The World of Calatan
Unique Features of a Fantasy Realm
Holidays
Elders Day
Honoring parents, grandparents, and the deceased.
Gods Own
Honoring patron deities, and gods in general.
Harvests End
Celebrating the end of the farming season.
Lovers Hope
Winter
Remembering the importance of companionship.
Winters End
Winter
Celebrating the end of a long winter.
Technological Development
In the early days of Calatan’s civilization, science and technology ruled supreme. Magic was in its infancy and was only slowly revealed by the gods to their most loyal followers. The majority of the worlds educated populous pursued technological development. Rewards for this pursuit were evident as stone structures, metal tools, and written language became the hallmarks of an advanced civilization. Advancements in written language, however, would cause trouble for continued technological development.
Written language was the key that allowed scholars to study magic and eventually shape it to their own will. This intriguing area of study caused many scholars to abandon technological development with its much slower progression for something they felt was personally more rewarding. As a result, scientific and technological advances have virtually come to a standstill on Calatan. While sporadic efforts are made to continue in the area of true science, it is magic that currently reins over the worlds’ scholars.
Alchemy
It is said alchemy is the art of impatience on Calatan. Early alchemists envisioned accomplishing great feats in the arena of science but simply couldn’t wait for the slow progress of technological development. So, they studied magic and infused what they learned from it into the technology they desired to create. The amazing results allowed alchemists to develop mystical technology far more advanced than anything true science could offer.
Alchemists found themselves engrossed in the areas of mystical device creation, automation, and genetic manipulation. Approval of the alchemists’ work has been mixed. Some view the products of alchemy as societal advancements, while others view them as a perverse mix of science and magic. In truth, the amazing products of alchemy tend to be quite difficult to make and are rarely able to be mass produced. Since alchemy is such a haphazard area of study, many scholars bypass it for the more refined discipline of magic.
Magic
Spells:
Spells are the words or thoughts necessary to shape power into what the caster desires. A spell alone is useless to someone who can’t draw in the power necessary to give it form. Spells are also catered to a specific realm of power and usually won’t work outside of that realm.
Realms of Power:
Essence
It has been said magic exists everywhere from the tallest tree to the deepest ocean. In truth, the gods used a great deal of power to create and sustain the world of Calatan. This power did not vanish after the world was created but, instead, flourished. Mages who use the realm of essence draw upon the world’s natural energies to cast spells. Illusions, element mastery, and shapeshifting are just some of the many spells essence users can cast. However, it is important to note that wearing heavy metal armor can impede the ability for an essence user to draw in the power they need, so many spell casters wear little or no armor at all.
Mentalism
Channeling
Considered to be the oldest form of power on Calatan, channeling is when a god directly diverts a tiny amount of power into one of their followers. Those who have been blessed with the power of channeling must always try to faithfully follow their patron god’s ideals or risk losing the very power given to them. Clerics have learned to use their divine powers in a number of ways, such as healing the wounded, communing with plants and animals, and even raising the dead. In some cases, armor can inhibit a cleric’s spell casting but usually not to the same degree as the other realms.
Deities of Calatan
The Elder Gods:
These divine beings existed at the very beginning of life on Calatan and shaped the planet in accordance to their will. Their power is unquestioned, and the balance of everything that resides within the world falls upon them.
The Elder Gods of Calatan are:
Mirsha
Representation
Animals, plants, the elements
Alignment
Neutral
Primary Followers
Farmers, hunters, miners, sailors/fishermen, nature lovers
Ceremonies
Good weather, natural bounties
Talana
Representation
Light, life, health, families
Alignment
Good
Primary Followers
Families, unhealthy
Ceremonies
Birthday’s, reunions
Kardok
Representation
Darkness, death, pain, hardship
Alignment
Evil
Primary Followers
Elderly, underground races
Ceremonies
Funerals, executions, sacrificial homage
Followers:
When a god creates and shapes a world to their own designs, they wind up expending a tremendous amount of power. In order to replenish that power, a god creates followers to worship them. When the followers offer prayers to that god, it replenishes their power and allows them to continue to influence the world. Most deities will go to great lengths to ensure this cycle is maintained, for if a god is drained of all its power, it ceases to exist.
Patron Deity:
While all gods on Calatan are worshiped at various times, a patron deity is the god an individual chooses to ask for guidance and aid throughout their life. How closely a person follows that deity’s ideals determine whether they’ll be allowed into the spirit realm when they die.
Creation:
The world of Calatan was forged by the goddess Mirsha, who had been forced to flee from another world’s pantheon when that realm was conquered by demons from the sinister dimension of Xoj’Nahell. Shrouding her past in mystery, Mirsha created Calatan as a means of replenishing her own power and immortality. However, she knew the task would most likely consume her very being. So, before she began, she gave birth to her daughter Talana and instructed her to watch the beginning of creation. As a child, Talana was awestruck by her mother’s ability to create the world and everything in it. She grew concerned, though, when she saw Mirsha grow increasingly frail as the world consumed all of her divine energy. In the end, Mirsha sacrificed herself for Calatan but, before she faded from existence, she told Talana to produce the followers necessary for both goddesses to continue on.
Talana swore she would restore her mother and created life across the planet. Countless ages passed as she created various peaceful, kind, and prosperous races. They obediently reproduced and worshiped Talana and her mother until the day came when Mirsha finally returned to the world. Overjoyed by their reunion, Talana eagerly showed her mother all she’d accomplished.
While the world did indeed appear to be a perfect place, it didn’t take long for Mirsha to find fault with what her daughter achieved. While all life was valued, those people who came first were naturally more experienced than those who came after them. This resulted in a hierarchy where elders dominated the youth, whose voices were often ignored by those who considered themselves superior. Afraid a perpetual conflict would develop between young and old Mirsha told Talana that only through change and growth could Calatan survive, and that change would be brought about through death. Mildly aware of the concept from what she’d seen in plants and animals, Talana took her mother’s words to heart as she watched Mirsha give birth to her brother Kardok.
Shock and horror erupted across Calatan as Kardok’s arrival officially marked the passage of time. Societies built on the veneration of age looked on with hatred and grief as their rulers grew old and died. Many people felt betrayed and abandoned the gods in pursuit of their own self interests. A mere child, Kardok couldn’t understand why he was so despised by a world he barely even knew. Mirsha comforted him as best she could by emphasizing the importance of his role in Calatan’s growth, but such a courtesy was not extended by Talana.
Infuriated by what she perceived as the destruction of everything she and her mother had built, Talana pleaded with Kardok to stop the madness. Kardok could see the pain he caused his sister and came up with an idea to please her. Giving everyone who didn’t turn their backs on the gods a soul, Kardok told Talana he would create a Spirit Realm where she could visit those souls whenever she liked. He even built the magnificent Twilight Palace so his mother and sister could live with him has a family. It was an idea endorsed by Mirsha, and it eventually won Talana’s reluctant approval.
Sadly, many of the races that abandoned the gods became evil and swore to take their revenge against Kardok. Learning how to harness the world’s magic, they called out to realms beyond their own and pleaded for help in ridding Calatan of Kardok once and for all. These cries for help were answered…by demons.
Thrilled by the chance to destroy another world, the demons of Xoj’Nahell decided to take down its divine protectors one by one, starting with Kardok. This led to a massive invasion of the Spirit Realm in an attempt to overwhelm and eliminate the god of death. Kardok stood bravely against the demons and rallied the souls in his care to defend their realm. Talana, however, refused to join them. Believing Kardok’s destruction was the will of the people of Calatan, she did nothing to aid her brother in his hour of need. Thankfully, Mirsha joined her son and, together, they repelled the demons.
Kardok was infuriated by his sister’s treachery and demanded she punish the mortals responsible. Talana refused, so he killed them himself. Horrified by what he’d done (and could do again), the goddess returned to Calatan and rallied her followers to purge the world of anyone who worshiped Kardok. Already viewed as evil by the people of Calatan, Kardok decided to embrace his dark reputation and raise legions of undead to wipe his sister’s precious followers from the planet. Knowing the innocent should not suffer from her children’s wrath, Mirsha reluctantly joined Talana in beating back the undead.
Balance had been restored to Calatan, but only after a divine family had been torn asunder. Mirsha and Talana remained on the world they created to ensure peace was maintained. Kardok returned to his Twilight Palace, where he judged those who died on their devotion to the gods and decided if they were worthy of entering the Spirit Realm or condemned to spend an eternity in the palace’s Dungeon of Eternal Torment.
The Risen Gods:
Rightin
Representation
War
Alignment
Neutral
Primary Followers
Warriors, protectors
Ceremonies
Cremating a worthy opponent after battle
Dargen
Representation
Crafts, music, art
Alignment
Neutral
Primary Followers
Craftsmen, merchants, musicians
Ceremonies
Gift Giving
Anthalos
Representation
Knowledge
Alignment
Neutral
Primary Followers
Scholars, politicians, mages
Shareen
Representation
Vengeance, desire, grief
Alignment
Evil
Primary Followers
Victimized, widows, dangerously ambitious
Luxar
Representation
Luck, choice
Alignment
Neutral
Primary Followers
Poor, risk takers
Clowani
Representation
Love, passion, happiness
Alignment
Good
Primary Followers
Young, lonely
Ceremonies
Weddings
The Pantheon:
As the Spirit Realm grew in size and numbers, a vast assortment of souls from all over Calatan ascended into godhood. Unfortunately, the repetitive representation from many of these gods tended to cause conflict between them. While all gods sought dominance over their area of representation, none desired this more than the war god Rightin. A deity worshiped by the small but strong kingdom of Ha-Ress, he fought against rival gods from neighboring kingdoms and exhausted their powers so the Ha-Ress armies had the advantage in crushing their foes in battle. Should the Ha-Ress be victorious, they would force their enemies to convert from their gods and worship the Ha-Ress deities instead, allowing Rightin to gain more power. However, conquest went both ways, with similar results until the Ha-Ress and their neighbors had reached a stalemate.
Tired of being just one of many war gods, Rightin sought a way to gain enough power to crush his enemies and be the only war god. Seeking help within the Ha-Ress pantheon, he had Dargen craft him powerful weapons and armor while Anthalos would analyze rival kingdoms’ political situations and gauge the faith of their followers to determine when enemy gods were at their weakest. Once again, this was common practice among all deities and did little to change Rightin’s current situation.
Looking to the elder gods as a way to tip the scales in his favor he was rebuffed by Mirsha and Talana who already dominated their areas of representation and had no interest in helping the risen gods gain power that was equal to their own. Kardok took things a step further and in a brief battle utterly destroyed Rightin for daring to ask such a thing. Without a war god, the Ha-Ress were ruthlessly attacked by their enemies with only Dargen and Anthalos to keep the faith during the conflict. Being immortal, Rightin was eventually restored, but he soon found out the Ha-Ress had been reduced to little more than a crumbling city-state. Answering his follower’s prayers once more, Rightin managed to keep the Ha-Ress from being conquered completely, but he would never forget what Kardok had done and swore he would have enough power to rival the elder gods one day!
Left in a precarious situation, Rightin learned the only way Dargen and Anthalos had slowed the fall of the Ha-Ress was to ask the wicked goddess Shareen for help. Shareen stoked conflict between the Ha-Ress’s enemies until they were practically at each other’s throat. In exchange, she became an official member of the Ha-Ress pantheon, tying her fate to theirs. With Shareen’s aid, Rightin was able strike back at his enemies and help the Ha-Ress become a kingdom once more. The two soon became lovers, and Shareen advised Rightin to seek out other risen gods to fulfill his ambitions.
Turning to Anthalos for help, Rightin asked what risen gods were the most powerful…and the answer surprised him. Anthalos revealed the gods of luck were actually more powerful than any of their fellow deities. This is because they engaged in a practice called Playing for Prayers, where they would place wagers on battles between war gods using shrines and temples as collateral. It was a high stakes game where the loser would order their followers to convert and worship the winner. This was a bloodless way for the winner to actually expand their following, and several luck gods had actually faded from existence because they gambled away their followers. It was a practice exclusive to the luck gods since no other deity wanted to risk their immortality.
Thinking such a tactic would work just as well in his case, Rightin proposed Playing for Prayers in a grand tournament amongst the war gods whose nations bordered the Ha-Ress. The war gods agreed to the tournament, but not for prayers. They preferred to fight for trophies, such as a rival’s weapon or armor. Rightin was disappointed since the tournament wouldn’t do anything to increase his power, but Dargen talked him into it since it allowed him to exhibit his wares. Dargen then built the Spirit Realm’s first coliseum for the tournament to take place.
Construction of the coliseum and the talk of a tournament naturally attracted the attention of Luxar the luck god. Talking with Dargen, he learned of Rightin’s ambitions and approached the war god. Thrilled with the notion someone outside the luck gods was interested in Playing for Prayers, Luxar knew Rightin’s defeat at Kardok’s hands had shaped opinions and put the odds against him in any tournament battle. If Luxar wagered on him and won, his powers would increase exponentially. The only problem was that Rightin wouldn’t put his all into the fight if it was just for trophies.
Unleashing his secret weapon, Luxar called upon his lover, the goddess Clowani, to help in changing the other war god’s minds. Clowani agreed to help Rightin provided she and Luxar were allowed to join his pantheon and increase their power if he won. Rightin agreed, and Clowani proceeded to convince the other war gods to engage in Playing for Prayers, offering herself as a prize to the winner. This offer didn’t sit well with Shareen, who didn’t want Rightin to have any claim over the love goddess. This didn’t stop Luxar from promoting the event to other deities and, soon, war gods from nations increasingly distant to the Ha-Ress joined in the tournament.
With all his aspirations tied into this one tournament, Rightin was determined to win. In his first bout, he played upon his defeat to Kardok by feigning weakness. Allowing himself to be disarmed after his shield was shredded, he eliminated his rival by beating him to death with his bare fists, then ripped out his heart and ate it! This led the other war gods to assume he was a savage. This misconception proved to be another rivals undoing when Rightin artfully finished him off with a two-weapon flourish. Catching on to the war god’s strategy, Rightin’s last rival fought him on equal standing in a bout whose legend would be remembered by the gods for all eternity…and it ended with Rightin being victorious!
Taking bits and pieces of his fallen rivals’ equipment and giving them to Dargen, the war god instructed his friend to craft a special suit of armor, not for himself, but for a champion he would choose to carry on his cause in the mortal realm. However, before a champion could be picked, Rightin had to clear out his dead rival’s pantheons. One by one, the other deities brutally fell before Rightin’s might and, in the process, he gained the title of Godslayer. On the mortal realm, those followers who suddenly lost the powers their gods had channeled to them quickly converted to Rightin’s pantheon. Their prayers added power to the Ha-Ress deities, who rose to become superior to the other risen gods. Capitalizing upon his newfound might, Rightin instructed the Ha-Ress to expand into a mighty empire as he proceeded to conquer all deities who stood before him in a campaign that became known as the War of Fallen Gods.
Not everyone was pleased by Rightin’s success. Cast aside by her former love, Shareen was infuriated when the war god took Clowani into his bed. Vengefully vowing to destroy Rightin’s precious pantheon, the goddesses’ plans were routinely foiled by Clowani herself who made sure to prevent any infighting. Not exactly thrilled at losing her to Rightin, Luxar suggested Shareen teach him a lesson by getting in touch with the only deities strong enough to take him on…the elder gods.
Relishing the idea of fueling an old rivalry, Shareen provoked incidents where followers from the pantheon attacked worshipers of the elder gods. She then approached the elder gods and warned them of Rightin’s intentions to remove them from their sacred place in the world. Seeing through her attempt to provoke a conflict, Kardok imprisoned Shareen in the Dungeon of Eternal Torment while Talana approached Rightin and made it clear harassing the elder god’s followers would not be tolerated. Outraged Kardok would dare to capture someone from his pantheon, Rightin demanded Shareen’s release, or he would crush the elder gods and wipe them from the world once and for all. Eager for a chance to antagonize her brother, Talana told Rightin that if he wanted Shareen back, he would have to go to the Twilight Palace and get her.
Taking up the challenge, Rightin asked his pantheon to join him in an all-out assault. Most, however, refused with Clowani arguing Shareen tried to break up the pantheon and deserved what she got when she attempted to provoke Kardok into conflict. Rightin countered that, while her actions were wrong, she was still a member of the pantheon, and they were all under obligation to help each other. Jealous Rightin cared more about Shareen than her, Clowani turned her back on him (and returned to Luxar’s waiting arms). Only Dargen joined him, simply to prove the Twilight Palace could never stand up to a god of the forge’s might.
Engaging Kardok in battle for a second time, Rightin proved to be a much more difficult opponent but, in the end, he was still utterly destroyed. However, his sacrifice was not in vain. Dargen left the battle early and freed Shareen from the dungeon before escaping.
Thankfully, Rightin’s fall was not nearly as disastrous a second time around since the Ha-Ress gods had few rivals strong enough to oppose them. Privately questioning what would have happened to the world if Rightin had actually killed one of its creators, Anthalos decided to engage in diplomacy with Mirsha before the battle had even started. Rightin’s defeat gave him the ability to negotiate without question, and Mirsha agreed to rein in her children provided they were all equally incorporated into the pantheon. The matter was settled by the time Rightin was restored, and while the war god hated what had happened in his absence, he was chastened enough to agree to the deal.
The Imperial Age
The Ha-Ress Empire:
Beginning like many kingdoms before it, the Ha-Ress expanded and contracted in size as it fought against its neighbors until it reached relative stability. Blessed with prosperity, the kingdom’s rulers soon lost touch with the peasant class and grew increasingly weak, incompetent, and cruel. It is said things had gotten so bad the war god Rightin abandoned his favor of the realm and refused to answer his cleric’s prayers.
Emboldened by the war god’s disappearance, the surrounding kingdoms attacked the Ha-Ress and enjoyed great success in hacking at the realm until it was nothing more than a dying city-state. In fact, the Ha-Ress would have disappeared completely if its enemies hadn’t become sidetracked fighting each other over the spoils of war. Thankfully, the war god finally answered his people’s prayers and, soon, a brave knight named Etranus was chosen by the order’s templar to overthrow the city-state’s pathetic monarchy and lead it to greatness once more. Etranus performed his role admirably and, as a new king, he and his descendants fought hard until the kingdom was restored to its former glory.
Peace and prosperity reigned anew for the Ha-Ress and, as it did, their religion spread to both the surrounding kingdoms and beyond. It was at this time that King Devoran was approached by the order of Rightin’s templar-general and told of how the war god desired to unite all lands that worshiped the Ha-Ress pantheon under one banner. If the king partook in this adventure (and won), he would find a suit of armor in one of his rival’s temples to Dargen that, when blessed and worn by a paladin of Rightin, would create a champion capable of forging an empire the likes of which the world had never seen before. Remembering he owed his dynasty’s rise in power to Rightin’s blessing, King Devoran agreed and set about his plans of conquest.
Generations of long, hard fighting ensued as the Ha-Ress forged an unrivaled military that victoriously crushed their foes in battle. Uniting the conquered lands into a new empire, they eventually found the armor foretold in legend within a temple of the very last kingdom that shared their gods. Intrigued by this development, Emperor Hadrium went to the capital’s Temple of Rightin to witness the ritual where the armor was bestowed upon the paladin who found it. Once the ritual was complete, Rightin infused the paladin with his divine power, and thus, the Slayer was born!
Becoming more than mortal, the Slayer stepped into legend by approaching the emperor and pledged that, as long as the Ha-Ress continued to spread their religion, he would make their empire the largest the world had ever known. Naturally, Emperor Hadrium accepted and watched with delight as the Slayer led his armies into battle against rival nations. What he didn’t expect is that the Slayer killed anything that got in his way, from giants to demigods and dragons! All beings thought to be outside the rule of anyone.
One such dragon that took a keen interest in this development was known as the Ancient, who noted that any of his brethren who challenged the empire were brutally slaughtered. This led most dragons to simply ignore it or hunt in territories not yet controlled by the Ha-Ress. But the empire’s rapid expansion caused these territories to dwindle leading to increased confrontations. Seeking out Ocranal the god of storms, the Ancient learned the Ha-Ress attempted to bring about a new world order on a divine scale, and the dragons were urged to unite against the empire before it became too powerful. Unsure if he should take advice from a god whose power was waning, the Ancient organized his fellow dragons so they could gather has much information as possible on the Ha-Ress.
Time passed, and the empire continued to grow. The dragons learned the Ha-Ress were able to harness the talents of its diverse citizenry to maximize its power. The empire possessed a combined knowledge of warfare, magic, and civilization to truly impress the great beasts. A debate began among the dragons as to whether they should destroy the Ha-Ress before they became too powerful or join them and help their civilization flourish. The Ancient decided to once again call on Ocranal and tell the deity of their decision. To his astonishment, instead of finding the god of storms, he encountered Kardok, the god of death.
Ocranal had been slain by the war god Rightin, and Kardok was collecting the spirits of the fallen god’s followers when the Ancient suddenly appeared. Kardok knew why the dragon had come and told him if his brethren opposed the Ha-Ress it would lead to their eventual extinction. The dark god then gave the Ancient a horrible glimpse of what the empire could do to the dragons who opposed it. In a frightening vision of the future, the Ancient saw a phoenix-riding warrior called The Slayer, who could single-handedly kill a dragon if it meant furthering the empire’s goals. Terrified by what he had seen, the Ancient realized he had to convince his brethren to swear allegiance to the Ha-Ress or risk total annihilation.
A gathering of dragons took place with the Ancient revealing all he had learned from Kardok. Many of his fellow dragons had already come to accept this frightening revelation and were determined to take action. Every one of the great beasts agreed going to war against the empire would be a mistake. Roughly half the dragons present decided they’d simply ignore the Ha-Ress and continue living out their daily lives. The Ancient on the other hand believed that, by joining the empire, the dragons would not only be saved from extinction but could also benefit by sharing in the combined knowledge of the lesser races. Those who saw the wisdom in what the Ancient had to say decided to give him their support. The rest of the dragons returned to their normal lives. Turning his attention to the empire, the Ancient waited for the perfect opportunity to make his intentions known.
It didn’t take long for the right situation to present itself. A legion of Ha-Ress soldiers had invaded the realm of some extremely warlike mountain giants and taken heavy casualties. Refusing to admit defeat, the legion’s commander desperately sought some means to bolster the ranks of his troops. Aware of the commander’s dilemma, the Ancient led an imposing army of dragons to the outskirts of the legion’s camp. The Ancient then summoned the commander and offered to have the dragons support him in battle against the mountain giants in exchange for an audience with Empress Sylvania. Not daring to refuse a dragon’s offer, the legion’s commander agreed to the deal. With the dragons’ help, the imperial troops successfully defeated the mountain giants. Word of this newly created alliance intrigued the empress, who granted the Ancient’s request for an audience.
Meeting in a highly secure location, the Ancient, the Slayer, and Empress Sylvania discussed the dragon’s future role with the Ha-Ress. The empress knew the value of having such beasts at her disposal and offered to provide them with food, knowledge, treasure, and whatever else they might require. All she asked for in return was that the dragons aid her armies in battle when necessary and help maintain peace within the empire. The Ancient felt this was a fair exchange and, after consulting with the other dragons, agreed to the empress’s proposal. Now a citizen of the Ha-Ress empire, the Ancient was officially given the title King of the Dragons.
Returning to his island home, the Ancient immediately received offerings of treasure and powerful spellbooks. These precious artifacts were usually dispersed among the other dragons to help ensure their loyalty. As a reward for his generosity, the dragons always made sure their new king was guarded by at least a few powerful members of their ilk. Before long, the Ancient found himself embroiled in imperial politics. One particularly difficult challenge he faced was keeping the other dragon’s loyal to the empire after the Slayer died in battle. Thankfully, a common enemy rose up to secure the ties between them.
As the Ha-Ress spread their religion across the world, many rival gods watched their power
dwindle as their followers were forced to either convert or die. One such deity was Wydal the
god of secrets. Having lost the last of his followers, he fled to the demonic realm of Xoj’Nahell before Rightin could finish him off for good. Humiliated by his exile, Wydal sought vengeance but lacked the power to defeat Rightin. Getting advice from a smoke demon named Zattermox, he turned to Da Shō the demonic overlord and offered to create a portal for the demons to invade Calatan. Da Shō was initially reluctant, stating he had weapons crafted specifically to destroy the gods, and he’d prefer to use them directly by entering the Spirit Realm. Wydal argued a direct confrontation would only lead to the demon’s destruction and ambushing them on Calatan was the best way to get the results he desired. When asked how an ambush would be possible, Wydal revealed that dragons knew how to directly enter a deity’s presence, and that they would tell him how to do so if he bribed them with treasure. Agreeing to the god’s deal, Da Shō rallied his fellow overlords and watched as Wydal sacrificed his very existence to open a portal to the realm he once called home.
Pouring into an unprepared world, the demons slaughtered everyone they came across. Claiming a large swath of territory for themselves, the merciless overlords drove their minions onward until they finally encountered the military might of the Ha-Ress Empire! The empire had rallied a massive army to stop the demons’ unholy advance and, as the two sides clashed, the gods of Calatan used their divine power to shut Wydal’s passage. What should have been an easy conquest for the demons turned into a long, drawn-out war. Da Shō and the other overlords were forced to create defensive positions for themselves before sending their troops into the fray. It didn’t take long for the demons to realize this was an enemy that would be difficult to defeat.
Seeking to turn the tides, Da Shō sent his minion, Zattermox, to bribe the Ancient into revealing all the dragons’ sacred knowledge in exchange for a treasure trove of artifacts they’d accumulated during their conquest. The Ancient refused and nearly killed Zattermox for making the request. Another dragon, though, named Vargavas, was interested in increasing his wealth and told Zattermox how much treasure it would require for him to betray the empire. Ironically, this request set up a conflict between overlords since Da Shō wanted to pay the dragon’s price while the other overlords wanted to use the powerful artifacts to defeat the Ha-Ress. Watching the demons war amongst themselves, the empire crushed the rival factions one at a time in a series of battles remembered throughout the ages. Unfortunately, the dragons who engaged in this conflict suffered disproportionate casualties, and the Ancient died shortly after the war’s end.
Learning the demons had hidden their treasure before being defeated Vargavas seethed at his lost chance at wealth and reached out to other dragons who felt the empire didn’t appreciate the sacrifice they made on the battlefield. Knowing Emperor Etranus III waited to crown the Ancient’s successor Vargavas was chosen by his peers to take the position after promising them that they’d get a greater share of the empire’s wealth. At his coronation, the emperor acknowledged the dragons’ concerns but refused to give them what they wanted. The empire had become decadent, arrogant, and corrupt. Its nobles viewed the dragons as nothing more than tools to crush dissent. Emperor Etranus III showered Vargavas with riches in an attempt to buy his loyalty but refused to do anything for the other dragons.
Aware his brethren would demand their fair share of the treasure once they learned of it, Vargavas rescinded the dragons’ allegiance to the empire and created their own kingdom in the Rashben Providences’s infamous Crimson Ranges. Word quickly spread of the dragon’s defiance along with the brutal conquest and enslavement of those races who lived within the ranges. Their actions also cut the providence off from the rest of the empire, making it prone to rebellion. Hoping to put down the insurrection, the emperor attempted to overwhelm the dragons by ordering his imperial legions to attack the Crimson Ranges from both the Rashben Providence in the west and the empire proper in the east.
Powerful as the dragons were, Vargavas doubted they could fight a war on two fronts while also suppressing their newly conquered slaves. Studying the Rashben Providence, he knew it was ruled by a council of elvish and human nobles. The Sereama Council was located deep in the elves’ ancestral lands of the Illamine, which were far to the west while territories close to the Crimson Ranges were dominated by humans. Seeking to sow division, he ordered his dragons to ravage the Rashben border lands before rushing them back to defend against the empire proper. He then sent the dragon Utashus to secretly speak with the elvish members of the council on behalf of the newly formed Kingdom of Drake.
Leery about meeting with Utashus after they learned about the horrible casualties the dragons inflicted upon the humans, the elves agreed to talks in the hopes of sparing their soldiers from a similar fate as they marched towards the front lines. Well aware of this fact, Utashus told the elves if they simply rejected the empire, they could save their soldiers’ lives. The elves initially refused saying the humans would rebel and attack elvish lands if their people abandoned them. Utashus noted the dragons had already crushed most of the human armies and elvish forces could easily defend their homeland. The council was still reluctant to fracture along racial lines until Utashus promised to join the Illamine and help them reconquer any lands they lost from abandoning the empire. The thought of having a dragon join their people instead of killing them appealed to the elves, who subsequently had the Illamine secede from the empire.
This was the beginning of the end for the Ha-Ress. With the elves joining the dragons in rebellion, the humans loyal to the empire suddenly found themselves sandwiched between the Illamine and the Kingdom of Drake. Convinced they couldn’t win against the dragons, they immediately ceased attacking Drake and either turned on the treacherous elves or declared independence and formed their own fledgling kingdoms. Such scenarios played out repeatedly across the empire until it caused the collapse of the single largest nation the world had ever known. Yet, in its passing, the Ha-Ress left a prominent legacy with much of the world united by a singular language, religion, and currency that endures to this very day.
The Age of Chaos
The Kingdom of Drake
Established by Vargavas in the Crimson Ranges, the Kingdom of Drake was an ideal home for all dragons since its dwarvish slaves could carve the mountains into palatial homes for the beasts while humans farmed the land for their new masters. Young dragons even honed their combat skills hunting the various orcs, goblins, and other underground races that originally plagued the region. Forged from a sea of conflict, the kingdom was the first nation to successfully rebel against the mighty Ha-Ress Empire. Its dragons and draconic subraces were known and feared throughout the world as its ferocious army never lost a fight.
Unfortunately, it didn’t take long for such a heavy concentration of dragons in one spot to start causing problems. Farms struggled to feed the beasts monstrous appetites, which only grew worse when they mated and had young. No longer needing to hunt, many dragons became obsessed with accumulating and protecting their treasure hoards, often fighting each other to the death! Finally, those dragons whose needs were met simply fell asleep, abandoning their lands to slaves who ran away while rivals fought each other to stake their claim.
Desperate to keep his kingdom from crumbling, Vargavas sought the wisdom of another dragon king and traveled to the Ancient’s island home, where he used dark magic to bring the skeletal dragon back from the grave. Expecting wise counsel from his predecessor, Vargavas was deeply disappointed by what he heard. The Ancient said the Kingdom of Drake was doomed and explained dragons were wild creatures not meant to live in kingdom-like societies. When Vargavas pointed out that the Ancient himself had been a longstanding king the skeletal dragon replied that the dragons he ruled were scattered across a vast empire far larger than Drake and were able to live naturally until called upon. Disappointed by what he heard, Vargavas left the Ancient to rot on his island.
Not long afterward, the kingdom collapsed. The dragon baby boom finally overwhelmed the farmers, and when the dragon’s slaves could no longer provide enough food, they were simply eaten or fed to the young. With the destruction of his realm’s agricultural system, Vargavas could do nothing to keep the dragons from hunting outside Drake’s borders for food. Those who did seldom returned, and a great migration of dragons flooded back into the world. The few dragons that remained were locked in different stages of slumber. Disgusted by his brethren’s actions, Vargavas bitterly retreated to his home as his once great kingdom fell around him.
The Illamine:
Government:
Confederacy
Rulers:
The Sereama Council
Capital:
Sereama
Official Races:
Elves, Avians, Fairies, Nymphs, and Leprechauns
Enemies
Major:
Sibeia, Quayan
Minor:
Coronas, Lareder, Sire, The Wild Lands
Land:
Society:
While many races reside within the Illamine, the elves have long dominated over its growth and development. To that end, they have done a fantastic job at making the Illamine one of the most advanced societies in the world. No other country in the area has a more advanced political or judicial system. Unfortunately, a heavy bureaucracy has made these systems extremely sluggish.
Still, a high level of culture is apparent. Buildings are beautifully designed, and most crafts are made not just to be appealing but to also last as long as their makers. Needless to say, many goods could be sold for high prices in human lands simply because of their antiquity. Music and magic also play a large part in the Illamine, and many residents are strong in both these areas.
The population within the Illamine is fairly small for the amount of territory it covers. This is primarily due to the fact its members live forever and have very low birth and death rates. Sexual equality exists among most of those members, and racial harmony is quite high. This, however, does not extend to the human slaves who work on plantations to feed city dwellers. Any free humans caught within these lands are either escorted back to their homes, imprisoned, or enslaved. It is also quite rare that non-government officials ever leave the Illamine to enter human lands. While there are no official restrictions, members who do so are usually frowned upon.
Military:
The Illamine has honed the legend of its military might since the early days of the Age of Chaos. This legend is called The Unbreakable Shield and has deterred foreign encroachments onto their territory up to the current age. The legend speaks of the amazing combat skills elvish warriors possess and the accuracy of their archers. There’s also a rumor ancient and powerful mages can cast spells to destroy whole armies, and that the Illamine navy rules the seas unquestioned. Not to mention how foolish an enemy would be to attack a country protected by not only a dragon, but also an armada of sky ships. While there is definitely truth to the legend the facts aren’t nearly as impressive.
Army:
The Illamine’s army is highly skilled but disproportionably small for the amount of territory they have to cover. High elven soldiers are famous for their unwavering discipline, and wood elven archers never miss their mark. These troops have gained their combat experience from centuries of experience but specialize more in defensive than offensive tactics. Unfortunately, this experience has come from invasions by both Quayan and Sibeia. Contrary to popular belief, Illamine mages never risk their lives in battle, and while elvish troops routinely hold their own, battles against Sibeia have forced the government into grudging territorial concessions.
Navy:
The Illamine economy is driven by its marine activity, and its navy is large enough to protect those interests. The nymphs that serve as submerged sailors are deadly in their element, and because the Illamine has a strong navy, it seldom is engaged by enemies at sea. Unfortunately, the navy is primarily a defensive force and rarely conduct maneuvers outside its waters.
Aerial:
Most of the Illamine’s aerial defense is based around Utashus the white Oriental dragon who resides with the avians in the cloud city of Meres-Sanom. Having little interest in elvish struggles, he only involves himself in conflict should he feel it’s necessary. The mighty avian sky ship armada is actually quite small and focused primarily on domestic concerns. These ships are hard to construct and only participate in combat if there is little risk in receiving damage.
History:
The Ha-Ress Empire: Illamine Forest has been the home for elves and other fey races for more generations than most people can remember. Initially, when the Ha-Ress Empire advanced upon the area, they were met with stiff but futile resistance from the land’s residents. Like so many other races before them, the elves culture and traditions were forever changed once they were incorporated into the empire.
Interestingly enough, after a few centuries of resentment, the elves embraced what the empire had to offer. Architecture, magic, and culture grew and flourished as the elves accepted all the advances to their society the empire willingly provided for them. Soon, the elves became totally assimilated into the imperial way of life and basked in its glory. They became leaders in both the political and academic world, preferring to leave war and conquest to the more violent of the empire’s races. This political savvy reached its zenith when the Sereama Council was formed as a way to unite all the Rashben Providence’s leaders under imperial rule.
When dragons broke from the empire, the Sereama Council dutifully rallied its soldiers and attacked the Kingdom of Drake. The humans and their armies near the border suffered terrible losses that the elves wanted to prevent amongst their own troops. When the dragon Utashus proposed a secret meeting with only the council’s elvish members, it became fairly obvious of his intentions. Initially, many members refused since any association with the dragon could be tied to treason. The empire was also sending the largest armada of reinforcements the world had ever known to the Rashben Providence to join the elves in fighting the dragons. Unfortunately, these reinforcements were going to be stationed in human lands and had the potential of shifting the region’s balance of power away from Sereama. Concerned about their people’s status and wellbeing, the council decided to listen to what Utashus had to say.
Utashus offered to help the elves achieve independence from the empire and take control of the Rashben Providence in exchange for an alliance with the Kingdom of Drake. This alliance would include military support between the two realms and crushing any resistance to conquest from the human lands. Utashus himself would stay in the Illamine to help the elves obtain their objectives. Finding the dragons offer too good to pass up, the Sereama Council secretly agreed to rebel against the empire.
Well aware of what cities the imperial armada was going to dock at, the elves took advantage of the fact their armies were already passing through human lands and directed them to take control of the various ports. In what became known as the Friendly Invasion, the elvish troops marched into the cities of their human allies without incident and turned on their hosts before they could be stopped. At the same time, a fleet of ships from the Illamine were accompanied by an army of nymphs which headed towards the port cities while Utashus led a contingent of avians, sky ships, and dragons to aid in the impending battle.
Unaware of what was happening, the imperial armada escorted by both kraken from the sea and a massive flock of phoenix broke into separate parts and prepared to dock at their chosen ports. The Ha-Ress were caught completely off guard when the city’s defenses turned on them. Attempting to retreat and find a different location to disembark the empire found that elvish ships had been moved into position to cut them off. While the imperial armada had been divided up, it was still larger than the elvish fleets and attempted to either breach the cities defenses or break through the elvish blockade. That is when the dragons stepped in to crush the imperial forces once and for all! The empire succeeded in killing every dragon but Utashus and destroyed all elvish and avian ships that opposed them. However, the elves managed to hold the cities and, with only an eighth of their armada remaining, the Ha-Ress were forced to abandon the Rashben Providence for good.
The Age of Chaos: Sheer outrage erupted across the human lands as they learned the Illamine had betrayed the empire. Unfortunately, these humans had already lost their armies during their attack on the Kingdom of Drake and could do nothing to retaliate. Imperial loyalists fought with kingdoms that sought to follow the elves’ example and declare independence from the empire. For their part, the Illamine conquered any realms that sympathized with the Ha-Ress. It should have been a golden time for the elves, but it wasn’t.
The Sereama Council quickly learned the Kingdom of Drake had abandoned them to fight the empire along its eastern border, with only Utashus staying to aid them, and Utashus offered to only protect traditional elvish lands without doing anything to help conquer the remaining human ones. This conquest didn’t go quite as planned either with elvish forces taking considerable casualties while crushing imperial sympathizers. In the end, a fair number of human kingdoms within the Rashben Region never came under Illamine control much to the council’s chagrin.
Unfortunately, time was not on the Illamine’s side. Humans have a much faster life cycle than elves do and in less then a century the independent kingdoms’ populations (and armies) had returned to their imperial levels. This also proved true for the human slaves in territories the elves had conquered. Receiving weapons from kingdoms such as Lareder, the slaves revolted with greater frequency, and putting them down cost more and more elvish lives. The kingdoms also engaged in border clashes with the Illamine in growing severity.
Then in an instant everything fell apart. Large scale revolts occurred across all the territories conquered by the Illamine. The elves attempted to put down the revolts with their highly skilled military, but the sheer number of revolting humans was more than they could handle. Terrified the humans would overwhelm their masters and destroy their nation, the Sereama Council ordered its forces to return to Illamine Forest and drive all humans from traditionally elvish lands in what became known as The Great Purge.
The purge swamped many human realms with more people than they could manage, and Prince Treshnan of Coronas attempted to use his small army to stop the slave dumping on his lands. The Illamine easily crushed Coronas’ forces and continued their operation until it was completed. This act was followed by protective measures designed to maintain the obedience of slaves the elves still had control of and fortifying traditional borders.
The success of the purge saved the Illamine from total destruction and spared the elves from getting entwined in the chaos of human conflicts that enveloped the Rashben Region as their lost territories turned into the Wild Lands. Ironically, this chaos turned out to be beneficial to the elves who played politics with the new human city-states and kept them at war with each other, thus preventing them from amassing any true power. Peace once again returned to the Illamine as no human monarch would dare risk losing their newly acquired territory by angering a much larger neighbor, and what followed was a period of stability that lasted for centuries. During which time a new generation of elves emerged to enjoy the tranquility that their lands had to offer.
The Current Era: As time passed, the Illamine lost interest in what was happening in human lands and stopped paying attention to their warlike neighbors. So, it came as quite a surprise when King Setsin of Lareder emerged from the chaos and attacked the Illamine’s Wild Landish allies. Apparently, the kingdom had grown quite large and felt bold enough to attempt to cut the strings of the Illamine’s puppets.
So, the Sereama Council rallied their military to punish the upstart, but the tables had turned for elvish military might. The new generation of troops didn’t have nearly the combat skill of their predecessors. Meanwhile, Lareder had fought repeated battles against the Wild Landers and built a strong kingdom with experienced troops. Thus, the elvish troops were soundly defeated when they fought against Lareder’s army.
This defeat encouraged humans from other lands to follow Lareder’s example and, soon, all of the Illamine’s allies were under heavy attack. Since the humans were no longer afraid of Illamine troops, the elves couldn’t cross through human territories to aid their scattered allies. Angry, but powerless, the Sereama Council reluctantly abandoned them to their fates.
Soon, the Illamine was faced with direct territorial assaults from both Coronas and Lareder. A long war developed between the nations involved, and the Illamine was on the losing end of it. Fortunately, Utashus decided to aid the elves and crushed the invading forces. Not willing to lose their realms the kings of Coronas and Lareder both discontinued further invasion attempts. While occasional skirmishes and land grabbing continued between both sides, peace returned for a time.
Unfortunately, new human countries developed, and the Illamine had to deal with deadly challenges from both Sibeia and Quayan. Sibeia struck first with a devastatingly powerful army that combined magic and arms with a skill unseen since the time of the Ha-Ress. The Illamine’s border defenses were no match for the Sibeian invasion, which captured large tracks of territory and enslaved all elves who opposed them.
Fearing the rebirth of the Ha-Ress, the Sereama Council gathered all of the Illamine’s forces including the avians in their sky ships and Utashus the dragon. While the elves fought valiantly, in the end, Sibeia succeeded in crushing their army, destroying most of its airships and forcing Utashus to flee for his life!
However, while the Illamine’s forces failed to achieve victory on land, it proved to have much better luck engaging Sibeia in an attack by sea. Sibeia’s naval capabilities were pathetic and the elvish navy joined the nymphs in wreaking havoc among the villages, towns, cities, and rivers along Sibeia’s northern coast. This action caused Sibeia to recall its army to protect its homeland, allowing the Illamine to reclaim much of its taken territory.
Many elves hoped the war with Sibeia would be the last conflict between the Illamine and human lands. However, the humans weren’t quite willing to embrace a lasting peace just yet. To the south, a new enemy emerged from the kingdom of Quayan. While the Quayan army wasn’t as lethal as Sibeia’s, it was still more than capable of defeating what few troops the Illamine had left to throw against it.
The Quayans moved quickly into Illamine territory, conquering lands and enslaving elves. Hoping to slow the Quayans’ advance, the Sereama Council ordered the navy to attack the kingdoms Wild Landish providence and force them to withdraw their forces in a similar fashion to Sibeia. What the council didn’t realize is that the Quayan navy was much larger and more skilled than Sibeia’s. In a series of naval battles between the Illamine and Quayan, neither side was able to claim victory over the other. This left the elves with little chance to drive the Quayans’ military forces away.
Desperate to save their beleaguered nation, members of the Sereama Council devised one last plan to stop the Quayans. Gathering the avians two remaining sky ships, the council ordered every last mage in Sereama to board them and instigate a bold magic attack on the Quayan capital of Moraz. Quayan had no aerial defenses and the sky ships arrived above the city without incident. The mages whipped up a maelstrom of destructive sorcery and unleashed it on the helpless city. Over half of Moraz was destroyed that day, including King Atrines and the royal family. Satisfied with the completion of their mission, the mages returned to Sereama.
The attack on the Quayan capital caused an immediate end to its invasion of the Illamine. Quayan troops relinquished much of their territory and, in the end, only a small piece of elvish land was taken. Against overwhelming odds, the Illamine succeeded in surviving the Quayan onslaught and fortified its southern border against the new enemy.
To this day, the Illamine continues to endure, but many countries now view it as being in its twilight years. While members embrace the tranquility within their lands, the enemies that exist outside their borders have become increasingly more powerful, and it is only a matter of time before the Illamine must either engage them or be swept away into history.
The Kingdom of Sire:
Government:
Aristocracy
Official Ruler:
The Chaos King
Capital:
Kings Holm
Official Races:
Humans, Hobgoblins, Oni, Harpies, Satta
Enemies
Land:
Sire is not known for being a terribly hospitable country. Its northern region is wasteland, and its western region is mountainous. Forests, lakes, and rivers exist primarily in the southeast. Dark orange clouds perpetually cover the sky over Sire, giving a dark ambiance to the land. With the exception of its northern border, Sire is surrounded almost entirely by water.
Society:
Military:
Army:
Navy:
Sire’s economy is driven by its marine activity, and its navy is large enough to protect those interests. When a country decides to attack Sire, it’s usually by sea. The satta dominating their navy are quite skilled and have done an excellent job at defending their kingdom. Still, they are primarily a defensive force and have never conducted major offensive maneuvers against an enemy.
Aerial:
Zyvox the black dragon is considered to be a noble lord and ally of the Chaos King. Should the need arise, he will protect the kingdom against any that would threaten it. On a somewhat smaller scale, the kingdom’s harpies have adequately inspired terror from above on its enemies.
History:
The Ha-Ress Empire: Sire is a kingdom with very old origins that date back to the Ha-Ress Empire’s period of expansion. During that time, a mighty and evil demigod named Ventran ruled as king and used his tremendous powers to oppress his people and torment their enemies. Enjoying widespread support, the Slayer led imperial forces into battle and sought to end King Ventran’s reign of terror. The fighting was brutal, with many lives lost, but it eventually ended with the demigod sealing himself in an enchanted underground vault where the Slayer couldn’t get him. The Ha-Ress mages turned the vault into a tomb by casting spells to ensure he could never escape thus bringing an end to the conflict.
The Age of Chaos: The port cities of Sire were one of the first to fall to the Illamine’s Friendly Invasion, and their rulers were put to the sword by the elves, who then had to defend their new lands against the Ha-Ress armada. The elves had difficulty ruling Sire due to an evil that tinged the land and plagued it with all sorts of sinister creatures and monsters. A powerful elvish archmage named Ekadis traced this evil back to the place where King Ventran was sealed and realized that the spells which kept him imprisoned were failing. Attempting to restore the spells Ekadis was forced to abandon her task when the humans of Sire rebelled against their elvish masters.
Sire shattered into various warring city-states called Wild Lands, which saw the rise and fall of a variety of different nobles. One of these nobles was Count Barbon, a vampire who’d lost his lands and desperately wanted them back. Having fought to drive Ekadis from his former realm, he knew the elves had located where King Ventran was sealed and decided to release the demigod in exchange for the return of his former home.
Dreaming of the day he could finally enact his vengeance upon the Ha-Ress, King Ventran went mad when he learned the empire had already collapsed. Unable to cope with the fact he’d never get his revenge, the Chaos King convinced himself the empire never existed. He then enlisted the aid of Count Barbon and other sinister individuals to reestablish the Kingdom of Sire. While this was done with ruthless efficiency, the Chaos King is a man lost in time and can’t differentiate between his former and current kingdoms. He often refers to his current nobles with the names and identities of their long dead predecessors and obsesses over the political situation of his first kingdom, thinking those events are still relevant today.
The Current Era: Ironically, most of Sire’s neighbors approve of its current state. The Chaos King has trouble thinking in terms of the here and now, preferring not to engage with the nations that exist today. While his nobles brutally oppress the peasant class, they are also more focused on internal power struggles than external ones. This suits their neighbors just fine since they’d rather have a weak evil kingdom on their doorstep than a strong one.
The Wild Lands:
Government:
Varies
Rulers:
King Avix Kretler the Bald, The Assembly of Nobles, Chief Grandgir, Multiple Warlords
Cities:
Vale, Shallowshore
Official Races:
Humans, Centaurs, Satta
Enemies
Major:
Quayan
Minor:
The Illamine, Sire
Land:
The Wild Lands are dominated by the Endless Plains which are a vast expanse of flat even grassland. Its southern border leads into Sire’s wastelands while its western and eastern coasts touch the Casadian Ocean and Manata Gulf.
Society:
The residents of the Wild Lands reside primarily along its coasts in small, independent territories run by mostly corrupt local rulers and warlords while centaurs rule the vast stretch of plains between them. Each territory routinely engages in war with its neighbors in an attempt to eventually become a large kingdom. These wars invoke patriotic fervor among the land’s youth, but a resigned sadness exists among their elders. While coastal territories have been able to achieve a small degree of prosperity, much of the Wild Lands’ interior remains impoverished, with centaurs dispensing justice as they see fit. Crime is high, and strong amounts of forbidden magic exist among spellcasters who can easily convince authorities to look the other way. Mercenaries, adventurers, and bandits often journey to the Wild Lands to either fight or loot the many ruins that exist there.
Military:
Army:
Navy:
While much of the Wild Lands’ economy is driven by its marine activity, the coastal city-states surprisingly have almost no official naval ships. Instead, they have won the allegiance of local pirates. This has proved to be a mutually beneficial relationship because, in exchange for leaving Wild Lander marine activity alone, the pirates can attack larger kingdoms’ merchant vessels and retreat to the safety of Wild Landish ports. While this arrangement does little to stop an invading enemy, it aids in a quick economic restoration once the conflict has been resolved.
History:
The emergence of the Wild Lands happened virtually overnight. Towards the end of the Illamine’s occupation of former imperial territory, multiple human realms sought freedom from their elvish masters. Since the human population vastly outnumbered the elvish forces, resistance groups formed and rallied large numbers of fighters to their ranks. Soon, a massive revolution occurred across the human lands, which drove the elves from power. What emerged in the aftermath were the Wild Lands.
The Wild Lands were made up primarily of human warlords who had taken over abandoned elvish fortifications and proceeded to expand their own influence though the conquest of their neighbors. If any warlord ever got too powerful, the marginally engaged Illamine would aid his enemies and ensure a new nation would never form. So, the Wild Lands endured in this fashion for well over a century.
Eventually, things changed among the northern portions of the Wild Lands. City-states had greater access to resources and were able to establish stable governments. The kingdom of Lareder had successfully broken the Illamine’s conflict provoking abilities and, soon, the growth of large stable kingdoms began.
Southern city-states, on the other hand, could get very little from their land and remained impoverished and warlike. It didn’t take long before the northern countries no longer considered themselves to be Wild Landers. When their kingdoms grew, the Wild Lands shrunk. The Kingdom of Celes had already conquered the eastern half of the Wild Lands and declared it to be part of its Royal Coast providence. In the west Vale became the last city-state to maintain its independence. When Coronas laid siege to it King Hecha the half elf stood defiant with supplies from the Illamine keeping his people alive. This lasted until an uprising from lands to the north forced the Coronasian army to withdraw from the Wild Lands.
The uprising turned into the birth of the Kingdom of Quayan which marched across the Endless Plains and conquered almost all of the Royal Coast. Cut off from the rest of Celes the duke of Shallowshore was overthrown by the cities wealthy elite who then formed the Assembly of Nobles. With this act the Wild Lands stabilized into the realm it is today.
Unfortunately, Quayan wasn’t satisfied with the lands it conquered and wanted more. King Atrines ordered his armies to take the Wild Lands and expand his realm, and they set about the task with zeal. Prepared to invade Shallowshore by sea the Assembly of Nobles learned of their plans from satta pirates and hired them to slow their advance while they booked passage to flee the city. By the time the Quayan’s arrived the city’s wealthy and powerful had escaped leaving their people to surrender. The warlords outside Shallowshore attempted to lay siege to the city and contain the Quayan threat, but then the Quayan army moved in from the north. The warlords didn’t have enough troops to both hold the siege and stave off an invasion and were subsequently defeated in battle.
To the west King Hecha attempted to hold off a Quayan invasion by rallying the warlords and centaurs under his banner. The problem is that the warlords were reluctant to do so. Leprechauns from the Illamine had bribed the king to put a heavy tax on all goods the warlord’s peasants brought to the market in Vale. Soon it became cheaper to buy imported goods from the Illamine then anything the warlords could offer. To make matters worse King Hecha used the money to hire Chief Thresador’s centaurs to attack the warlords. Needless to say, the warlords refused to work with the centaurs thus making any sort of alliance difficult.
That is when King Atrines made an offer the warlords couldn’t refuse. If they agreed to turn on Vale, he would make them nobles when a new Quayan providence was established and allow them to keep their lands. The warlords agreed, and when Vale hosted a summit to unite the various factions the warlords killed King Hecha, Chief Thresador, and gutted the city. Afterwards the warlords offered Vale to the advancing Quayan army who promptly executed every last one of them once they took control.
Many thought that this was the end of the Wild Lands. However, holding the territory was proving difficult for Quayan. Lack of resources and hostile inhabitants meant paying more for troops to keep order in lands that offered no real financial benefit. The profits from the coastal city-states were less than half of what was necessary to control the Wild Lands as a whole. Seeking a viable way to maintain control of the Wild Lands, Quayan attempted to invade and plunder the Illamine. The invasion ended in a spectacular defeat for Quayan that plunged the kingdom into civil war.
Seeing an opportunity, the members of the Assembly of Nobles crept back into the Wild Lands and either became warlords or financed them to overthrow the Quayans. As this was happening the centaurs began raiding towns and villages knowing that the kingdom no longer had the troops necessary to exact retribution. Vale too rose up. Losing trade from the Illamine had devastated its economy and overthrowing their Quayan lord was the first step in restoring those ties.
So, the Wild Lands remain as they are. Currently, a former warlord named King Bald rules Vale in the west with both strength and wisdom as he maintains a trade and military alliance with the Illamine. In the east, Shallowshore is once again ruled by The Assembly of Nobles and antagonizing both these city-states from the Wild Lands impoverished interior are the centaurs, led by Chief Grandgir and an assortment of different warlords.
The Current Era
The Chapskin Empire:
Government:
Monarchy
Ruler:
Emperor Thorn Smoothstone
Capital:
Cloud Spire
Official Races:
Dwarves, Humans
Enemies:
Major:
Sibeia
Minor:
Celes, Lareder
Land:
A series of large and expansive mountain ranges dominate much of the Chapskin Empire, with picturesque evergreen forests that extend from the mountains bases into numerous lush valleys. These forests also expand beyond the empire to encompass the lands of its western neighbors. Multiple lakes and rivers entwine themselves among the towering peaks, providing pure mountain water for those desiring to quench their thirst. Known by natives as the Crimson Ranges, the mountains contain a high number of creatures more than willing to spill an innocent’s blood. To the north of the empire is the cold and harsh Tsaric Sea, while more temperate waters exist in the western Manata Gulf.
Society:
There are few societies in the world where two large and powerful races can coexist peacefully within the same government. So, it’s surprising to see how the dwarves and humans managed to pull it off almost effortlessly. Against the harsh environment within the empire these two races have formed a brotherhood that shows no signs of deteriorating.
Part of this cozy relationship has to deal with the humans adopting many of the dwarvish practices. Human men all have facial hair of some sort, and women are restricted to only a domestic lifestyle. Because humans have a much shorter lifecycle than the dwarves an almost paternal relationship has formed among them. This has not been lost on the dwarves who have been slowly relinquishing direct rule over their human subjects for decades.
Of course, by assimilating much of the dwarven practices, humans have also accepted many of their cultural shortcomings as well. Magical studies are nearly nonexistent within the empire, and marine activity is very low.
There are also just some differences that can’t be overcome. Dwarves live deep beneath the mountains crafting superior items and designing cities that are architectural masterpieces. Humans prefer to live above ground, harvesting lumber and growing crops. The two races have learned to complement each other and benefit the empire as a whole.
Military:
Army:
The imperial army is a devastating force to behold. Often, the dwarves will don black paint and beat war drums to signal their fearlessness in battle. To maximize each races’ strength, the dwarves fight enemies within the mountains while humans handle any problems on the surface. Imperial troops are equipped with high quality weapons and armor and know how to use them. They are highly experienced in combat, fighting against internal threats such as the vast assortment of creatures that plague the empire (dragons, orcs, troglodytes, goblins, etc.), as well as powerful invaders (Sibeia). To this end, imperial troops have become very organized, tough, and skilled. The only weakness in the imperial army’s might is they are almost totally consumed with defending the empire. They rarely have the time to engage in offensive maneuvers and have had little success in expanding imperial influence.
Navy:
The dwarves of the Chapskin Empire have always been suspicious of water. Their bodies are not designed for swimming, so they’ve never put much money into developing a navy. This has led to a fleet of ships disproportionately small for the amount of water they must protect. Exclusively run by humans, the navy has had a difficult time protecting the empire’s small merchant fleet. A fact that has not been lost on pirates, who actively seek out the empire’s poorly protected merchant vessels.
Aerial:
Dwarves don’t do well on horses, and the empires rough terrain makes cavalry difficult. So, to assist ground troops and protect the skies over the empire, an Imperial Wing Brigade was created. The brigade consists of humans riding large birds called Thyfur, which are trained for combat. This unit has been very effective in supporting ground troops. It also has been victorious in almost every aerial conflict that involved the empire.
History:
The Chapskin Empire was born from the embers of the Kingdom of Drake. As dragons abandoned their crumbling realm, a dwarvish adventurer named Rage Chapskin journeyed across the land fighting against a resurgence of underground races and monsters that targeted formerly enslaved dwarves and humans. After participating in a number of conflicts, Rage realized that, while the dwarves were on equal footing with other underground races, the humans no longer had the combat experience necessary to defend themselves. When the Kingdom of Drake collapsed, they would be slaughtered by the land’s hostile inhabitants unless something was done.
So, Rage took it upon himself to try and save the humans any way he could. Returning to his clan, he worked his way through the ranks until he became chief. During which time, the Kingdom of Drake did indeed collapse, and monsters assaulted the humans with zeal. Rage saw what was happening and rallied the Chapskin clan to defend a nearby human valley from being crushed by invading orcs.
The defeat of the orcs signified the beginnings of the Chapskin Empire. Grateful for what the dwarves had done, the humans offered food and lumber in exchange for continued protection. The Chapskin clan accepted this arrangement and put the humans under their protectorate. The additional resources the humans provided proved to increase the clan’s strength and wealth. Realizing the potential for amassing great power, Rage spread the Chapskin clan’s services to other valleys in need.
While the Chapskin clan was the first to begin major expansion, it found other dwarvish clans that followed their example. Great wars were fought over control of the valleys. Fortunately, the Chapskin clan had the advantage in being larger than its competitors. One after another, the dwarvish clans were either crushed by the Chapskins or united with them. When Rage passed away, his son took control of not just a clan but a fledgling empire.
As the empire continued to grow, its human citizens became resentful of dwarvish rule, and rebellions occurred in a number of valleys. Instead of taking direct action against the rebels, Emperor Rage II took a more imaginative approach. Should a valley of humans start a rebellion, the dwarves would simply claim it no longer under their protection. The dwarves would then advertise to various monsters about the valleys predicament and provide food and weapons to any creatures that decided to attack it. Needless to say, a rebelling valley was soon overrun with monsters and pledged unwavering loyalty to the empire if the dwarves saved them. Through this means, the humans became loyal to the empire and assimilated much of its culture.
As the empire expanded throughout the Crimson Ranges, it grew more and more efficient in the art of war. The monsters within the empire had never encountered a civilization that actually embraced fighting against them. In fact, the imperial army was far more effective than anything the dragons had done to subdue the warlike races. So, the monsters avoided the empire and its denizens. Instead, they moved deeper underground and increasingly waged war amongst themselves.
When the monster occurrences dwindled, the empire’s expansion drastically increased. In time, all the Crimson Ranges fell under imperial control, and peace reigned throughout the lands. During this time of peace, Emperor Ironbones grew ambitious. He knew his armies were highly skilled and couldn’t let such a lethal force go to waste. So, after careful planning, the empire decided to expand its borders beyond the Crimson Ranges and, for the first time, came into conflict with foreign countries.
In the Rashben Region, the Wild Lands encompassed wide swaths of territory. These battle-hardened humans had been fighting each other for generations. So, when the dwarves fell upon them, they refused to relinquish their lands easily. Initially, the dwarves did very well against the Wild Landers until they came to the end of the evergreen forest. It’s when they ventured out onto the plains that they met their end. Wild Landish cavalry ripped through the slow-moving dwarvish ranks and, much to the empire’s humiliation, a handful of Wild Landish city-states had successfully defeated them.
Embarrassed at the empire’s defeat, Emperor Ironbones devised new tactics for dealing with the Wild Landers. Deciding the best approach was to fight fire with fire, the emperor enlisted and trained human soldiers from within his own realm. Eager to have a chance at greater equality, the humans quickly joined the imperial army. As the emperor had hoped, the ranks within his troops soon swelled to new heights. To counter problems with cavalry, the emperor created the Imperial Wing Brigade, which was made up of humans riding thyfur capable of scaring horses and dropping spiked balls on their riders.
When the empire plunged into the Wild Lands for a second time, the results were clearly different. The imperial troops crushed the pathetic city-states that stood before it and pushed back the eastern border of the Wild Lands. Unfortunately, the empire never advanced into the heart of the Wild Lands. A simultaneous assault on kingdoms outside the Rashben Region proved to be much more difficult for the dwarves and defeating them became a greater priority.
Still the empire had conquered a large track of land within the Rashben Region. They also ruled it much more harshly than territories within the Crimson Ranges. This left many of their new subjects with mixed emotions. While they enjoyed the peace the empire provided, they resented being ruled by foreigners. So, they waited for their chance to regain their freedom.
That chance came from within the empire itself. The monsters that hid underground from the dwarves for so long now rose to attack its interior. With imperial troops away fighting foreign powers, the monsters wreaked untold devastation and were bold enough to even attack the capital itself. Awestruck by the chaos that now resided within the Crimson Ranges, Emperor Ironbones called for the immediate return of all imperial forces, leaving only a skeletal defense for their new holdings.
So, when the military returned home, the empire’s enemies took full advantage of the situation. In the Rashben Region, King Feltnor of Lareder attacked the Rashben Imperial Providence and seized a sizable chunk of territory. In reply to this action, the empire engaged Lareder in a small-scale war, which eventually ended with halting the kingdom’s expansionist policies, but not until after it had divided the providence into northern and southern halves. It was a blemish to Emperor Rumblerock’s standing, and one his rivals did not forget.
Soon calls for rebellion emerged elsewhere. While these calls were ignored by the empire’s northern territory, the citizens of the Southern Imperial Providence took the call for action to heart and started a revolution of their own. The empire struggled to deal with the rebellion since the area wasn’t surrounded by mountains and inviting monsters to attack it would just cut off the land from the rest of the empire. So, the dwarves engaged in another small-scale war, and lost. The territory achieved independence and became the kingdom of Celes. An act that many dwarves blamed on their incompetent emperor.
After a while, things calmed for the empire. While the monsters weren’t completely subdued, they were kept in check, and stability was restored so long as the empire remained within the Crimson Ranges. So, Emperor Rumblerock turned his attention towards reconstruction and societal development. This lasted for years until Sibeia rose to power.
Sibeia was a northern country that had developed a skill in mixing war and magic. Taking note of this was Duke Fergalt a human who ruled the empire’s Northern Imperial Providence. The dukes’ lands were being repeatedly raided by orcs and bandits. These raids were going unanswered due to a lack of troops. When Duke Fergalt requested help from the emperor he was rebuffed. Stung by his lack of influence and knowing his lands would be an easy target for his stronger neighbors Duke Fergalt went to Sibeia and offered his providence in exchange for becoming one of that nation’s rulers. Sabotaging imperial troops, the duke secured Sibeia’s quick conquest and left the empires soldiers totally unprepared for defending the newly formed western border.
When Sibeia successfully invaded the Crimson Ranges, the dwarves became truly enraged. Never in the history of the empire had anyone from the Rashben Region taken one of their mountains! Emperor Rumblerock was viewed as weak and overthrown by rival dwarvish clans. Civil war soon broke out, which threatened to destroy the empire once and for all.
One dwarf, though, refused to let that happen. Thorn Smoothstone, the commander of Rashben imperial forces, knew Sibeia had taken heavy casualties during its war against the empire. While initially victorious, their occupation forces had to contend with bloodthirsty underground races and monsters that drained their numbers as they rose to challenge them. With the dwarves busy fighting each other, Thorn rallied together his human soldiers and drove Sibeia from the mountains. After which, he led his men in retaking the ranges and pushing their enemies back underground.
Seeing him as an obvious choice for emperor, the humans of the Chapskin Empire united behind Thorn and thrust him into the race for the throne. While the Smoothstone clan was small, it represented an honorable faction of the dwarvish community and pushed for Thorn to take the crown. Fearing Thorn’s popularity, the other clans eventually gave in and agreed to place him on the throne. This meant that, for the first time in its long history, the empire has come under the rule of a new dynasty. Emperor Thorn takes his position very seriously and has worked hard to keep the empire in a position of strength. Whether this strength can last, though, remains to be seen.
The Kingdom of Lareder
Government:
Monarchy
Ruler:
Crown Prince Regent Ovar Malaton IV
Capital:
Laren
Official Race:
Humans
Enemies:
Major:
Sibeia
Moderate:
Quayan
Minor:
The Illamine, The Chapskin Empire
Land:
Society:
Military:
Army:
History:
Lareder’s history is dictated by cunning rulers who strategically used their resources to expand the kingdom into what it is today. When the Ha-Ress were defeated in battle and Rashben kingdoms had to decide between loyalty to the empire or declaring independence, King Paltrus chose independence and thus spared his realm from threat of conquest by the Illamine. Wary of how the elves had defeated their neighbors and virtually surrounded them, King Paltrus sought to build a strong army to defend his realm and worked his peasants mercilessly, making them pay heavy taxes with little leniency. The only relief from this horrible burden was to join the army and fight for no other reason than to escape the harsh peasant life. Soon, Lareder’s army grew and became quite strong for its size.
Feeling secure in his kingdom’s defenses, King Setsin stirred up trouble for the Illamine by offering refuge to escaped human slaves and giving them weapons and money if they returned to their master’s lands with the intent of starting a revolution. This act was met with great success and contributed to the wide scale revolts that eventually caused the elves to withdraw from human territories in an act that created the Wild Lands.
The question of expansion came next. Early on, King Setsin realized that while the Illamine no longer controlled their human slaves they still provoked strife within the Wild Lands and had a number of shifting allegiances with various city-states. The king recorded the elves’ diplomatic practices and decided the best way to combat them was to first conquer those city-states that refused to have anything to do with the Illamine or their allies. Once the conquered city-states became a part of Lareder, the kingdom would be strong enough to deal with the elves’ puppets.
A series of small wars soon erupted and, with every city-state that, fell Lareder grew stronger. Unfortunately, these independent city-states were intermixed with ones who were allied with the elves. Successfully controlling them meant continually sending troops through territory Lareder didn’t own. This would have been impossible for Lareder to accomplish for any length of time. So, in a difficult decision, King Setsin decided to engage his troops in battle against the Illamine’s puppets in the hope of quickly uniting the area under his rule.
Much to his surprise, the king was successful in defeating the elvish puppets that had divided up his recently conquered territories. This was due in part to the city-state’s arrogance in being allied with the elves, and the Illamine’s slow response in providing enough support to their puppets. Realizing that Lareder was headed towards becoming a regional power the Illamine gathered its army together to crush the kingdom before it became too big of a problem.
This notion wasn’t lost on King Setsin, who proceeded to enslave his conquered enemies and use them to fortify his realm’s defenses. Lareder also called out to the surrounding city-states to join the kingdom in battle against the Illamine. While the city-states’ rulers refused to commit to an imminent battle their citizens did not and quickly swarmed in to fill Lareder’s military ranks.
When the battle finally arrived, a hard-fought conflict ensued between the Illamine and Lareder. Amazingly enough, the skill of Lareder’s troops and the punishing labor put on its subjects finally paid off. The kingdom stood victorious against the Illamine and, from that moment on, the elves would do nothing to stop Lareder’s expansion into the Wild Lands. The future kings of Lareder rejoiced in this fact and proceeded to expand their realm.
The kingdom soon expanded east, devouring all in its wake and subjugating those it defeated to a harsh life of enslavement and heavy taxation. It wasn’t until Lareder came to the Chapskin Empire’s Rashben providence that it halted. The empire was a massive foreign entity King Feltnor was unsure about provoking. Sending spies into the imperial territory, Lareder’s king soon realized the people of that land were unhappy with imperial control, which had waned due to a massive troop movement back into the Crimson Ranges.
Emboldened with this information, Lareder began an all-out assault on the empire’s providence and succeeded in taking the middle portion of it thanks in part to a peasant revolt. The empire responded by sending forth a small army in a vain attempt to maintain its territory. Years of war ensued and, in the end, the empire could not retake its lost land, but it managed to keep Lareder from expanding into its newly divided northern and southern providences.
The war’s conclusion had finally wound down Lareder’s offensive capabilities and made it vulnerable to attack. Wild Landers from the north and south invaded the kingdom, and while they were repulsed, they still managed to leave a mass of destruction in their wake. Tired of hardship, and seeing the military was preoccupied with external threats the people of Lareder revolted against King Feltnor and replaced him with a more benevolent ruler.
King Ovar I focused on strengthening the kingdom over expanding it. He reduced taxation and encouraged cultural development. Recognizing Lareder needed secure borders, he ceased any further conflict with the empire and left the Illamine alone. To the south, he encouraged the growth of new kingdoms by supporting the rise of Celes and Coronas. Once a stable boundary was established between the friendly southern nations, Lareder could continue its conquest of Wild Landers to the north.
Of course, in order to earn Coronas and Celes as its allies, Lareder had to involve itself in their politics. Neither kingdom would have ever even achieved a government if Lareder hadn’t handpicked their rulers and donated enough money and troops to help pacify their neighbors. This aid provided legitimacy and strength to the newly formed monarchies. When Coronas and Celes expanded to the point they bordered each other, King Ovar I encouraged them to expand southward. This prevented the two countries from engaging in conflict with each other.
While influential in their development, Lareder learned very quickly it didn’t always have control over Coronas or Celes. King Harath of Coronas had a vendetta and instigated a war against the elves. King Espare was originally apprehensive about joining Coronas in the conflict, but when he learned of the younger kingdom’s early successes in battle, he decided to join them and wound up taking a nice piece of Illamine territory. It wasn’t until the Illamine’s pet dragon Utashus got involved that both kingdoms halted their advance. King Espare wasn’t particularly interested in having his army crushed, and King Harath seemed content with the territory he held.
Much to Lareder’s relief, Celes preferred to take on the southern Wild Lands over challenging the empire. Once Celes had its roots established, it seldom involved Lareder in any of its affairs. While Lareder would have preferred a more active role in Celes’ government, it was satisfied enough in having a stable southern border.
So, with its borders secure, Lareder proceeded to conquer the northern Wild Lands. To this end, they were quite successful until they came across the newly formed country of Sibeia. While impressed another country could emerge on its own from the chaos of the Wild Lands, King Verand wanted to have access to the Tsaric Sea, and Sibeia stood in his way. So, in typical fashion, Lareder sent its armies to crush the upstart and secure passage to the seashore. Surprisingly enough…they failed.
Sibeia had created an army that infused magic with combat to create a truly mighty fighting force to behold. Headed by the White Knights, these individuals had the power to accurately guess an enemy’s battle tactics. Against unbelievable odds, the knights filled their troops with hope and led them into repeated victories against Lareder.
Shocked by Sibeia’s resistance, Lareder unleashed its full military might against them. What followed was a long bloody war that ended with Sibeia being able to successfully repel Lareder’s advances. With its offensive forces spent, Lareder temporarily ended its attacks against the smaller nation. What King Verand didn’t realize was Sibeia had no intention of stopping a war it had clearly won.
Soon, Sibeia invaded northern Lareder and scattered the kingdom’s defenses to the winds. Mages destroyed local fortifications, and the White Knights led their troops in for the kill, taking full advantage of Lareder’s inability to deal with their unique tactics. The only advantage Lareder had was its size. Sibeia’s advances into the kingdom were slowed due to the small size of its army in comparison with Lareder’s territory, but it dictated where and when a conflict would take place, which was a frightening proposition for Lareder’s king.
Desperate to repel the invaders, King Ovar II called on Coronas and Celes to aid in defeating its enemy. To Lareder’s disgust, the two kingdoms refused to provide aid. King Deltrum of Coronas refused on the grounds of Lareder’s cruel slave holding practices, and King Lotrel of Celes refused because of recent problems with the new kingdom of Quayan. Since slavery had been the backbone for Lareder’s economy, it refused to relinquish the institution and, instead, tried to fight it out with Sibeia.
What followed were a string of defeats for Lareder and an even greater loss of land. Desperate to stop the Sibeian advance, King Ovar II returned to Coronas and Celes, pleading for their aid. Seeing their parent country humbled before them, King Matrone of Coronas and King Spizer of Celes forced Lareder into signing the Three Kingdoms’ Pact. This pact ended slavery in Lareder and tied the three kingdoms together in mutual defense of each other’s territory from opposing powers through either military or financial aid.
With the pact signed and slaves freed in Lareder, the three kingdoms engaged in war with Sibeia. While Sibeia’s military prowess was exemplary, the sheer numbers of the three kingdoms’ armies was enough to drive them back to their most fortified positions within the territory they conquered. Sibeia held their new territory but expanded no further for quite some time. Shortly afterward, the troops from Coronas and Celes returned to their homelands.
Today, Lareder is less than half its size from the time when its power was unquestioned. Its army is focused almost solely on defending against Sibeia, and its contribution to the Three Kingdoms’ Pact continues to shrink. This has not stopped Prince Ovar IV from finding ways to go after his arch rival. When a Mage Lord named Hatch asked the prince for help in financing a revolution he gladly agreed. While the revolt failed it still made Sibeia focus on internal security and put any schemes it had against Lareder on hold.
Sibeia
Government:
Oligarchy
Rulers:
The Six Lords of Sibeia
Heredity:
Golden, Harvest, Market
Ability:
Mage, Warrior, Slave
Capital:
The Sovereign Citadel
Official Race:
Humans
Enemies:
Major:
The Illamine, Lareder, The Chapskin Empire
Moderate:
Coronas, Celes
Land:
Society:
Sibeia is by far the most powerful human country in the Rashben Region. Its people take pride in this accomplishment and boast of fearing no enemies. Many believe that much of their nation’s greatness comes from its former ties to the Ha-Ress Empire. Whether this is true or not is subject to debate.
Magic and slavery both have a strong role in Sibeian society. Mages of all types have honed their trade to perfection, making Sibeia a center for all humans skilled in the mystic arts. Numerous conquests by the military have given Sibeia a huge reservoir of slaves to work the land and build a mighty nation.
Military:
Army:
There is no force in the Rashben Region more lethal than that of Sibeia’s army. The number of combat ready troops is larger than any other single country can produce. These men are highly skilled in waging war against an enemy, and many carry lightly enchanted weapons into battle. Calvary riders, mages, and mystic war machines commonly intermix with the archers and regular troops. Battle strategies are based on the strong relationship between all those involved.
Sibeia’s military dominance relies a great deal on a magical edge over its enemies. White Knights use their mentalist powers to inspire trusat and confidence among the troops while invoking fear or ripping battle strategies from the minds of their enemies. The army’s mystic war machines have the power to cut through even the toughest of enemy formations.
Ironically enough, the army’s greatest weakness is its own reputation. None of Sibeia’s enemies would dare to attack a country with such devastating armed forces. Because of this, the army has almost no experience in defensive maneuvers. Should war ever be brought to Sibeia, its army’s reputation would truly be put to the test.
Navy:
Aerial:
History:
When the Ha-Ress Empire collapsed in the Rashben Region, its demise spread the seeds for what would later become the nation of Sibeia. Seeking to purge the lands of imperial sympathizers, the Illamine elves spared any human kingdom that declared its independence from the empire. Many kingdoms did just that, which didn’t sit well with the imperial loyalists. As the Illamine conquered human kingdoms to the south, the remains of loyalist troops under the leadership of Sir Cronstad regrouped and headed north in an attempt to establish a new base of operations. Gathering some of the empire’s fiercest soldiers, the loyalists became a force to be reckoned with.
While King Paltrus of Lareder had forged an army strong enough to make the loyalists think twice about advancing on his lands, the same could not be said for his neighbors. These poor kingdoms had used up their military might against the Kingdom of Drake and had to face a choice of either supporting the loyalists and be crushed by the Illamine or maintain their independence and be attacked by the loyalists. Punishing those who turned their back on the empire, Sir Cronstad overthrew traitorous kingdoms and attempted to restore imperial control. True to their word, the elves conquered any kingdom loyal to the empire and forced the loyalists to retreat further north.
Eventually, the elvish forces were stretched thin enough they could no longer go after the loyalists. Settling into an area that would become the center of Sibeia, the loyalists were soon joined by Xekatrim a battle mage who had gathered the empires remaining spell casters. Xekatrim told Sir Cronstad that the Ha-Ress Empire had fallen, and that they would have to think of a new way to live. Having already killed the land’s treacherous monarchs, Sir Cronstad wasn’t keen on simply finding new ones to take their place. Unfortunately, he and Xekatrim were also both reluctant to give up their positions, and they were afraid a fight for supremacy would leave whichever side won vulnerable to defeat by the Illamine.
Seeking a chance to establish a new order, a wealthy noble named Brinkswell left the city of Tennel and approached the two commanders. Offering a power sharing agreement, he suggested each man would gain dominion over their area of expertise with Brinkswell himself being put in charge of administering the newly conquered city as a triumvirate. Xekatrim was suspicious of the noble’s intentions and noted it would be easy for him to take on the role of king as time went on. So, to ensure no one got too much power, Sir Cronstad recommended restricting Brinkswells’ power to cities while the countryside would be administered by someone from an influential commoner’s background. Selecting a crippled old soldier named Gartis who wanted to help veterans become farmers these men became known as the Four Lords with the titles of warrior, mage, market, and harvest lord being bestowed upon them.
Aware of the Illamine’s efforts to wipe out imperial loyalists, the new warrior and mage lords worked closely together to protect their new homes from elvish wrath. This involved incorporating not only soldiers and spell casters, but also creating a hybrid unit of magic using spell casters called the White Knights. These units were brought up on imperial doctrine and awaited their chance to take the fight to the elves. Ironically, this fight was postponed as a wide-scale uprising in the human lands forced the elves to retreat back behind their traditional borders.
Soon, Sibeia found itself surrounded by the warlike city-states that made up the Wild Lands. While many of these city-states attacked Sibeia with the same ruthlessness as their neighbors, the Four Lords were surprised by how easily the White Knights could defeat them. Deciding it was time to go on the offense, Sibeia went to war with its neighbors and crushed them one by one. As their enemies fell, a conflict arose between the four lords over how to divide up the spoils of war. The rancor got so bad the new position of slave lord was created to manage both prisoners and treasure in a fair manner.
The first real challenge to Sibeia’s growth came from the kingdom of Lareder in the south. Lareder was one of the oldest human kingdoms in the region, whose army had successfully fought the Wild Landers, the Illamine, and the Chapskin Empire. Turning its attention northward, King Verand intended to take all the territory between it and the sea, which included Sibeia.
Fearing for their lives, the five lords attempted to end Lareder’s advance through diplomatic means while fortifying the defenses of their country. When King Verand refused an audience with their envoy, they prepared for invasion. Much to everyone’s surprise, when Lareder’s armies first advanced on Sibeia, they were soundly defeated by the warrior lord’s forces.
Humiliated at the defeat of his advance forces, King Verand brought the full might of his kingdom down on Sibeia. What followed was a long bloody war where the white knights valiantly led their troops into battle against Lareder’s army. While the ravages of war destroyed the Sibeian capital of Tennel and temporarily drove the five lords into hiding, against overwhelming odds, the white knights succeeded in defeating Lareder’s soldiers and removing them from Sibeian soil.
During a period of recovery, the five lords realized their forces inflicted significantly higher losses among Lareder’s troops than they had received and came to the understanding that, should they decide to attack Lareder, their forces would probably be able to take much of the kingdom’s northern holdings. So, with a thirst for vengeance, Sibeia summoned its army and invaded Lareder.
Lareder’s fortifications were woefully incapable of defending against the white knights. Every time Sibeia invaded the kingdom, it took more and more of Lareder’s territory. Only Lareder’s sheer size kept Sibeia from devouring it in one quick bite. However, with every invasion, Sibeia and its army grew larger and more fearsome. Before long, Lareder’s only advantage in troop numbers was negated, and its territory was quickly being consumed by Sibeia.
Eventually, Sibeia’s army grew powerful enough to engage Lareder in a war that should have crushed the kingdom once and for all. Unfortunately, King Ovar II had struck an alliance with the kingdoms of Coronas and Celes, and the combined might of the three kingdoms’ armies was strong enough to drive Sibeia back to its border fortifications and end the invasion of Lareder.
The war proved to be quite beneficial to the five lords, whose wealth had grown considerably. Realizing their army was strong enough to take on long established countries the lords had grown weary of conflict with Lareder, and sought a new opponent to fight. What they didn’t realize was that an opponent would actually seek them out first.
Watching the war between Sibeia and Lareder was Duke Fergalt the human ruler of the Chapskin Empire’s Northern Imperial Providence in the Rashben Region. The duke was intrigued by Sibeia’s use of multiple lords in ruling their nation. The empire had also concentrated its forces around the Crimson Ranges leaving outlying providences like his vulnerable to invasion. Afraid of becoming an easy conquest Duke Fergalt approached the five lords and offered them a deal where he would scatter the empire’s forces and provide information on nobles loyal to the emperor. In exchange, he would be given control of the area’s mines and a standing among the five lords. An agreement was reached, and the Golden Lord arranged for the quick and absolute conquest of the Northern Imperial Providence.
With the rapid and unexpected fall of their providence, the dwarves had no chance to create a new border defense for their empire. A fact that was not lost on Sibeia, which surged into the western Crimson Ranges and quickly slaughtered the overwhelmed dwarves. Sibeia now stood at the edge of the empire’s fertile valleys, which provided food for much of the populous.
Unfortunately, Sibeia didn’t realize there was a high price for taking imperial territory. Sensing a new instability in the area, large bands of orcs, goblins, and various other monsters assaulted positions the White Knights originally thought were secure. Suddenly, Sibeia’s invasion force became bogged down trying to defend itself. To make matters worse, the monster attacks had bought the empire enough time to gather its army and engage in a counterattack. The assault forced Sibeia to withdraw from all but one of its captured ranges and effectively ended its war against the empire.
However, Sibeia’s war with the dwarves had shown the six lords that no rival was beyond their reach. So, they set their sights on one of the oldest and largest countries in the Rashben Region. The Illamine had nearly wiped out the six lords’ imperial ancestors, and it was time for revenge!
Sibeia’s invasion into elvish territory was extremely successful when first initiated. The elves’ fortifications had been established to handle small Wild Landish armies and were no match for Sibeian forces. By the time the Illamine had amassed its army, Sibeia had already captured huge tracks of territory from them.
The Sereama Council did not take Sibeia’s invasion lightly, and the White Knights were shocked to see the full force of the Illamine’s army included not just elves but avians in their sky ships and Utashus the dragon. Undaunted by this challenge, the White Knights lead their own magical forces into a series of great battles. In the end, Sibeia succeeded in crushing the Illamine’s army, destroying most of its airships, and forcing Utashus to flee for his life.
While victorious against the elvish army, Sibeia wound up paying a heavy toll. Its invasion force had lost almost all of its strength and struggled to hold the territory it took. The Illamine had taken advantage of Sibeia’s weak naval capabilities, and its nymphs masterfully led their armada in the sacking of defenseless villages, towns, and cities along Sibeia’s northern coast. When rumors spread the nymphs planned on striking deeper into Sibeian territory by traveling up different rivers, the six lords decided to recall their army and surrendered some of the territory they had taken.
War against the Illamine had whittled down Sibeia’s offensive capabilities, and the six lords ended their plans of conquest in order to rebuild their army and develop the northern portion of their country. It was during this time of reconstruction that a division first appeared among the country’s rulers. It started with a rogue White Knight attempting to overthrow the government but ended with a shocking revelation that the knight was funded by one of their own. Hatch the Mage Lord was quickly imprisoned for his crimes, and while a new mage lord took his place, many now fear one of the other six lords may try and seek absolute power over Sibeia for themselves.
Today, Sibeia stands as one of the most powerful countries in the region. With reconstruction complete, and an army that once again stands at full strength, many wonder whether or not the six lords will engage in war once again. Until that time comes, the people of Sibeia can bask in the glory of their mighty nation.
The Kingdom of Celes
Government:
Monarchy
Ruler:
Queen Emery Greylun
Capital:
Silsav
Official Race:
Humans
Enemies:
Major:
Quayan
Moderate:
Sibeia
Minor:
The Chapskin Empire
Land:
Society:
Military:
Army:
Navy:
History:
The history of Celes began at a time when the Chapskin Empire was expanding into the Rashben Region and had just conquered a number of Wild Landish city-states. The territory, which was brought under imperial rule, became known as the Rashben Imperial Providence and was harshly governed by its newly instilled lords. This was due to the empire’s desire to prevent old hatreds from reemerging amongst the former city-states. While it was difficult for the Wild Landers to adjust to imperial rule, they did enjoy the peace the empire brought to them and, soon, they abandoned their notions of returning to the chaos surrounding their former societies.
Things changed for the Rashben Imperial Providence when a resurgence of monsters within the Crimson Ranges forced the empire to recall many of its troops from the border lands. Soon, bold Wild Landish raiding parties attacked the providence destroying and looting everything they could. This enraged the providences’ citizens, who demanded protection from their nobles. Since the nobles couldn’t raise enough troops to protect the providence from outside forces, they used what soldiers they had to brutally suppress any uprisings among the citizens. This created a rift between the people of the providence and the empire.
The situation did not improve after the empire’s containment of its monster problems. This is because the kingdom of Lareder was on the rise and attacked the poorly defended providence. By the time the empire had assembled its army, Lareder had conquered the center of the providence up to the Crimson Ranges, effectively dividing the land into northern and southern portions. The empire’s army retaliated, and a brief war followed, but the empire failed to achieve victory. Realizing that defending the entire providence was impossible Emperor Rumblerock chose to concentrate his forces within the Crimson Ranges.
The nobles of the Southern Imperial Providence were outraged by this decision since they were still denied any aid in dealing with the increasing Wild Landish attacks. King Ovar I paid close attention to this development and met secretly with the southern providences’ rulers. Lareder was prepared to offer money and supplies to a noble family to defeat the Wild Landers if they would lead a rebellion against the empire. After careful consideration, a deal was reached between King Ovar I and Count Tendrus Greylun.
With aid from Lareder, Count Tendrus succeeded in not only ending Wild Landish attacks in the area but was also able to counterattack and destroy many city-states surrounding the providence. These actions were extremely popular among the people who flocked to support Count Tendrus’ peacekeeping activities. The counts popularity worried many nobles loyal to the empire, who sent concerned messages to the emperor.
In response, Emperor Rumblerock wrote to the Count Tendrus, ordering him to disperse his army since peace was restored to the southern providence. When the count refused, the providences loyal nobility attempted to send their personal soldiers against him. Unfortunately, Count Tendrus’ mass popularity caused uprisings among the citizenry of the opposing nobles who turned against the soldiers and overthrew their rulers. The whole of the Southern Imperial Providence now supported Count Tendrus.
Angered by the revolt, Emperor Rumblerock sent what few forces he had available to reestablish control of the providence. Sadly, the small contingents of imperial forces were no match against the local soldiers and were soundly defeated after a brief war. With the empire driven out and the Wild Landers defeated the providence had successfully established itself as the independent Kingdom of Celes under the rule of King Tendrus.
Watching Celes develop as a nation, King Tendrus realized his land housed an abundance of resources ripe for exploitation. These resources were masterfully used to their full potential in developing the kingdom’s infrastructure. Soon, Celes became the richest kingdom in the region and used its wealth to both enhance the prosperity of its people and increase its territory by conquering the Wild Lands to the west.
Eventually, Celes’ border expanded to the point where it touched another new kingdom named Coronas. Before any relationship developed between the two kingdoms, the King Ovar I stepped in to establish a stable border and avoid possible conflicts. Since both kingdoms essentially owed their existence to Lareder, they agreed to avoid conflict with each other and continue expanding southward into the Wild Lands. This was the first step in a longstanding peace that exists between the three kingdoms.
Celes’ expansion into the Wild Lands preceded south, conquering many of the wealthy city-states along the coast of the Manata Gulf. The newly claimed Royal Coast gave Celes a firm grasp of marine trade in the gulf, and the kingdom’s wealth continued to grow. Celes was very generous in sharing its wealth with the conquered city-states, which enjoyed a high degree of peace and prosperity. This generosity came about in part because Celes didn’t have to spend a great deal of money to protect its newly acquired territory. Coronas dealt with the poorer and more violent city-states to the west, while no navy posed a serious threat to Celes from the gulf. Unfortunately, this set up a false sense of security for Celes and its new territories.
Sadly, Coronas’ attempt at establishing a stable providence in the western Wild Lands failed horribly. The result of this failure was the emergence of a new and vindictive kingdom named Quayan. Initially, King Yutsin of Celes paid little attention while Coronas and Quayan fought against each other. It wasn’t until Coronas’ defeat that Quayan truly became a threat to Celes.
King Malvorish of Quayan realized his impoverished realm would never survive without something to bolster its economy. Looking east, he realized taking the Royal Coast would ensure Quayan’s survival. So, the king ordered his massive cavalry to attack Celes’ poorly defended borders. The assault was devastating. Celes’ troops had never encountered such a large force of skilled horsemen before. One by one, the cities fell until the Quayans had taken virtually all of the Royal Coast for itself.
After the initial shock had passed, King Yutsin amassed his forces for a two-pronged attack against Quayan by both land and sea. While Celes’ navy had successfully retaken many of its local gulf cities, the army was unable to defeat Quayan’s land forces. Soon, Quayan’s army assaulted the war-ravaged gulf cities and conquered them once again. In the process, they destroyed much of Celes’ army and either sank or captured all of Celes’ navy. Thoroughly beaten, Celes gave up on the Royal Coast and settled for defending its original territory.
For a time, there was peace as Quayan settled to established itself. Celes built up its southern defenses while its people enjoyed continued prosperity. This prosperity became threatened when King Gremix of Quayan decided to launch a massive invasion by both land and sea against Celes. This time, Celes’ army was able to hold off Quayan’s forces on land, but its small navy was sunk for a second time at sea, and the Quayans were able to successfully invade the kingdom along the coast.
Celes’ army was soon overrun, and its nobility was forced to flee further inland. Desperate to save his realm, King Lotrel pleaded for aid from both Coronas and Lareder. At the time, King Ovar II of Lareder was engaged in a conflict with Sibeia and couldn’t afford to send aid. Coronas’ King Deltrum agreed to help Celes, but only if it agreed to pay an extremely high price for its services. Reluctantly, the King Lotrel agreed, and with Coronas’ aid, Celes was able to successfully defeat the Quayan invasion.
While Celes was going through the process of reconstruction, it was approached by King Ovar II of Lareder, who sought aid in its battle against Sibeia. Celes’ armies were destroyed, and its coffers were empty so King Lotrel had no choice but to refuse providing any additional assistance to Lareder. Time continued to pass, and Celes was able to return to its former glory. Once again, King Ovar II approached Celes and Coronas, seeking their aid. King Matrone of Coronas agreed to aid Lareder if it gave up its policy of slavery, and King Spizer of Celes agreed to aid Lareder if it swore to send troops should Quayan attempt another invasion.
After much diplomatic haggling, a mutual defense treaty known as the Three Kingdoms’ Pact was established. Celes’ portion of the pact obligated it to offer primarily financial support in exchange for military protection. With the pact signed, the three kingdoms marched into battle and successfully defeated the Sibeian advance. Since that time, any major threat to the land’s peace has been dealt with by the might of the three kingdoms’ armies.
Pleased by his diplomatic efforts King Spizer spent much of his reign rebuilding and strengthening Celes. During this time, he and his nobles strangely gave the Order of Kardok unprecedented power and influence over the realm. The order used this power to sanction and develop the study of black magic. They also encouraged Celes’ nobles to turn into corrupt tyrants that oppressed the people.
Dismayed by what was happening Prince Davik asked his father to reject the Order of Kardok, but the king refused. Soon Prince Davik learned that the order was stealing secrets from the dead and using them to blackmail the living. King Spizer knew this but feared a civil war with those loyal to the order. When his father died King Davik attempted to reign in the Order of Kardok and met with heavy resistance from many of his nobles. The young king persisted and was subsequently assassinated!
Devastated by what happened Queen Emery took the throne and vowed to carry on her late husband’s work. Coming from a minor house the queen herself didn’t fear if her family’s secrets came out. However, most of the kingdom’s nobles did and stood firmly against her. Using the crowns vast wealth Queen Emery hired a mercenary army and plunged Celes into civil war. It was a war she won, and with victory she restored the land to its former prosperity.
Today, Celes enjoys a peaceful realm with an insecure future. While Queen Emery has successfully ruled the country for over thirty years, she refuses to remarry out of devotion to her former husband. With her childbearing years at an end, many people in Celes wonder who shall be next to ascend the throne and whether the transfer of power will be a peaceful one?
The Kingdom of Coronas
Government:
Monarchy
Ruler:
King Lutain Vaderos
Capital:
Galdrim
Official Race:
Humans
Enemies:
Major:
Quayan
Moderate:
Sibeia
Minor:
The Illamine
Land:
Society:
Military:
Army:
History:
Coronas began as nothing more than one of the many warring Wild Landish city-states that developed following the regional retraction of the Illamine. Unfortunately for the humans of Coronas, the elves had decided to strengthen their country at the expense of their enemies. As many local rulers quickly found out, their city-states were to become the victims of an elvish policy known has The Great Purge.
Prior to the purge, a massive wave of human slave revolts had ousted the Illamine from their early control of human lands. This was due in part to the drastically smaller ratio of slave holders to slaves. While the Illamine still had control of the humans brought into traditionally elvish territory, the Sereama council realized it wouldn’t be long before the number of slaves became too great. So, the council ordered the removal of over half the human slaves currently being held in elvish territory. In order to help coordinate the speedy removal of the humans, the council chose a central location outside their lands that could then be later fortified to prevent ex-slaves from returning. That location happened to be where the early city-state of Coronas stood.
As the great purge began, the first freed slaves who entered Coronas were welcomed by their human kin as family. Many Coronasians still had fresh memories of driving the Illamine from their lands and took pity on their formerly enslaved brethren. There was even a secret hope the mass release of slaves was an early sign the Illamine would soon collapse. So, initially, much joy and excitement followed with the arrival of the first wave of freed slaves.
This attitude changed quickly as Coronas realized the waves of freed slaves weren’t coming to an end. Before long, the population of Coronas and the surrounding city-states exploded, and they became bogged down with more people than any of the local governments could possibly handle. These city-states became overcrowded dens of filth. Poverty rose dramatically, famine engulfed the masses, plague spread among the people, and prejudice between native and non-native humans caused massive outbreaks of violence.
Prince Treshnan of Coronas attempted to solve some of its population problems by transporting people deeper into the Wild Lands. Unfortunately, this cost a great deal of money, and many interior city-states attacked any large groups of immigrants that attempted to enter their lands. The prince then sent out his army to attack the Illamine and stop its slave dumping into the Wild Lands. This decision nearly destroyed the realm since the elves were prepared for an attack and easily crushed Coronas’ small army. Prince Treshnan then had to handle a rebellion as many freed slaves were outraged the city-state tried to encourage slavery within the elvish lands.
The rebellion led to a dynasty change in Coronas and Prince Nalock decided to wage a war against his Wild Landish neighbors in an attempt to expand his realm. Sadly, Coronas’ neighbors were now stronger both economically and militarily than Coronas itself and were able to crush any invasion attempt. So, with no way to remove its excess population, Coronas was forced to figure out some way to deal with the overcrowding.
The answer came about when King Ovar I of Lareder sent a surprise invitation to Prince Nalock to meet with him at his palace. Needless to say, there was a slight degree of apprehension in the visit. Lareder was a kingdom that had stood against both the Illamine and the distant Chapskin Empire. Should it decide to invade Coronas, it could have easily devoured the city-state. Lareder was also a slave holding kingdom and many of Coronas’ citizens were outraged its ruler would even consider meeting with it. Should things have gone badly, Prince Nalock could have been deposed just as quickly as his predecessor.
So, the prince was absolutely shocked by what King Ovar I had to offer him. Impressed by Coronas’ willingness to fight against both the Illamine and its neighbors, Lareder was willing to give Prince Nalock money, food, and military supplies in exchange for nothing more than conquering the surrounding Wild Landers. All that King Ovar I wanted in return was to establish a peaceful border between their two realms. It was an offer too great for the prince to pass up.
So, with Lareder’s backing, Coronas waged war on its neighbors and successfully conquered them. Thus, the Kingdom of Coronas was born, and Lareder was at its side to lead the new realm down the road of expansion. Lareder realized Coronas’ excess population could be trained to make a decent-sized fighting force and equipped them to do just that. Soon, Coronas had an army far larger than what its lands could support. This meant it had to either go to war or collapse.
Taking Lareder’s advice, King Nalock expanded his realm eastward, conquering the very city-states that refused to aid him when overpopulation first became a problem. With each new conquest, additional lands became available for Coronas’ citizens and, by the time Coronas reached Celes’ border, its territory had grown large enough to support its once excessive population. Before any relationship developed between Coronas and Celes, King Ovar I stepped in to establish a stable border and avoid possible conflicts. Since both kingdoms essentially owed their existence to Lareder, they agreed to avoid conflict with each other.
This didn’t mean Coronas was done taking vengeance on those who had wronged it. The Illamine had left Coronas in absolute poverty for no better reason than the speedy removal of excess slaves. Now, the descendants of those former slaves were Coronasian warriors eager to give the elves some payback. So, in a daring move, King Harath invaded the Illamine.
The elves were shocked at the tenacity of the young kingdom and surprised by its skill. Coronas successfully destroyed the elves border fortifications and began devouring the surrounding territory. King Espare of Lareder couldn’t believe the Illamine’s defenses had fallen so far and realized if Coronas could have so much success against the elves, then maybe it was time for Lareder to expand its territory as well. Soon, both Coronas and Lareder consumed vast tracks of elvish lands.
Eventually, the Sereama council got its act together and raised an army to stop the invaders, but both Coronas’ and Lareder’s armies were larger and more skilled than anything Illamine could muster against them. In every major battle against the humans, the elves were utterly defeated. Before long, the Sereama council was forced to call on Utashus the dragon to save them from utter destruction. Utashus’ participation in the war halted Coronas and Lareder in their tracks and opened peace talks between the three countries. The conflict came to an end with new borders being drawn (favoring the kingdoms).
Victory against the elves left Coronas feeling like its forces were second only to Lareder’s, and King Harath eagerly sent out his troops to conquer the Wild Lands to the south. What Coronas didn’t realize was it was entering into combat with a whole new type of enemy. The people of this vast plain’s region had little resources to live off and fought each other fiercely for what wealth there was available. While their armies were small, their skill in combat was fierce. Still, the superior numbers of Coronas’ army were more than capable of crushing any who opposed them. Only the Wild Landish cavalry proved any real resistance as they buffeted Coronas’ soldiers with repeated hit and run tactics.
The real problem Coronas had was holding onto its newly conquered lands. The Wild Landers hated Coronasian occupation and revolted at every opportunity they could. This meant Coronas’ troops were stuck doing more guard duty than conquering new areas. To make matters worse, the Wild Landish cavalry routinely invaded Coronasian-held territory at times when rebellions were taking place. These problems were only compounded by the region’s lack of resources, which were vital to fund its conquest. In short, the Wild Lands were bleeding Coronas’ treasury dry.
In a desperate attempt to quell the area’s hostile population, King Branah proposed instilling native leaders supportive of Coronas into positions of power. Choosing a warlord named Malvorish to become an earl this approach actually worked in the short run. Earl Malvorish was able to not only end revolts within the cities, but cavalry raids also dropped to a trickle. Satisfied the situation was under control, Coronas gathered its forces and proceeded deeper into the Wild Lands.
Suddenly, everything was plunged into chaos. The cities under the earl’s rule staged a revolution. Coronasian occupation forces were overthrown as the formerly occupied cities banded together and launched a surprise attack on the deeply entrenched Coronasian army. While Coronas’ troops were large in number and skilled in combat, they were now trapped in hostile enemy territory with no place to resupply. Left with little choice, the army made a mad dash for Celes’ Royal Coast. Anticipating this action, Earl Malvorish sent his small armies to destroy any villages or towns which might have supplied Coronas’ troops. Starving, the army was then crushed in battle when it was only two days away from Celes.
Humiliated by his army’s defeat, King Branah attempted to rally his forces to fend off an invasion of his kingdom…surprisingly the invasion never came. Coronas’ formerly occupied cities decided to form the new kingdom of Quayan and go after the Royal Coast instead. With much relief, Coronas now had enough time to fortify its southern defenses and rebuild its army.
Around the time Coronas had restored its army, King Lotrel of Celes came calling upon it. The Quayans had conquered the Royal Coast and were now overrunning the kingdom proper. With Lareder engaged in conflict up north, only Coronas could provide any real aid. King Deltrum saw his chance to not only restore the pride of his military but also recoup some of his kingdom’s losses in the Wild Lands. So, he charged King Lotrel an exorbitant fee for saving the threatened kingdom, a fee Celes reluctantly paid.
Coronas launched a two-pronged attack against Quayan, striking at both its invading army and its cities along Coronas’ border. Not yet strong enough to wage war on multiple fronts, Quayan retreated from Celes and focused on defending its own borders. Satisfied at having restored the military’s honor (and the kingdom’s coffers), Coronas ended its attack on Quayan.
Unfortunately, peace was not quite yet attained. Lareder had been fighting a losing war against the rising power of Sibeia. As things began going badly for the kingdom, King Ovar II called upon Coronas and Celes to aid it during its time of need. The war with Quayan had exhausted Coronas’ army and engaging the troops in another conflict was not what King Deltrum had in mind. However, unwilling to show the weakness of his troops in front of Lareder, the king chose a politically charged issue as a reason not to go to war. Claiming the immorality of slavery, which made up most of Lareder’s economy, King Deltrum refused to provide military aid to Lareder until it had abolished slavery. Enraged, King Ovar II went off to fight against Sibeia alone.
Time passed, and Coronas was able to regather its strength. Much to King Matrone’s surprise, King Ovar II returned once again to plead for aid and whole heartedly agreed to give up slavery should Coronas and Celes provide help. After much diplomatic haggling, a mutual defense treaty known as the Three Kingdoms’ Pact was established. Coronas’ main portion of the pact was to send troops to its troubled neighbors should conflict arise. With the pact signed, the three kingdoms marched into battle and successfully defeated the Sibeian advance. Since that time, any major threat to the land’s peace has been dealt with by the might of the three kingdoms’ armies.
With the Three Kingdoms’ Pact in place, Coronas has found itself fighting against the forces of Sibeia and Quayan. By defending its allies, Coronas’ military has become a force to be reckoned with. This has led to a strong feeling of security amongst the kingdom’s people who enjoy a stability envied by many of their neighbors.
The Kingdom of Quayan
Government:
Monarchy
Ruler:
King Salvados Liparon
Capital:
Moraz
Official Race:
Humans
Enemies:
Major:
Coronas, Celes, The Illamine
Moderate:
Lareder, The Wild Lands
Land:
The majority of Quayan is dominated by a vast expanse of flat, even plains with various grass heights and an occasional hill. What forests it has are located along the kingdom’s northern and western borders. Quayan’s eastern border is flanked by the Manata Gulf.
Society:
Quayan is a kingdom that places a high value on ambition. The youngest kingdom in the Rashben Region it has gone to great lengths to prove it’s a force to be reckoned with. Slavery is practiced for both economic reasons and as a display of strength. Having waged war with most of its neighbors many people regard Quayan as little better than Wild Lands. Insulted (and a little insecure) by this insinuation Quayan’s go to great lengths to prove that they are their neighbors equals.
Military:
Army:
Navy:
History:
Quayan stands as one of the youngest and most aggressive kingdoms in the Rashben Region. This aggressiveness is due in part to its longstanding Wild Landish roots. Before the invasion of Coronas, the Wild Landers fought each other in bloody cavalry battles across the Endless Plains, desperately attempting to claim what few resources were available.
When Coronas and Celes expanded southward, the reaction of the Wild Landers was mixed. Wealthy city-states along the coast were overjoyed at the protection and peace Celes’ forces offered. Impoverished city-states within the Wild Lands interior were enraged that Coronas would deny them a chance at taking the gulf city-states, which would improve their local economies. Under Coronasian rule, impoverished city-states were forced to pay taxes to a new government, which brought peace but kept them eternally poor.
Needless to say, Coronas’ expansion into the Wild Lands met with stiff resistance. While the Wild Landers cavalry tactics did little to stop Coronas from taking their territory, the people made it very difficult for the conquerors to hold what they had taken. Whenever King Branah instilled a noble from the kingdom proper to rule a Wild Landish city-state, large revolts would occur among the populous, which had to be quelled by the Coronasian army. While the army was putting down revolts, Wild Landish cavalry took advantage of the poor security situation to attack Coronas itself.
Desperate to put an end to the revolts, the King Branah decided it would be best to put native leaders in charge of the newly conquered territory. Giving the leaders titles of nobility, the king placed them under the watchful eye of a powerful warlord named Malvorish who supported Coronas and was given the title of earl. Earl Malvorish was a charismatic and clever figure who succeeded in ending the revolts by promising to improve the lives of those Coronas had conquered. With the revolts ended, Coronas’ army could continue their southward invasion of the Wild Lands.
While Earl Malvorish was successful in uniting the people under his banner, he learned the lands Coronas conquered yielded little profit for the kingdom and there would be little aid to the earl’s peasants for quite some time. Fearing that uprisings would begin anew unless something drastic was done, Earl Malvorish called forth all his nobles and brought forth the notion of a revolution, which would give the new nobles a chance to secure their positions and decide the fate of their people without Coronas’ consent. Under the earl’s direction, the nobles took what little money they had and expanded the number of guards under their control. Upon Earl Malvorish’s order, the expanded guard units would join into an army, which would engage in a surprise attack on Coronas’ forces.
The attack came during Coronas’ siege of the Wild Landish city-state of Vale. If Vale fell, it would give Coronas access to the shipping routes of the Casadian Ocean and a chance to finally begin turning a profit in their conquest. It was during this siege that Earl Malvorish’s forces attacked the unprepared Coronasian army. Coronas’ troops successfully beat back the surprise attack but, in the process, spent their attack strength. Unable to maintain the siege at Vale, Coronas’ troops were forced to head back to the very lands they were attacked from.
Upon entering the earl’s domain, Coronas’ troops found the land’s nobles would no longer replenish their army and barred them from entering towns and cities. Realizing a revolution was at hand, Coronas’ army made a mad dash for Celes’ Royal Coast. Anticipating this action, Earl Malvorish sent his small armies to destroy any villages or towns where his enemies could resupply. Once Coronas’ troops were starved his forces moved in and crushed them when they were only two days away from Celes.
The earl had successfully rallied his people and crushed the Coronasian army. In recognition of this feat, the nobles decreed that Malvorish would become king of the newly established kingdom of Quayan. King Malvorish realized his impoverished kingdom would never survive without something to bolster its economy. Looking east, he realized taking Celes’ wealthy Royal Coast would ensure his new realm’s survival. So, he organized the kingdom’s first major cavalry force to attack Celes’ poorly defended borders.
The invasion was a resounding success, and Quayan took virtually all of the Royal Coast. However, King Yutsin refused to give up the coast without a fight and engaged Quayan in a two-pronged attack by both land and sea. While Celes’ navy successfully retook many of the gulf cities, its army was unable to defeat Quayan’s land forces. Soon, Quayan troops assaulted the war-ravaged gulf cities and conquered them for a second time. In the process, they destroyed much of Celes’ army and either sank or captured all of Celes’ navy.
King Malvorish was overjoyed at not only getting access to the Manata Gulf, but also in defeating a second established kingdom and capturing most of its navy in the process. Using slaves formally loyal to Celes, the king built fortifications along Quayan’s borders and began improving the kingdom’s infrastructure. Before long, Quayan had become strong and stable, rivaling its northern neighbors. This fact was not lost on King Gremix who always remembered that Quayan’s fledgling army had defeated his much larger rivals. Now that his realm was firmly established, the monarch’s ambitions grew.
Hungry for Celes’ wealth, King Gremix orchestrated a two-pronged attack against his northern neighbor, with cavalry invading from the south and army forces invading through the gulf. Celes’ fortifications successfully repelled the invading cavalry, but its small navy was easily crushed by the Quayans. Soon, ships carrying Quayan soldiers invaded Celes’ coast. Before long, the Quayan forces had overrun Celes’ southern fortifications and drove deeper into the kingdom’s heartland.
Unfortunately, the tides of battle turned when King Lotrel of Celes convinced King Deltrum of Coronas to aid his troubled neighbor. The additional troops Coronas provided helped Celes’ army fend off any further advance by Quayan forces. At the same time, Coronas’ army assaulted Quayan’s northern fortifications along its border. Realizing he could not win a war on two fronts King Gremix ordered his troops to loot and enslave what they could before retreating from Celes to protect Quayan’s borders. The king’s orders were carried out and, shortly afterward, Coronas ended its border attacks.
While Celes did not fall in Quayan’s invasion, it served as an excellent training ground and helped replenished Quayan’s coffers. Realizing that his kingdom would have difficulty expanding north, King Atrines turned his attention south to the last of the Wild Lands. Many Quayans felt a certain kinship to the Wild Landers, and the notion of finally bringing peace to the war-torn city-states appealed to the king. So, gathering his army, he set forth on a quest to conquer the remaining Wild Lands.
The east coast of the Wild Lands fell quickly when the Assembly of Nobles abandoned the city-state of Shallowshore to Quayan forces. While local warlords laid siege to the city they were crushed when Quayans army advanced on them from the border. Along the west coast King Atrines offered land and titles to warlords who turned against the city-state of Vale. The foolish warlords accepted the bargain and were killed after they turned over the city.
However, order in the Wild Lands came at a price. Local authorities could only maintain peace as long as they could institute improvements for their people in the name of Quayan. The problem was, where were the Quayans going to get the money for the local authorities? While the coastal cities provided some revenue, it didn’t balance out with the poverty looming in the land’s interior. The King Atrines took poverty concerns seriously, remembering it was Coronas’ negligence that gave birth to Quayan in the first place. Providing funding to the Wild Lands was a drain on Quayan’s resources and could endanger the kingdom unless an additional source of revenue was found.
So, the king sought wealthier lands to conquer to maintain his newly acquired territory and preserve his coffers. This proved to be a difficult task since Quayan was now surrounded by established countries. To the north, Coronas, Lareder, and Celes had signed the Three Kingdoms’ Pact, which would make an invasion extremely risky. To the south stood Sire, which had a large chunk of useless wasteland and a decent-sized military to defend it. To the west was the ancient and powerful Illamine. Frustrated, King Atrines was at a loss on what was the best choice to expand his realm. It wasn’t until learning from traders about the Illamine’s woes that his path became clear.
The Illamine’s military had been decimated during its war with Sibeia, and the elves had only their navy to prove any serious threat. While the heavily forested elvish lands would make cavalry usage difficult, those same lands would also provide Quayan with the resources it needed to grow and prosper. So, casting aside the notion of elven superiority, King Atrines ordered his army to invade.
Never before had the Quayan army experienced such light resistance during their conquest. The army captured large tracks of elvish territory and, in the process, enslaved both elves (and to the Quayans’ surprise), the elves human slaves. It was during this period of conquest the Quayans learned about the Illamine’s naval might and subsequently moved their own ships to protect their Wild Landish providence from attack. It didn’t take long for a series of naval battles to take place between Quayan and the elves. Fortunately, Quayan’s navy successfully fended off any attempts of an elvish invasion.
To the king’s delight, conquest of the Illamine seemed well within his grasp. Only the sheer size of the elvish lands slowed his forces down. This delight quickly faded, though, when two avian sky ships appeared over the capital of Moraz. Curiosity about the ships quickly turned to horror when elvish mages whipped up a maelstrom of destructive sorcery and unleashed it on the helpless city. Over half of Moraz was destroyed that day, including King Atrines and the royal family.
The collapse of the dynasty caused an immediate political void that needed to be filled. Powerful aristocratic families called back their soldiers in a sudden struggle for control of the crown. Quayan troops rapidly abandoned almost all of their conquered territory to the elves and engaged in a bloody civil war in the name of their liege lords.
As Quayan nobles fought each other, the Wild Landers instigated in a major uprising against their Quayan occupiers. Unable to receive reinforcements from Quayan, most of the occupying forces were either killed or enslaved by their former charges. Realizing Quayan was now in chaos, the various Wild Landish rulers sought revenge against their former masters and raided the weakened kingdom.
Ironically, it was these attacks by the Wild Landers that caused the Quayan nobles to rally together and appoint a new king. Thus, the Liparon Dynasty was formed, and King Rystan began his rule by driving the Wild Landers from Quayan and fortifying the kingdom’s southern border. Once the Wild Landers were taken care of, the king worked on stabilizing his realm and restoring it to its former glory.
Currently, Quayan stands much as it did before it invaded the Wild Lands. This has proven to be a worrisome notion for many of its neighbors who know that when Quayan is quiet, its king is probably planning to expand his realm. The only question which remains is who shall bear the brunt of his ambitions?