Esthilia

**Esthilia** is a region in the Empire of Athalea located across the Sea of Kalenia from the capital of the empire. The region is defined as the land north of the Trokida River, south of the Yamtushid River, and west of the Actian Mountains. The largest city of Esthilia is Deratia, the administrative capital of the region, although historically Athalean power was concentrated in the north of the region, near New Athalea and Espiral.

## Geography

Esthilia is a largely flat, grassy region with occasional, usually sparse forested areas scattered within. To the southeast are the Actian Mountains, a medium-sized range that separate Esthilia from the country of Phiriactom. The Actians block the moisture of seaborne winds from reaching Phiriactom, causing Esthilia to experience very frequent heavy rains, in contrast with the desert climate of Phiriactom. Moreover, Esthilia is much more hospitable to life than its neighboring regions. The northern border of the land is the Yamtushid river, and to the south is the Trokida river. Both of these act as important trade routes for the transport of goods from the Iamtushid Empire, a vast kingdom in the far South of the continent. In a strange quirk of geography, both rivers run right past the Actians, which from the rivers appear to rise straight up out of the ground. On Esthilia’s southeastern flank, near the mountains, the land is hilly and more heavily forested.

## History

### Pre-colonial Inhabitants

Prior to the 16900s, Esthilia was populated by a mixture of Carboqi nomads and Phirian settlers coming from the East. Most Phirians settled in the western foothills of the Actians, since those areas were home to a much greater quantity of natural resources, especially old-growth trees that could be chopped down and exported upriver to the major Phirian cities. No major coastal settlements were ever established by the Carboqi or Phirians, only some small fishing villages near the mouths of the Yamtushid and Trokida. This was due to the presence of Nordish and Theddite raiding ships that patrolled the coasts of the Great Gulf. After the expansion of the Athalean Empire in the 17000s, most Carboqs migrated back to the steppes their ancestors had come from centuries before. The Phirian settlements on the coast and in the plains were forced into the mountains, and in the foothills several towns were allowed to remain intact as subjects of the young Empire.

### Theddite Colonization

The first colony to be established in the region was Espiral, founded by Antiporosian colonists in 16966. In 17037, during the Athalean War for Independence, the Athalean Navy captured the city, annexing it into the newly formed Athalean Empire. After the war, Athalea began constructing the city of New Athalea south of Espiral. Deratia was founded by former Antiporosian subjects in 16999, and became an independent city-state. Deratia quickly grew to surpass Espiral as the largest port in Esthilia. Following Athalea’s victorious rebellion and establishment of its own Empire, it established a close alliance with Deratia, the closest Theddite state not hostile to Athalean interests. Deratia became the main trading partner of the Empire, and as the city-state was more friendly toward the Phirian people of the region it was able to act as an intermediary for trade beterne Phiriactom and the Theddite world. As Athalea and Deratia became more economically, politically, and culturally connected, the latter’s government became more willing to bend to the wishes of the former. In 17408, the Emperor of Athalea issued a decree officially incorporating Deratia into the empire. However, the city was allowed to retain its democratic local government, making it the only city in the empire to hold elections. After annexation, these elections gradually became less free and less fair.

## Major Cities

* Deratia
* Espiral
* New Athalea
* Ravener
* Actapost
* Gloverun
* Sudboro
* Sandspring