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   Of all the kingdoms of Valcia, none are as politically and geographically diverse as the Freeland of Amerys. Known as a freeland rather than a kingdom, Amerys is ruled by an elected Grand Council instead of a king. Originally intended to end the oppression of an ancient, tyrannical ruler, the modern democracy of Amerys is instead seen by many to be a glorified monarchy, since the five members of the Grand Council are elected among and from nobility rather than by the entire peoples of Amerys.    Amerys is the only land geographically separated from the other kingdoms. The entire freeland serves as the southwestern edge of the Eleryn Sea. These lands then stretch westward until they hit the northern Leranos Mountains, while the Lisaris Ocean falls across its entire southern border. The western lands in the farthest stretches of Amerys consist of an untamed and wild grassland known as the Plains of Rys where many mysterious and dangerous creatures live and thrive, adding to the great diversity of this wondrous land.    However, Amerys is most notably known for Port Maverick, the largest port in all of Valcia. Here one would be able to find just about every kind of good and service available. The docks themselves stretch on for miles and are used for mooring merchant and privateer ships as well as the bulk of the Amerysian navy. A culturally diverse city, Port Maverick boasts nobles, peasants, merchants, thieves, and the like. In fact, the dreaded mercenary guild of the Dreth Kaldun is said to base here, though asking too many questions towards this end would not be encouraged.    Within the past decade, Port Maverick has grown so large that its nobles have settled a new port off the Isteronian coast called Port Ardus, which is the only privately owned and managed community in all of Valcia. Strategically placed between the three other kingdoms of the land, Port Maverick's wealthy nobles are becoming even richer as they collect trade tariffs and mooring fees from merchant ships looking to benefit from this new convenience. Military    The Grand Council has appointed Serilus Erayn as general over the entire military of Amerys, including both their army and famed navy. Though the total number of soldiers in Amerys’ military is the smallest of the four kingdoms, their fleet of ships dwarfs those of the other kingdoms ten-to-one. Coincidently, Amerys is the only kingdom that has regular patrols of its waters while the ships of the other kingdoms guard only their port cities. Amerys is also the only kingdom equipped to hunt and thwart any pirate activity across the Eleryn. Merchant guilds and even foreign kingdom officials often contract with Amerys to find and return their stolen goods. Most condemned pirates and criminals of Amerys are sentenced to work in the infamous Deregon Mines deep in the Leranos Mountains, where the precious metal pereclite is mined and used to reinforce the hulls of the Amerysian ships. Rulers    The Freeland of Amerys is ruled by a Grand Council comprised of five elected officials. Aenan Sinsh, Xalus Maroc, Diegus Jaehan, Lydus Mirlia, and Viktus Swenson currently make up the members of the Grand Council and rule high atop the Jhoren Hills in the capitol city of Alisar. Towns: Notable Landmarks:
   The mighty Kingdom of Erenon is the largest of the four Valcian kingdoms. Over the last several centuries, the ruling kings of Erenon have built upon the fair kingdom of their ancestors to create what is now the apex of Valcian civilization. Grand structures and beautiful countrysides mix almost poetically to create an ambiance that some say is a form of magic unto itself.    Erenon has long been the loudest voice in maintaining peace throughout Valcia. Though Erenon is the largest of the four kingdoms, its king only uses the Erenian army if it is deemed absolutely necessary. Despite these efforts, there are many who feel that Erenon is actually a threat to the other kingdoms of Valcia and is trying to seek control of it through politics rather than force. Though the Kingdom of Erenon's actions have shown this is not the case, many remain skeptical partly due to sheer mass of Erenon's army.    Just as Erenon is the largest kingdom, so too is its grand capitol the largest city in all of Valcia. Boasting the legendary Seridrome, an enormous coliseum, Veir is often said to be the very center of Valcia itself. A long, wide road called the Street of Kings cuts straight through the heart of Veir and stretches from the entrance of Castle Siriny to the entrance of the Seridrome. Daily, merchants set up their shops along the Street of Kings in a marketplace so vibrant that it is second only to Port Maverick’s. The entire city is built within a massive, circular wall protecting the city from attacks of any kind. The massive wooden and steel doors that lead out of the city are closed every night and are patrolled by soldiers of the Erenian Army. There are pillars strung across the length of this wall, as well as atop the Seridrome and Castle Siriny, where fires are lit at dusk to provide light for the entire city, as business often runs late into the night. Military    Led by General Rhyldus Feron, the Erenian army is quite possibly the most formidable of the four kingdoms. Boasting the largest sized military in Valcia, the Erenian soldiers also use the aid of the peredorn, a large breed of winged animals that inhabit nearby Mount Ayrak. The peredorn riders of Veir patrol the skies around their kingdom daily making sure no threat, human or otherwise, enters into Erenian territory. Peredorn riders are trained at the Guantrium, Erenon's famed military barracks and training camp at the base of Mount Ayrak.    In addition to the regular soldiers guarding Erenon, an elite guild of warriors called the Lords of Veir serve as the royal guard of Erenon. Little is known about this guild other than they swear to serve and protect the royal family at all costs, including the forfeit of their very lives. Ruler    The Kingdom of Erenon is ruled by the wise and noble King Zoapin Siriny II. Beloved by his people, King Siriny rules from the royal city of Veir in Castle Siriny and speaks with the loudest voice for peace throughout Valcia. Honorable and just, the Siriny name carries with it a legacy of greatness and integrity, traits which Prince Zoapin Siriny III seem to be showing strongly, much to the delight of his father and fellow countrymen. Towns: Notable Landmarks:
   When one thinks of tradition, honor, and pride for one’s land, the Kingdom of Isteroth comes to the forefront of many minds across Valcia. From the capitol city of Orius, the Kingdom of Isteroth is led in a very similar fashion as it was nearly a thousand years before. Many traditions, such as marriage ceremonies and funerals, are still conducted in the old manner. In fact, the training that Isteroth’s military receives also has not changed much in the last millennium, mainly due to how efficient said training is. The Kingdom of Isteroth is also home to Tiren Suth, the oldest still-standing city in all of Valcia, which was literally carved out of the cliffs on the northern face of the Alturin Mountains.    Famously known for their stone masonry and blacksmithing, the peoples of Isteroth are a rugged group indeed. Proud as any noble forefather, the Isteronian citizens see themselves as better than the peoples of the other kingdoms of Valcia. However, this pride is more passive than arrogant. You won’t see any citizen outright saying it, but if one listens close enough to the appraisal of another kingdom’s goods or watches the price of a night’s stay at the inn wavering for travelers, their bias becomes quite apparent.    Unfortunately, over the past few decades, the entire Kingdom of Isteroth has fallen into a devastating and crippling drought. Harsh, dry, unrelenting winds from the northern Gragarin Desert have been constantly blowing southward, choking life from the very land itself.  Citizens of the capitol city have begun digging deep into Alturin Mountains in order to find underground springs and wells to support their struggling agriculture. Even still, the Isteronian citizens have not given up hope for their barren land nor their proud heritage.  Much to the surprise of many, the drought has actually served to draw the Kingdom of Isteroth into a tighter unity rather than rip them apart. Military    Isteroth’s military was once the largest in all of Valcia, but has waned to the third largest in recent years due primarily to the massive drought plaguing their lands.  Led by General Jharoed Steckar, the Isteronian army is best known for its power in combat as Isteronian soldiers are trained longer and harder than other kingdoms train their soldiers. Ruler    The Kingdom of Isteroth is ruled by King Bahrehn Tarius V. The royal Tarius bloodline has ruled over the Kingdom of Isteroth for almost a thousand years and is the longest running royal bloodline of any of the four kingdoms of Valcia. However, unlike the traditions of strength and courage so passionately embraced by previous kings of the Tarius bloodline, King Tarius' passion seems to have been bent by the growing stress and burden of leading the Kingdom of Isteroth through their unfortunate drought. Towns: Notable Landmarks:
   The lush and fertile lands of the Kingdom of Theikon are legendary for their natural beauty. When compared to the dry and decaying lands of Isteroth, it is hard to believe that these two kingdoms border one another. Sitting at the feet of the Leogan Mountains, Theikon is spared from the unrelenting winds of the Gragarin and basks in the cool air and moisture blown in from the Eleryn Sea. Forests, rivers, and grasslands all litter the landscape in wild fashion, and many forms of both plant and animal life thrive here that are found nowhere else across Valcia.    The capitol city of Illiander sits in the heart of Theikon and is a truly a monument of beauty unto itself. Towering buildings and the fabled Valice Gardens blend to create an almost paradise-like quality second only to the lush and isolated village of Evisys in the east. Part of the Theikonian Kingdom, Evisys lies at the end of the Cearas Valley in the northern-most stretches of the Alturin Mountains. The breathtaking scenery of the Caeras Valley is preserved only by Jhorgen's peak, a towering stone monolith that protects this paradise from the devastating winds of the Gragarin.    Hand in hand with its beauty, the Kingdom of Theikon is known for its intimidating and skeptical relationships with the other kingdoms. Theikonian’s tend to not trust members of other kingdoms, and this stance has led to a deficit of trade and travel between them. The legacy of Theikon over the last few hundreds of years has been to influence the politics of other kingdoms through intimidation rather than cooperation. This is the fundamental reason why the leaders of Theikon desire to become the largest kingdom in Valcia, though this goal is fueled by a lack of trust for other kingdoms rather than a tyrannical desire to rule the entire land. Military    The Theikonian army is the second largest in all of Valcia, a fact that has never set easily with King Toryemnon. Always striving to be the best, the Theikonian army is constantly training and strategizing. Led by the brilliant and powerful General Warron Kiriatt, the army of Theikon is known for its precision and swiftness. Responding to the first signs of unrest or attack, whether from beast or man, the Theikonian army is trained to neutralize hostile situations as swift as possible in order to maintain peace throughout the kingdom. The Theikonian army spends much of its resources on developing and upgrading their tools of war which, compared to the other kingdoms, are quite advanced.  Iron chariots, catapults, and mobile ballistas are but a few of the many weapons of war stored within the kingdom’s numerous armories. Ruler    Theikon is ruled by the strict and powerful King Abidos Toryemnon. Though King Toryemnon can seem harsh and unrelenting to those of other kingdoms, the peoples of Theikon have grown love and adore him. Toryemnon has always seen his kingdom as living in Erenon’s shadow and someday wishes to lead the Kingdom of Theikon’s greatness past that of Erenon’s to become the largest and most respected kingdom in all of Valcia. Towns: Notable Landmarks: |
