The World: Politics and Geography
From GodOfDarkness
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North Amen
North Amen is a large, prosperous, powerful human kingdom – constantly ripped apart by feudal struggle. King Hessiah I has at last brought the kingdom some peace: in a massive mililtary struggle, he united Bel Amar, Kash, Cindel, and the Thousand Provinces, and annexed the previously demon-ridden region south and west of these lands. Upon conquest, the new province was called Fel'hewath (“Land of the Newly Free” in the Old Human tongue). This was five years ago. Since then, North Amen has enjoyed relative peace and prosperity, though the province lords have given Hessiah trouble from time to time.
Bel Amar
The largest of the Ameni provinces, Bel Amar has been free of feudal squabbles for some time, thanks to the iron grip of the Undead Duke Bulla (from whose line the current king Hessiah descends). This fearsome man was a Dread Necromancer, and held the land in terror for over two hundred years. He eventually left an heir and departed to journey among the Planes, but laid a powerful curse upon Bel Amar – should the reign ever pass not to the rightful heir of his line, or a dutifully appointed successor from the brother lines, Bulla would return – and wreak terrible vengeance upon the Amari. That fear has kept Bel Amar in peace ever since.
Silla
The capital of Bel Amar (and of all of North Amen), Silla is a metropolis, boasting over 50,000 citizens of all the Seven Races (and some of stranger origins), three universities, plentiful hospitals and schools, and many, many powerful mages and clerics. There's even a Warlocks guild, a Planar Observatory, and several other wonders. The city is split into Quarters – from the poor Docks to the rich Nobles – and at the very center, uniting all the quarters, is the beautiful Palace of the Bulla. It is from there that king Hessiah reigns over the land.
Fishing Towns
With the Long Run unnavigable, the Fishing Towns are pretty much the only coastline settlements in all of North and South Amen. They are small, but their citizens are proud people, and consider themselves some of the bravest Ameni. At night, when the fishing's done and everyone returns to their homes, the old Man or Woman in the family will weave tales – of Great Sea Monsters, of ghost ships and of The End of The World at the End of the Sea. Tales aside, however, these communities bring plenty of profit to Bel Amar, and they are given a large degree of political / economical autonomy as a result. They're also usually the only communities to see Alairene High Elves (see below).
Kash
Kash is a warrior province. Its feudal lords have made war upon Bel Amar countless times – and have come close to conquering it, until Duke Bulla took up the throne. Since then, the warriors of Kash have (wisely) pledged their allegiance to Duke Bulla, and been his closest allies ever since. In return, their once-desolate land has gained some measure of civilization.
Kah'har
The capital of Kash, Kah'har is still mostly a strict, militaristic town with the barracks and the Keep taking up most of the area, but a few basic signs of culture – including, surprisingly, a theatre – have sprung up around the war buildings. The Keep houses Amen's greatest collection of legendary weaponry, and serves as the seat of Lord Kessal, a stern, but just ruler and a hero of the The Great Demon War.
Cindel
Cindel is the most prosperous province of North Amen, primarily because of the high concentration of merchants and of a new guild – the Bankers – there. It's a beautiful, even ostentatious province, but it lacks central organization, as underscored by its lack of a capital. The richest of the Cindeli merchants own flying castles, and those who did not agree with the rule of King Hessiah simply lifted off and left towards some distant land. Those who remain still occasionally fly around, to show off their power and pay a royal visit – in style!
Thousand Provinces
The thousand provinces are often spoken of, with obvious disdain, as “The Feudal Primordial Ooze.” There are no certain borders or rulers here – one lord's vassal today is his heir tomorrow, his replacement the day after, and dead by the end of the week. Life is cheap, and the common population often suffers as a result; still, there is hope that with King Hessiah's unification, these provinces will finally come to some sort of agreement about a general ruler, and that life will improve.
Fel'hewath
The recently conquered province of Fel'hewath is the subject of much controversy. It is populated by hardy humans, who survived even when this was a wild region, haunted by demons and horrid beasts, but who welcomed king Hessiah's armies with open arms. At the same time, the cost of conquering Fel'hewath and ridding it of the demon armies has almost completely drained the treasury. On top of that, King Hessiah is now sending an Expeditionary Force to try and keep peace in the newly conquered province, to establish laws and spread civilization. This measure has been met with much criticism in the rest of North Amen, but nobody will question the King's will at this point.
Kara
Kara is the capital of Fel'hewath, a city of 5000 people with few amenities and fewer luxuries. The main buildings are Kara Keep, where Lord Mercell of Fel'hewath resides, the Mage tower, built after the conquest, which houses High Mage Remman, the Smithy, and several inns, including Veil's Cot and Cup, which serves as the temporary headquarters of the Expeditionary Force. The citizens of Kara are mostly businesslike people, and nearly all of them vividly remember the great battles that took place as recently as five years ago.
Bellhill
The farming town of Bellhill (pop: 500) serves both as a collection point for the harvests from the north, and as a small fort in case of bandit attacks (or worse). It holds large warehouses for the grain, a wooden keep, and a single inn: the Wandering Eye.
Wyf
Wyf (pop: 300) is the closest civilized place to the desolate lands in the north and the Bonechill range beyond them. Soldiers, frontiersmen, and a few hunters occupy this wooden town with a tiny keep – but so do a few priests and paladins of Lathander, whose duty is to watch over The Great Necropolis to the northwest.
Wasterock
The stone keep of Wasterock (pop: 100) is an artifact of times past, and its true purpose is long forgotten. Currently, it is being used as a buffer against possible attacks from the south, and as a watch over the numerous bandit groups in the west of Fel'hewath
North and South Rests
These trading posts (pop: 50) serve, as the name suggests, as resting points for merchants on the Great Road.
Special Note: Poisonwater Lake and the Long Run Neither of these bodies of water is navigable. They are certainly deep enough, and calm, but every ship, from the largest caravel to the smallest fishing schooner, that has travelled on it, disappeared. All are swallowed up in silence and fog – an unnatural amount of which seems to gather along the banks of the river and lake, as if protecting whatever is within from prying eyes. Even magical attempts to disperse the fog have failed, so these bodies of water have been left alone and largely considered cursed.
South Amen
The South Ameni are a nation of farmers and herders – and unofficial subjects of the North Ameni. This agreement is generally to everyone's benefit, as North Amen's rougher land is harder to cultivate and graze upon, while South Amen needs the magical and early industrial goods North Amen can provide. Cities abound in South Amen, but none of them are particularly large or impressive; the cowherd is treated with much more respect than the mayor, and the idea of adventuring seems positively upsetting to the South Ameni.
Belga
The capital of South Amen, Belga is the closest one gets in this part of the world to a big, bustling town. With a population of 10,000, its own hospital and university, and even a resident Archmage, Belga can seem like a happening place, but its size and activity are oft subsumed by the relaxed attitude of its citizens (the North Ameni are more inclined to call the Belgans “lazy”). The Steward of South Amen, appointed for life by the king of North Amen, resides here.
Orcish Lands
The Orcs have not invaded Amen in over five hundred years. They have no easy cause to do so – the great Bonechill range separates them squarely from human lands – but, for the same reason, the Orcs have had little opportunity to trade and establish dialogue with the humans. The rare traveler who has made it to the Orcish Lands and back describes barbarian-like nomadic tribes, who frequently make war upon one another and enjoy nothing more than feasting upon the bones of the fallen in battle in bloody victory ceremonies. This ghastly picture clashes, however, with the beautiful Orcish handicrafts such travelers have brought from time to time. The Orcs seem to be masters of cloth, paint and clay.
The greatest Orc War Chief of today, Gambulish, has sent a magical message to the human king five years ago, offering peace and cooperation with the tribes, but nothing came of it.
The Great Waste
A terrifying and almost completely uninhabited land, the Great Waste is a natural southern border of North Amen. It is a place of great sandstorms and tornadoes, haunted by ghosts of dead dragons (some say), and only the most desperate of outlaws venture there. To this date, not one organized community has been established in the great waste, although the sand and dirt occasionally shift, revealing majestic ruins that indicate this place was once a hotbed of civilization. Travelling through the Great Waste is equivalent to hardship and loss, and the place is often used as a metaphor, or even as an expletive, in Amen: “May the Great Waste take ya!”, etc.
The Languages section has a few examples of lexical terms, specific to the Great Waste. With these exceptions, denizens of the great waste speak Common with a Fel'hewathi accent - though they tend to be stingy with words.
The Northern Kingdoms
There are rumours of great northern kingdoms, like the fortress-state Esshan of the warrior elves, but all are many leagues away from Amen. Dangerous roads, forests and ranges separate the Great North from the human kingdoms. Almost nothing is known of them; they keep to themselves, in military conquest as well as in trade.
Alair
Out in the Blue, an island stands, safe from the eyes of all but the High Elves, who have lived there since time immemorial. Occasionally, a High Elf will leave the island and embark upon a quest, or a mission of trade towards the human lands. The Alairene do not meddle in the affairs of the lesser races overmuch, but they are willing to share information and goods, and legends of the island abound, especially among the fishing towns of North Amen. Great fortresses built out of silk and marble; proud warriors with swords that can slay the demons themselves; and magic, far beyond the kind practiced among the Lesser Races, which can overturn the World itself and rend the Planes should the Elves so desire. It is not known which of these rumours are tall tales and which are the truth, for the Alairene have a nasty habit of answering “mayhap” to any questions about their homeland. On the very rare occasion, an Alairene will settle among the Ameni. These elves are rumoured to be exiles, but they never speak to anyone of why they have left the Elven lands. Unlike the Alairene, who are immortal, these settlers do pass on eventually, albeit their life span easily contends with that of dragons.
