different tribes of Lizardmen, goblins, and gnolls.
To the east, Gala shares a border with Treimhse, their connection beginning quite near the Gala Foothills. The foothills spread north and east from there, covering the rest of Gala and spreading across the border they share with Siorradh as well.
To the north, Gala borders Scamall. The Gala Foothills cover most of Gala’s northern lands, except for a small wetland at the end of the Stantovil River. This river also lies close to their border with Breith. Directly to their east – just south of Breith – they also border the kingdom of Feothan.
Gorm
Gorm is the furthest south of any of the Orkan Kingdoms and shares a border only with Gala and Agual. Gorm is known for its warm winters and scorching summers. Its proximity to the Sea of Aban, though, keeps it lush as storms easily roll in over the coastal kingdom. Forests and even jungles are rather abundant here – especially along the southern half of the nation.
Scamall
Lying along the northern coast, occupying most of the northeast corner of the Confederation, Scamall is comprised primarily of rolling hills and plains. Scamall is bordered on the West by Siorradh, and to the south by Gala on the west and Breith on the East. The rest of the nation touches against the northern oceans.
The lands of Scamall were once covered with thick forests, but centuries of gathering lumber from their natural woods have left most of the nation uncovered. In past centuries, this temporarily created dust storms and problems with soil. But as Scamall has worked to replace forests with farmland and worked to maintain the soil, this has become much less common.
The southern region near the border with Gala is covered in the outer reaches of the Gala Foothills, and the region near Breith still has a few forests and groves as well. The forests near Breith are often covered in fog – especially near the ocean. The fog can prove dangerous to some travelers when it gets thick.
Scamall has a temperate climate, with heavy rainfall in the summer and snowfall in the winter. Their winters have become harsh on occasion, as arctic winds blow down from the north.
Siorradh
Siorradh is located in the space south of Buaic, west of Scamall, and north of Treimhse, with just a small portion of their border touching the ocean. Unlike most of the other coastal nations, Siorradh does not have any port towns. This is largely due to the fact that their short 400 miles of coastline is almost entirely steep, natural cliffs of limestone and marble.
The rest of the geography of Scamall is varied and unique as well. Much like Buaic, their eastern regions are covered in thick forests. Much of their southern half of the forest is composed of thick and massive sequoia trees – some large enough to engulf an entire mansion according to many stories.
The very western portion holds the very southern portion of the Auran Mountains and surrounding foothills. This small corner of the range is home to a tribe of Stone Giants that guard their lands ruthlessly. For this reason, it is often avoided.
They also have a small central valley that is the location of most of Siorradh’s agriculture and food production.
Treimhse
Just south of Siorradh, laying along the southwestern coast of the confederation is the kingdom of Treimhse. The Kingdom is also bordering Gala on the eastern side and shares its western border with Lusach.
Despite its close proximity to both the Gala Mountains in the west and the Auran Mountains to the north, Treimhse is surprisingly flat and low. It enjoys a comfortable climate through most of the year and has plenty of land for both agriculture and to support their rich and lush forests. Their very eastern border has their own forests mingling with that of the Feylei Forest, and it is not uncommon for many Sylphe and fey creatures to be spotted in the area.
Return to Top
Culture
Being a nation composed of numerous different allied states, it may not be surprising that the culture of the Orkan Confederacy is quite varied. But what might be interesting to understand is that that variation does not only exists between different states, but also within each state on its own.
After the Articles of Confederation was signed centuries ago, one of the things it helped to accomplish was a simplification of travel and migration. Citizens of one state could freely travel to and form other states in the confederacy without great fear. While there are some instances where this sort of freedom is restricted (such as economic limitations, or the autocratic conflicts such as in Feothan), the truth is that picking up and moving an entire family is not impossible, and has led to the a general mixing of cultures, ideas, and traditions. However, it would still be safe to say there are predominant trends among certain states or areas.
The northwestern states of the Orkan Confederacy – Anfa and Buaic – for instance, have cultures that have been highly influenced by their neighboring nation of Lusach. While the Lusish rarely immigrate form their homeland, it is very common for merchants and craftsman to travel back and forth across the Lusach border. As such individuals have spent time among the Lusish culture, they have picked up certain practices or ideals that were appealing, and brough them back to share. As an example, the consumption of meat in these two states is drastically lower than other Orkan states. Likewise, they have a higher appreciation for the beauty of nature, and have certain areas in their kingdoms that are protected and preserved from the settlement of others, or harvesting of their resources. This is especially interesting in Anfa, where the ownership of land is an ideal that is largely not followed, even by the government.
The Eastern states of the confederacy – namely Scamall and Breith – tend to have a much more liberal view of integration and mixing of cultures. This is largely influenced by their secondary position as trading powers on Hespiris. Their work with Agual means merchants both form Agual and other regions of the continent are constantly passing through, normalizing their presence in cities and towns and making people more comfortable with the idea of foreigners.
Aside from these commonalities, though, the people of the Orkan Confederacy are as varied as their states. Some respect and demand the guaranteed rights, while in others it is largely believed some classes of people might not deserve the same rights as others. These can become a matter of contention between citizens of states, but the ruling class of most states ends up not caring much either way, with few exceptions.
Return to Top
Nars
| Nation | Nars |
|---|---|
| Capital | Gehanna |
| Largest City | Gehanna |
| Government | Sultanate |
| Official Language | Ignan |
| Land Area | 2.2 mil mi2 |
| Population | 2.5 million |
Dominated by the harsh and blistering sands of the Shakari Desert, the lands of Nars are swealtering and cruel, but their people are not. The Sultanate of Nars is known for the kind generosity of it's people - willing to help those in need, and unwilling to let another suffer if they can act to prevent it. The land can be harsh, and the laws can be strict, but the rich culture of brilliant music, beautiful women, and delicious food can make the lands of Nars a diamond in the rough.
History
When The Chaos came to an end, the majority of what is now called Nars existed spread across the Shakari Desert and neighboring mountain ranges. This region was largely controlled by fiends and became a center of activity for some elementals that were not completely purged and became stuck in the Material Plane. This created a troubling environment where remnants of the elemental armies still warred, and where fiends and other creatures joined and competed for control. It was a chaotic land that was filled with strife and where mortal races struggled to survive.
Noxian Independence
When the world finally left the age of chaos, the nation of Nars did not exist. It was still ruled primarily by fiends and was considered to be part of the former region of Nox. Back in those days, Nox reached only as far south as the Alabahrah River, and a great swatch of the land to the south was uninhabited and considered dangerously lethal to those who wandered in.
Demons were primarily in control of this southern portion of Nox, reveling in the heat and using it to dominate the lands. A few of the Demons of the time had enough sense to create a semblance of order, but a large majority of the area was ruled by anarchy. The only help demons provided to anyone during this chaotic time was keeping the various forces of fire and earth at bay – vestiges of the long-ended Incursion that refused to accept the defeat that had been handed to them.
Both of these groups rose up often, encroaching on territory powerful demons had claimed for themselves, and demanding servitude from mortals, or just outright slaughtering them. But when a demon was present – for all the chaos and pain they brought – they were able to quickly turn away their elementals.
These southern regions of Nox were eventually freed during the Umbral Rebellion, just as the rest of Nox was. The mysterious warrior known as The Knight swept through the desert region, either defeating or enslaving the demons there with The Night’s Pitch. When he finally achieved a final victory and pushed the remaining fiends down into the Underdark, the southern lands were freed of their demonic overlords.
While Umbras claims in it’s official history that the southern lands of the desert refused to join the new nation and wanted to create their own, the truth is somewhat different. In truth, at one point, the southern states were set to join the Umbral Confederacy, but the northern lands were hesitant to allow it. The binding of the Confederacy would mean that northern states would need to send troops and supplies to the southern lands to help defend against the warring elementals still there, and none of them wanted to be part in that. As such, the southern lands were purposefully excluded from the new nation and told to deal with the problem on their own.
Being forced to survive on their own without the support of the more established and organized states of the north, these southern lands were put in a precarious position. While the demons were destructive and chaotic, they were the only protection from the lingering elementals. With the fiends gone, but no added protection or help, the desert lands were quickly overrun.
Ignis and Lapis
The Shakari Desert, as well as much of the land to the south and east of it were quickly overwhelmed by lingers creatures of the fire and earth elemental armies. For nearly fifty years after Umbras’s founding, this area was a chaotic battlefield, with lands and people switching ownership from fire or earth. Eventually the borders of these lands solidified, and the nations of Ignis and Lapis were established.
Ignis was formed across the northern half of the Shakari Desert, stretching to the Alabahrah River. These lands were dominated by Fire Elementals, Efreeti, and other similar creatures. A powerful Efreeti by the name of Shula – smaller than most, but more violent and destructive than any others. Shula conquered the desert sands and locked every mortal she could find in chains. Nearly all of the humans and dwarves – the dominant races of these deserts – were enslaved and forced to work for her and her followers.
A few mortals escaped and eluded capture, specifically the Desert Foyel that roamed these lands. Despite this, the Foyel would constantly attack and harass slaves and other freemen alike, stealing supplies and damaging the resistance efforts for years.
The lands south of the Alabahrah River became dominated by the earth elementals, led by a tyrannical Dao called Yushimin. His domain became known as Lapis, stretching from the river southward to the southern edge of the Feylei Forest. Yushimin was famous for the enslavement of the numerous fey that lived within those woods, conscripting them into endless servitude in his name. He notably did not enslave mortal races – at least not in the traditional manner. Instead, he levied ludicrously high taxes on all that lived there, torturing those who refused or were unable to pay, though never killing them. After all, a dead man could no longer pay him.
The Alabahrah River became a natural barrier between these two lands, presenting an invisible wall of sorts for both of sides as they seemed to refuse to cross it. This caused most of their continued fighting for dominance of these lands to be contained largely on the western edges of the nations, where the Diamond Sands and Glass Mountains now stand – legacies of their powerful clashes.
Fayudan Rebellion
The nations of Ingis and Lapis persisted across the Shakari Desert with countless battles and suffering for the natives of the Material Plane for centuries. During the 678th year of the Novua Aetate, a force finally arrived in the nation of Lapis that would eventually see both of these nations and their leaders crumble and fall.
The ancient hero Fayudan emerged from the Sea of Aban, near the city of Gangkou (now called Malairtich). Fayudan was one of the many wielders of the Swell of Atlantis, and rose up with its power, freeing Gangkou from the clutches of Yushimin and his forces. Folk tales paint the picture of the man managing the deed on his own, but journals and message scrolls from the time indicate he had a network in town or humans and other mortals that helped to destabilize the system and structure of the city enough for Fayudan to sweep in quickly and wrest control from the Earth Elementals there.
Thus began the Fayudan Rebellion. When the powerful port of Gangkou under his control, Fayudan was able to cripple resources and supplies form entering Lapis. Joining with the people he freed, Fayudan began a march across the nation. Little by little, Fayudan was able to conquer Lapis cities and send the elementals and Dao running, eventually pushing his way through to Shodu (now called Usaydah). There, Fayudan’s army surrounded the city and began his siege in 693 NA. By the end of that same year, Fayudan had managed to destroy the Dao defenses and had met Yushimin in single combat in his castle. Fayudan struck the Dao down and scattered his essence to the ether, finally freeing the people of Lapis and taking control back from the earth forces.
Over the next few years, Fayudan and the new armies under his control slowly pushed out the rest of the lingering elementals in the area, forcing them al to flee or face destruction. But even as Fayudan finished his work in Lapis, he turned his eyes toward Ignis to the north. With a strong army at his back and the power of the Swell of Atlantis at his command, the warrior began his assault on the Fire Elemental nation in 695 NA.
With the support of thousands and a weapon designed to combat the fire elementals, Fayudan’s work in Ignis moved even quicker. He moved in his forces on multiple fronts and was able to quickly surround the Ignis capital of Aljaniu. The siege progressed quickly, and in 702 NA, Fayudan was able to breach Shula’s defenses and face her in combat as well. This battle was not as easily one, as the world learned then that Shula has somehow managed to acquire the Eternal Flame herself, and wielded it’s might against the invading forces. In the hands of an Elemental, the weapon was even more powerful than previous legends said, and much of the city ended up destroyed by her wrath and strength.
In the end, though, Fayudan managed to finally take down the Efreeti and end her rule of Ignis. In the process, he claimed the Eternal Flame for himself, becoming one of the few people to ever wield more than one Mystic Arm.
As he had done with Lapis, Fayudan marshalled his forces in Ignis as well to clear out the remaining elementals. Only once the threat was successfully dealt with did he begin discussions on the future of the two nations. Stories say he send out messengers to nearly every city, town, or village in either nation and asked them to send a representative to Gehanna to formalize the new government of the lands. Fayudan removed himself from consideration as leader of the new nation, stating his expertise was in war and combat, not peace and community. He urged the people present to decide for themselves who should lead them, and to choose a representative that suffered like they had.
Eventually, a woman from Ignis was chosen; Alhara. Alhara has served as one of Fayudan’s generals but had made a name for herself during the rebellion as a soldier and leader that prioritized the safety of her men and the people they fought for. Alhara was seen as having a compassionate demeanor, built on understanding, but with a fierceness that would prove invaluable in protecting the new lands.
Alhara was proclaimed the first Stultana of Nars. With her appointment, Fayudan left Shakar with both Mystic Arms in his possession. Alhara ruled the nation for nearly thirty more years before she contracted a deadly contagion that eventually took her life. At the time, Alhara had yet to sire and heir, and the nation seemed uncertain how to proceed. A few months later, Fayudan returned to the nation, claiming her had heard word of Alhara’s passing and wanted to check on the nation. The people were elated to see him and, after a long debate, Fayudan agreed to take the title of Sultan, and his place as leader of the nation he sired.
Since then, Fayudan’s heirs have continuously taken the reigns of the country and continued Fayudan’s lineage. As time went on, some of his descendants have been more or less harsh and demanding, but their family has continued to protect and guide the nation of Nars.
The Burning Lands War
The Burning Lands War was one of the largest and longest wars to embroil Hesperis. It was began by the small nation of Sylphe that once lied along the very southern shores of the continent. Ever since Nars was established, the two nations had encountered minor border disputes, with Sylphe claiming the Feylei Forest was their domain and Nars attempting to establish the southern edge of the forest as the limit of their borders. Given the harsh desert and mountains that made up most of the new nation, the forests provided valuable and much needed resources and rich soil. Nars was loathe to let the forest be claimed by another.
These disputes came to a head when Sylphe launched a simultaneous assault on every Narsian encampment within or bordering the forest. The Sylphe people contracted the Fey that lived in the forest and utilized them to bend the plants and land to their will. Vines choked villages, and collapsed buildings across the southern region. The people or Nars were forced to flee north, back into the desert sands. It was not longer before Nars officially declared war and launched into a lengthy conflict to try and reclaim the woods.
However, the war was not one Nars was equipped or prepared to fight – especially not so early in the life of the nation. Try as the Narsian armies did, they were unable to stand up against the Sylphe warriors backed by the various Fey of the forests. Slowly, the invaders pushed north, along the coast of the Sea of Adun, claiming acre after acre of forest lands as their own. It took everything the nation had to even continue to struggle.
Matters were escalated when Umbras to the north launched their own attack on the northwestern lands of Nars. Nearly all of the soldiers of Nars had been moved to the east and the nation wasn’t able to put up a defense of their lands there. At the time, they had to simply consider them lost. Local warriors of the region continued to fight the Umbral invaders, but the sultanate was unable to act, instead focused on the east.
After nearly 60 years of fighting, Sylphe managed to conquer and gain authority over the entire Feylei Forest. However, Nars continued to fight to reclaim their lands. They kept pushing into the forest, even trying to burn some of it down to spite the Sylphe. In order to protect themselves and their forests, the Sylphe began to try and push into the desert sands. By in the Shakari desert was not a region they could easily penetrate, and not a land their fey consorts would agree to enter. Here the Nars armies were able to put up a solid defense, continuing to prevent further incursion. But they, too, could no longer advance.
The war became a stalemate, with both armies throwing men to the slaughter as they attempted to end the matter. The fighting may have continued forever if not for the actions of the nation of Badur. Badur began aggressions against Sylphe and blockaded their ports and shores. The prolonged conflict from Agual was much more effective in wearing down Sylphe, and eventually they were forced to change their focus. They offered Nars a cease-fire, and Nars accepted – their resources and supplies long exhausted.
The cease-fire eventually signaled the end of the war, and in 951 NA, the two nations officially signed a peace treaty, Nars agreeing to let Sylphe retain the lands they had taken.
Exploding Sands
For centuries after it was founded, Nars was a nation that struggled to survive and cement it’s place in the world. Their desert lands were arid and unsuitable to agriculture, making them more than a little reliant on other nations. The Shakari Desert was also particularly dangerous, filled with various creatures that had been infused with dangerous elemental energy, and many other nations saw them as a bit of a joke, and as little threat.
The all changed in the 16th century. An Artificer native to Nars by the name of Mukhtarea made a powerful discover within the nation that would help establish them as a nation to be treated with respect. Mukhtarea discovered and created the first explosives. The artificer discovered that the black sands of the north desert could be mixed with the white sands of the west and a few other materials that could be collected in the Glass Mountains to create powerful explosions that rivaled even an archwizard’s destructive power. He created black powder, and changed the nature of warfare.
Mukhtarea presented the discovery to the Sultun of the age and they immediately recognized the power and appeal of the substance. While the Nars military considered using the powder to lead invasions from Nars, a different route presented itself by a merchant caravan from Agual. The Agualian merchant tried to by the formula, but the nation refused. However, they agreed to sell the supply, and the merchant agreed, already knowing where to sell the powder for great profit.
Quickly, the demand for the black powder increased and Nars suddenly found a great deal of wealth being fed into their nation. The wealth and the secret of the black powder helped take the nation from small third-world state, to a powerful world power.
Present Day Nars
The present day Nars is quite wealthy, but nearly all of that wealth belongs to the Sultanate and the government. The people of the nation are well-off, in general, but the nation is rife with towns and villages that are starving as well as rampant crime and disorder the further one travels from Gehanna.
Return to Top
Government
It would not be inaccurate to describe Nars government as a feudal monarchy, as the systems are fairly similar. The nation is ruled over by the Sultan (or more rarely, Sultaness). The position of Sultan is inherited, passing from one Sultan to their offspring. In order to help manage the nation, though, the Sultan typically appoints a number of Khedive to rule and manage smaller sections of the country.
Sultan
It would be easiest to consider the Sultan something akin to the High King of Nars. The Sultan is always selected from a living descendant of the original Sultan Fayudan. While typically, it is the eldest child of the Sultan that ascends to the throne, this is not always strictly a rule. In the case of the Sultan suddenly dying due to injury or illness, the title by default passes to their eldest offspring, regardless of gender or maturity.
However, a Sultan can either chose to abdicate his duties to retire and select a different successor or leave specific instructions with their Grand Vizier on who should succeed him. In either of these cases, someone other than the eldest child can end up inheriting the throne. While there is no specific rule against someone outside the royal family being selected, it has never occurred. Most Sultans follow this practice, helping to ensure a competent and prepared individual takes the throne. However, these decisions can and have led to enraged eldest children who are believed the throne their right, and occasional attempted coups or assassinations – some of which have been successful.
The Sultan has grand authority in the sultanate, with the ability to enact policy, revoke previous policy, or even declare exceptions to rules on a whim. In practice, the Sultan rarely actually takes an active role in the rule of the nation any longer, though – instead just acting as a figurehead and enjoying the wealth of his station. Instead, most of the minutia of day to day governance is handled by the Grand Vizier, the Khedive, and various Mushir.
The current holder of this title is Sultaness Asha Fayudan. While Asha now bears the surname of Fayudan, she was originally from a branch family, but married the former Sultan. While they had twelve children together, Asha was named as the successor for unknown reasons. She caused a bit of a stir initially, as many questioned the legitimacy of her lineage, but the Grand Vizier dolefully verified her family lane, and her ancestry was confirmed.
Sultaness Asha attempts to be much more active in the events and rule of her nation than previous rulers. She still leave most tasks to her Grand Vizier, but has taken an interest in creating social programs to help her impoverish and famine-ridden lands.
Grand Vizier
Originally the sultan’s main advisor in all matters, over the centuries the position of Grand Vizier has become much more powerful and much more important. While the Vizier must still bow to the Sultan and enact their whims, outside of their demands, the Grand Vizier is all powerful in the sultanate.
The Grand Vizier is responsible for managing the kingdom and paying attention to the major events in the nation. He communicates regularly with the Khedive and is the head of the Narsian Armies. He acts as both a legislative and judicial authority of the nation as well, both passing laws and helping to interpret the meaning of existing laws and deciding punishment – though most judicial matters do not actually reach his station, and are handled by Khedive or their subordinates instead.
The current Grand Vizier is a relatively young man Malik Mansour. He was appointed by the Sultaness upon her ascension to the throne and has done much to keep the nation together in the chaos. In order to ensure the continued trust and loyalty of the Khedive, though, the former Grand Vizier still remains integral, assisting, and guiding Malik to help show him the ropes of his role.
The former Grand Vizier, Qadir Talal, is rather openly dismissive of much of what Sultaness Asha and Malik hope to accomplish. However, he still does his duty to see their wills be done and assist however he can.
Khedive
Nars has five Khedive, each responsible for the rule of a portion of the kingdom. While in practice, each Khedive’s title and position is passed down to their offspring and inherited, it is still true that any knew Khedive must be either confirmed or chosen by the current Sultan of the lands. It is also true that the Sultan can revoke any current Khedive’s title at any time and assign it to another, but this typically only happens if they attempt something akin to treason.
Each Khedive family can also draw their lineage back to members of the Fayudan family, though in many cases they are related wives of former Sultans, and thus do not always have actual royal blood in their veins.
Within their regions, the Khedive operate with supreme authority, except to the Sultan themselves and their Grand Vizier. They are otherwise allowed to operate how they see fit, imposing taxes as they wish, and managing the people. They are often required to send a certain percentage or lump sum of money to the Sultan at all times.
Each Khedive is allowed to keep a small army to protect their region, but typically they are required to work with the grand Vizier or Sultan to acquire the troops and supplies they need. While this process can sometimes mean they do not have troops, weapons, or supplies as quickly as they might need, it helps to prevent the amassing of resources for an attempted coup.
Many Khedives will also appoint Mirza, or governors to manage individual cities or towns in their domain.
Mushir
Nars has four Mushir, or Grand Generals. These Generals command the resources of the entire army and coordinate their movements. They report directly to the Grand Vizier, and typically have ten to twenty direct subordinates. The Mushir manage the defense of the nation and lead the armies in times of war. They are highly respect individuals, and while they rule no land, they hold the same authority as a Khedive.
Return to Top
Geography
Nars as a nation is largely homogeneous in its geography, the large majority of its land area dominated by the massive Shakari Desert. However, a good portion of its land also lies along the Interitus mountains – the range standing as a natural border between it and both Umbras to the north and Lusach to the south. The mountain range wraps entirely around the nation, save for the Eastern Border which encroaches upon the Feylei Forest.
The interior of Nars is entirely covered by the Shakari Desert. The massive expanse of dray, arid land is mostly covered in rolling white sand dunes. The desert itself is mostly uninhabitable to normal life – though a few creatures wander the wastes of sand, fighting for survival in the harsh environment. The desert heat can easily reach 120 degrees during the day in summer, but even in winter, the sun can beat down on the sands, with temperatures in the 90s. The northern reaches of the desert tend to be a bit more forgiving as far as heat goes, but no less treacherous in the scarcity of water.
The Shakari Desert is divided slightly by the Nahr river, beginning at the western edge in some of the higher peaks of the Interitus Mountains. Despite the heat and sun, the river cuts a clear path through the sands, flowing all the way to the eastern border and out into the Feylei Forest. The lands around the river have turned into a habitable flood plain – especially near the capitol of Gehanna. These serve as livable areas, where cities and towns are able to survive a bit easier.
A portion of the very northern region of Nars is covered in a small temperate forest. A few Narsian cities exist here, though over the years they have come to populated almost equally with Umbrals, and they often deal with Maramea. The forests here are lush, and rife with wildlife. They sit at fairly high altitudes, technically on a large plateau that is part of the Interitus Mountains.
Following the mountains as they wrap west, you can also eventually reach the Black Sands. This large stretch of desert covers a few thousand square miles along the edge of the mountains. This sand has been instrumental in the creation of black powder and has helped to make the city of Mushayi and Makh some of the richest and largest in the nation, despite their remote locations.
Continuing to follow the mountains, you will eventually reach the Dragon’s Throat – a wide passage through the mountain range where the cliffs are not so steep and the peaks not so high. There is a well-travelled road here through a canyon (the actual Dragon’s Throat). The walls of the canyon here sometimes belch lava or have molten rock dripping down their sides. It winds through the mountains until it reaches the western side and the White Sands.
A narrow stretch of sand stretches from the mountains to the western coast here, The White Sands. The sands are a striking visage – especially with the glittering effect of the sun reflecting off of them. At one point, it was believed the sands were made from grains of diamond, but it has since been found that the sands are instead mixed with tiny kernels of shattered glass. The sands are incredibly harsh, cutting any who touch them. When the wind picks up, the area becomes deadly, as tiny razor-sharp pieces of sand are flung around by the wind.
Return to Top
Culture
The Narsian culture is largely centered around the ideals of honor, generosity, and – most especially – loyalty. Narsians laud the ideals of loyalty, both to one’s family, but also to one’s nation, and one’s self. The act of betrayal is shameful and despised, and breaking a promise or not keeping one’s word can mark a person with a social stigma that follows them for life. One’s word – one’s reputation – is paramount in importance to people. But loyalty goes further than promises, and also embodies action. One is expected to defend their nation and their family. Upholding the honor of and respect the familial unit is essential.
This ideal of loyalty, honor, and generosity comes from the harsh realities of Narisian life. The hot sun and the blinding sands can make life difficult without the added trials of competing with one another to survive. Narsians have grown to understand that only through cooperation can they all survive.
Narisians do their best to help those they see in need – even outsiders and foreigners. The help does not always come for free, or without expectation of repayment, but it often comes before such matters are promised or discussed. They tend to show respect to others in most situations, with polite bows and honorific speech reflected towards strangers. They are largely courteous and kind.
Traditionally, Narsians have been a highly patriarchal society, with emphasis on male superiority. This once birthed feral practices such as female infanticide, and harsh and strict rules around woman in public. However, these practices have largely vanished over the years, and as Narsians interacted with other cultures. Women are no longer expected to cover themselves fully, or considered subservient, but it is still clear from interactions with Narsians that those traditional roles and ideals have not completely vanished from their lands.
The Narsian people have a rich and storied culture of music and art. Their songs have a distinct sound and style that separates them from other nations and is difficult to recreate without knowledge and training, and their dances are celebrated as some of the most elaborate and beautiful across the world.
The Narsian people have historically not given much time to writing down stories, myths, or legends of there lands, other than the historical texts that are scare. However, they do have a rich tradition of oral storytelling, with families passing down old tales form one generation to the next. This has caused most of the spoken tales to have dozens of differing versions that all tell the same basic story, and with little clarity on what part of each story is true and what might have been exaggerated and mistaken.
Return to Top
Umbras
| Nation | Umbran Alliance |
|---|---|
| Capital | Sirmium |
| Largest City | Maramea |
| Government | Heptarchy |
| Official Language | Noxian |
| Land Area | 2 mil mi2 |
| Population | 4 million |
Tucked into the northwest corner of Hesperis, Umbras is typically cold, and often rainy. The skys are dark, and the people can see numb and emotionless at times. But Umbras is built on a foundation of a free society, where the people can choose their own paths in life. Much of Umbras is covered in deadly wastes, but the Umbrans have learned to work around these lethal lands and strive despite them. Umbras is also somehwat accepting of fiends. Devils and Demons sometimes move through the cities and towns, arising from the Underdark to deal with the people for goods or services.
History
During The Chaos, the lands on the northern portion of Hesperis were largely under the control of devils and other fiends. The archdevil known as Moloch lead these fiends in their domination of the lands, and constantly pushed out his control across the Continent, hoping to ensnare the whole world in his schemes. Near the end of The Chaos, powerful warriors that wielded the Mystic Arms banded together in a move to destroy Moloch and free these northern lands, returning them to humans and other races of The Material Plane. In the end, they were victorious, and Moloch was slain. But that was not the end of the story.
The Nation of Nox
While Moloch’s removal scattered the fiendish forces that swarmed in those norther lands, it did not see them all destroyed or scattered. While Moloch no longer lead them, the fiends remained in those lands for centuries, controlling either through brute force and intimidation, or manipulation and convert methods. These lands, then, were called Nox.
Nox, at the time, was much larger than the Umbras of present day, stretching as far south as the southern edge of the Shakari Desert and actually encompassing most of what is now Nars as well. It also extended far to the east, nearly to what is now known as Lar Cathair of the Orkan Confederacy.
These lands were overwhelmed by demons and devils, and scattered among different city states, dangerous cult centers, and devilish kingdoms. The land of Nox was a land that may say continue The Chaos long past its end, as the fiends within fought and bickered with one another, vying for complete control of the region as Moloch had once had. On top of this, the bitter hatred between demons and devils helped fuel the instability.
Much as the power of the Mystic Arms had been used to end Moloch, it is believed that it was a Mystic Arm that eventually brought peace to the area and ended this anarchy. A wielder of Night’s Pitch was credited with this accomplishment. While his real name was Vehelian Trisk, he was often referred to simply as ‘The Knight’.
The Umbral Rebellion
The Knight is said to have used the power of The Knight’s Pitch to either destroy or bind the will of devils and demons to his own – forcing them into subservience. As his control of the fiends grew, so did his power, and his threat. It was not long before many of the remaining fiends came together in and attempt to thwart The Knight.
About 200 years after the Chaos, the Umbral Rebellion burst into full out war in the lands of Nox. While the forces of The Knight were composed entirely of controlled demons and devils, the forces of the fiends of Nox were largely composed of humans being forced to fight for their devilish masters. The war itself lasted almost 15 years and resulted in tens of thousands of human deaths, nearly destroying the humans of Nox entirely.
In the end of the Umbral Rebellion, the nation was mostly ruined, but The Knight emerged victorious. While he was not able to destroy all of the fiends remaining on the Material Plane, he removed all of them from positions of power or authority, scattering their forces, and sending many of them cowering into the Underdark. He commanded what remained of the demons and devils he controlled to descend into the Underdark as well, searching endlessly until every last fiend was destroyed.
A New Land
As the Rebellion ended, The Knight was said to have stuck around only long enough to stabilize the former lands of Nox. With the fiends removed from power, he worked with the people of the various states that made up Nox to determine how to form and create a new nation from its ashes. Some of the former states decided they no longer wished to be associate with the others and separated fully from what was to come. Many of these states ended up forming either Nars or becoming part one of the Auran Kingdoms that would eventually come to form the Orkan Confederacy.
In the end, the northwestern states and cities elected to join together to form a new land, calling it Umbras. At the time, the majority of the area was controlled by seven different states, with a scattering of some individual cities as well.
In order to avoid conflicts regarding dominance and control, Umbras itself originally was a Confederacy. This allowed each nation to remain free and independent, but still have dedicated allies to rely on if things should turn to war. And this arrangement worked for a time, but as time passed, it became clear that the Confederacy worked better for the seven larger states.
Without the land and resources of the larger states in the Umbral Confederacy, the small independent city states began to have problems. Any sort of trade or relations required they to first negotiate passage through other confederate states, and made growing or expanding difficult, if not impossible. Slowly over the next hundred years, the majority of these city states ended up having to relinquish their independence and join one of the larger confederate states. This continued until only a handful of city states remained, most of them either along the shore or near valuable resources.
These powerful city states were proud of their ability to remain an individual piece of the Umbral Confederacy, but their unique and solitary position eventually made them a target and a weakness for the whole nation.
Dark Dealings
Records indicate that in the month of Menmalum, in the year 507 NA, fiends made their first, official reappearance in the nation of Umbras. Specifically, a devil by the name of Alliastain was said to have risen from the Underdark, coming through the Adamantine Mines in Maramea. At the time, Maramea existed as one of the few independent city states of the Umbral Confederacy, surviving off of its shared border with Nars for trade, and its plentiful adamantine resources.
Records indicate, in 507 NA, the leader of Maramea forged a deal with this devil – trading away his soul in exchange for the help of the devil in a few different matters. The devil he made the deal with, though, was quite cunning. Through a number of carefully crafted clauses in the contract, the lord their also agreed to forfeit control of the city and it’s people to the devil upon his death – so long as the death was not due either directly or indirectly to the actions of the devil. At that point, the devil returned to the Underdark and simply waited for the moment the lord passed away, helping him with bits of knowledge and power to turn Maramea into a major power in the Confederacy before his death.
When the lord died, the devil returned and claimed what he was owed. Many men rose up to try and repel the devil, but the devil had been prepared enough for this – having had the lord set up various wards, guards, and protections in his home – things that would protect it from intrusion and attack. Those same wards now protected the devil. Within a matter of weeks, the devil had subjugated the rebellion and taken complete control of the town.
But… he let things run and continue mostly as they already had. He allowed the citizens to continue their lives or even leave if they wanted to. He actually helped numerous people as well, using his power to tend to the sick or frail, and continued the improvements to the mines and general wellbeing he had had the previous lord start. The only real change anyone saw was that other fiends slowly began to arrive in the city as well, often welcomed into the devil’s mansion before they left – heading either back to the Underdark or out into the world.
Eventually, word of the devil’s acquisition of Maramea reached the other Umbral states and cities, and many of the lords became concerned with the return of fiends – especially in positions of such power and authority. By Gobaige of the year 534 NA, the other Umbral states had united and moved to reclaim Maramea from the fiends. Tens of thousands of men marched on the mountain city, ready to carry out a painful battle to end the fiends and remove them from power. But when they arrived, they were met with a diplomatic envoy from Maramea, composed of numerous citizens. They delivered a message from the devil to the generals and lords there, asking simply for a chance to talk before any blood was spilled.
The minutes of that meeting are still largely unknown, but they did agree to the devil’s request. For their comfort, the devil even came out to meet them, rather than having them move into the village. They all enclosed themselves in a large tent, meant to act as the armies’ war room and remained there for nearly the entire day.
When the meeting ended, the lords and generals called for the men there to pack up and begin the march back to their kingdoms. It is unclear what may have transpired in this meeting. Life returned to normal, and Maramea largely still remains how it was in those days – only larger and wealthier. Some at the time believes the lords made a deal with the devil, signing away their souls and the souls of Umbras, but nothing ever came or changed from it – or at least not immediately. But slowly over the next couple centuries, the presence of fiends in Umbras became more prolific.
Fiends began to arise from the Underdark across the nation. Some of them would come just to partake in services such as bars, brothels, or fighting pits and leave shortly after they had had their fill. Others became more permanent fixtures, and much like Alliastain, began to run businesses or even gained some power or control. It is undeniable that their presence as altered the course of Umbras since, and greatly influenced the nation’s policies and laws. But for better or worse, they became a permanent fixture of the nation.
The Burning Lands War
In the year 887 NA, Umbras was forced into the Burning Lands War. For some time before that, the nations of Nars and Sylphe to the south had been engaged in violent and bloody conflict over a large stretch of land. This land was part of the Feylie Forest – a large stretch of thick woods the runs north along the eastern portions of Sylphe, stretching at the time through Nars, and even into Umbras and the Orkan Confederacy. Sylphe was seeking control of the entirety of the forest, claiming it was their sacred land and other nations were perverting and abusing it – especially Nars.
Given that about eighty thousand square miles of this forest laid within Umbral Territory, it was known they would eventually come for it. However, the pleas of the lord there feel on deaf ears for the rest of the states, and few sent troops to help. In the end, the old kingdom of Dunche was quickly consumed and stolen from Umbral lands. But it was not until the Lusish generals continued their marches further into Umbral territory that the threat started to be treated appropriately by the rest of the Confederate states.
The other states struggled to act in time, and it was at this time when Alliastain proposed a deal. He had a number of powerful fiends at his command – many of them in the depths of the Underdark still. He would summon them forth and help reclaim the stolen lands, but only if the other nations also worked with him to secure and claim a portion of Nars and incorporate it into the nation. Alliastain stated he had no desire to rule it, just that it was of value to the nation and he would want it secured.
The other rulers reluctantly agreed, concerned as Sylphe continued to push deeper into their territory. Alliastain summoned forth his forces and had them move to the east to repel the Lusish armies and reclaim the lost territory. Meanwhile, the other lords of the nation sent their armies west and launched an assault against the unprepared Nars. With nearly all of Nars's forces moved to defend borders against Sylphe, they put up almost no defense and Umbras was able to secure the Alnaar Alfidiya region with little resistance. Given their tight resources and struggles with Sylphe, Nars was basically forced to accept the loss, able to muster only minor attempts to reclaim the territory over the last 10 years.
Alliastain was able to push the Sylphe forces back to the edge of the Feylie Forest but pushing them beyond this point proved incredibly difficult. Despite the power of the fiends, the forest seemed to almost reject their presence and work to assist the Sylphe forces. The war fell into a stalemate here, with continued fighting for the next ten years. Near the end of 899 NA, the two nations signed a ceasefire, and Alliastain pulled back his forces.
To this day, the nations of Nars and Umbras are still technically at war, as the desert nation refused to sign an accord back when the war truly ended until their land was returned. However, they also took many years to recover from the effects of the Burning Lands War, not truly recovering until around the 15th century. At that point, most had accepted the loss or forgotten about it. But no treaty has been signed. Despite this, though, the nations are not hostile toward one another.
The Reformation
In the year 1671 NA, the nation of Umbras went through a reformation. Over the years, the confederate nature of the states ended up leading to a substantial power imbalance – with the few independent cities no longer being able to survive fully on their own – especially during years when Agual was particularly aggressive in their control of the waters. Nearly every independent city state was forced to merge into one of the larger states. And this increase in power created an aura of ambivalence throughout the country, and each confederate state began to suspect the others of plotting against them.
This all came to a head in a violent civil war in that same year, lasting into the next. In the end, the violent and needless war lead to some states’ citizens rising up and rebelling, overthrowing ruling families that had largely been in power since the beginning of the nation. This chaos and infighting nearly destroyed the entire nation, but it was eventually brought to an end, not with a violent coup or bloody battle, but just quite abruptly.
Nearly all at once, ruling nobles across the nation began to die of heart attacks, poisoning, and other strange and sudden afflictions. As they passed, any relative that tried to take command in their place would meet with a strange fate of their own. Many rumors were spread at the time that it was treason, or assassinations from other states, but no one could ever find evidence or culprits or any wrongdoing in the matter.
With noble families dying, a new system of rule was needed. Eventually, most of the remaining states came together and decided to reform their confederacy and bind together as a single nation. For various concerns at the time, Maramea was not invited to this reformation. Each region, by this time, had their own distinct version of Umbral culture and rules, and each wanted to make sure their system was preserved. After much deliberation, the group settled on the, taking a representative from each province and bringing them together to rule the nation.
As they began to finish up plans for the new nation of Umbras, though, a few members had concerns about leaving Maramea out. While few trusted Alliastain or any of the fiends, it was undeniable that the city of Maramea was an economic center for their nation and a center of a lot of political power – for various reasons. As well, there was concern about leaving a fiend to their own devices, knowing full well the power they could summon forth.
Out of these concerns, the group decided to invite Maramea to the discussions, and give them a chance to make a case for inclusion. To their surprise, Alliastain did not show up himself, sending a human representative to speak for his city. When asked, the representative is quoted as having said “the lord believes a mortal should be responsible for making such deals with mortals.”
After an agreement that no fiend would ever be allowed to represent the province of Maramea in the government, the city state was included into the new nation.
Present Day
Following the Reformation of the nation, Umbras slowly began to change. At first, the new nation was wealthy, and its citizens were happy. But over the centuries, this has taken a shift. In most regions of the country, the citizenry is now incredibly poor, save for a small percentage of the people that seem to hold all the wealth. It is also only from these wealth aristocrats that any representatives are selected any longer, leaving the nation in a state of abject poverty.
Return to Top
Government
Umbras uses an unconventional system of rule that has been slowly modified from its original form over the last few centuries – becoming a system of secrecy and clandestine order. In truth, so much as changed about the nature of the Umbral Government that it is difficult to speak to the accuracy of any of the information presented in this article. Much of it is based on hearsay and conjecture, with little evidence existing to support these statements. This article will begin by discussing the nature of the government as it is officially known, and then discuss the rumored nature of the nation’s ruling system.
Umbral Assembly
Officially, the nation of Umbras is ruled by an elected assembly of district representatives serving on a council of seven. The nation as a whole is divided into seven districts – remnants of the old Umbral Alliance of the past. Each of these districts at one time existed as a separate kingdom, loosely allied with one other. As their nations grew and their diplomatic relations developed, the notion of borders slowly began to mean less and less to the way they interacted until they eventually agreed to dissolve such things and combine into the current day Umbras.
Each district holds a democratic election once every 7 years. Each districts election is staggered by one year, ensuring that the entire Assembly is never replaced at any given time, but still giving each district an opportunity to change up their elected leadership on a regular basis.
Over the course of a year, candidates for election typically travel together through their region, attempting to visit every major city as well as most minor cities. In the case of an incumbent assemblyperson, a proxy is usually sent in their place, allowing them to continue their work – though the assemblyperson may choose to take part in all or some of this process personally as well. During their journey, they often put on public debates and speeches over the course of 2 to seven days in each town they visit. Before they leave, a vote is held in each location, and the results tabulated.
An objectionable piece of the process is that the results and totals are often announced after each vote, leading for news of the leading candidate reaching future stops before the candidates arrive and potentially influencing those voters. For this reason, many candidates are not required to complete the whole year, as a clear winner is usually known long before the campaign is complete. If there ever comes a moment where only one candidate remains in the race, they win by default.
The winning candidate becomes that district’s assemblyperson. While this does mean that serve on the Umbral Assembly, it also makes them roughly the equivalent of the governor of their district. They are able to enact laws in their home district, as well as impose taxes, manage budgets, and create and maintain social programs. Each district is somewhat autonomous and allowed to act independently on many matters – but each district is also bound and limited by nation laws and regulations.
The Umbral Assembly only meets six times a year in Sirmium, typically for three to four weeks each time. Each of these meetings is often separated by four or more weeks as well. This typically allows the assemblyperson to return to their home district to meet with their constituents, as well as deal with the minutia of running their district. During the meetings, each assemblyperson can propose new legislation, changes to existing rules, debate the legality of matters, or deal with matters of enforcing law.
The structure of these constant breaks is highly criticized by the citizens, as it seems to create a pattern where nothing ever seems to be accomplished. With travel time to and from – especially for the further districts – it actually highly restricts the ability of any other them to properly do their jobs. Many assemblypersons typically only hold one or two terms for this reason, as their lofty promises are almost never realized at home or nationally.
Shadow Council
While it started as a somewhat disregarded conspiracy theory, the idea of the Umbral Shadow Council has become more and more plausible in the minds of the Umbral citizens. Everything presented in this section should be taken as conjecture, and it should be understood nothing here is for certain or currently verifiable.
It is suggested that during the Umbral Reformation, Alliastain used his influence and power to sow seeds of corruption into the very system the founders there created. According to the theory, the reformation purposefully created the Umbral Assembly as puppet council of figureheads as there was doubt among them that the common man was intelligent enough to select a competent leader.
The theory posits that they created a Council only to placate the populace, and that the Umbral Reformation Agreement that is commonly accepted as the binding document of their government is actually a fake and there exists a completely different document with an shadowy governing class.
This Shadow Council supposedly directs the Umbral Assembly on what they can and cannot pass and incite disagreement between the members when they want a proposition to die in the chambers. Likewise, they manipulate their decisions in their home district, making sure the nation is exactly how they want it to be.
According to this theory, the Shadow Council is also made up of seven members: one from each of the districts. However, the theory postulates that Alliastain of Maramea is a permanent member of the shadow council, as are a few select members of the original founders of the Reformation. The theory suggests that they made a deal with Alliastain for immortality so that they could all rule the nation eternally from the shadows, amassing power and money beyond anyone’s wildest notions.
Return to Top
Geography
Tucked away in the Northwestern corner of Hesperis, Umbras is a land that is largely devoid of nutrient-rich soil, or farmable land. Umbras covers two million square miles of land and lies roughly as far north as Jokull does – though they somehow avoid such harsh and frigid climates. Umbras shares borders with Nars to the south, and a small section of Lusach to the east. The massive Interitus mountains range separates most of Umbras from Nars and the Shakari Desert. No such dominating feature separates them from Lusach, though the defining line is still hard to miss as the forests suddenly gives way to the dead lands of the wastes.
Umbral Wastes
The Umbral Wastes are largely the defining feature of the nation’s geography. This massive expanse of lifeless land stretches all the way from their border with Lusach, following the Interitus Mountains and the Nars Border all the way to the Southwestern tip of the nation. The wastes are a result of an ancient curse that was cast on the land. Legend says that the fleeing fiends dispersed by The Knight during the Umbral Rebellion defiled the land before they left.
The wastes are dominated by gray soil and rock. Trees, shrubs, grass, and other plants are incapable of growing in the soil – at least not normally. Any attempt to grow plants in the soil causes them to mutate and become blights or other strange abominations. The results of this mutation can very greatly from plant to plant, and even the blights are distinctly different from the more naturally occurring ones of the Feylei forest. It is believed they soak up the unholy energy of the curse and are perverted by it.
The wastes have also been proven to be deadly to nearly all forms of life. While spending a day or two crossing the wastes posses no long term detrimental effects, it can cause people and animals alike to begin to feel sick; including suffering from headaches, nausea, and weakened muscles, as well as an overwhelming sense of exhaustion.
If a creature were foolish enough to spend more than a few days on the land, it is not uncommon for them to develop serious health problems, including partial paralysis of necrosis of limbs, going blind, deaf, or dumb, or suffering serious mental disorders. Staying on the land long enough has even caused many creatures to simply give up on existence, refusing to move from wherever they lay until hunger, thirst, or the elements eventually takes their lives. Even worse, on occasion, those that perish on the wastes sometimes rise again as any number of terrible undead creatures, or even sometimes dissolve into Lemure, Manes, or Dretches.
A few aberrations and monstrosities do seem to be immune to these effects and running into these creatures out there only adds to the threat of these lands. Experiments and fervent work and effort has allowed Umbrans to reclaim a small portion of the wastes around the Hadnictono River and allow a few cities to survive. However, this requires constant upkeep and maintenance to uphold, and undertaking it across the nations would be impossible.
Frozen Coasts
The northern coastline of Umbras is largely uninhabitable as well, though people fare a bit better here than they do in the Wastes. The Northern Coast is a harsh area that resembles the frigid winds, icy storms, and unforgiving winters of Jokull – though the area is much smaller. Just about everything north of the nation’s capital of Sirmium is covered in snow most of the year. The area does have some sparse vegetation and small forests and groves of trees scattered around.
The Frozen Wastes are also home to a clan of Arctic Foyel that somehow separated from their eastern kin. These Foyle, though, tend to be a bit more aggressive than their cousins from Jokull, defending their lands and homes violently when they feel threatened. People are often warned away from their territory.
Umbral Forests
Most of the rest of Umbras is covered in thick coniferous forests, mostly filled with pines and spruces. These forests cover roughly a third of the nation’s land area and help to provide a much-needed source of lumber and food for the citizens. Cities that were founded within these forests have often cleared out large portions around them for farmland and to build their town’s structures.
The Umbral Forests can be dangerous, though. The wolf population of these areas is drastically higher than nearly anywhere else, and it is not uncommon to run into werewolves or other lycanthropes in these areas. There are also a number of older castles scattered around the area that are sometimes inhabited by vampires.
Interitus Mountains
The Interitus Mountains along the southern portion of the nation provide a natural border to Nars. Most of the mountains here are well within the area of land considered wastes, so they are often barren and gray, save for snow topped peaks. Umbrans avoid the mountains whenever possible. The lack of vegetation makes their slopes less stable and prone to avalanches. But that is not the only reason.
Giants, Trolls, and Ogres infest the Interitus Mountains. They largely subsist off of natural wildlife in the area, but they are always happy to add human, elf, or any other unfortunate soul to their menus.
Return to Top
Culture
Umbral society is one that is centered around the idea of a struggle for survival. For nearly as long sound historical record exists, Umbras and the region it occupies has been one were mortal races have had to struggle and fight to survive or learn to persist unbearable situations.
This has led the people of Umbras to have a pragmatic and logical viewpoint of the world. In the eyes of many foreigners, they can sometimes come off as being heartless or callous. However, it is simply a result of their long-standing struggle to persist in the world they inhabit. In the early centuries of the current age, they were dominated and abused by fiends. Even after they were driven out, the land itself turned against them.
This isn’t to say they are selfish or heartless, though. The Umbral people are often drawn to the idea of supporting their neighbors. The idea of “stronger together” is a powerful factor in Umbral culture. They are a people that will gladly and quickly band together to support and protect one another if something provides a threat to their town or neighbors. However, they are not so quick to act to protect a single soul who might be suffering. If one person suffers a terrible fate, by in large the Umbral people see that as a personal failing of that person, and whatever fate begets them was earned by their previous actions or inactions.
The culture of Umbras is also one with a shifted perspective of good and evil, as well. Over the centuries, fiends have become a fairly common portion of their daily lives. This interaction with undeniably evil creatures has caused a shift in their perception of morality. For instance, there are many instances where murder is considered legal, and times where it is almost encouraged by their culture. Similar perversions of common concepts like theft or battery also exist. Though there are still certain acts that even they perceive as unredeemable.
Return to Top