Gesnor

## **Location**

The kingdom of Gesnor is located in the northern mountainous region of Xaria. It is bordered on the east by the Dwarven Kingdom of Thorin, on the south by Palrim, Telumar and Dakkor, and on the west by Orenvale. The northern edge of Gesnor is the jagged fjord and cliff-faced coastline of the Frost Sea.

## **Land**

Gesnor is divided north from south by a high mountain range which extends east into Thorin and Akkoria, and to the west diminishes into Icara, eventually forming the famed Hagar Hills on the border between Icara and Karandia. The foothills of these mountains rise from the fertile plains of Palrim and Telumar, steepening into tall snow-capped peaks. A mix of tectonic and volcanic peaks spread across this range, with Mt. Cyril as the most prominant stratovolcano in the range. From most places in Gesnor you can see Mt. Cyril in the distance. North of the mountain range the land slopes down to the ocean. This North Slope is covered by glaciers in most places, and is not really habitable.

The foothills area south of the mountains hosts the majority of the population. There are few towns in Gesnor, most of the population lives in small hamlets or villages, usually near one of the many cold mountain streams that drain south through the country. Greyspire is the one city in Gesnor, and there the King holds his court. Greyspire is carved into a huge cliff face, with some of the city inside the mountain, some extends out onto a mountain plateau.

## **Resources**

Gesnor survives on potatoes, and precious metals. The land of Gesnor does not lend itself to grains or other produce, so the majority of foodstuffs comes from their neighbor, Palrim. Some rugged livestock provides protein to the population, but these goat and oxen are not plentiful.

Gesnor is wealthy and powerful because of the mines rich with veins of metals, gems and stone. Most of the population of Gesnor is occupied by the mining industry, either as laborers in the mines, or in service jobs for the miners and their families. Gesni, because of this wealth, have large families. It is common wisdom that the second son and second daughter of each family will serve in the military. Gesnor's other great resource is its military might.

The Quartz Mines of Ghiraak (yes, a dwarven name), located in the eastern mountains, is known across the land for it provides sheets of clear stone used by the wealthy to seal the elements out of their buildings. The small etching of the Mine's official stamp is coveted amongst the elite, and counterfeited often.

## **Capital**

Greyspire is found in the north central area of Gesnor. The city is a walled fortress that sits on a plateau shelf. The winding road that leads to Greyspire is well traveled and built, and is wide enough in most places for two wagons to pass each other. The only real danger is an occasional rock slide.

When the main gates of Greyspire come into view, it is an impressive sight. The city sits on a rock shelf across a chasm that stretches thirty feet at its narrowest point, where the gate is. The chasm is one thousand feet deep where the drawbridge crosses it.

Inside the twenty foot walls, the space is limited. It seems that every foot of flat space holds the foundation of a building. The space is utilized quite well, though it seems crowded. This led the Gesni to carve into the mountainside to expand and grow. The three courtyards are favorite sites for those unused to such confined cities, though the largest, the palace courtyard, is never used by the Gesni for anything other than official ceremonies.

The Palace is a wondrous sight. Built entirely of stone carved from the mountain, it towers over the rest of the city, almost two hundred feet tall at its highest tower.

## **Government**

Gesnor was, until late March 509, ruled by Volek I, a king that “rules with a stone fist”. On a moonless night a band of mercenaries fought their way into the Keep in Greyspire, and killed Volek in his bedchambers. Many Gesni soldiers and Eagle Elite were also slain, and none of the mercenaries survived the attack. He had few advisors, as his policy and word were final in all matters. The people of the land respected Volek’s strength and obey his rule mostly out of fear. In the several months since his assassination, there has been a political storm in the capitol as various factions seek to acquire authority over the land.

The special unit of the Gesni Army, the “Eagle Elite,” was created to maintain Volek's rule, and in the aftermath of his death, those Elite who were not present or who survived the battle are seeking a figurehead to take the crown.

Gesnor is part of the Three Peaks Accord, along with Thorin and Palrim. As the largest and most powerful of the three, Gesnor holds sway over the military decisions of the Accord. With the death of Volek, the dwarven kingdom seems less enthusiastic about its role in this treaty, though they have not yet broken the Accord.

## **Military**

The Gesni Army was long known for its defensive capabilities. In 487 King Volek seized power, and began what would be a ten-year long reorganization of the army into one that could powerfully fight offensive battles. The Gesnor army is one of the strongest standing armies in Xaria, but has is now stretched thin in its ten-year battled to conquer Dakkor.

Near Gesnor village of Melorn is Citadel Veldron, home to the Order called the Veldron Knights. Though not controlled by or part of the Gesni military, the Knights do consider Gesnor their homeland and are often seen travelling or training with Gesni soliders. Within the Citadel reside the Council of Veldron and a very expansive library of ancient knowledge. The coffers of the Citadel are rumored to be vast, and contain the most unique magikal items.

## **Religion**

The Gesni believe in the power of nature in their lives, and primarily worship those gods with domain over the rocks, the ice, and the rivers. Among the more prominant faiths are that of Niva (goddess of Winter), the dwarven god Obsidian, and Ganga (god of rivers).

## **Past**

Originally a frontier mining area of the Icaran Empire, the community of miners slowly grew until it reached sufficient numbers to declare their independance from the Empire in AY 161. Taking the names of the first two men who found the riches in the mountains, Gesnor and Tronoth, the country and its first capital were named. Token efforts by the Empire to retake these lands met stiff resistance, which benefitted from the rugged terrain.

In August of 312, Mt. Cyril erupted, burying the capital city of Tronoth. The second largest encampment, Greyspire, became the defacto capital, and remains so to the modern day.

The influence of the weather, the conditions of the mining industry and the nearby dwarves have made the Gesni into a stout, and sometimes dour people. They appreciate a laborer's work, and respect any who dig, carve or cut the earth for a living. The value of a strong defensive army too was long the tradition of Gesnor, since the first repulsion of the Icaran forces. Here too the tradition of the dwarves can be seen, a rugged defense in a mountain pass is the most lauded military endeavor among the Gesni.

As Gesnor grew, and began to reach the limits of unclaimed land, it was clear that some form of representation to other lands was needed. A Council of eight elders was formed to manage the now full-time military, to be arbiter during disputes, and to interact with other lands. Called the Pick Council, it stood for one hundred and fifty years as the peaceful government of these hard-working people.

In 485, a young and charismatic man named Volek gathered a group of men, the "Eagle Elite", and began to speak out against the old ways. Volek was clearly a ruthless man, with grand designs for Gesnor, but he was able to gain popular support with his promises of a more prominent role for Gesnor in Xarian life. On the darkest and coldest day of the year, 487, Volek and the Eagle Elite, with a crowd of supporters at his back, moved into the Council chambers in Greyspire, and ousted the Pick Council. In this conflict, six of the Pick members were killed, while two managed to escape, and have not been seen since.

Declaring himself King Volek the First, he and his Eagle Elite went about remaking Gesnor to match their goals. His first action was to help create the Three Peaks Accord in 488, a military and trade pact between Gesnor, Thorin and Palrim. With Volek maintaining the strongest army, he serves as leader for the Three Peaks forces. With this Accord Volek wisely secured himself a supply of food for the army he wished to expand, and the support of the Dwarven Kingdom against the off-chance that they would dissapprove of Volek's broader goals. He knew that Thorin could be the one force which could unseat him easily.

King Volek next began to rework the Gesnor Army from one of a powerful defensive force to one that could carry out expeditions into other lands. He saw to his west and south countries that were weak for one reason or another, and bountiful in resources that Gesnor lacked: farmland and cultural standing. With more people, food, and respect in other lands, Volek believed he could rival Akkoria or Karandia in power and prestige.

This conversion was not fully embraced by the Gesni, and Volek at times resorted to force or intimidation to achieve his vision. This eroded his support among the people. In the waning years of the 400's it is said that a group calling itself "The Pick" began secret meetings to remove Volek and restore the Council. It is not clear if this group was destroyed, demoralized, or are still awaiting a proper moment to strike.

In 498, Gesnor flexed its authority in Palrim as part of the Three Peaks Accord. Under the pretense of hunting for dark elf invaders, Gesni troops detained travelers and enforced ancient Palrim law. The operation was later proven to be a covert attempt to capture members of the ousted Pick government of Gesnor, but the Palrim Sage Council had little response to the incident, choosing instead to focus on the safety and security of the Sacred Woods. Since, the Gesni have continued to "lend support" to other neighboring countries by commiting troops to foreign lands.

## **Present**

The Three Peaks Accord has been at war with Dakkor for ten years. Begun in 499, Volek has consumed massive resources of men and metal attempting to conquer this supposed weakened enemy to the south. His expeditionary army is discovering the challenges of long supply trains, muddy trails, and no cavern walls to guard your flank. During this period he has placed troops in Orenvale and Lindora, though both of those garrisons have since been recalled and dismantled, as the fight with Dakkor has bogged down.

By 502 the Gesni had pushed as far south as they would get. Just outside the Hriv Forest, their lines bogged down in the mud of Spring. Digging in to the hills of the forest, this line has held for the past six years. The Three Peaks cannot seem to push further south, and Dakkor cannot muster the force necessary to push them out. The elder members of the Gesni military have used their old defensive training to fortify the line. It is unlikely a force short of the Icarans or Karandians will be able to move them back out of Northern Dakkor. So too, the dwarven kingdom has lost its patience for this war, and no longer provides the same support as at its outset.

In Spring 509, Gesnor began to settle the area behind the lines, seeking to restore the cropland that was trampled or sabotaged during the war. With these settlers, and the powerful defensive line they have assembled, Volek is hoping to consolidate his hold over this new territory.

On the heels of this effort to consolidate Volek Provice, as the Gesni are calling the parts of northern Dakkor that they occupy, Volek's assassination has brought turmoil to the occupied lands. Gesni who were encouraged through threat or bribe or opportunity to move to Voley Province are now uncertain that they will be properly protected, or compensated. Seeing the dwarven war parties moving the opposite direction along the road is disquieting to say the least.

In the capitol, talk of a reconstituted Pick Council is circulating in the shadows, while most pay fealty to the memory of a King nobody liked that much. The Eagle Elite are still strong, despite losing many men the night Volek was slain. It will be an interesting summer in Gesnor, of that you can be certain.