'Aleasana is a land presently torn by a brutal civil war...'
The Past
The present conflict has its roots in an earlier war. A war fought with sound. Occasionally, some ancient artifacts from this long-forgotten war are found. Most are nonmagical or only faintly magical and constructed of strange materials. The best known example is a 20' pearlescent copper parabolic dish in the Eastern city of Lugan. Part of the dish seems to have been turned into a glass-like crystal and shattered long ago. If anyone has managed to get one of these artifacts to function, they're not telling...
In the far northeast, it is said there is a mountain called "Guardian of the North". A hole has been crudely cut straight through its peak, and when the northern wind blows, an eerie wail washes over the frozen lanscape.
Temples of Dar, or their remains, are found throughout Aleasana. A schism within church was blamed for the fracturing of the once great nation. Few these days openly practice the churches teachings.
The Lords and the Cities
There are few nations per se; rather a collection of city-states and feuding warlords who can usually only hold on to rather small tracts of territory at a time. However, the "King" of Cassant has managed to get many of these warlords and city states to recognize his authority, and they operate as a somewhat unruly, yet relatively stable confederacy of mini-nations."
Aleasana is embroiled in a civil war where the king of Cassant battles for the true crown of the throne against numerous other city states.
The city-state of Annit and its lord, Morrig, are serving Cassant as a political prison. Here dissidents, criminals, and POWs of low-grade are sent, to be confined until "the regular machinery of justice is running once more." For most of them, this is a death sentence. Annit's conditions are infamously cruel and barbaric. Most prisoners are confined, naked, in an enclosed section of fields outside the city, where they live in holes dug into the ground, with blankets on top of them. They recieve a pitiful ration each day, and sometimes even this is not given. The prisoners are often beaten, tortured, and even killed by guards, sometimes for defiance of the rules, sometimes for information, and sometimes just for fun. Cassant's enemies have given Annit the nickname "The Living Hell".
While Ralin Valeris, 'King' of Cassant is perhaps the most powerful of the various claiments to the throne of Aleasana, Dominus Majera Alsea of the City-State of Bandesh-Thar possesses the strongest claim and wields a might second to his. Majera, a scion of the royal house of old Asani, and a direct line descendent of Majerus Alsea, conqueror of the land and first king of Aleasana, is as pure-blooded a Aleasani as ever you will find. An imposingly tall woman, with pale blonde hair and sea-green eyes, Majera is commanding, well-spoken, and a masterful tactician. However, one thing has kept her from supremacy--her radical politics.
Majera is what is commonly called an "Oldblood". She believes in the purging of Aleasana culture of "degenerate foreign influence" and "vile unholy magic". A devout member of the church of Dar, she persecutes Dvergar, Shay, Half-Shay, Northeners, Bodai, and Juni as well as practioners of arcane magic, which she sees as pollution of the Asani way of life, and worshippers of foreign gods. Especially persecuted are sorcerers, or as they are known in the Dominus's lands, "feybloods". Every day, city-states that pledge loyalty to Majera typically execute about a dozen individuals for the crime of not fitting her definition of what is human. Such individuals are usually tortured into confessing other crimes as well, from plotting to assassinate the Dominus, to poisoning wells. Majera's loyal personal troops, the White Wolves, oversee many such executions, and are constantly investigating for further "infiltration".
The city-state of Altania is ruled by Larisa, the High Enchantress of Altania. She and her arcanists represent a magocratic faction that hopes to use their arcane prowess to gain control of the crown. The reason that Altania has so many arcane casters in one place is that the vast majority of arcane casters from the old kingdom, being comparitively friendly and amicable with each other over the other factions (including most of the brawny, physically-focused warlords who started the civil-war), chose to side together in the conflict, creating a territory with vastly more wizards than are usual
In direct opposition to Altania, and to a lesser extent Cassant, is the large-but-lightly-populated city-state of Dromas, situated on one of the lower plateaus of mountainous Aleasana, near the lowlands of the valleys. Dromas' walls encompass a large plot of fertile land with an agrarian society, primarily humans and half-elves, who are ruled by the druid-monks of the Dromasi Council. The people of Dromas see arcane magic as an evil perversion of nature, and have given sanctuary to several fey creatures within their walls, allowing no iron to pass their gates. Thanks to its druids, Dromas' wall is literally grown out of the plateau's underlying rock and rises 20 feet into the air.
The city-state of Volg is a large sprawl amidst the rocky northern highlands of Aleasana, often the first to be attacked whenever Northerner barbarians come down for raids in the autumn. Volg is ruled by margrave Olshek Travain, a stoic but battle-hardened man, who has maintained the original title his family line has held in the Northmark of Volg, back in the days of the old kingdom. This city-state is slightly unusual for its population of Dvergar, who make up roughly a third of the populus. They are accorded fair treatment and representation in the Northmark, and a Dvergar burgrave holds hereditary command of the northmost castle Kurtsburg.
Lord Nithus, ruler of the City-State of Cazar, is playing the various sides against each other while proffessing neutrality. While many of his intimates think he aspires to the throne himself, in truth, he is hoping to awaken an ancient being of destruction by magically chanelling the deaths the war is causing. The being Lord Nithus is trying to awaken is called Neroshimon, the sleeper, a fallen angel. He was bound ages ago with magic and cold iron in a vault far beneath the city of Cazar. He feeds upon fear and the fear of the dying is the sweetest to him. His dreams causes madness in mortals and Nithus has been infected. Even if Nithus awakens him, much of his power still lies in his sword, Armothal, which was hidden when he was first bound.
Of all the various warlords involved in the present troubles, few are as colorful as the former mercenary Broken Stone. A barbarian from the North, Broken Stone's path has led him from a simple sellsword serving in various armies to having become Lord of the City-State of Travask, and a major player in the war. He has also enfranchised numerous of his Northern kindred and mercenary comardes to support his rule, making Travask's nobility one of the most varied in all Aleasana. Though Broken Stone has chosen only competent men to support his rule, much of the city's old nobility rankles to serve such an upstart rabble. Only Broken Stone's cagy wits have kept him in power.
The Twin Cities of Karina are most unusual for they are a single city split in two locations. The Lower city sits at the base of the mountains overlooking the Bodai grasslands as such the lower city is the main trade access for Bodai textiles and salt from the southern desert. This city is dominated by merchants and governed by the Provost of the Merchants Guild
The upper city sits 3000 ft above the lower overlooking two stategic passes through the mountains. The upper city is the home of the ruling elite of the city known as the Council of Judges who determine law for the city below. The Upper city also features a number of libraries, temples, a university and a museum. The two cities are magically linked by the 'Gate of Judgement' a two-way portal constantly guarded access through an archway in the wall of each of the twin cities.
Kidnapping for ransom, Prostitution and slavery is quite common between the various city states and the nubile daughters of wealthy merchants are a common target. The most infamous of these kidnappers/slavers is the Vermillion Lotus Society obstensibly a guild-merchant engaged in Apothecary supplies, wines, spirits and Brothelkeeping and based in the 'wiked city' of Barizar.
Every 3 years, as part of the new year festivals, there is a great athletic competition in Hängende. There are many events, but the highlight for most people is the Great Climb. Competitors start on the Long Wharf and climb ropes attached to the Grand Balcony of the Mayor's palace two hundred feet above. The first to reach the balcony and take posession of the Mayor's Cup becomes mayor for the next 3 years.
Mayor is a largely ceremonial position as the city is actually run by a council of Dvergar elders.
Recently, an ambitious new "horselord" has arisen among the Bodai, one Sergis Sahn. Sergis, an accomplished military leader has dreams of uniting the various warring tribes of Bodai and leading them like a scouring wave across Aleasana. He is trying to use the recent excursions of the Juni as an excuse to consolidate power. Sergis Sahn is aided and advised by a shadowy shaman known as Kohemet. Kohemet is rumored to be involved in dark magics, but little about him is actually known. Even his race is the subject of speculation, but given Sergis Sahn's beliefs it seems unlikel Kohemet is anything but Bodai. It is whispered that Kohemet once spent years lost at the heart of the Southern Desert, the Sun's Anvil where even the Juni do not go. Then with fearful glances some claim that he found something there or indeed that something found him. At this point silence usually descends upon the speakers, but it is known that Kohemet walked out of the desert then and that the Juni fear him as much as the Bodai do...
The Others
These city-states are comprised mostly of humans. The Bodai, a short race popularly called "halflings" by the Aleasani, and the Juni, a similar race popularly called Pygmies or Gnomes, are among the aboriginal inhabitants of the land who the Aleasani displaced when they arrived here. Others include the Shey, popularly known as elves, to whom only a few cities remain (among them Karina) but who have managed to treat with the humans, and the Dvergar, or dwarves, a grim race of warriors and wizards who have remained hostile, even as their strength dwindles. There are also the Northeners, another race of men, to whom the sophisticated Aleasani feel even less kinship then they do for the Shey. Finally, there are the Urukh, the mysterious, brutish race to which the Black Fist Brotherhood belongs.*
The dwarves, gnomes, elves, and halflings of the land have more or less absolved themselves from the conflict, though there are the occasional mercenaries...
And among those mercenaries are the feared and reviled Storm Crows. The Crows are a Dwarvish mercenary company led by Kulrick Ironclaw, whose might in battle is matched only by his arcane prowess.
Another prominent mercenary group in Aleasana is the Black Fist Brotherhood, an exclusive organization of Urukh monks and rogues who serve as shock troops, assassins, and blockade runners for anyone who will pay their price. The Black Fist Brotherhood believes in an almost religious philosophy called the Way of the Black Road, a quasi-mystical regimen of physical and mental training based on the Five Pillars of Truth, which shall guide the faithful and determined to the Ultimate Truth. By their attitudes and activities, though, something about the Universal Truths they follow seems to make battle and warfare important to them.
Black Brothers will not say anything more than this regarding their philosophy, as they are oath-sworn to protect the secrets of the Universal Truths and pass them on only to the initiated. They consequently take only very young half-orcs into their order (age 3 and younger), so Black Brothers are tightly adherant to their oaths. Black Fist Brothers normally wear loose-fitting, cowled black robes that cover all but their hands, feet, and (sometimes) face. They wrap gray strips of cloth around their hands and feet for padding of sorts. Some wear tight, camouflaged nightsuits when out on a mission, to better hide their silhouette when sneaking about.
The Black Fist Brotherhood dislikes magic, looking down on it as a crutch used by only those who are too craven and weak-willed to use the power of their own body effectively. Black Brothers are particularly good at dispatching spellcasters, because they enjoy showing the cravens just how flawed their reliance on magic is. Members of the Black Fist Brotherhood view their own fantastic abilities as the simple advancement of their physical prowess to metaphysical levels of perfection.
Ironically, for many years, Dominus Majera Alsea was the principal employer of the Black Fist Brotherhood--however, as her policies have grown more stringent and severe, they have left her banners. The order's local head, Five Doves on the Wing, gave the Brotherhood's reasons as such--"The Way of Heaven is the Pillar of Earth--the Way of Earth is the Pillar of Heaven. If both Ways are followed, stability is achieved, and all is well. Loyalty the just leader--is this not the Way of Heaven? But if the leader follows not the Way of Heaven, the Earth grows unstable. Confusion abounds. If the Way of Earth is disordered, Heaven falters, and all begins to fail. For that reason, we cannot support you."
Although not a requirement for membership in the Black Fist Brotherhood, many of them come from a large Imperial nation far to the Southwest that is peopled almost entirely by half-orcs that have bred true for so long that they had almost forgotten about the existence of humans and orcs as their ancient forebears. The Brotherhood, while also a highly profitable mercenary organization, also secretly serves as the advance guard and scouting forces of this Empire, perhaps as a prelude to invasion.
The Shay, if the stories are true, came to Aleasana from the West, exiled by their kin for some mysterious reason. The Shay speak little on this subject, while the Dvergar speak a great deal on it, as it was largely their excuse for their enslavement of the elven people. Still, the truth remains obscure. According to Shay legends, in their past they fought wars not only with Duergar, but with a deformed evil race known as the Formor. Formori came in many types, but all were cruel, heartless, and destructive. While the stories insist that the Shay won, they're rather vague about what happened to the Formor afterwards...
The Shay are reguarded as uncanny warriors know for wielding magic as well as bronze. arcane archers, spell swords, and eldritch knights are all common amoung the elves, but the most feared is the Order of Ghost Warriors. The Ghost Warriors focus their magical training on enhancing their stealth and are well known for their use of poison. While some claim they are dishonorable, they argue that a warriors honor come from success, however achieved.
Some of the Shay in Aleasana are recent arrivals, coming in secret from across the ocean. No one knows that they are foreigners, using strange magics to learn the language.
The nomadic and cannibalistic tribes of the Juni are beginning to move out of the Sun's Anvil Desert and into the southern grasslands. Rumor has it that some unknown threat from the deep desert is pushing them out of their normal range. While the Juni are reported to be cannibalistic, the reality is perhaps not as sinister as the rumors portend. Juni (gnomes) have a long and proud oral history. Their culture is steeped in mysticism and tradition. One of their beliefs is that eating from the remains of an elder Juni will impart on one the wisdom and knowledge of that elder and all those who passed before him. While the Juni do not otherwise eat humanoid flesh, they do not dispel the rumors when confronted... so the rumors persist. "At least that's what some of the bleeding-heart humans claim, who probably have never seen a horde of Juni tear into a Bodai settlement on their warponies, indiscriminately massacring men, women and children in their sleep, and rending the still-warm flesh with their sharp, pointy teeth..."
The grasslands are home to the Bodai, a nomadic, herding people famed for their horsemanship and ferocity. They produce the finest woolens known on their portable looms.
The Land, and Its Neighbors
Aleasana is very mountainous with the city states occupying the narrow valleys between the high mountain divides. These mountains can be inhospitable and wracked by snowstorms however it also means the valleys are well watered and temperatures warmn in summer though icy cold in winter. Control of the mountain passes often means control of Aleasana.
Because of the high mountains and harsh climate, population levels are lower on the whole in Aleasana--cities have 30% fewer people than more fertile regions would, making each each man's skill count for more, and keeping city size under control, thus Aleana's lack of metropolises.
Old-timers claim that, back when they were young, the mountains were not as tall as they are now. There were more passes and easier travel, when Aleasana was a single nation.
Aleasana's Southern border is the Sun's Anvil Desert. Rumors abound of what lies beyond, but nobody has ever ventured there and come back alive. Between the mountains and the desert lies a strip of arid grasslands.
On the far Northern border, the mountains blend into a frozen wasteland of ice and stone. In the far North, millenia of genetic isolation have taken their toll on a few of the most remote communities. Inherited deformities abound, as well as madness. It is said that some of these pitiful creatures have developed strange powers, beyond the realm of both nature or magic. The visibly deformed are shunned and feared among the other Northern barbarian tribes, and may even be hunted and put to death on sight. Among the northern barbarians, youngsters of marriageable age are sent out - sometimes naked - to survive on their own wits, and brave the high passes to trek to neighboring tribes. Their status in the tribe receiving them will be determined by how far they have traveled, and their harrowing stories of survival told around the campfire (under the baleful eye of the local cleric and a Zone of Truth, if need be). The resulting network of intermarriages cements the northern barbarians more than any other people in Aleasana, although their geographical fragmentation keeps them from forming a united front.
On the East and West, Aleasana is flanked by two large oceans.
The eastern ocean is known to most as the Olden Sea, as most of Aleasana's peoples sailed here centuries or millenia ago from the east when their homeland was ravaged (by what, few know). The Aleasani displaced many lesser peoples when they arrived, forcing some northward into the tundra and south into the desert, most of whom have not been seen or heard from for quite a while. The vast Olden Archipelago fills part of the Olden Sea southeast of the Aleasana mountains.
The Eastern coast is notable for its long and narrow fjords where the sea cuts into the mountains leaving sheer cliffs with tumbling waterfalls, falling stones, overhanging forests and a spectacular rugged grandeur. The sheer cliffs make landfall difficult however there are a couple of suitable areas and it was in the eastern Fjords that people first landed. At the head of the Langerfjord which cuts furthest into the mountains is the Drueger city of Hängende (Вися Город in Drueger text) called the hanging city because of the way some of its buildings extend out from the cliffsides over the water, it is here that humans first set foot on Aleasana rock.
The Olden Archipelago is neatly split into three sovereign entities. The closest to Aleasana is the Principality of Maralan. The islands in this part of the chain tend to be larger, but agriculture is limited due to the rocky terrain. The people here tend to be herders and their woolen goods are renowned throughout Aleasana. They trade their goods for much of their food supply, and the war between the various factions of Aleasana has hurt the people of Maralan greatly. Grain is currently being rationed and the people are starting to eat their prized sheep with a bit more regularity than is good for their economy.
SOuth east of the Principality of Maralan are a series of barren atolls some a mere few feet above water whilst others have been pushed up on high sheer cliffs of coral and stone, the largest and highest of these is Karkora seat of the Karkora Magister.
The Atolls under the authority of the Karkora Magister are inhabited by two races the Karkora proper are a tall savage people of bestial nature (called Gnolls by the Shay) who survive by raiding the other islands. It is the small size and general aridity of their islands and resultant small populations that keep the Karkora from becoming a major threat. Each atoll might contain but a single mob of 30 Karkora, and many of the smaller atolls are too small and waterless for any habitation at all.
The second race living in the many caves that riddle the cliffs of the upraised coral islands are the winged Kenku whom the Karkora honour as spirits and who offer their own scorceress skills to the Magister.
The Magister himself is an ancient Karkora druid. He has attempted in the past to raise the low atolls higher and to bring them rain but even though his power is great the sea always reclaims its own
The Aleasani were much larger when they left the old lands, practically giants to the eyes of the Juni, Shay, Duergar, and Urukh they displaced. Over time they shrank admidst the mountains of Aleasana, with little food to survive on after they destroyed the old civilizations there. The final and furthest stretch of the Olden Archipelago, stretching east of Karkora and a bit northward, is the storm-wracked, semi-tropical island chain of Old Asani. When the Aleasani fled their homeland ages ago, the first land they came upon after their long wandering at sea was the islands they would call Asani, and many Aleasani thought to settle there.
But the Asani islands were too few for all the Aleasani to colonize, and some thought they were not yet far enough from their homeland to be safe, so they sailed on and passed amidst the rest of the greater achipelago. Many more were driven to flee westward when the Curse of the Asani fell upon the colonists of the easternmost islands, and the volcanos awoke to ravage the people in their anger, destroying much of the colonies. Those who did not flee simply did not have any ships left intact, and weathered the Curse, until the Asani islands calmed.
These survivors managed to eke out a decent but unpredictable living on the Asani islands, and they became known themselves as Asani. The Asani changed over the years as the aftermath of the Curse took its toll, and now they are a stranger folk than their western cousins. The Asani's leaders are the Asani-Morok, called ogre magi by the people of Maralan, who lead other Asani in pirating and shore-raiding. The common land-based Asani are called Asani-Gorn, ogres to the folk of Maralan, and their more common brethren are the aquatic Asani-Toron called merrow by Maralan folk. The people of the Asani islands in the Olden Archipelago still consider themselves to be true Aleasani, despite their descent into more crude and simplistic lifestyle, and regardless of their physical disfigurement. Asani live primarily in caves on the islands, and the numerous Asani-Toron live throughout the underwater warrens of Asani.
The loss of the Urukhs' aid has Majera looking to the support of the twisted, degenerate Asani--a move she may eventually regret...
Whereas the Eastern coast of Aleasana is rocky and rather inhospitable, in the West the mountains descend down into a dense forest, which gradually turns into a marsh, and then breaks up into an infinite number of islands. This is Faegrim, the realm of the Fae. No accurate maps exist, and it is said that the geography keeps changing day by day. All manner of fey abound, and although most are not openly hostile to intruders, they do prefer to be left alone, and can have a truly vicious sense of humor. Beware of Fae hospitality, because nothing is ever given for free. You are expected to know the rules, but none will explain them (and who knows they won't have changed the next day).
At the southern edge of the Faegrim where the marsh turns to the grassland home of the Bodai live the Isslen, commonly known as lizardfolk. Their raids often strike deep into Bodai and Fae territory, but they quickly recede back to the swamps with their loot. Neither the Bodai nor the Fae have made any large scale efforts to attack the lizardfolk as it is commonly believed that they live under the protection of dragons. This is likely untrue, but the rumors persist nonetheless.
Iron is rare in Aleasana, and has anti-magical properties. Ownership of iron items requires a permit in Altania, whereas the king of Cassant has just discovered the existance of a rich lode of iron ore from a dwarven tribe he conquered, and is planning to enslave the tribe to mine it for him.
(Assume all weapon and armor stats are for bronze items. Iron items are treated as Cold Iron, and grant a +1 bonus to damage inflicted on spellcasters and any non-Human or non-Dvergar intelligent races. Any spellcaster, non-Human or non-Dvergar wielding an iron item is Sickened (-2 on attack, saves, damage, skills and ability checks).
Many people believe that all human spellcasters had a non human ancestor somewhere in their ancestry as iron sickens all non humans and all spellcasters.
Another theory is that it was a gift by the faerie to humans, so they would stop using iron against them in a mythical war long ago.
According to the Dvergar, all iron comes from the blood of their grim, grey god Koschei the Deathless, a gift to his children as he was driven away from the land by the other gods. While this does explain why dwarves are unaffected by iron's special qualities, it does nothing to explain human's resistance to the metal...
A major hot spot of the war are the iron mines of Amerah. Ownership changes often and violently between the neighbouring city states.
Dragons
The Dragons of Aeasana form their own society seperate from other races with their own laws and customs. Little is known of their rulers except that they are called The Council of Elements. The dragons are holding themselves aloof from the current conflict, and claim to be forbidden from contracting as mercenaries although it is know they have done this in the past. Dragons are feared because the death of a dragon is often met with organized and ruthless reprisals, other times the Dragons have investigated and declared the death just. No non-dragon knows what criteria they use to judge...
The Dragon Bishnagar has recently established a trade in protection of valuable goods (including Iron and gold) with many merchants and city-states placing their valuables in his care in return for a Dragon-Marked Credit Note (discounted by 10%, the tithe claimed by the Dragon as payment)
These 'Drakemarks' have become tradable and many transactions between city-states, and other welathy organisations are facilitated through the exchange of Drakemarks rather than hard currency. While this would seem to invite forgery, the problem has not yet become significant. One forgery has been found, but it was traced back to an unscrupulous merchant. As best the authorities can tell, the perpetrator was rather messily eaten several hours before their arrival. Forging Drake-Marks proves rather difficult to perfect, since the dragon uses a special Arcane Mark on each Drake-Mark with the special condition that it glows red when exposed to moonlight. For this reason, trade of Drake-Marks is more likely to occur at night than in the day, to better avoid forgeries. However, the moonlight-induced glow was only very recently made known, as the dragon did not appreciate learning that people had tried forging copies of its goods.
The dragon Alshoon claimed the rulership of the city of Kendra at the beginning of the civil war. He was forced to step down, after the council of elements declared this a major violation of the draconic laws.
Some scholars uncovered hints that there was a small faction conflict in the dragon society about changing the policy of non-involvement into other races affairs and actually ruling them.
As it seems the conservative isolationists won. What exactly happened and how the conflict was resolved is open to wild speculations and rumours.
If Bishnager´s drake marks are also a violation is unknown, the dragon himself declared that he is acting within established customs and the council declared his transactions valid.
, (2) gives barbarian PC's a reason to go adventuring, and (3) creates some interesting political possibilities...
![:]](http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/devious.png "Devious :]")
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