ARKHOUNIAN EMPIRE
The Arkhounian Empire has historically been a bit of a problem, and an occasional enemy of the nations of Wylun. It encompasses the northern half of Rakkan, and extends to part of the southern region of Therash. It was, until recently, ruled by an aging Emperor, with an extensive group of offspring just waiting to take power. In the last months of Year 1291 the Emperor passed away (or was done away with), and his children have begun the fighting to determine who will succeed him. These are harsh times in the Empire. Arkhoun itself is an uncompromising land full of rocky terrain and deserts, and has produced a tough populace.
Around 200 years past, it attempted to invade
Wylun but was pushed back. The war only lasted 7 years but casualties
were extensive, ended by a peace agreement between the Wylun Alliance
and the Empire. Petty border squabbles aside, this peace has lasted
through the present day. But there are whispers of looming conflict, and
both the Empire and the Alliance have been strengthening their
defenses.
Arkhounian magic (as practiced by the Medeis Circulo and by extension, The Crimson Legion) has a distinct relationship and knowledge of Spirits. They have developed a method of capturing a spirit, containing it indefinitely, and somehow reshaping it into a magical frontline combatant. It's thought to be a perversion of the common practice of a wizard and their familiar. Some 400 years past, the largest known krinatite deposit was discovered in Arkhoun, a deposit that still keeps the Empire wealthy and its wizards fully-powered.
It was just discovered that the Empire has already completed an expedition to Dead Essard, with a second en route. Many across Wylun fear they intend to recover and utilize the MaeNendrith as their new weapons of war.
The Empire currently consists of Arkhoun itself, Sarnath (conquered ~200 years past), Shalrin, Samia, Nyago and Erapis, Coris, and Psamatri.
AUBERVEIL
Auberveil is a bunch of small
forests, low mountains, huge grassy plains. Some swamplands. Some dead
spaces; dead trees, no grass, stagnant waters.
It's a haunted place. Has more than its fair share of Fae. The
Ordinatus wasn't welcomed here for a long time; more ghosts per capita
than the rest of Wylun, Old decay, old opulence. Still has vibrant
spots, to be sure...but it is a nation in decline. Lots of dangerously
haunted woods and lakes. Spooky gothic. Large central area of blighted
land and dead spaces.
Ruled by a complicated series of hereditary rulers; the heirarchy is
constantly shifting as people and families fall in or out of favor.
It's a mess.
Predominantly humans, with a considerable population of halflings and
wood elves. Comparatively few tieflings; almost no native dwarven
settlements; a few families in the south, but that's it.
Larger-than-normal concentration of Firbolgs, particularly in the low
mountains. Auberveil has a very human-centric bias, at least amongst the
nobility.
A few goblin encampments, some traveling hobgoblins. A higher number of undead things than there should be.
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CERIVIGO: Southern city along border with Shalrin. Very small amount of trade between the two, weirdly enough. Somehow each side thinks too highly of themselves to compromise on trade in any meaningful way.
LEOBRIA:
MENERI: western city, outside of the blight. In the Alsanus Vale, where things are still green and lovely.
SAVONONE: Capital city, next to the Peaceful Sea. Surrounded by blighted lands. Ruled by the Des Courduannier family and various cronies.
SOBRIEL: Eastern city, land connection to Merrick and the rest of
Wylun. Far and away the most cosmopolitan spot in Auberveil. Big
woodland elf settlements surrounding, along the coast.
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So what is causing the Blight? It's a slow corruption. A lot of the
commonfolk claim it's a curse, a reaction of the land itself to the
decadence of the nobility. Maybe it is. Maybe a Spirit of the land made a
deal with something bad?
Over time, the fields have...changed. Trees lose most of their leaves and begin to sag, foods rot on the vine. Wildlife gets leaner and more dangerous. Wolf packs a very serious concern at the edges of the blighted lands.
Sometimes corpses get up again. This corruption hits those who use
magic a bit harder than the commoners. With more power comes more
temptation, right?
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Have a convoluted system of intermarriages and naming conventions. When married, one takes the name of the higher-status spouse and loses any legal right or claim to their birth family's money or property. In the event of divorce (a rarity), some will go back to using their birth-family's name in correspondence and in society, but this is recognized as a social convenience only.
Prefixes indicate royalty; the Couers family is distinct from the De La Couers, although one can become the other. There is no guarantee to royal status, and if a family runs out of money and favor it's not unknown for the entire line to be demoted to commoner. This is the worst fate imaginable to a lot of Auberveil's nobility.
De La Couers: small-time, blighted lands, accused of devilry and corruption (which is, of course, probably true)
Des Courduannier: reigning King and Queen. Gross, truly upsetting amount of decadence and entitlement. Extended family is substantial.
De La Fontaine: a dying line, ancestral lands between Meneri and Savonone, in the dead heart of the blighted lands.
De Vermandois: a wealthy family, still in mediocre standing with the King & Queen.
URTHANDRIA
A place of low grasslands, arid deserts, and flourishing coastlines. Temperatures are warm(ish) and relatively mild. In the far west terrain shifts more towards Essard – dark grey rock formations, significantly more barren soil - and colder. To the north is the Ash Sea, poisoned waters that lead to acrid pools surrounding long-dead forests. It’s a bad place, yo.
Ancestral home to Humans, Elves, Goblins, Earth and Water Genasi, Drow, fae creatures of various types, halflings. Very few native dwarves, orcs, gnomes, almost no tieflings born here.
There is a strong propensity
for Urthandrians to be born with the gift of Sight - many otherwise
non-magically-active people can perceive and otherwise interact with the
world of Spirit.
Not as many Spiritcallers as one would expect, but they do exist. Significantly more Witches. Lots of sorcerers and warlocks, thanks to the cultures' ancient ties to the spirits.
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The
nation was built by a coalition of goblin tribes, circa Year 250. Have
endured several outbreaks of some near-mythical soul-devouring
monstrosities. Were invaded by Essard some 10 years before
Moonfall; lost nearly a quarter of their lands as the Ash Sea flowed in.
The Urthandrians learned their own methods of managing The Great
Haunting, completely separate from the Ordinatus. As what remained of Therash recovered and rebuilt, Urthandria became a very important trade link between southern Wylun and Rakkan, and Avisuma to the northwest.
Urthandrian culture is based in reverence for the spirits, both ancestors and nature spirits. Influential families have their own private Cenotaphs; resting places for the spirits of their ancestors. Buildings and larger structures are made with consultation of the local spirits of nature – literal consultation. Most Urthandrians wouldn’t even think of constructing something in opposition to their local spirits. The basis of so much of their worldview is rooted in trying to be in harmony with the spirits. A core tenet of the Urthandrians is hospitality. Perhaps unsurprisingly, they love them some Baoshin.
The flip side of Urthandrian reverence for spirit is what many could consider their disdain for the body. A huge business exists for using animated corpses as labor, and there exists an entire guild for managing these necromantic practices; the Mendophari. They operate as a regionally-specific part of the Apparati Pragmatica, essentially.
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Urthandrian buildings are typically sun-baked bricks and similarly tiled rooftops. Buildings normally coated in a light-color paint, with interiors of tan through pale brown bricks of local materials. As such, bricks become darker and greyer the further west or north one travels.
Larger urban areas known for their large, domed buildings. Often painted or gilded
Urthandrian ornament is big on interlocking patterns, delicate geometric shapes. People dress very colorfully, in layers of robes and lots of head-wraps.
Local languages are Urthandrian (obviously), Naathsharan, Essari, and Sumari (the common language of Avisuma). Merchants and traders often also speak Emeric.
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Major cities: Ankasta, Bayuul, Damalagar, Dalya, Levanya, Senuana, Zerij
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