The Western Realms

**Summary:** A small feudal human kingdom with strong tribal traditions that is wary of magic.

Teroq'nor is the most northern of the mainland Avemorian realms. The small land is characterized by rocky coasts, large and dense pine tree forests, tall mountains, cool summers and freezing winters. The infrastructure of the kingdom is poor, due to a combination of the climate and social structure. Though the kingdom does practice feudalism, it is largely decentralized and many of its inhabitants hold on to the old tribal ways, meaning there isn’t much desire for a good road system or towering castles. Additionally, massive storms hit the western coast of Teroq'nor frequently, destroying any buildings which may be built there.

The people of Teroq'nor are reclusive, traditional, and superstitious. They believe strongly in the Urdinian Pantheon and primarily follow Manwe, the god of law and justice, Yavanna, the goddess of nature and life, and Nienna, the goddess of liberty and freedom. Due to their strong belief in these gods, and their desire to worship each of them equally, Terokish culture has a strong sense of honor, individualism, and a respect for nature. Every settlement in Teroq'nor has its own shaman, who speaks for the gods and determines if the local population is acting pious enough. The shamans hold considerable sway in society, perhaps even greater than the nobles do.

Despite their deep connection to the gods and their use of shamans, the Terokish have a strong distrust of magic. They believe the use of magic is reserved only for those in the service of the gods, and that others cannot be trusted to use it. Lately this fear has been exacerbated as rumors grow that not even the paladins and the shamans may be trusted, and that they have ties to magic which doesn’t come from the gods traditionally followed. These fears have been spurred on by mysterious disappearances and strange phenomena happening in the forests. The tensions between the religious authorities, the nobles, and the peasantry only seem to be growing as the rumors become more widespread.

### Inhabitants

Humans, Elves, Dwarves

**Summary:** A feudal kingdom with predominantly human nobility that has a considerable population of elves and dwarves.

Fraesn is a human kingdom that praises itself on stability, honor, and prosperity. The kingdom is ruled by King James VI, though various dukes, barons, counts, and other nobles have a heavy hand in both regional and local administration. There is no simple way to define the nobles of Fraesn, as people of any character can be found among their ranks. King James VI himself is considered a good person, though he is old and some say too passive in leadership, letting the people under him manage most of what happens in the Kingdom. Even through evil kings however, Fraesn has nearly always been a stable realm. Wars, famines, plagues, and other atrocities do occur but they never seem to affect Fraesn in the long term. Some scholars have claimed that the kingdom is akin to an elvish one, only ruled by humans instead.

Just because Fraesn has a human king and is predominantly human, doesn’t mean all the nobility is human though. A few families of dwarves and elves have found themselves landed, although this is far from the norm. Furthermore, dwarves and elves have a notable presence in the cities. A large deal of trade occurs between Fraesn and the Confederation of Korilla and Ilyn Nalore, leading to many inhabitants from the latter two to ending up in Fraesn and deciding to make a life there. Some of the nobles despise the landed elves and dwarves, but besides that the three races get along fairly well.

One of the most unique aspects of Fraesn is the great diversity in geography it has. There are sandy coastlines in the south, rocky ones in the north, large rivers, grasslands, boreal and alpine forests, rolling hills, and tall mountains. This wide range of environments is a source of pride for Fraesians, and are great natural resources. The Bjergskov forest is an area of particular interest to the Fraesians. It is said that in the region where the forest meets the mountains, many ancient beasts and creatures live. Things like lycanthropes, shifters, fey, and cults of druids can be found there according to local legend. It is not forbidden to go into these areas, but natives warn only to do so with a great deal of respect for the nature that’s there.

### Inhabitants

High Elves, Wood Elves, Gnomes

**Summary:** A woodland realm ruled by a high elf king, with wood elves and gnomes also occupying and protecting the forests.

A little over two millennia ago, a civil war broke out in the elven homeland of Urdinia over the increasing power the Emperor had been gaining. The revolutionaries who started the civil war wanted a land that granted more freedoms to individuals, the nobility, and was more open to outsiders. The revolution was crushed, but many of the revolutionaries were able to escape the island and sailed east. The fleeing high elves and wood elves settled in the Sildemma forest. After a brief conflict with the indigenous gnomes, the elves took control of the forest and established the Kingdom of Ilyn Nalore.

Today, the high elves, wood elves, and gnomes all live in harmony and prosperity together. A high elf king rules over them, but he must comply with the wishes of an advisory council. The wood elves tend to stay out of politics and keep to themselves, but should the need arise they will happily join the military as soldiers to defend their homes. The current advisory council is composed of seven members - four high elves, two gnomes, and one wood elf. Every century, or whenever a council member dies, a new person is democratically elected to the position. The position of King, however, is hereditary.

Ilyn Nalore engages in a fair deal of commerce with the other realms, but the reason most outsiders come to it is for the Library of Sinwe. The Library of Sinwe is renowned by scholars and followers of the Urdinian Pantheon alike for housing copies of many books brought over from Urdinia. With the Empire of Urdinia becoming increasingly isolated, the library is the only way for researchers and acolytes to gain knowledge on certain subjects. Though previously books were allowed to be exchanged for new books and knowledge donated to the library, the King of Ilyn Nalore has recently stopped this practice and closed off a section of the library, forbidding anyone outside of the royal family and the council to enter it. This has enraged scholars and piqued the interest of many who believe something sinister is happening.

### Inhabitants

Humans, Dwarves, High Elves, Tieflings

**Summary:** A very militaristic empire where all sorts of races may achieve high social status, though keeping status requires high levels of intrigue and politicking.

The Maeranian Empire is a realm where bloodshed and backstabbing have become almost the norm for its citizens. The key philosophies of the Empire are that an occasional war is necessary to maintain a healthy society that doesn’t go stagnate, any person may rise in rank and social class if they show enough determination, and a strong guiding hand is necessary to maintain order in a dangerous world. This has lead the Maeranian Empire to have one of Avemoria’s strongest navies and armies, as well as one of the most dynamic governments rife with politics and intrigue. Opinions on the Empire are very mixed among both outsiders and citizens, whose opinions range from believing it to be the epitome of civilization, to a society that is corrupt, decadent, and disrespectful of life and nature.

Though the Maeranian Empire is heavily focused on the military and war, it has been a considerable amount of time since its last major conflict, which was a naval war with the Free Republic of Ruud over a trade disagreement. Those that keep a close eye on the Empire’s military have noticed that its navy has recently been increasing in size quite considerably. Many think this is a sign of potential war with the Free Republic again, though other possible targets may be Urdinia or Fraesn. The Emperor and his aides have said nothing about who they may be going to war with, an unusual occurrence for a nation that loves to rally its people against a common enemy.

When not at war with them, the Maeranian Empire can actually make a very good ally due to their position as a center of trade. The cities of the Empire serve as a crossroads between the Western Realms, the Empire of Urdinia, and the Great Plains. Whenever trade happens between any of these places, it almost certainly ends up passing through at least one Maereanian city. The Empire itself imports many luxuries from across the world, as well as finished and unrefined metals and metal products. Its main exports are crops and livestock. If the Confederacy of Korilla has the latest in dwarf technology and magic, and the Empire of Urdinia has the greatest elf advances, then Maerania is the hallmark of human technological and magical advances. Between government funded research and its position as a place where people from all parts of the world come through, research flourishes here.