Waals Königreich

Vlakis Oras

Zloka Oras

The *Waals Kingdom* composes of the united city-states of the waalsen Dravken, between the Waals Mountains and the expansive desert of Meridia. With the help of a tunnel system known as the Underway, the cities are inner connected, as well as reached through the vast mountain range towards the west, connecting both sites of the continent Ghalgenia, making travel easy and fast.

## History

### Exodus

Before the Dravken even existed, the early Humans of Meridia lived near the Waals Mountains. But when their Gods disappeared and their land started to die, many Humans started to flee from Meridia, leaving into all directions. The last wave of refugees moved west, towards the Waals Mountains. While many went on the painful path through the rugged mountains to reach the promised land of the Westerlands, a group of stoic Humans remained near the edge of the Waals. They stayed, for they still harboured hope, that the Pantheon would return, and that abandonment meant cowardice.

But the God never came and the so called Remainers build shelters along the mountain range in caves and coves. Those eventually grew into five big Refuge Cities, now home to the Remainers, who called themselves Dravken from now on. Over time, they hope and belief in the Gods waned and was replaced with a hardy pragmatism, leaving little room for spirituality.

### Isolation

For the next generations, the Dravken became isolated from their western and eastern brethren. They concluded that the cataclysm that ended Meridia effected the entire world, making them the last survivors in a dead world. The great Isolation became a part of dravken life, as leaving the cities was regulated by its leaders and wandering off too far was looked at as suicide, as there was nothing outside their refuges, besides endless desert. Over the years, some voices often came up, questioning the believe in the Isolation, but were generally quickly put down by governments. One of the biggest such dissident groups came from the most northern city of Kandsmir Oras, were some explorers descended their mountain passages, to find the green hills of today’s Frayhilden. As they returned to tell the tale, they were arrested and the information about this held down.

The Dravken themselves started to change as well, becoming shorter, with eyes well-adjusted to light as well as the darkness of deeper parts of their Refuge Cities. Some left the city on the regular, braving the Badlands of the Waals, foraging for food, or protecting the few farms in the highlands. The survivalist lifestyle led to the Dravken to develop a strong immunity to many poisons, which is also the reason why the Dravken tend to drink a lot.

This existence changed though, when the tarmenian prince Simão Romero, discovered one of the waalsen outpost around 3:500, during an expedition into the southern Waals Mountains. Looking for glory of his own, he engaged the Human-like Waalsen in combat, starting a war to gain his father more land to the Tarmenian Empire. But, despite their superior number to the Waalsen, the native people used the rugged terrain and their knowledge of it, to hold back against the foreign aggressor. Ionus Albeşcu, a young goat farmer, became a hero during this war, eventually uniting all the Refuge Cities to defend against the Tarmenians. In the end, they repelled the Humans, sending them back to their home and leaving the Dravken people in shock. No longer did the belief of the Isolation stand, and most governments of the Refuge Cities crumbled under this revelation.

But Ionus took charge again, becoming the first Mountain King, recognised by all Clans as their leader. He followed the Prince back to the West, but not in conflict. The Mountain King spoke at the tarmenian court in friendship, telling the old King of this people and their history. Leaving the war as a misunderstanding, he instead sought help of the Tarmenians, to reintegrate into the world. A long-lasting alliance was formed from this, bonding Humans and Dravken close together for the following Eras.

### Independence War

Even though a new age dawned for the Waalsen, not all were happy with the circumstances of this change. The people of Kandsmir Oras, still remembering the wrongs done to their explorers, felt lied to by the heads of power. They proposed inside the Council to start cultivating the lands east from them, but the Mountain King's attention was elsewhere. All Waalsen were to support the effort of the Underway, a network of tunnels to connect all Refuge Cities, adverting their focus off other projects. Despite the participation of Kandsmir Oras, the Underway was never finished, leaving the northern city alone for the longest time, as the new government went on to different projects.

This neglect of the far away city led to its rebellion at 4:70, as they sought now to break apart from the *Waals Kingdom*. The impassable terrain, deep inside the mountains, made the war against the rebels difficult, as the Mountain King tried to reconquer his property. It was a long and tenacious war, that found its end in 4:104, when the King's troops arrived at Kandsmir by mountain passes. Accounts of events differ, but from the perspective of the Waalsen, Kandsmir Oras developed a toxic gas inside their alchemical workshop to use against the *Waals Kingdom*. After accidentally releasing it inside the city, the Mountain King's army barred all entrances of the city, so the deadly vapours could not escape and spread over the land. The army left the war, never truly defeating their enemy and marked by the horror they have seen, as thousands of people choked to death, as they stood guard.

What really happened, as the survivors of the rebellion, calling themselves Frayden, have a different version of history. As the Waalsen left, they did not know, that Kandsmir Oras started to settle in the regions east from their original home. Left alive, they rebuild their people, forming their own culture and denouncing the *Waals Kingdom*. The newly formed Frayhilden Republic officially revealed itself to the rest of the Known World around 4:250, securing support of some Human nations of the West. As the ruling Mountain King sought to start another war, to 'rectify' the mistake of the past, war was adverted by the diplomatic alliances the Republic formed.

Today, both neighbouring nations are constant rivals, despite their share blood.

## Culture

The Waalsen lived for their entire history between a rock and a hard place. They managed to survive in both the Waals Mountains and the Expanse, living of scarce resources and living space. This is also why waalsen Families are rather large (around 100 members), often being separated into Clans.

Live is often dictated by the Clans of a Refuge Cities, with some Clans holding more power and prestige than others. Pre-planned marriage is somewhat of a tradition inside the *Waals*, as people once had to make sure to keep the genetics of the populous healthy, inside a limited living space. Today, that is not a real problem anymore, but traditions are held high within waalsen society.

People who value neither traditions, nor their Family, are scorned by society often, as the Waalsen take their strengths from their family bonds, as well as their friends. It is often difficult to warm up to a Waalsen for their short-sightedness or ignorance, but if you do, you will find an ally and friend for life, who would give their life for you if needed.

## Regions

### Wrogra Oras

   Once, a wide river went from the Lema Lake in the north into the ancient Meridia. Today, only a deep canyon remains, in which the city of *Wrogra Oras* is built. Tarpaulins cover its roof, as the homes of its citizens are built into the sites of the narrow canyon. Like serpent crawling through the area, the city digs through the canyon's corners. Once early Dravken found iron ore here, which they mined and used in their many forges to build weapon and tools. 'The Smoked City', is *Wrogra's* nickname, as the Waalsen here are to this day masterful blacksmiths, covering the sky above them with the exhaust of their forges. Here, the impregnable waalsen Phalanx was born as well.

The area directly around the city is rather barren, but gains in vegetation northwards, near the mountains were the Lema Lake is situated.

### Ostra Oras

When seeing *Ostra Oras* for the first time, one might see nothing more than some huts near the Expanse, sparsely littered across the flat ground. But these 'buildings' are only the several entrances into the network of tunnels and rooms, that lie right underneath the ground. *Ostra* consist of interconnected stollen, benefiting from the cold earth against the unrelenting heat of the desert. *Ostra Oras* has a rather wide-reaching surface, going for miles in some directions. This also means that the city is more decentralised. The people of *Ostra Oras* are survivalist, often venturing into the desert. Besides some native meridian Nomads, they are the only once capable of traversing the Expanse without Dune Ships.

As *Ostra* sits at the border to the Expanse, it is a highly hot region, with only some farmlands west, towards the waalsen highland. It is also one of the biggest trading hubs between the *Waals* and Meridia.

### Vlakis Oras

The capital of the Kingdom started off as a cave inside the mountain site. Today, it is one of the most impressive works of architecture of the Known World, with enormous pillars holding up the ceiling into another world underground. The city today digs through an entire mountain at the eastern range, called the Barinac. With its grand halls, it is the seat of the Elder Council and the ruling Mountain King. The city is also home to the world's best masons, the Brotherhood Kalimas' among them. These crafters once gained their fame by building the Underway, connecting the cities of the Waals.

The land around Vlakis is rough and rocky, sitting on top a mountainous highland over the Expanse.

### Zloka Oras

Zloka Oras is the most southern of the Refuge Cities and home to the currently ruling Mountain King. At first glance, *Zloka* is a glass dome in the middle of the southern Badlands, near the Falahor Pillars. But inside, the city is comprised of several layers, digging down vertically into the ground. Several bridges, stairs and some major lifts connect the different layers of the city. Depending on the time of day, the sunlight shines through the colourful mosaic of the dome, illuminating the city in different colours and shapes. The people of *Zloka Oras* are known for their craft of glass blowing, as well as gem cutting, which they gather from the volcanic area of Ternfoc, north of their city.

The region around the city is mostly flat and open, characterised by the grey-reddish stone of the southern Waals Mountains.

## Politics

Since the unification of the Refuge Cities by Ionus Albeşcu, a 'Mountain King', voted by the heads of the different Family-Clans, leads the united city-states, together with a council of Elders. Each time a Mountain King dies, the different Clans try to impose their candidate as a successor, often leading to political intrigue, murders, and bribery amongst the Elder Council. This has become sort of normal, as every Clan is always fighting for their own gain and prestige. Only the firm rule of a Mountain King can put the lively Clans into line and focus them on organising the country. If they manage to work together, the Dravken Clans can be especially effective.

## Person/Organisations

* Brotherhood Kalimas'
* Ionus Albeşcu
* Niculaie Ilescue
* Violeta Zaituc
* Teadora Bârladeanu