Creative Exercise--Aleasana

[Sarellion]

Rise up thread from the nether regions.

Contribution:
The knights of the Iron Crown are the remnant of a once noble order of paladins dedicted to the protection of the royal house and Aleasana.

Most of them got killed in the Traitor´s Battle during the War of Deadly Voices when they fought the Dominus of Dar after the sacking of Cassant. The Dominus declared them traitors for breaking their vows to the last member of the royal house.

 

[Lalato]

In the old lands, burial was the normal way to dispose of and honor the dead. However, the mountainous terrain of Aleasana allows for few, if any, burials. It is unclear when it became accepted custom, but cremation is now the most common way to honor and dispose of the dead.

Each region of Aleasana handles this differently. There is a wide range of ceremonies and rituals; from the austere to the ostentatious.

One of the more interesting cremation rituals is performed in the city of Karina. A mithril deathmask is made prior to cremation and then fashioned into an urn. The rich often have their deathmask urns enchanted so that their last words can be heard forever. The body is cremated on a pyre in the central square and the ashes are collected for the deathmask urn. Deathmask urns are are rarely displayed and it is considered dishonorable to look upon another family's dead relations.

--sam

 

[Rhialto]

The Yellow Scarves are fierce bandits serving the interests of a local mystic in the West. It is their belief that a new age will be dawning in Aleasana soon.

 

[Sarellion]

This mystic often meets with other unknown people in the nights of the new moon. No member of the Scarves knows what they discuss or the identity of these people.

 

[Arkhandus]

One of the many mercenary bands active in Aleasana is the large Vey'en Battallion, a mixed group of various races who never stay in one place for more than a year, and never return to any place they've fought in or near. This ragtag band of mercenaries is actually highly disciplined, but conditioned to fight in chaotic teams, who confuse enemies with their seemingly-random tactics and tendency to fight as individuals.

The Vey'en Battallion is known to contract out individual companies and brigades, even on opposing sides of a battle. Vey'en mercenaries never seem to have a problem with fighting each other in these cases. They're well-known for participating in arena matches, chariot or horse races, and the like, as well as being prominent tavern-goers. All sorts of strange rumors follow these mercenaries.

 

[Sarellion]

Little Bump

I wonder what topics need some further details?

 

[Rhialto]

Among Majera Alsea's most fervant supporters are the Razirkas, a powerful family of "Oldblood" nobles. Under the leadership of the family patriarch, Elsus Razirka, they had managed to gain rulership of five cities before the present war began--Razir (their home city), Kalavin, Morlene, Badag-Hai, and Hesselfin--through a combination of alliance, marriages, politics, and wars. Elsus had distributed the rulership of these cities among his family--his eldest son Jelen had been made Lord of Kalavin, his second son Sorac was Marshal of Morlene, his daughter Erla was Lady of Badaghai, and his brother Noric was Thane of Hesselfin. While Elsus held back when Valeris made his bid for the throne, weighing his options, when Majera declared her ambition, he rushed to support her, seeing her as a candidate capable of advancing the "Oldblood" cause--and the Razirka fortunes.

Ironically, though they number among her strongest supporters, the relationship between Majera and the Razirkas is often difficult. Elsus often worries that Majera support for a pure Alseana is TOO extreme, damaging her policies and efforts to win support--Majera on the other hand, usually sees Elsus and most of his family as venal, power-grubbing backstabbers whose commitment to the cause is less than total. Still, in the end, they stay together because they both need each other, and because ultimately the Razirkas are as interested in seeing an Alseana free of "the impure" as Majera is--they are simply more willing to compromise and wait then her.

One other matter has been raising conflict between Majera and Elsus lately. Elsus has been pressuring Majera to marry, to produce an heir--and also, been pressuring her to marry a Razirka. Presently, he is pushing his youngest son, Farinus, while his brother Noric pushes his son, Belstarus. However, Majera has no interest in marriage, not wanting to share her power, and no interest in either of them, seeing them with the same quiet disdain that colors her view of most of the Razirkas. The only member of the family she holds any real fondness for is Erla, whose fervancy for the Oldblood cause rivals her own. Indeed the two are constant companions, Erla often staying at Bandesh-Thar, and Majera often visiting Badag-Hai. Some wags have even quietly suggested that Elsus is offering Majera the wrong Razirka, and that he'd be better off offering his daughter. A few even note that Erla would probably eagerly accept such an arrangement--and Majera would probably eagerly take it.

Saying this in Elsus's presence is a good way to die horribly. The fact that it is completely true, and he knows it, only adds to his bitterness.

 

[Lalato]

Nice to see some fresh additions to this thread.

--sam

 

[Arkhandus]

I'll bump this for now....

Stuff that could still use detailing......more of Aleasana's mercenaries, various culture tidbits, adventure hook sort of stuff, more cities and towns, and so on.

Since this thread apparently isn't dead just yet, I may finish my updated Aleasana map for posting soon, as I ceased working on it when the thread had faded into the mists of the far back pages of the forum.....

 

[Rhialto]

In an effort to kickstart this again, after a long hiatus...

Lord Ralin Valeris is the man who started this terrible war--and yet it has caused him as much suffering as any other. When he declared himself king, Ralin was a handsome, hearty man in late middle age, with two sons and a daughter. Now he is a horribly scarred old man who has been left alone, weighed down by years and the misfortunes of battle. His eldest son, Kalen, perished in his battle with Kalthir Alsea--his second, Pryder, in a battle with the city of Altania. His daughter, Ella, has married Kail Illendus, and shifted her support to his claim, causing her father to disinherit her. Ralin himself has been wounded horribly many times in the struggle, most notably when he was hideously burnt by the flame of the dragon Alshoon during his invasion of Kendra, an experience that has left him hideously scarred, his every waking moment an agony. His wizards and priest have managed to offset this somewhat, creating a magic suit of armor that strengthens his now decrepit and mutilated body, and soothing his pains with potions. However, even the finest of his healers have been unable to restore him to his former self, so that Valeris must go masked in public. He has had three masks made (though rumor has it spares for these exist)--a fine one of gold and rare jade for court appearances, a less osentatious one of silver and ivory for private wear, and one of iron and bronze for battles.

With no true heirs, and it looking increasingly doubtful that he would enjoy the throne long if he ever managed to win it, some wonder why he even remains in the fight. But Ralin is a stubborn man, who refuses to say die. It was this that made him the premiere lord of Alseana's many petty rulers prior to the war, and it is this that keeps him in it. He remains convinced that not only can he win, but he can find some way to put his line in power forever after he does. Indeed, Ralin is looking down some dark paths indeed to find such a way...