"A treatise on the existence of beings that live and act within the shadows, by Amfolin D. F. Y. Porinsipa, Scribe and Bard to his lord Hiliana, in this Six Hundred and Seventh year of the Third Common Age, on this land of Lianalith, shining kingdom of Elves on this land of Theadritch. Translated by Amlil XVII, 1079. ((Yes, I'm bringing that in.))
Of the existence of spirits there can be no doubt, and to their nature many scrolls and tomes are devoted. Spirits and those creatures of elevated or infernal planes, demons or scions be they, are pervasive throughout this world, but none have I seen strike such fear as that on this land which is composed of shadow and thunder. As I did wander as I was wont to do in my youthful days I chanced upon a glen in a faraway land, beyond those mountains where the dwarfkind do make their homes. In this forest did I take my rest, and break my bread, but as I tore branches from the trees to build my fire I was acosted. Cloaked in deepest shadow and speaking in monstrous tones that did shake me to my core, this spirit spoke to me. I was quite sure it was a demon, infernal being the of the UnderPlanes, but it made no move to harm me as I cowered from it. Instead I was treated with curious regard, and to my dismay the creature came closer. For an instant did the shadows part and I saw its deathly eyes, burning red set into grey, and I did stand and strike a pose defiant. 'Spirit, if you be one,' said I, bolstered by I know not what, 'If you seek to harm me, do not so! For I am an emissary of the Greatest King Hiliana, sent to make peace with these lands, and to harm me would be to bring down the whole of the armies of Lianalith, a million archers strong, upon your head!' This was, of course, a falsehood, but my bluff seemed to have effect. The being spoke, rattling my bones, and said unto me in perfect speech, 'I have no need of your elder king, but to the young race leave this land, for they will be mine in the end. As to your armies, know but this: No weapon made by that which dies will fell me.' With that he bade me leave his land and to this day I've ne'er returned."
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Saturday, February 19, 2011
State Profile: Birandia
Birandia is a largely unpopulated but massive nation with diverse lands. In the north are thick forests full of old and ancient spirits, protected by the thick mountains to the west and imposing legends prevalent in the east and north. The center ranges of Birandia, south of the great lake, shift from marshes to dry flatlands and finally to deserts, where deep and rich deposits of metals and minerals are mined by intrepid humans around the city of Kabba. Southward to the border, the lands become once again more habitable, culminating in the great grasslands that cross the river into the TinShear Fields.
Most of the inhabitants of Birandia are humans, and most live in the wide-spread city of Ricea, though a stalwart few make semi-permanent residence in the mining city of Kabba, and more still make their homes in the coastal city of Van, or Ceram, which lies at the northern point of the TinShear grasslands. These cities are far from being exclusively human, though, and most will accept any race that is willing to work. This pioneering attitude held by most of Birandia's residents keeps it from having any sort of actual aristocracy, instead being protected and governed by the corporations and agencies that mine, harvest, and export its goods.
(More to come...)
Most of the inhabitants of Birandia are humans, and most live in the wide-spread city of Ricea, though a stalwart few make semi-permanent residence in the mining city of Kabba, and more still make their homes in the coastal city of Van, or Ceram, which lies at the northern point of the TinShear grasslands. These cities are far from being exclusively human, though, and most will accept any race that is willing to work. This pioneering attitude held by most of Birandia's residents keeps it from having any sort of actual aristocracy, instead being protected and governed by the corporations and agencies that mine, harvest, and export its goods.
(More to come...)
The Timeline of Theadritch
1243 of the Third Age -- Present Day
1054 of the Third Age -- The Hectorian Wars end, leaving Timeth the Stoic as Emperor of Heralden
1039 of the Third Age -- Hector the Well-Endowed dies, sparking the Hectorian Wars
979 of the Third Age -- King Hiliana I dies and is succeeded by his eldest son, Hiliana II
722 of the Third Age -- Prince Reyd of Surfrak breaks off from Tondenkall, founds Reydenkall, begins the Underjourney
429 of the Third Age -- Theilden is colonized
322 of the Third Age -- The Arcane University is established
311 of the Third Age -- Lianalith is founded
59 of the Third Age -- Surfrak is founded by the first dwarves to find the island
1054 of the Third Age -- The Hectorian Wars end, leaving Timeth the Stoic as Emperor of Heralden
1039 of the Third Age -- Hector the Well-Endowed dies, sparking the Hectorian Wars
979 of the Third Age -- King Hiliana I dies and is succeeded by his eldest son, Hiliana II
722 of the Third Age -- Prince Reyd of Surfrak breaks off from Tondenkall, founds Reydenkall, begins the Underjourney
429 of the Third Age -- Theilden is colonized
322 of the Third Age -- The Arcane University is established
311 of the Third Age -- Lianalith is founded
59 of the Third Age -- Surfrak is founded by the first dwarves to find the island
Cultural Spotlight: Heralden
Heralden is an old empire, with a history spanning sixty generations of emperors. The first, Herald The Conqueror, began his life as a tribal leader who united the three human tribes near his homeland and built an army, moving outward in conquest for thirty years and eventually dieing by suicide, throwing himself into a volcano to promote the myth that he was, in fact, impervious to weapons. His son, Herald the Uniter, had the daunting task of maintaining one of the largest empires the world had ever known, and did so through the organization of a religion surrounding his father, slowly creating a mythos that inspired ultimate devotion to the state and selflessness in duty. Over thirty more emperors, the land of Heralden thrived and prospered in the land they had conquered and converted. The thirty-third emperor, Daulten the Far-Reaching, saw to the construction of the Great Colonial Fleet, an armada of warships and colony ships that set out across the oceans with thousands of eager citizens, their goal being spreading the empire beyond their home continent and into the rest of the wide world. Dozens of colonies were established, and some thrived on trade. Others fell to native armies, other empires that had yet to be seen by the Heraldens and formed of strange creatures. Others still vanished, not a soul living to tell the tales of what happened to the homeland. Heralden learned then that it was not alone in the world. Far from it, in fact.
Over time, a few of the Heralden colonies established themselves as great places of trade and exploration. Others petitioned for independence, some fought for it, and the empire began to fracture. Now, after sixty emperors, even the homeland is not intact. Still, there are many loyal colonies, including one of the diverse and often-wild island of Theadritch.
In the year 1039 of the Third Age, the otherwise-unremarkable emperor Hector the Well-Endowed (named so for fathering 17 sons in his 22 years on the throne) died unexpectedly, leaving no clear heir. When his eldest son, Hector III, tried to ascend, he was blocked by his younger brother, now known as Menwey the Usurper. Many advisors sided with Menwey and other brothers, and a fifteen-year-long civil war broke out. In the end it was Hector's fifth son, Timeth the Stoic, who claimed the throne, and in his fourteen years of ruling the empire he was tasked with piecing as much of it back together as possible. Many historians cite this war as the beginning of the decline of Heralden.
Over time, a few of the Heralden colonies established themselves as great places of trade and exploration. Others petitioned for independence, some fought for it, and the empire began to fracture. Now, after sixty emperors, even the homeland is not intact. Still, there are many loyal colonies, including one of the diverse and often-wild island of Theadritch.
In the year 1039 of the Third Age, the otherwise-unremarkable emperor Hector the Well-Endowed (named so for fathering 17 sons in his 22 years on the throne) died unexpectedly, leaving no clear heir. When his eldest son, Hector III, tried to ascend, he was blocked by his younger brother, now known as Menwey the Usurper. Many advisors sided with Menwey and other brothers, and a fifteen-year-long civil war broke out. In the end it was Hector's fifth son, Timeth the Stoic, who claimed the throne, and in his fourteen years of ruling the empire he was tasked with piecing as much of it back together as possible. Many historians cite this war as the beginning of the decline of Heralden.
State Profile: Zelan
Zelan is a sparsely-populated state, the borders of which were in constant flux until the completion of Theilden's southern border wall. Though it is classified as a human independent state, humans actually make up a very small portion of the overall population. Zelan's dense forests provide ample ground for goblins, kobolds, bugbears, gnolls, and other creatures. The humans that do populate the area do so by maintaining a strong militia and thick walls, though the capital of Fearon remains relatively safe, having carved a large swath out of the protective forest. Now Fearon is a very successful exporter of the ancient and strong lumber that makes up the forest, though it seems little forward progress ever lasts very long. The other human city, Ambar, serves as a waypoint for merchants trading with Theilden and the outside world. In truth, it started as little more than a fort and a tavern, but a sizable market has sprung up in which traders buy and sell goods for import and export. This militia has a few squadrons of highly-experienced soldiers that serve as escorts for any merchant who can afford to buy their services, but other mercenaries will do the job for less.
Fearon is a moderately-sized city of about 75 square miles with a population of about 65,000. Its position on the river that feeds into the lake adjacent to the Dwarven city of Granthal makes it the prime exporter to the Dwarven kingdom of Vrandorth. Despite its relatively low population, Fearon maintains a strong economy and enjoys widespread prosperity. This is not without risk, as the lumber and food that Fearon exports often come at a high cost. Still, Zelan attracts laborers and mercenaries from many lands to claim lucrative prizes and fees.
The demographic breakdown of Zelan is difficult to accurately measure since the majority of its inhabitants do not belong to a civilized race, but estimates run about 35% human, 9% Elven, 7% Halfling, 2% Dwarven, 2% half-orc, and an ambiguous 45% other. This mysterious majority includes over a dozen various races, mostly in tribal groupings.
Fearon is a moderately-sized city of about 75 square miles with a population of about 65,000. Its position on the river that feeds into the lake adjacent to the Dwarven city of Granthal makes it the prime exporter to the Dwarven kingdom of Vrandorth. Despite its relatively low population, Fearon maintains a strong economy and enjoys widespread prosperity. This is not without risk, as the lumber and food that Fearon exports often come at a high cost. Still, Zelan attracts laborers and mercenaries from many lands to claim lucrative prizes and fees.
The demographic breakdown of Zelan is difficult to accurately measure since the majority of its inhabitants do not belong to a civilized race, but estimates run about 35% human, 9% Elven, 7% Halfling, 2% Dwarven, 2% half-orc, and an ambiguous 45% other. This mysterious majority includes over a dozen various races, mostly in tribal groupings.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Theadritch Map
This map of the island of Theadritch was made by Claire Myers, based off of my graph paper-and-colored pencil sketches. Learn it and love it, for on this island lies wealth, power, fame, and adventure.
State Profile: Sethieron
Sethieron was claimed and colonized to be another state of Heralden, but as the human explorers moved inland from their city of Malkerin, they found other peoples had already populated the forests of this land. The humans attempted to annex the Halfling city of Beedlehorn, but were quickly met with a band of half-orc warriors from Kor-Rach, one of the largest known half-orc controlled cities in the world. The humans were pushed back to the coast and the forests remained under the control of the Halflings and half-orcs, respecting an old trading and truce agreement. Now, most of the coast is human-controlled, but few humans are welcome inland. The citizens of Beedlehorn are willing to trade, but those of Kor-Rach are hesitant to make any official contact with the humans, instead using the Halflings as a middle-man to obtain the goods they want.
Though Sethieron is a large state by Theadritch's standards, it is one of the wildest. Aside from Malkerin, Beedlehorn, Kor-Rach, and the surrounding farmlands, most of the land is heavily forested and inhabited by wilder creatures and nomadic tribes of orcs. While these bands rarely approach the walls of the cities, they are occasionally problematic for merchants traveling between them and thus there is a thriving market for caravan guards. The few humans that make much contact with the half-orcs typically serve with them in these guard squads.
The largest city in Sethieron is the half-orc refuge of Kor-Rach, which holds 89,000 citizens protected by 37.5 square miles of high, thick walls. Most half-orcs keep themselves within the city, which allows them to maintain temples and libraries that rival moderate human cities without persecution. The half-orcs of Kor-Rach tend to be targeted more often by the pure-blood orcs of the surrounding forests and thus maintain a standing militia for their defense. Kor-Rach is a functioning republic, with elected officials governing the city. In contrast, Beedlehorn is a small monarchy, with a hereditary king presiding over the citizens, and Malkerin has a modified provincial government, with a noble governor and a cabinet of advisors. Malkerin has done much to maintain relations with Heralden but it technically independent, not under the taxation or protection of its motherland.
Demographically, there are more humans in Sethieron than any other single race, with 31% of the population being at least 3/4 human. Halflings are the second most populous with 27%, and half-orcs rank third with 22% of the population, though a significant portion of that number maintains permanent residence within Kor-Rach. The rest is 9% tribal orcs and 11% other intelligent creatures, with a tendency toward goblinkin and lizardfolk.
Though Sethieron is a large state by Theadritch's standards, it is one of the wildest. Aside from Malkerin, Beedlehorn, Kor-Rach, and the surrounding farmlands, most of the land is heavily forested and inhabited by wilder creatures and nomadic tribes of orcs. While these bands rarely approach the walls of the cities, they are occasionally problematic for merchants traveling between them and thus there is a thriving market for caravan guards. The few humans that make much contact with the half-orcs typically serve with them in these guard squads.
The largest city in Sethieron is the half-orc refuge of Kor-Rach, which holds 89,000 citizens protected by 37.5 square miles of high, thick walls. Most half-orcs keep themselves within the city, which allows them to maintain temples and libraries that rival moderate human cities without persecution. The half-orcs of Kor-Rach tend to be targeted more often by the pure-blood orcs of the surrounding forests and thus maintain a standing militia for their defense. Kor-Rach is a functioning republic, with elected officials governing the city. In contrast, Beedlehorn is a small monarchy, with a hereditary king presiding over the citizens, and Malkerin has a modified provincial government, with a noble governor and a cabinet of advisors. Malkerin has done much to maintain relations with Heralden but it technically independent, not under the taxation or protection of its motherland.
Demographically, there are more humans in Sethieron than any other single race, with 31% of the population being at least 3/4 human. Halflings are the second most populous with 27%, and half-orcs rank third with 22% of the population, though a significant portion of that number maintains permanent residence within Kor-Rach. The rest is 9% tribal orcs and 11% other intelligent creatures, with a tendency toward goblinkin and lizardfolk.
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