Eriene

Map of Eriene Necros, prior to Kuragma annexing the region

## Common Knowledge

Once a prosperous kingdom of magic, a surprise attack led to Eriene’s collapse. It is now a hotspot of banditry and necromancers, though Kuragma claims the area and the Silver Horn campaigns there constantly to purge the land’s undead.

## Topography and Climate

Eriene is made up of relatively flat plains with frequent rocky outcrops. Its western border, once shared with Kuragma, is mountainous, and its coastal cliffs are some of the highest in southern Orelisle.

## Population

### Former

Eriene was a predominantly Human nation, though High Elve immigrants from Brennon and Aldenlied, Orcs, Haelwyd Hobbits, and others were not uncommon. There were also a very small amount of Kuragman Minotaurs, though most opted to remain in their home country rather than move elsewhere.

### Modern

Modern Eriene, what can still be called Eriene, is a desolate land with hardly a civilization to speak of. Anyone or anything could be found in its wastes now, but bandits, necromancers, and roaming undead are common.

## Exports and Trades

### Former

Eriene exported crops, lumber, and raw materials, but its main source of prosperity came from its creation and trade of magical items. Scrolls, magic items, and even artifacts flowed from Eriene Primus and many others.

Erieneans were mostly tinkerers, artisans, craftspeople, scholars, politicians, or intellectuals. This isn’t to say that there were few laborers, only that the expectation was that such people would take up a hobby in one of these skills.

### Modern

Eriene has no exports, and its main occupations are looters, treasure-hunters, bandits, and necromancers. If “being dead” were a job, then Eriene would have that covered in spades, shortly followed by “being undead”.

## Government

Eriene was ruled by a magocratic democracy, as outlined in their magical founding document called the “Pax Primus”. The Archmage Council governed Eriene from its seat in Eriene Primus, led by the Prime Archmage. The mages were elected to the positions of leadership by the leaders of individual communities, forming a sort of representative democracy. The qualifications needed to actually be considered a “mage” varied by region, but generally they needed to be at least familiar with spellcraft and rituals. This laxness towards the barrier for entry gave many non-magic users a voice on the Council, even if the governing body’s name suggested a degree of exclusion.

The Archmage council was considered the highest governing body in the land, with smaller councils running the affairs of smaller subdivisions of the nation. Each representative was selected every six years, and the Prime Archmage selected by the Council from its own membership.

## Military

Eriene’s staunch beliefs in the importance of knowledge and intellect over martial strength made them appear militarily weak, but Eriene boasted some of the most powerful battlemage armies to ever be fielded in Orelisle. What they lacked in martial skill they more than made up for with arcane prowess.

The average Erienean battlemage was trained in powerful combat magic, ranging from simple lightning  bolts and fireballs to giant blasts of arcane energy. Shield and sword were still used, but always augmented with magic.

Their ten standing legions were mostly used defensively but often came into conflict with Kuragma’s Legions.

## Social Hierarchy and Culture

Erienean culture valued intellect, creativity, and creation above all things. The acquisition or pursuit of knowledge, especially magical knowledge, was seen as not only a noble goal, but an ideal to aspire to. If a person could not contribute to academia, alchemy, mechanical science, or the arcane arts, then the next best thing would be some form of artistic expression to contribute to the extensive culture. There were many academic institutions to this end, such as the Grand Academy of the Arts in Eriene Primus.

Though they were necessary, menial jobs (like farmers, miners, sanitation workers, etc.) were greatly devalued.

Erienean society was structured around urban life.

### Magic

Eriene’s magical knowledge was vast and by all appearances nearly unrivaled in southern Orelisle. In addition to centuries’ worth of research, a network of magical energy supplying whole cities with power, Erienean mages had uncovered ways to manipulate the natural leylines that passed through their nation. Though not able to dispel or bypass them at all, they did find ways to transmit information across leylines, granting them long-distance, near-instant communication.

## Cities, Towns, and Villages

### Eriene Primus

The capital of Eriene, and the city for which the country was named.

## Alliances

Up until their sudden invasion, Eriene had a strong alliance with Kuragma and a substantial stake in Brennosian affairs as well. It also likely had trade agreements with surrounding nations, such as Aldenlied, Galkador, Haelwyd, and others.

In its current condition Eriene is a part of Kuragma, and therefore shares its allies and enemies.

## Enemy Countries

Eriene had very little in the way of enemies, except for the occasional border dispute with Kuragma, right up until a Kuragman surprise attack completely obliterated their capital city and way of life.

In a cruel twist of fate, present-day Eriene is a part of Kuragma, and therefore shares its allies and enemies.

## Historical Timeline

* 1,826 A.B. - Human slaves revolt against rulers in southern High Elf cities, force a stalemate and flee to the west
* 1,848 A.B. - Leaders write a new system of government, codify it in a magical document called Pax Primus, and found the city of Eriene Primus
* C. 2,000 A.B. - C. 4,000 A.B. - More cities besides Eriene Primus are founded
* C. 4,000 A.B. - C. 4,350 A.B. - Research done with nearby leylines causes drastic uptick in magical study
* C. 4,350 A.B. - C. 4,800 A.B. - Magic becomes a focal point for Erienean society
* C. 4,800 A.B. - C. 5,100 A.B. - Eriene becomes a total magocracy with the veneer of democracy
* C. 5,100 A.B. - 5,401 A.B. - Magicless Erieneans develop mundane and alchemical technologies to high levels, to the point that they can begin to compete with magocrat magic
* 5,401 A.B. - 5,412 A.B. - Magocracy attempts to suppress technological developments with new legislation restricting its use and certain fields of research
* 5,412 A.B. - 5,429 A.B. - Magocracy’s suppression of technological study backfires, Eriene plunges into civil war
* 5,429 A.B. - Technophile faction wins Erienean civil war, dismantles establishments that led to true magocracy
* C. 6,490 A.B. - Erienean border patrol first harassed by militarized Kuragman forces (instead of angry mindless minotaurs, like usual)
* C. 6,500 - C. 6,700 - Eriene and Kuragma engage in a war of little consequence, ultimately agree to a ceasefire
* 7,282 A.B. - 8,506 A.B. - Eriene Primus develops a massive magical power source
	+ 7,282 A.B. - Inanis Company, a mage’s guild dedicated to constructing a single power source for all Eriene Primus’ magic, is founded
	+ 7,310 A.B. - Inanis Company gains fame and renown for various magical achievements
	+ 7,580 A.B. - Archmage Council formally adopts Inanis Company (still going with legacy members) project, makes it a formal city project
	+ 8,506 A.B. - “Inanis Aestus”, shortened simply to “Primus” or even just “The Generator” is completed
		- Opens pinholes into Veil and draws in magic from it for seconds at a time once a month
		- Theoretically would never run out of stored magic
		- Primus connected to some of Eriene Primus’ magic-based facilities & public improvements
* 9,017 A.B. - Necromancer Na’reth infiltrates Primus chamber in Eriene Primus, intending to use Primus to power a ritual to zombify the inhabitants of Kuragma, then lead that army to conquer Eriene
	+ Ritual is interrupted, Kuragma and Eriene are saved by Primus must be deactivated for repairs
	+ Na’reth escapes very near death, and is never seen again
* 9,559 A.B. - Primus repairs are completed, and Inanis Aestus is reactivated
* 9,988 A.B. - 9,989 A.B. - Territorial disputes lead Eriene and Kuragma into a small-scale but protracted war. Ended when Brennon, an ally of both nations, negotiates a peace treaty
* 9,990 A.B. - Eriene and Kuragma seal their alliance. Using ritual magic provided by Brennon, Thanatos Blood-Fist is conceived by uniting the Essences of Prime Archmage Artemisia and King Asterion of Kuragma
* 10,005 A.B. - Eriene develops simplistic automatons
* 10,009 A.B. - Eriene develops spell gauntlet prototype
* 10,012 A.B. - Brennon manipulates Kuragman King Halius Fire-Fist into attacking Eriene
	+ Eriene Primus and other cities destroyed, nation collapses
	+ Inanis Aestus irreparably destroyed
* 10,012 A.B. - 10,016 A.B. - Undead and bandits move into ruined cities and temples, becomes colloquially known as “Eriene Necros”
* 10,016 A.B. - Eriene Necros annexed by Kuragman King Thanatos Blood-Fist
* 10,016 A.B. - Present - At King Thanatos’ direction, Silver Horn leads frequent campaigns into Eriene Necros to eliminate undead presence

## Further Information

* Aldenlied
* Automaton
* Brennon
* Kuragma
* Magic
* Minotaurs
* Silver Horn
* Thanatos Blood-Fist