Daria

A map of Daria and west Islandra c. 20 DD

The province of **Daria** is in the northwest of Karden. It is home to many strange plants and animals, many thought to be unique to the region. It is the seat of House Laythrom and the Company of Heroes.

## History

### As the Fourth Human Kingdom

Daria began as the Kingdom of the Wastes, the fourth established Human kingdom in the year 192 BD. It was so named due to the extended drought during the time it was settled. It took many years before settlers discovered the northern forests, where strange plants grew and exotic animals roamed. This flora and fauna became the basis for the Wastes' economy.

During the Betrothal War, King Lyra brought his forces to bear alongside the Kingdom of Magyûm, and were essential in securing victory. Despite having a hand in routing the forces of Tammarûm, the Wastes saw little reward, and their market for exotic luxuries crashed without access to the markets of the south. With many soldiers dead and little gold to support the Kingdom, they quickly folded to the onslaught of Rickard I in his attempts to unify the kingdoms.

### The Wild Wars

With the kingdoms unified into one empire, Rickard I gave the land to House Darius, who named the newly reformed kingdom in their own honor. They worked to rebuild the foundations of their economy, focusing on the production of dyes and cultivation of medicinal herbs. Their attempts to rebuild lasted over 50 years, until the invasion of monsters brought forth by Ragnor the Plane Shifter. The ensuing war devastated the many towns along the riverways, but miraculously left many of the fields near the Harrid Forest untouched.

Despite Ragnor's defeat, the lands of Daria were overrun by monsters, with a variety of beasts, orcs, and trolls making their homes throughout the land, driving most of the remaining settlers to the other provinces. During this time, a mercenary group calling themselves the Company of Heroes set up their first bases on the southern banks of the Eastern Flow, intent on driving out the monsters and returning Daria to the people.

The province was promised to House Sayar following the heroic deeds of Dorin Sayar in 49 CD, on the condition that settlers could not enter the lands until the crown deemed it free of monsters. Fighting turned instead to Standius, leaving Daria unprotected once again. During this time, House Darius returned to their former capital and began sending troops that they withheld from efforts in Standius to reclaim a portion of Daria for themselves. By 93 CD, Daria is deemed safe enough to rebuild, but with House Darius already entrenched in the capital and surrounding cities, the Lords of House Sayar are unable to take up control of the lands that had been promised to them.

### Revolt

While House Sayar continues to petition the King for control of Daria, as had been decreed, the Lords of House Darius began building their armies and rallying minor Houses from Standius and Tamaratha to join them in open rebellion. In the year 114 CD, rebels quickly purged Daria of the royal army and began marching on cities in Tamaratha, to the south. House Darius was able to secure aid from many minor Houses throughout Karden, with major support coming from the Governors in Penthelm, after Lord Darius promised to make them proper Lords. This popular support prevented any quick response from Centrium, and allowed the rebels to strengthen their control of nearly all of western Karden, extending from the twin lakes of Standius to the Jerral Mountains in the Southern Reaches.

After six years of successful battles, the rebels began to falter due to a lack of food and supplies, giving King Rhys II enough time to gather support in removing all rebel presence from Centrium. Having lost their momentum, the rebels returned to guarding their gains in the west. Moving up through the Southern Reaches, Rhys II's forces began to push through the poorly supplied rebels, revealing the weak chain of command that House Darius had been pushing. Soldiers from Penthelm changed sides as their Governors pledged support for the crown, and the rebels were finally crushed in 122 CD. House Darius was formally dissolved and House Sayar finally took over Lordship, renaming the capital so that none could question who was meant to rule there.

### Wraith Attacks

Daria remained a bastion of support for the Wild Wars until their end in 158 CD. Afterwords, it remained a hub for adventurers looking to make a name slaying the remaining monsters in the northeast, though any attempts to organize expeditions to fully cleanse the wilds of monsters was met with apathy from the ruling Houses at best.

In 164 CD, ghostly ships began to appear in Lanis Bay, and many small villages were destroyed as a result of these ship's wraithlike abilities. The few farming communities were devastated, and Lord Sayar became reliant on aid from Centrium to keep its people from starving. By the time the wraith attacks were stopped, Daria was unable to support its own people without any outside help, leaving most of the cities unable to continue trading. Abandoned cities became common as people moved to the capital, or to different provinces entirely, and the economy become based solely on the exotic goods coming out of Sayarus.

### New Lords

in 210 CD, Derik II refused to take over Lordship of Daria, as his wife was already Lord of Tamaratha, and their children were to be born of House Sayar. As such, in a surprise move of separation of power, the Lordship of Daria was given over to House Laythrom, a relatively new House that had proven their worth in ending the Ghost War a generation previous. Derik II remained as Lord-escort of Tamaratha and Lainy Laythrom became the first of the Laythroms in Daria. She and her sisters begin a massive campaign of cleaning up Daria, as the Sayars had often been uninvolved in local affairs, allowing population growth to turn positive for the first time since the end of the Wild Wars.

Under the management of the Laythroms, Daria became a place of power and adventure, beyond simply existing as a wild place for adventurers to explore and exploit. The Company of Heroes established a permanent base in Lastop on the tip of the Harrid penensula for anyone wanting to sail to Islandra, and the official Academy of Sword Dancing was built in Sayarus as a way to teach the unique way of fighting the Laythroms had become known for.

Life in Daria was fairly unaffected by the events of the Age of Dark Learning, as neither the Way of Walking nor magical academia had made their way as important institutions in the cities. A branch of the Wizard's College was established in Sayarus around 225 CD, but retained very low membership rates until it officially closed under decree of Heridon the Usurper in 442 CD.

In more recent times, the Laythrom Lords have gained a reputation for partying and luxury beyond their means, leaving many of the lesser Houses to take up the slack in running the province. The day-to-day affairs of the common folk remain the same, however, so there is no call for revolution or a change in leadership just yet.

## Geography

Daria is one of the smaller provinces, located in the northwest of Karden. It is bordered by Standius to the east, separated naturally by the Northern Flow river, and Tamratha to the south. There is no natural border with Tamaratha, an issue that has created some friction in the past when Dwarven settlements tunnel too far north. Daria is also separated by a large strait that leads to the tundras of Islandra. The Harris Peninsula is the closest point to Islandra, sitting just a few miles southeast of Islandra's own Deathly Peninsula. The capital, Sayarus, sits on the highest hill along the north banks of the Eastern Flow river.

Daria has two major areas that separate the province. The plains of the west are carved with freshwater rivers, but the land is not particularly fertile, as the soil is quite rocky and the warm growing season quite short. The east is more fertile, as the Harris Forest covers the entire eastern peninsula. There, strange plants grow, including the mysterious deathweed, a plant that is said to prevent death when used properly, and has become the backbone for the province's economy.

## Demographics

#### Population

The inhabitants of Daria are mostly Human, following the population trends of the rest of Karden. It is surprisingly has the larges Elven population in the north, with many Elven settlements dotting the western plains. There are few Dwarves here, as most have migrated to Tamaratha, seeking better freedoms and closer kin, and few other races want to live in the cold climate of the Darian north.

#### Culture

The people of Daria are a very haughty people, but with little to no tolerance for braggarts. Any claim made at an inn should be expected to have proof behind it, or an unsuspecting visitor may find themselves preparing for a duel. Martial prowess and a multi-faceted talent for combat is expected, leading many of the local Houses to host tournaments annually.

The fashion of Daria is a strange mix of practical and extravagant. Even the lower classes of all genders tend to wear lots of jewelry when not in the fields, taking the weekends and holidays to show off their fashion sense. It is not rare to be turned out of an establishment for having too simple a dress. The eastern peninsula tends to be more lax on this, as the remaining monsters of the forest tend to draw the adventuring types who tend to avoid the urban cities of western Daria.

## Economy

Daria provides very little basic necessities to the rest of Karden. What little food and crafts are made in the cities usually are sent to local villages to promote internal growth. Exports are almost exclusively limited to exotic animals, rare herbs, and a vast collection of dyes. The backbone of the Darian economy has become the cultivation of deathweed, a strange, life-giving herb that only grows in the nutrient lacking soil of Daria. Nearly every farm has a plot for deathweed, despite it once being considered a noxious weed.

Daria is a massive importer of nearly every kind of food and raw material, as there are little chances to produce it locally. Even lumber is difficult to produce, as any attempts at large-scale logging of the Harridan Forest are met with monster attacks and natural disasters. There is also a market for importing textiles and silks from the south to work into the luxury goods that will later be exported.

 New Elven Empire