Great Alteria

== Great Alteria ==
To the west is the remnants of the Alterian Empire which once ruled the isles and maintained order and balance therein. The lands further west on the island known today as Great Alteria and formlerly as Erchaewaland are blocked from travel by mountains and covered with a consuming mist. This region is called the West March and sometimes folks come from those lands known as Bitterhearts. They appear to be little more than wanderers and traders. The northern coast is a cold, harsh land that hosts the Talorian College of Magic.
To the south is the great city of Lothan, the capital of the Western Alterian Empire. It is rivaled only by Darkhelm as the greatest city of the Dragon Sea and is referred to as the Pearl of the West. Its buildings are high-towered with sweeping architectural flourishes that embody the greatness that once was. The north and south are connected by a forested valley called The Vein where many tribes have found great hunting grounds and tranquil groves to call home.
=== Alterian Empire (Faction) ===
The Alterian Empire controls all of the western isle of Great Alteria, and in times gone by controlled even more territory in the Dragon Isles.
The Alterian upper classes include members of the clergy of the Church of Atavius, powerful wizards from Taloria, and the ubiquitous knights. Alteria is a society where the strong rule, and the weak exist only to serve the needs of the strong. A well-equipped Alterian knight with an assisting mage and a company of troops can put down most revolts. Commoners are beneath the notice of the ruling class, unless they make the fatal mistake of disrespect. The average Alterian aspires to personal power, whether through strength of arms, subtle spellcraft, or even serving as a well known member of the Church. Though some bards make their way into court, barbarians, rogues, and other normally chaotic classes are rarely found in the Empire as law is of paramount importance.
The people of Alteria are soldiers, warriors with a dark sense of honor and the iron fists of tyrants. They live within a rigid military society where the nobility rules, and the serfs farm the land and care for the day-to-day business. This sometimes leads to cruelty, butchering those who do not agree with their rule. It also leads to inaction, as if a matter is not seen as important to the Empire, it is left to fester or go on unattended to. Many years ago, the Empire fell from within, leaving only the core of what once was to continue on.
Alterian politics are ancient and subtle; they know the secrets of all the lands they conquered, and they remember the means to manipulate their enemies. Their ambassadors often hide an iron hand within their velvet glove and all too often carry a touch of poison behind honeyed words.
Ruler. Empress Ygraine Albrecht the Red
Seat of Power. Lothan
Demographics. The population of Great Alteria is mostly comprised of humans (70%), dwarves (10%), halflings (10%), and elves (5%), with other races making up the remaining 5%.