Praesia

Praesia is a large realm that stretches from the foothills of the Worldspines in the north, to the shores of the Zurul Sea in the south. Bounded by Heide and Gallia, Praesia has long fought to assert its independence amid powerful rivals. 
=== Geography ===
Northern Praesia is rugged and mountainous, while the south is warm and temperate. The great River Pax sweeps down from the Worldspines, and this river is considered the border between Gallia and Praesia, hence the name. ‘To cross the Pax’ is a common phrase used to describe any portentous and irreversible action. Southern Praesia is renowned for its orange groves and rice fields, which provide much of the nation’s wealth. The north-eastern borders with Heide fade into the so-called Towerlands, or Turovia as it sometimes known. This ‘debatable land’ is fully claimed by neither Praesia nor any Heidan power, and is thus much contested and a refuge for outlaws and dissidents. Below Turovia is Bermejo, the Red Hills, so named for the large rose plantations from which much-desired Praesian perfumes are produced. Bermejo is guarded by the Kaseni, the ‘Castle Elves,’ who traditionally make up the bulk of the Luperci ‘wolf-warders,’ those fearsome warriors tasked with turning back the infamous Veldyn border reavers. 
=== History ===
Before the First Age, the land that would become Praesia was under the rule of the Azlan. The elves had several great cities along the Zurul coast, and also constructed a massive fortress, Kasen Rock, to hold back the tides of the Great Passage. This largely prevented large populations of non-humans moving into the Praesian heartland. The ‘Silver Records’ that recount the deeds of Irud Chainbreaker mention the destruction of a ‘Pewter Dome City’ on the Zurul shores, from where the ‘metal gardens were torn up and used to make weapons for the liberated.’ Likewise, Irud intended to march on the ‘Water Market’ where the produce of the great rice farms was gathered to feed the Azlan slave hordes. Instead, Irud was convinced to march north, to the ‘blue tea plantations of Sibit,’ and it was there that the Liberator first encountered his foe Sivar. In any case, it seems that even in the most ancient of times, Praesia was a major commercial center. There is some suggestion that Praesian slaves were better treated then those in ‘Adantu,’ as Aldan was called by the elves. This might be the reason that Irud ultimately chose to focus his efforts further north, where the Azlan were near universally reviled by their human chattel. 
In any case, the ill-considered Tower Spell removed almost all maedi from Vala, and so humans across the former Empire of the Stars were suddenly freed. In Praesia, a tribe called the Edeni came to dominate their neighbors, moving to seize the former elven strongholds. By 326, a chieftain named Tartesso had captured several cities, forming the first real kingdom. Ruling from his coastal fortress of Bira, Tartesso demanded tribute from the tribes further north, who came to regard the master of Bira as the great power in the land. Thus, merchants from Gallia travelling down the river Pax to trade with the Zurul cities called the land ‘Birasa,’ from which modern Praesia is ultimately derived. 
Still, the rich rice fields were too tempting for the burgeoning Gallian Empire. In 669, Emperor Anasis IV (r. 667 – 688) demanded fealty from King Luxino of Birasa, as well as a hefty tribute of rice. When the king refused, Anasis marched on Bira, and conquered the city after a bloody siege in 674. With Bira fallen, the other coastal cities soon pledged themselves to the Silver Throne. Birasa was incorporated into the empire, becoming the Province of Praesia. From Bira, Gallian legions marched north, subduing tribes and extracting oaths. By 712, the last independent Praesian chieftain, Vascon, had fallen in the battle of Mount Charax. With his death, all of Praesia was under Gallian control. But the new overlords were not well-liked. To fund the empire’s increasingly ambitious wars, a ‘Rice Tax’ was imposed. The staple food was hoarded in government granaries, and was sold at an immense fee. Many people went hungry, and the Praesian nobility seized on the discontent. When Emperor Juro vanished during his expedition to Alba Ultima in 751, the Praesians revolted. Order was only restored in 759, following the formation of the Senate. Arch-Lector Zayel made many overtures to the angry Praesians, greatly reducing the Rice Tax and promising amnesty for the instigators of the revolt. Though not all Praesians wished for peace, most of the nobility were aware that their position was tenuous. While Praesia could throw out the occupying Gallians, it could not resist the full might of the determined legions. Thus, the Praesian lords agreed to Zayel’s terms, and the province was reintegrated into the empire, albeit with significantly more privileges. 
With order somewhat restored, many Gallian expeditions, funded by the Keepers, arrived in Praesia to explore the many ruins that dotted the country. The most impressive discovery was that of the ancient stronghold upon Mount Charax, the first great peak of the Worldspines that has generally been considered the northern limit of Praesia. The Charax fortress, Cor Caelis, had been built by the dwarves and later seized by the Azlan, from which they weaved many spells to shape and shift the surrounding landscape. Some claim that Cor Caelis was intended to breach the divine seals that hide the Needle of Heaven from mortal sight, and thus allow the Azlan mastery of the world. Or perhaps Cor Caelis was meant to be a counter to the Needle. In any case, the great fortress was abandoned following the Tower Spell, and only rediscovered in 805 IR. Ultimately, due to the rather unstable magics woven into the cliffside citadel, Cor Caelis was bequeathed to the Cult of Ystarte, which would go on to transform the fortress into one of the premier schools of magic, as well as the center of northern Ystartism.  
Gallians continued to settle and develop Praesia, though commerce remained centered in the coastal cities, with farming and herding taking place along the sweep of the River Pax. In 932, Arch-Lector Pardana, ‘the Pure,’ began instituting the ‘Blood Purity Ordinances’ that stripped citizenship from many non-humans. The maedi inhabitants of Gallia, the so-called Xenia, or ‘Guest Elves,’ rose up in revolt. Many were slain, and even those maedi who did not take part in the uprising were punished, being relocated to the eastern borders of Praesia, Bermejo. There, they were ensconced in border forts and tasked with guarding against incursions from Heide. These ‘Castle Elves’ would become integral to Praesia’s defense. Indeed, while many Gallians came to distrust non-humans, the Praesians were more tolerant, perhaps seeing the oppressed non-humans as potential allies in their struggle with Gallia. 
The growing power of Praesia’s mercantile elite led to louder and louder calls for independence from the ‘Aldani thieves.’ In 1064, Count Lanas, a popular nobleman and ‘regulus’ of the city of Viata, made an impassioned speech calling for Praesian independence. In response, Arch-Lector Excino, ‘the Cruel,’ ordered the Gaunt Legion to torch Lanas’ estate and slaughter his entire household. This deeply unpopular act was even criticized in Aldan. Excino’s successor, Delectus, further angered the Praesian populace when he increased the duties on rice, sparking the infamous Rice Riots that saw the cities of Mosso, Lastrum and Viata burn. Delectus sent legions to quell the riots, but local militias put up strong resistance. Order was never fully restored, and in 1097, during the Arch-Lectorship of Zanzara, rebellion broke out, marking the beginning of the Second Praesian Revolt. Count Andonio, a descendent of the martyred Lanas, was declared ‘King of Praesia’ by the assembled nobility. Gallian garrisons across the country were besieged and occupying legionaries thrown out. The Gallian response was weak. Though Arch-Lector Horace made some gains in northern Praesia, the south was stubbornly intransigent. Disputes among the Keepers prevented a united response, and when Arch-Lector Typhon had at last asserted himself, the Praesian position was strong, their armies pushing into the Heidan colonies, Locia, the Worldspines and Gallicia. No longer satisfied with mere liberty, the Praesians intended to make Aldan their vassal, and found a Praesian Empire in the north. Typhon was desperate to prevent this, and after much research recovered fragments of the Tower Spell. But rather than erasing the rebellious Praesians, Typhon was transformed into an aspect of the Beast. Ravan exploded out of rifts, and the transfigured Typhon marched with this twisted army to destroy Praesia. Some Gallians seem to have pledged themselves to Typhon while others, horrified, went to join the Praesians. A dreadful battle was fought on the banks of the Pax, and King Lorca was slain alongside many champions. According to legend, the famed Scarlet Guard was formed by several of Lorca’s companions who dipped their cloaks in Lorca’s blood, swearing to forever preserve the kingdom he died for. 
After great struggle, Typhon was struck down, but his demise triggered an event later called the ‘Typhonic Schism,’ a minor Timedeath that makes exact recollection of the ‘Battle of the Blood River’ impossible to recall in full. Some claim that King Lorca did not even die, others say that a Veldyn slave-turned-hero named Dercius struck the final blow that banished Typhon to the Void. Yet others insist that Dercius was Lorca, and that he was dead for most of the battle, posed upon his horse in full armor to inspire his troops. How a Veldyn might have been declared a king of Praesia is unclear, but so is much of that dark time between the end of the First Age, and the dawn of the Second. 
What is known is that shortly (?) after the Typhonic Schism, though dates are imprecise, the victorious Praesians pushed through ravaged Gallicia and seized Loren, intending to launch a full invasion of Amathy. Indeed, in 1206 IR, King Tirio ordered the construction of a massive canal to link the Lorenese capital of Antilla to the Pax. The canal, stretching many hundreds of miles, took over 40 years to complete, and required, among other things, ‘60,000 gnoll laborers,’ ‘300 craft-mages’ and ‘A dozen colossal Voij golems’ of ‘unthinkable cost.’ The Tirian Canal, as it came to be known, greatly increased trade and travel between Loren and Praesia, encouraging a steady flow of Praesian migrants who departed from the Lorenese ports for the fortune of the Free Isles. Praesian cultural influence across northern Amathy grew steadily over the next century, and so many young men made the journey to the Shadow Sea that in 1312 King Mavino I restricted emigration, though the ordinances seem to have had only limited effect.    
Loren was captured by Archon Yiorgos, Hegemon of Gallia, in 1352, though negotiations permitted the canal to remain in use in exchange for a tax. This ensured that Praesia would continue to influence Loren and the Free Isles for centuries to come. There was a relative peace between Orestian Gallia and Praesia until 1449, when Viata received a shipment of Braxian wool infested with the Scaled Plague. Panic spread through the kingdom, many claiming that the Orestians were attempting to weaken Praesia for an imminent invasion. King Ferrex demanded that Archon Kalisto pay reparations to prove his good faith, which the Archon refused. So began the War of the Merchants, lasting until Kalisto’s death in 1466. Kalisto’s successor, Kinios, agreed to cut the import duties on Praesian rice and waive the fee for using the Tirian Canal for 10 years. This mollified the Praesians, who withdrew their suit. 
Praesia did not intervene when Orefeo Val D’Arne overthrew Archon Yiannis in 1599 during the so-called War of the Dawn. King Umbrius I sent gifts to the new-crowned Emperor, but maintained a cautious distance, as Praesia was expanding into the Towerlands and did not wish to draw Gallia’s interest. But after Orefeo’s successors, Gyons and Marius, instituted the Monolatric Idolatry, the Praesians were moved to protest. Gallian priests and laypeople who refused to acknowledge Eos-Adrana fled to Praesia, which eagerly welcomed the ‘true believers.’ The Praesian Cult of Sol was especially eager to present itself as the only authentic transmitter of the Empress Sun’s will. The Praesian Solians frequently slipped into Gallian territory and spread dissent. A major scandal erupted in 1753 when Proxima, a daughter of Empress Galina, was smuggled out of Sacris. The princess was brought to Magna Marum, where she renounced Eos-Adrana and claimed that her mother was ‘ensnared by the Serpent of Chaos.’ A furious Galina insisted that her daughter had been kidnapped and ‘bewitched.’ The empress massed an army and prepared to cross the Pax, but after King Luvizzo’s paid a significant ‘dowry,’ the empress withdrew her forces. Proxima was married to Luvizzo’s son, Andim, and ever after the Praesian monarchs entertained claims on the Silver Throne.     
Praesia turned from the west and looked east towards Heide, founding several colonies in the Towerlands and attempting to stake claims on the rich mines in the Rheged Hills. A Praesian fortress along the Boruz was burned by Veldyn in 1803, and this prompted a major response. King Porthos himself led an expedition upriver, intending to take the Aetgardian capital of Agristad. Instead, the Praesians were overcome at Grimma’s Seat, and the king himself was captured. Praesian sources claim that Porthos was chained naked to the Vortigern’s table and treated ‘worse than a dog,’ but the Veldyn chronicles state that the captive Praesians were put to work building ‘southern-style’ fortifications, and then given land, slaves and goods in compensation. The king himself was made a ‘guest-friend’ and lived out his days in the Vortigern’s royal compound.
Whatever the truth, Praesia was contracted by civil war when Prince Manuel, brother to Porthos, insisted on leading a new Heidan expedition, intending to rescue his brother. Soon after, Manuel was found dead in his chambers, and Berilla, his sister was accused, of the crime. The succession was declared illegitimate, and supporters of various claimants turned Praesia into battleground. Only in 1849 was order restored, when King Mavino II took the throne. 
This peace was short-lived, as soon, in 1902, Emperor Corin sent his captive giant, Ada-Irim, to ravage Praesia and demand fealty from its sovereign. When the giant appeared outside Magna Marum as a ‘infinitely tall figure of shining light,’ the sky became a ‘void,’ and the seas around the capital were made ‘starlight.’ The populace was in a terror, and the entirety of the Scarlet Guard were ‘forced into a sphere of a untime.’ Apparently, the guardsmen only reappeared many years later. The Praesians quickly capitulated, but even then Magna Marum was sealed within an ‘invisible prison’ for an indeterminate period, where ‘phantoms of latter ages’ haunted and horrified the citizens, who heard the ‘roar of great and fearsome machines, and the thunderous clamor of a war fought among the stars.’ Little else could be recalled, though even today, Praesians insist that ‘vast vessels of silver’ can occasionally be seen whirling above Magna Marum, in some echo of the ‘Giant’s Imprisonment.’
It was naturally a great relief when Ada-Irim was banished by the Mirror Elves, and many Praesians demanded that Gallia be punished for unleashing such ‘blasphemies’ on the world. The Praesians secretly supplied the Dissenters, a group hostile to the Heliocrats based in Gallicia. Indeed, the Aldani court began to fear that the Praesians were preparing for a huge invasion. Emperor Junix intended to march on Praesia first, but was found dead shortly after the Battle of Piedra Azul, where the Dissenters had been crushed. 
In 1993, the Praesians took advantage of Junix’s demise and invaded, sweeping through Fendrel and seizing the Tirian Canal, with which they secured Loren. Emperor Phocas, reeling from this sudden attack, struggled to mount a proper defense. He turned the Praesians back at Daeza’s Wall, but they came very close to seizing Sacris by sea, prompting a gigantic naval battle that saw dozens of ships wrecked. Ultimately, Phocas had to strike a deal with the Braxians, who rode forth to pillage the very empire they were meant to save. Though the Praesians were driven from Gallia by 2021, they torched much of Fendrel’s farmland as they retreated, precipitating a famine that killed thousands. 
The Praesians might have attacked again, planning to move along the great canal for Loren, when Ragda tore apart the Skein in Devana. The echoes of this terrible event allowed Chaos to infiltrate the world. A ritual intended to counter this at Cor Caelis failed, and the sorcerers of the Ebon Sign were transfigured into vessels of the Beast. Even Owl Knights were corrupted, and ravan were called forth from the Void to join in an army of twisted mutants and madmen. They spilled down from Mount Charax and ravaged northern Praesia. Much of the wilderness was rendered cursed, and thousands fled to the south, to crowd into the already overflowing cities. This crisis occupied Praesia for decades. Only in 2106 was Cor Caelis reclaimed, and the corruption there cleansed.  
Though Praesia was greatly weakened by the Skein Crisis, as the cataclysm unleashed by Ragda came to be known, the kingdom recovered faster than Gallia, which had been split into five independent powers. The Aldani court was in constant disarray, and had little success in extending its influence beyond the Daeza. In the aftermath of the Palace Mutiny that left Aldan without a sovereign, the ambitious King Encio Moverdi moved to secure Sacris. He bribed Fendrish barons to allow his armies passage through their lands, and, finding much of the Daeza unguarded, crossed Mount Haru and fell upon a confused Aldan. Sacris was seized in 2291, and Encio declared himself ‘High King of Gallia and Praesia.’ This was somewhat misleading, as it took until 2314 to conquer Gallicia, and Fendrel only accepted Praesian rule in 2349. Brax remained stubbornly independent, and Orestes claimed Loren before Praesia could act. 
Though the Monverdis presented themselves as emperors, none of the ‘high kings’ ever walked the Crownfire, and their grip on their realm was tenuous. Once Orestes took Loren in 2438, the Monverdis faced a constant threat from their east, just as the Braxians presented a threat from the west. Though the Monverdis arranged for an alliance with the Emirate of Qanjar in Khanaan, the additional support was not enough to crush both Brax and Orestian Loren. During the reign of Crucis (2512-2519), Orestes fomented revolt in Gallicia, and the desperate Crucis, acting on knowledge gained in the Keeper archives, departed for the Worldspines. He apparently intended to find the Needle of Heaven and turn its power on his foes. Crucis never returned, and when the Orestians took Sacris, they made Crucis’ daughter Amica a puppet, though in truth Monverdi rule in Aldan was finished. This was confirmed in 2541, at the end of the Reclamations, when Valeris Ranet of Gallicia drove the last of the foreign occupiers from Gallia. 
The Monverdis, however, still ruled Praesia, and though the family retreated from Gallia, they continued to hold the Marble Throne. But the Monverdi overlords were ultimately undone by their own countrymen. Empress Karleen, daughter of Valeris, made secret deals with House Marcellus of Zartega. Alfonso Marcellus was given the support he needed to overthrow the unpopular King Pedro ‘the Unfortunate,’ and in return Alfonso subjugated the Castle Elves of Bermejo, who had largely become independent border lords in the intervening years. The Kaseni had been blocking expansion into Heide, as they wished to have control over the Towerlands. With the Castle Elves chastised, the newly-crowned King Alfonso (r. 2566-2598) permitted Gallia to move into Turovia in preparation for the Second Heidan Settlement, which would prove far more successful than the first.   
House Marcellus was popular, but faced a major crisis in 2665 when an outbreak of Ziyin Blight destroyed much of the rice crop. Facing a looming famine, King Umbrius II begged Emperor Julian for aid. The Gallian sovereign dispatched great quantities of grain from Fendrel, but the not without cost. In return, Julian asked for the hand of Irena, Umbrius’s daughter and heir. Umbrius had little choice but to agree, and so Houses Marcellus and Ranet were joined in the Union of Crowns, Praesia becoming part of the Gallian Empire. Following the dissolute Julian’s suspicious death, Irena became regent, and this mollified the Praesians somewhat, who grumbled that the ‘rogues of Gallia’ had ‘bought the crown-princess for a bag of rice.’
Though House Marcellus would continue to govern Praesia as its kings, the Gallian emperor and his Senate had great influence in domestic affairs, and the ‘brother nation’ was largely relegated to a supporting role, supplying the resources for Gallia’s unceasing expansion. This was especially true after Gallian legions claimed Agristad in 2632, bringing much of Heide under imperial control. Praesia would provide a continuous stream of settlers and food for the burgeoning colonies, which within a few centuries would become the great Kingdom of Heide. 
Despite Praesia’s dwindling influence, it remained of vital strategic importance. When the Qanjarids of Khanaan were overthrown by the Mujazids in 2838, the new dynasty embarked on numerous sea raids of the Zurul Coast. Praesia’s ports were heavily reinforced, and many warships constructed. Gallia intended to extend its protection to Locia, to prevent the Mujazids taking the city states and using them as a bridgehead for further invasions. Praesia was therefore responsible for guarding the sea lanes, and Praesian soldiers joined Gallia in its defense of Locia when the Mujazids finally attacked. 
Much of Praesia’s attentions were thus focused towards the south, and numerous skirmishes with the Mujazids and their corsair allies took place over the following century. In Gallia, the disastrous reign of Emperor Remeris ‘the Mad’ (r. 2957-2976), prompted the Senate to take ‘custodianship’ of the Empire. Karleen Ranet-Marcellus was placed under virtual house arrest for her ‘protection,’ though the Senate was careful not to make this apparent. However, King Dorian Marcellus of Praesia ultimately discovered the Senate’s deception and sent his agents to secretly confer with the captive empress. When Chancellor Ayatni, de facto ruler of the empire, learned of this, he raised taxes on Praesian imports. In response, Dorian announced that he was seceding from the empire, sparking the Third Praesian Revolt, or Second Gallian Civil War. Ayatni, leading the Senatorial forces, sought to punish and cow Dorian, but after several years of fighting, Ayatni was finally defeated at Asphodel Fields in 2981, and banished to Amathy. 
It was unclear if Dorian planned to formally rejoin the empire, but the young Karleen was far too reliant on Praesian support to make such demands, and House Marcellus might very well have grown tired of propping up a decaying empire that frequently overlooked Praesian interests. Once Karleen was older and more secure, she sent several overtures to the Praesian throne, but the bickering Praesian nobility could not decide on the terms of a potential reunion with Gallia. In any case, the Sho invasions of 3050 ended all such discussions. Praesia was once again an independent realm, and it stood alongside the northern nations in their defense of Altea. 
Praesians accompanied Emperor Curates on his counter-invasion of Tsaiyun, though these soldiers almost all perished when Zahak unleashed powers that obliterated much of the Yellow Plains, killing Curates and transforming the Phoenix Prophet into a Head of the Beast. Andres Marcellus, heir to the Marble Throne, was among the lost those lost to the ‘Doom in the East.’ King Rodrigo was said to have died shortly after learning this. With King and heir dead, Praesia fell into confusion, exacerbated by the many horrors erupting from the Sea of Chaos.   
For several centuries, Praesia was divided into competing polities, with House Marcellus controlling the coasts, and rebellious barons, the hidalgos, seizing the highlands and raiding from the north. Much of the wilderness was infested with Chaos creatures, and it was a long and grueling struggle to make the countryside safe again. A weakened Praesia was prey to Orestes, and in 3305, the Zorn warlord Vrakos captured Magna Marum and compelled Queen Arita to pay tribute. But when Vrakos was lost during his siege of Kingsrest, the Praesians rallied behind their queen and threw out the Orestians by 3319. This galvanized the populace, and a steady reconquest of Praesia proceeded, rebellious hidalgos defeated and made to swear renewed fealty to the Marble Throne or die. The struggle concluded in 3388, when King Oleander defeated Count Torreo outside Meseta, ending the so-called Hidalgos War, and restoring Praesia to House Marcellus. Still, demoniac warbands and other horrors continued to emerge from the Worldspines, and a weakened Praesia struggled to fend off these incursions. Help unexpectedly came from Emperor Melio, who had regained control of Gallia and was asserting the Silver Throne’s influence again. In 3491, Melio dispatched both the Gaunt and Cloud legions to assist the Praesian armies, and also expended significant resources in expanding and refurbishing the fortifications of the Towerlands. This won Melio much respect, and it seemed that Praesian-Gallian relations could only continue to improve. Alas, this period did not last particularly long. A resurgent Gallian Empire was soon looking to reclaim old glory, and in 3642, Emperor Patrus launched an invasion of Praesia which saw the country brought under Gallia’s control again. This occupation was short-lived, as after Patrus vanished during a tour through conquered Orestes, the Praesians revolted, and Partus’ successor Gael could not prevent the legions being forced from Praesia by 3659.    
Praesia grew bolder in the coming centuries, organizing expeditions to Dal Radha to claim territory from the Iron League, and pushing into Heide to extend influence over the Towerlands and Rheged Hills. Indeed, a great rivalry between Halgstov and Praesia developed, and it was during this period that Praesia first fielded its tercios, skilled mercenary fighters organized into skirmishing bands to harry the slower and more heavily-armored Heidans. During the reign of King Alvaro (r. 3788-3832), Praesia came very close to conquering Halgstov, taking the port of Breistoc and marching troops from there and sending more up the River Brax to seize Kingsrest in a pincer maneuver. King Ludwig Rohun fled the city and went to rally support from the Veldyn of the Vold, as well as the ‘sea wolves’ of Randheim. Though Praesia briefly occupied the city, being the first foreign power to do so up until that point, a combined Halgstovan and Veldyn army ultimately forced the poorly-supplied Praesians to retreat. In 3832, a Varangar fleet claimed Breistoc, slaughtering all Praesians who refused to surrender. Commemorating this is the Hill of Ears just outside the city, a grassy mound covering the thousands of ears Veldyn sliced from their foes. When a cipher relayed word of this defeat to Magna Marum, King Alvaro was said to have gone into a terrible rage, viciously beating a page boy with his cane, the exertion of which induced an apoplexy. 
The simmering tensions between Praesia and Heide continued, and numerous border skirmishes occurred, Turovian cities changing hands by the year. The stalemate only ended in the 4080s, by which time the burning hosts of Avrasia were moving through Heide. Praesia had little chance to advantage itself of this, as a few decades later Avrasian armies were piercing the Towerlands and tearing across northern Praesia. Though Praesia was not as ravaged as Heide, bands of infernals broke off from the great army and scattered across the countryside to pillage and burn. The apocalyptic battle at Asphodel Fields in 4132 moved the epicenter of the conflict away from Praesia, but the kingdom did not escape the terrors of the Long Dark unscathed. 
The embattled Praesians were relieved when General Casamir of the Golden Legion, victorious in Heide, moved his forces through Praesia and swept aside the ravan and demoniacs. Soon after, Vergil Tizona, a Veldyn of Praesian origin, walked the Crownfire and was named the new emperor of Gallia. But even as the Long Dark receded, Praesia was drawn into renewed conflict with its rivals. The Iron League pushed into northern Praesia to occupy abandoned countryside, and Heidan reavers once more harried the Towerlands. The upstart nation of Rivalin, a breakaway from disintegrating Halgstov, sough to challenge Praesia at sea, and remarkably this led to a grudging alliance with Halgstov, for the two nations had mutual interest in halting Rivalin’s ascent. But with Dal Radha commanding much of Praesia’s resources, it remains to be seen if the Grand Duchy will succumb to its foes or eclipse them both.  
=== Government and Society ===
Praesia is ruled by a king of the ancient House Marcellus. He sits upon the Marble Throne, a dwarven relic that has been the seat of kings for millennia. The king’s power is most apparent in the great coastal cities, where grand parades proclaim the king’s authority on a regular basis. The further north one travels, the more power is held by the local gentry. Praesia has a long and bloody history of aristocratic conflict, with ‘hidalgos,’ minor land owners or barons, frequently defying royal prerogative. These hidalgos are responsible for law and order, and disputes are brought to them to adjudicate. But hidalgos cannot pronounce ‘high justice,’ that is, condemn someone to death. They must seek the remit of their own overlords, the counts and dukes who rule great swathes of the Praesian countryside. Even these potentates must obey the king, who is not above sending his Scarlet Guard to compel obedience from some stubborn highland lord. Indeed, Praesia places great power in the hands of its gentry, and if the gentry do not rule, a church is given responsibility for a town and its people. There are few ‘free cities’ as seen in neighboring Heide, and no sprawling and intricate bureaucracy as developed in Gallia. The Praesians see no need for such complexities. A man’s honor is considered sufficient guide, and even a king can lose his honor by failing to rule wisely and fairly. Many tales are told of King Juan, ‘the Unwise,’ slain by a band of outraged hidalgos after the king confiscated their lands for a royal park. Indeed, to a Praesian, death is preferrable to living with a mark of dishonor, and duels are a frequent means to ‘satisfy’ honor and prove ones ‘rights.’ Though really, the Praesians are a passionate and easily excited people in general, and need little excuse to brawl. There are many rival towns that host yearly ‘mock’ battles that in fact see several (at least) dead. Fighting pits feature in all the port cities, and no festival is complete without boxing, wrestling and bull-riding. 
Anyone who visits Praesia, particularly its great ports, must be willing either to fight, or to drink. The Praesians are suspicious of anyone who will not sit and knock back many bottles of almond-flavored radafa or portocal, liqueur made from the famed Praesian orange. Strangers who are not friendly will be met with challenges, as the easily-riled Praesians move to defend their ‘fair land of liberty.’ Of course, slavery remains legal in Praesia, though enslaving a Praesian citizen is cause for severe punishment. This does little to deter the roving slaver gangs. Unwary travelers are sometimes kidnapped at the first cheap tavern they visit, sold on to markets in Locia, Rivalin or even Khanaan. Praesians see this as fair recompense for the many foreigners who invaded and pillaged their beloved land, which is often pictured as a fair maiden demanding constant defense and vengeance. 
Praesia, while not overtly warlike in comparison to Orestes, is still a very militant place. The Luperci, ‘wolf-warders,’ tasked with guarding the eastern borders, are celebrated in song and legend. The tercios, mercenary skirmishers much in demand, swagger about like minor lords, enjoying the attentions of a populace much enamored with dashing heroes and daring swordsmen. The most storied tercio company is composed of the 'Bridegrooms of Mortus,' renowned for their daring as well as their tenacity. No Bridegroom will ever surrender his arms, and if truce is ever negotiated, the Bridegrooms insist on leaving the field fully armed and carrying their colors. There are many tales of Bridegrooms fighting to the last against insurmountable odds, a theme that suits the rather morbid romanticism of the Praesians. 
But not even the Bridegrooms are as vaunted as the famed Scarlet Guard, protectors of the Marble Throne, among Altea’s best, and most arrogant, warriors. To be called to the Guard is a signal honor for most Praesians, though as boastful as they tend to be, few of them can truly live up to their own, often ridiculous, legends. As a Galician wit once said, ‘No man, living or dead, can defeat a Praesian in the midst of a story.’ 
=== People ===
Most of Praesia is populated by humans, though naturally the port cities have attracted a very heterogenous mix after countless centuries of immigration from across Altea and beyond. Praesian humans, if versed in their legendary history as so many are, claim to all descend from the ‘noble tribe of the Edeni.’ This was the tribe that produced the mythic hero Tartesso, who conquered several coastal cities and formed the nucleus of the Praesian kingdom. In truth, scholars aver that Praesia was once populated by many tribes, all sharing cultural and linguistic similarities, but still distinct from each other. These tribes were absorbed into the Edeni, which ultimately developed into the modern ‘Praesian’ ethnos, really a mixture of Locian, Galician, Heidan and of course, native Edeni strains. Any suggestion that Praesians are not an ancient, proud and noble people is sure to attract a howling mob eager for a fight. Most Praesians have darker features, but due to the very diverse bloodlines prevalent in the nation, especially after numerous invasions, Praesian humans appear in practically every variety, though all insist they are Praesian, nothing else. To claim otherwise is to question their ‘nobility of blood,’ a very serious matter for a Praesian, and possibly cause for duel, or at least a round of boisterous fisticuffs. 
The other major group in Praesia are the Kaseni, or Castle Elves. These maedi take their name from Kasen Rock, a massive fortress built by the Azlan lord Kasen, thus, ‘the Rock of Kasen.’ In the First Age, following anti-human legislation in Gallia, thousands of maedi were deported to the Praesian border, where they were ensconced as guards. The Kaseni, though of Rasna extraction, developed their own distinctive culture, centered around independence, martial skill and personal pride. The Castle Elves are the great bulwark against the Reaver bands that raid from Heide, causing much dismay in the embattled Towerlands. But the Kaseni, arrayed in their fine, elaborate armor, have long stymied the Reavers, largely Veldyn though intermixed with all manner of other races eager for plunder. The Luperci, or wolf-warders, as these storied border guards are known, are mostly maedi, though any Praesian might serve, and many aspire to do so, if only to win the acclaim that comes with such a lauded position. The Kaseni are known for the haughtiness and their desire to live free from royal interference, a contention that has caused more than a few disputes with the crown, though the maedi are so useful that no monarch has ever considered removing them from their strategic position. 
Dwarves of the Iron League make up the third largest race in Praesia, though in recent years the Dal Radhans have become more antagonistic to their neighbors, seizing parts of northern Praesia. Previously, relations with the Iron League were more congenial, with the dwarves trading along the River Pax, bringing goods down from the mountains in exchange for rice and other foodstuffs. Dwarven warbands were also often hired by the Marble Throne, though now these mercenaries are more likely to serve some border count in a dispute with his rival, as Dal Radha has cut off formal relations with House Marcellus. 
Veldyn have naturally settled in Praesia, though they have not always been welcome. Mixing rowdy Veldyn with the fiery Praesians has produced some very intense conflagrations. Stories are still told of the Mead Riots of 3567. Despite this, or perhaps because of, Veldyn have also been important members of the Praesian army, including the Scarlet Guard. Indeed, several Vedlyn even achieved noble title, though the crown was always sure to place these fearsome lords along the border. 
=== Major Settlements. ===
The capital of Praesia is Magna Marum, properly Magna Marum Praesium. This ancient city was a sprawling Azlan stronghold before it was claimed by Chief Tartesso at the dawn of the First Age. The city was originally called Bira, but after Andonio was proclaimed ‘King of Praesia,’ he gave the city its grand, new name. Magna Marum is a major port, visited by ships from throughout the world. The Red Palace and great mansions rise upon a hill overlooking a half-decayed sprawl of tenements and markets, all crisscrossed by busy canals. The ancient city is layered with history, and splendor jostles with corruption, soaring cathedrals casting shadows over piled-up hovels that rot and slowly sink into the canals. Magna Marum is renowned for its debauchery, and the Rialto, crowded with bordellos, gambling parlors and spice dens, is a favorite of sailors and thieves alike. ‘A virgin in the Rialto’ is a common phrase, meaning that someone is out of their element. 
Less splendid but no less decadent is Zartega, the great commercial hub of western Praesia. Of ancient origin, Zartega is likely built on the site of the 'Water Market' that served the Azlan. Guarding the Praesian terminus of the Tirian Canal, Zartega is a haven for traders and river pirates. Lorenese merchants and Amathine condotiero mingle with Iron League rivermen and Galician rakes prowling amid the canal-side ‘entertainments.’ Zartega was once the domain of House Marcellus, who made great use of the funds flowing into the riotous river city, but in the centuries since the house’s departure, Zartega has become decayed and corrupt, with little nobility remaining. Today, House Marcellus appoints a noble to govern the city, and to be named ‘Duke of Zartega’ is a great honor, not least for all the ‘gifts’ that can be acquired from the merchants moving goods along the canal. 
By contrast, the eastern border is administered from Petra Grande, named for the city’s central feature, the great Kasen Rock, home of the Marquis of the Kaseni. The fortress itself is a marvel, appearing from a distance as a stupendous, pyramidal boulder of grey stone. Only when one grows closer do the collossal towers and battlements become apparent. The Rock is so vast that it is only partially staffed, and the deeper recesses are said to be sealed behind 'lead doors' that open only to long-forgotten 'secret words.' Petra Grande is surrounded by rolling hills, often red with roses, given the region its name of Bermejo, ‘the Red One.’ Though many merchants and travelers pass through Petra Grande on their way to or from Turovia, the Kaseni would never permit their city to become a den of corruption. Too proud to allow open vice, it is permitted in certain parts of the city, but otherwise strictly controlled. The stern Kaseni are infamous for the swift punishments they mete out to lawbreakers, as evidenced by the many heads nailed above the city’s gates. 
The northern-most city of Praesia is Meseta, so named for the plateau, or mesa, it occupies. The city is now constantly threatened by the Iron League, which naturally seeks to claim the strategic stronghold, which would give Dal Radha mastery over a swathe of the north. Troops constantly arrive to reinforce Meseta, and many sorties set out to harry the advancing dwarves, ensuring that bloodshed is frequent in the surrounding countryside. 
Beyond Meseta, upon mighty Mount Charax, first of the Worldspine peaks, is Cor Caelis. Though no longer under Praesia’s direct control, this mighty citadel of magic is given a wide berth by the dwarves. Cor Caelis is administered by the Cult of Ystarte, indeed, the citadel is their greatest holding. Many mages make the journey to Cor Caelis in hopes of learning from the mages of the Ebon Sign, the order that oversees initiates and constantly works to maintain the stability of the Skein.
Category:Nations