Venefice

**Venifice,** or **The Land of the Arcane,** is a country located in the north-western region of the Kingdom of Ferrecarus.  It is bordered by Ferrecarus and Rhanasse, and its capital is Primacastra. Venefice is renowned for being the birthplace of magic and the arcane. As a result its people pledge allegiance to Falladin, god of the arcane.

## History

### **0 Po.D.**

On the island of Vis, Falladin first manifested himself through the First Acolyte, Frieda. Falladin quickly allied himself with the humans on the island, and instructed them in the ways of magic. The nation of Venefice would be founded a short three years later, with its capital based on the island of Vis.

### **Conflict with Ferrecarus**

Venefice has had an adversarial relationship with its neighbor to the east for a long time. Before Ferrecarus was founded, its feudal and territorial citizen were known for violence. As a result, Veneficians found themselves fighting for land early on. By the time Ferrecarus was founded in 93 Po.D., most Veneficians knew to steer clear of the light-toting folks at their borders.

At the time of the Unification War, Venefice had already experienced several microaggressions regarding territories. By the time Ferrecarus sent ambassadors to assimilate Venefice into the new Kingdom, the arcane people had enough. They slaughtered their ambassadors on sight, and declared war. Venefice was by far the strongest nation on its own, despite its meager populace. They had more mages per capita than any other nation, and more arcane tools. Its leaders were ruthless, and began to employ unethical tactics to turn the tide of battle. Towards the end of the war, many Venefician mages turned themselves into demons in an attempt to aggrandize their magics. This would backfire, as many of them went insane and could not contribute to the war. Some even joined Malladir in his crusade. Venefice was eventually left without many of its magic users, and were forced to concede.

#### Blacwin the Traitor

Blacwin is the name of a turncoat Acolyte born in Venefice. Sickened by his country's obsession with winning the war, he defected to Ferrecarus and became instrumental in their victory. Blacwin became the Royal Wizard for Ferrecarus and was both a steward to Damian IV and Luxius. His family disowned him, and his last name was struck from history. Blacwin kidnapped the Avatar of Fury at the time, Eliza. Ferrecarus used the hostage Eliza to acquire secrets about Venefice before eventually executing her. Blacwin is largely blamed for her death, and is considered to be the reason Veneficians lost the war.

### **Birth of Demons**

The island of Umbir was a smaller island to the east of Vis. Its geography boasted unforgiving rocks surrounding the island, making it a very insular community. Several mages had begun a mining operation for both Noirstone and Ichorstone, which were reportedly in abundance on Umbir. Upon seeing the Noirstone, the mages were inspired to integrate darkness into their spell casting. However, these mages grew reliant on these techniques and the island quickly fell to demons once one of the mages gained an anima.

## **Culture**

Veneficians are charming, debonair people with a penchant for the arcane arts. Its population is the lowest out of all the nations, contributing to a relatively equal distribution of wealth. Consequently, the citizens are often content and face few financial challenges.

### **The College of Arcanos**

The College of Arcanos, often called the College, is the world's hub for magical information. Established in 10 Po.D., mages from across the world have gathered to share their secrets. After the Unification War, King Darius mandated that all mages enroll at the college. The Venefician government hated their former adversary's meddling, but agreed in order to keep the peace. In spite of this mandate, the college contains more students and more information than ever.

### **The Monastic Order**

Located at the summit of the Divided Mountains, there lies a monastery. Its monks are reclusive, only seen when on pilgrimage. Otherwise, they have been removed from the Order if seen far from the mountain. These monks display proficiency with ki, their interpretation of the soul and life force. Talented monks are capable of weaponizing and harnessing their raw ki, making mere punches feel like a blow from a hammer.

### **The Sable Church**

*Main article: The Sable Church*

The Sable Church is the modern reorganization of Falladin's followers. It was established shortly after Falladin's contact with Frieda, and replaced the old Venefician government during the Unification War. The church emptied the old coffers, and bought out every business, shop, mine, temple and school. Eventually, they would acquire the College as well. Oddly enough, the church didn't upend any businesses and instead merely asked its people to employ at least one church member per establishment. This eventually grew, and nearly every Venefician considers themselves part of the Church. The Church is often accredited for the nation's wealth and successes. The only place with no church members is the monastery, which is allowed to exist independently. The Sable Church's headquarters are in Primacastra.

## **Geography**

   Venefice has less land than the other nations, but it makes use of every mile. Its most important locations are spread about a quartet of islands, including its capital, the College of Arcanos, and the Isles of Vis and Umbir. Their isolation on the water makes them very defensible, and none of these locations have ever fallen. Nowadays, every major town is connected via rail, and trains regularly ferry people through the country.

### **The V-Rail**

The V-Rail is a newly laid set of tracks that spans the entire country. It allows one to get from Oldham to the capital via train in a matter of one or two days. Created six years ago and commissioned by the church, the rail is a sight to behold. It was built and is maintained by golems, artificial constructs that carry out menial tasks. These two inventions mark a new era of discovery and industrialization for Venefice, and the nation has been developing more advanced technologies ever since.

### **The Rainy Season**

Both Primacastra and Blackgard experienced heavy rains and thunderstorms in the late spring. This monsoon was celebrated as a sort of cleanse that would give way to the rest of the year. Some even credit thunder and lightning for piquing the curiosity of ancient sorcerers, inspiring them to found the college and investigate the world around them. After the Coalescence, the rainy season has lengthened to about half the year, and effects most of the country west of the Great Divide. Violent storms ravage certain areas, and have even destroyed smaller towns. Ironically, the flooding experienced in the Arcane Badlands provides a vacation destination.