The Principalities of Ilicia

## **Geography and Features**

The continent llitios features a dramatic spread of various landscapes. Though it is dominated by airy forests and grassy plains, there can also be found jungles that radiate High Magic, brilliantly shining cities, magnifect warm beaches, and even the bone white wastelands (where the Honored Archspirits speak and sleep through the centuries). Svelte sylvan lions, furnace hounds, fungal monstrosities and savage minotaurs are eternal menances to the peace of Ilicia.

It is also a land of cyclopean mountains, their slopes crowded with silverolive and soarwood.

Among them, sixteen special peaks known as the Eversummits hold secrets and enlightenment for the pilgrims able to ascend their mystically circuitous paths. Some reach their Misty apexes in a day and night, other wander for lifetimes - but all return changed by their pilgrimage. World-deep abysses scar these ranges in forgotten vales, reaching into unfathomed darkness. From these vaults, heroes have long testified malevolent “voidbeasts” to fly, crawl and burrow out, tainting the world with hybridized and tauric forms of animals both well known and rare. After a titanic earthquake and its shattering aftershocks across the last decade, the common people too have become all-too-familiar with these twisted monsters.

Bringing governance and borders across all of Ilitios are the illustrious Principalities of Ilicia, which lay challenge to Hagoros’ claim as the most ancient nation. This majestic alliance of realms is formed from and home to the world's largest concentrated populations of dryads, stone elves, elves and sylvanborn. Between them all, many creeds and elder lineages have become one people with many branches, and while all are very proud of their distinctions and commonalities alike, some Principalities are quite insular. Ultimately, Ilicia is bounded on all sides by the Aidolos Ocean and so it’s people are united by geography, more than a millennium of culture and everlasting reverence of their snaked-haired Brightqueen Thiveste the Gorgon.

The Principalities themselves are a slowly shifting patchwork of (presently) seven citystates who control land beyond their own horizons and about thrice as many smaller but no less-storied sovereign fiefs. While a single royal most often rules the glowing cities, arcadian townships, and sacrosanct groves that make up many of the Principalities, jointly held councils of diads, triumvirates, and heptads instead are not uncommon. Rarely entire Houses of nobles operate in conjunction. The many islets and paradisiacal atolls harbour instead Dread Corsairs, who take up the violent but era-long accepted, lifestyle of coastal raiding; pushing at how much nostalgic tradition will forgive.

## Rulers

These rulers are collectively called the Principals. They swear obeisance and fealty to the Brightqueen, but this is mere formality, she reigns from the sole Skycastle in all the world, where she is loved and celebrated by monarchs, Destined, and common folk alike. Among warriors to whom violence is art, the sorcerers who songs rise from diffuse glades, those whose inner selves most align with the wild, and folk only at home in dusty libraries, she enjoys a lively cult of personality. Indeed even the beasts bow before her - while it is a legend that starflowers turn to follow her path, it is *certain* that a many-headed hydra called Wardschism attends her side.

Any Ilician may seek an audience to receive Thiveste’s careful yet passionate justice, far seeing comfort or tranquil wisdoms. The fierce pride she radiates for her subjects is returned manyfold, especially against any foreigner who would accuse her of being ‘monstrous’, thus civil strife aimed toward the the Brightqueen in unthinkable. Yet inevitable conflicts of national interest arise betwixt the Principalities themselves. Each new generation that flows inevitably from an ancient one find the complacent centuries of life too boring or filled with injustice, and so each produces elves fit to articulate hot-blooded ambitions, prideful causes, or unforgivable slights against their peers and sometimes neighbors. Thiveste closely monitors such disputes and sometimes orchestrates their resolutions through honorable quests or opulent matrimonies. But when dances of conflict boil into wartime (or on pivotal occasions, shortly before), she will intervene to put an end to them before they get too out of hand. Wise Principalities seek her consent before engaging in conquests of sufficient scale or intensity.

## The Zodiac and the Seasonal Pageantry

The regional variations in daily life are significant between the far flung cultures of the Principalities, yet certain beliefs and traditions can be found in all corners. First is the understanding and at least casual acceptance of an occult zodiac and secondly an involvement in the longfrom holiday tradition known as The Seasonal Pageantry.

Each of the seasons holds special significance to the Ilician people who enjoy expressing their connection to them through changing their visual aesthetic. A jovial but rivalrous divide across society exists between those who seek to Harmonize with its colors and those who Distinguish themselves in contrast. A representative among the Principals is selected to lead the season-long celebration and bring their courtiers to travel throughout Ilicia. These four are collectively called The Bright. Crucially, during the span of the one-in-every-four years in which Brightqueen Thiveste departs to regions unknown, the Bright are tasked with offering whatever leadership that the whole of Ilicia needs during the appointed season.

**Winter** - Silver. Purple. Black. A time of renewal be it of location, Spirit, or health. Regarded as a time to refresh both connection to self and society. Traditionally contracts are signed and cleansings performed. It is a season where games are played outside to demonstrate vigor and a readiness for the future. Brightlord of Winter is Prince Zaius the stone elf.

**Spring** - Green. Pink. White. A period of exuberance where non-physical competitions of all kinds are undertaken and alongside them great collaborative workings. The creation of wealth, groundbreaking for buildings, the inking of spellbooks and overland journeys are often commenced. Spellwork is especially popular and those who wish to become recognized as an apprentice Magi or full Wizards often take this time as an opportunity to act. Brightlady of Spring is the elven General Daphniel.

**Summer** - Gold. Red. Blue. A sylvanborn, the Bright One of Summer is Princex Baelyriad. This high time is for unfolding a conquest of romance, claiming a new island, or seizing a crown. Extravagant sports, precise skirmishes, and elaborate races with elvish watercraft (like *hemiolia* and *liburnian*)mark these long solar days. Those elves on sea voyages or set to become corsairs, depart.

**Autumn** - Copper. Brown. Yellow. A season to think about the secrets of the universe. To explore paradoxes of life and death, light and shadow, reaping and sowing. Festivities are highly localized and often synchronous to the regional harvests of fish, gemstones, mystical lumber, or grains. Brightlady of Autumn is Princess Irdusa, a rare serpentkin exception to the overall lack of wilderkin in Ilicia.

A procession of twenty-four stars whose brilliance outshine all others wheel through the sky above Kharos, and far beyond them a many-colored cosmic glow can be glimpsed on the darkest of nights. These stars are collectively called the Starsages; the cloud behind them the Cosmic Courtyard. The Ilician people widely believe that whatever Starsage was most central in the sky at the time of one’s birth affects one’s fate and each year the two week period when the same Starsage is in ascension is declared the Season of Self and celebrated accordingly.

## Other Cultural Elements

Other cultural elements are often more true of some Principalities than others, but some broad strokes can be understood. To others regions, Ilician manners of speech, grammar and the use of Celestial Magic can seem antiquated or overly ceremonial. Yet nature of these elaborations create stirring rhetoric and pathos and empowered, nuanced sorcery. In an increasing number of Principalities physical art that is practical and showcases its own “flaws” is now more prized that another masterpiece of a set style. Handmade vases and urns that are painted or etched with personal sigils or stories, used to bear water, potions or poisons, wine, or the ever present oils are presently in vogue.

Sylvanborn are responsible for most of the dishes Ilicia is best known for, which commonly include edible leaves, rice, and veggies long stored and then lovingly simmering in oil. Yet cuisines from cultures both lost and still proud have unfolded here for time immemorial and nearly any palette can be satisfied, if the search is long enough. Climate and proud family lines define clothing and accessory distinctly high collars, often worn with short capes is quite noticeable.

Thoughtful or even more instinctive design is second nature to an Ilician. Ranging from doodling to architecture, from steelmaking to animal husbandry, their crafts tends to take on the subtle patterns that distinguish art. Sometimes this becomes overt and indeed the practice of flag use originated in the Principalities. A now-universal heraldic language of symbols, colors, and designs has spread through all of Kharos.

## Playing a character from Ilicia

Fiercely loyal to their Brightqueen and intensely proud of their culture, Ilician elves, stone elves, and sylvanborn generally carry themselves with a sense of dignity and self respect. With a variety of backgrounds players can draw from, some example characters are sylvanborn chefs, stone elf scholars, elven warriors defending the Eversummits from voidbeasts, or a mix of any of these. Although a few other races exist in the Principalities, the vast majority of people belong to the aforementioned three races and any others are seen as uncommon or even rare. Ilicians do not see Brightqueen Thiveste as monstrous and will often take great offense to hearing her referred to as such. She is a just and wise ruler and her people would fiercely protect her. Although here is a strong presence of stargazers and scholars, the people of Ilicia are by no means weak. The beasts that roam the lands have given them reason to keep their blades and wits sharp.