Krassaglia

Krassaglia is a nation and continent on the planet Meia. It was founded in the year 107 by its namesake Krassaglia.

## Map

Krassaglia is divided into two provinces and one independent region: Dellemars, Crosse, and Kras-La.

### Dellemars

Dellemars is located on the east coast of Krassaglia, and is host to the capital, Camus, and several other coastal cities that make for popular tourist locales.

The coast of Dellemars is primarily beaches made up of large, smooth stones and crystal clear waters. Moving further inward past industrialized and urbanized cities, Dellemars begins to turn into expansive grassy hills, leading to the Crosse countryside. Wildlife is sparse, although creatures typically found in coastal cities such as rats, pigeons, and seagulls are common.

### Crosse

North of Dellemars and Kras-La, Crosse is almost entirely made up of grassy hillsides, and is well-known for its fertile soil fit for large farms and pastures.

A fruit unique to the province, the champomme, grows across the hillside, and is known for its gentle scent and flavor. Fauna are sparse in the area, but deer, rabbits, hawks, and heifers roam the plains. More dangerous creatures, such as wolves and gnolls, also habit parts of the hills, and are known for their territorial behavior.

### Kras-La

One of the oldest-habited areas of the world, Kras-La remains a thick jungle on the southern peninsula of Krassaglia to this day. Wildlife varies much more heavily in this area, and is known for being more dangerous compared to the other two provinces. Creatures such as corpse flowers, giant constrictors, and even some dinosaurs, live in the woods. Those coupled with closely-knit trees make the jungle especially difficult to traverse. Further towards the coastline, the terrain becomes more rocky and mountainous, all covered in lush greenery. There is a medium-sized shoreline after the hilly parts recede, but large, tall rocks dot the water along the beach, making any boat travel through here difficult.

## Overview

Krassaglia is located near the equator of Meia, and is directly north of Keedronnor and northwest of Mavros. The capital, Camus, is the largest populated city on Meia. It is located on the eastern coast, and is host to the Krassaglia branch of Mavros and the Krassaglia Aetherium Gate. There is a second Aetherium Gate located near the city of Plouffe in the Crosse province, which connects to a large railway that goes between several coastal and centralized cities in Krassaglia.

Technology in Krassaglia varies depending on location. Dellemars is known for having a large railway used to transport goods from the Crosse countryside to ports along the east coast. Crosse, on the other hand, tends to be more rural, with access to powered lamps, plumbing, and large carriages and wagons.

Krassaglia, or Kras-La as it was originally called, began as an absolute monarchy, with Queen Krassaglia heading the nation in antiquity. However, following the end of the Iconoclasm, the nation transitioned to a new form of government. Today, Krassaglia's government consists of an elected prime minister with representatives from each province who report to the elected prime minister. The current prime minister, Lapis Lossus, has been in office for 6 years. His time in office has primarily been focused on furthering communications with the Yach-Tka tribe and encouraging stronger relations with Mavros, which has received mixed reviews from the general population.

## History

### Origin

The Yach-Tka tribe native to modern-day Krassaglia have lived there since antiquity, however they never left their own peninsula, which left two-thirds of the continent uninhabited by any mortal races. Wildlife grew abundantly even with the presence of the Yach-Tka tribe, and their nation lived without disturbance for about one hundred years.

The nation of Kras-La was founded between the years 100-150 with the intention of being a powerful trade hub for newly forming nations across Meia. The first Eladrin borne of the Summer Queen Titania, Krassaglia, named herself Queen, and organized her most trusted friends and allies to build a new nation together. She was truly immortal, yet not invulnerable, and planned to rule as a benevolent queen for as long as she lived.

In the centuries that followed, Krassaglia's trade network boomed, and the connections between them and Keedronnor helped establish the two nations as international powerhouses. Not much more history than that remains from before the year 1000 because of the Iconoclasm.

### The Iconoclasm

The Iconoclasm saw Kras-La once again take center stage, as Munya spoke to the nation of the dangers of the Undying. Krassaglia felt guilt for her fey ancestry and wished to keep the interests of the people in mind in the wake of a divine message. She ordered a cease on communication and trade with Keedronnor. Keedronnor retaliated, withdrawing ambassadors from Krassaglia and launching an assault on the Kras-La Peninsula. These first actions spurred the beginning of the Iconoclasm.

Early into the war, Krassaglia herself made herself a general of her nation, and led attacks against the forces of Keedronnor. The exact date is unknown, but it is believed that Krassaglia was killed at an unnamed battle along the northern coast of Keedronnor in the 1500s, and now lays in an unmarked grave in her homeland.

### The End of the War

Following the death of Krassaglia, the war against Keedronnor began to reach a standstill. Additionally, Kras-La struggled to find a new leader before settling on a close advisor of Krassaglia's, Ye-Fae, as the next Queen. Around a century later, Munya created the crystal wall that now encompasses Keedronnor. Ye-Fae and her new team of advisors discussed plans moving forward regarding the future of Kras-La, and what to do regarding the Undying and those aligned with them. She decided that she did not wish to be Queen, but instead wished to work more cooperatively with the people, and, in honor of her fallen friend, renamed the nation Krassaglia. Ye-Fae took a neutral stance regarding the Undying and the aftermath of the Iconoclasm, opting to allow refugees from the war to settle in Krassaglia. Although rather controversial at the time, this proved to be a boon for the nation as a whole, and it brought back the diversity and cultural values upon which Krassaglia was founded. Titania herself gave Ye-Fae her blessing and for future leaders of Krassaglia. Titania's blessing was another controversial move at the end of the war, as many still did not trust any of the Undying, but she proved to be a powerful ally near the end of the war following her daughter's death, and thus her blessing carried on for the new nation of Krassaglia.

## Religion

While there is no officially recognized religion in Krassaglia, many in the nation, especially in the Crosse countryside, still revere Titania and the original Krassaglia for their efforts during the Iconoclasm. A statue in the center of Pravante Square in Camus commemorates Krassaglia, while the site of Ye-Fae's blessing has been engraved with a depiction of Titania on a stone slab placed into the ground.

As the nation takes a nondenominational stance in regards the worship of Gods, Aspects, and Undying alike, there are no government-sanctioned temples, and therefore all places of worship are managed locally. Much of the population follows the trend of worshiping the Creator, and temples to Munya are more common than temples to any other deity. However, there is a temple devoted to Chaos located in Côte du Soleil, as the practitioners believe that Chaos is a representation of diversity, as seen in the light and summer Titania brings.

Most of the nation has come to terms with the existence of Chaos, and, outside of outliers, life on both sides of the Creator and the Abandoned One have learned to respect each others' ideals.

## Society

Many cities in Krassaglia have architecture similar to the French riviera, including cities along the coast and on the countryside. Camus and other cities on the southern coast have a booming tourist economy, and therefore much of the city devotes itself to appeasing their intended audience. Food stands, art exhibits, street performers, and museums dedicated to Krassaglian history and culture are commonplace here. Homegrown residents of Krassaglia tend to distance themselves from tourists, but that is not to say they are hostile or xenophobic, in fact quite the contrary. Outside of retail workers and performers, much of the population just tends to be shy when it comes to outsiders, but if approached, they tend to be quite warm and welcoming. It is Krassaglian custom to welcome strangers and neighbors with open arms as a display of mutual respect. This same trait applies to those who live in Crosse, although some extremist groups carry grudges from the Iconoclasm, and have been known to protest and even assault those who they deem as "foreign."

### Food

Because of the rich farm industry, Krassaglia has always had great food. Charcuteries and champomme salads are a staple at any gathering or potluck, and along the coast seafood stews and bouillabaisse are crowd pleasers to both natives and newcomers alike.

### Fine Art

Camus is known for the Camus Center of the Arts, a famous art studio used both for exhibits and offers classes on the fine arts. The Center contains an expansive auditorium, complete with three stories of seating and Aetherium lighting. The Camus Symphony Orchestra performs once every two weeks, and has toured in Lachier, Jӧrundia, and across the Midi Collective in Aqivez and Kiem. Additionally, renowned visual artists from across Meia come to the Center to exhibit their work or study new art forms, including painting and sculpture.

### Yach-Tka

Although rather limited in terms of contact, the Yach-Tka tribe of Kras-La does not shy away from strong cultural values of their own. Their wish for isolation has been honored mostly by the Krassaglian government until recent years with the election of Prime Minister Lapis Lossus, who has attempted to instigate more communication with the tribe.

In line with their isolationism, the Yach-Tka tribe strongly values what they call "Kresh eya taweh," which translates roughly to "mind your own business." Outside of organized gatherings, they tend to stay involved in their own small social groups, or even just by themselves. However, their gatherings are notorious for wild parties, drinking alcohol made from giant pitcher plants, dimetrodon stews, and lotus wraps. The concept behind these gatherings is that time apart brings people closer together when they reunite.