Provinces

A province is an administrative territory within an empire. Each continent on Cato Vilo is made up of a number of provinces, with each province being divided into a number of regions. Each province is ruled by their respective monarch, who unite together under the Cato Vilan Council.

*For the Category page, see Category:Locations:Provinces*

## Provinces of Illandor

### Arcadia

*'Main article: Arcadia'*
In the southeast lies the vaguely heart-shaped province of Arcadia, a truly idyllic place, as if lifted from the pages of a storybook. The landmass is divided into two main islands, [/] on the left, and [/] on the right, with the perfectly heart-shaped central island, aptly named Queensheart, between the two. Neighbouring with Bregdan to the west, it shares many of the waterways and similar topographical features, though it is almost as if the beauty of them is amplified here, and a palpable magic permeates the land. As a result, two separate academies of magic, as well as the world renowned Pelmadora's Academy for Bards, can be found in this province. There is also an entire domain dedicated exclusively to halflings, known colloquially as 'Halfing Hold'. The province is divided into domains, ruled by lords and ladies of the court of the Queen of Arcadia. There is a final island off the southeastern coast where the Tannethi Sea meets the Caprican Sea, though access here is prohibited, with the exception of the Queen of Arcadia and her delegates. For this reason, it is believed to be the Queen's personal getaway, and is known as Queen's Island. The province's culture is rich and modernised, with great emphasis on artistry, learning, and magic.

### Bregdan

*'Main article: Bregdan'*
The central province of Illandor, Bregdan is a land of temperate grasslands and lush forests. Waterways run through the land like veins, and farming settlements have cropped up all across the region. Bregdan has a high mercantile presence, with cities such as Brewerstall and Viewforth contributing greatly to Illandor’s economy. The grand elven forest of Saarthenal Shen is located in this province, at the heart of which stands the Grand City of Silverspire, home to the majestic Saarthenali, or Spire Elves. Bregdan is split into duchies, each presided over by the relevant duke or duchess, and the King of Bregdan rules benevolently over them all from his throne in the Grand City of Crownkeep. The province's culture is the most advanced found in Illandor, heavily focussed on trade and commerce, technology, and learning.

### Estrella Tseluna

*'Main article: Estrella Tseluna'*
Tucked away to the northwest lies Estrella Tseluna, a tiny province of great religious importance that is largely closed off from the rest of the continent, bordered only by Vilnhost in the east via the [mountain]. Estrella Tseluna is dominated by the Moonkissed Mountains, which includes the world's largest mountain, the Fours' Spire, which towers over the province and leaves little room for habitation. The mountains form a ring around the entire province, completely enclosing the [valley] at the centre of it, and leaving much of the province inaccessible to most travellers. Though being a place of religious significance, Estrella Tseluna sees a number of travellers, who tackle the treacherous Pilgrim's Way in order to reach the Monastery of the Four, an ancient monolith dedicated to the worship of the Moons and Stars atop the Spire. Due to the lack of available living space, Estrella Tseluna is sparsely populated: there are only two minor villages ([/], located on the southern edge by the mouth of [river], where boats carrying prospective pilgrims from Hadar dock, and Portis Estrella, a halfway point on the Pilgrim's Way located on a plateau part way up the Fours' Spire) which have few inhabitants. Aside from this, there are few other pockets of isolationist communities: the monks of the Monastery, the druidic elves of Lunammin Leth in the [valley], and the silver dragonborn keepers of the shrine to Aetherinith at Starhold on the highest peak of the Spire. Estrella Tseluna's culture primarily revolves around religious practice and the worship of the Moons and Stars, and the communities seem to be largely self-reliant, requiring little aid from the world outside. The province is technically ruled by [/], the High Priestess of the Monastery, but as it is mostly removed from Imperial politics, with most of the province's communities governing themselves, her authority as a monarch is actually only recognised by the *other* provinces.

### Hadar

*'Main article: Hadar'*
In western Illandor, the topographically and culturally diverse province of Hadar can be found. In the south, closer to the bordering Negrathi, the land is claimed by marshland that spills over from its neighbour, where the waterlogged towns of [/] and Vyldraegoth's Maw sit, as well as the decaying elven forest of Venmoth Shed. Towards the southwestern coast, the marsh gives way to dreary cliffs overlooking the Tilan Sea, where the port towns of Distull and Deimol are located. On the other side of the Southmarsh, the golden Plains of Elysia, home to the proud leonin, extend across the central portion of the region, divided partway by the [river], and ending at the base of the Ikes, where the [river] runs from neighbouring Bregdan out to the Tilan Sea. The Plains are separated from Bregdan by Haaltilhen's Ridge. The north of the province consists of temperate grasslands and rocky cliffs overlooking sandy beaches and colourful coral reefs, where the heart of Hadar's culture can be found. The grand city-states that Hadar is known for stand like jewels in the Hadriccan crown, connected to the smaller farming and fishing villages by interlinked urban roads. The province is divided into regions, though due to the vast diversity in Hadar's composition, it is difficult to draw a single type of governance, though the Illandoran Empire recognises Queen [/] of [/] to be the ruling Queen of Hadar. Similarly, Hadar's culture varies depending on the region. The southern marshland has a very survivalist culture, borrowed heavily from Negrathi's main culture due to similar terrains and difficulties. The port towns are more focussed on a sailor culture and fishing economy. The leonin prides of Elysia have their own independent governance, with alphas ruling their respective prides and territories regularly changing hands or being reclaimed as ancestral homes, and subsequently, their own rich culture surrounding family loyalty, personal pride, and the pursuit of glory and strength. In the northern cities, the culture focusses on art, philosophy, learning, aesthetics, and politics.

### Khader Sar

*'Main article: Khader Sar'*
Making up much of eastern Illandor, Khader Sar is a warm region with a high focus on trade and commerce, and a key player in Illandor's trade with other nations. The province is primarily comprised of mineral-rich mountains, caves, badlands, deserts, and sandy coastlines, and borders Bregdan to the west by the Redreach Mountains, and Levin and Nirvenor in the north by Brothers' Ridge. One of its most prominent topographical features is Maalshaedor's Desert, which stretches across much of the north of the province, in which the elven oasis of Ethran Cad can be found. There is a significant dwarven presence in the region, primarily due to the opportunities presented by the flourishing mining industry. This is bolstered by the fact that Khader Sar is ruled by [/] the Dwarf Queen, with the territories divided into holds - an influence from the dwarvish culture - ruled by their respective princes(ses), honorific titles of authority. The dwarvish population has had a profound impact on Khader Sar's culture overall, as has the foreign nations the port cities often trade with, with the majority of Khader Sar's culture centring around mercantile pursuits, as well as diplomacy, swordsmanship, and art.

### Levin

*'Main article: Levin'*
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### Negrathi

*'Main article: Negrathi'*
Extending out to the southwest, Negrathi is a dangerous, windswept and rainsoaked province, comprised mainly of mountain ridges, ragged cliffs, fetid marshland, and windy steppes. It borders Hadar to its north via Vyldraegoth's Ridge, which extends to meet the Western Mountain Ridge, one of Negrathi's most dominant topographical features, before jutting down to the southern coast where it joins the Blackridge. As much of its land is inhospitable wilderness, Negrathi's governance is less established as many of the other provinces, though King [/] serves as the official ruler from his seat in Wraithstone, the province's largest official settlement and only city. The province is divided into holds, though not all of them are actually inhabitable. Firsthold, so named as it is the first hold in the province to be settled, borders Bregdan and features the town of Lonrich, situated on the shores of Lake Lonrich, as well as the villages of Gallan and Hasket. Beyond this, the Western Steppe, home of the Plains Nomads, is considered to be its own hold, and the Nomads, despite officially being ruled by [King], are left to their own devices. At the base of the Western Mountain Ridge, the gloomy town of Mistcrest is nestled; its isolated location has granted it its own hold, largely because it was difficult to figure out where else to put it. The vast evergreen forest of Roskhen Rhad covers a portion of the Western Mountain Ridge, and the Roskheni are considered self-governing, despite also falling under [King]'s remit. The same is true for Stronghold, home of the orcs, and Labyrinth, home of the minotaurs. Beyond the Ridge, there is the coastal hold of Blackridge, which, despite being accessible to Wraithstone and therefore enforcably governed, is nicknamed the "Brigand Coast" due to the prolific banditry in the area. Further is the fetid marshland of Westmarsh, infested with undead and pretty much considered its own deadland hold. For the black dragonborn of [blackhold], who seclude themselves from the wider community and do not recognise the authority of [King] or the Empire as a whole over them, this suits them fine. Finally, on the other side of the Westmarsh, is the hold of Otherside, where the port city of Wraithstone overlooks the coast of the Tilan Sea, protected from the Marsh by strange arcane wards, and connected to the rest of Illandor via the large harbour that dominates the city. Negrathi's untamed wilds are home to a variety of dangers: bandit camps, roaming beasts, treacherous terrain, and, above all else, the deadly Westmarsh, a massive swampland thought to be infested with monsters and haunted by the souls of those lost to its murky depths. It's difficult to pin down Negrathi's culture, as it varies from hold to hold. Firsthold share a culture similar to the farming villages of Bregdan, where hard work, typically through manual labour, and community take precedence, and life is simple, albeit difficult. The Plains Nomads of the Western Steppe have a nomadic culture that focusses on bow hunting, horse taming, living off the land, and worshipping the Winds of Avo. Mistcrest has a primary focus on death and the reverence of death rituals, with most of the settlement devoted to a sprawling cemetary. The cultures found on the Ridge itself are varied, though are united by a shared understanding of a difficult and often deadly way of life, and a focus on monster hunting as a primary profession. Wraithstone is more focussed on trade, politics and aesthetics, though the city has a reputation for being seedy, with a "dog-eat-dog" culture of crime, hedonism and debauchery being prevalent.

### Nirvenor

*'Main article: Nirvenor'*
Tucked into the northeasternmost corner of Illandor, Nirvenor is a province split into thirds. The western border is shared with Levin, and is dominated by the [mountains]. This dangerous region is inhabited by monsters, and suffers near-constant dry storms and fog. The central strip of the province is choked by Nythalancer's Jungle, a dense tropical forest that houses the yuan-ti temple city of [/], the elven subforest of Fethisar Fen, and the ancient ruined temple of [/] amongst its overgrown vegetation, along with various dangerous beasts and monstrosities. The southern border is separated from Khader Sar by Brothers' Ridge. Finally, the eastern coastline features sandstone cliffs and golden beaches that overlook the Caprican Sea, and it is here that most of Nirvenor's 'civilisation' can be found. Many of the settlements along the east coast are fishing or mining villages, though the sandstone city of Pierra, the province's capital, overlooks the beachfront from a seaside cliff, and features its own harbour to facilitate trade and transport between other ports, both in Illandor and from other continents. The settled region of Nirvenor is ruled by Queen [/] of Pierra, though the Fethisari elves and the yuan-ti both exclude themselves from her jurisdiction, with both cultures governing themselves independently of the Illandoran Empire, despite being quite firmly under the authority of [queen].

### Rixikar

*'Main article: Hadar'*
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### Vilnhost

*'Main article: Vilnhost'*
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*The snowy province of Vilnhost comprises the northern realms of Illandor, and is inhabited by the hardiest of folk. Though its climates and terrains vary between the north and south holds, as a general trend it is a cold and harsh region, with boreal plains, coniferous forests, and snow-capped mountain ranges. Vilnhost is one of the oldest provinces of Illandor, and is dotted with ancient ruins of lost civilisations, some of which have been repurposed into homes and hideouts, while others have been reduced to little more than roadside rubble. The Othos Mountains separate it from Estrella Tseluna to the southwest, and the Arvardi Mountains act as a border between Vilnhost and Nirvenor in the southeast. There is no geographical border between southern Vilnhost and northern Bregdan. Beyond Vilnhost’s northernmost shores, the treacherous Sea of Avo stretches for miles. Politically, Vilnhost operates off a system of jarls, who each rule over a respective hold, and act as counsel to the ruling King of Vilnhost, who unites the holds together from his seat in the Grand City of Northshore.*