Kingdom of Uoro

**Population**: 87% Westrasi Human, 8% Suoxi Human, 3% Other, 1% or less Halfling, 1% or less Giant Capital : Vestrasia

##### **Goverment**

The Uorosian government is a Constitutional Monarchy, whereas most power is held by the Parliament, which is chosen on a basis of Meritocracy and Geniocracy. The Position of royalty is mostly ceremonial, although highly respected, because it is considered the oldest known Westrasi Throne.

##### **Culture**

The original home of the Westrasi is now home to a paticular breed, whom celebrate their rich history, but are always looking forward. The Uorosians hold great value in knowledge and accomplishment, second only to the inquisitiveness and adventurousness that precedes them. Their capital Vestrasia, is a regional center for knowledge, and an important port city for any trade ships taking goods along the river system from Vesterland's Bay to The Westrasi sea and eastward. Being the oldest known Westrasi civilization comes with great pride, but also regret. The Uorosians harbor great shame about their ancestor's history as slavers. This shame likely reinforces the hospitality Uorosians show outsiders, the continued predilection of intellectual and exploratory pursuits, and their aversion to senseless violence. Most Halflings and Giants still have no trust, and no love for Uorosians, but some of their prominent intellectuals have taken up residence there, in appreciation of their pursuit of and archiving of knowledge. Although they are not militaristic, they do indeed value the ability to defend themselves. They are intelligent enough to realize that passage along their river is crucial to all their neighbors, and are cunning enough to defend their nation solely through securing their river.

##### **Wardens of the Wyrd Watch**

In the pursuit of exploration, the Uorosians became the first Westrasi to make continued expeditions into the Wyrdlands. These early explorers made peace with the natives, and participated in their ritual use of Phreissian Wyrd, allowing them to traverse the Wyrdlands with greater ease. These early expeditions resulted in many unexplainable events, the disappearances of countless Uorosians, and brief political instability about the risks involved. Eventually it was concluded that keeping close to the river would be general protocol for the explorer's. They were still permitted to explore on land, away from the river, but for no more than 72 hours at a time. Eventually these adventurous Uorosians encountered the Time Wraiths. These beings are aberrations in existence, often indescribable in appearance, and unfathomably destructive. little is known about them, but soon after the first encounters with them the Kingdom of Uoros decided it needed to take precautions against them. The Wyrd Watch was set up all along the border of the forest, populating treeline fortresses built to house them, and was made up of the most elite rangers leftover from those early explorers of Wyrd. The modern Wardens of the Wyrd Watch act as sentinels against the Time Wraiths for Uoros, and also all of Western Westrasi. They are said to be invaluable guides through the Wyrds, and a merchant ship passing between the Vestern Bay and the Westrasi Sea hasn't passed without a Warden or two since anyone can remember. They still act as rangers, exploring for new knowledge, and investigating any anomalies that occur. The Wardens use Pherissian Wyrd ritually, not only burning it, but also ingesting it in various ways. They hold many strange beliefs, some would say more similar to the Wyrd Tribesmen than their fellow Uorosians. It is rumored that some Wardens have met themselves out of time in the Wyrdlands and went mad, or never returned.

##### **Religion**

Valuing intellectualism, and adventurousness, most Uorosians have a pretty secular view on Gloria Etalia. They do however, amplify the importance of Gloria Etalia's message of striving for civilization, and believe that their intellectual pursuits are the best reflection of that. Most Wardens of the Wyrd Watch have their own spiritual beliefs, consisting of a mixture of Gloria Etalia, the beliefs of the Wyrd Tribesmen, and their own collections of superstitions and skewed views on the nature of reality, aquired through experience.

##### **Origin**

The Westrasi came into prominence under the shelter of their Northwestern Forest, in the southernmost tip, when the lands to the North where still frozen in their ever-winter. Vestrasia, the first and current capital, was built in the center-most point of their river, which provided all they needed in the early days. Growing stronger and more ambitious in the cradle of their green garden, they began to venture south, to avoid the "cursed" lands to their east. They found a way around the Wyrdlands, but they also found new people. Small, but useful people. Caught in the fervor of their ambition, they began enslaving the smaller, and relativley defenseless people. With a new and exceptionally crafty labor force, the Westrasi were able to grow in power and expand into previously unconquerable lands. Around this time the ever-winter of the North began to wain, and a second capital was built; called Vestlaria. Vestlaria became the port of exploration for the Westrasi world. There was a major divide between the global explorers. The Academics, and the Enterprising. The academics thought that the goal of mankind should be to explore, aquire all the knowledge that they could, and enlighten society as whole, to create a paradise on earth. The enterprising believed that exploring the world, and aquiring knowledge was useless, unless you had great power, and ever-expanding your own civilization was the end-goal of these former ventures. Unsurprisingly, the enterprising types had a majority control in both ruling class and military. A revolutionary academic named Voros led an uprising in Vestlaria, but the academic forces were much less militaristic. They were ultimately defeated, and fled back to the all but forsaken Vestrasia. Those in Vestlaria deemed their homeland no longer useful, and ceased pursuit before wasting the resources of crossing the southern mountains. Vestlaria became Belara over time, and continued a tradition of power-hungry expansionism for many years. Vestrasia made Voros a Sage-King, and the Kingdom of Voros became the Kingdom of Uoros. Although most former slaves were now in Vestlaria, they outlawed slavery upon the founding of the new kingdom, to prevent it's tpxic grasp from taking hold in their culture again. With a natural inclination for intellectualism, they developed systems of Meritocracy and Geniocracy, which grew into a governmental parliament naturally, as the succession of sage-kings realized their own position of absolute power was antithetical to their beliefs. Their society continued the tradition of exploration, but for the love of knowledge and adventure. Becoming a center for knowledge, and passage from Western Westrasi to Eastern Westrasi, and the rest of the world.

##### **Diplomacy**

The Uorosians are extremely diplomatic. They are ambassadors to all, and a lynchpin in a crucial trade route for much of Westrasi. They are still mistrusted by many Halflings and Giants. One of the only nations to actively maintain a friendship with Wyrd Tribesmen.

##### Geography[edit]

The Uorosians inhabit the southeastern most tip of the Northwestern Westrasi Forest, it is also the native homeland to all Westrasi people. They are the gateway to the rest of the world, a dense broadleaf forest, with a central river valley and patches of meadows leading into the Wyrdlands to the east, and more Mediterranean lands to the South. The initial expansion of the ancient Westrasi saw significant forest clearing, but there was been a concerted effort since the early days of the kingdom to replant native trees, leading to even their capital city having relatively abundant forest coverage.

##### **Economy**

The Uoros control the crucial river connecting trade ships from the Lazari canal, safely through the Wyrdlands to the Westrasi Sea. Merchants pay sizable taxes for the use of this river, as well as handsome fees for Wardens of the Wyrd Watch to be used as river guides. They get most of their money this way, and it is enough for most Uorosians to live comfortably. There is a general egalitarianism among it's people, leaving them free to pursue great accomplishments. There is also a decently lucrative hospitality industry servicing travelers who come seeking knowledge from Uorosian archives.