Territories of Adel

Posted: April 27, 2011 | Author: Dennis N. Santana | Filed under: Campaigns, Fluff/Inspiration, Other Systems, RPG, Spirits Of Eden |Leave a comment »

The World of Adel is divided into five nations, separated by the wasteland of Noshiki occupying most of the center of the continent. These nations emerged after the initial years of the Intolerable War. The rebel movements organized into governments for the lands they took from the Aptoa, whose capital resides in what is known as Emderuer. The Intolerable War began in Vedaria, but the movement spread around the world, including deep in the Aptoan heartland, in what is now known as Andaliel. After the hundred years of war and the period of recovery, the nations are now stable and at the height of their power, culture and prosperity and cooperation. Regardless, some subtle tension remains between all of them. Here we will very briefly talk about each Nation, their origin, government, and the most common spirit in the region, known as the nation’s “natural ally.”

Andaliel

By the people, for the people, so spirits help us all.

The sole democratic government on Adel, the Republic of Andaliel was the last nation established during the Intolerable War. Deep in Aptoan territory, a group in part composed of idealists and in part of opportunists rallied the citizenry to join the war for independence. The rebellion housed its capital in the treacherous tunnels of the Hetuku mountains, breaking through rock as needed to house more supplies and people, until they had carved out enough space to house a whole city. Its capital, Oomash, was built within the cave after the end of the Intolerable War and stands today as one of the greatest of Adel’s cities.

Andaliel is temperate-to-cold in the north, but grows warmer toward its border with Periterim. It is one of the world’s major nations, rivaled only by Vedaria in terms of economic and military might. Andaliel is governed by a congress of 20 senators who appoint a President of Congress to break ties in congress and perform executive functions. The logistics for holding the elections are nightmarish, and they are held every five years, coinciding with the Census in order to gather rural villager votes.

Andalian citizens are proud of their progressive form of government, sometimes too much, and wonder why nobody else seems to be doing what they do. Despite past grievances, they are on good terms with the Aptoan remnant nation of Emderuer, and have business agreements with Periterim. Their natural allies are the Muikara air spirits, humanoid spirits who look like wing-armed Phoenix-caste Iomadi, and are typically dispassionate in nature, but loyal and friendly.

Andaliel owns some of the upper Trieze Islands, having gotten them from Periterim.

Emderuer

The First Empire, forever into time – long live the Emperor!

Once the capital of the vast Aptoan empire, Emderuer is now known as the “remnant nation” of the Aptoa. Ruled by a family line of Emperors stretched back unto the early history of the world, Emderuer is the most ancient nation and still holds dear many of its old institutions and traditions. Tradition is important to the Emderians – theirs is the Empire Forever Into Time, preserved while all the rest of the world was in chaos, and standing even after it was assaulted from all sides. Though weakened, it and its Emperor continue, and the Emderians find peace in the protection and familiarity of this power.

Emderuer’s climate is temperate-to-cold. Its capital of Kima lies deep in the legendary Reekoh forest, an unassailable bastion where spirit, nature and mortal all coincide. Kima is composed of the fortress walls of the First Palace and outlying satellite villages that farm food and house soldiers and craftsworkers, all within the forest. The Emperor and his concubines (female and male) reside within the vast palace. Much intrigue is said to occur within these fortress walls.

Emderuer has good relations with Andaliel despite their differences. They are on great terms with Sargasso, separated from them across a small sea gap. Their natural allies are the Basari, Cuporo-like humanoid spirits of plants and vegetables and the Earth. They are easily told apart from Cuporo by the large flowers or berries coming out of their hair and bodies, and are playful and useful spirits for any village to befriend, albeit somewhat prone to breaking promises.

The Kingdom of Muria is considered a protectorate of Emderuer, and has its own small kingdom and its own customs. Muria’s king is said to be a despot, and could be dethroned any moment a more charismatic figure rises up.

Sargasso

May all our sacrifices become sanctified songs in the Spirit’s world.

The Kingdom of Sargasso is the most highly religious society in a world where religion is paramount. During the Intolerable War, the Sargassans began to rebel after a former priest, Aundarius Volg, witnessed the excesses of Aptoan officials firsthand, and rallied the oppressed against them. During the war he rose to become a symbol of the nation, a king to his people once the former Aptoan palace had been secured for him. However, Aundarius was a craven, cruel man, fitting right in with the Aptoan masters he was quick to betray. He decreed that only men would fight in his army – and to his humiliation, he would soon have to authorize the establishment of the Seraphim or risk losing the war. It would eventually prove to be his undoing – the Furies slaughtered him and nearly all of his progeny and family, having suffered enough at his twisted hands.

Now Sargasso is ruled by the consecrated child queen Nepet Shiripo Belasis, only thirteen, guided by the Royal Guard, a small Seraphim order headed by the second-in-command of the nation, the High Inquisitor Leidela Sixtus. Shiripo is the result of a seven-year search, after the death of the childless former monarch, to discover an heir – quite difficult considering the Furies ancient devastation of Volg’s line. However, the Sargassans accept their queen, as have the Seraphim orders. She is backed by the Royal church, and all of her edicts thus far have been gentle to the Sargassans.

Sargasso’s climate is tropical, with lush rainforests, warm and wet weather and bountiful land. Though the Seraphim are the de-facto army, they are also a religious organization. They are few in number (only about 5000 of them) and supported by the Sargassan Rangers, a common military group that operates much more like a normal army. Sargasso are rivals with Periterim over the sea and river trades, as well as tropical exports. They get along well with Vedaria and Emderuer. Their natural allies are the Wakuira, human-like water spirits that take a variety of liquid, gel and solid humanoid forms akin to Damakran. Wakuira are childish and unreliable most of the time, but are worshiped nonetheless in the Nation of Blessed Rain.

Ghedania is considered a protectorate of Sargasso, nominally its own country, but really under Sargassan rule.

Periterim

In this grand, connected society there’s that many more people willing to buy.

The Trade Nation of Periterim was established as rebels vied for control of river and sea trading routes on the eastern half of Adel, as well as other economic interests. The rebellion in Periterim was led by learned merchants, who, much like some of the Andalians, wanted control of the taxation and agriculture performed in the region. In fact, it is said that Periterim was the model that inspired Andaliel’s rebellion. However, Periterim had little of the idealism of Andaliel. Today, Periterim is ruled by a strict oligarchy of landed, wealthy interests whose vast Houses select a representative bureaucrat to send to the National Parliament of Periterim, which convenes once a month for two or three days of crucial business decisions.

The citizenry has no stake whatsoever in the government, and unlike practically all the other governments, Periterim has no real social safety net or aid for aspirant upward climbers. Wealth is part of a genetic lottery – if you’re born to one of a highly stratified hierarchy of merchants and merchants aides, you will have varying degrees of wealth. Rural villagers are more isolated than normal, as they have no ability to stop their agricultural labor to see the cities and towns, unlike villagers in other Nations, for whom there is some ability to procure aid for holiday-taking or sickness rest. Townies labor hard for the powerful, and receive poor education. It is said in places like Sargasso and Emderuer that Periterim is the nation farthest from the Spirits, and this may perhaps be true. Crucial rights elsewhere are forgotten there.

Periterim is a highly politically tense nation. None of the Houses that have access to the National Parliament trust one another. Though the rural villagers are even quieter than usual, as they have little hope of escaping their station for even a few days of vacation, the townies and cityfolk are prone to riot, and Periterim’s Houses keep mercenary armies as they do not trust what the National Parliament (each other) might do with its own legitimate army. Periterim struggles with piracy and black market goods, while its many Houses deal with many different nations for their own, rather than the Nation’s, benefit.

The lower Trieze islands are owned by Periterim, but are a hotbed of piracy and subversive groups.

Periterim is a tropical nation like Sargasso. Its natural allies are the Apekar fire spirits, humanoids with burning manes of hair. They no longer listen to the Periterim, however, and can be hardly considered allies at this point.

Vedaria

It is our birthright to prosper and grow – these red sands attest to what we’ve paid.

The harsh desert nation of Vedaria was the commencement of the Intolerable War. Whipped to near slavery by the Aptoa, the Vedarians rose after centuries of quiet toil and utterly annihilated the Aptoa in their lands. Word of their plight and the ferocity with which they defended themselves traveled fast, a spark that ignited the brutal hundred-year war. Today, Vedaria has well earned its place as one of the greatest and most prosperous nations, standing side by side (grudgingly) only with Andaliel on the world stage. By all rights, the desert nation with less arable land and less water than all others should be more vulnerable, but the Vedarians are a hardy people, who have learned to ply the harsh desert for all it can give. Vedaria has rich natural resources, particularly precious and useful metals, more abundant than in any other place.

Vedaria is ruled by an autocrat known as the Vizier. The current Vizier is Magdalena Keehl, a young phoenix-caste Iomadi educated in Sargasso’s finest institutions. After the sudden death of her father (most people assume the shrewd woman eliminated him) Magdalena took over the nation and instituted a few reforms. Over the ten years of her young rule (for she was only twenty when she took control), Vedaria has gained great academies and a culture of magic and learning much like that of Andaliel, finally matching its rival in all areas of national stake. It has also undertaken deals with Sargasso and Periterim, whereas before it seemed content to horde its wealth. Magdalena is well loved by her people – and her great power distrusted by the Andalians and the Emderians, who are helpless but to see Vedaria climb. The Vedarians have not forgotten the cruelty of the Aptoa, and have a great hatred of the Emderians who represent the remnant of that government.

Boasting one of the largest and more powerful armies in the world, Vedaria has been recently moving into Noshiki to attempt to secure the border against the dreadful, blight-infested place – and expand their own in the process. Their natural allies are the Sandcloaks, a strange race of creatures covered in red cloaks that enshroud their seemingly bulbous bodies, such that their true shape, aside from their long black and brown, earthy limbs cannot be seen, and their face is only a glowing gash of a smile and burning little eyes peering from the shroud. Sandcloaks are quick and stealthy, and friendly to Vedarians.

Noshiki

The Dark Land, wherein Madness lies in bed with Blaspheme.

Noshiki is a blasted hell on earth, a series of wastes and dead forests in the center of the continent that are the only surface remnants of the cataclysm-blighted Lost World. In the Dark Land prowl many of the enemies of Adel, unopposed, able to hide and plot as they wish, to move between Nations with impunity by traveling its horrendous paths. Within also lie the beautiful and deadly mega-flora forests of the xenophobic Elves. The dark mountains of Noshiki, and its vast wastes, hold riches untapped in both lore, artifacts, and precious resources. Each nation has some presence in the part of Noshiki bordering them, but they must frequently cycle their soldiers and civilians in these outposts, or they may be driven insane from exposure and the tension in the cursed air. The river routes through Noshiki are crucial for mercantilism, and must be traveled with armed guard.

Noshiki has no government and no people, besides perhaps the many beasts and monsters living within.

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