Elluria

Elluria is a commonwealth of provinces, each ruled over directly by a Margrave. The Margraves then in turn answer to the Council of Five, the Head Champions of each of the Five Patrons, in the holy city of Rhylanor in Lake Ivandar.

In practice, each Margrave has nearly full autonomy over their region. The Council only intervenes when directed to by the Patrons, which in practice rarely occurs.

Elluria is bordered on the Northeast and Northwest by impassable mountain ranges. To the north lies the Lesser Salt sea, whose salt content is too high to support life. To the south is the Greater Salt sea, likewise devoid of life. The Bay of Dreams, located near the southern region, has a low enough salinity content to support basic sea life, due to the fresh water washed into the bay from Lake Ivandar and is home to a thriving fishing fleet.

**Provinces of Elluria**

**Morica** (Capital: Oleira) Is to the northwest, Bordering Irashnar to the south and Lagash to the northeast. While the population of Morica is predominantly human, large numbers of dwarves are believed to inhabit the Sword Mountains, which make up the southernmost part of the Province. Fed by numerous rivers rolling off of the Barrier Peaks to the west, Morica has a mild climate similar to Great Britain, and the architecture reflects it.

The Margrave of Morica is Halbrun, a Champion of Damodar.

**Lagash** (Capital: Durendal) lies to the northeast. Lagash is sparsely populated, with most of the inhabitants clustered around the capital city of Durendal, on the delta of the Floen river. Much of the landscape consists of a narrow valley between the Barrier Peaks to the north and the Shield of the World Mountains to the south. As you move upriver from Durendal, the terrain rises rapidly, with a series of waterfalls that must be traversed if you want to travel by boat. The people of Lagash have developed a special type of boat, like a large enclosed kayak, that is used for going over the waterfalls and then is raised by winch to the upper banks on the return trip.

The upper reaches of Lagash are frequently snow covered and can be especially treacherous in winter, when moist air from Lake Ivandar is trapped by the mountains and falls as snow.

**Gaspra** (Capital: Iddamakur) is the most temperate region of Elluria, with much milder winters than either Morica or Lagash. Gaspra is most famous for its vineyards and universities, with the capital of Iddamakur being the center of learning for Elluria, as well as the home of the Eldritch Covenant. It is similar in climate and feel to southern France.

**Irashnar** (Capital: Alderamin) is a land of golden fields and open skies. Much of Elluria's grain and produce is raised here. The area was originally home to steppe nomads, but as the population of Elluria grew and the need for agriculture expanded, the nomads were eventually pushed back into Gashidda.

**Gashidda** (Capital: Kaguk) is a tough land of scrub and desert and savannah. Many different tribes of nomads of different species live here, sometimes cooperating, sometimes in conflict with each other. Jutting out to the south of the Barrier Peaks, Gashidda lacks their protection and is frequently battered by salt laden sciroccos that prevent the establishment of forest and heavy vegetation. Gashidda exports meat, cheese, iron, wool and silk, both in bolts and in the form of manufactured products such as rugs. The Textile guild in Kaguk has mastered the art of creating incredibly rich and complex colors, presumably from ingredients found only there, and the secret of their creation, along with that of silk, are closely guarded secrets.

In recent years there have been rumors of strange artifacts surfacing in Gashidda. They are allegedly from the area around Mount Croatoa, but the mountain has long been considered extremely perilous and nearly impossible to scale, so those rumors are usually discounted.