The Calmír Region
From Eran
Contents |
Overview
The Calmír Region has historically always been a frontier region, despite its natural riches and auspicious placement around the Calmìr Bay. For centuries, settlements beyond the coast were scattered in the deep forested lands belonging to the barbarians and phaerie who lived there.
Geography
Forests & Woodlands
King's Forest: Once part of the forest belt that stretched across the northern calmir, the King's forest lies at the heart of the kingdom of Alderan and provides timber and game in plenty for its citizens. It is protected by druids and rangers who prevent loggers and hunters from becoming too active and so the forest has retained its current size for generations. Settlements of elves and gnomes also dot these fertile and largely peaceful woods. It is believed the phaerie also make their home in their deeper parts of the forest that the druids do not allow others to trespass in.
Olwood: The Olwood dominates the northeastern parts of Alderan. These ancient and deep woods remain largely untamed. A few elven settlements exist deep in the ancient forest valleys, although few venture there as the woods are nestled with monsters and blackfolk. Large tracts of the forest remains unexplored. In the depths lives an old hermit who is believed to have mastery over the entire forest. He is feared and avoided by elves, humans and blackfolk alike.
Leira Glades: In the eastern parts of Alderan are found the Leira Glades, home of the high elves of the enclave of Leira. They arrived from the east a decade after Alderan had been founded and King Argon I agreed to let them rule their enclaves under their own law as long as they acknowledged the rule of the king of Alderan. The elves have lived here in relative peace ever since. The elves provide archers and scouts to serve in the armies of Alderan and in general are considered a valuable community for Alderan.
Southwood: At the southern end of the arm of the Daltris separating Alderan from Daurilon lies the Southwood. Sometimes infested with blackfolk and monsters the northern mountains, these woods are patrolled by rangers but remain largely unvisited.
Shadow Woods: In the norwest corner of Alderan lies the dark Shadow Woods. No one goes there as the woods have a foul air about them. Blackfolk are frequent, but much darker creatures are believed to inhabit this place.
The Lorewoods: These ancient phaerie woods make up most of the Daurilon Freeholds who have settled in its forested valleys.
Mountain & Hill Ranges
Daltri Mountains: The western arm of the mighty Cloud Horns, the Daltric mountains form the northern borders of Nendain, Alderan and Daurilon. Wild and uncivilised, the Daltris are populated by blackfolk and various monsters who have found shelter in these mountains mostly untouched by humans.
Rutang Mountains: Flowing southwards from the western edge of the Daltris, the Rutang Mountains separate the Calmir Region from the Erron Valley to the west. The Cloud Horns: Separating the Calmir Region from the great Northeastern wildnernesses, these mighty peaks loom large as an unforbidding barrier. Teeming with monsters, only the dwarven lords of the Cloud Horns seem able to navigate through these mountains safely.
Troll Peaks: b
Rivers & Lakes
River XXX: bjd
Wetlands
XXX: b
Wastelands
XXX: b
Realms of the Region
Alderan, the kingdom of
Capital: Inta (pop.)
Government: Monarchy - King Berena IV
Population: 1.78 mio. Humans (80%), Elves, blackfolk, Dwarves
Languages: Erro, Brenni,
Trade: aa
Demographics: 70.945 square miles (80 32/mil hexes), 35% arable land, 1.78 mio people 35.000 isolated, 1.6 mio in villages (3500), 80.000 in towns (30), 65.000 in cities (5).
Distance between villages is roughly 4.5 miles, between towns 57,5 miles, cities is 120 miles.
3.9 mio livestock (1.248.000 domestic, (2.652.000 fowl), 35 standing fortifications, 21 in settled areas, 14 in outlying areas.
city population: 21.000 in (1), 15.000 (2), 10.000 (3), 8.000 (4), 6.000 (5), 5.000 (6).
12 squares (large hex) of farmland. rest is wilderness.
Overview: Alderan is one of the more established nations in the region and militarily the strongest and thus the main protector of the region from blackfolk invasions from the north. The elves live an semi-independent enclaves in the northern forests and the state is generally in control of the Blackfolk population living in the mountains on the northern borders.
Mindset & Society: a
Politics & Economics: H
Locations of Interest:
Inta: A
King's Compass: A
Lakehold: A
Bardsknoll: A
Stagfort: A
Archton: A
Helmsfort: A
Jamdar: A
Jamdar: A
Jamdar: A
Regional History: In ancient times, Alderan was covered by forest and belonged to the barbarians, the Nenda, the phaerie and blackfolk. It was colonised by Brennèl as early as the 3rd century AC, but their dominion stretched little beyond the coast and a few strongholds inland, as the barbarians resisted any human advances into their woods and guarded their woods zealously. When Errion invaded the Calmir region in 690, there were few Brennae forces to resist their claim. The Erro insurgence saw a step up in their ambitions as the new empire sought to solidify its grip on the region and pushed the natives back moreso than before, but even so, the Erro failed to tame the great forests and the region was eventually left more or less to its own devices. (Barbarian Wars) Thus, when Duke Argon Spèchele in 1062 decided to sell his ancestral lands in the heart of Errion in exchange for developing the lands north of the Calmír Bay he called Alderan into a kingdom in its own right, it was a task few envied him. Following the Third Magewar, it was a highly disorganised land crawling with wild monsters and blackfolk tribes. Argon I took a different approach to the native inhabitants than his predecessors though. He allowed the Nendas to live as they used to according to their own law as long as they acknowledged the sovereignity of the King of Alderan and answered the call of arms in times of war when needed. In return, the king enforced strict rules on handling the lands on his citizens equally. In 1070, a large clan of elves emigrated from the east and were granted the eastern woods of the kingdoms to settle under own-rule, in return for providing rangers and archers for Alderan's armies. In 1098, Alderan declared itself fully independent of Errion and changed from the Grand Duchy to the Kingdom of Alderan. Within his own lifetime, Duke, later King Argon I, had transformed a wild region into a steadily flourishing harmonic, though scarcely settled, new kingdom, establishing Alderan as the dominant power east of the Erron Valley.
In the early 13th century, Alderan had likewise seen increasing conflict with the Nenda tribes, as they new Alderans grew and expanded their settlements, forcing the Nenda deeper and deeper into the wilderness and even into violent conflicts with the Alderans. In 1253 AC, having already ceded away the eastern provinces to the newly formed Daurilon only 11 years earlier, King Belvor II granted the western territories, largely undeveloped due to many backfolk and monsters roaming the land to the Nendain tribes as a vassal state of Alderan, but nonetheless sovereign enough to keep the settlers away from their lands. 30 years later, Belvor III severed the last ties with Nendain and granted them full autonomy, leaving Alderan with the borders it has today.
Nendain, The clanholds of
Capital: I
Government: I
Population: Humans (80%), Elves, blackfolk, Dwarves
Languages: Brenni,
Trade: a
Overview: A land torn apart from civil war, Nendain was ceeded from Alderan in 1253 AC, When the King wanted to give the native human tribes who inhabited the northern Calmir Region a land of their own. Many of the native tribes of Alderan migrated to Nendain after this and they formed the clanholds of Nendain, a loose affiliation under the protectorate of Alderan. In 1276 AC, several exiled noble families from Brennèl settled in Nendain and claimed ownership of the land, denouncing the Nendan tribes as barbarians and enforcing their rule through privately hired armies from Brennél, the Campi and the Steel Lands. Since then, Nendain has been in a state of civil war as the Nendans refuse to give up their ancestral lands again and the newcomers equally resistant to share power over the land with what they consider savages. Alderan maintains a quietly supportive stance for the Nendan tribes and aid them with arms and supplies, but finds itself reluctant to go to war in the face of widespread sympathy for the new settlers among the noble classes of Alderan.
Mindset & Society: a
Politics & Economics: H
Locations of Interest: a
Regional History: W
Daurilon, freeholds of
Capital: No central capital. Each community is ruled relatively autonomously.
Government: Varies. The different communities have different models. They are unified in the confederate Freehold Council, which is the highest organ in the Daurilon Freeholds.
Population: Humans (70%), Elves (20%), blackfolk,
Languages: Erro, Brenni,
Trade: Timber, agriculture,
53 squares, 47.011 square miles, 1.175 mio people.
Overview: A fertile land of deep forests, farmed valleys and rolling hills, the Daurilon Freeholds is a land peacefully settled in wild surroundings. Though the control and authority of the holds stretch little beyond their own city walls, they are, despite the wilderness being populated by monsters and blackfolk in measurable numbers, relatively safe communities thanks to their well established defences and alliances. The major trade routes are likewise heavily guarded from raids and assaults. Travelling deeper into the woods and the elves who have remained to guard their sacred places are as big a threat as any wandering monster.
Mindset & Society: The people of the freeholds are mostly farmers. Though the freeholds have existed soveriegnly for more than 500 years, the people still consider themselves settlers in a land that has graciously allowed them their existence in otherwise hostile territory. Daurilon was founded on negotiation and diplomacy with Alderan and this mentality is still very much prevalent among the inhabitants, who generally prefer peaceful problemsolving methods and appreciate unabrassiveness. Though the phaerie mostly shun contact with the human settlets, the Daurs continue to to treat them with respect and reverence as protectors of the forest and land.
Politics & Economics: H
Locations of Interest: The Daurilon Freeholds consist mostly of forested terrain, broken up only by farmlands and towns. In the northern parts, as the forested hills grow into deep mountainous woods, the freeholds have taken residence in the valleys and dales, guarding themselves against the creatures dominating the higher reaches of the woods.
Nilviel: This valley is one of the last remaining old settlements of the elven people that used to occupy the woods of Daurilon. The elves have joined the confederation of Daurilon and have a place in the Freehold Council, though they have little interest in human affairs. The only political interest they show in Daurilon at large is that lumbering is kept to a minimum and that the old heartwoods of the elves remain unsettled.
Bear's Inn: A
Albrook: A
Dragon's Well: A
Emerald Falls: A
Jamdar: A
Jamdar: A
Regional History: The Daurilon Freeholds have for millenia been phaerie forest and even the Nenda did not settle these woods. Thus although it was claimed under the banner of Brennèl in 260 , their claim was purely nominal as the human 'rule' stretched little more than a few miles into the deep forests. After the Chaos War, the phaerie gradually began to retreat from the lands allowing for settlers from Alderan to slowly populate the ancient woods. In 1242, the settlers found themselves at odds with the military and industrial policies of Alderan and vied for independence. King Argon III, struggling with narrow resources stretched over too large a territory, reluctantly agreed. The two countries have been on good terms since, though fears of Alderan looking to reclaim its lost territories have surfaced now and then over the years. The scattered communities organised into the Daurilon Freeholds, ruled by a confederate council to cultivate common interests, a model that has remained to this day.
The Campi Region
Capital: None. Independent city-states lie scattered throughout the region.
Government: Varies. The different communities have different models.
Population: Humans (70%), Elves (20%), blackfolk,
Languages: Brenni, Erro,
Trade: Metalware, crafts
Overview: The Campi Region refers to the lands west of the Cloud Horns and south of the Daurilon Freeholds. It is dominated by the Five Cities, the major centres of trade in the Calmír Region. The Campi is in many ways paradoxical. On one hand, it is a frontier region - the gateway between the civilised west and the wild east, and the region and its people is in many ways characterised by its wild location. On the other hand, the Five Cities stand as perhaps the major centres of trade, crafts, arts, learning and magic in all of the west. The Campi is a place of change, growth and development unlike anywhere else in Éran.
Mindset & Society: The people of the Campi very much live with a frontier mentality. A mindset predominantly rugged and pragmatic but also one of possibility, aspiration, open-mindedness and tolerance rarely found in more established lands.
Politics & Economics: The Campi Region derives a lot of its fortune from the Five Cities' exclusive trade treatises with the dwarven holds of the Cloud Horns. With the Steel Lands as uncertain territory as it is, the Dwarven holds is the most reliable source of refined metalware in the west and the Campi Region has profitted richly from this trade alliance. In particular Brennèl, due to its distance from the Steel Lands, is major trade partner for the Five Cities. The Campi Region is likewise the major gateway to the east, and virtually all trade and travel from and to the east pass through the Campi Region, due to its position as both the only viable overland route to the east as well overseas thanks to the Sahuagin Circle making passage eastwards south of the Campi highly dangerous.
The Five Cities are regarded as one of the major centres in the west when it comes to skilled craftmanship in a wide variety of fields as well as a centres of arts and learning. It is this basis of skilled labour that along with the exclusive trade treatises with the dwarves and the east has ensured the wealth of the Five Cities through trade, despite the region's lack of natural resources and largely undeveloped lands outside the immediate vicinity of the Five Cities.
Locations of Interest:
Amlin - The Jewel of the West: Second in the west only to the imperial capital Devi in size, Amlin is by most considered the greatest, richest most splendid city in all of western Éran, earning it the nickname "Jewel of the West".
As the gateway from the Campi to the west, it has become the centre of trade in the Calmír Bay and possible the most active trade city in all of Éran.
It is also the home of the Tower of Arcane Arts, one of the four towers build prior to the segregation of the guilds to act as the regional centre in the eastern part of the empire. When the Magedeath raged across western Éran, Amlin was relatively spared of the illwill towards mages and the Tower of Arcane Arts became a refuge and sanctum for mages all across western Éran, making Amlin one of the main centres of magical studies in the west, a position it continues to hold to this day, rivalled only by Irros.
The University of Academic Studies has since the Crown Wars grown to be the centre of academic knowledge and studies in all the west, overtaking even the Academy of Higher Learning in Devi in size and prestige and currently offers the widest range of studies and programs in all of Éran, making Amlin not only a great repository of knowledge but also keeps it at the forefront of discovery and progress.
Asnar/Ansgar - The Guild City:
Badir [blacksand]: Badir is situated in dangerous territory rife with blackfolk and monsters. Its cunning ruler has countered this threat by hiring them into his guard and armies. The despotic Lord Benal rules Badir with an iron fist and his ruthless dedication to profit permeates every layer of the city to the point that Badir is the only place in the Calmir permitting slavery. Nonetheless, Badir is a wealthy city and its profits on the iron trade has made it one of the undisputed powers of the region.
Jamdar: Jamdar, though a welathy city, is likewise a city torn by internal strife. Ravaged by conflict between the four ruling noble families for neigh on three decades
Yamin: A
Regional History: The Campi Region has historically been under the Empire of Brennèl even after Errion claimed all the lands north of it, but it remained a peripherical domain until 1012 when Brennél managed to sign exclusive trade treaties with the dwarven holds of the Cloud Horns, which transformed the Campi Region into a major trade centre overnight. Within 25 years, the Five Cities had grown from small to medium-sized towns to major cities in their own right.
By 1037, the ruling families of the Five Cities were growing increasingly dissatisfied with seeing too little of the wealth that flowed through the cities on its way westward as well as increasingly concerned with the threat of Errion, whom they feared an invasion from, in an attempt to break the profitable monopoly Brennèl enjoyed on the rich trade. They solved both problems when they collectively declared their independence from Brennèl that year and managed to renegotiate the exclusive trade treatise on new terms as independent cities as well as strike up military alliances with Errion and Alderan to protect them from any potential repercussions from Brennèl. In turn, the Five Cities opened up for trade on equal terms with Errion and Brennèl, satisfying the trade needs of Errion without them having to recourse to invasion. Though Brennèl was hardly thrilled with losing one of their most profitable domains, the threat of another war with Errion was too great and at any rate, war in the Campi would stop the trade lines that were still in high demand in Brennèl. The Five Cities had, despite their covetable position, succesfully ascertained their independence, an autonomy they hold to this day.
The Second Crown Wars in Brennèl saw a major influx of skilled artisans, scholars, rich traders and noble families who sought to escape the civil wars in the western empire and fled east to the industrious, growing and most of all openminded and tolerant Campi Region. This influx of skilled labour and wealth saw a new growth spur, unrivalled since the Five Cities first shot up following the trade treatises with the dwarves and gave the Five Cities a stable base for continual growth that it thrives on today.
Senia
Capital: I
Government: I
Population: Humans (80%), Elves, blackfolk, Dwarves
Languages: Brenni,
Trade: a
Overview: A small but productive mercantile nation.
Mindset & Society: a
Politics & Economics: H
Locations of Interest: a
Regional History: W
Kandara
Capital: I
Government: I
Population: Humans (80%), Elves, blackfolk, Dwarves
Languages: Brenni,
Trade: a
Overview: mariners
Mindset & Society: a
Politics & Economics: H
Locations of Interest: a
Regional History: W
