Major Nations of Castia

Quick Redirect
 * Castia
 * The Remnant Peninsula

Culture
During the Age of Power, the sea elves of Alagon Ocean (belonging to the Lyranil Empire at that point) reached Castia and founded a settlement on its shores. Over the next few years, the new province prospered and spread west across the continent, conflicting with both the fledgling Khatran Empire and Bharum Republic. Although their fellow border provinces rebelled and began a civil war, Teyrna stayed neutral and backed neither side. In the wake of the chaos resulting from the banishment of the border provinces to become the drow, Teyrna splintered from Lyranil.

Unable to expand as an independent nation and pushed back by the Khatran Empire as well as goblinoid raids from the south, the nation became extremely militaristic. Although in their homeland the Seldarine had begun to wane in popularity, a surge of racial pride and nationalism caused the worship of the Seldarine to increase in Teyrna.

At the beginning of the Age of Wings, as the threats keeping the nation united faded, the Onyx Lords rose against the Thorn King Alderim of House Aelitriss, deposed him and attempted to establish a new, more democratic nation. Instead, their efforts failed to infighting and splintered into disparate city-states.

After years of taking in human refugees from the Desolation and Keltane, Teyrna has become racially mixed, though it still clings to a common cultural identity, and its lords, despite preferring isolationism, sometimes will cooperate if it's in their best interest. They have been pushed back by a blight coming from the Desolation, which they had been keeping at bay until recently.

Important Locations

 * Ustendor (Capital)
 * Vhenedor
 * Caraden
 * Scylenda
 * Lyssanai

Government
Feudalism - Scattered Feudal Lords occasionally banding together against a common enemy. Trade agreements between feifs are made and broken on whims unless there is a third party to band against. Their nationalism and fierce pride in their own lands often results in large tournaments of skill each year, so long as they aren't involved in a local war.

Leaders
Lord Armont, CN, High Elf Cleric of Corellon (Arcana), Lord of Ustendor Lady Cirra, NG, High Elf Cleric of Angharradh (Protection), Lady of Vhenedor Lord Elyas, CG, Wood Elf Ranger of Solonor Thelandira (Beast Master), Lord of Caraden Lady Sylmare, LN, Eladrin Cleric of Vandria Gilmadrith (War), Lady of Scylenda Lord Kirtirr, TN, Wood Elf Druid of Rillifane Rallathil (Land Circle - Forest), Lord of Lyssanai.
 * Selfish and arrogant, he believes his god will grant him the power and position he feels she deserves. He is not above using people to get there, though he respects arcane power.
 * She thinks or her people first and doesn't always follow the law of the land. Often reprimanded by the King and other leaders for showing compassion that they see as weakness. She is kind, if slightly naive. Her people are very loyal.
 * Lover of nature, he sports the least developed of the fiefs and hosts hunts. It’s said many people get lost on the way to his hold. He has more of a love for animals than most, and makes sure the farmers and their animals are well taken care of. Loves a sausage and making sure his partner eats well.
 * One of the only leaders that remain loyal to the King despite them lacking any real power. Always follows the laws to the letter. She is fiercely competitive and nationalistic. Generally the leader when it comes to international conflict.
 * Apathetic to most things that go on around him he tends to the forests more than his people, though through his care, his lands are tourist destinations and most conflicts occur elsewhere because of that. He values skill over everything, causing trouble with nobles.

Culture
Instead of tall, industrial buildings and endless hustle and bustle, the Free Cities are a collection of areas primarily occupied by Halflings and Gnomes. They figured adopting a simple, important-sounding name would grant them the respect recognizable by other races and promote necessary trade.

During the Age of Mists, these groups of small folk bonded together and became their own nation, something unusual for races that typically keep to themselves in secluded villages or blend into nations. Unwilling or unable to brave the challenges of traversing The Warp, they settled an area northwest of Castia and worked together to form an acceptable home.

Important Locations
Four noteworthy areas show a creative blend of Halfling homemaking, daring and fun-loving community and Gnomish ingenuity, quirkiness, and love for nature.

The mountain homes and mining site of O'er D'hill are were many Rock and Deep Gnomes work and gather ores and minerals for community use and trade. They receive help with their payloads with the tamed Longneck Goats and Longneck Giant Goats domesticated in the aptly named Shepherd Stretch, a vast area of grassy plains where goats are bred and raised by Halflings and Gnomes with parental personalities and a love for the spit-prone caprines.

To the East, Noru D'woods are a community of Halfling-designed cottages decorated with fairy circles and Gnomish lawn and wind vanes. They possess a functioning relationship with Sylair despite the challenges with the rotating leadership. The insides of trees act as homes for many a Forest Gnome and sometimes connect to cottages via secret tunnels made by helpful animal friends or Halfling-Gnome teamwork. Noru D'woods is where the best bait is provided for the hardworking Halflings and Gnomes who work at the Fishing Line, the shoreline that touches both the Blood Sea and the Aussirvyth Ocean. Very familiar with the dangers of the ocean, tall stone-supported wooden towers enables them to fish without worry. Long-ranged crossbow with harpoon bolts attached to ropes enable them to keep out of the water and reel in tasty seafood dishes that are sure to be added to Halfling lore for centuries to come!

Government
Democratic Noocracy - Ruled by the wise. Every ten years, leadership positions are open for election, with each city voting on its wisest citizen to become the new leader.

Leaders
Malmen "Bronzepot" (family name) Brookins, 175 years old, NG, Male Stout Halfling, Elder of Shepherd Stretch Girf Nackle aka Sootnose aka Sootsmell (both nicknames), 351 years old, LN, Male Deep Gnome, Elder of O'er D'hill Tissie Shimmerdew, 450 years old, NG Female Forest Gnome, Elder of Noru D'woods
 * Growing up around sheep, Malmen used his childhood experiences to foster a loveable herd of Longneck Goats for wool, labor, milk, and food. He's on especially excellent terms with his Svirfneblin friend Girf and often does silly dances when he knows he's being watched. Speaks calmly yet firm and often goes into a bit of detail about his experiences herding sheep and goats. Treasures the memories of his late wife Melphine and talks about her whenever he gets the chance. Also trains dogs (Corgis) to help him and the other shepherds.
 * His father a jewel miner and his Rock Gnome mother a birdwatcher, Girf puts the technical know-how of both professions into his spyglasses which he uses to keep watch on Shepherd Stretch and Tinker Constructs which he uses for helping him dig in the depths of D'Hill and ward off possible predators at the Stretch. Straight-faced and deep-voiced but possesses a hidden sense of humor which is evident in designs and functions of his Tinker Constructs. Only leaves D'Hill for tea time with his best friend Bronzepot.
 * She's the first to help out and tend to a neighbor's garden and the last to leave when visiting. Her motherly nature touches the hearts of Gnomes, Halflings, and visitors alike. Loves squirrels and often leaves snacks out her home for them to eat.

Culture
Formed after the fall of the Khatran Empire and The Warp, Varrasham was an effort by roughly half of the remaining orcs of Castia to secure their ancestral homelands in the wake of devastation and the loss of their leadership. They established fortifications and shamanic wards across their lands, and became isolationist, subsisting on terrace farming and hunting the monsters that wandered from the Warped Lands.

Over time, their numbers replenished, especially as they took in human refugees and intermingled with them, generating a sizeable population of half-orcs. This meant that Varrasham’s ability to hold its ancestral territory is now more secure than ever, which has allowed many youths to embrace a life of adventure and break their isolationist policies, establishing tentative diplomacy with neighboring nations.

Important Locations

 * Khanhold (Capital)
 * Luthed (originally Luthic’s Stead)
 * Gruumsh’s Sorrow
 * Everstrong Hold.

Government
Theocratic Oligarchy, ruled by a council of shamans, devoted to either deities or nature.

Leaders
Thromkh, Shaman-Chief Surrah, First Among Warriors Vrosh, Warrior-Ambassador
 * A strong-willed, middle-aged orc profoundly devoted to Luthic, he is a Life cleric always on the move. Travelling from town to town to heal wounds and cure illnesses, he embodies the Orcish value of leaders being the strongest and most capable at what they do. He rules the nation not because he has seized control of it by force, but because his wisdom, his willingness to listen to the people and his indefatigable courage have made him fanatically beloved by most.
 * Even though she would normally be called a shaman, Surrah has never done things the traditional way. A human descendant of refugees from the Warp that were welcomed into Orcish lands, she became initiated into the faith of Khatrah, drawn to her mantle of Protection. Instead of assisting from behind the front lines like the other shamans, she fights among the warriors, using her magic to protect herself and others. She earned her title at the Battle of a Thousand Screams twenty years ago, where the nation was assailed by a horde of screeching monstrosities from the Warp and she managed to save her army from certain doom.
 * A young half-orc with a friendly, easy going demeanor, he began as a paladin of Bahgtru, inspired by his tenets of virtuous strength. He was an empathetic soul, choosing an Oath of Redemption as a way to try and turn Varrasham’s isolationist policies to the cooperation with other nations. Over time, he’s been slowly turning his people’s distrust of foreigners into grudging acceptance, and he’s become the first person most foreigners meet in an official capacity.

Culture
Originally a trade nation of humans formed during the height of the Lyranil Empire and then annexed by the Khatran Empire, it enjoyed a short-lived independence shortly after the death of the Dura-Khan. However, when The Warp began to rapidly approach the nation, its inhabitants turned to the only force that could save them in time, making mass pacts with fiends to save themselves.

Indeed, Fyris survived The Warp, but its inhabitants became forever changed. Most of them turned from human to tiefling, with the most powerful among them going full cambion. Over time, the inhabitants of Fyris brought in fiends from the Lower Planes, but only those that were tired of the Blood War and wanted something more. Over the years, Fyris became a nation of vice, where anything, even ephemeral things, could be bought and sold. Gambling, hedonism, and debauchery were and still are the norm, and even the most violent of fiends has plenty of outlets fighting off the monsters wandering from the Warped Lands.

While other nations distrust them, Fyris is nothing if not diplomatic and inviting, securing trade routes across the entire world and becoming a renowned tourist attraction even throughout the planes. Important to note is that, regardless of why they were brought to Fyris, every fiend that steps within its borders forfeits their life and no longer welcome in the Lower Planes. If banished from Fyris, fiends go to the Outlands instead.

Important Locations

 * Asterbrook (Capital)
 * Keiran’s Bid (formerly West Hills)
 * Vale Gate (known as Center Ring colloquially)

Government
Dyarchy.

Leaders
Uruah, the Dyarch of Change, the Transmuter of Dreams. Illyaros, the Dyarch of Indulgence, the Bard of Glamoured Night. Mrs. Gold, the Mayor of Keiran’s Bid, the Golden Devil Redwing, the Commander of Vale Gate/Center Ring, the Maimed Demon
 * A spry Night Hag shrouded in a shimmering cloak, she had always held an interest in combining demonic and diabolic transformations, something that was unthinkable in the Lower Planes due to the Blood War. Now free to pursue her research in Fyris, she sells potions to change a person’s form to match their desires (usually at a high price), and manufactures powerful augmentations combining the best traits of devils and demons. She is served by Eliza Fairweather, the warlock that she patroned when Fyris called for aid.
 * A handsome incubus that dresses in impeccable suits of black and blue silk, he was an experienced fiend long before Fyris’s call. Frustrated by his ability to mimic love and romance without truly feeling it, he saw Fyris as his way out of an endless cycle and a chance to experience something new at long last. Now, served by his devoted warlock Keiran Meadows, Illyaros seeks to learn how to experience mortal emotions, something he’s willing to be branded a traitor for.
 * The pit fiend known as Mrs. Gold is a supremely charming and surprisingly equanimous leader, bedecked in exquisite golden jewelry and the finest white velvet gowns. She fled the Lower Planes, fully aware she’d be forfeiting her life, to find greater, more stimulating challenges. The Blood War had strategy, but it wasn’t the sort of intellectual exercise Mrs. Gold favored. Now she runs for Mayor of the gambling town of Keiran’s Bid every year, and has been undefeated for over three decades. Her shrewd mind and keen ambition are fully honed on the prosperity of the town and of Fyris as a whole, to the point where she’s become quite critical to the smooth running of the nation.
 * The grinning, scarred Balor that goes by the name of Redwing has a long history of attempting to escape the Blood War. Time after time, he was punished with horrific torture whenever he was caught, for his prowess on the battlefield was too great to simply kill off. Before he accepted Fyris’s call, his latest attempt had cost him one of his wings. Now, he acts as the General of Fyris’s armies, fighting off the monstrosities that emerge from the Warp and delighting in having found true freedom at last.

Culture
Considered the cradle of humanity (with records of its existence dating back to the early days of the Age of Power), spent most of its existence as an agrarian nation of humans devoted to Chauntea and Lathander, and being annexed by empires that came and went. The breadbasket of the Khatran Empire, they declared independence after the Dura-Khan’s death.

When The Warp occurred, their devotion to Life and Nature backfired, their Western lands becoming suffused with Death and Destruction magic. Their dead rose from their graves, storms, earthquakes, fire and frost devastated their farmland, and they turned instead to the worship of Kelemvor and Mystra, farmers and peasants becoming mages, paladins and priests. Recently, they have begun to push back against the Warped Lands and cleanse their territory.

Important Locations

 * Ageria (Capital)
 * Toriden
 * Aierstock
 * Hunter’s Rise.

Government
Democracy. Every 5 years, each city votes on a leader. The leader of the capital is also the leader of the nation as a whole.

Leaders
Sarah Miller, Mayor of Ageria Jonath Tiller, Mayor of Aierstock
 * Though once upon a time her brown skin was youthful and hair was a bright chestnut, Sarah is an old woman now, for she was born during one of the worst times in Keltane’s history. She lost her family to the undead and her ancestral lands to a rain of fire that lasted for days. Thankfully, Kelemvor’s church rescued her from the despair she was mired in and gave her purpose. For fifty years, she fought as a Grave paladin, putting hundreds of undead to rest. Now, even though she’s still strong enough to wield a blade, her people need her guidance more than they need another body on the front lines.
 * Jonath was born scarred, their mother caught in a warping blast of wild magic, an unfortunately common event in west Keltane. When Jonath came of age, they joined the church of Mystra as a way to try and fight back against the terrible magic of the Warp. Now that they’re powerful enough to rearrange their body with magic, Jonath looks like an androgynous human of indeterminate age, and the people of west Keltane have much to thank Jonath, as their wards have reduced warping blasts to almost nonexistence.

Culture
Established shortly after the split of Teyrna and Arkan from the Lyranil Empire, the drow that were banished to the Underdark banded together under the Dark Seldarine’s guidance and worked hard to establish their own place in the world. They spent their first few decades fighting terrible aberrations and horrors from the deep, growing into a nationalistic culture with a great disdain for other races.

When The Warp occurred, Lolth withdrew from public affairs and relinquished much of the daily guidance of Spindel to the rest of the Dark Seldarine, then commanded her High Priestess to dig deeper into the earth, sending her demonic servants (molydeus primary among them) to assist her and allow her to maintain communication with the rest of the nation. Rumors have it that she’s looking for something of immense power, something that will, at last, allow her to enact her long-awaited revenge on Corellon.

The High Priestess is spoken about in whispers as if she is a myth, her age is unknown, and some say she is as old as the nation itself. Most believe she lives in seclusion to be closer to Lolth, but really she is currently in a stalemate battle with Aboleths of The Shape of Water, in the Glimmersea deep in the Underdark. This fight is only known to the highest ranking clerics of the Dark Seldarine, who know that Lolth is after a “Buried Treasure” of some kind, and must get through the Glimmersea if she hopes to attain it. The High Priestess was blessed with molydeus from Lolth, which she has been using both in the fight against the Aboleths and to bless the High Matron Mother to further the nation’s goals.

Unlike what some claim, the members of the Dark Seldarine work like a well-oiled machine for the glory of the nation and the superiority of the drow race. Even Eilistraee, who guides drow in leaving Spindel and joining Arkan instead (or roaming the world if they so please), is considered an essential part of Spindel’s success, as she “weeds out the weak ones” who would otherwise slowly corrode the efficient workings of the nation with their reluctance and hesitation.

Spindel is, in practice, a matriarchal society. Though usually males are not considered inferior, Lolth only accepts female drow as part of her clergy, and all Matrons and High Priestesses must be clerics of Lolth, so there is a limit to the advancement of those who don’t fit Lolth’s criteria. In addition to this, there is a yearly competition known as the “Lovac Games” in the capital where each drow House competes to prove they have brought the most valuable slaves, magic items or other resources. There are also gladiatorial combats between slaves in the Games (as well as some brave drow who seek to earn fame by pitting themselves against many slaves at once, and the occasional summoned demon), and tests of skill and cunning for the amusement of the masses.

In the grandest building of the capital resides the current High Matron Mother, as well as the molydeus, and the Matron’s house soldiers and servants. While a multitude of drow constantly go in and out the capital,  the top 5 stories of the tiered city are restricted to High Matron Mother House Members only. The capital has the least amount of roaming guards because every drow is willing to fight for their nation. However, there are still guards due to small crimes of deceit to get ahead in life, as well as the numerous slaves in the city. Usually, the drow rarely let the slave number grow to even 25% of their city size.

Deep underneath the surface military outpost is the real threat, each outpost (5) are just the early threat warning and posting spot for possible targets. The cities under the outpost are run by non-drow, a purpose of aspirations for other creatures, though they are still under the control of the high Matron Mother and the council with the Spindel Theocracy.

Throughout the nation, the Masked Ladies and Lords are said to be independent agents of the Dark Seldarine keeping watch on the daily workings of Spindel. They wear a spider-like mask that operates as a Helm of Telepathy, which they use to speak to either the High Matron Mother or the High Priestess of Lolth. No one is sure just how many there are, nor who they are, as they go to extreme measures to protect identities.

The culture of Spindel is focused on raiding the neighboring nations of Castia (especially Varrasham), as well as fighting off the horrors of the Underdark. Therefore, it’s mandatory that everyone finish their education as some form of combat specialist, choosing from among the Martial Prowess, Arcane Arts or Divine Service schools. Due to the emphasis on national identity and drow superiority instilled from birth and reinforced during their century of education, any drow that remains in Spindel is highly reluctant to betray their nation and tends to have nigh-fanatical devotion to its values.

Important Locations
 * Lo’Dro (Capital)
 * Irai Zotha (Military Outpost near the Free Cities)
 * Irai Sirai (Military Outpost near Sylair)
 * Irai Arach (Military Outpost near Keltane)
 * Irai Dure (Military Outpost near Teyrna)
 * Irai Kharo (Military Outpost near Varrasham).

Government
Theocratic Despotism. The High Priestess of Lolth is the supreme authority of the nation, though she delegates a great amount of it to her subordinates.

Leaders
Kaylessa Liaven, High Priestess of Lolth Vasane Kassamore, High Matron Mother
 * A drow Night cleric of considerable power, Kaylessa is said to be older than the nation itself, being Lolth’s highest servant in the times of the Lyranil Empire, before the banishment of the drow. She hasn’t been seen in centuries, but through her magical communications she appears as a venerable, ancient drow that moves with the certainty and purpose of an empress, her voice still carrying the power and authority that secured both her position and the prosperity of the nation throughout the Ages past.
 * She has held on to the title for the last 200 years. Like all Matrons, she is a cleric of Lolth, and Trickery is her domain of choice. She is a middle-aged drow, cunning and strong, renown for her thirst for knowledge. She pays well for books of lore as raid prizes, and favors scholars and mages as her slaves, so that she may increase her already vast acumen. She knows tactics that are either foreign or long-forgotten, and she’s never afraid to embrace change and adapt. Even her plain looks and simple manner of dress are deliberate, for her greatest weapon is her mind.

Culture
When The Warp occurred, it created faint echoes in the Shadowfell and the Feywild. This weakened the veil between the planes and allowed beings from both planes to pass through more easily. Curious fey flocked to pass through a rift between the Material Plane and the Feywild, and founded a city in an enchanted forest between two lakes.

Unlike the Feywild, where all four courts rule simultaneously and they have complex political machinations, alliances and rivalries between them, the Courts of Sylair take turns holding power and willingly pass it on at the start of each week (every Monday, a new Court takes power).

The four courts of Sylair are Gloaming, Stars, Daybreak and Midday. Each is associated with a lure that entices fey to make contact with and stay in the Material Plane, and a theme that adds a dimension of conflict to the fey that belong to that court.
 * Gloaming: Associated with the lure of Thrill and the theme of Savagery, led by the Crimson Hunter.
 * Stars: Associated with the lure of Curiosity and the theme of Mystery, led by the Maiden of Moonlit Dreams.
 * Daybreak: Associated with the lure of Defiance and the theme of Freedom, led by the Prince of Dawn.
 * Midday: Associated with the lure of Delight and the theme of Propriety, led by the Duchess of Eternal Radiance.

Government
Rotational Monarchy.

Leaders
The Crimson Hunter The Maiden of Moonlit Dreams The Prince of Dawn The Duchess of Eternal Radiance
 * A formidable Archfey, a large, tanned elven man with an athletic build and a feral mien. Clad in black leather and blood-red cloth, he is a consummate archer, said to never miss a shot, and known for an intense, wild temperament. His followers call themselves the Wild Hunt, and defend Sylair from threats from both the Material Plane and the Feywild.
 * A beautiful nymph, her skin black as night, with eyes and hair white like pure starlight. She never opens her mouth to speak, merely knows the thoughts of those around her and projects her own thoughts at them in return. Introverted yet endlessly curious, she often struggles between bouts of solitude and gregariousness.
 * A redheaded satyr, his skin a dark bronze, with golden ram-like horns. He is endlessly positive and a font of hope and optimism, never allowing any setback to cloud his mood. Generous and kind, his many followers are encouraged to aid others and bring them the hope of a new dawn.
 * A dryad whose tree is infused with luminous power. Her hair is a cascade of gleaming golden leaves, her skin made of softly glowing bark. She is an expert in etiquette, always wearing an elaborate, ornate dress, and focused on the traditions of the nation with a stern, composed personality.