Duchy of Brecie

### Important figures

Admiral Derek Bergley, Rogue Captain Regnar Dawnshill, Head Explorer Darghem Gadsdale, Rikzik Three-Talons

### Important organizations

Brecian Navy, Men of the Sea, Explorer's Guild, The Motley Crow

### Inhabitants

Humans, western orcs, half-elves and -orcs, undines and various minorities of other races

### Enemies

Various groups of pirates and rogue militants

Brecie is an autonomous duchy of El Sherdan located in the aptly named island of Brecie just south of the western border of El Sherdan. The island itself has been inhabited by humans for thousands of years and the Duchy of Brecie is the islands most recent territorial state instituted by the Empire of El Sherdan. Brecie was founded somewhere before the Second Demon War and before being annexed by El Sherdan, the island itself was known as a haven for pirates. El Sherdan had trouble keeping the Brecians under control and so the emperor opted to give power and support to a prominent local captain, Hareck Gilford, who then slowly united the island under his control over the years. Brecie is allowed to operate largely on its own and El Sherdan only requires the duke of Brecie to answer the calls of military aid when needed.

Brecie is rarely involved in southern politics and the main concern of the duke is the Brecian sea. Even though Brecie is a duchy, it is still a society where freedom is a way of life and the law goes largely ignored. One can often get away with many crimes if their money goes in the right pockets. Justice usually only comes to those that are bothering the duke or El Sherdan directly. The Brecian Navy is larger than that of El Sherdan and for a good reason; the Brecian sea is filled with pirates, freebooters and rogue ship captains looking for easy targets. Reaching the markets of Brecie might prove difficult for any smaller merchants and so imported goods mainly come directly from El Sherdan. Piracy has been a major pain to Brecian and Sherdanian trade and that is probably why it is being more actively shut down. Still, Brecie has a clear place in southern trade and anything related to fish is their main export and they do active trading with El Sherdan, Antar and Vonrim.

Brecian people are known for being free-minded and impulsive. They are not ones to sit around and discuss petty politics, they take to the sea and like to face the challenges of survival. Some Brecians have even made expeditions further south with very few returning. Many Brecians pray to the God Tyrel as they ride the waves and winds of the southern seas, including members of the Explorer's Guild. The law in Brecie has always been quite loose and the duke himself has traditionally turned a blind eye to many criminal activities. Brecian smugglers and the black market of Harecksburg are well known within the southern kingdoms. In recent years, El Sherdan has increased its pressure on the duke of Brecie and so the Brecian Navy has had a more active role in ridding the southern seas of these smugglers and buccaneers. In response, a new group called Men of the Sea has formed around the island with a goal of fighting for the rights of free men and old Brecian traditions under the leadership of Regnar Dawnshill. Another well-known group of pirates called The Motley Crow, lead by the cunning tengu Rikzik Three-Talons, has also raised a formidable armada of rebellious pirates and is looking to exploit the growing instabilities to gain riches and power. As all of these groups prepare to clash on the Brecian Sea, Brecie now finds itself in turmoil and it may be that a large-scale civil war is in their hands unless the Sherdanian emperor himself intervenes.