Nasval

## The History of Nasval

Dark elves had inhabited Nasval since the conception of Mapiel in the First Era. They were the first to utilise the sea’s rewards by learning how to fish and travel with boats across short distances. The dark elves are a proud people and don’t take kindly to charity or other forms of goodwill. The first dark elves formed various tribes across Nasval and were mainly hunter gatherers. The resources most abundant on Nasval were exotic delicacies and diamonds. The nations of Mapiel would value these exports greatly and soon make it a very wealthy nation. These tribes would then converge and form into six main houses. Ashou, Mainel, Krenin, Molinto, Hoit, and Jintin. Jintin and Krenin being two notable houses that have formed societies based entirely on magic. The six houses constantly warred with each other, until the Krainen Empire began to invade Nasval to capitalise on the infighting and gain its valuable resources. The war started in the Second Era of the year 850.

What the Empire did not predict was the unification the war would cause, and with the combined might of the six houses, Nasval would repel the Krainen forces and hold onto its independence. But it was not all good news, the Empire still maintained a presence on the Mainland of Nasval. The island of Markot in Nasval is what many would consider the entirety of Nasval. It contained the most prolific cities, virtually all the resources, and all of its military strength. The mainland consists of deserts and savannas, but it does have important trade routes and ports. At the end of the Ausitill-Nasval war in the year 886, the Markot treaty was signed. The treaty allowed Nasval to keep its old borders, but Ausitill would be able to retain control over select cities and trade routes it had gained over the course of the war.

The following decades of uneasy peace have not sat right with many of the populace. Markot was slowly being introduced to new races and cultures and was slowly changing. Many dark elves at the time resented these developments and hated the new Imperial presence. Though times have changed, there is still lingering resentment in regards to other races, cultures, and the Empire. The foreigners however, would be greeted to an alien land, Markot. Markot’s vegetation and geography is unlike anything on Mapiel, only rivalled by Khil Orkog. Whether it’s the massive Kloka flower that provides seeds so big that it could feed a family for a couple of days, or the terrifying Tzk’on that serve as the mighty steeds Nasval have built their nation on. Giant four legged reptilian creatures capable of moving incredibly quick and being able to carry ten times its body weight.

## The Houses

### Ashou

The house with the earliest recorded history, they inhabited the southernmost part of Markot and primarily dealt with trade, shipping, and politics. They originated as the first group of tribes to move away from hunting and gathering and into primitive smithing, construction and more. Tribes from all over would enlist the help of an Ashou to come to their tribes and build their homes, wells, traps, and more. They are famous for being passive and non confrontational. They are the only “neutral” house.

### Mainel

The house of Mainel is one of glory, war, and combat and originated in the north of Markot. They make up the largest part of Nasval’s standing army and originated as fierce hunters and warriors. There is an old adage that half of the land’s fertile soil grows because Mainel blood had been spilt in that spot to nourish it. Mainel society despises magic and considers anyone who uses it weak and selfish. The exception to this is the Order of Draco. They consider the power vested in them by Draco to be the only pure, powerful magic. This makes Clerics and Paladins from the order rare, but not unheard of. They hate both Jintin and Krenin, and have had numerous blood feuds with both houses.

### Krenin

The house of the occult. The arts of necromancy, patronship, and the occult have existed far longer than any other of the magic arts. The tribes that practised these were cast away from any settlements and formed together into the house of Krenin. The house as it exists today is not friendly to any outsiders, not even other magic users. Very little is known about the house other than that anyone who has visited their settlements report them being inside ravines, caverns, and abandoned castles. No outsiders have been able to successfully join them for a millenia. They absolutely despise Jintin and all the other houses, although to a lesser degree.

### Jintin

The house of Mystra. Mystral worship is exceedingly rare as few civilizations even know about her connection to the arcane. Jintin is made up of the first tribes to discover and utilise magic after finding Ancient God Relics. These Relics would form the basis of Nasvalian understanding of magic, as well as the rest of Mapiel. They partly reside in central Markot, but mainly in the eastern rocky highlands. Jintin society is highly unusual and isolationist, incorporating magic into almost every part of their lives. Many buildings don’t have stairs or any way to physically reach different levels, as magical ability to use levitation or spells of the sort is expected. Jintin may not be as xenophobic as the Krenin, but they are still staunch traditionalists and harbour a large bias against “outsiders” as well as Imperial assets. They despise every other house as they view them as barbaric and backwards.

### Molinto

The house of labour. The largest tribe by population, the Molinto originated as labourers and slaves who hadn’t belonged to any one tribe. After being freed or escaping, many of them had no direction and wandered Morrowind in search of work and shelter. As their numbers grew, they formed their own communities, and are home to the most racially diverse settlements in Nasval. These settlements are small but numerous, and usually contain trade workers, merchants, and other small town assets. They form the backbone of Nasvalian culture as well as spirit. They view the other houses as elitist, and while they don’t denounce any of them, they are slightly biassed against any and all members of any house, but they are the most welcoming to outsiders.

### Hoit

The house of artistry. The youngest house, its origins are fairly new, just shy of 500 years. After Nasval became richer, many artists from all walks of lives found themselves exploited by the wealthy time and time again, so formed together to ensure their services would not be exploited again. If the house of Molinto was culturally representative of the every-man, the house of Hoit would be the equivalent to popular culture and the famous. Actors, artists, bards, architects, any art form is represented in this house. They have a presence in nearly every major city in Markot, primarily in Triket, the capital of Markot.

## Important Cities and Settlements

### Triket

The capital of Markot ruled by the dark elf of the same name. Some say that he was the first dark elf to walk on Mapiel, others think that he is a fraud from a family of deceivers. One thing is for sure, no one has seen him for a century, and his fate and/or whereabouts are unknown. Hoit, Molinto, and Ashou have a presence here.

### Miltose

The quiet capital of Markot. A settlement formed in between Triket and the rest of Markot, there is a sort of unspoken agreement that Miltose represents a sort of average of Nasvalian life. The houses all have a presence here except the Krenin. The Jintin have an informal presence, only in the form of a representative living in the settlement.

## Factions and Organizations

### Krainen Empire

Formed when Ausitill gained a new leader, Auster Krainen the Second. He invaded Ruoria in 820 and captured a significant part of its territory. Ruoria now only exists as a puppet state waiting for Ausitill to formally absorb it into the new Empire. This expansionist ideology carried on and eventually led to the war with Nasval. The empire’s presence in Nasval exists physically on the mainland in some select cities, but the Empire has spread its influence into Markot via spies and other methods. It has gotten to the point where you may find Imperial Forts near Ashou settlements as the two have closely allied themselves over the years.

### Fighter’s Guild

Formed approximately 300 years ago when a band of Nomadic Ruchesvskian warriors offered their services to all peoples, including peasants. Their presence tipped the scales of power everywhere and brought an end to the feudal system many nations had thrived under. The guild now exists in branches in almost every part of Mapiel.

### Klo’nt

A group of nomads who live on Nasval’s mainland. They are apolitical and travel from town to town offering services and taking on jobs. Many Nasvalians detest them but not to a point where they would do anything about it.

### Thieves’ Guild

A new presence in Nasval, only existing in the region for the last 60 years or so. The other branches have existed for much longer though, it is thought to be the oldest guild, predating even the Mage’s guild. They mainly operate in busy hubs and are seldom active in any small settlement.

### Mage’s Guild

The guild has existed on Nasval since they started opening it up to outsiders. They have a bitter rivalry with the Jintin, as their ideas on magic and its use are fundamentally different. The Mage’s Guild believes in magic being available to those who wish to seek it, but only when appropriate. The Jintin believe in the free use of magic, only available to the few. Their clashing ideals result in a lot of conflict, sometimes violent ones.

### League of Assassins

The League of Assassins have operated under many names, rarely as the league, and are often referred to as just assassins. Their branches are the most far removed from each other in comparison to other guilds, even going as far as warring with each other. The League in Nasval is known as the Trendol, and is a perfectly legal business. While bounty killing itself isn’t outlawed in Markot, the crimes usually comitted in such a killing are heavily enforced, placing bounty killing in a very peculiar gray area.