Trost

A human country, indeed the most human country, as Trost has been a country in control of the Order of Witchhunters for centuries. 200 years ago they deemed "Inhumans" as evil, just like magic itself, expanding it's power and borders massively. No longer the official policy, but still recovering from it's purge, Trost's population was nearly halved, and the country is still 80% human, including the slaves of war.

## Politics

Trost is a strict monarchy, though it is comprised of more than a hundred separate microstates under the crown, mostly crusader kingdoms since wrapped into the crown's control. The crown, formally known as The Crown of Embers, is held by the King of Embers, Iago Germund Graf, the head of the Order of Witchhunters. This is no coincidence, as the succession policies of Trost follow the leader of the Witchhunters, rather than bloodline. Other political leaders in Trost follow a more typical dynastic succession, though this is primarily within Altheim and Luzhilheim, with Wiglant, Albkreigr, and Knechtackar having titles that follow the Crown of Ember's succession manner.

Iago's son (Prince Damien Leos Graf, who is only 21, 55 years younger than Iago) was quite famously going to inherit the Lesser Crown of East Albkreigr, though recent events involving his kidnapping have delayed this transfer. As such, the other lords of Albkreigr have had to take over administrative duties, though they have primarily used this power to drain the region's resources and people.

## Religion

The primary religion of Trost is Magvel, the backing religion of the Order of Witchunters. Witchhunters are broadly seen as protecting the peasantry from witches, demons, and their ilk, and are typically called the Heilag or Jagon by peasants. Because of their holy duty, King Iago is also called Saint Iago, particularly by the Heilag when speaking to the military or civilians. As far as anyone can tell, Magvel does have it's beginnings in ancient Trost, with the ruined Wizzenheilag still encapsulated by the Gleimhold, whose fortifications were built around it before the country of Trost truly existed. According to Dwemer records, the country was once Wezzistein, and Trost was the result of a rebellion by the country's founder.

Most of the Trostans hold true to their religion, though not as strongly as the Heilag, and most can be reasoned with to a point. Witches are generally seen as terrifying, demons in flesh, even if their magic is weak or beneficial, but an apothecary isn't a witch, right?

## Culture

Trostans live a simple life, with ranchers and farmers being incredibly common. They deal with regular incursions from Fomorians, bandits, and raiders from Fas'Thorn, it's neighbor to the east (which it is at war with), and as such most people live inside towns with simple walls, if they can't live in the cities and don't live within a stone's throw of their local lord's castle, of which there are thousands. Both castles and towns were typically built around a Heilag outpost, from which the hunters occasionally call meetings to examine the peasants for witchcraft, and it was the Heilag's job to protect those assembled from such monsters. In addition to ordinary peasant workers, most lords command a small army of slaves to do much the same work.

Slaving is a prominent part of the empire, with Trost's constant warring producing a steady stream of prisoners back to the local lords whose armies have been sent far afield, often civilians and typically elves, giants, and hobbits. Though the purges ended two centuries ago, non-humans are still often seen as less than human, and so despite slave revolts being a weekly occurrence, few such revolts have seen any popularity, and most were crushed by the Heilag and blamed on mass demonic possession, with the hunters often executing entire towns of people for harbouring or cavorting with the "witches responsible" for the revolt.

The Trostan nobility is largely homophobic by tradition, though this is falling out of favour in the modern nights.