Eastern Zemlya

The Wartorn Front

**Eastern Zemlya** (pronounced /iːstərn zɛmlɛɑː/) is in the midst of a civil war with Western Zemlya to ensure their role as the true leaders of Zemlya. However, it has been 284 years since the war began and no victor has appeared in the conflict. Peace negotiations have never come to fruition, due in most parts of the elixir *Red Deus*, helping large swathes of the infantry recover at miraculous speeds. The leader of this splintering country is Queen Tausheva Razum, who was the queen of Zemlya, from the city Razum. They still assert their claim to the rightful rule of the country.

Near the war front and the centre of what was Zemlya is the capital of Eastern Zemlya is the capital city of Razum the city has nearly been completely destroyed at this point in the conflict but has been kept as part of the military effort. The main military force of Eastern Zemlya has been led from the city Udaryat' further east, nearer to the city-state of Bimil. Udaryat' is where the Queen now resides, within the Cherny Keep, the city itself is famously easy to defend from attack.

## Description

### Geography

The undulating hills and thick forests of Eastern Zemlya have all been hacked and carved to create defensible positions, only for these to be destroyed over and over, in a seemingly never-ending loop. The brooks and streams of the countryside, twisted to military needs, dammed and poisoned for an offensive or to secure a defensive.

## Society

### Demographics

The country is consumed by war and so are all aspects of life, people live on Resource Slips, small pieces of card that state their necessities to the government in return for food, water and all kinds of comforts. The number of Resource Slips you receive correlates with the amount your occupation is capable of providing to the war effort. For example, caravans carrying *Red Deus* and other supplies are a highly valued occupation, on the other end people within the arts have been ignored by their government for some time, almost all moving to enrol within the military, whereupon any Resource Slips earned can be sent to family or friends. The wealthiest of these are nobles and high military officials, who are able to maintain a lavish lifestyle within their highly defensible estates.

The role of *Red Deus* is very different from within Eastern Zemlya than most of the continent as it is seen as government property and necessary for the war effort. It has become such a necessary resource for the conflict that even possession of *Vial Echoes* is illegal as they can be collected enough to heal a soldier in need.

## History

### Introduction of Red Deus

The introduction of the elixir into the country came over 700 years ago after non-aggression pacts were signed between Zemlya and Conamar, as Zemlya was famous for its military prowess. After seeing *Red Deus'* effectiveness in the Pobeda Games, let the representative of Conamar fight for many days longer than the others. This impressive show of competency led to enthusiasm amongst the people of Zemlya to have access to this elixir, an enthusiasm that was shared by the leaders of the country, and so the pacts were struck to acquire the elixir.

### The Start of the Civil War

The war started when the leader of the city of Serdtse, Lord Anosov Slava, levelled false claims at Queen Tausheva Razum. The claims were that her and the other nobles of the country were hoarding *Red Deus* for use in future wars against the rest of the continent. Queen Razum obviously denied such ridiculous claims, often speaking of Lord Anosov's ambitions for power in the past, claiming that this was his attempt at vying for control of the country. However, she was powerless to stop when Lord Anosov staged an attack on his own forces, during his "parade", and with his alliances with Storoz declared war on the royal family, starting the civil war.

### The Beast Scourge

There are a few reports from soldiers on the front lines of creatures that roam no man's land, between the two fronts, creatures that go as far to lack description as no words do their horror justice, creatures that could only be Beasts. When whole battalions of men would disappear from a quiet spot on the frontlines, the official notice was always MIA or victim of a covert attack, but the men on the frontline would always know, that those screams did not belong to any battlefield.