Principalities (WIP)
Dominating race – Humans
Population – high
Part 1 - Early History
In terms of political history, the Principalities is still a relatively young one compared to the other regions in Central and North-Western Karandia. And even then, it’s origins were born from a mixture of necessity and desperation.
Since the first recorded history, the region that would be known and the Principalities was originally divided amongst Eight ‘Regents’ of a long since forgotten human kingdom, each one allocated a set area of the land to cultivate and make their own. Each of them founding a ‘Capital City’ from which they could govern their allocated region. The names and ‘focus’ of each Region are:
Azmath: Population Center (Facilitative) - Representative
Halacyn: Magical Study and Affinity (Magehood) - Archmage
Caldus: Delegative Skill (Administrative/Democracy) - Lord Mayor
Zaltara: Maritime Culture (Fishermen/Sailors) - Fleet Admiral
Daeus: Industrial Expertise (Forgemasters) - High Smithy
Kurgarn: Martial/Warrior Skill (Military) - Battlelord
Sahangal: Trade (Moneyocracy) - Lord Banker
Ribera: Academic Aptitude (Scholary) - Highmaster
Initially expecting years of toil and strife to establish new settlements in this new land, the early settlers found the regions were originally inhabited with the discovery of various ruins across the territories. While initially a mystery, time soon learned the origin of the ruins were of the Warlike Kraf Empire, at the time having receded into the West of the Continent due to constant infighting and struggle. The Ruins proved a boon to the settlers as it meant the early amenities for survival were seen to.
After centuries of exploration and expansion, the Eight Territories were firmly established. And whilst this would have been seen as a breeding ground for political turmoil and gain through war, the initial period of establishment saw the Regions in a strange, almost eerie sense of equilibrium with one another, the extent of contact was through trade of goods and nothing more.
Suffice to say that there was not tensions between the regions given how different their ideals were. Anyone crossing into a neighbouring territory was often greeted to some degree of animosity and trepidation. It didn’t help that the appointed leaders of each region refused to enter a dialogue with the others back in the early days.
As such it wasn’t long before tensions from the Kurgarn region threatened to upturn this now precarious equilibrium that had lasted for close to a century, the Region’s military might having started to rattle their swords and beat their chests in a want to let their frustrations out on whoever got in their way. Any sane mind thought they would turn it northward toward the Kraf Empire that lay claim to the Westlands, yet none outside the warlike region knew of the ‘truce’ between the two. Mercifully, rather than wait and see what the Militaristic dogma would cause, representatives from the Azmath, Sahangal and Ribera regions decided to break ranks on the standing ‘leave it alone’ policy the Regions had with one another and approached disgruntled Kurgarn and simply asked them what they wanted. In response they made clear, in no uncertain terms, they wanted to flex their warlike muscles and didn’t care who they did it upon.
Immediately the delegation’s concern flew through the roof hearing that Kurgarn simply wanted to fight everyone just to satiate a need to show off their need for combat for no other reason than ‘just because’. Almost immediately they knew the next step to take: warn or convince the surrounding regions or let the warlike Kurgarn to just take what they wanted.
The Triumvirate immediately went to Halacyn and Caldus, believing that their intellect could provide a peaceful answer to the problem. Whilst they couldn’t promise something outright, they did promise to at least see if something could be done. Shortly afterward the trio turned to Daeus, on the off chance that a peaceful solution couldn’t be found, that their industrial output work to manufacture arms in case Kurgarn decided they wanted to march… and in the event of war, there had to be somewhere for the refugees to run and hide. Something to which Zaltara would immediately agree to… and if worst came to worse, evacuate them across the Sea to Damani and Boltok, no questions asked.
It was only ten days after the Triumvirate visited the Regions before a glimmer of hope was found amidst the uncertainty that had gripped this corner of Karandia. In short order a summons was sent to all the regional leaders to meet with one another on the Kurgarn border and to Bring ten of their best soldiers or Spellcasters. Kurgarn was told in a separate message that they would have their battle, and, also, to bring ten of their best warriors. It was an unassuming midsummer’s afternoon when Eight political representatives and an assortment of eighty warriors, hunters, fighters and mages met face to face with declaration made from one of the original Triumvirate: “You want to fight so badly? Then we will give you one. The last man standing for his region will be declared the victor!”
For a few moments after the declaration, the other Regions representatives waited for the inevitability for the Kurgarn warriors to be offended at such a pathetic declaration. But instead, however, the Kurgarn leader simply bellowed out laughing for a full minute before he agreed, quite gleefully, to the challenge that had been issued to them. It lasted a full day before, to the surprise of all, a single Zaltaran stood triumphant over the other participants. Again, contrary to the assumption they’d take offence, the Kurgarn leader’s initial shock was replaced by jubilant laughter, making a remark about how a Fisherman brought Kurgarn’s warlike traditions to heel but agreed that honor had been served this day and they would stand down from their planned march, much to the relief of the initial triumvirate.
After a while, it was clear now to maintain this precarious peace between the regions that some manner of inter-region communication had to take place rather than hope things would go back to the way they were. The day after the ‘Grand melee’ ended, the eight leaders agreed that they would meet on a regular basis to ensure that any issues, grievances or other uneases could be tabled and dealt with before it spilled over into the surrounding regions. As of then, the equilibrium between the eight separate nations was restored and maintained through this mutual understanding.
==
Part 2 - The Green Tide
Everything changed during the events of what would be known, locally, as ‘The Green Tide’.
During the first half of the 110th Century, the Eastern Shore of the Eight Regions was suddenly and inexplicably bombarded with all manner of water-faring craft, packed from bow to stern, a figurative flood of Boltok Refugees from across the sea. Immediately the Eastern Regions verged on a state of panic given the sudden influx of refugees, curious what could have driven Boltok citizens across the midland sea. After the initial shock, it was clear from the refugee accounts that war had waged for the last 11 years between Boltok and its neighbouring kingdom, Damani. The advantage the Damani had gained forced Boltok into routs or delaying actions to allow refugees time to escape.
As a result, the discussion of the potential ramifications of this war were often discussed at subsequent meetings of the Region Council, many deciding to exercise caution in case Damani became a little too ambitious, all the while Ribera and Sahangal advocating that they shouldn't worry too much as this war had nothing to do with them. A sentiment repeated at each subsequent meeting as no word beyond the refugees had been heard about the disposition and state of the war. Though Sahangal was quick to mention something rather unsettling to them: the High Banker explaining that they had engaged in limited trade with the Western Clans on their northern boarder and that 'lately' (though in truth, it had been right about the time Damani had launched their preemptive attack on the Orcs), they had either been turned away or their traders had not returned from the region. Yes a concerning matter, but put down to perhaps an internal power struggle, "Orcs are often quick to anger, I dare say quicker than a Kurgarn Berserker." was the line used to describe it.
Everything changed months later when, to Sahangal's bemusement and disbelief that ships carrying Damani Refugess arrived on the shore. Those that were taken in explained to the High Banker what had happened since: a third faction had joined the war, calling itself the 'Green Tide', sweeping indiscriminately across the two Kingdoms. Other refugees saying, in no uncertain terms, that they heard the Orc raiding parties they were out for human blood for some manner of transgression they, conveniently, omitted from their accounts on the matter, not just Damani. Meaning there was every possibility the Orcs would move on to the Tamir Peninsula, or worse, sweep into the Regions.
This was more than enough reason for the High Banker to call an emergency meeting of the council. Armed with this knowledge, and the 'leader' of the Damani refugees, he relayed the news to the other leaders about this startling update, both the High Admiral of Zaltara and the Lord Mayor of Caldus mirroring the concern now that it had been brought up. Their region of the shoreline being bombarded with a new wave of Boltok Refugees, repeating or corroborating the story of the Damani Refugee: a 'Green Tide' had swept across what was left of the kingdom and was indiscriminately killing humans left and right. Some saying they heard some Overzealous Orcs saying they hoped to move on to Tamir or the Western continent in their need to shed human blood. After only an hour of deliberation the regions were agreed that they could no longer just sit and wait, they had to prepare for this coming war Damani hand now, seemingly, dragged the continent in to.
They knew that time wasn’t on their side, so the order went out as far and wide as they could across the Regions and beyond to anyone who would listen: Any and all capable of wielding a weapon and casting a spell were to report to the Eastern Regions, perhaps forming the largest conscripted army ever created on the Mainland. all the time this went on however, eyes were focused on the Northern Coastal Passway (in the shadow of the Peak of the World) and across the Midland Sea for any sign of Orc Warbanners.
They wouldn’t have to wait long as whatever happened in the East had clearly convinced the orcs to turn around and look for conquest in the West. Expecting a weak, scattered and divided collection of Kingdoms to plunder, instead finding the largest organized military force assembled: the First waves of Invaders were bombarded by a mixture of Magic, Catapults and Cannonball, those that survived, followed by the second wave of attackers were then met by a wall of Swords and Shields and Arcane spells raining down on the Orcs behind the front line. For the two days that followed after that initial salvo, the shore and the land beyond became a blood-soaked battlefield until the Green tide met it’s final defeat, those that weren’t killed in battle or had surrendered to the combined army fled in fear, swimming back to the boats that were off shore. Others flew into a berserker frenzy before being put to the sword. After the battle had ended it took a further day to count the honored dead and the prisoners taken, the entire region turned into an Orcish mass grave whilst the Conscripted fallen were recovered for burial in their homes. From that day on, the entire region would be known as ‘The Crimson Field’ as the ground was so soaked with blood.
In the days that followed the battle, the Eight leaders that had met to deliberate over what would happen in this aftermath. Chief amongst them was something of a dawning realisation: if what happened in the past several days was achievable in so short a time, imagine what could be achieved if the eight regions pooled their resources and total sum expertise together? For months after the initial concerns of relief, reparations and securing their territories, the leaders began to lay the groundwork for a unified version of the regions where in all would be welcomed amongst the eight territories, all would have equal rights, equal opportunity regardless of social class and standing but chief of all these was the ideal that the principles of each separate territory could be shared and offered to the others.
Thus the new political power of the region, the Principalities, was born.
==
Part 3 - The Kroll Accords
In the early days of this new government, time was taken to set the initial groundwork on how this new ideal would work: as all eight of the regions involved would have an equal say on matters political or otherwise, it was agreed that one ‘de facto’ leader wouldn’t work, instead leadership would be divided amongst the eight leaders and until a dedicated ‘Political Center’ of the Principalities could be designed and built, each of the initial meetings would be held in each of the region capitals by majority vote, the host City itself would be selected in a way that all eight would host at least one meeting in sequence (the most recent being removed from the next vote) until the initial construction of the new Political Centre was finished. (Unanimously agreed to be built in Caldus but declared as Neutral Ground). 40 years roughly after the initial founding of the government, many people noticed that the Eastern Horizon had started to glow rather unexpectedly, almost as though the horizon itself had been set ablaze. Many having witnessed the event referring to what they saw as a ‘Skyfire’. Some in Halacyn calling it something close to an ‘omen’ in the flow of magic.
However, an initial scare for the fledgling power came when word came to them that the Orcs to the immediate north seemed restless and looked ready to march. Rather than debate, the Principalities would not suffer another Green Tide incident. Sounding the alarm and ordering their military to Sahangal’s Northern border ready to meet whatever would come. Whilst not as grand as what was gathered on the Day the orcs came before, the army amassed was sizable enough to turn away whatever marched on them. Instead, however, they were met by a single Orc on Worgback. Larger than the average orc (Often meaning he was a leader of high standing in the Orcish Hierarchy). A moment later, the Lord Banker of Sahangal (who had joined to oversee the battle), to the surprise of all, broke ranks to meet the Orc on the field.
It didn’t take long for the High Banker to lead the Orc to the Principality lines and introduce the Orc as a friend to Sahangal. The Warlord Kroll had come wishing to speak to the leader of the region, even doing so alone so as not to upset the Territory. Rather hesitantly, during the time when Halacyn had been elected to hold the Leadership Councils, the Leadership agreed to hear Kroll, taking the High Banker’s vouching as reason to trust the Warlord amongst them. Almost immediately a fight threatened to break out when Kroll’s opening statement was to throw a sack of decapitated Orc heads onto the table. The Battlelord jumping to his feet as if to answer a challenge to a duel to the death. Instead Kroll insisted the severed heads were ‘a gift of peace’.
It took a few minutes before the leaders were comfortable enough to take their seats again, during which time Kroll explained that he ‘Invited’ the leaders of the Green Tide to his kingdom under the pretense of continuing the offensive. However when they arrived, he admitted it was the only way to convince the leaders to attend his meeting to challenge them by Trial by Combat, going so far to seal the meeting room to prevent outside interference in which, ultimately, Kroll was the only Orc to leave the room alive and declared sovereignty (through Orcish rites and traditions) over the Green Tide. And rather antagonize the Principalities after they had won their hard-earned victory after two days Kroll had decided he wished peace with his neighbours, even offering an apology that it took him a long while to do so.
The longer Kroll talked about the notion of peace and the prospect of how his Orcish Kingdom to the North could become the region’s first dedicated ally, the more the Leadership Council sat, listened and seriously considered agreeing to Kroll’s proposal. Naturally the reasons for such a thing were vastly different from one leader to the next, but all were brought forward during a preliminary vote on the matter. Some believed that casting a former enemy as their latest ally would assuage fears the Orcs still held designs on the territories. The ‘money-minded’ believed trade with the Orcs would allow for unique and exotic goods to be sold on to the Principalities and the Elven Kingdoms to the South. The war-minded ‘wouldn’t mind ‘ having an Orc Warrior or two at their side rather than at their throats, as well as acting as a shield against the Clans of the Eastern Greenlands (those Orcs that renounced Kroll’s claim to leadership).
After all the initial political matters were dealt with, the announcement was made to coincide with the completion of the initial construction of the High Halls, the new seat of Government for the Principalities. Upon the steps and to an amassed crowd (those who could not attend watched via Cogni-globes), announced the formation of the ‘Kroll Accords’. That the Orcs to the immediate north of the Principalities would be considered allies and close friends, regardless of what happened at the end of the Green Tide. Many were skeptical the peace would last, but as time went passed since then the bonds between the two kingdoms became nigh-on inseparable, no matter what threatened the peace between the two kingdoms.
To this day, the Principalities have gone from strength to strength with both their internal matters as well as their neighbours: after the bonds that were forged with the Kingdom of Kroll, the power became quick friends with the new Kingdom of Dornia as well as the Wood Elf kingdom of Takrun to the immediate south, even a long distance trade agreements with the majority of Tamir (Once it has been quickly discovered it survived whatever had caused the “Skyfire” 1300 years ago).
==
Part 4 - Locations and Landmarks
Azmath: Population Center (Facilitative) - Representative
‘Give a man food, he’ll eat for a day. Teach him to Harvest and he’ll eat for an eternity.’
Though unconfirmed, many believe that the fertile lands of Azmath are why the majority of the known population of the Principalities chose to lay their roots here. The working theory to date is the ground is rich in minerals that greatly accelerate and boost the harvest of any crop that grows (citing that the Peaks of the World once spread so far south, thus the minerals laced in the ground have the adverse effect of accelerated growth)
During the early days of the city, all there was that stood was the capital city and the walls that kept the monsters out, what little food they could produce threatened to make the Region’s existence a rather short and grim one. A situation quickly remedied by the ruling body at the time, the ‘Five Noble Families’. They were prepared to finance a series of expeditions to clear out Monster Infested lands and use them for the Agricultural needs the City found itself in: Agricultural claims to the lands that had been cleared of the Monster hordes. Meaning those that cleared the proposed areas would be free to claim an equally divided portion of the region and put it to use. As a result a long line and list of volunteers, from Farmers, fishermen and Labourers. Even the Guardsman Irregulars (The Region’s ‘Volunteer Military’) applied to aid with the efforts to clear the lands needed for this Agricultural endeavour.
In an effort that was projected to take decades at the most, ended after only three years (given the abnormally high number of P-Types that inhabited the area). And rather promptly, those that had agreed to the ordeal quickly started to pick out their plots of land that the Families had promised them. And true to their words (unlike most other Nobilities in the Continent) the Families agreed to grant the land that was promised. As a result of this, both food production saw a tenfold increase to the point there was a risk of excess and the one thing the Farming community didn’t want was to see it go to waste or spoil overall, even petitioning the Five Family to share or sell off the excess to the neighbouring regions of Daeus, Halacyn and Zaltara, to which they agreed by a majority vote. As time passed and the Farmlands started expanding further and further with the addition of subsidiary and livestock, many saw the Region in differing lights: A Glorified Food Pit, The Largest Natural Resource, The Beating Heart of the Regions.
The time after the ‘Grand Melee’ saw mostly political changes come to Azmath. The Eight Regions had come to an agreement that they would send their highest Political Representative to Council to either express concern, debate matter or otherwise talk politics. Azmath had never had one dedicated leader at the time, and was forced to abstain from the first meeting because of it (The Families unable to determine which of them should represent the Region.) As quickly as the problem arose though, a solution was quick to follow: They would put forward a representative of the House in question, either one of the Family themselves or a member of the Mit-to-Upper Echelon of the population and make a case for that representative for the Population as a whole to decide who would represent the Families. Said representative had the authority to speak on behalf of the Five Families and each Representative would hold the position for a 10 year period before a new Representative would be selected in the same manner.
To this day, Azmath has been the centre of Food production and ‘population’ in the Principalities, making it a ripe target for Bandits and Slavers from Ik’sumar, as a result the number of Guardsman Irregulars and Kurgarn Battleborn tend to slowly rise and fall as a dissuasive measure. A prime target for any invader, but the beating heart of the Principalities on the whole.
• Falava City: The Default Capital City of the Region, Falava was first founded as a settlement meant to house the surplus population that came first. As time passed, wooden huts and tents gave way to a sprawling city metropolis of stone wood and bricks, the hierarchy made very clear: at the heart of the City are the Five Noble Families, all housed in the Grand Houses surrounding the Keep, the residence of the Region’s Political Representative. In the middle band of the city live the Mid-Class: the Merchants, Educators, Specialized Labourers. The effective working backbone of the city and the surrounding villages, living in rather adequate yet unremarkable accommodation, ranging from anywhere from simple, adjoined housing in the city to farmhouses of the surrounding villages and farmlands. The out-band of the city serve primarily for storage areas, mostly for food stuffs harvested from the Farmlands and surrounding farms, taking the fill needed to feed the city population with the excess being shared out amongst the Azmath settlements and the neighbouring regions.
• The Farmlands: The largest swathe of natural land dedicated to agricultural endeavours. Initially a ‘hunting ground’ for the various P-Type monsters that wandered across the area, the sudden arrival of Azmath’s pioneering expeditions caused the Monster population to flee. Whilst the occasional P-Type like Prarie-Sklugs, Horms and the occasional Cyclopotamus do wander into (or through in the case of the Sklugs) the region, little happens to hamper the production of the various crops and foods that are grown and produced, the Farmers often doubling-up as Monster Hunters to keep the lands safe. Whilst the purpose can be for benefit, sometimes ‘temporary banishment’ to the Farmlands can be seen as a constructive alternative to time in the stocks, giving most miscreants and delinquents a potential alternative to a life of crime.
Halacyn: Magical Study and Affinity (Magehood) - Archmage
A mystery even to this day. The early population laying claim to the region of Halacyn discovered two facts found a large assortment of seemingly preserved structures across the region, each of the various settlements had one thing in common: what are now commonly referred to as ‘Capacitor Crystals’. It was quick to the early settlers that the entire region seemed to swell to the brim with ambient Arcane magics, making discovery efforts easier to undertake as the majority of the settlements used and inhabited were remarkably well preserved for however long they had been established.
As time passed on, it was becoming clear that the Capacitor Crystals were having an adverse effect on the settlers, many of them starting to display some degree of magical aptitude. How such accidental discharges of magic and spells didn’t destroy the area the recently-awoken magical adepts was seen as a miracle at the time. This revelation also quickly prompted those who had shown said aptitude to quickly learn how to control this newly awoken magic unless the next accident damaged a capacitor crystal.
As time passed and the region of Halacyn was beginning to take shape, it was clear that whoever the settlers were inhabiting the region from that the ‘predecessor’ civilization seemed well adept and knowledgeable in the ways of magic. Even though most of the information found corroborates with modern day magical academics, the way it was documented seemed remarkable, as if Magic was to be respected as its own sentient entity. As such the Magehood that soon followed after the first generation of magic casters adopted the philosophy of those who came before them… even if it has done nothing to the archetypal arrogance Arcanists have shown all across Karandia.
Given the academical nature of the Magehood, it was little surprise that the initial Triumvirate approached them during the Kurgarn unrest in hopes of finding a solution. While initial thoughts were preemptively striking Kurgarn in a magical barrage, they wouldn’t cause enough damage before the rest of warlike people would roll over the regions. With Ribera’s assistance, however, they were able to settle on a more ‘traditional’ solution to a warrior’s problem, resulting in the Grand Melee. Even after the end of the Grand Melee, Halacyn was treated with trepidation by the other regions simply because many, even before the unrest, saw the population of Halacyn as predominantly magical, immediately assuming all the right and wrong things spoken about Mages all at once.
40 years after the events of the Green Tide, the Archmage and his inner circle felt a sudden change in the ebb and flow of magic as far off as the Eastern kingdoms, not long afterward the ‘feeling’ was seen when the Eastern Horizon, for a good portion of the day, even taking ther term many of the commoners and onlookers gave it when watching, naming it ‘The Skyfire Event’. When asked about his lack of enthusiasm at such an event and if he knew it was going to happen, the Archmage gave as vague and uninformative an answer you would expect from a mage: a warm smile.
As of today, Halacyn is seen as one of the premiere academic centers for magical study and training with mages as far as Tamir and Avora attending to learn new things and spells for the sake of learning. Though there is an arrogance about those who study at the White Citadel directly, the Archmage has made it clear that all those who cna use magic are welcome to learn.
• The White Citadel: Heart of the Halacyn Magehood, also affectionately named “The Heart of Magic”. The City itself remains mostly intact, its many spires, towers and Arcane Beacons serving as the seat of Power of the Magehood as well as the chief center of Magical Study. At its heart stands the Ivory Spire, residence of the Archmage and the Council, spread about the base of the Spire are the grounds of the ‘Academia Arcana’, the Mage Academy that many adepts and aspirants learn their arts and trade in Magic, though only ‘the best’ are ever admitted. The remainder of the city is divided amongst the various requirements and needs, primarily residential housing with Markets and other Trade hubs dotted about the city (primarily Book Shops, Arcanists, Enchanters being the specialist wares available).
• Linghorm Fortress: At first glance, the Fortress itself seemed to be some long-forgotten relic of the first civilization that came before the Human Resettlement. Upon further discovery, however, it was clear the Fortress served a specific purpose: Hold in the Ashen Wastes beyond. The Fortress itself is simply a Wall, built within a mountain pass that leads to a secluded region within the Peaks of the World. The wall, however, has all the amenities required of a Garrison: Weapon Emplacements, Barracks, Armaments and a perpetual ‘Arcane Barrier’ ahead of the fortress. But it is only recently that the Fortress itself has been ‘remodelled’ to continue to serve purpose: additional Counter-Siege weapons, a permanent Garrison and a Study Hall for the rare occasion Halacyn send expeditions into the Wastes to better understand how the region came to be.
• The Ashen Wastes: The longest held and the dirtiest secret that the Halacyn Magehood inherited. Long before the Humans made the heart of Karandia their own, the remnant of the original civilization that lived in the region dabbled in magics in ways not meant to be handled. Common theory is that they dabbled with Crystals that held similar magical Properties as Sol Crystals, but much weaker in potential power. The common theory is that the Ashen Wastes came into existence via an experiment involving these Magic Crystals went horribly wrong. The resultant damage caused has not only rendered the region near lifeless and warped the very fabric of magic within, what did survive, of men and monster both, became magic-warped degradations of their former self. Chief amongst the ‘survivors’ are the ‘Troglodyte’ monsters. Warped and malformed humanoids that continue to throw themselves at the Linghorm Fortress, desperate to spill into the Principalities beyond the Fortress.
Caldus: Delegative Skill (Administrative/Democracy) - Lord Mayor
It’s often said that the twin regions of Caldus and Zaltara are so intimately joined you could never tell where one ends and the other begins unless you have a map.
Considered part of the earliest example of cooperation amongst the regions outside the initial Triumverate of Azmath, Ribera and Sahangal, Caldus is considered as ‘the brains’ of the Two seafaring regions in the Eastern Principalities, informally referred to as the ‘Seafarer Twins’, the early settlers established their early settlements near the coastline in what would soon become the capital of Golden Sails harbour and as a result, they quickly came into contact with Zaltara to the south shortly after the Grand Melee. Despite the caution the Regions had in the early days of the foundings and since the Melee, Caldus and Zaltara became really fast friends given the auditory gift the people of Caldus had. Offering that skill in return for aid and information about how to better use their best commodity to their best potential, thus the nickname ‘The Seafarer Twins’.
In the interim time between the Kurgan Unrest and the Green Tide, the two nations could have been believed to have gotten a head-start on a sense of co-operation given their mutual love for the sea, despite Caldus being of a more Democratic and Delegative Upbringing, Caldus having the administrative skill while Zaltara possessed the know-how on all things Naval and Nautical, even quickly agreeing that, as they had the space, that the Fleetwood Shipyards would be built on the Northern part of the Caldus shoreline in return for Caldus to help organization within the Zaltara’s Great Fishing Wharf and, sometime after the Green Tide, assistance in governing the new Regional Capital of New Myrkos. So much so to the present day the peoples of the two Regions are so interwoven many have joked that to seperate Caldus and Zaltara is to physically rip the landscape apart to do so.
• Golden Sails Harbour: Both Capital City and Primary trade port for the region, as well as gateway to the Kingdom of Dornia. The Golden Sails Harbor is a clear mixture of an urban city and commercial Harbor and Anchorage. The Shoreline lined with such Harbours, Moorings and Wharfs in the sea with storage and warehouses not too far away. The remainder of the city is an eclectic mixture of taverns, Marketplaces, residential homes and other such dwellings. Near the heart of the Residential Half of the City is the Lord Mayor’s Manor, surrounded by walls and built out of brick and stone to denote the Lord Mayor’s status as the elected leader of the Region.
• Fleetwood Shipyards: More seen as a mutual concession between Caldus and Zaltara, the Fleetwood Shipyards are a city in their own right. In essence the Shipyards cover the remaining part of the ‘Seafaring Twins’ stretch of the coastline. Stretching out into the ocean are a vast array of General and Specialized Construction Scaffolds and Drydocks to build both Commercial and Military Seafaring vessels of the Principalities. The remainder of the city serves as living quarters and commercial space for the Workforces and potential customers for various ship designs. Many scoffed at the idea of creating a shipyard thinking it would service only the Midland sea, but Naval Ingenuity has seen ships of Principality make navigate the Python Basin Canal and the Green Pass with surprising ease
• Marblehead Watchtower: One of the recent additions to the landscape of Caldus, Marblehead Watchtower began construction only days after the end of the battle of the Crimson Fields, both as a monument of the victory the fledgling Principalities had won and as a constant Vigil in the event of another Green Tide from the Eastern Greenlands. Nowadays it also serves as ‘Karandia’s Largest Lighthouse’, standing 80 meters tall and crafted out of Stone from the Daeus Slagworks and built to a Riberan Aesthetic. In the event of attack from the sea, the Tower is also home to various Long Range Ballistae and Miniature Trebuchets to soften up any potential invading fleet before it hits the shoreline
• The High Halls: Technically the region the High Halls is built on is Neutral Territory, despite its placement within Caldus’ borders. The High Halls are the official meeting place for the Eight Leaders of the Principalities to meet, discuss and deliberate matters, both domestic and otherwise. The Halls themselves were built on Elevated Ground so as to denote their importance as a structure. Initially only the Halls were constructed to house the Principality leaders, but as time grew on the grounds around the Halls started to grow and develop into a small city that houses a myriad of individuals from across the Principalities: Merchants, Soldiers, Academics and everything in between.
Nothing more can be said about Zaltara that hasn’t already been said about Caldus. Save the major differences are that Zaltara have always had a maritime heart and passion for the Ocean. In the earliest days of the Region the majority of the population appeared huddled in one major settlement that would later become known as the Great Fishing Wharf. While indeed mistaken as a nation of Fishermen the Region made quick work to secure the southern Midland Seas against Jellyslime attacks and other such Kraken-esque creatures both Perverted and Carnivorous.
The earliest claim to fame for Zaltara was that victory in the Grand Melee at the end of the Kurgan Unrest, the details of which have been somewhat embellished and exaggerated since the event happened, but the importance of the event itself has not been lost on the Principalities. In the days that followed, their comradeship with Caldus truly started to bloom, offering the expertice of the seas and seafaring in exchange for the Administrative capabilities of running both Merchant and Militant naval forces.
During the time of Green Tide, Zaltara served as an open port and refuge for the majority Refugees fleeing across the Midland Sea. During this period the Zaltaran Navy were keeping close and constant watch on the Shore of both the sacked Damanai and Boltok in case the Orcs made a sudden about turn. Days after the emergency council, in which they verified Damani’s claims the Orcs were killing all humans in the Kingdoms, the Scouting group made for home at best speed with word that the Orcs were on the move, hoping to cross the Midland Sea rather than force themselves down the Bottleneck of the Northern Approach into the Regions, allowing for more than enough time for the defences to prepare for the coming onslaught.
In the time that followed after the Green Tide, Zaltara played home to those Refugees that had decided they would risk a better life within the fledgling Principalities rather than return to a ruined home and potential animosity when things returned to normal. The ‘Fleet Admiral’ of Zaltara allowing the refugees to stay, granting them a swathe of Land and the materials with which to set up a permanent settlement with whatever aid they would require to survive and thrive. Today, the Settlement now serves as the Capital City of the Region as well as a testament to the longevity of those that built the city before.
• New Myros: Originally a city built to house the Refugees of the Green Tide that fancied their chances in the fledgling Principalities, as time passed the Settlement of New Myros (named after perhaps the oldest city or region in the old Kingdoms of Damanai and Boltok), slowly expanded more and more to the point the Zaltara Leadership decided that the Capital should be moved to the City, jointly agreed with consent of the Mayor of the Settlement. Initially a few small houses and some farmland slowly started to grow and expand outward after time to become its own self-sufficient settlement. So much so that three decades after it’s initial founding, the Fleet Admiral of Zaltara requested the political officials of the city if the Capital of the region could be relocated to New Myros, a request that was granted after an initial bout of skepticism and uncertainty that Zaltara would impose its culture on the refuge city. Concerns otherwise unfounded as the city has maintained its cultural identity since, in standing with the ideals of the Principalities.
• The Robius Naval Academy: One of the Few ‘City-Structures’ of the Principalities, a building so vast and interwoven that it may as well be its own city. Similar to The Forge and the Athera Academy, the Robius Academy spans for miles along the Zaltara coastline. Other than a city in and of its own for the faculty and servitors, the Academy itself serves as a premiere center for education in the ways of the seas. Any fool can find or purchase a boat and set her out onto the ocean waves, but the Academy serves to impart and refine the skills needed to sail upon the Midland sea and beyond. Dedicated sections of the academy serve as training centers for Merchant and Military Naval service while the sections inland serve as dormitories, guest quarters and other such facilities when not embroiled in the study of seafaring expeditions.
• The Great Fishing Wharf: A more ‘affectionate’ name for the original purpose of the Wharf. In the present day the Great Fishing Wharf now as a commercial port for Dornia and Tamir and the home base of the Principality Navy, though there are still a small handful of fishing fleets moored at the Wharf to risk the perils of sea-faring monsters to haul in fish and other such treasures within the midland sea. As of the present day, the Wharf’s primary function beyond housing the fleet is that of a trade post for those unable to reach or find space at Golden Sails further north in Caldus,
Daeus: Industrial Expertise (Forgemasters) - High Smithy
Calling the Daeus Forgemasters a rival to the Dwarves is not an idle boast to be made. The only major difference is they won’t steal away women for their own perverted gratification or desires.
At first glance, the initial settlers were lucky to have found what would become their capital: The Forge. The initial belief that the Forge itself was an ancient Dwarven Ruin from a time, possible, before they were known to be perversely depraved as well as Master Smithies. Understandably it took considerable time for the settlers to sweep the city for any deathtraps or other such surprises ‘just in case’. Once it was deemed the city was safe for habitation, the settlers were quick to move in and take the City as their own, removing most of the legwork of establishing an initial capital. The subsequent years after the discovery of The Forge showed that the city itself was self-sustainable, despite it being underground. The eventual discovery of the Slagwork mines further north is what really gave the Region it’s life and calling as Blacksmiths and Stonemasons.
Even before the Kurgarn Unrest and the Grand Melee, Daeus wares were widely seen and sought after by the other regions… all except Kurgarn, of course. Everything from armor, weapons and construction work was sent far and wide across the Regions, playing a vital role when the inaugural Grand Melee came about to arm the Regions that stood against Kurgarn. Deausian Arms and Armaments would also see widespread use during the Green Tide when the High-Smithy, the Daeus Representative of the Leadership Council said they could pump out the required arms and armour in ‘double-quick time’, thus firmly planting their banner in the ‘war’ side of the argument at the time. And indeed when the vote to war was cast, Daeus Forges indeed produced arms and armor as an astonishing rate, just in time to arm the army that would stand upon the Crimson Fields.
Whilst a Staunch member of the Principalities, like all the regions Daeus has it’s fare share of secrets. Any of the other regions asking for the secret of their skill and speed at forging is met, often, with a friendly, if coy refusal to answer the question. Though the curiosity hasn’t stopped Daeus being the heart of the Principalities’ industry, even many blacksmiths and Forges across the Principalities will have some degree of influence from Daeus Forgemasters.
• The Forge: Originally believed for some manner of Ancient Dwarven Ruin upon its discovery, the Forge serves more as a technological wonder in Craftmanship than some giant Death Trap Racetrack. Though on the surface the Forge looks like an oversized Mine Entrance, the City Itself is a sprawling Underground Metropolis, an entire City carved into the Earth and surprisingly suitable for humanoid habitation, Everything centered around the Heart of the Forge at the City’s Centre, spreading outward is a myriad of districts; Residential, Trade, Armories, Storehouses, even limited agricultural capabilities. The heat and glow of Molten Metals and Lava that run through the Heart providing heat and light that make the underground City habitable, even enjoyable to the residents and some of the visitors to the city.
• The Slagworks: The ‘affectionate name’ of the collection of mines and quarries that litter a small portion of the Peaks of the World. Providing the bulk of the metal ores and construction materials that are used around the Principalities. The exterior of the Mines are a series of wooden scaffolding, walkways and pulley systems designed to get the Ores and Stone from the Mines and off to the Forges and Masonry workers all across the regions. Beyond the incredible boons and quality of what is acquired, the mines themselves are otherwise uninteresting to the outsider eye.
Most often seen as the Beating heart and the Strong Backbone of the Principality Military, few are often aware of the grizzly history of the beginning of the Region.
As with the others, the area was set aside for expansion by a long forgotten Kingdom at the time for expansion and colonization. What those intrepid explorers didn’t know, however, is that a greater power had laid claim to the region. In establishing the initial settlement, the expedition met the wrath of the Expansionist and Territorial Kraf Empire.
In olden times it was believed that various tribes and clans of the Kraf Enpire was ruled under one dedicated leader. Given the limited interactions it is unknown if, as the name suggests, it was led by an Emperor, or given the aggressive, warlike nature of the Empire’s denizens, a Warchief or Warlord. All that is known is that roughly around the 40th Century Kurgarn was considered the heart of the Militaristic Expansion during the Empire’s golden age, as denoted with the discovery of ruins throughout the Regions. As time passed, the influence of the Empire slowly shrunk until nothing but Kurgarn was all that remained under the Empire’s banner. The explorers quick to become either slave labor or target practice (given what Gender you were back then).
What stopped them from expanding further into the Eight Regions almost immediately is still a debatable mystery to this day. But it wasn’t going to be long (give or take a few years or so) before the “Leadership” at the time goaded Kurgarn’s Battlelord into pushing the known Boundary of Kurgarn from the Parent Nation of Kraf once again.
Whilst they were indeed preparing for war with their neighbors, little did they know that these designs would be thwarted, by a mere fisherman, in an event in Principality Pre-History that would eventually become the ‘Grand Melee’.
As a result, beliefs within the region of Kurgan began to change; Many thinking that it was a sign that the denizens of Kurgarn had lost favor with the empire losing to someone as… lowly as a simple fisherman. Others taking it as a sign that the regions were more ingenious and cunning than first thought.
All the Battlelord at the time knew was one thing: The battle was an honorable and glorious one, and saw no shame in losing to a, clearly, more skilled and superior opponent, no matter who or what they were. And as such the Battle Lord made a decision that would shape events to come, not only in the Regions, but in the Kraf Empire itself: Secession.
Believing now was the perfect time to do so, in no uncertain terms, the Battlelord made clear to his people and to his parent nation that, as a result of the Melee, that Kurgarn would Secede from the Kraf Empire and throw its lot in with the now fledgling union of powers in the heart of the Continent. This event coincided with the Eight Leaders meeting to agree to regular meetings to keep the newly found peace. Little did the Battlelord realize that as a result of declaring Kurgarn an Independent state, it would fracture the Empire near-irrevocably… something subsequent ‘leaders’ of the Empire as it is today would not forgive or forget.
The first thing that was done in the aftermath of the Secession was for Kurgarn to petition the construction of a great barrier that would span the combined border of Kurgarn and Ribera (believing they wouldn’t even attempt to cross the Shivering Hills). A wall of Daeus in making but clearly Kurgarn in architectural design known simply as ‘The Fortification’. During the initial stages of construction, Kraf decided to enact it’s vengeance for Kurgan and it’s seeming ‘betrayal’ of the empire. Launching attack after bloody attack on the Boarder, but always beaten back and allowing the time for the Fortification to be completed, even after the wall’s construction the Kraf, in their stubborn pride, continued to throw their warriors at the Fortification in an act of bloody futility until eventually seeing folly in head long attacks. To this day the Kraf Empire have never dared to attack it again simply because of it’s intimidating and nigh on impregnable nature. A strange contradiction, many would think. However it has forced the Empire to only ever attempt crossing into the Region by a narrow passway on the North-western border. A pass that would soon become known as ‘The Eternal Battlefield’, given the near daily skirmishes between Kraf and Kurgarn.
Shortly after, the Region’s belief system slowly started to change influence from the other Regions slowly crept in after subsequent Council Meetings. The most jarring and longest change was the phasing out of the belief of Divora. Eventually reshaping it into a more ‘agreeable’ view that stripped away the need for sacrifice and slavery. And that peace was not so much an alien prospect, but something achievable if all pulled their weight. A direct mirroring of what the Principalities would become. Though this new belief system had retained the ‘Cult of Power’ that dictates that strength can only be sought after in battle. And with the Eternal Battlefield to the Region’s north, battle and the strength that is sought is often found in abundance.
Come the time of the Green Tide, it was no secret that Kurgarn was the loudest voice in the meetings to call for battle with the Orcs, believing that such barbaric creatures would only be humbled with the edge of a blade. Even when the Orcs finally came to their shores Kurgarn Battleborn and Berserkers were the first to crash into the softened lines of the invaders and carving a bloody swathe into the Green Menace.
As of today, the Kurgarn have been the backbone of the Principality Military, sending the strongest and most skilled warriors to serve it after forging new Battleborn upon the Eternal Battlefield. If seen at the head of a charge there are two options to an enemy vanguard: Run for your life and survive, or stand your ground and become a bloody smear on a Kurgarn Blade
• Sanquinar City: ‘The City of Blood’ more resembles a Fortress than a City to the outsider eye. A carryover from when the Region was an Annex of Kraf, the City is more leaned towards practicality than aesthetically pleasing: tightly packed streets, the only openings being anywhere of importance and ‘ easy defense’ like the Market Bazzar, the The Keep and the Gatehouses. Given the Kurgarn way of life you’ll also never find a Barracks or a Guardhouse too far away from any residential or Commercial region within the city. Beyond being the seat of power of the Region and the source of it’s Military recruitment (and the exotic architecture) the city would seem otherwise uninteresting to outsiders
• The Killing Grounds: It is no exaggeration that Kurgarn warriors are born from battle. The Killing Grounds themselves serve as where they are born from. From within those halls aspirants are taken, broken down and reshaped into the Warriors of renown known in the Principality and beyond. The training provided is as rigorous as you’d come to expect from a people who revel in battle to the point that death is not uncommon. Even then, once their training is complete the aspirants are not recognised as Battleborn until they pass one final trial: The Eternal Battlefield
• The Arena: Aside from any attempt at settlement construction in the harshness of the region, the Arena serves as a city in it’s own right. At it’s heart is the ‘affectionately’ called ‘Blood Ring’, surrounded by various living areas for visitors and participants in the annual ‘Grand Melee’ held there, as well as market stands and other such ‘entertainment’ for both audience and participant alike.
• The Eternal Battlefield: The name is not an exaggeration. The Eternal Battlefield is a swathe of blood-soaked land on Kurgarn’s North-Western border. A mountain pass the Kraf have used in many an attempt to enact bloody vengeance for Kurgarn’s ultimate betrayal to the Empire. Fortifications both Kraf and Kurgarn litter the landscape, as well as the corpses of many a warrior, as well as many a Carnivorous Monster looking for a quick and easy snack or had been ‘domesticated’ by Kraf.
Sahangal: Trade (Moneyocracy) - Lord Banker
There’s a saying amongst the regions of the Principalities: “The only thing more two-faced than a gold coin is the Sahangal Banker’s Guild.”
Built from the ground up on their seemingly uncanny ability to peddle and trade anything to anyone, the region of Sahangal was built on one key principle: The acclimation of Wealth. The majority of the region's inhabitants possess astounding accounting capability and an uncanny trade acumen. However the initial history of the region wasn’t the most glamorous.
In the early days of the Sahangal’s Trade Boom in which the bulk of their monetary wealth was acquired, anything was considered fair game for trade and commerce; Food, Luxuries, Materials, even Slaves could and would be sold to anyone who could afford the price tag attached. By today’s standards many see it as a ‘dark time’ for the region whilst a select, unscrupulous few still considered it a ‘Golden Age of Trade and Economic Growth’ as the Region’s ‘chief export’ was its slave population.
But as with all things, time passes and so do ideologies. Roughly Sixty years prior to the ‘Kurgarn Unrest’ incident, the Lord Banker made two ambitious strokes of monetary genius: the first thing he did was outright abolish the practice of the Slave Trade, citing that such a work force would be more beneficial to the Regional Economy if the work force were paid AND could circulate that money back, effectively creating a wide swathe of jobs and employment for the former Slave Population of Sahangal. The second was to make the effort to enter trade negotiations with the Orcish Kingdom to the north, noting that they seem rather subdued and jaded compared to the Eastern Clans, saying that the possibility of circulating such exotic goods was a financial gamble worth taking, in the short term after the announcement, many were seeing this as a financial disaster waiting to happen, but like the rains falling against the mountainside, slowly but surely, it was clear the Lord banker’s gamble had paid off and the Region's coffers were practically overflowing with gold.
By the time of the Green Tide, no one was surprised when Sahangal was the louder of the two voices speaking for an avoidance of getting involved in something a Country away, despite any concerns there may have been given recent silence from trading partners in the western clans in the lands to the north. The only reason the Lord Banker changed his mind on the matter was when Damani refugees came to the region with word the Orcs had joined Damani’s war in an indiscriminate bloodbath against the humans of the Kingdom, and perhaps soon te rest of the continent. Sahangal agreeing they would foot the bill for any of the Mercenaries that answered the call to arms.
Today, however, Sahangal Accountants and Traders can be seen as far and wide across the Principalities, most businesses and noble households employing them for their seemingly natural accounting skills. Whilst there is a degree of distrust for a region of monetary experts and ever persistent rumors of the Black Market blighting the Sahangal capitol, Sahangal’s book keeping skills have maintained the financial stability of the Young Nation of the Principalities.
• The Guilded Coffer: Practically the only ‘other noticeable landmark in the region outside of the occasional walled settlement. In typical monetarian fashion, even the Capital City of Sahangal has to be related to their fixation of money and wealth. Whilst technically seen as a City, the Guilded Coffer feels and acts more like a giant marketplace than a city. Somehow housing a population of just over 2 million people the city is noticeably divided into two portions: The Upper Band are where those who have embraced and understand the Sahangal Moneytocracy lifestyle reside, the Bankers, the Peddlers, the Tradesmen, the Marketeers, even the Lord Banker resides in the Upper Band of the city. The Lower Band is concidered where many who struggle or are paid employees to the Uppers reside, livable but not as glamorous as their rich counterparts. The Lower Band is also believed to be the rumored home of the ‘Sahangal Black Market’, though authorities and officials have never confirmed or discovered if this is true or not.
• The Crimson Fields: Sahangal’s other claim to popularity. This was the site where the Orcs of the Green Tide made landfall in the Central Mainland and the two-day battle ensued. By the end of it the ground had been so saturated in the blood of the fallen that even to this day (perhaps through a natural or magical means) the grass in these fields has grown a bloody crimson. Whilst it is still livable, as shown by several villages still existing in the region, many don’t dare even risk it due to the history of the area.
Ribera: Academic Aptitude (Scholary) - Highmaster
Home to the smartest individuals in the Principalities, if not the Continent. Ribera prides itself on it’s academic history. Similarly to many other parts of the Region, the Riberan People inherited Mostly intact ruins and seemingly abandoned cities, sparing the need to break ground and build wholly new settlements from the ground up. As a result most subsequent expansions like towns and villages have taken design inspiration from the original ruins. Many believing the ruins to be remnants of the ‘Golden Age’ of the Kraf Empire when it enveloped the region and that the drastic change in aesthetic was more akin to a break away or an independent state within the Empire’s boundaries.
At their heart, the Riberans are avid seekers and recorders of Knowledge above anything else, believing that Knowledge can inflict a wound deeper and more severe than a blade can. In the early days the structure that would serve as the Athera Academy became the single largest repository of knowledge in the Regions, if it’s not been printed anywhere else in the Region, chances are it could be found in the Academy’s Grand Library. And if anything, their want and desire for knowledge saw citizens of the Region enter the neighbouring territories, much to the unease of said neighbours, believing the Scholars to be spies instead given all the questions the scholars posed.
Their worth would be proven when the Kurgarn Unrest loomed on the horizon and threatened to destroy the regions, Ribera, along with Azmath and Sahangal, actively agreed to find a solution to the matter that didn’t end in war and unrest in the area, the scholars working alongside Halacyn Mages and Caldus Wayfarers on the possible courses to take in an attempt to cover every possible eventuality, a strike of luck and coincidence caused the Scholars to happen upon the Kurgarn being a of a warrior mentality, they surely had a code of ethics or honor… and if they could drag that to the forefront, then they had a chance to stop any potential conflict: an agreement through trial by combat that the fallen opponent would have no choice but to honor. In the end it was fortuitous of Ribera to have discovered upon that as the resulting ‘Grand Melee’ saw to Kurgarn holding off on any potential hostilities.
Though in other important cases and issues, this pursuit for knowledge could often make the Riberans come across as stubborn and inflexible. Though the initial meetings of the Regional Leaders were without much incident, it was the lead-up to the Green Tide that saw how stubborn a Scholar could be, joining Sahangal in the belief that fighting the Orcs was the wrong thing to do but posing a separate argument: believing that if more could be learnt about the Orcs of the East then perhaps a similar solution to the Grand Melee could be found, the Highmaster’s mind only changing after Sahangal, Zaltara and Caldus beinging accounts that the Orcs were an indisciminate rampage and would come sooner rather than later. Prompting them to divert Riberan efforts from study to practical application, working with the Kurgarn to draw up strategy and battle formations for the inevitable clash on the Sahangal Coastline.
Today, Ribera is seen as the highest seat of Education in the Principalities, many coming far and wide either to seek knowledge in a wide variety of topics or subjects. And indeed Riberan Scholars have thoroughly woven themselves into the Principalities way of life, becoming go to individuals for everything from Teachers and instructors to Military Strategists and Officers, without doubt the Riberans are often the most intellectual, albeit annoyingly stubborn (at times), individuals on the Continent
• Ranika City: Surprisingly NOT the center of Academic Study of the Region. Ranika City was found mostly intact but in a slight state of disrepair in certain areas. A City crafted out of a rustic, rural mixture of stone and wood with a ‘Manor-esque’ building serving as the Residence of the Riberan Highmaster, keeper and protector of the accumulated wealth of Knowledge the Region has collected. As time passed the inclusion of Decorative Stone Statues were dotted about several of the open Civil Centers of the city were placed, commemorating the previous Highmasters and other individuals of note as a reminder of who came before and the lessons they imparted upon the population
• Athera Academy: To many, the Athera Academy is just considered the biggest school, library or both in the Principalities. To those who have had the honor and the privilege to attend the Academy it is considered more than that. Originally named ‘the academy’, it was eventually named after Highmaster Lucius Athera, many consider to be the greatest Highmaster in the Region’s history… though in most cases sometimes being the first means you are considered ‘the best’. The Academy itself is comparable to a small city: Dormitories for the students, Classrooms, dining halls, gardens and (of course) the largest repository of Knowledge next to the White Citadel. A jovial boast in most mentions of the Riberans, but any and all things that have been discovered, written about and chronicled, the first copy of each is certainly to be found at the Academy
• “The Fortification”: Not by choice, Ribera shares a border with Kurgarn. And by extension, both share a border with the Kraf Empire to the West of the Principalities. When word came that actions taken after the initial Grand Melee seemed to irk the Empire’s mood, it was quickly agreed by the Battlelord and the Highmaster that a Wall be built to keep the militaristic Monarchy at bay in case they saw fit to exact bloody revenge. Originally a wooden Pallisade that took a year to construct, the finished Fortification, crafted from stone of the Peak of the World itself took a little over 50 years to complete construction (thanks to the efficiency and know-how of Daeus Manufacturers), standing 25 feet tall. The ‘Kraf Facing’ side of the wall is unmistakably Kurgarn in it’s design, meant to look as intimidating and unnerving as possible to dissuade attacks from the West. The ‘Principality Facing’ side of the wall is an eclectic mix of Kurgarn Guard posts and Ribera settlements meant to house the Garrision that mans the Fortification day and night, be it from Kraf, Dark Elf or Carnivorous types looking for a light snack.
Dominating race – Humans
Population – high
Part 1 - Early History
In terms of political history, the Principalities is still a relatively young one compared to the other regions in Central and North-Western Karandia. And even then, it’s origins were born from a mixture of necessity and desperation.
Since the first recorded history, the region that would be known and the Principalities was originally divided amongst Eight ‘Regents’ of a long since forgotten human kingdom, each one allocated a set area of the land to cultivate and make their own. Each of them founding a ‘Capital City’ from which they could govern their allocated region. The names and ‘focus’ of each Region are:
Azmath: Population Center (Facilitative) - Representative
Halacyn: Magical Study and Affinity (Magehood) - Archmage
Caldus: Delegative Skill (Administrative/Democracy) - Lord Mayor
Zaltara: Maritime Culture (Fishermen/Sailors) - Fleet Admiral
Daeus: Industrial Expertise (Forgemasters) - High Smithy
Kurgarn: Martial/Warrior Skill (Military) - Battlelord
Sahangal: Trade (Moneyocracy) - Lord Banker
Ribera: Academic Aptitude (Scholary) - Highmaster
Initially expecting years of toil and strife to establish new settlements in this new land, the early settlers found the regions were originally inhabited with the discovery of various ruins across the territories. While initially a mystery, time soon learned the origin of the ruins were of the Warlike Kraf Empire, at the time having receded into the West of the Continent due to constant infighting and struggle. The Ruins proved a boon to the settlers as it meant the early amenities for survival were seen to.
After centuries of exploration and expansion, the Eight Territories were firmly established. And whilst this would have been seen as a breeding ground for political turmoil and gain through war, the initial period of establishment saw the Regions in a strange, almost eerie sense of equilibrium with one another, the extent of contact was through trade of goods and nothing more.
Suffice to say that there was not tensions between the regions given how different their ideals were. Anyone crossing into a neighbouring territory was often greeted to some degree of animosity and trepidation. It didn’t help that the appointed leaders of each region refused to enter a dialogue with the others back in the early days.
As such it wasn’t long before tensions from the Kurgarn region threatened to upturn this now precarious equilibrium that had lasted for close to a century, the Region’s military might having started to rattle their swords and beat their chests in a want to let their frustrations out on whoever got in their way. Any sane mind thought they would turn it northward toward the Kraf Empire that lay claim to the Westlands, yet none outside the warlike region knew of the ‘truce’ between the two. Mercifully, rather than wait and see what the Militaristic dogma would cause, representatives from the Azmath, Sahangal and Ribera regions decided to break ranks on the standing ‘leave it alone’ policy the Regions had with one another and approached disgruntled Kurgarn and simply asked them what they wanted. In response they made clear, in no uncertain terms, they wanted to flex their warlike muscles and didn’t care who they did it upon.
Immediately the delegation’s concern flew through the roof hearing that Kurgarn simply wanted to fight everyone just to satiate a need to show off their need for combat for no other reason than ‘just because’. Almost immediately they knew the next step to take: warn or convince the surrounding regions or let the warlike Kurgarn to just take what they wanted.
The Triumvirate immediately went to Halacyn and Caldus, believing that their intellect could provide a peaceful answer to the problem. Whilst they couldn’t promise something outright, they did promise to at least see if something could be done. Shortly afterward the trio turned to Daeus, on the off chance that a peaceful solution couldn’t be found, that their industrial output work to manufacture arms in case Kurgarn decided they wanted to march… and in the event of war, there had to be somewhere for the refugees to run and hide. Something to which Zaltara would immediately agree to… and if worst came to worse, evacuate them across the Sea to Damani and Boltok, no questions asked.
It was only ten days after the Triumvirate visited the Regions before a glimmer of hope was found amidst the uncertainty that had gripped this corner of Karandia. In short order a summons was sent to all the regional leaders to meet with one another on the Kurgarn border and to Bring ten of their best soldiers or Spellcasters. Kurgarn was told in a separate message that they would have their battle, and, also, to bring ten of their best warriors. It was an unassuming midsummer’s afternoon when Eight political representatives and an assortment of eighty warriors, hunters, fighters and mages met face to face with declaration made from one of the original Triumvirate: “You want to fight so badly? Then we will give you one. The last man standing for his region will be declared the victor!”
For a few moments after the declaration, the other Regions representatives waited for the inevitability for the Kurgarn warriors to be offended at such a pathetic declaration. But instead, however, the Kurgarn leader simply bellowed out laughing for a full minute before he agreed, quite gleefully, to the challenge that had been issued to them. It lasted a full day before, to the surprise of all, a single Zaltaran stood triumphant over the other participants. Again, contrary to the assumption they’d take offence, the Kurgarn leader’s initial shock was replaced by jubilant laughter, making a remark about how a Fisherman brought Kurgarn’s warlike traditions to heel but agreed that honor had been served this day and they would stand down from their planned march, much to the relief of the initial triumvirate.
After a while, it was clear now to maintain this precarious peace between the regions that some manner of inter-region communication had to take place rather than hope things would go back to the way they were. The day after the ‘Grand melee’ ended, the eight leaders agreed that they would meet on a regular basis to ensure that any issues, grievances or other uneases could be tabled and dealt with before it spilled over into the surrounding regions. As of then, the equilibrium between the eight separate nations was restored and maintained through this mutual understanding.
==
Part 2 - The Green Tide
Everything changed during the events of what would be known, locally, as ‘The Green Tide’.
During the first half of the 110th Century, the Eastern Shore of the Eight Regions was suddenly and inexplicably bombarded with all manner of water-faring craft, packed from bow to stern, a figurative flood of Boltok Refugees from across the sea. Immediately the Eastern Regions verged on a state of panic given the sudden influx of refugees, curious what could have driven Boltok citizens across the midland sea. After the initial shock, it was clear from the refugee accounts that war had waged for the last 11 years between Boltok and its neighbouring kingdom, Damani. The advantage the Damani had gained forced Boltok into routs or delaying actions to allow refugees time to escape.
As a result, the discussion of the potential ramifications of this war were often discussed at subsequent meetings of the Region Council, many deciding to exercise caution in case Damani became a little too ambitious, all the while Ribera and Sahangal advocating that they shouldn't worry too much as this war had nothing to do with them. A sentiment repeated at each subsequent meeting as no word beyond the refugees had been heard about the disposition and state of the war. Though Sahangal was quick to mention something rather unsettling to them: the High Banker explaining that they had engaged in limited trade with the Western Clans on their northern boarder and that 'lately' (though in truth, it had been right about the time Damani had launched their preemptive attack on the Orcs), they had either been turned away or their traders had not returned from the region. Yes a concerning matter, but put down to perhaps an internal power struggle, "Orcs are often quick to anger, I dare say quicker than a Kurgarn Berserker." was the line used to describe it.
Everything changed months later when, to Sahangal's bemusement and disbelief that ships carrying Damani Refugess arrived on the shore. Those that were taken in explained to the High Banker what had happened since: a third faction had joined the war, calling itself the 'Green Tide', sweeping indiscriminately across the two Kingdoms. Other refugees saying, in no uncertain terms, that they heard the Orc raiding parties they were out for human blood for some manner of transgression they, conveniently, omitted from their accounts on the matter, not just Damani. Meaning there was every possibility the Orcs would move on to the Tamir Peninsula, or worse, sweep into the Regions.
This was more than enough reason for the High Banker to call an emergency meeting of the council. Armed with this knowledge, and the 'leader' of the Damani refugees, he relayed the news to the other leaders about this startling update, both the High Admiral of Zaltara and the Lord Mayor of Caldus mirroring the concern now that it had been brought up. Their region of the shoreline being bombarded with a new wave of Boltok Refugees, repeating or corroborating the story of the Damani Refugee: a 'Green Tide' had swept across what was left of the kingdom and was indiscriminately killing humans left and right. Some saying they heard some Overzealous Orcs saying they hoped to move on to Tamir or the Western continent in their need to shed human blood. After only an hour of deliberation the regions were agreed that they could no longer just sit and wait, they had to prepare for this coming war Damani hand now, seemingly, dragged the continent in to.
They knew that time wasn’t on their side, so the order went out as far and wide as they could across the Regions and beyond to anyone who would listen: Any and all capable of wielding a weapon and casting a spell were to report to the Eastern Regions, perhaps forming the largest conscripted army ever created on the Mainland. all the time this went on however, eyes were focused on the Northern Coastal Passway (in the shadow of the Peak of the World) and across the Midland Sea for any sign of Orc Warbanners.
They wouldn’t have to wait long as whatever happened in the East had clearly convinced the orcs to turn around and look for conquest in the West. Expecting a weak, scattered and divided collection of Kingdoms to plunder, instead finding the largest organized military force assembled: the First waves of Invaders were bombarded by a mixture of Magic, Catapults and Cannonball, those that survived, followed by the second wave of attackers were then met by a wall of Swords and Shields and Arcane spells raining down on the Orcs behind the front line. For the two days that followed after that initial salvo, the shore and the land beyond became a blood-soaked battlefield until the Green tide met it’s final defeat, those that weren’t killed in battle or had surrendered to the combined army fled in fear, swimming back to the boats that were off shore. Others flew into a berserker frenzy before being put to the sword. After the battle had ended it took a further day to count the honored dead and the prisoners taken, the entire region turned into an Orcish mass grave whilst the Conscripted fallen were recovered for burial in their homes. From that day on, the entire region would be known as ‘The Crimson Field’ as the ground was so soaked with blood.
In the days that followed the battle, the Eight leaders that had met to deliberate over what would happen in this aftermath. Chief amongst them was something of a dawning realisation: if what happened in the past several days was achievable in so short a time, imagine what could be achieved if the eight regions pooled their resources and total sum expertise together? For months after the initial concerns of relief, reparations and securing their territories, the leaders began to lay the groundwork for a unified version of the regions where in all would be welcomed amongst the eight territories, all would have equal rights, equal opportunity regardless of social class and standing but chief of all these was the ideal that the principles of each separate territory could be shared and offered to the others.
Thus the new political power of the region, the Principalities, was born.
==
Part 3 - The Kroll Accords
In the early days of this new government, time was taken to set the initial groundwork on how this new ideal would work: as all eight of the regions involved would have an equal say on matters political or otherwise, it was agreed that one ‘de facto’ leader wouldn’t work, instead leadership would be divided amongst the eight leaders and until a dedicated ‘Political Center’ of the Principalities could be designed and built, each of the initial meetings would be held in each of the region capitals by majority vote, the host City itself would be selected in a way that all eight would host at least one meeting in sequence (the most recent being removed from the next vote) until the initial construction of the new Political Centre was finished. (Unanimously agreed to be built in Caldus but declared as Neutral Ground). 40 years roughly after the initial founding of the government, many people noticed that the Eastern Horizon had started to glow rather unexpectedly, almost as though the horizon itself had been set ablaze. Many having witnessed the event referring to what they saw as a ‘Skyfire’. Some in Halacyn calling it something close to an ‘omen’ in the flow of magic.
However, an initial scare for the fledgling power came when word came to them that the Orcs to the immediate north seemed restless and looked ready to march. Rather than debate, the Principalities would not suffer another Green Tide incident. Sounding the alarm and ordering their military to Sahangal’s Northern border ready to meet whatever would come. Whilst not as grand as what was gathered on the Day the orcs came before, the army amassed was sizable enough to turn away whatever marched on them. Instead, however, they were met by a single Orc on Worgback. Larger than the average orc (Often meaning he was a leader of high standing in the Orcish Hierarchy). A moment later, the Lord Banker of Sahangal (who had joined to oversee the battle), to the surprise of all, broke ranks to meet the Orc on the field.
It didn’t take long for the High Banker to lead the Orc to the Principality lines and introduce the Orc as a friend to Sahangal. The Warlord Kroll had come wishing to speak to the leader of the region, even doing so alone so as not to upset the Territory. Rather hesitantly, during the time when Halacyn had been elected to hold the Leadership Councils, the Leadership agreed to hear Kroll, taking the High Banker’s vouching as reason to trust the Warlord amongst them. Almost immediately a fight threatened to break out when Kroll’s opening statement was to throw a sack of decapitated Orc heads onto the table. The Battlelord jumping to his feet as if to answer a challenge to a duel to the death. Instead Kroll insisted the severed heads were ‘a gift of peace’.
It took a few minutes before the leaders were comfortable enough to take their seats again, during which time Kroll explained that he ‘Invited’ the leaders of the Green Tide to his kingdom under the pretense of continuing the offensive. However when they arrived, he admitted it was the only way to convince the leaders to attend his meeting to challenge them by Trial by Combat, going so far to seal the meeting room to prevent outside interference in which, ultimately, Kroll was the only Orc to leave the room alive and declared sovereignty (through Orcish rites and traditions) over the Green Tide. And rather antagonize the Principalities after they had won their hard-earned victory after two days Kroll had decided he wished peace with his neighbours, even offering an apology that it took him a long while to do so.
The longer Kroll talked about the notion of peace and the prospect of how his Orcish Kingdom to the North could become the region’s first dedicated ally, the more the Leadership Council sat, listened and seriously considered agreeing to Kroll’s proposal. Naturally the reasons for such a thing were vastly different from one leader to the next, but all were brought forward during a preliminary vote on the matter. Some believed that casting a former enemy as their latest ally would assuage fears the Orcs still held designs on the territories. The ‘money-minded’ believed trade with the Orcs would allow for unique and exotic goods to be sold on to the Principalities and the Elven Kingdoms to the South. The war-minded ‘wouldn’t mind ‘ having an Orc Warrior or two at their side rather than at their throats, as well as acting as a shield against the Clans of the Eastern Greenlands (those Orcs that renounced Kroll’s claim to leadership).
After all the initial political matters were dealt with, the announcement was made to coincide with the completion of the initial construction of the High Halls, the new seat of Government for the Principalities. Upon the steps and to an amassed crowd (those who could not attend watched via Cogni-globes), announced the formation of the ‘Kroll Accords’. That the Orcs to the immediate north of the Principalities would be considered allies and close friends, regardless of what happened at the end of the Green Tide. Many were skeptical the peace would last, but as time went passed since then the bonds between the two kingdoms became nigh-on inseparable, no matter what threatened the peace between the two kingdoms.
To this day, the Principalities have gone from strength to strength with both their internal matters as well as their neighbours: after the bonds that were forged with the Kingdom of Kroll, the power became quick friends with the new Kingdom of Dornia as well as the Wood Elf kingdom of Takrun to the immediate south, even a long distance trade agreements with the majority of Tamir (Once it has been quickly discovered it survived whatever had caused the “Skyfire” 1300 years ago).
==
Part 4 - Locations and Landmarks
Azmath: Population Center (Facilitative) - Representative
‘Give a man food, he’ll eat for a day. Teach him to Harvest and he’ll eat for an eternity.’
Though unconfirmed, many believe that the fertile lands of Azmath are why the majority of the known population of the Principalities chose to lay their roots here. The working theory to date is the ground is rich in minerals that greatly accelerate and boost the harvest of any crop that grows (citing that the Peaks of the World once spread so far south, thus the minerals laced in the ground have the adverse effect of accelerated growth)
During the early days of the city, all there was that stood was the capital city and the walls that kept the monsters out, what little food they could produce threatened to make the Region’s existence a rather short and grim one. A situation quickly remedied by the ruling body at the time, the ‘Five Noble Families’. They were prepared to finance a series of expeditions to clear out Monster Infested lands and use them for the Agricultural needs the City found itself in: Agricultural claims to the lands that had been cleared of the Monster hordes. Meaning those that cleared the proposed areas would be free to claim an equally divided portion of the region and put it to use. As a result a long line and list of volunteers, from Farmers, fishermen and Labourers. Even the Guardsman Irregulars (The Region’s ‘Volunteer Military’) applied to aid with the efforts to clear the lands needed for this Agricultural endeavour.
In an effort that was projected to take decades at the most, ended after only three years (given the abnormally high number of P-Types that inhabited the area). And rather promptly, those that had agreed to the ordeal quickly started to pick out their plots of land that the Families had promised them. And true to their words (unlike most other Nobilities in the Continent) the Families agreed to grant the land that was promised. As a result of this, both food production saw a tenfold increase to the point there was a risk of excess and the one thing the Farming community didn’t want was to see it go to waste or spoil overall, even petitioning the Five Family to share or sell off the excess to the neighbouring regions of Daeus, Halacyn and Zaltara, to which they agreed by a majority vote. As time passed and the Farmlands started expanding further and further with the addition of subsidiary and livestock, many saw the Region in differing lights: A Glorified Food Pit, The Largest Natural Resource, The Beating Heart of the Regions.
The time after the ‘Grand Melee’ saw mostly political changes come to Azmath. The Eight Regions had come to an agreement that they would send their highest Political Representative to Council to either express concern, debate matter or otherwise talk politics. Azmath had never had one dedicated leader at the time, and was forced to abstain from the first meeting because of it (The Families unable to determine which of them should represent the Region.) As quickly as the problem arose though, a solution was quick to follow: They would put forward a representative of the House in question, either one of the Family themselves or a member of the Mit-to-Upper Echelon of the population and make a case for that representative for the Population as a whole to decide who would represent the Families. Said representative had the authority to speak on behalf of the Five Families and each Representative would hold the position for a 10 year period before a new Representative would be selected in the same manner.
To this day, Azmath has been the centre of Food production and ‘population’ in the Principalities, making it a ripe target for Bandits and Slavers from Ik’sumar, as a result the number of Guardsman Irregulars and Kurgarn Battleborn tend to slowly rise and fall as a dissuasive measure. A prime target for any invader, but the beating heart of the Principalities on the whole.
• Falava City: The Default Capital City of the Region, Falava was first founded as a settlement meant to house the surplus population that came first. As time passed, wooden huts and tents gave way to a sprawling city metropolis of stone wood and bricks, the hierarchy made very clear: at the heart of the City are the Five Noble Families, all housed in the Grand Houses surrounding the Keep, the residence of the Region’s Political Representative. In the middle band of the city live the Mid-Class: the Merchants, Educators, Specialized Labourers. The effective working backbone of the city and the surrounding villages, living in rather adequate yet unremarkable accommodation, ranging from anywhere from simple, adjoined housing in the city to farmhouses of the surrounding villages and farmlands. The out-band of the city serve primarily for storage areas, mostly for food stuffs harvested from the Farmlands and surrounding farms, taking the fill needed to feed the city population with the excess being shared out amongst the Azmath settlements and the neighbouring regions.
• The Farmlands: The largest swathe of natural land dedicated to agricultural endeavours. Initially a ‘hunting ground’ for the various P-Type monsters that wandered across the area, the sudden arrival of Azmath’s pioneering expeditions caused the Monster population to flee. Whilst the occasional P-Type like Prarie-Sklugs, Horms and the occasional Cyclopotamus do wander into (or through in the case of the Sklugs) the region, little happens to hamper the production of the various crops and foods that are grown and produced, the Farmers often doubling-up as Monster Hunters to keep the lands safe. Whilst the purpose can be for benefit, sometimes ‘temporary banishment’ to the Farmlands can be seen as a constructive alternative to time in the stocks, giving most miscreants and delinquents a potential alternative to a life of crime.
Halacyn: Magical Study and Affinity (Magehood) - Archmage
A mystery even to this day. The early population laying claim to the region of Halacyn discovered two facts found a large assortment of seemingly preserved structures across the region, each of the various settlements had one thing in common: what are now commonly referred to as ‘Capacitor Crystals’. It was quick to the early settlers that the entire region seemed to swell to the brim with ambient Arcane magics, making discovery efforts easier to undertake as the majority of the settlements used and inhabited were remarkably well preserved for however long they had been established.
As time passed on, it was becoming clear that the Capacitor Crystals were having an adverse effect on the settlers, many of them starting to display some degree of magical aptitude. How such accidental discharges of magic and spells didn’t destroy the area the recently-awoken magical adepts was seen as a miracle at the time. This revelation also quickly prompted those who had shown said aptitude to quickly learn how to control this newly awoken magic unless the next accident damaged a capacitor crystal.
As time passed and the region of Halacyn was beginning to take shape, it was clear that whoever the settlers were inhabiting the region from that the ‘predecessor’ civilization seemed well adept and knowledgeable in the ways of magic. Even though most of the information found corroborates with modern day magical academics, the way it was documented seemed remarkable, as if Magic was to be respected as its own sentient entity. As such the Magehood that soon followed after the first generation of magic casters adopted the philosophy of those who came before them… even if it has done nothing to the archetypal arrogance Arcanists have shown all across Karandia.
Given the academical nature of the Magehood, it was little surprise that the initial Triumvirate approached them during the Kurgarn unrest in hopes of finding a solution. While initial thoughts were preemptively striking Kurgarn in a magical barrage, they wouldn’t cause enough damage before the rest of warlike people would roll over the regions. With Ribera’s assistance, however, they were able to settle on a more ‘traditional’ solution to a warrior’s problem, resulting in the Grand Melee. Even after the end of the Grand Melee, Halacyn was treated with trepidation by the other regions simply because many, even before the unrest, saw the population of Halacyn as predominantly magical, immediately assuming all the right and wrong things spoken about Mages all at once.
40 years after the events of the Green Tide, the Archmage and his inner circle felt a sudden change in the ebb and flow of magic as far off as the Eastern kingdoms, not long afterward the ‘feeling’ was seen when the Eastern Horizon, for a good portion of the day, even taking ther term many of the commoners and onlookers gave it when watching, naming it ‘The Skyfire Event’. When asked about his lack of enthusiasm at such an event and if he knew it was going to happen, the Archmage gave as vague and uninformative an answer you would expect from a mage: a warm smile.
As of today, Halacyn is seen as one of the premiere academic centers for magical study and training with mages as far as Tamir and Avora attending to learn new things and spells for the sake of learning. Though there is an arrogance about those who study at the White Citadel directly, the Archmage has made it clear that all those who cna use magic are welcome to learn.
• The White Citadel: Heart of the Halacyn Magehood, also affectionately named “The Heart of Magic”. The City itself remains mostly intact, its many spires, towers and Arcane Beacons serving as the seat of Power of the Magehood as well as the chief center of Magical Study. At its heart stands the Ivory Spire, residence of the Archmage and the Council, spread about the base of the Spire are the grounds of the ‘Academia Arcana’, the Mage Academy that many adepts and aspirants learn their arts and trade in Magic, though only ‘the best’ are ever admitted. The remainder of the city is divided amongst the various requirements and needs, primarily residential housing with Markets and other Trade hubs dotted about the city (primarily Book Shops, Arcanists, Enchanters being the specialist wares available).
• Linghorm Fortress: At first glance, the Fortress itself seemed to be some long-forgotten relic of the first civilization that came before the Human Resettlement. Upon further discovery, however, it was clear the Fortress served a specific purpose: Hold in the Ashen Wastes beyond. The Fortress itself is simply a Wall, built within a mountain pass that leads to a secluded region within the Peaks of the World. The wall, however, has all the amenities required of a Garrison: Weapon Emplacements, Barracks, Armaments and a perpetual ‘Arcane Barrier’ ahead of the fortress. But it is only recently that the Fortress itself has been ‘remodelled’ to continue to serve purpose: additional Counter-Siege weapons, a permanent Garrison and a Study Hall for the rare occasion Halacyn send expeditions into the Wastes to better understand how the region came to be.
• The Ashen Wastes: The longest held and the dirtiest secret that the Halacyn Magehood inherited. Long before the Humans made the heart of Karandia their own, the remnant of the original civilization that lived in the region dabbled in magics in ways not meant to be handled. Common theory is that they dabbled with Crystals that held similar magical Properties as Sol Crystals, but much weaker in potential power. The common theory is that the Ashen Wastes came into existence via an experiment involving these Magic Crystals went horribly wrong. The resultant damage caused has not only rendered the region near lifeless and warped the very fabric of magic within, what did survive, of men and monster both, became magic-warped degradations of their former self. Chief amongst the ‘survivors’ are the ‘Troglodyte’ monsters. Warped and malformed humanoids that continue to throw themselves at the Linghorm Fortress, desperate to spill into the Principalities beyond the Fortress.
Caldus: Delegative Skill (Administrative/Democracy) - Lord Mayor
It’s often said that the twin regions of Caldus and Zaltara are so intimately joined you could never tell where one ends and the other begins unless you have a map.
Considered part of the earliest example of cooperation amongst the regions outside the initial Triumverate of Azmath, Ribera and Sahangal, Caldus is considered as ‘the brains’ of the Two seafaring regions in the Eastern Principalities, informally referred to as the ‘Seafarer Twins’, the early settlers established their early settlements near the coastline in what would soon become the capital of Golden Sails harbour and as a result, they quickly came into contact with Zaltara to the south shortly after the Grand Melee. Despite the caution the Regions had in the early days of the foundings and since the Melee, Caldus and Zaltara became really fast friends given the auditory gift the people of Caldus had. Offering that skill in return for aid and information about how to better use their best commodity to their best potential, thus the nickname ‘The Seafarer Twins’.
In the interim time between the Kurgan Unrest and the Green Tide, the two nations could have been believed to have gotten a head-start on a sense of co-operation given their mutual love for the sea, despite Caldus being of a more Democratic and Delegative Upbringing, Caldus having the administrative skill while Zaltara possessed the know-how on all things Naval and Nautical, even quickly agreeing that, as they had the space, that the Fleetwood Shipyards would be built on the Northern part of the Caldus shoreline in return for Caldus to help organization within the Zaltara’s Great Fishing Wharf and, sometime after the Green Tide, assistance in governing the new Regional Capital of New Myrkos. So much so to the present day the peoples of the two Regions are so interwoven many have joked that to seperate Caldus and Zaltara is to physically rip the landscape apart to do so.
• Golden Sails Harbour: Both Capital City and Primary trade port for the region, as well as gateway to the Kingdom of Dornia. The Golden Sails Harbor is a clear mixture of an urban city and commercial Harbor and Anchorage. The Shoreline lined with such Harbours, Moorings and Wharfs in the sea with storage and warehouses not too far away. The remainder of the city is an eclectic mixture of taverns, Marketplaces, residential homes and other such dwellings. Near the heart of the Residential Half of the City is the Lord Mayor’s Manor, surrounded by walls and built out of brick and stone to denote the Lord Mayor’s status as the elected leader of the Region.
• Fleetwood Shipyards: More seen as a mutual concession between Caldus and Zaltara, the Fleetwood Shipyards are a city in their own right. In essence the Shipyards cover the remaining part of the ‘Seafaring Twins’ stretch of the coastline. Stretching out into the ocean are a vast array of General and Specialized Construction Scaffolds and Drydocks to build both Commercial and Military Seafaring vessels of the Principalities. The remainder of the city serves as living quarters and commercial space for the Workforces and potential customers for various ship designs. Many scoffed at the idea of creating a shipyard thinking it would service only the Midland sea, but Naval Ingenuity has seen ships of Principality make navigate the Python Basin Canal and the Green Pass with surprising ease
• Marblehead Watchtower: One of the recent additions to the landscape of Caldus, Marblehead Watchtower began construction only days after the end of the battle of the Crimson Fields, both as a monument of the victory the fledgling Principalities had won and as a constant Vigil in the event of another Green Tide from the Eastern Greenlands. Nowadays it also serves as ‘Karandia’s Largest Lighthouse’, standing 80 meters tall and crafted out of Stone from the Daeus Slagworks and built to a Riberan Aesthetic. In the event of attack from the sea, the Tower is also home to various Long Range Ballistae and Miniature Trebuchets to soften up any potential invading fleet before it hits the shoreline
• The High Halls: Technically the region the High Halls is built on is Neutral Territory, despite its placement within Caldus’ borders. The High Halls are the official meeting place for the Eight Leaders of the Principalities to meet, discuss and deliberate matters, both domestic and otherwise. The Halls themselves were built on Elevated Ground so as to denote their importance as a structure. Initially only the Halls were constructed to house the Principality leaders, but as time grew on the grounds around the Halls started to grow and develop into a small city that houses a myriad of individuals from across the Principalities: Merchants, Soldiers, Academics and everything in between.
Zaltara: Maritime Culture (Fishermen/Sailors) - Fleet Admiral
Nothing more can be said about Zaltara that hasn’t already been said about Caldus. Save the major differences are that Zaltara have always had a maritime heart and passion for the Ocean. In the earliest days of the Region the majority of the population appeared huddled in one major settlement that would later become known as the Great Fishing Wharf. While indeed mistaken as a nation of Fishermen the Region made quick work to secure the southern Midland Seas against Jellyslime attacks and other such Kraken-esque creatures both Perverted and Carnivorous.
The earliest claim to fame for Zaltara was that victory in the Grand Melee at the end of the Kurgan Unrest, the details of which have been somewhat embellished and exaggerated since the event happened, but the importance of the event itself has not been lost on the Principalities. In the days that followed, their comradeship with Caldus truly started to bloom, offering the expertice of the seas and seafaring in exchange for the Administrative capabilities of running both Merchant and Militant naval forces.
During the time of Green Tide, Zaltara served as an open port and refuge for the majority Refugees fleeing across the Midland Sea. During this period the Zaltaran Navy were keeping close and constant watch on the Shore of both the sacked Damanai and Boltok in case the Orcs made a sudden about turn. Days after the emergency council, in which they verified Damani’s claims the Orcs were killing all humans in the Kingdoms, the Scouting group made for home at best speed with word that the Orcs were on the move, hoping to cross the Midland Sea rather than force themselves down the Bottleneck of the Northern Approach into the Regions, allowing for more than enough time for the defences to prepare for the coming onslaught.
In the time that followed after the Green Tide, Zaltara played home to those Refugees that had decided they would risk a better life within the fledgling Principalities rather than return to a ruined home and potential animosity when things returned to normal. The ‘Fleet Admiral’ of Zaltara allowing the refugees to stay, granting them a swathe of Land and the materials with which to set up a permanent settlement with whatever aid they would require to survive and thrive. Today, the Settlement now serves as the Capital City of the Region as well as a testament to the longevity of those that built the city before.
• New Myros: Originally a city built to house the Refugees of the Green Tide that fancied their chances in the fledgling Principalities, as time passed the Settlement of New Myros (named after perhaps the oldest city or region in the old Kingdoms of Damanai and Boltok), slowly expanded more and more to the point the Zaltara Leadership decided that the Capital should be moved to the City, jointly agreed with consent of the Mayor of the Settlement. Initially a few small houses and some farmland slowly started to grow and expand outward after time to become its own self-sufficient settlement. So much so that three decades after it’s initial founding, the Fleet Admiral of Zaltara requested the political officials of the city if the Capital of the region could be relocated to New Myros, a request that was granted after an initial bout of skepticism and uncertainty that Zaltara would impose its culture on the refuge city. Concerns otherwise unfounded as the city has maintained its cultural identity since, in standing with the ideals of the Principalities.
• The Robius Naval Academy: One of the Few ‘City-Structures’ of the Principalities, a building so vast and interwoven that it may as well be its own city. Similar to The Forge and the Athera Academy, the Robius Academy spans for miles along the Zaltara coastline. Other than a city in and of its own for the faculty and servitors, the Academy itself serves as a premiere center for education in the ways of the seas. Any fool can find or purchase a boat and set her out onto the ocean waves, but the Academy serves to impart and refine the skills needed to sail upon the Midland sea and beyond. Dedicated sections of the academy serve as training centers for Merchant and Military Naval service while the sections inland serve as dormitories, guest quarters and other such facilities when not embroiled in the study of seafaring expeditions.
• The Great Fishing Wharf: A more ‘affectionate’ name for the original purpose of the Wharf. In the present day the Great Fishing Wharf now as a commercial port for Dornia and Tamir and the home base of the Principality Navy, though there are still a small handful of fishing fleets moored at the Wharf to risk the perils of sea-faring monsters to haul in fish and other such treasures within the midland sea. As of the present day, the Wharf’s primary function beyond housing the fleet is that of a trade post for those unable to reach or find space at Golden Sails further north in Caldus,
Daeus: Industrial Expertise (Forgemasters) - High Smithy
Calling the Daeus Forgemasters a rival to the Dwarves is not an idle boast to be made. The only major difference is they won’t steal away women for their own perverted gratification or desires.
At first glance, the initial settlers were lucky to have found what would become their capital: The Forge. The initial belief that the Forge itself was an ancient Dwarven Ruin from a time, possible, before they were known to be perversely depraved as well as Master Smithies. Understandably it took considerable time for the settlers to sweep the city for any deathtraps or other such surprises ‘just in case’. Once it was deemed the city was safe for habitation, the settlers were quick to move in and take the City as their own, removing most of the legwork of establishing an initial capital. The subsequent years after the discovery of The Forge showed that the city itself was self-sustainable, despite it being underground. The eventual discovery of the Slagwork mines further north is what really gave the Region it’s life and calling as Blacksmiths and Stonemasons.
Even before the Kurgarn Unrest and the Grand Melee, Daeus wares were widely seen and sought after by the other regions… all except Kurgarn, of course. Everything from armor, weapons and construction work was sent far and wide across the Regions, playing a vital role when the inaugural Grand Melee came about to arm the Regions that stood against Kurgarn. Deausian Arms and Armaments would also see widespread use during the Green Tide when the High-Smithy, the Daeus Representative of the Leadership Council said they could pump out the required arms and armour in ‘double-quick time’, thus firmly planting their banner in the ‘war’ side of the argument at the time. And indeed when the vote to war was cast, Daeus Forges indeed produced arms and armor as an astonishing rate, just in time to arm the army that would stand upon the Crimson Fields.
Whilst a Staunch member of the Principalities, like all the regions Daeus has it’s fare share of secrets. Any of the other regions asking for the secret of their skill and speed at forging is met, often, with a friendly, if coy refusal to answer the question. Though the curiosity hasn’t stopped Daeus being the heart of the Principalities’ industry, even many blacksmiths and Forges across the Principalities will have some degree of influence from Daeus Forgemasters.
• The Forge: Originally believed for some manner of Ancient Dwarven Ruin upon its discovery, the Forge serves more as a technological wonder in Craftmanship than some giant Death Trap Racetrack. Though on the surface the Forge looks like an oversized Mine Entrance, the City Itself is a sprawling Underground Metropolis, an entire City carved into the Earth and surprisingly suitable for humanoid habitation, Everything centered around the Heart of the Forge at the City’s Centre, spreading outward is a myriad of districts; Residential, Trade, Armories, Storehouses, even limited agricultural capabilities. The heat and glow of Molten Metals and Lava that run through the Heart providing heat and light that make the underground City habitable, even enjoyable to the residents and some of the visitors to the city.
• The Slagworks: The ‘affectionate name’ of the collection of mines and quarries that litter a small portion of the Peaks of the World. Providing the bulk of the metal ores and construction materials that are used around the Principalities. The exterior of the Mines are a series of wooden scaffolding, walkways and pulley systems designed to get the Ores and Stone from the Mines and off to the Forges and Masonry workers all across the regions. Beyond the incredible boons and quality of what is acquired, the mines themselves are otherwise uninteresting to the outsider eye.
Kurgarn: Martial/Warrior Skill (Military) - Battlelord
Most often seen as the Beating heart and the Strong Backbone of the Principality Military, few are often aware of the grizzly history of the beginning of the Region.
As with the others, the area was set aside for expansion by a long forgotten Kingdom at the time for expansion and colonization. What those intrepid explorers didn’t know, however, is that a greater power had laid claim to the region. In establishing the initial settlement, the expedition met the wrath of the Expansionist and Territorial Kraf Empire.
In olden times it was believed that various tribes and clans of the Kraf Enpire was ruled under one dedicated leader. Given the limited interactions it is unknown if, as the name suggests, it was led by an Emperor, or given the aggressive, warlike nature of the Empire’s denizens, a Warchief or Warlord. All that is known is that roughly around the 40th Century Kurgarn was considered the heart of the Militaristic Expansion during the Empire’s golden age, as denoted with the discovery of ruins throughout the Regions. As time passed, the influence of the Empire slowly shrunk until nothing but Kurgarn was all that remained under the Empire’s banner. The explorers quick to become either slave labor or target practice (given what Gender you were back then).
What stopped them from expanding further into the Eight Regions almost immediately is still a debatable mystery to this day. But it wasn’t going to be long (give or take a few years or so) before the “Leadership” at the time goaded Kurgarn’s Battlelord into pushing the known Boundary of Kurgarn from the Parent Nation of Kraf once again.
Whilst they were indeed preparing for war with their neighbors, little did they know that these designs would be thwarted, by a mere fisherman, in an event in Principality Pre-History that would eventually become the ‘Grand Melee’.
As a result, beliefs within the region of Kurgan began to change; Many thinking that it was a sign that the denizens of Kurgarn had lost favor with the empire losing to someone as… lowly as a simple fisherman. Others taking it as a sign that the regions were more ingenious and cunning than first thought.
All the Battlelord at the time knew was one thing: The battle was an honorable and glorious one, and saw no shame in losing to a, clearly, more skilled and superior opponent, no matter who or what they were. And as such the Battle Lord made a decision that would shape events to come, not only in the Regions, but in the Kraf Empire itself: Secession.
Believing now was the perfect time to do so, in no uncertain terms, the Battlelord made clear to his people and to his parent nation that, as a result of the Melee, that Kurgarn would Secede from the Kraf Empire and throw its lot in with the now fledgling union of powers in the heart of the Continent. This event coincided with the Eight Leaders meeting to agree to regular meetings to keep the newly found peace. Little did the Battlelord realize that as a result of declaring Kurgarn an Independent state, it would fracture the Empire near-irrevocably… something subsequent ‘leaders’ of the Empire as it is today would not forgive or forget.
The first thing that was done in the aftermath of the Secession was for Kurgarn to petition the construction of a great barrier that would span the combined border of Kurgarn and Ribera (believing they wouldn’t even attempt to cross the Shivering Hills). A wall of Daeus in making but clearly Kurgarn in architectural design known simply as ‘The Fortification’. During the initial stages of construction, Kraf decided to enact it’s vengeance for Kurgan and it’s seeming ‘betrayal’ of the empire. Launching attack after bloody attack on the Boarder, but always beaten back and allowing the time for the Fortification to be completed, even after the wall’s construction the Kraf, in their stubborn pride, continued to throw their warriors at the Fortification in an act of bloody futility until eventually seeing folly in head long attacks. To this day the Kraf Empire have never dared to attack it again simply because of it’s intimidating and nigh on impregnable nature. A strange contradiction, many would think. However it has forced the Empire to only ever attempt crossing into the Region by a narrow passway on the North-western border. A pass that would soon become known as ‘The Eternal Battlefield’, given the near daily skirmishes between Kraf and Kurgarn.
Shortly after, the Region’s belief system slowly started to change influence from the other Regions slowly crept in after subsequent Council Meetings. The most jarring and longest change was the phasing out of the belief of Divora. Eventually reshaping it into a more ‘agreeable’ view that stripped away the need for sacrifice and slavery. And that peace was not so much an alien prospect, but something achievable if all pulled their weight. A direct mirroring of what the Principalities would become. Though this new belief system had retained the ‘Cult of Power’ that dictates that strength can only be sought after in battle. And with the Eternal Battlefield to the Region’s north, battle and the strength that is sought is often found in abundance.
Come the time of the Green Tide, it was no secret that Kurgarn was the loudest voice in the meetings to call for battle with the Orcs, believing that such barbaric creatures would only be humbled with the edge of a blade. Even when the Orcs finally came to their shores Kurgarn Battleborn and Berserkers were the first to crash into the softened lines of the invaders and carving a bloody swathe into the Green Menace.
As of today, the Kurgarn have been the backbone of the Principality Military, sending the strongest and most skilled warriors to serve it after forging new Battleborn upon the Eternal Battlefield. If seen at the head of a charge there are two options to an enemy vanguard: Run for your life and survive, or stand your ground and become a bloody smear on a Kurgarn Blade
• Sanquinar City: ‘The City of Blood’ more resembles a Fortress than a City to the outsider eye. A carryover from when the Region was an Annex of Kraf, the City is more leaned towards practicality than aesthetically pleasing: tightly packed streets, the only openings being anywhere of importance and ‘ easy defense’ like the Market Bazzar, the The Keep and the Gatehouses. Given the Kurgarn way of life you’ll also never find a Barracks or a Guardhouse too far away from any residential or Commercial region within the city. Beyond being the seat of power of the Region and the source of it’s Military recruitment (and the exotic architecture) the city would seem otherwise uninteresting to outsiders
• The Killing Grounds: It is no exaggeration that Kurgarn warriors are born from battle. The Killing Grounds themselves serve as where they are born from. From within those halls aspirants are taken, broken down and reshaped into the Warriors of renown known in the Principality and beyond. The training provided is as rigorous as you’d come to expect from a people who revel in battle to the point that death is not uncommon. Even then, once their training is complete the aspirants are not recognised as Battleborn until they pass one final trial: The Eternal Battlefield
• The Arena: Aside from any attempt at settlement construction in the harshness of the region, the Arena serves as a city in it’s own right. At it’s heart is the ‘affectionately’ called ‘Blood Ring’, surrounded by various living areas for visitors and participants in the annual ‘Grand Melee’ held there, as well as market stands and other such ‘entertainment’ for both audience and participant alike.
• The Eternal Battlefield: The name is not an exaggeration. The Eternal Battlefield is a swathe of blood-soaked land on Kurgarn’s North-Western border. A mountain pass the Kraf have used in many an attempt to enact bloody vengeance for Kurgarn’s ultimate betrayal to the Empire. Fortifications both Kraf and Kurgarn litter the landscape, as well as the corpses of many a warrior, as well as many a Carnivorous Monster looking for a quick and easy snack or had been ‘domesticated’ by Kraf.
Sahangal: Trade (Moneyocracy) - Lord Banker
There’s a saying amongst the regions of the Principalities: “The only thing more two-faced than a gold coin is the Sahangal Banker’s Guild.”
Built from the ground up on their seemingly uncanny ability to peddle and trade anything to anyone, the region of Sahangal was built on one key principle: The acclimation of Wealth. The majority of the region's inhabitants possess astounding accounting capability and an uncanny trade acumen. However the initial history of the region wasn’t the most glamorous.
In the early days of the Sahangal’s Trade Boom in which the bulk of their monetary wealth was acquired, anything was considered fair game for trade and commerce; Food, Luxuries, Materials, even Slaves could and would be sold to anyone who could afford the price tag attached. By today’s standards many see it as a ‘dark time’ for the region whilst a select, unscrupulous few still considered it a ‘Golden Age of Trade and Economic Growth’ as the Region’s ‘chief export’ was its slave population.
But as with all things, time passes and so do ideologies. Roughly Sixty years prior to the ‘Kurgarn Unrest’ incident, the Lord Banker made two ambitious strokes of monetary genius: the first thing he did was outright abolish the practice of the Slave Trade, citing that such a work force would be more beneficial to the Regional Economy if the work force were paid AND could circulate that money back, effectively creating a wide swathe of jobs and employment for the former Slave Population of Sahangal. The second was to make the effort to enter trade negotiations with the Orcish Kingdom to the north, noting that they seem rather subdued and jaded compared to the Eastern Clans, saying that the possibility of circulating such exotic goods was a financial gamble worth taking, in the short term after the announcement, many were seeing this as a financial disaster waiting to happen, but like the rains falling against the mountainside, slowly but surely, it was clear the Lord banker’s gamble had paid off and the Region's coffers were practically overflowing with gold.
By the time of the Green Tide, no one was surprised when Sahangal was the louder of the two voices speaking for an avoidance of getting involved in something a Country away, despite any concerns there may have been given recent silence from trading partners in the western clans in the lands to the north. The only reason the Lord Banker changed his mind on the matter was when Damani refugees came to the region with word the Orcs had joined Damani’s war in an indiscriminate bloodbath against the humans of the Kingdom, and perhaps soon te rest of the continent. Sahangal agreeing they would foot the bill for any of the Mercenaries that answered the call to arms.
Today, however, Sahangal Accountants and Traders can be seen as far and wide across the Principalities, most businesses and noble households employing them for their seemingly natural accounting skills. Whilst there is a degree of distrust for a region of monetary experts and ever persistent rumors of the Black Market blighting the Sahangal capitol, Sahangal’s book keeping skills have maintained the financial stability of the Young Nation of the Principalities.
• The Guilded Coffer: Practically the only ‘other noticeable landmark in the region outside of the occasional walled settlement. In typical monetarian fashion, even the Capital City of Sahangal has to be related to their fixation of money and wealth. Whilst technically seen as a City, the Guilded Coffer feels and acts more like a giant marketplace than a city. Somehow housing a population of just over 2 million people the city is noticeably divided into two portions: The Upper Band are where those who have embraced and understand the Sahangal Moneytocracy lifestyle reside, the Bankers, the Peddlers, the Tradesmen, the Marketeers, even the Lord Banker resides in the Upper Band of the city. The Lower Band is concidered where many who struggle or are paid employees to the Uppers reside, livable but not as glamorous as their rich counterparts. The Lower Band is also believed to be the rumored home of the ‘Sahangal Black Market’, though authorities and officials have never confirmed or discovered if this is true or not.
• The Crimson Fields: Sahangal’s other claim to popularity. This was the site where the Orcs of the Green Tide made landfall in the Central Mainland and the two-day battle ensued. By the end of it the ground had been so saturated in the blood of the fallen that even to this day (perhaps through a natural or magical means) the grass in these fields has grown a bloody crimson. Whilst it is still livable, as shown by several villages still existing in the region, many don’t dare even risk it due to the history of the area.
Ribera: Academic Aptitude (Scholary) - Highmaster
Home to the smartest individuals in the Principalities, if not the Continent. Ribera prides itself on it’s academic history. Similarly to many other parts of the Region, the Riberan People inherited Mostly intact ruins and seemingly abandoned cities, sparing the need to break ground and build wholly new settlements from the ground up. As a result most subsequent expansions like towns and villages have taken design inspiration from the original ruins. Many believing the ruins to be remnants of the ‘Golden Age’ of the Kraf Empire when it enveloped the region and that the drastic change in aesthetic was more akin to a break away or an independent state within the Empire’s boundaries.
At their heart, the Riberans are avid seekers and recorders of Knowledge above anything else, believing that Knowledge can inflict a wound deeper and more severe than a blade can. In the early days the structure that would serve as the Athera Academy became the single largest repository of knowledge in the Regions, if it’s not been printed anywhere else in the Region, chances are it could be found in the Academy’s Grand Library. And if anything, their want and desire for knowledge saw citizens of the Region enter the neighbouring territories, much to the unease of said neighbours, believing the Scholars to be spies instead given all the questions the scholars posed.
Their worth would be proven when the Kurgarn Unrest loomed on the horizon and threatened to destroy the regions, Ribera, along with Azmath and Sahangal, actively agreed to find a solution to the matter that didn’t end in war and unrest in the area, the scholars working alongside Halacyn Mages and Caldus Wayfarers on the possible courses to take in an attempt to cover every possible eventuality, a strike of luck and coincidence caused the Scholars to happen upon the Kurgarn being a of a warrior mentality, they surely had a code of ethics or honor… and if they could drag that to the forefront, then they had a chance to stop any potential conflict: an agreement through trial by combat that the fallen opponent would have no choice but to honor. In the end it was fortuitous of Ribera to have discovered upon that as the resulting ‘Grand Melee’ saw to Kurgarn holding off on any potential hostilities.
Though in other important cases and issues, this pursuit for knowledge could often make the Riberans come across as stubborn and inflexible. Though the initial meetings of the Regional Leaders were without much incident, it was the lead-up to the Green Tide that saw how stubborn a Scholar could be, joining Sahangal in the belief that fighting the Orcs was the wrong thing to do but posing a separate argument: believing that if more could be learnt about the Orcs of the East then perhaps a similar solution to the Grand Melee could be found, the Highmaster’s mind only changing after Sahangal, Zaltara and Caldus beinging accounts that the Orcs were an indisciminate rampage and would come sooner rather than later. Prompting them to divert Riberan efforts from study to practical application, working with the Kurgarn to draw up strategy and battle formations for the inevitable clash on the Sahangal Coastline.
Today, Ribera is seen as the highest seat of Education in the Principalities, many coming far and wide either to seek knowledge in a wide variety of topics or subjects. And indeed Riberan Scholars have thoroughly woven themselves into the Principalities way of life, becoming go to individuals for everything from Teachers and instructors to Military Strategists and Officers, without doubt the Riberans are often the most intellectual, albeit annoyingly stubborn (at times), individuals on the Continent
• Ranika City: Surprisingly NOT the center of Academic Study of the Region. Ranika City was found mostly intact but in a slight state of disrepair in certain areas. A City crafted out of a rustic, rural mixture of stone and wood with a ‘Manor-esque’ building serving as the Residence of the Riberan Highmaster, keeper and protector of the accumulated wealth of Knowledge the Region has collected. As time passed the inclusion of Decorative Stone Statues were dotted about several of the open Civil Centers of the city were placed, commemorating the previous Highmasters and other individuals of note as a reminder of who came before and the lessons they imparted upon the population
• Athera Academy: To many, the Athera Academy is just considered the biggest school, library or both in the Principalities. To those who have had the honor and the privilege to attend the Academy it is considered more than that. Originally named ‘the academy’, it was eventually named after Highmaster Lucius Athera, many consider to be the greatest Highmaster in the Region’s history… though in most cases sometimes being the first means you are considered ‘the best’. The Academy itself is comparable to a small city: Dormitories for the students, Classrooms, dining halls, gardens and (of course) the largest repository of Knowledge next to the White Citadel. A jovial boast in most mentions of the Riberans, but any and all things that have been discovered, written about and chronicled, the first copy of each is certainly to be found at the Academy
• “The Fortification”: Not by choice, Ribera shares a border with Kurgarn. And by extension, both share a border with the Kraf Empire to the West of the Principalities. When word came that actions taken after the initial Grand Melee seemed to irk the Empire’s mood, it was quickly agreed by the Battlelord and the Highmaster that a Wall be built to keep the militaristic Monarchy at bay in case they saw fit to exact bloody revenge. Originally a wooden Pallisade that took a year to construct, the finished Fortification, crafted from stone of the Peak of the World itself took a little over 50 years to complete construction (thanks to the efficiency and know-how of Daeus Manufacturers), standing 25 feet tall. The ‘Kraf Facing’ side of the wall is unmistakably Kurgarn in it’s design, meant to look as intimidating and unnerving as possible to dissuade attacks from the West. The ‘Principality Facing’ side of the wall is an eclectic mix of Kurgarn Guard posts and Ribera settlements meant to house the Garrision that mans the Fortification day and night, be it from Kraf, Dark Elf or Carnivorous types looking for a light snack.