The Fire Knights (Order of Solis)
- Scale: 8
- Capital: 8
- Alignment: Lawful Good
- Symbol: Morningstar backed by a Sun
- Active Regions: Blood Coast, League of Cities, Free States of Estonia, Kingdom of Muriah
Background: The oldest military order in the realm, the Fire Knights established themselves sometime around EH 2200 as the Order of Solis, a militant band of soldiers devoted to protecting the temples and towns in which Solis had a following. It wouldn’t be until much later – in EK 120 – that the Order of Solis would become better known as the Fire Knights.
The Order of Solis has been in a slow decline since its golden years from ER2000-ER2500. It still has strong support in the Blood Coast region, and good support in the League and the Free Cities. The Order has been driven all but underground in the Holy Empire of Astalon.
The Fire Knights were once the premier defenders of the King of Muriah. Now they share duties with the Celestial Knights and the King’s own guard. They are closely allied with the Paladins of the Guiding Light (Paladins of Illias), and often form joint task forces to deal with dangerous contingents of undead.
Organization: The Fire Knights are organized into two main branches: The Wardens and the Sentinels. The Wardens are charged with static defenses: temples, shrines, towns, and villages. They are organized by location, with a command hierarchy expanding by region.
The Sentinels are charged with seeking out danger, and defeating evil, as well as protecting more mobile targets such as VIP’s or caravans. They are more loosely organized by task force and operational region. Manpower transfers between the two branches as needed.
Advancement in the Fire Knights is by a promotion system as judged by one’s superior, reviewed by his superior. Advancement in the higher ranks (Captain and above) is mostly political, though exceptional service is required. Advancement reviews are normally staged once a season (every 3 months).
- Goals:
- Protect the temples and worshippers of Solis from harm.
- Seek out and destroy evil, especially undead and those who thrive in darkness.
- Spread the worship of Solis thru deeds and actions.
Church of the Pure (Church of Astalus)
- Scale: 10
- Capital: 10
- Alignment: Lawful Good
- Symbol: A Diamond
- Active Regions: All of Muriah, except the Great Untamed and the Orclands
- Special: Must profess faith in Astalus, and only Astalus. May not worship other deities.
Background: The Church of the Pure was founded at the coming of the New Gods. As a political force, however, the Realignment of EK 931 established the idea that the worship of Astalus should come above all other deities. It also led directly to the founding of the Holy Republic of Astalon, to which the church has considerable ties.
Organization: The Church of the Pure has a rigid hierarchy, and reporting structure, consisting of three branches: The Word, the Arm, and the Mind. The Word comprises the lay priests: those members who go out and attempt to spread the word of Astalus, converting heretics, and performing missionary duties. The Arm are the militant branch, who actively seek out evil, and attempt to destroy it. The Mind are the higher order priests, who oversee the activities of the lower groups.
All members of the Church of the Pure have mandatory vestments, which are used for services and special holidays. The vestments consist of pure white robes with gold hem, and golden vestments, and a white phylactery. Members are also required to own a canon, laying out all the deeds of Astalus for his followers to try to emulate. The holy symbol of the church is a diamond. Higher ranking priests typically adorn themselves with more ornate, or ostentatious, jewelry centering on the diamond motif.
Advancement in the church is likewise structured, with immediate supervisors sending off word of the individuals deeds to a regional review board, who then decide if the individual merits a promotion. This review happens once a season (every three months). There are means for bypassing this system, if one feels that their superior is treating them unfairly, though this often calls down an inquisition from the Inquisitus Divinicus.
Goals: The goals of the Church of the Pure are simple: convert all living creatures to the worship of Astalus, destroy all evil in the world, and undermine the other faiths (so as to better accomplish the first).
The Church also wishes to set itself up as the de facto government, as it has in the Holy Republic of Astalon, since it feels it is best at determining what is right for the people.
The Dwarven Clanlands (Knife Edge Mountains)
- Capital: Dun Maddock
- Government: Feudal King
- General Alignment: Lawful Good
- Population: ~825,000 (11/sq. mile)
- Area: 75,000 square miles
- % Cultivated: 6% (~4,600 sq. miles)
- Cities:
- Dun Maddock: The ancestral seat of the Clan-King resides in this stony citadel.
- Dun Morgh: built into a dormant volcano, this dark city holds the ancestral Clan-tombs.
- West Wailing: named for the spirits said to haunt the nearby fens, this is a human-dwarven city of traders and craftsmen.
- Townships: Dun Spire, Dun Vold, Aridok, Spellingcrown
Climate: Situated amidst the Knife Edge mountains, the region is typically hot and dry, though higher elevations have ample snowfall, especially in the north. Wind is a major threat, and windstorms are common in the region.
Geography: The Knife Edge mountains make up the geography of the Clanlands. Tall peaks, deep gorges, and rocky ravines abound in this rugged terrain. Only a few well-used paths allow transit through the region, though numerous underground passages have been carved by the dwarves to aid trade and travel. The region is bordered to the north by the Tuluvian Jungle, to the west by the great Sandstorm desert, to the south by the King’s forest, and to the east by the Dyninn forest and the Black marsh.
History and Politics: Dwarven legend tells of dwarf tribes settling the tall peaks in isolated bands during the time of the precursors. It wasn’t until well after the Dragon Wars – in the year EH 517 – that these small tribes would come together in what would be the first Clanmeet of the dwarves. Facing threats from the growing human populations, as well as continued conflicts with giant-kin in the region, the clans vowed to elect a king to unite them. After several long months of serious political negotiations, the first Dwarven Clan-King was chosen: Clan-King Dunnerholden Mordinhammer. Within three decades, he would establish the dwarven kingdom as the predominant force in the region.
Content to maintain their mountain strongholds, the dwarves become isolationist and reclusive. Trade occurred intermittently with the rapidly growing human tribes and kingdoms; the dwarves would unwittingly provide the humans with the tools to ultimately threaten them, by trading away the secrets to metallurgy, ironsmithing, and eventually steel.
Skirmishes between the humans and dwarves, and the dwarves and the Arbolorian elves of the Dyninn, were common. They would come to a head during the Dawn of War, when Chief Huri XV would strike the Treaty of Neutrality, allowing the soon-to-be King to march his forces thru the passes of the Knife Edge mountains.
Many years later, in EK 111, an increasingly isolationist Clan-King would seek a trade-embargo on the Sinter Dynasty, that would lead to the fabled Battle of Ep Pass. The Sinternian forces would rule the day, but their steep losses would drive them to the bargaining table. The Treaty of the Clans was signed, allying the Clan’s with the Kingdom.
Clan-Kings are chosen at every fifth clanmeet, which occur once every five years. Typically a Clan-King rules for life, unless he or she proves particularly unpopular.
Laws: The dwarven Clan-laws are very strict, and considered almost sacred by the Clan dwarves. Crimes involving material goods, such as theft, larceny, or vandalism are punishable by imprisonment, hard labor, and/or fines. Violent crimes can lead to exile, imprisonment, or even (rarely) capital punishment.
The courts of the Clans are considered very fair, and are presided over by clerics of Midir. Not even the Clan-King himself is exempt from the Clan-laws.
Economy: The dwarves of the Clanlands are renowned for their weapons, armor, and metal goods, as well as jewelry and precious metal ornaments. Marble and stone are also common exports. The Clanlands tend to import foodstuffs – mostly grains, beef, and pork to supplement their diets of fungus, mutton, and mountain vegetables.
Military and Clout: Almost every member of the Clans can serve as able-bodied militia in times of need. The professional military contingent are considered some of the hardiest, most dangerous warriors in the kingdom, lacking only in numbers. The mountainous citadels are nigh impregnable.
The Dalelands
- Capital: Holly Spring
- Government: Elder’s Council
- General Alignment: Neutral Good
- Population: ~5,400,000 (80/sq. mile)
- Area: 67,500 square miles
- % Cultivated: 44% (30,000 sq. miles)
- Cities:
- Holly Spring: sprawling halfling city that serves as the capital of the Dalelands
- Townships: Journey’s End, Hermit’s Rest, Wavewatch, Goodview
Climate: The Dalelands has a mostly warm and dry climate, moderated somewhat by the ocean. Summers are very hot, with frequent violent thunderstorms, and the occasional typhoon. Autumn and winter is short, marked by rainfall, and the rare snowfall. Spring is dry, warm, and sunny.
Geography: The Dalelands consist entirely of rolling foothills, bordered to the north by Spire Mountains, to the south and west by the Dyninn grasslands, and to the east by the Endless Ocean.
History and Politics: Settled by some of the first halfling tribes following the Dragon wars, the Dalelands remained a quiet footnote in history. Holding little significant tactical or strategic value, it was ignored almost wholly during the schisms between the various factions of the Dyninn region. Even the forces of the Three largely ignored the region, preying instead upon the larger populations in the Dyninn region.
During the Reunification, a representative from the Kingdom of Muriah met at a special counsel of the Elders, and the Treaty of 1436 was struck, ensuring loyalty of the Dalelands to the empire.
The Elder Council of Holly Springs is the oldest continuous ruling body on the continent, serving little changed since the first halfling tribes settled the area. Representatives from each village, township, and city gather once every six months for a meet that lasts anywhere from one week to a whole month, depending on the issues to be resolved.
Laws: Laws in the region are upheld by constables in each township. Despite the egalitarian nature of the halfling communities, in practice, non-halflings are often treated more harshly than halflings, especially in cases of larceny or theft. A typical halfing punishment is a sentence of community service and perhaps a fine, paid to the party that was wronged. For a non-halfling, it might be exile or forced labor.
Violent and more serious crimes are almost always given the sentence of exile, either from the city or township, or the Dalelands as a whole, often enforced with a Mark of Justice or similar magical branding. Capital punishment is not practiced in the Dalelands.
Economy: Taxes in the Dalelands are wholly determined by the city or township. Tariffs are light to non-existent for imported goods, seeing as the region imports a fair amount of goods. The region exports fruits, vegetables, and various luxury goods including carved wood sculptures and jewelry.
In recent years, veins of silver and various gems have been discovered in the hills, which has caused a minor rush of prospectors to previously sleepy and ignored areas.
Military and Clout: The Dalelands have only a bare minimum of a military force; enough to police and protect their towns and farms from marauders, but insufficient to threaten any of their neighbors. Most citizens in the Dalelands participate in their town militias, but it is mostly a show of civic duty as to any real military training.
Niondel (Small City)
- Classification: Small City
- Population: ~8,600
- Wealth: High
- Major Industry: Silk, Clothing/Fashion, Wood Products
- Specialty Goods: Magic, Fine Wines, Elfweave
- Populace Average Alignment: Neutral
- Leader Alignment: Neutral
- Government and Leadership: Feudal Monarchy, Duchess Trillia Sin’dev’lia
| Human: 29% | Half-Elf: 13% | Elf: 52% |
| Dwarf: <1% | Gnome: 2% | Halfling: 2% |
| Half-Orc: <1% | Other: 1% |
History: Niondel began as a simple elven farming village settled by the Arbolorian elves from the north, around EH 500 (making it one of the oldest communities in the region). It remained a solely Elven city until it accepted refugees fleeing the armies of the Three. The city was spared destruction due to its isolated location deep within the Dyninn, and the magicks of the Elven Spellweavers.
City Lore: Niondel is famed for its industry of fashion and clothing, producing some of the most sought after linens, silks, wools, and cotton clothing lines. The city itself, though ruled ostensibly by Duchess Sin’dev’lia, is in reality controlled by the moguls of fashion, the Elven Silk Lords. They maintain an oligopoly on the silk trade.
The city itself is divided into an upper and lower city. The upper city literally soars above the ground-dwelling non-elves in majestic spires, tree-bough houses, and suspended domiciles. The ground-dwelling population has to make due with crude, serviceable housing. Amongst the ground-dwellers entertainment devolves to mostly low-brow shows, plays, and antics. Amidst the sky-mansions, the cultural pastimes are operas, symphonies, and first-rate troubadours the world over.
Cuisine in Niondel is elven fare, mostly. Tubers and root vegetables make for a hearty stew amongst the ground-dwellers, while the sky-mansions host elaborate meals of fowl and pheasant. Fine wines abound in the city, with many prestigious wineries just outside the city.Niondel is a city divided, demographically. The elven population holds 90% of the wealth in the city, with the non-elves (colloquially known as ground-dwellers) perform the brute labor. As such, crime is rampant in the lower city, and practically non-existent in the upper portion. The Night Elves operate as the thieves’ guild in the lower city.
The Guildtowers of Nin (Enchantment), Des (Illusion), and Vas (Alteration) have towers in the city. Only Sunia, Solos, and Tethos have temples here, though a shrine devoted to Nox is not far outside the city limits. The Sword and Shield has a guildhall in the lower city.
Landmarks/Places of Interest:
- The Sunrise Platform is a tall tower above the forest’s canopy, where petitioners go to greet the sun, or watch the spectacular sunsets over the Dyninn.
- Graul’s Grotto is a den of inequity in the lower city where almost anything can be bought or sold.
Andors (Small City)
- Classification: Small City
- Population: 10,300
- Wealth: Moderate
- Major Industry: Wood Products, Raw Timber, Chemicals
- Specialty Goods: Smoke Powder, Venison, Stoutwood
- Populace Average Alignment: Neutral
- Leader Alignment: Neutral
- Government and Leadership: Feudal Monarchy, Duke Anton DunSinclair
| Human: 79% | Half-Elf: 4% | Elf: 6% |
| Dwarf: 1% | Gnome: 2% | Halfling: 6% |
| Half-Orc: 1% | Other: 1% |
History: Andors began simply as a lumberyard at the wellspring of the Bys river, somewhere around EK 100. It would likely have remained as such, were it not for the destruction of the city of Oeur – a famous city of learning to the west – during the Rising of the Three. A large number of refugees flooded into Andors seeking shelter and swelling the town's population.
The majority of these refugees would never leave, and the city quickly became a center of industry and production. A sister city to Wetilla, the two have long engaged in friendly competition, and mutual assistance, in times of trouble.
The city is a major source of alchemical supplies and lumber for the region, if not the continent.
City Lore: Culture in Andors is practical: conservative dress rules the day. Even the court nobles tend towards utilitarian finery, which quickly marks them from those of the larger cities. Cuisine in Andors is extremely meat-heavy, supplied by the venison and pork farms, pheasant hunting, and various fisheries along the Bys river and its tributaries. Seasonal fruits and vegetables are widely available, but natives tend towards a hearty diet. There is a single playhouse in the city, showing mostly bawdier, more plebian shows.
Andors is predominately human, with a small smattering of other races. A small enclave of Shifters resides in Andors. The minority races are diffused throughout the city.
Crime tends towards drunken assaults and brawls, which are all too common in the cities numerous taverns. The local thieves’ guild, the Woodsmen, are enforcers and brutes with an extensive smuggling and protection racket. The local militia is rumored to be moderately corrupt, and focused mostly on protecting business interests from bandit activities outside the city. Numerous bandit groups try to make a living raiding the outlying lumbermills, though the vast majority meet an untimely end.
Andors has four Guildtowers: Nin (Enchantment), Lok (Necromancy), Arl (Evocation), and Bail (Abjuration). Temples devoted to Astalus, Astar, Bormir, Brunis, Chronos, Corrine, Illias, Midir, Ullis, Vergis, and Vesparta provide places for worship. The Sword and Shield and the Axe-Bashers both have guildhalls in the city.
Landmarks/Places of Interest:
- The Great Bronze Stump marks the center of the original city.
- Refugee's Memorial is a solemn shrine commemorating the refugees’ plight from the Rising of the Three.
- Great Trader’s Hall is a monolithic warehouse where commodities of all sorts are auctioned, traded, sold, and bought.
