Aug 27, 2023 11:34 pm
Map
The Fair Lands
Located to the far northeast of the known world the Fair Lands consist of several large islands in the Great Ocean. The Fair Lands are notorious for several reasons—first, they are prone to a great amount of fae influence, and second—that they are made up of a constantly shifting set of small Petty Kingdoms, spanning sometimes a few dozen miles of territory or less, and rarely lasting more than a generation or two before being conquered, toppled, usurped, or otherwise overtaken by another competing claim on that particular patch of land. The people of the Fair Lands (humans, elves, some dwarves, gnomes, Halflings, and a few others) are all highly clannish and insular—one elven clan may hate and despise another elven clan who live only a few hilltops away. The seas around the Fair Lands are much the same—and this is the only region of the Oceans of Kesperex where Cecaelia have formed even this advanced of kingdoms.
The Fertile North
So named because of its incredible forest and fertile plains, this region is made up primarily of large spans of pastoral villages, loosely at most tied to any authority higher than a local mayor or sheriff, and a few scattered megalopolises that serve at trade hubs. Each of these cities has their own nature, customs, laws, and method of rule, but they are united only in their overall purpose—to get the vast amounts of grain and agricultural goods of the Fertile North exported to the more developed areas and to bring manufactured goods back.
Narport
Considered the "quiet" of the northern City States, Narport is ruled by King Adalamous, a Halfling whose family is said to have founded Narport after a perilous journey from the Halfling Empire in the Burned Lands after its fall. Nobility and aristocracy in Narport are both hereditary, and earned through government or military service, and as such there are a great many minor nobles without more than a family mansion and a few acres outside the city to their name of every race. Narport has maintained a staid neutrality between the squabbles of their neighboring cities—accepting ships flagged both from Cessport and Riverport and enjoying easy access to the Fair Lands and down the coast to the King Lands.
Cessport
Called, "the City of Guilds", Cessport is ruled by a set of cartels and guilds—both legal corporations and officially illegal but tolerated guilds. Due to the competing nature of these guilds and corporations, and the general powerlessness of the Lord Mayor’s office (who technically rules the town), Cessport has a reputation for chaos, and as a haven for unsavory characters—if the rumors are to be believed, whatever a guild may say it is for, ultimately, they are all thieves guilds.
Riverport
Ruled by a council made up of 12 members, including the Lord of the Tower (an arcane university), the Grand Druid Seymour Gilp Andreas Vilandrian, Esq, and the feared Lich Lord Artex, Riverport sits on the massive confluence of the four forked rivers. This has made the city the largest in the world—surpassing even the grand old cities of the Old Empire. The rivers run from the lake northeast to Narport and the sea, southwest to the Fork, South Port, and the King Lands, southeast through World’s End, the Old Empire into the Inland Ocean, and flow into Riverport from the northeast (originating across the mountains in the Shining Seat). The trade routes based in Riverport and around the four forked river are known as the "Great Wheel of Kesperex", and it is a truly cosmopolitan city. Each of the twelve council members rules a district of the city, and what few matters require cooperation between them are dealt with by a majority vote. The most weighty matter often declared by the full council are the Trials of Conquest—a month long period allowed to happen no more than once a decade where there is open street warfare throughout Riverport, for whoever is sitting in the 12 Council Chairs at the end of the month rule as the Council until the next challenge.
South Port
Just north of the great ruined remains of the Wall, lies the city of South Port. Ruled by a human Duke whose family fled the King Lands a few decades ago and seized power in the city, it exists to serve one major purpose—smuggling into and out of the King Lands, which are officially closed to most trade.
The King Lands
Consisting of two human Kingdoms which are locked in war with one another for generations, the King Lands are officially closed to most outside trade, travel, and alliances. However, the decades of war has led to a great many displaced persons, banditry in the hinterlands, and deserter soldiers ready to depart for other less bleak lands. Both Kings claim to be King of the entire region, and both claim the same title—King of Trintz. Known colloquially as the "East Kingdom" and the "West Kingdom", the East is CG and the West is LG.
The Burned Lands
The harsh, desert climate gives name to the Burned Lands. The ruins of the ancient Halfling Empire lie beneath the sands of the desert, but after the Dragon God scorched it to the ground, not more than a few coastal cities and a few nomadic tribes have ever occupied the region. Gnollish tribes are especially common, and the Sandwalker Tribe, one of the larger tribes, has recently began sending scouts into the world to learn the ways of the more civilized people.
The Old Empire
Made up officially of 22 successor states, the Old Empire is the heart of what was once the Dragon Empire in the Second Age. Since the dragons departed a thousand years ago, the city states have remained stable to a greater or lesser degree, though loosely confederated, not once in the Decade Meeting to elect a new emperor has anyone come close. Worship of the Three—war gods Attrianna, Drexiesh, and Jarrett is the official religion in the region, and several of the states have fallen under direct control of the church. While the Old Empire states will and do go to war with one another, war here is a more civilized affair than the bitter conflict in the King Lands—and the condottieri mercenaries make up much of the actual fighting forces when was does result.
Notable states include:
Protectorate of North Camino: ruled by an even Generalissimo Protector as a military dictatorship.
Duchy of Xerxis: Ruled by an orcish Duke.
The Marches: Including the Old Empire Seat (former capital), ruled by a conglomeration of 12 merhcant houses.
Primal Lands: Ruled directly by the Primate of the Church of the Three, five of the former states are now Primal Lands, giving the Church of the Three five votes on the council—and to crown a new emperor some day.
Barony of Reál: Ruled by human Baron Marco Contadari, a master of the political marriage.
Duchy of Camino: Ruled by the wiley slave trader Duke Syrano Schiavo, who hopes to reconquer parts of the former Principality of Camino (now in Southern Camino) and reclaim the higher title at the next Decade Meeting.
Protectorate of Southern Camino: ruled by a half elf Admirallissimo as a Naval based military dictatorship. At war with the Duchy of Camino.
Theocracies of Attrianno, Drexiesh, and Jarrett: In addition to the Primal Lands held by the Church of the Three, each of the churches of the war gods themselves also hold a single state (and voting title) within their own church hierarchies.
Principality of Rayale: Split from a former Kingdom of Rayale, the human Prince Gregory il Dulmany III married the orcish daughter of the ruler of Kixian to help cement his family’s claim, having only seized power some 90 years ago.
Viscany of Kixian: One of the oldest family lines still ruling in the Old Empire, orcish Viscount Derrin Vizioso is currently fighting against an uprising led by a great uncle.
Principality of Kinderlünd: Four hundred years ago, the Tallstar family came out of the mountains after their patriarch was adopted and made heir by a senile and childless human Prince. Now, ruling the only Halfling Principality in the Empire, Prince Kimble Tallstar works tirelessly to maintain his status.
Barony of Saender: Formerly part of a larger Kingdom since split into a Duchy and Barony, the human Baron Victor Cortesa’s quarterling children are an oddity throughout the Empire.
Duchy of Seander: human Grand Duke Pasquale Gatti and his family have long desired retaking the Barony of Saender and restoring the Kingdom title lost to the family 600 years prior. But unmarried and without an heir, there is concern that the young, bold Grand Duke is putting the very future of Seander as risk with his recklessness.
Viscany of Gixis: Ruled by a human Viscount, Gixis is notable as one of the few Old Empire States with dwarvish nobles.
Dread of the Dragon: Ruled (or rumored to be ruled- depending who you ask) by the only Dragon known to still live in all of Kesperex, the great black dragon known only as "The Dragon", the Dread stands out as the only Kobold majority state despite Kobolds being the primary race of the Empire itself in the Second Age.
The Republic of the World: ruled by an elected council from its capital of World’s End, the chaotic young republic is an experiment of equality and the noble spirit of democracy—or a cluster of corruption and graft depending who you ask, and which party is in power this year.
The Prison Isle: Controlled directly by the Emperor, and therefore ruled by a Warden, the Prison Isle is where criminals from all over the Old Empire are sent to do their sentences—or to die in the gladiatorial matches the Warden puts on. Any prisoner who survives 20 matches, wins their freedom.
The Seat of the Empire: Controlled directly by the council which meets only once every ten years, the "capital" of the Old Empire is ruled in the General of the Knights of the Empire- the organization which besides controlling the capital, and ostensibly protecting the Empire as a whole also upkeeps and guards the ancient roads that crisscross the region.
Gold Peak
Situated in the Tall Mountains that separate the Plateau Lands from the western regions, Gold Peak is ruled by the Dwarven King Dax Nimbus, and the Nimbus family. The largest and most notable dwarven Kingdom in the world, Gold Peak has many enemies lurking in the nearby areas.
The Plateau Lands
The Plateau Lands may as well be a different world from the rest of Kesperex—separated by the Tall Mountains, other than a small amount of trade that goes across the river pass, there is little contact between the east and west. Made up of far flung city states with massive nomadic tribes between, the Plateau Lands are a truly exotic locale for any western traveler.
[ +- ] Kingdoms and Regions
The Fair Lands
Located to the far northeast of the known world the Fair Lands consist of several large islands in the Great Ocean. The Fair Lands are notorious for several reasons—first, they are prone to a great amount of fae influence, and second—that they are made up of a constantly shifting set of small Petty Kingdoms, spanning sometimes a few dozen miles of territory or less, and rarely lasting more than a generation or two before being conquered, toppled, usurped, or otherwise overtaken by another competing claim on that particular patch of land. The people of the Fair Lands (humans, elves, some dwarves, gnomes, Halflings, and a few others) are all highly clannish and insular—one elven clan may hate and despise another elven clan who live only a few hilltops away. The seas around the Fair Lands are much the same—and this is the only region of the Oceans of Kesperex where Cecaelia have formed even this advanced of kingdoms.
The Fertile North
So named because of its incredible forest and fertile plains, this region is made up primarily of large spans of pastoral villages, loosely at most tied to any authority higher than a local mayor or sheriff, and a few scattered megalopolises that serve at trade hubs. Each of these cities has their own nature, customs, laws, and method of rule, but they are united only in their overall purpose—to get the vast amounts of grain and agricultural goods of the Fertile North exported to the more developed areas and to bring manufactured goods back.
Narport
Considered the "quiet" of the northern City States, Narport is ruled by King Adalamous, a Halfling whose family is said to have founded Narport after a perilous journey from the Halfling Empire in the Burned Lands after its fall. Nobility and aristocracy in Narport are both hereditary, and earned through government or military service, and as such there are a great many minor nobles without more than a family mansion and a few acres outside the city to their name of every race. Narport has maintained a staid neutrality between the squabbles of their neighboring cities—accepting ships flagged both from Cessport and Riverport and enjoying easy access to the Fair Lands and down the coast to the King Lands.
Cessport
Called, "the City of Guilds", Cessport is ruled by a set of cartels and guilds—both legal corporations and officially illegal but tolerated guilds. Due to the competing nature of these guilds and corporations, and the general powerlessness of the Lord Mayor’s office (who technically rules the town), Cessport has a reputation for chaos, and as a haven for unsavory characters—if the rumors are to be believed, whatever a guild may say it is for, ultimately, they are all thieves guilds.
Riverport
Ruled by a council made up of 12 members, including the Lord of the Tower (an arcane university), the Grand Druid Seymour Gilp Andreas Vilandrian, Esq, and the feared Lich Lord Artex, Riverport sits on the massive confluence of the four forked rivers. This has made the city the largest in the world—surpassing even the grand old cities of the Old Empire. The rivers run from the lake northeast to Narport and the sea, southwest to the Fork, South Port, and the King Lands, southeast through World’s End, the Old Empire into the Inland Ocean, and flow into Riverport from the northeast (originating across the mountains in the Shining Seat). The trade routes based in Riverport and around the four forked river are known as the "Great Wheel of Kesperex", and it is a truly cosmopolitan city. Each of the twelve council members rules a district of the city, and what few matters require cooperation between them are dealt with by a majority vote. The most weighty matter often declared by the full council are the Trials of Conquest—a month long period allowed to happen no more than once a decade where there is open street warfare throughout Riverport, for whoever is sitting in the 12 Council Chairs at the end of the month rule as the Council until the next challenge.
South Port
Just north of the great ruined remains of the Wall, lies the city of South Port. Ruled by a human Duke whose family fled the King Lands a few decades ago and seized power in the city, it exists to serve one major purpose—smuggling into and out of the King Lands, which are officially closed to most trade.
The King Lands
Consisting of two human Kingdoms which are locked in war with one another for generations, the King Lands are officially closed to most outside trade, travel, and alliances. However, the decades of war has led to a great many displaced persons, banditry in the hinterlands, and deserter soldiers ready to depart for other less bleak lands. Both Kings claim to be King of the entire region, and both claim the same title—King of Trintz. Known colloquially as the "East Kingdom" and the "West Kingdom", the East is CG and the West is LG.
The Burned Lands
The harsh, desert climate gives name to the Burned Lands. The ruins of the ancient Halfling Empire lie beneath the sands of the desert, but after the Dragon God scorched it to the ground, not more than a few coastal cities and a few nomadic tribes have ever occupied the region. Gnollish tribes are especially common, and the Sandwalker Tribe, one of the larger tribes, has recently began sending scouts into the world to learn the ways of the more civilized people.
The Old Empire
Made up officially of 22 successor states, the Old Empire is the heart of what was once the Dragon Empire in the Second Age. Since the dragons departed a thousand years ago, the city states have remained stable to a greater or lesser degree, though loosely confederated, not once in the Decade Meeting to elect a new emperor has anyone come close. Worship of the Three—war gods Attrianna, Drexiesh, and Jarrett is the official religion in the region, and several of the states have fallen under direct control of the church. While the Old Empire states will and do go to war with one another, war here is a more civilized affair than the bitter conflict in the King Lands—and the condottieri mercenaries make up much of the actual fighting forces when was does result.
Notable states include:
Protectorate of North Camino: ruled by an even Generalissimo Protector as a military dictatorship.
Duchy of Xerxis: Ruled by an orcish Duke.
The Marches: Including the Old Empire Seat (former capital), ruled by a conglomeration of 12 merhcant houses.
Primal Lands: Ruled directly by the Primate of the Church of the Three, five of the former states are now Primal Lands, giving the Church of the Three five votes on the council—and to crown a new emperor some day.
Barony of Reál: Ruled by human Baron Marco Contadari, a master of the political marriage.
Duchy of Camino: Ruled by the wiley slave trader Duke Syrano Schiavo, who hopes to reconquer parts of the former Principality of Camino (now in Southern Camino) and reclaim the higher title at the next Decade Meeting.
Protectorate of Southern Camino: ruled by a half elf Admirallissimo as a Naval based military dictatorship. At war with the Duchy of Camino.
Theocracies of Attrianno, Drexiesh, and Jarrett: In addition to the Primal Lands held by the Church of the Three, each of the churches of the war gods themselves also hold a single state (and voting title) within their own church hierarchies.
Principality of Rayale: Split from a former Kingdom of Rayale, the human Prince Gregory il Dulmany III married the orcish daughter of the ruler of Kixian to help cement his family’s claim, having only seized power some 90 years ago.
Viscany of Kixian: One of the oldest family lines still ruling in the Old Empire, orcish Viscount Derrin Vizioso is currently fighting against an uprising led by a great uncle.
Principality of Kinderlünd: Four hundred years ago, the Tallstar family came out of the mountains after their patriarch was adopted and made heir by a senile and childless human Prince. Now, ruling the only Halfling Principality in the Empire, Prince Kimble Tallstar works tirelessly to maintain his status.
Barony of Saender: Formerly part of a larger Kingdom since split into a Duchy and Barony, the human Baron Victor Cortesa’s quarterling children are an oddity throughout the Empire.
Duchy of Seander: human Grand Duke Pasquale Gatti and his family have long desired retaking the Barony of Saender and restoring the Kingdom title lost to the family 600 years prior. But unmarried and without an heir, there is concern that the young, bold Grand Duke is putting the very future of Seander as risk with his recklessness.
Viscany of Gixis: Ruled by a human Viscount, Gixis is notable as one of the few Old Empire States with dwarvish nobles.
Dread of the Dragon: Ruled (or rumored to be ruled- depending who you ask) by the only Dragon known to still live in all of Kesperex, the great black dragon known only as "The Dragon", the Dread stands out as the only Kobold majority state despite Kobolds being the primary race of the Empire itself in the Second Age.
The Republic of the World: ruled by an elected council from its capital of World’s End, the chaotic young republic is an experiment of equality and the noble spirit of democracy—or a cluster of corruption and graft depending who you ask, and which party is in power this year.
The Prison Isle: Controlled directly by the Emperor, and therefore ruled by a Warden, the Prison Isle is where criminals from all over the Old Empire are sent to do their sentences—or to die in the gladiatorial matches the Warden puts on. Any prisoner who survives 20 matches, wins their freedom.
The Seat of the Empire: Controlled directly by the council which meets only once every ten years, the "capital" of the Old Empire is ruled in the General of the Knights of the Empire- the organization which besides controlling the capital, and ostensibly protecting the Empire as a whole also upkeeps and guards the ancient roads that crisscross the region.
Gold Peak
Situated in the Tall Mountains that separate the Plateau Lands from the western regions, Gold Peak is ruled by the Dwarven King Dax Nimbus, and the Nimbus family. The largest and most notable dwarven Kingdom in the world, Gold Peak has many enemies lurking in the nearby areas.
The Plateau Lands
The Plateau Lands may as well be a different world from the rest of Kesperex—separated by the Tall Mountains, other than a small amount of trade that goes across the river pass, there is little contact between the east and west. Made up of far flung city states with massive nomadic tribes between, the Plateau Lands are a truly exotic locale for any western traveler.