Krépuskultè

## Overview

Commonly called Krépuskultè or the Barony, the Land of the Twilight is a land recently unified. It rests in the southwest of the continent of Galvasitz, and is made up of six Marches.

## History

### Scarred and Wary

In the wake of the Iconoclasm, tensions were high amongst the then five Marches. There had been great death throughout the land, and much information was lost during the centuries of war, which had cut short a regional golden age. The land and people were scarred, never to be the same again, and wariness of wartime lingered, causing great suspicion between the Marches.

### Memories of War Fade

Longer-lived folk were fewer in number in these lands at that time, and as such memories were short. As centuries put distance between the present and the Iconoclasm, the memories of war faded, and those contemporaries itched for the call to arms against their neighbors.

### The War Seeking Paradise Commences

A rogue warmonger, whose name and teachings have been expunged, went to each of the Marquesses and whispered honeyed words to them, goading each to bring about their own utopia by eliminating their neighbors. Armies mobilized in the year 1828, and the War Seeking Paradise commenced. For fifteen years, the country was trodden upon and sundered. Alliances were forged and betrayed on days’ notice; the promise of conquest begot strife and plague and death once more.

### A Divine Vision

The story is told that for fifteen years, the treachery of the warmonger went unnoticed, until one night, when the Marquesses of that day shared a dream, in which the goddess Mewadye condemned their actions. Regardless of what truly happened, combat ceased. The Treaty of No Such Paradise was drafted and signed. The warmonger was tried and executed with no ceremony. The Marches unified under the banner of a newborn Barony in 1843 with its capital at Port du Baron, that they may never wage war again.

## Religion

Throughout its history, the spirituality of Krépuskultè faded not once. The worship of The Balances, personified as the goddess Mewadye, and her heavenly host of Rèv have always been and continue to be a unifying force in this land, and the religion itself, Vledinan Rèv, is intrinsically linked to the identity of Krépuskultè.

The Vledinan Rèv as a belief system is fairly local to Krépuskultè, as deities recognized in its pantheon are often viewed as manifestations of natural formations and phenomena specific to the Barony. However, worshippers outside the Barony do exist.

In practice, the Vledinan Rèv utilizes much ritual, often out in nature to reflect a specific deity's temperament. Music is a very important aspect of worship; each deity has their preferred song, so which one is played at a given service is of utmost priority. Houses of worship are still built, however, for those unable to travel far.

## Society

The society of Krépuskultè is one still fractured in many ways. Much information was lost in the Iconoclasm, which plunged the Barony into a regional dark age in the aftermath. Then, with the War Seeking Paradise, an already bloodied land laid itself low once more. Only recently, with the structure of the Barony having been codified in 1843, has Krépuskultè begun the long road of healing. Much was lost, yes, but much persevered, and much more rose from the ashes.

### Politics

Before the War Seeking Paradise, The five Marches were ruled by five individual Marquesses, whose title passed down through lineage. With the ratification of the Treaty of No Such Paradise in 1843, the five Marches became six, as the Vèt Kavèn and Krache Kafou Marches ceded territory to from Port du Baron, which serves as Krépuskultè's official, political capital.

Additionally, the Marquesses agreed that those who held their positions would be chosen by the people thenceforth. Every four years, campaigns and elections are held across the land for the six Marquis chairs. There are no term limits, and as such, the tradition of titles being passed via lineage sometimes still holds. If a family is well-liked enough, it is not uncommon for children or relatives of Marquesses to be elected after their predecessors. In fact, the Marquis titles of both Majisyenvil and Port du Baron have been held by two respective houses since 1843.

Regardless, these Marquesses choose a Baron from outside their circle to hold executive rule over the land for one term of four years, without opportunity for reelection.

The current Baron is a human man, one Exuma Lamontagne. He is a jovial old priest, and is generally well-liked amongst his subjects, though his critics would sing that taxes have spiked during his tenure, and a lack of transparency has made it unclear where that money goes.

### Culture

The Barony was formed from an eagerness to come together as one and end a war. Likewise, many traditions in Krépuskultè reflect that sentiment.

Krépuskultan cuisine is often signified by its ability to be shared amongst many people. Large pot dishes are common, and seafood boils are wont to become social events on a local scale. A commonly held practice which emerged from the wake of the War Seeking Paradise is that those who eat from the same dish are bound to never raise a fist to one another. As such, violence against one's family and friends is a crime punished most severely under the laws of the land, as well as in the Night Court of Mewadye.

Though music is very important to worship, many secular schools of music are popular within the Barony. Blue Grass, Blues, and Folk music all have their established place, as well as Moctisser, a kind of festival music incorporating handheld string instruments and much percussion. Additionally, a long-standing tradition which survived the War Seeking Paradise is Opera. Both state-sponsored and independent Opera houses draw vast crowds of all social strata, and many singers have become household names within the Barony. The classics still have their appeal, but new works are always welcome, and some even incorporate elements of other popular genres.

### Academia

For those old enough to remember the machines of war, the prospect of new technology is one often treated with reluctance. As such, technology and artifice are slow to gain popular traction in Krépuskultè. This is not to say that learning is taboo in any sense. Schools are plentiful, if small, and colleges inhabit the larger cities. Magic, both arcane and divine, is a widely accepted practice, with the exception of artifice. Those who wield magic, especially clerics and druids, are revered for their connection to the land.

## Geography

The climate of the Barony is highly variable, starting as tropical in the south and growing colder the further north one travels.

Volcanic islands in the southern sea make for highly fertile soil, while the plains and piedmont in the more central regions provide more temperate environs. Barrier islands in the west provide a buffer for the mainland against typhoons, and the mountains in the north, called Nonm's Spine, host entire networks of tunnels, caves, and glaciers. The Sunken Lands conceal much, tread carefully as to not get lost amongst the trees. The seas to the north are quite colder than their southerly counterparts, and as such many islands in that realm are more desolate.