Sisilia Citystates

**Population**: 96% Westrasi Human, 4% Other

**Capital**: Sisilia

**Government**: Five Counties, each ruling over a small city.

#### **Culture**:

The Sisilia Citystates, also known as the Sisilian Counties, or simply Sisilia, is a region of contrasts. Within it's five moderate sized cities, wealth is tied to social status and therefore flaunted. Nobles dress in expensive but practical clothing that is inspired by fashions all around the world, with constantly changing trends. Deep in the forests however, the simple hunters and subsistence farmers stick to their superstitions and barbaric practices. Between the two extremes, the farmers who make up much of the population tend to have more in common with the city folk, but retain some wildness to them.

Social classes are seemingly straight forward in this nation. Nobility enjoy wealth and deeply entrenched legal privileges, while the common folk theoretically don't. However, unofficially, wealth, proximity in blood to clan leadership, clan membership, race, and bloodline are also very important. Despite the power of the nobility, the common folk are well organized into clans, allowing them to exercise far more rights than found in Belara, and in some cases become quite wealthy.

One of the most noteworthy social traits of the region is that everything is organized by clan rather than family. Both noble and common clans exist, and within both these groups there is an unofficial pecking order. The clan leader has final say on who is an isn't a member of their clan, and both men and women frequently marry into other clans.

Although slavery is outlawed in the Sisilian Counties, impoverished foreigners are often badly exploited and have none of the unofficial protections that natives have from their clans. Foreign merchants and mercenaries are generally treated with respect however.

#### **Religion**

The Wild Lord is hugely popular in the more remote stretches of forest, while a watered down version of his worship is fairly common in the farmlands and cities.

Gloria-Etalia only enjoys moderate support in the region, mostly from newcomers.

Sailors and fishermen sometimes worship nautical gods of other religions on the basis that they are servants of The Wild One.

Several other minor religions exist, but they are poorly understood by outsiders. Many believe they are just subcults of The Wild One's worship.

#### **Organization**

The Five Counts, representing the most powerful noble clan of each city are the theoretical leaders of the region, but many of the clans, both noble and common, pay only lip service to their supposed leaders. Violence between clans is surprisingly rare however, thanks to a mutual paranoia that one of the stronger neighboring nations will try to take advantage of any excessive infighting.

#### **Origin**

Much like other nations in the region, what is now Sisilia was once part of the Belarian Empire prior to the Civil War. It was part of the Morloux Republic prior to the second commoner revolution, but democracy never appealed much to the clannish Sisilians, thus allowing the local Duke and his Counts to keep their positions. It was only a century later that the Counts forced the existing Duke at that time to abolish his position, leading to the current decentralized governments that exist today.

The peculiar worship of the Wild Lord and the oddities of the clan structure have been around as long as anyone can remember, despite many attempts to suppress it prior to Sisilia becoming its own nation.

#### **Diplomacy**

Despite some similarities with Belara and Morloux, the Sisilians value their independence too much to enter full alliance with either group.

They are somewhat sour on the Sarkation Empire due to past attempts by the Church of Gloria-Etalia to suppress their culture.

The relationship with The Vesterlands, Lahaila, and Lazari is largely friendly, though rivalries between trading companies sometimes lead to localized violence.

Sisilians find the Jorivaki way of life strange, but that doesn't stop Sisilian nobles from sometimes hiring Jorivaki mercenaries.

Sisilians regard Tautoburg as a vassal kingdom of The Wild Lord, and generally avoid it, believing the strangeness of that nation to be a sign that the local vassal of The Wild Lord does not wish to be disturbed.

#### **Geography**

The Sisilia Citystates region is generally flat and temperate, though foothills can be found in the northeastern portion of the nation. Thick forests cover most of the region, but pockets of farmland can be found near the coast, and along river valleys.

It is often noted that for a nation referred to as the "citystates", Sisilia isn't very urban. Its five small cities barely meet the regional definition of a city, and would generally be considered towns in more developed areas.

Sisilia (the city, not the nation) is technically the capital, but has little else going for it. An ancient, compact city sitting at the intersection of the main trade road, and the Thrax River, Sisilia City has a gloomy reputation thanks to its crowded multi-story townhouses and perpetual dampness from the waterfall located in the middle of the city. The Count (locally known as the Marlkont) lives in a converted cathedral-monastery that looms over the city thanks to its large size and location on the edge of the escarpment dividing uptown from lowtown.

Farbank is the newest of the cities and is considered the main port. Built around a natural harbor where the Thrax River meets the ocean, Farbank is a lively if a bit ramshackle city of docks, warehouses, and densely packed wood townhouses. It is known for its (relative) wealth and multiculturalism, including a surprising number of elves from the Westrasi Sea area.

Mirhaus is a partially ruined city located in a swampy river delta in the southern part of the territory. Once a major port city, changing tides clogged the bay with silt, creating a maze of sandbars and marshes around (and through) the city and blocking the main harbor. Although fishing vessels still use the docks, cargo vessels rarely visit since goods now have to be onerously transported into the city via shallow bottomed barge. Despite the decaying mess of abandoned buildings in the outer districts, fisherfolk and craftsmen still live in parts of the city, as well as a decent number of merchants selling goods to southern Sisilia.

Wyvernroost is an old fortress located in the northeastern corner of Sisilia, on top of a large outcrop in the foothills of the Greyback Mountains. Although lightly populated even by Sisilian standards, and geographically isolated from farms, ports, and major roads, the city enjoys great wealth thanks to several gold, silver, and iron mines in the area. Processed goods are painstakingly barged and portaged down the Thrax River to Sisilia City and Farbank, through dense forest said to hold bandits and worse.

Cattericup is a mid-sized town deep in the forests of central Sisilia. Quaint and comfy, it does little international trade and is instead mostly famous for its skilled craftsmen and small university.

##### **The Seventh Splendour: The Oak Father**

This gigantic tree is number seven on Laelaz's list of natural splendors.

#### **Economy**

The Sisilia Citystates are largely self-sufficient, but alchemist concoctions and enchanted goods produced in the cities fetch a high price in neighboring nations. Wealthy nobles sometimes enter trade partnerships with merchants and nobles from neighboring nations.

#### **Recent Events**

The Marlkont of Sicilia City is Ezbellia Spikre, a powerful magic user of some 70 years of age, though she only appears about half of this. She has ruled her county for 23 years and is known for strict but reliable leadership. She has a fondness for both intrigue and vigilantism, and a steady stream of disappearances among the foreign agent, evil cultist, and bandit communities has been attributed to her.

The Count of Farbank is Hasser Gnoss. A charismatic man in his late fifties, he has been ruler of his county for several years, but is more famous for his time spent as the Ambassador of the Sisilian Citystates, when he was known as the "Prince of Sin" for his rumored fondness for nuns and married women, and his pagan faith. Farbank has continued to grow rapidly under his leadership, and aside from trade deals and politics, his main concerns are pirates, merfolk, and worse raiding his city's ships, as well as frequent brawls between the soldiers of rival trading companies in the docks and warehouses districts.

The Countess of Mirhaus is Eviane Greye. A diffident woman in her thirties, she holds her recently acquired position since no one else in her clan has the patience for ceremony. Mirhaus hit rock bottom several decades ago, and appears to be on the mend, though the empty neighborhoods on the outskirts of the city attract drifters, criminals, vermin, and minor fey creatures.

The Marlkont of Wyvernroost is Kassen Bront. A tall, muscular man in his sixties with a massive mustache, Bront has become extremely wealthy thanks to a recent string of gold rushes near his city. His main concern now are the constant disappearances in his county, some of which are due to bandits, but others are likely due to rogue fey.

The Count of Cattericup is Josep Josepher. A perpetually bored looking man in his early forties, Josep holds the positions of both Count and Head Scholar at the University, since all the senior members of his clan have resigned to work on pet projects or travel the world. Josep's recent decision to marry an elf was the most interesting thing to happen in the town since a Lahailan heiress got turned into stone while attending the university thanks to a short-sighted deal with a hag, nearly two decades ago.

#### **Plot Hooks**

Where the wild things are: The deep forests of Sisilia have a certain supernatural wildness to them. Many fey creatures, both friendly and otherwise, can be found in the deepest parts of the forest. Some creatures can be encountered randomly, while others can be deliberately summoned by desperate PCs or NPCs in order to take advantage of their peculiar magic. Among the many types of fey that have been encountered in the forests are: nymphs, hags, bad shadows, will-o-wisps, redcaps, dryads, treants, necro-treants, harpies, satyrs, dark satyrs, minotaur, fairies, sprites, mushroom men, tree spirits, river spirits, vine zombies, changelings, fey trolls, the stone men, soul snatchers, fish men, glow wolves, boggles, kelpie, not to mention various unique individuals, some of considerable power.

Snack time!: Occasionally PCs will simply get unlucky and run into one of the few monsters in the area who see a small group of humanoids as valid prey. Certain large species of wyvern, as well as both non-sentient and sentient fey creatures, fall into this category.

Tomb raiders: Countless barrows, ranging from one room chambers, to large necropoli, dot the Sisilian Counties. Most of them have been looted long ago, but some are home to undead, dark fey creatures, bandits and outlaws, or occasionally even law-abiding citizens (if the barrow is empty anyways, why let a good structure go to waste?)

You picked with the wrong clan: Rural common folk in the outlying areas tend to rely on their clan to protect them when law enforcement can't be bothered. Commoners tend to not be particularly well equipped or well trained, but most have access to sword and bow, militia training, and sometimes pacts with fey creatures of varying degrees of power. Killing or harming a clan member, whether for good reason or not, is bound to lead to some fights, particularly since the NPCs are probably outlanders.

Goon squad: Cities, towns, noble clans, and merchant companies/clans rely on hired muscle to look after their stuff, bully commercial rivals (particularly foreigners), and uphold the law/"law". They usually go for quantity over quality, but there is typically a few heavy hitters in a large group. Veteran melee fighters often augment their abilities with potions and enchantments, while arcane and druidic magic users are more common here than many other parts of Westrasi. Despite their modern, civilized appearance, even urban dwellers sometimes can call on ancient pacts with the fey. Most goons are local, but foreigners are occasionally used, particularly Jorivaki.

Dark Agendas: Although often just seen as a backwater wedged in between more powerful nations, Sisilia is bustling with intrigue. Dark fey frequently make pacts with humans here, and desperate souls are often looking for slaves, souls, victims, and odd items to meet their end of the bargain with their whimsically cruel fey patrons. More mundane intrigue is common as well. Noble, merchant, and even commoner clans sometimes engage in low key power struggles, while foreign agents occasionally enter the region looking to stir up trouble.