Valtamere Empire

> *The dead have been a threat for as long as we remember...The ocean is not kind it is vast, cold, and full of horrors. We will drag them*
> back down into her depths, and keep the surface safe.
>
>

*For many an era the Valtamere Empire*

has been the first line of defense against the endless horde of The Black League. The undersea kingdom is cherished by all aquatic life and has formed a symbiotic relationship with them.

## **Culture**

The species of the Valtamere Empire are trained for war from a young age. The have knowledge about many kinds of undead and are taught to be resourceful since the ocean's resource are limited. They work with metal using underwater geysers and kept the metal from rusting
using special enchantments that made their weapons stronger underwater.

If one dies on water the Valtamerans know of a ritual to ensure that the dead do not rise from the ocean floor again. The rocks that they would use to weigh one's body down are inscribed with simple but effective runes to ward away necromantic magic that would cause them to rise again.

The Black League is strongest on the full moon so there is superstition amongst the Valtamerans to avoid anything or anyone else that has any kind of relation to the moon.

The people of the Valtamere Empire know things about the surface world based on what they recover from sunken ships, they know a lot about what goes on the surface but they usually interpret things slightly off from what actually took place. Valtamerans are prideful about their many great accomplishments and assume that the surface world knows as much about them as they do about the surface. There is an untold and immeasurable amount of life that has been saved and they are the only ones that are aware of it and will not hesitate to go on about the many great battles they have won.

### The Sunken Court

The Valta worship the some of the gods of the Valenzi Court, but under different names. They are known to them as the Sunken Court, and while there is some overlap between their surface versions, some aspects are different. This because the Valta had a limited amount of exposure to the surface gods.

* Merzama - King of the Sea and Protector of the Realm
* Hamono - The Watchful Sun. She who cursed the undead away from sunlight forcing them to only operate at night
* Batros - Master of War, Who chooses the next Commander
* Mortimus - She who keeps the guides the dead to the afterlife, protecting them from becoming undead
* Liuth - God of kinship and families, who strengthens the bonds of the Valta
* Fara - God of celebrations, and the changing of seasons
* Tarielith - Goddess of the Moon, who strengthens the undead, tricks mortals into joining the ranks of the undead and is feared amongst the Sunken Court

## **History**

The threat of the Black League is nearly as old as the Valtamere Empire. Outside of the history books of this nation little is known because they have kept their distance from the surface. They are rumored to watch over the seas. The undertakings of the mad mage would prove to be the start of the downfall of this Empire. When the Spellblast Catalyst took place the surface suffered but the sea endured so much worse. There enchantments slowly began to wither and there metals started to rust faster. What used to be a chore now becomes a more daunting task, and in order for them to hold back the dead they will need for the surface world to step up and do its part. They are getting overwhelmed, something great is going to rise soon and they won't be able to drag it back down without some help. They have decided to open up their borders and allow their citizens to come and go in an attempt to find allies on the surface.