Earldom of Chrysovica

The western islands in the Adamantine Archipelago are home to a population of humans that form the **Earldom of Chrysovica**. They mostly occupy the coastline and form large, floating fishing communities,

## History

Archeological findings indicate that the people of Chrysovica emigrated to the Adamantine Archipelago from modern Belsirya, although no written history exists to confirm this hypothesis. Most of the Chrysovican elders and history keepers agree somewhat that the Chrysovicans fled to these islands by the time of the formation of the First Elven Empire. There, the fleeing Belsiryans encountered other humans, who were fewer in numbers.

Eventually, the Belsiryans settled down in Shipten Nuiki and the surrounding islands, and over the following decades and then centuries, the two populations intermixed with each other, to the point that pretty much every single individual can trace back their heritage to both Belsirya and to the native population of the islands.

The Chrysovica Isles were for a long time prosperous, thanks to engaging in few external wars, and most of them being defensive. Chrysovica was the region of Scimitaria that was plagued the less by the wars between Azan and the Elves, as well as the following Drow insurgence. Despite that, there were many internal conflicts, as pretty much for all its existence Chrysovica had been ruled by many different earls across the numerous islands. It was only around 200 years ago that Earl Tukka Godfrigekk united the central island of Shipten Nuiki under his rulership after a series of succession wars. Not long after, the earls of the surrounding islands bent their knee to Tukka, who was crowned as the first High Earl of Chrysovica.

A century and a half passed, and Chrysovica had prospered under Tukka’s successors. Few wars, coupled with bountiful harvests led to a big population boom. However, after Chrysovica’s unification, the nation got more involved in external affairs, opening its doors to foreign merchants and embassies. As a consequence of this, the court of Chrysovica’s capital, Tuanehemi, got swarmed by Sea Elven spies and agents that only served the interests of the Sea Elves.

Using a few disgruntled earls against the High King, as well as military information obtained through espionage, the Sea Elves threatened to wage war against Chrysovica. After a few proxy naval battles were won by the Sea Elves, the High King capitulated in fear of invasion and a lengthy siege and blockade. As a result, Chrysovica adopted the worship of Caijin as their official religion, while a puppet High Queen – Isabella I of House Aldera – was installed.

## People

Chrysovicans claim a mixed heritage from the natives of the Chrysovican Isles, as well as migrants from Belsirya. Nowadays, these two populations are almost identical, and the small distinctions are made based on physical appearance – native Chrysovicans were more naturally brawny with prevalence of dark hair, while Belsiryans and Calcabrans are shorter with lighter features. Most native Chrysovicans, following the migrations, adopted names fitting to mainland Scimitaria, while other Belsiryans who rose to Earldom adopted local names as a form of tribute towards tradition.

## Government

The Earldom of Chrysovica is ruled by a High Earl who is voted on every 3 years by the land owning population of the islands. The Earl is responsible for protecting the island and making sure trade runs smoothly. There are no term limits and the Earl rules for as long as the people of the islands are content. The Earl can be male or female and is usually of a wealthy or noble birth. Ever since the threat of the Sea Elves to conquer their islands the position of Earl has increasingly become a female position, so as to ease relations with the matriarchical Sea Elves, as well as publicly proclaiming worship to the god Caijin. The High Earl lives on the northwestern most island, at the Seawood Fortress, which serves as the capital of the Earldom. The Northwestern most island, which is called Suut Magnin is also the wealthiest and seems to have the most sway over elections. The current Earl is on her first term, Isabella II of the House Aldera, who is the granddaughter of the first High Earl that was directly appointed by the Sea Elves. Below Isabella are many Earls who rule over their respective fiefdoms, contributing manpower and taxes to the High Earl.

## Locations

Seawood Fortress is a large fort that was built after the arrival of the Belsiryans, and today serves as the capital of Chrysovica. It’s the ancestral home of House Aldera. Tuanehemi is the largest city of Chrysovica, and it’s situated in the southern coast of Shipten Nuiki, overlooking the Little Hope Strait. Other large settlements include Crawl Town, Arckx, Olgi Morren and the pilgrim town of Allevina.

Most fishing towns of Chrysovica are built either on top of small islands or atolls. The smaller villages are built on top of floating platforms, where the villagers navigate the waters using small gondolas, which are more numerous than horses or other mounts. Tuanehemi started as such a village, and one of its most populous districts is “Old Tuanehemi” which consists of many of these floating shacks, as well as smaller houses built on land.

To prevent overcrowding, some Earls forbid the additional construction of these floating shacks in the fishing villages, leading people to build their houses instead on islands and atolls. However, many poorer families instead of doing that, were more keen on building their homes on the sides of steep cliffs that overlooked the sea, as sometimes the price of property on the islands became too extreme. This led to the establishment of many shantytowns, where erosion and large waves claimed the lives of many individuals over the years. Settlements away from bodies of water are rare in Chrysovica, and are mostly located next to mines, vineyards or other areas of opportunity.

## Geography

Chrysovica is located in the Adamantine Isles, which are now most commonly known as the Chrysovican Isles. This island chain consists of six major islands, as well as hundreds of smaller atolls and coral islets. The atolls are composed of live coral reefs and sand bars. Chrysovica is an extremely flat country, with the only mountain being located near the center of Shipten Nuiki island.

Despite the high geographical latitude of Chrysovica, the climate is temperate, with mild winters and mild summers. The crystal clear waters are ideal for both humans and animals. Thanks to a gigantic coral reef that surrounds Chrysovica, there is an abundance of marine life, which makes Chrysovica the perfect place for fishermen. Storms and hurricanes are common as well.

The many wide rivers of Shipten Nuiki and the other islands are also home to their own rich ecosystem, and with the overcrowding of the coastal areas, many have opted to move to the river settlements.

## Economy

The economy of Chrysovica revolves around fishing, and because of that most communities are coastal. Most Chrysovicans prefer to fish in their own waters, although some whaling ships often venture north, towards the Treassure Sea, in search of whales and larger sea prey. Fish constitute Chrysovica’s largest export, and the waters around the coral reef house many rare marine species, which fetch a very hefty price in Scimitaria and the Sea Elven Domains.

Pearl, coral and sponge divers are also common. Necklaces, bracelets and crowns made out of pearls are made by certain jewelers, while collectors of strange sea corals can be found paying extraordinary amounts of money for their acquisition. The very few Chrysovicans who don’t occupy themselves in fishing, diving, gastronomy or anything that doesn’t involve the sea, are usually miners, vintners, olive cultivators and farmers.

## Religion

### Lady of the Lake

After the threat of invasion by the Sea Elves, Chrysovica signed a concord which designated the worship of the Sea Elven god Caijin as the official religion. Many temples were built and many religious authorities were shipped to Chrysovica. Even though it’s been decades since then, very few people worship Caijin or follow any intended religious mandates, with the local religion still standing strong.

The native Chrysovicans worship the “Lady of the Lake” as a goddess. The Lady of the Lake, or else known as “Toc Murra” is a powerful, supernatural being, who has the appearance of a beautiful nymph. She is often found in the Lake of Loc Edna, in the island of Shipten Nuikki. She is known to give blessings to the people that give offerings to her, as well as her various knights that have vowed to represent her virtues over the years. The town of Allevina is located near Loc Edna, and gets many pilgrims that have come to witness the miracles of Toc Murra.

### Nine Saints

Apart from Toc Murra, some aspects of the Belsiryan faith of the ”Nine Saints” are present in Chrysovica, due to the Belsiryan migration millennia ago. The faith, however, is almost indistinguishable from its original form, as most of these saints are nowadays worshipped as river or sea gods, with only their names remaining as a reminder. These gods have few worshippers, found in small communities within towns or villages.

### Cult of Kahunoa

There is also another, more insidious and lesser known deity that’s worshipped in Chrysovica. This deity’s name is Kahunoa, and it was an ancient goddess worshipped by a cult cast out of the main islands of Chrysovica many years ago. Only a few Chrysovicans remember her existence, among them being the Maui Snake cultists, exiled worshippers of Kahunoa that are found in the southernmost island of Chrysovica.

Kahunoa is in reality not a goddess, but rather an extraordinarily ancient and powerful Ekhidna. Ekhidnas are intelligent, aquatic creatures, with the lower body of a sea serpent and the upper body of a humanoid. Female Ekhidnas are also called Sirens and possess wings, although unlike sirens, their true form is hideous. Despite that, Kahunoa and her servants – the Fucusyas, or Sea Witches – are able to take the form of beautiful women in order to seduce sailors and fishermen.

Legend says that Kahunoa once fell in love with a human wizard, and she managed to seduce him. Using his magic, she was able to give him many children, who grew up worshipping her as a goddess. Their ancestors were also known as the Maui Snakes, who still worship her to this day, although their numbers have been significantly reduced since they were exiled and attacked by the men of Earl Puka. The worshippers of Kahunoa practiced bloody and savage rituals that repulsed the minds of most Chrysovicans.

## Culture

Most cultural activities of Chrysovica revolve around the sea. They are mostly patriarchical, with men plowing the fields or spending the day fishing, and women taking care of the family, as well as indulging in activities such as knitting and weaving. Chrysovicans are typically peaceful people, and their relatively war-free history proves as much. Violence is only used when it cannot be avoided at all costs.

Tapestries are very common in Chrysovica, with even the poorer families living in leaky, cramped shacks owning several ancestral tapestries, which they hang on their walls. These tapestries usually depict aspects of daily life or aquatic animals.

The language of Chrysovica has some Calcabran, Sea Elven and Belsiryan elements, like loan words and idioms, but is mostly unique, and is mutually unintelligible with the other tongues of Scimitaria.

## Demographics

### Humans

The vast majority of Chrysovica’s population consists of humans, who are mostly native Chrysovicans mixed with Belsiryans. There are also some populations that have recently immigrated from the regions of Belsirya and Calcabra. Most of those hail from the Aurous Highlands, where many groups of people move to Chrysovica once the gold mine that they work in dries out. Merchants from the Isle of Wizards and Hithlone can also be found in the cities.

### Non-Humans

The non-human population of Chrysovica is almost entirely Sea Elven. Most Sea Elves in Chrysovica moved there after the treaty was signed, and are either priests of Caijin, settlers or other government officials. There are some species of troll-like humanoids that are located near rocky shores and grottoes, but the Chrysovicans consider them nothing more than feral animals, despite their sentience.

## Foreign Relations

### Sea Elves

Relations between the two are strained, due to the several wars that have been fought over the last thousand years. For the past few decades, the Earldom has made a show of electing female leaders and paying fealty to Caijin, to avoid war with the current sea elf leadership. Even though the Chrysovicans detest the Sea Elves for their imperialist and expansionist mindset, the Sea Elves and the humans in Chrysovica treat each other with respect.

### Aurous Highlands, Blesire States, South Belsirya and Grand Duchy of Calcabra

Apart from the Sea Elves, those are the most common trading partners of Chrysovica. Even though traditionally being on good terms, relations have strained recently due to their unwillingness to intervene on Chrysovica’s behalf against the Sea Elves.

### Isle of Wizards

Even though the Wizards have generally ignored Chrysovica for most of its history, the last century they have taken notice of the actions of the cult of Kahunoa. Particularly, the use of ancient blood magic in order to transform themselves into half-serpent abominations is something that had worried the Wizards, and for that reason they sent their own representatives, which included wizards as well as a battalion of Amazons. With the help of the ruling High Earl, they intervened and soon the Maui Snakes were exiled. Since then, they haven’t heard from them and for that reason the Wizards don’t bother with Chrysovica.

### Cocoon and Warding Fortress Islands

Very few Chrysovicans that ever travelled to the Cocoon Islands ever lived to tell the tale. Those that did described unspeakable and unimaginable horrors, and for that reason Chrysovica considers that place cursed and a hell on earth. For that reason, most of the garrison of these forts consists of Chrysovicans, as well as humans from the Isle of Wizards. Together, they help ward off the expanding ocean of webs from the primordial Death Blossom.