Ambrion, Nation of

Cultural Theme: Middle Ages European

Tech level: 100 Years War

Government: Theocracy (The Order of the Dawn)

Social Alignment: Neutral Good

Social situation: Persecution of Shifters has given rise to a civil rights movement agitating for change.

Dominant Races: Shifters, Elves

Secondary Races: Gnomes, Dwarves, Halflings, Orcs, Dragons, Ogre (Barbarian Tribes, at perpetual war with Orcs), Centaurs

Subterranean Races: Drow, Mind Flayers, Deurgar

History:

The Nation of Ambrion is named for the creator of Amadonia, Ambriel Angelus, and encompasses approximately half of the continent of Karitatea. Its capitol city is Angelusia, named for Angelium, the home of the aforementioned deity. The city began its existence as a small fur trading village that was built along a dirt path East of the mountain range inhabited by a section of the Dwarven kingdom. All manner of races passed through this hub on their way to one destination or another, causing it to grow quickly into a full fledged city. As the city itself was founded originally by Elves, they are and remain the majority population through the city, and as such they hold most of the jobs in the city as well. Other races, such as Dwarves, Gnomes, and Halflings, began to settle there as well. At least, that's the approved history taught in the Elvish dominated schools.

The true account, according to Shifter Scholar and Historian Gerald Silvertooth, is more complex, and not nearly so clean cut.

Silvertooth claims, in his treatises regarding the settling and expansion of the city and the growth of the Theocratic kingdom known as Ambrion. Below is an excerpt from his work, "The Relocation", explaining what it was like before the founding of Angelusia and after the Elves began to settle in the thriving community:

*Many will tell you that the Elves were welcomed into our trading community with open arms. That is where the truth of it ends. For the real story, look no further than the following pages:*

*My own ancestor, Gerival Silvertooth, was one of the Shifters that, though we were created in the image of the fire god Shura, the Elves, created in the image of her brother, the Water god Marin, believed us to be nothing more than beasts, to be forced into tasks of menial labor, when they deigned to notice us at all. Himself an "indentured servant" of the prominent ruling family of Ambrion at that time, wanted something better. To this end, he bought passage on a passing trade caravan after faking his own death and moved to the open and unexplored Wild Expanse, and planned to start his life as a hermit. Fate had other plans. Other shifters heard of this act of defiance and began to grumble about wanting a better life. This of course was not forthcoming from the Elvish masters. Undeterred, several of the shifters in question continued to meet in secret to discuss a bold escape plan. It started as an act of passive aggressive deeds, from being as simple as refusing to clean up after a meal to being as complex as smuggling the younger shifters, which included several teenagers about to be forced into servitude into the wilderness to make their own way.*

*These able-bodied adolescents were the first male citizens of what would become Angelusia, though they only were allowed to settle down in the area after promising not to bother Gerival with whatever it was he passed the time with. Gerival hoped, though he had a feeling that hope was in vain, that he'd be able to live in peace after that. Fate and the gods had other plans, however. Word eventually spread about the small community as they traveled into the nearby towns and villages for supplies. This of course lead to more Shifters wanting to experience life in a haven free of persecution, and so more left their cities and villages to come to "The Angel's Sanctuary", called such because of the small temple to Ambriel that a sympathetic Elf cleric of the Protector had built in order to provide aid and comfort to both the residents and the passersby who came in need of medical or spiritual healing. This in turn caused even MORE people to become aware of the growing settlement, and within a few years several races began mixing it up within the borders of the town. Gnomes, Halflings, Shifters, and even Elves lived side by side in harmony. It would seem, if I were to end the tale here, that we all lived together with no problems at all.*

*Prepare to be disappointed.*

*It began innocently enough. The other races worked together and built up the town into what eventually became a full fledged city. The local shrine had expanded into a full on temple and barracks, the soldiers of said barracks trained in the arts of war and combat by the old veterans who had been forcibly conscripted into the armies of the different cities and deserted*