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Name of CountryGovernmentLeaderDiplomacyDescription
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Humans of the Alliance
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PraterreHuman KingdomKing Blaireau DeLoicIndependentPraterre fell to the postal revolution in 782AF. A highly traditional and hierarchical royal regime rules here, a rump-state remnant of the grandeur of the old kingdom. The king rules from the capital over a collection of noble-knights, who long since moved from chivalric duty to luxuriant excess, at the expense of the common folk – only to end up with neither once their lands were lost. Most hold claim to estates within the Freed Bay Post, and now have nothing but savings to support themselves as they live, confined to the traditional capital of the kingdom. Life here as a peasant is thoroughly unpleasant, as the conglomeration of idle nobles has grown ever-more demanding.
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EcrithurIndependent DuchyDuke Etenne de TitreIndependentWhen the Kingdom of Praterre was overthrown by its own postal service, a few outlying duchies, such as Ecrithur, broke off and gained independence. Ecrithur has a very large dwarven minority, making up almost a third of the population living in the duchy's settlements. Though in most of the Alliance, dwarves stick to the cities, here they can be found in hillock villages across the countryside. The capital, Olilaie, welcomed many dwarven refugees when the High Kingdom fell, and maintains a large and productive dwarven quarter in the city.
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Des-AccorIndependent DuchyDuchess Tara de CazouIndependentSometimes known as the Two Provinces, the duchy of Des-Accor is split into two parts; the northern traditional lands of Des, and the southern March of Cazou. Originally both vassals of the Kingdom of Praterre before its recent downfall, the two provinces have been united since feudal times under one ruler. Des-Accor is an agrarian, aristocratic, traditional state, and the newly-independent duchess has big ambitions for her dynasty.
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GundarthHuman KingdomKing Douglas the DrunkIndependentThe clannish and fractious people north of Tiranóg are united under the Kingdom of Gundarth. Their highland warriors are brave, fierce and skilled, and they volunteer a surprisingly large force to patrol the lands of the Alliance and keep the goblin and bug scourges at bay. In ages past, they were at times both friend and foe to their southern neighbours, and sought alliances on the continent to protect themselves.
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Innis LorelHuman RepublicParamount Duncan KirkIn Revolt from GundarthThe island of Innis Lorel is in active revolt from the Kingdom of Gundarth, its clans having had it up to here with drunk old King Douglas. Inspired by the success of the Postal Revolution in Praterre, they have cast off the shackles of the old oppressor and declared Innis Lorel a free and independent state of the Alliance! It now remains to be seen whether the assembled leaders of the Alliance will accept this claim, as they did with the Freed Bay Post, or whether they will back Gundarth's claim over the land.
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ForgentHuman KingdomQueen Amanda deLicIndependentThis small agrarian kingdom sits between major powers, and has always aligned with the Friends to protect itself. With the advent of the Alliance, this has fallen by the wayside a little, as they feel safer than before. They maintain a force of armoured knights. Thanks to dwarven steel imports, these remain highly effective in the face of modern gunpowder weaponry. These knights protect the other nations of the Alliance willingly. They swear themselves to Marat, a god of honourable combat, and uphold an old chivalric code - which is probably more practical now they don't have to fight real wars.
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BulwarHuman City-StateMaster Seansten MarkIndependentThe city-state of Bulwar gained independence from the old kingdom that joined the Friends in centuries past. The kingdom was wracked by civil war following a succession crisis, and Bulwar sought independence during the chaos. After the dust had settled, the remainder of the kingdom had accepted the leadership of the Friends in order to prevent further bloodshed, but having fought hard for its independence Bulwar jealously protected it. These days, it is more amicable to diplomacy, and is one of the more pleasant members of the Alliance to deal with.
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MargunkynHuman KingdomKing Wark VhandornIndependentMargunkyn is the first of the petty kingdoms on the Alliance's northern border, and the most well-developed. Safeguarded against most incursion by its neighbours, it mostly has to fear goblin attacks from Khuln Taziduhr. It is more prosperous and wealthy than the other border kingdoms, but still not comparable to the larger nations of the alliance. Unlike the other border kingdoms, most of its military was militia drafted to deal with individual goblin attacks, and these days they lean heavily on the Alliance to keep their territory free of raiders, often not even raising militia of their own.
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ThemaranHuman KingdomQueen Desta ArdinfortIndependentThis kingdom is mostly wooded and sparsely populated, exposed to orcish raids, forest goblins, and what waits beneath the darker trees to the northeast. The northern villages are generally poor and underdeveloped. The capital, Taliz, sits in the south, and its surroundings are dominated by old knightly houses. Armoured in inherited suits of dwarven steel, the knights still ride out to protect the north from incursion. The Alliance has been a boon to the knights; the support against raiders has been appreciated, and the knights have sallied forth in kind to defend against raids elsewhere.
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ElbletHuman KingdomKing Morris de BorthIndependentThis small, forested kingdom sits on the northern border of the Alliance, and is exposed to orcish raiders from the steppe. The villages and farms here lie between stretches of woodland and wild vales, including a number of spots of particular importance to the Unity of Friends. In addition, the deeper woods have been known to hide orcish standing stones, which the orcs have been known to repair during their raids. The defensive bands of the Alliance patrol here to deter orcish raids from the Great Aghrug Tribe to the north, but they cannot be everywhere at once, and there are other areas of the Alliance that also need protection.
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Dwarves of the Alliance
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AhrkaldeDwarven KingshipKing Snorri AknarthullIndependentThe Hold of Deep Steel, founded on a massive vein of iron ore, is a major supplier of cheap, high-quality steel to both dwarves and humans. Their king for the last 200 years has been proven to be shrewd and avaricious. When his scholars discovered an old dwarven technique for smelting huge quantities of dwarven steel a hundred years ago, he reorganized a large part of the hold's economy around exploiting this valuable technology, and as a result, a large portion of the Alliance makes use of Ahrkalde steel. In the coming years, with rising industrialization, demand may outstrip supply and force new sources of steel to be found, but for now this hold has a powerful market position.
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DarihmDwarven KingshipKing Gazaduhr VarthullIndependentThe Hold of the Silver Cliff is named for the glittering reflections from the surface of Lake Argemere playing across the cliffs, rather than any silver mine. These dwarves rarely emerge from underground, only to strip the mountains of trees and return. They are rough-cut allies of fellow Dwarves, but dislike humans.
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GaruhmDwarven KingshipQueen Gandara UlgrinthullIndependentThe Hold of the Emerald Peak is a place where soldiers march to battle against bugs and orcs. As part of the Alliance, Garuhm lends disproportionate aid against both orcish nomads and bug ambushes from beyond and beneath the mountains.
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ThorjronDwarven KingshipKing Rykarth Hazarak the ThirdIndependentThe City of the Lightning Anvil is the largest dwarf-hold in the Alliance. It was originally both a breadbasket of underground crops and a place of great runic magic before the fall of the High Kingdom. It is now ruled by a succession of kings named Rykarth Hazarak, each named for their father, with the original Rykarth taking power in the hold when the war ended. Although at first the gates were open and welcoming to refugees, making space for more than any other hold, the Hazarak dynasty quickly proved authoritarian and demanding. These days, Khuln Thorjron is a grim place, with the largest population of any dwarf city in the Alliance. The clan-chiefs and guild-heads are all selected by and from the Hazaraks' inner circle, and few dare speak out against them.
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KalderakDwarven KingshipQueen Drindotha KethathullIndependentThe City of Honored Steel was once a military city of the old High Kingdom. When the Kingdom collapsed, it had to quickly adapt to support refugees instead of soldiers, and many of its old buildings were converted or salvaged to serve this new purpose. These days, it is just another hold, though the dwarven warriors here like to claim descent from the hold's lost martial tradition.
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PaztdinDwarven KingshipQueen Bardina the BraveIndependentThis hold fell to goblins when the High Kingdom collapsed, its cut-off leadership panicking as enemies swarmed in with the refugees. For seven hundred years it remained a hostile hold, apart from a brief 6 year period in 335AF where humans cleared out the goblins before eventually being forced out in turn. Bardina, however, would not have it, and gathered a band of warriors from amongst the dwarves in the human lands and reclaimed the hold. Going from a mere tinker's daughter and adventurer to a war hero and queen in the course of a year, Bardina's exploits have reverberated through the dwarven realms.
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Minor Neighbours of the Alliance
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ThertarrDwarven KingshipKing Grimm BarnakthullIndependentThe Hold of the Stormy Seas is notable for being the only dwarven port-hold in the Alliance. Here, the waves crash against jagged rocks, concealing within the fjords a hidden harbour and shipyard that once built iron ships. The yard builds wooden galleys these days, the only ones dwarves still sail. Khuln Thertarr is not part of the Alliance, and did not march to Bronze Pass. They claim to owe no debt to the humans, and argue that they suffered enough at the front line of the war against the Elves so long ago, and should not suffer more.
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KalumetDwarven KingshipKing Thorvur TondrathullIndependentOld King Thorvur rules the City of the King's Shield. This hold has remained isolated for a long time, with goblins to the north, an unpleasant neighbour to the south, a wild forest to the east and the mercurial forest orcs to the west. The king has reigned for a long time and looks set to reign for a long time more, and seems content to remain steadfastly on the defensive so long as threats remain nearby. This attitude had him refuse to aid the Alliance, and it will have him refusing most diplomatic requests for the foreseeable future.
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TaggarHuman KingdomKing Garet of LhargornIndependentOften considered to be a backwards, barbarian realm, Taggar has long had to deal with goblin attacks and the ire of the forest orcs. This embattled realm has little trade with the Alliance, and has had to make do on its own. It views the Alliance as a confederation of soft southerners, and its warriors have a reputation as marauders and pirates. Emigrants from this realm have set up other sparsely-populated kingdoms elsewhere, and there was perhaps a time long ago, in the wake of the fall of Tharassa, that they were far-ranging traders, rather than raiders.
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BorokHuman KingdomQueen Barda the Burning BladeIndependentThis kingdom is very sparsely populated, mostly consisting of fishing settlements. Founded by Taggar emigrants around three hundred years ago, it follows their raider culture, and produces a surprising number of pirates and coast-pillagers. They have an unusually high concentration of fire mages, which makes them punch above their weight in naval combat. The origins of these unexpectedly numerous mages remain a mystery.
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Fallen Dwarf-Holds of the Alliance and the Old Dwarven Heartland
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VerdaralBug HiveA bug queenHostileThe former capital of the Dwarven High Kingdom is a sprawling underground city unlike anything the world has seen before or since. Miles of tunnels and great pillared halls cut through the rock, spreading beneath the earth. There are little to no surface access points – it was entirely accessible by the deep roads, and thus scarcely defended. If you believe the tales, the roof was panelled with polished gold, and the great statues and engravings were studded with jewels. From the depths, adamantine was mined, and magma was drawn to power engines and forges. It was a metropolis beyond modern reckoning, the greatest city the world has ever seen. All that is left now are stories, and bug-knawed bones.
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LodarBug HiveA bug queenHostileThe Hold of the First Song is one of the holds more widely claimed to be the first hold ever founded. It overlooks the Bronze Pass at the northern edge of the dwarven heartland. Like many other holds, it fell to bugs during the sundering of the High Kingdom nine hundred years ago.
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MoldahrBug HiveA bug queenHostileThe Hold of the Golden Deep in the old dwarven heartland was founded on perhaps the largest gold deposit on the continent. Much of the gold still circulating in the Alliance came from this mine. Though most of it was mined out during the heyday of the Dwarven High Kingdom, smaller seams of gold still wait in the deep, a reward for the first to pry the hold from the bugs.
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ThamulhirzBug HiveA bug queenHostileNobody is really sure how the Hold of the Machine Minds got its name, though some suggest this is where dwarves experimented with imbuing stone with life by runecraft. It is another bug-infested ruin now, though like the others, descendants of dwarven refugees ache to return home.
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HazadahrBug HiveA bug queenHostileThe City of the Black Depths housed the deepest mine in the Dwarven heartland, and one of the most bountiful. When Verdaral's adamantine veins were exhausted, it was here that the dwarves delved to find more. Some of those veins still remain, though the depths are now infested with one of the largest hives of bugs known to dwarfkind.
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DurvunyretBug HiveA bug queenHostileThe City of the Skydoor is so named for the throne room, which was delved high into the side of the mountain. Many of the official rooms and feasting halls are placed high up and have massive windows, unusual for a dwarf-hold, that are cut into the vertical mountain face. The throne room has the largest windows of clear crystal glass, taking up the entire wall opposite the throne. The king once had a spectacular view of much of the valley that is now Kor Vurneus. These days, the windows are shattered, and the only ones who can enjoy the view are the bugs.
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JembrilsiaBug HiveA bug queenHostileThe Hammerheart City was a major place of industry, home to many of the craftsdwarf guilds that chose not to reside in Verdaral. The place is just another bug-infested hive, now, with chasms and fissures cut through the once-great halls of the fortress.
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DarekrulBug HiveA bug queenHostileThe reason for the name of this city is lost to time, but when translated it is the Singing Mine. There are indeed vast networks of mines beneath the hold here, which these days house large numbers of bugs. The hold itself was smaller than many other heartland holds by sheer size, though no less grand to behold in its prime. Most notably, the great statue that once stood astride the main gate was sundered by the magical earthquakes that destroyed the dwarven heartland, and only its legs remain.
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Uhl ho NerizBug HiveA bug queenHostileThe Valley of Thrones was one of the smaller holds, most known for the great statues that lined the valley leading up to its entrance. A dozen High Kings of ages past once overlooked the summer stream beneath the slopes, built one after the other during the dwarven age. The city itself was home to many masons, though the best were always found in Verdaral. These days, the bugs have broken off the heads of the ancient stone kings, perhaps out of some hatred of their judgmental stares or a simple desire to destroy.
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JalarrBug HiveA bug queenHostileThe magical glowing crystals that give the City of Frozen Gemstones its name are found in its depths, and were only ever really used by the dwarves as a curiosity and a commodity for trading with human mages. The hold itself was grand, however, and featured a colossal open space in the heart of the fortress, where the walls of the natural crevasse were turned into rows of balconies, and a great brass bridge lined and lit with the crystals connected the two halves. Nobody but bugs walks the bridge now.
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GurodbimBug HiveA bug queenHostileThe City of Silica was known for its glassworks, including the glass that filled the windows of Khuln Durvunyret. Dwarven glassware, though not as commonly made as their stone and metal industries, was nevertheless once the best in the world, and the few surviving items that bear the mark of Khuln Gurodbim are prized by merchants and nobles in the Alliance. There have been few new items in circulation in recent centuries, as the bugs could produce nothing so beautiful.
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VervulhraBug HiveA bug queenHostileThe City of the Unbreakable Future was a place of great wonder, known for being the home of a number of innovations. The dwarves once even created a means to take to the skies here, though that technology never had time to become widely used and instead was lost during the sundering of the old High Kingdom. These days, it is a bug hive like any other, though perhaps some technological relics remain here for the enterprising treasure hunter.
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NennranholBug HiveA bug queenHostileThe City of the Red Sunrise was named for the reddish haze that tints the sun and sky in the arid plains, which is particularly bold at dawn and dusk. The effect was quite spectacular, back when there were dwarves here to see it, and inspired many works of writing. In addition, this hold's position well outside the dwarven heartland, surrounded by arid wilderness, made it something of a relaxed retreat before the fall. It was known for being far more laid back and less industrious than other dwarven settlements, a place dwarves could go for relaxation and leisure. Despite not having its defences sundered, it fell like the rest when the bugs attacked.
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VogfurGoblin HoldBiznikHostileThe City of Thinkers, as it is called, was once a place of higher learning for the dwarves. The goblins have defaced their libraries and monuments in the years since, and it is unknown if anything historic or of scientific value remains here to be reclaimed.
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MarakGoblin HoldWakrabHostileThis dwarven hold was built during the height of the Dwarven High Kingdom to house their expanding population. Its defenses are on the weaker side, as it was already deep within their territory at its founding. These days, goblins roam the vast, statue-lined halls.
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AroktarrGoblin HoldVushgitHostileThe City of the Sapphire Seas is built with access to a colossal natural sea cave on the south coast. Here, ships traded with the Dwarven High Kingdom in ages past, and the iron-clad fleet of the dwarves made anchor. These days, that fleet is long gone, and the Hold of the Sapphire Seas is a stronghold for goblin pirates.
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TaziduhrGoblin HoldZugrugHostileThe Coalfire Hold is one of the most egregious staging points for goblin raiders in the Alliance. Situated right in the middle of multiple human realms, this fortress has mighty defenses above and below, but as a result is almost completely sealed off from both the surface and the deep roads by centuries of goblin defensive construction – on top of the original dwarven defences. Difficult to attack, its entryways are all either narrow, winding or exposed, or some combination of the three. Goblins can't exactly send out armies from here either, but small raiding bands emerging from the many hidden entrances and worm-ways are a plague upon the surroundings. At the very least, it does little to directly obstruct the deep roads beneath, though goblin raiding parties spread from it both above and below.
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LihrudothPresumed Dwarven KingshipUnknown, likely a dwarfUnknownThe City of Sculpted Fate stands alone as the last surviving hold of the old Dwarven Heartland. They were cut off by bugs swarming through the deep roads. After repelling attack after attack, they sealed their gates after receiving word that the capital had fallen. They haven't been heard from since, though their survival is presumed, since the bugs continue to attempt assaults on the hold.
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Great Orcish Steppe
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EkhlelOrcish Holy CityAll-Clan Council of EldersIndependentThe Sunrise City, holy site of the orcs and one of the two nexus points of their land magic on the steppe. Many tribes travel between these two cities as a holy duty as they migrate, making the already inexact and porous borders of each khan's dominion over the steppe weaker in the process. Though each khan controls an approximate region and can usually command the loyalties of any tribes that normally roam there, many individual bands or tribes journey beyond this region to visit holy obelisks or even the cities themselves fairly regularly.
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ShonoOrcish Holy CityAll-Clan Council of EldersIndependentThe Sunset City, holy site of the orcs and one of the two nexus points of their land magic on the steppe. Many tribes travel between these two cities as a holy duty as they migrate, mingling the cultures of the steppe and ensuring trade continues to flow, enriching them all. Some khans have tried to block travel and extort those moving along in the past, but that usually marked the beginning of their decline.
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RanholduhrDwarven PriesthoodHigh Priest Mazhas MulfiIndependentThe Hold of the Sunset Fire is also known as the Hold of the Sun Declining. Atop the hold is built the Apparatus of the Heavens, which is a mighty telescope which observes the movements of the celestial bodies. The dwarves here have mostly forsaken their old gods, and instead worship a God of the Heavens with a strange blending of both dwarven and orcish rites. Led by a clerical council and a High Priest, this hold bears little resemblance to whatever it once was during the reign of the old High Kingdom. This colossal change was brought about 800 years ago by the first prophet, Mazhas Darak, who claimed the Ruination of the High Kingdom was the wrath of his God. He rose from preaching in the halls of the hold to overthrowing the king in a mere decade, and the hold has followed his beliefs ever since. Their faith prominently features an apocalyptic prophecy, which claims that there are dwarves alive today who will still live to see the end of the world.
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Great Aghrug TribeOrcish HordeChief Gushagub GoldtuskIndependentThis orcish tribe is not a true khanate. Instead of having multiple tribes united under one khan, it is a single tribe that has grown to a frankly ludicrous size. These orcs are surly and difficult to negotiate with. The tribe places a high value on martial prowess, and produces warriors skilled with bow, axe and spear, as is traditionally befitting an orcish steppe society that follows the old ways. Its uses for these warriors are also in line with the old ways; a culture of aggression, extorting tribute, raiding and looting dominates its martial landscape. This tribe has remained on the Alliance border pretty much since it reached prominence fifty years ago, and its raiding marauders have proven to be a thorn in the side of the nearby Alliance states and would-be traders passing through. Fortunately for them, the Aghrug's focus on martial training even extends to their shamans – who, though skilled at arms, have neglected their magical training to focus on martial might, and are not nearly as powerful as other tribes.
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Lanzag KhanateOrcish HordeKhan Padigul LanzagIndependentThe forest orc tribes were most recently united under the Lanzag clan in 712AF. They are unusual among steppe hordes for living primarily in the forests and being substantially less far-ranging and cavalry-oriented than their neighbours. Their elite mounts, reserved for their most skilled warriors capable of controlling them, are in fact giant forest spiders. Most of their warriors instead fight with ranged weapons, using the cover of trees to hide; they fare poorly if baited out into the open. The forest orcs are enigmatic and isolationist, refusing contact with most outsiders and treating intruders with hostility, and revering their own take on the orcish pantheon. One of the few places to meet them peacefully is Ekhlel, where all feuds are left at the edge of the city.
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Great Nazyag TribeOrcish HordeChief Jyrgal the Iron HandIndependentThe largest tribe in this region, the Nazyag, rules over lands containing other tribes, but does not demand their obedience, only peace. They maintain the best-equipped force of warriors in the vicinity by extracting tribute from passing travellers. Whether that means shaking down travellers moving between the two holy cities or taking their pick of trade goods taking the long trek from the Alliance to the Golden Gap is entirely dependent on how the Nazyag tribe is feeling that day. The other tribes in the region are not allowed to collect such tribute from travellers, and the Nazyag enforce this regional hegemony with force, keeping themselves on top.
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Tuglar KhanateOrcish HordeKhan Aibek of the TuglarIndependentKhan Aibek leads the khanate here, which demands fealty from all the tribes in the region. They maintain the trade routes from the Golden Gap, and take tribute in exchange for protecting the caravans from raiders. It is something of a protection racket, since many of the raiders would likely come from tribes under Tuglar dominion anyway. Still, it gives them enough to trade for luxuries along the way as they live a relatively peaceful life for a steppe khanate. When their tribal groups show up at the holy cities, they usually spend extravagantly – yet also always haggle bitterly.
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Azayib KhanateOrcish HordeKhan Gakhai the GluttonousIndependentThe tribes under the Khan of Azayib raise the best war-boars in the steppe. Most orcish hordes of the steppe have access to war boars to supplement their horses with heavy shock cavalry (aside from those on the western continent, which are said to use large wolves instead). But in the Azayib Khanate, the war boars are even larger, faster, angrier and much harder to kill. The Azayib have enough of them to rely less and less on horses; even their chiefs forsake precious bear mounts to ride their favourite massive black boars. The Azayib tribes skirmish constantly with those around them, engaging in practices of spousal-kidnapping, raiding as part of coming of age ceremonies and retribution in the name of honour. Not only do they attack their neighbours and travellers passing through, but the tribes within the khanate even attack each other, while the Khan does nothing to stop them.
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Zutar-Ag KhanateOrcish HordeKhan Arikaz Gulnara-Zutar-AgIndependentThe Khanate of Zutar-Ag contains all the southern tribes of the great steppe. The khan demands peace within the realm, though the old militant practices similar to those of the Azayib still rear their heads from time to time. With no major trade passing through and no travellers, this Khan cannot draw wealth from those passing through, though instead they are blessed with verdant lands. Indeed, some orcs here have experimented with permanent settlements, though others within the Khanate have identified these as places to raid, targeting those who have abandoned traditionally orcish ways. Still, the different varieties of food available here have allowed the orcs to develop the best culinary tradition on the steppe, something they are surprisingly well-respected for when their tribes visit the holy cities.
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AlaragorBug HiveThe Alaragor QueenHostileThough the ambushing bands of bugs that steal weapons, food and bodies are less common in the northeastern steppe than in the west, those that do range northeast belong to the hive in Khuln Alaragor, the City of the Bright Hearth. The dwarves once delved here, but that age is long gone. The bug queen here is said to be hundreds of years old, and has not attacked with ravenous hordes as most queens try to do. Instead, she is defensive and patient, raiding nomadic bands for livestock and orc bodies to feed her kingdom. How grand her horde has actually grown within the safety of the mountain, few dare to speculate.
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Theruhm DhundurGoblin HoldUnknown Goblin WarlordHostileStormpeak Mountain gives its name to the settlement within it. The mountain seemingly collects stormclouds around its upper slopes, making it difficult to ever see the top from the ground. The city within was majestic, once, though goblins have torn through walls and carved their own structures into the stone over the centuries. Their raiders rarely range into the steppe, and only when in substantial numbers, as the orcs have little they would consider valuable.
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RannarGoblin HoldUnknown Goblin WarlordHostileThe City of the Sun Seat was once a resplendent dwarven hold, though it suffered in the long war against the elves and was one of the few holds taken and retaken multiple times. When the war ended, it was occupied by the elves, who withdrew and let the goblins take it. They have held it ever since. With few real targets to raid nearby, this hold is a surprisingly benign one, producing instead bands of goblin mercenaries. Though only the truly desperate seek out goblin mercenaries, they are sometimes useful to cause havoc in enemy lands when you do not much care whether they succeed or fail or if they do too much damage.
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AzlyondGoblin HoldUnknown Goblin WarlordHostileThe City of the Spirit Window was one of the holds under occupation by the elves when the great war ended. The elves withdrew, leaving goblins to fill the hold and torment the remaining population. Some dwarves managed to escape, while others were less fortunate. Those that fled brought with them crystal trinkets and shards, turned into necklaces and set into jewellery. These magical crystals had little explanation, and clearly something secret had been hidden in Khuln Azlyond that they hadn't even told the High King of. Very few adventurers have made it into the depths of the goblin city to find out what it was, and their tales are as varied as they are fanciful.
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Desert Kingdoms of the South
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Nhdit NuskriHuman KingdomHoly King Menkaure KhulkaIndependent, restricting tradeThe largest of the three northern desert kingdoms is Nhdit Nuskri, loosely translating to the “Eternal Kingdom”. Worshipping the desert pantheon, a selection of human gods poorly understood outside the region, they limit trade with outsiders and are generally standoffish. Their armies lean more magical than technological, with guns being a rare novelty and their most feared formations being enchanted chariots, pulled by mighty warhorses, their wheels aflame with magical fire. The Nhdit armies do battle with goblin forces and bug raiding bands on their western border. Fortunately for them, the bugs do not usually travel this far south in force; they do not fare well in the dry desert heat and cannot build burrows in sand dunes.
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AmakriHuman KingdomHoly Queen Kare EsetIndependentThe northernmost desert kingdom, Amakri battles bugs from the mountains constantly, and has developed a substantial professional military tradition. Like the other northern desert kingdoms, they lean more on magic than technology, deploying the magic of the sands to blind and shred enemy formations by using some kind of bound spirits. The kingdom itself is comparatively poor, with farmers toiling to ensure the arid land provides enough food, and soldiers and mages fighting constant skirmishes to keep the realm safe. They have poor relations with Nhdit Nuskri, who have tried to conquer them in the past.
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DuwkriHuman KingdomKing Sobekemsaf the BurntIndependentArmed with flaming magical weapons, the mountain men of Duwkri raid the surrounding kingdoms and defend their lands from goblins and retributive armies. Their hostility has earned them few friends, and their status as a pirate haven is well known. Their corsairs have ravaged shipping in the southern seas for a long time.
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MerhotepreHuman KingdomKing AkhetreTrade partner of Nova KallaThe southernmost desert kingdom is the driest and most inhospitable of them all, with settlements clustered around the river Ini and only scattered oasis-towns out amidst the dunes. The banks of the lower river are a little more liveable, with more irrigated land and fertile soil supporting surprisingly large settlements. It is said that the Emperor here is not human, but is in fact some kind of mighty desert spirit capable of granting wishes with his immense magic. No foreigner is allowed to see him, so it is unknown if that is true. Many strange plants with magical properties are produced along the Ini, and so the mouth of the river is a major trade port.
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TulgurodDwarven KingshipKing Snorri SeafarerIndependentThe City of the Rising Sands, despite not being a coastal city, has a number of hillock villages with small harbours and fishing jetties that allows it to conduct sea trade with the outside world. This hold received many refugees during the collapse of the dwarven High Kingdom, which increased its population from barely more than a large holdfast to a major city in a matter of days. The structure of the hold is thus rather disorganized, with branching halls and corridors hastily delved by refugees seeking a home. Fisheries were set up back then to feed the new population, and fish has been a staple of the Tulgurod diet ever since.
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YakseldhunBug HiveA bug queenHostileArguably a part of the dwarven heartland, this City of Weed Rock was named for the scraggly mountain spring it was founded on. In the arid mountains south of the heartland, this source of water was a blessing, as it allowed the dwarves to build a great hold lush with fountains, waterfalls, and greenery on every street. The plants and even underground birds and bats who lived amongst them ended up as little more than snacks for the bugs once they were done eating most of the hold's population.
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NenntarrGoblin HoldPirate King Thazmak One-EyeHostileThe City of the Red Seas is a goblin hold, and perhaps the single largest source of goblin pirates in the known world. The hold is delved into a barren mountainside, with the harbour consisting of a huge constructed tunnel, dug in ages past by the dwarves, with branching water-filled halls used as individual docking areas. The desert hills bear no trees here, so the material of their ships is mushroom wood from the depths. Despite this being a traditionally terrible shipbuilding wood, the goblins have somehow come up with a way to treat it that makes it as dependable as the best Tiranóg oak, and the shipyards that once produced dwarven ironclads now build countless ramshackle goblin pirate ships.
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Southern Lands of the Middle Continent
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Island Kingdoms of Pacata
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Western Continent
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Empire of the MoonSelenic EmpireZhis XXXIX of XessesizCrumbling EmpireThe Empire of the Moon; colossal, decadent, and supremely haughty in all its dealings. The Empress Zhis, like her mother, grandmother, great grandmother and so forth, are said to be the appointed leader of the world, chosen by the Moon Goddess herself and carrying her blessings. Many among the common folk wonder where those blessings have now gone. The nobles exploit the common folk, the bureaucracy is bloated and crumbling, the palace is a hotbed of intrigue, and the armies stand idle as enemies leak in from every side. The Fourth Dynasty is doomed, and the fate of millions will depend on what happens when this Dynasty's end finally comes.
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Eastern Archipelago
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Federated Islands of TerresteFederal Human RepublicPresident Salomon HallebardeIndependentThe Federated Islands, or officially the Independent Federal Republic of the Islands of Terreste, is a recently-created state to the east of the Alliance. These islands were originally Praterran colonies. Having grown weary of Praterran tariffs, the colonial elites planned a revolution, but the postmen beat them to it. They were not caught flat-footed, however, and declared their revolution anyway, breaking free of their overlords (who had much bigger concerns than actually contesting this declaration of independence). In the eight years that followed, they have established their post-colonial government, founded on the ideals of freedom. Most islands, including the smaller ones, are their own largely-autonomous states, connected by a federal government. The more populous northern island has three states on it. The Federated Islands have some strange ideas about their destiny, claiming the gods have ordained them the right to conquer the archipelago from pole to pole...
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