Kepia

The Kepian Emblem

Kepia is an international power located on the western half of the world. It is considered to be the leading western nation in terms of both culture and military power, so much so that the entire western continent is better known as the Kepian Continent. It is sometimes referred to as the sole beacon of western civilization, as it is the only nation state with globally recognized sovereignty in the western half of the world, with the most notable powers excluding itself on that side of the world being the fallen kingdom that once inhabited the Broken Lands and the barbarian nation of Leandoros, both of which are significantly inferior to Kepia itself.

## History

### Pre-Kepian Tribes

Also known as Prehistoric Kepia, this era of history refers to Kepia during the First Age. The people of this period had no written form of language, making historical study of the time extremely difficult outside of analyzing the few intact ruins of ancient civilizations that still exist.

Prehistoric Kepian civilization was generally primitive, being composed of large numbers of scattered tribes. Over time, various tribal groups began to form alliances with one another, creating the earliest civilizations.

### The Rise and Fall of King Magellan

The end of Prehistoric Kepia is most commonly referenced in conjunction with the conquests of a Kepian Warlord called Gharel Magellan during the Wars of Creation. There are two reasons for this:

1.) King Magellan was the first individual to fully unite the Kepian continent, turning it into a single nation state.

2.) Jadrianna Torok, a member of King Magellan's royal court, is recognized to be the Original Historian of Kepia. She is therefore technically the one to invent written history for the Kepian nation.

Although King Magellan did succeed in uniting the Kepian Continent, his rule was relatively short compared to the dynasty that followed him. In fact, he was never able to be recognized as a rightful king by all of Kepia. The people of Phrica and Judikael in particular refused to accept his sovereignty, and the latter half of Magellan's rule and his subsequent downfall can be attributed to disastrous campaigns against both of these peoples which eventually led to infighting amongst his court.

### Rise of the Elder Families

The infighting caused by Magellan's defeats led to the start of a nation wide campaign against his rule. The rebellions that occurred during this period gradually came to be associated with seven individuals, who ended up leading the final push against the royal capital. These individuals would go on to become the founders of the seven Elder Families.

1.) Caelestis Tor

2.) Amnitas Waldemar

3.) Koniker Colios

4.) Janniken Tudor

5.) Ismier Aldo

6.) Theodoros Keejeck

7.) Shiravanos Manahem

### Creation of Kepia

As the Wars of Creation gradually transitioned into the High Era, the Elder Families saw themselves situated with creating a new nation state on the ruins of King Magellan's empire. This marks the true creation of the nation of Kepia.

### Joining the Royalists and the war against Oriel

The rise of the Oriel Dynasty hit Kepia the hardest due to the two nations sharing a land border. As a result of this threat, Kepia was the first to propose the start of the Royalists Coalition, sending out offers for alliances to the other world powers.

### Kepian Civil War

King Nyeli is assassinated by Alfwin Paetriscal, who subsequently takes the throne. Kepia is then split into a number of factions, which begin fighting for dominance.

### Kepian Wars of Conquest

Larkham obtains the support of the Aldo, Keejeck, and Waldemar Families. He then proceeds to conquer the rest of Kepia through a mix of force and politics, eventually securing himself as the first modern king of Kepia.

### Second Kepian Civil War and rise of the North Sea Raiders

The discovery of a terrorist group attempting to recreate passion in Fikiri leads to the government responding with drastic action. This leads to hostilities from Fikiri, eventually leading to rebellion. The government decides to put the rebellion down by force, which sparks the desertion of Hawking Vander and most of the Kepian Navy, who go on to create the North Sea Raiders.

## Geography

The geography of the Kepian continent is primarily forests, which take up well over 60% of its total land. The land is relatively humid as a result of the Swallowed Isles having the highest elevation in the general area, and has no real dry climates with the exception of Mason's Heart which has an active volcano.

The continent is split into a higher and lower part, with the lower part consisting of the entirety of the Olestrian Plains and half of the Low Greens to the east and the higher part consisting of everything else to the west. There is a single mountain range consisting of the Fionnbarras. As one travels westward, the elevation will gradually increase, with the Swallowed Isles being above cloud level. The westernmost area consisting of the Sea of Lilies is much lower compared to the Swallowed Isles, but is still a good few thousand meters above sea level.

Go here to see a list of all of Kepia's geographical landmarks.

## Culture

Kepia has generally stuck true to its tribal origins, and the organization of the nation as a whole is very much a derivative of early tribal politics. Individuals of note often come from pre-established royal clans, known as 'Families', with the prestige of a family being the largest determinant of what opportunities one will have in society.

Due to the lack of nearby friendly nations to undergo cultural exchange with early on, Kepia has retained much of its early warrior culture. Dueling has a very significant cultural significance to Kepian citizens, and is considered to be both a popular form of sport and also an acceptable method of solving minor civil issues. Though a government and body of law does exist, it is generally possible to resolve legal battles through dueling should both parties agree to do so.

## Economy

### Alchemy

As a tribal nation, Kepians have a deep affinity with nature, and this manifests itself as a particularly high affinity in potion making and other related fields such as herbology, nature magic, etc. Kepian alchemists are highly sought after, as their unique knowledge in the field allows creation of potions not seen anywhere else in the world.

## Military

### Organization

The Kepian military follows a very strict hierarchy, but also is considered one of the most progressive in the world in terms potential for advancement. Although coming from a well known family can help in obtaining higher ranks, advancement is generally based more on personal ability rather than social connection and status.

Except for special situations, all newcomers to the Kepian army start off at the lowest rank. To climb the ladder of command, one can either show their prowess in actual battle, or during times of peace take a test to see if they qualify for a given position. Kepians use chess pieces to designate rank, with the order of the pieces going pawn, rook, knight, bishop, queen, and king, with each piece having sub-ranks with the exception of king and queen.

### Assets

#### Kepian Steppe Duelists

A majority of Kepia’s infantry consists of Steppe Duelists. Each unique in their preferred fighting style and weapon of choice, there is no standard fighting style practiced by these people. Rather, groups seem to form naturally based on what individuals share similar or complementary fighting styles.

Anyone recruited into the duelists is given a pawn chess piece to signify the start of their ascent through the Kepian hierarchy. In general, ground troops will be composed of pawns, while a commander would have a rook.

#### The Raingarde

For the few elite who have proven themselves in battle on multiple occasions, they are awarded with the rank of knight, along with an invitation to join Kepia’s elite corps, known as the Raingarde.

#### Lowland Outriders

Lowland Outriders patrol the outer borders of Kepia, forever lying in wait for potential invaders.

## Royal Families

Kepian royalty is based on membership to one of the various royal families. Different families have different amounts of social prestige, and new families can be started for all sorts of reasons.

### The Elder Families

The Elder Families refer to the original seven tribes that banded together to create the nation of Kepia. These seven families are known as:

The Tor Family (Tehvah)

The Colios Family

The Waldemar Family (Wolanski)

The Tudor Family

The Aldo Family

The Keejeck Family (Kres Jah)

The Manahem Family (Mah'tatski)

Every single Kepian royal family has its origins in one of the original seven elder families, and many of them are subsidiaries to their ancestral families.

## Groups of Interest

### Coin Lords

The Coin Lords are a group of wealthy, influential individuals that manage businesses of all kinds, each of varying legitimacy across the nation of Kepia.