Five Great Lands

The Five Great Lands is the title for the five different kingdoms in Mystos.

Created in 300 SM, the five kingdoms that make up the Five Great Lands are the Mountain Realm, the Kingdom of Valley Pines, the Summerlands, the Riverlands, and the Grasslands. Lismure and the Unmosis region are not included in the Five Great Lands, even though they are in Mystos.

## Origins

Since the Secession of Man (SM), Mystos territories considered themselves different entities with regions that similarly represent the Five Great Lands. Although the kingdoms rarely interacted with each other, they did know of each other and recognized their rulership.

The Forestlands and Snowlands had a good relationship before creating the Five Great Lands. This is also true for the Grasslands and the Riverlands. The Summerlands rarely communicated with the other kingdoms.

### Forestlands

The Forestlands is a major kingdom in Mystos that was renamed the Kingdom of Valley Pines after the creation of the Five Great Lands. The kingdom’s name is sometimes shortened to Valley Pines. The domain was once the most powerful and influential in Mystos. However, after the Massacre at Goldspire, which led to the Single King’s War (481-486 SM), the kingdom’s population declined, making Valley Pines the third largest domain in Mystos. In 496 SM, Peyton Osmont split the kingdom into the Northern Kingdom of Valley Pines and the Southern Kingdom of Valley Pines. House Osmont holds both titles of the Lord Protector of the Kingdom of Valley Pines.

**Background**

The Arcs created the Forestlands when they ruled over the area before the Secession of Man. After House Osmont came into power in 1188 EAE, they became obsessed with Maras and began killing them after the Prick Decree was created in 1194. Before the Secession of Man ended, King Sawyer Osmont replaced the Prick Decree with the Arts Banishment. Although the killing of Maras subsided, the Forestlands continued to be hostile toward them.

King Eike Osmont revoked the Arts Banishment in 125 SM, wanting the Forestlands to be more accepting of Maras. Neries Osmont, King Eike’s eldest daughter, became Queen of the Forestlands in 150, marking the beginning of the Osmont Golden Age. Neries was spiteful of Maras and signed the Outlawing of the Arts in 151, reversing the public’s neutral attitude toward Maras that her father had created. In 167 SM, Queen Neries’ daughter, Bowen, was kidnapped by Maras. In response, Neries created the Preservers of the Cleansed Race (PCR), an organization that persecuted Maras. The PCR held a tight grip on the Forestlands, inserting themselves into House Osmont.

In 270 SM, Cypris Osmont became king. He created a harem of seven women known as Cypris’ Sighers to protect him and bear his children. When four Sighers became pregnant simultaneously, the highborn houses began uprising against House Osmont with the help of the PCR. Cypris sent the four pregnant women south to save them from possible violence. At the beginning of 272, Cypris left Kingment with his last three Sighers and sought refuge in the new city of Silverwood.

Harland Wayward, King of the Snowlands, had also sought shelter in Silverwood after Maryere, the Snowlands' capital city, was burned by House Blackmour during the First Holy War. The two kings decided that the highborn houses in their kingdom were a problem and began to plan how to deal with them.

### Snowlands

The Snowlands, renamed the Mountain Realm after the creation of the Five Great Lands, is a significant kingdom in Mystos. The realm is a multi-terrain territory located in northwestern Mystos. House Wayward was the ruling house before and after the creation of the Five Great Lands. The kingdom saw enormous economic growth after transitioning into the Mountain Realm, making it the second most powerful of the five kingdoms. Although the Grasslands are the strongest in population, military, economy, and reputation, they generally stay out of the Mystosi politics, allowing the Mountain Realm to become the strongest politically.

**Background**

Throughout the history of the Snowlands, the people have rarely been hostile toward Maras but had great disdain for Arcs. After House Osmont created the PCR in 167 SM, House Wayward attempted to keep the organization out of the Snowlands. The Snowlands’ Arcan Revival spanned throughout the third century of the Secession of Man, but when House Wayward began marrying Arcs, the other highborn houses revolted. House Blackmour of Eldenhold was the most violent of the highborn houses during this time and planned the kidnapping and murder of Queen Enianna Wayward, an Arc, in 239. House Blackmour was also the aggressor during the First Holy War, burning Maryere in 272. King Harland Wayward escaped during the attack and hid in Silverwood, meeting King Cypris Osmont, who was doing the same. The two kings agreed that the highborn houses were becoming too aggressive, and they needed to act.

In 274 SM, Cypris left the Kingdom of Valley Pines, and Maven Osmont became the next King of the Forestlands. Harland and Maven quickly befriended, and both men traveled to Kingment. Harland agreed with Maven’s belief that Maras and Zuts should be treated equally and that the PCR should not exist. In 280, Maven disappeared. Believing that the PCR was behind Maven’s disappearance, Harland left for the Snowlands less than a fortnight after Prethes Osmont became king. Harland was distraught when he learned that Christian Blackmour had allowed the PCR into the Snowlands during his time away. Harland marched to Maryere to take back the Snowlands but was murdered by the PCR in 286. In 287, Calarel Wayward was crowned the last King of the Snowlands.

### Grasslands

The Grasslands is one of the Five Great Lands of Mystos. House Gardener has always held the title of the Lord Protector of the Grasslands. Known as the “Safest Kingdom in Mystos,” the Grasslandi pride themselves in protecting the peace while expanding their tourism industry, allowing more people to travel to the Grasslands. Although the Grasslands are the strongest in population, military, economy, and reputation, they generally stay out of the Mystosi politics, allowing the Mountain Realm to become the strongest politically. Since House Gardener and House Wayward are related through marriages, the Grasslands peacefully allowed the Mountain Realm to be the most vital political kingdom.

**Background**

From 200-290 SM, Savants and scholars documented that the yearly temperature average increased by 0.33 degrees. Before 200 SM, Lion’s Peak, the mountain the Lion’s Den castle is built into, stayed consistently chilly and snowy. In 202, the once dormant Volkan’s Volcano erupted continuously, and the summer moons became hotter than average, ruining many crops. By 220, Lion’s Peak no longer produced snow. Devastating avalanche reports from 221, 268, and 287 SM claimed many lives and forced the Gardener Monarchy to react. In 288, King Tamman Gardener created the Cooler Air Initiative to combat the rising temperature they believed was caused by the volcano.

After almost a hundred years of activity, Volkan’s Volcano experienced a massive eruption in 293. The lava created new streams called Volkan’s Veins, ruining the previous freshwater rivers that crisscrossed through the area now known as the Valley of Smoke. The volcano continuously produces lava, dumping into the bottomless Lake of Shadows.

In retaliation to the volcanic eruption, the snow caps on the Iron Vale melted quickly, flooding water down the Long River and as far south as the Riverlands, destroying many cities and towns near the riverbanks. This event is known as the Great Floods of 294 SM, and the floods devastated Mystos’ eastern landscape. The Great Floods caused an immediate severe famine, labeled the Grasslandi Famine. The famine was so severe the royal family began to die, and King Tamman died of starvation in 295. The crown then went to his last surviving child, Harith.

### Riverlands

The Riverlands is a kingdom and one of the Five Great Lands, located in the southeastern region of Mystos. House Ayers has always held the title of the Lord Protector of the Riverlands. After the Single King’s War (481-486 SM) and the Great Drought of Obum (486-505 SM), the Riverlands became decimated and have not participated in Mystosi politics in several decades.

**Background**

For centuries, House Ayers were isolationists, interacting only within their domain. Queen Caethyri Ayers, however, was different. She traveled to the Grasslands to create an alliance with House Gardener and married a Grasslandi architect. Caethyri had five children, giving them all Grasslandi names, which bothered Riverlands highborn. When Safiri Ayers, Caethyri’s eldest child, became king in 285 SM, he declared he would restructure the Council of the Riverlands. The older highborn houses were shocked by this change and protested Safiri’s decision. On the first moon of 267, the new Council was selected. Ten days into the new year, the entire Council and King Safiri were murdered during a meeting. After Safiri’s assassination, his brother, Yahya Ayers, immediately took the throne and arrested House Delta, who had planned the massacre. A fortnight later, Yahya executed everyone in House Delta, guilty or not. He then finished the restructured Council in honor of his brother.

Yahya’s other three siblings, Pitipiti, Wisesa, and Eyodora, quickly became upset with how Yahya ruled, feeling wholly left out of Riverlands politics. In 268 SM, Yahya banished his siblings to Augwin, and in retaliation, his siblings declared that Agwin was a sovereign city. In 270, Yahya traveled to Augwin and murdered his siblings for treason. In 297, his wife, Crysta Moors, and their three children were murdered by the Ebony Clan, throwing Yahya into despair.

### Summerlands

The Summerlands is the southernmost kingdom in Mystos. Known for their beautiful architecture, style, and food, the Summerans pride themselves on being among the most culturally diverse in Mystos. However, after the Massacre at Goldspire in 481 SM, the Summerlands declined drastically and are now rarely in Mystosi politics.

**Background**

After the Great Flood of 294, King Rudes Thoren traveled to Sunacre, a small town off the banks of Galley’s Stream. While touring the destruction, King Rudes became uneasy after seeing how weak the people were becoming, even when given food. In 295, he continued to journey to cities and towns located by rivers affected by the flood. The people of Strange Spring, Honeygrove, and Phoolan had similar symptoms to the ones documented in Sunacre. By the end of 295, reports were coming in from Sunacre that people, regardless of age, gender, or social status, were dying of a strange disease. Savants and alchemists who performed autopsies noticed that the victims’ hearts were misshapen, swollen, and grey - even if they had only recently died. In 297, the Citadel and University agreed that the disease, labeled the Brittle Heart Disease, was caused by the contaminated water after the Great Flood. Symptoms were continuously documented, and treatments had begun by the end of 297. At the beginning of 298, it was learned that the contamination had entered the Summerlands irrigation system, affecting the entire kingdom. Summerans began dying in droves - causing the kingdom to scramble. During the eighth moon in 298, King Rudes Thoren died of the disease, and his son, Uxen Thoren, ascended the throne.

## Creation

### The Initiation of the Gathering

Meyor Osmont became King of Valley Pines in 294 SM. Nervous about the PCR’s power, he made his sisters Fawix and Devana his advisors and protectors but knew it wasn’t enough. This nervousness about other entities ruling was felt throughout Mystos. In 297, Yahya Ayers’ wife and their three children were murdered by the Ebony Clan, leaving Yahya without an heir. Although he told no one of this tragedy, news reached Kingment in 298, further frightening Meyor. He contacted King Calarel Wayward to request an alliance, but Calarel was utterly uninterested in making allies and ruling the Snowlands. Less than a moon later, another letter from King Harith Gardener arrived to Maryere, begging for assistance with the famine the Grasslands were experiencing. Knowing that the Snowlands needed allies after the First Holy War, Queen Kabralin Wayward wrote to Fawix Osmont and Harith Gardener in 298 and agreed to both alliances. During the same year, Uxen Thoren became King of the Summerlands during the Brittle Heart Disease epidemic. He had contacted the Citadel, Chapel, and University in Lismure, begging for help, but after the disastrous Plague of the Arts (90-103 SM), the establishments shied away. Uxen contacted House Osmont of the Forestlands and House Ayers of the Riverlands in 299. House Osmont immediately responded, saying they were creating an alliance with the ruling houses in Mystos. Once Yahya Ayers accepted the invitation to meet with the other Mystosi kingdoms, the five kings gathered at Limsure in 300 SM.

### The Gathering

The five Mystosi kings met in Lismure during the summer moons of 300 SM. After getting to know each other, the men began holding their meetings. Meyor Osmont, Uxen Thoren, and Harith Gardener led the gathering - all needing as much support as possible. Each king had issues within their kingdom that were discussed at the meeting.

The kings focused on the Snowlands first, whose most significant issue was the other highborn houses in the region. After Calarel decided that the Snowlands should be renamed the Mountain Realm, Meyor and Harith agreed to assist House Wayward anytime they were attacked by the other highborn houses in the Mountain Realm. Calarel agreed to the proposition before he stopped participating in the meetings. Queen Kabralin took his place as the gathering continued. Yahya Ayers wanted the same alliance agreement but with the Grasslands and the Summerlands, and the regions agreed.

King Meyor believed that changing the name of his kingdom from the Forestlands would bring about a new era for House Osmont. He renamed the Forestlands to the Kingdom of Valley Pines after the trees that filled the Great Forest. He expressed his issues with the PCR, but only Kabralin had had experience with the organization. She explained that the PCR sided with the aggressors during the First Holy War and that they were an organization that needed to be demolished. Since the Summerlands, Grasslands, and Riverlands had never experienced the PCR, they decided to give annual financial aid to the Kingdom of Valley Pines, hoping House Osmont could eradicate the PCR independently.

As the conversations continued, Kabralin realized that the Grasslandi agriculture that the Great Flood destroyed could survive in the Mountain Realm. The two houses agreed that the Grasslands would send farmers to the Mountain Realm to start an agricultural economy along with the other mountain people. In return, the Mountain Realm would send thirty percent of the harvest for free for fifteen years. After that, the Grasslands would have to pay.

King Uxen Thoren, having the most devastated kingdom and suffering from a plague, didn’t know what to do. Queen Kabralin Wayward invited her mother by marriage, Lixiss, who was believed to be an Arc, to Lismure. After Uxen explained the situation, Lixiss recommended contacting the Temple. Kabralin promised to assist in whatever the Summerlands needed, creating another alliance.

During the ninth moon, the five leaders returned to their regions, pleased with how the meeting had transpired.

## Aftermath

Although the leaders of the Fiver Great Lands were confident in their decision, the western half of Mystos flew into disarray, mainly because all the highborns in the region and establishments were blindsided.

On the tenth moon of 300 SM, Volkan’s Volcano erupted, and an enormous flow of lava rushed down Volkan’s Veins, forcing an overflow of lava into Lismure. The city's leaders were unprepared for such natural destruction and looked to the establishments for guidance. The establishments hesitated in responding, and during that time, fire and lava destroyed the city–killing thousands. The Re’ins, regionally based assassin organizations, were the first to assist the citizens. After the destruction had settled, the establishments, mainly the Citadel and Chapel, blamed the catastrophe on the five kings of Mystos who had recently left the city. Because of this misplaced blame, the event is now known as the Great Fire of the Five Kings.

As news of the Great Fire reached Maryere, Lord Protector Calarel Wayward was already dealing with rumblings of a revolt. It quickly became too much for Calarel, and during the second moon of 301 SM, he left his entire family and traveled south, never to be seen again. Kabralin was unfazed by her husband's cowardice and immediately made her six-year-old son, Armaic, the Mountain Realm's Lord Protector, claiming it was Calarel’s last declaration.

Unconvinced, Lord Ulfred Myster started rumors that Armaic was an Arc. At that point, in the Mountain Realm, claiming someone was an Arc brought immediate suspicion toward that person, resulting in arrest and sometimes death. Kabralin was terrified and considered contacting her new allies but hesitated. Instead, when Ulfred Myster marched onto Maryere, an unknown woman took down the entire army, ending the short Second Holy War. After the war, Kabralin left the Mountain Realm and lived in the Summerlands to assist Uxen Thoren.

The other regions saw little resistance.