| The Theocracy of Vlean |
This land was once the nation of Adecia, which was conquered by Civen in 1184NL. Though Civen did everything in their power to integrate rather than simply occupy, the Adecian people would not be annexed quietly. A group of Septons started a rebellion that grew and was well organized enough to expel the army and any Civenites who had settled there. Naming their new nation Vlean they went to war with Civen and it lasted 100 years before Civen was finally willing to accept defeat. The war ended in 1585NL, more recently than many people care to think about. Vlean has known war for most of its life and it colors everything about the country. They are strict to an extreme, xenophobic, and utterly dedicated to their precise interpretation of Sept worship.
Stop the Press! This Isn't Right! |
History
The first people to occupy the land that would eventually become Vlean were agrarian and well known for their peaceful disposition. Having just come out of the Gods’ War on Vargainen and having escaped the Sundering through an act of divine intervention, they were happy to simply be alive. In time they organized and came to call their civilization Adecia. Adecia thrived with some of the most abundant agriculture in a land full of lush growth. The runoff from the mountains, which primarily came in spring, had magical properties that could heal the sick and wounded. Perhaps more importantly the water helped crops grow faster and larger than anywhere else. Tales of this water gave rise to rumors that the Mother had blessed the mountains or possibly even lived there during her time on the continent of Novitas. The Mountains became known as the Spires of Salvation, and the water was dubbed the Mother’s Tears. The people of Adecia soon had a bountiful harvest each year, and they became experts at exporting food to trade with their neighbors. This brought them no shortage of friendship and in time they became skilled diplomats as well. Nalbendel was a good neighbor and though Civen conquered all of southwestern Novitas they kept their distance from Adecia thanks to the good relationship the two nations enjoyed. When the Draconic Empire fell in 992, the human nation of Quaradar fell as a consequence. The reptilian slaves of the dragons swept out of the empire and Quaradar was the first civilization they encountered. Caught completely off guard Quaradar was wiped off the map in three short years. Its people fled south to Civen who at the time did not have the resources to take in so many refugees at once. Civen was also concerned that the reptilian horde was headed their way next and wanted to prepare for the inevitable siege. Adecia had the food and were willing to make the space to take in the refugees. It didn’t take long before the people of Quaradar were fully integrated into Adecian society. They brought with them new crafts, knowledge and culture. It's worth noting that a major part of the culture they brought with them was a sense of xenophobia and distrust of non-humans. Quaradar was located between the snow goblins of Gersh to the north, elves to the east in Nalbendel, earthkin of Terra under the mountains to the southwest, and dragon & drakes above the mountains to the southwest. None of these nations were able or willing to help them as the reptilian horde destroyed their homes and pillaged their lands. Still Adecia went on trading with its neighbors but now those who didn’t travel fed on the stories of what the rest of the world was like and they turned more insular. In 1182 NL much to the surprise of everyone, Civen launched an invasion of Adecia. Warmongers in Civen had wanted to annex the territory for some time. No one had considered the threat to be real though, peace between the two countries had lasted for so long. Adecia would have been conquered rapidly were it not for the quick action of General Paolo Vlean who managed to immediately put together a resistance movement. Vlean knew his people couldn’t win a sustained and direct fight. He directed those he could to gather provisions and together they slipped into the Spires of Salvation. From the mountains they were able to use their superior knowledge of the land to make lightning fast raids on the Civen forces, disrupting their supply lines and making occupation come at a terrible cost. Though they only lasted for a year, Vlean’s resistance movement would be remembered by the people forever more as a lasting symbol against the hated Civen legion. The people of Adecia came to call the mountain range the Spires of Retribution, as both a taunt and a threat to the Civen forces living among them. When the emperor was freed of the Avatar’s mind control there was some hope that Civen would leave Adecia and return home. Civen spent years changing governments, removing the office of Emperor; they would never be so easily tricked again. Communication with the occupied Adecian province indicated that once things had settled down they would discuss how to go about ending the occupation. Years passed, but nothing changed. In that time the people of Adecia began to rename every street, every building after Vlean. They knew where things were already, but by changing the name of everything to Vlean they both honored their hero and stoked the fires of resistance by confusing the occupying force. Years turned to decades and still Adecia was occupied. A small cabal of Septons began to organize a resistance movement. Quietly they stocked and prepared. In 1250NL they were ready to take larger action. They renamed the capital of Adecia to Vleanoa and started to make pinpoint strikes at powerful targets in the Civen Legion. Publicly Civen would not acknowledge the change of name, but they couldn’t stop it either. The Civen Senate were able to hide the assassinations and sabotage from the public. For the next two hundred years the rebellion continued to build and quietly lashed out where it could. In time the leadership of the Septons came to call themselves the Divine Conclave. They claimed divine authority from the Sept to free the Vleanoan people from Civen occupation. The name Vlean became synonymous with resistance and people quietly enlisted to the cause. Civen was a much more powerful force and they had time to dig in. If the people of Vlean wanted to free themselves they were going to need more than hit and run tactics. For a decade the Divine Conclave stopped their attacks. In Civenopolis the Senate mistook this for victory, at long last the resistance was over. It was simply a lull before the true war began. On March 5th, 1480 NL after years of careful planning and preparation the people of who now called themselves Vleanoans rose up and began their war for independence from Civen. Across the province blood ran in the streets; barracks were the first targets but other Civen establishments followed. It took nearly a year to fully expel Civen’s forces from Vleanoa, longer still to clear the rest of Vlean. Civen fought back, dedicating legion after legion to put down the rebellion. The Divine Conclave had the Sept on their side, or at least that is what the people of Vlean believe. There were more than a few losses, but the conclave had an incredible information network built, they knew exactly where and when to expect Civen’s forces and made every battle as costly as possible. The Conclave quickly established the Order of the Divine Aegis, an elite military group that served as the Conclave’s swift and terrible sword of justice. The Order were the front line in the fighting supported by patriotic Vleanoans who were prepared to do what had to be done to earn their freedom. As the Civen Legions were driven further and further back the Conclave was stuck with the unenviable position of deciding what to do with those who had sat idly by while their siblings fought and died to remove the invaders. Those who were not of Civen heritage but still openly dissented against the rebellion were presumed to be heretics and the Order of the Divine Aegis was unleashed upon them. Dissent against the rebellion stopped immediately, or at least open dissent. But for the first time there was some doubt about the righteousness of the Order of the Divine Aegis. The Conclave wisely concluded that the Divine Aegis needed to be trusted by the common people. To this end they formed the Sodality of the Inquisition who would be tasked with weeding out further heretics, agents of Civen and other undesirables who sought to undermine the new Theocracy of Vlean. Members of the Conclave worked in secret from the start but once the war started in earnest Civen badly wanted to remove the leadership of the rebellion. The Conclave were well known by the people doing the fighting and Civen was able to learn who they were as a result. One by one members of the Conclave were targeted by Civen forces. To prevent continued assassinations their replacements had their identities concealed. The Divine Conclave began to issue orders through intermediaries. Civen responded by trying to send false orders which the Conclave saw through. They declared one individual to be the Arch Septimus who would communicate on their behalf. The Arch Septimus took the risk of exposure so that the Conclave could remain concealed without risk of imposters delivering counterfeit edicts. The war with Civen lasted for over 100 years. Though the Legion was expelled from northern Vlean fairly quickly, coastal Vlean was kept under constant attack by sea. Civen sought to ensure that Vlean could not build a navy for itself in an effort to keep them isolated. What Civen hadn’t counted on was Vlean’s intense desire to keep itself isolated and their ability to grow considerable crops thanks to the Mother’s Tears from the Spires of Retribution, which the Divine Conclave pointed to as further evidence of their holy purpose. In recent years the Mother’s Tears have become less and less effective for crop growth and the once bountiful harvests are no longer what they once were. Starvation has grown significantly more common in a land that once produced the most food of anywhere in Novitas. When the war ended Vlean all but closed its borders entirely. Those that visit leave with tales of radical oppression and vast disparity of wealth between the Septons (nobility) and commoners. Very few outsiders have kind things to say about Vlean which stands in direct contrast with official Vleanoan representatives.
Culture
Vleanoans pride themselves on being first and foremost the chosen people of the Sept. They believe fully that they are the most pious and righteous of all nations. It’s fair to say that nowhere is Sept worship practiced as commonly, frequently and with as much zeal as in Vlean. Everything in Vlean is built with the idea of piety and devotion in mind, at least everything seen in public. The Vleanoan people did not spend 100 years at war against a superiorly armed and trained force without the backing of the Sept and it is their sacred duty to prove that they are worthy of that support. During the war Civen’s influence was blamed for every ill that befell the chosen people. When battles were lost it was blamed on Civen spies and sympathizers. If food was in short supply this was sabotage from Civen. Each time this happened the people were trained to watch their friends and allies for those who were working against them. Winning the war was paramount and no one wanted to be labeled a heretic themselves. The people became the eyes of the Inquisition demonstrating their loyalty by helping to “catch” anyone who was a non-believer. In time the only people left were the ones who believed and the ones who were willing and able to pretend they did. Now that the war has been won new scapegoats have been needed. Civen still wants to see Vlean fail, which conveniently is actually true, but so does Evenandra, which is considerably less true. Faekin are an affront to the Sept and need to be removed from society for the good of everyone. Draconus worshippers seek to corrupt the faithful. The Conclave has leaned on the natural xenophobia of the Vleanoan people. They’ve given the people enemies to be concerned with. This is the backdrop of Vleanoan society. The nobility earned their status largely through support of the war. They have a great deal of freedom to act within certain guidelines. Behind closed doors the nobility has even more freedom still. Nobles in Vlean have the right to hold slaves and for serfs to declare fealty to them. In return for these rights the nobles are expected to always publicly show their support for Vleanoan society and go through the motions of paying lip service to all Vleanoan practices. Septons are a subset of the nobility, not all nobles are Septons but nearly all Septons are nobles. Any commoner who demonstrates having been Chosen by the Sept is paraded about to demonstrate the idea of social mobility but they are never given actual titles or given any real influence within the church’s decision making process. Instead they are expected to serve dutifully and quietly. Commonfolk on the other hand are expected to follow rigid guidelines of propriety and are watched closely for signs of dissent. Everything is planned for them and not being where they are expected to be will eventually get noticed. With such a rigid society those who are out of place get noticed quickly. Serfs are those common folk who don’t even have a trade skill to offer. To survive they work the land of the nobles and are allowed to keep a small portion of what they grow. They are free to leave after a fashion, but have nowhere to go and must submit for approval to move like any other commoner. Death by starvation or exhaustion are lauded as sacrifices for the greater good. Slaves in Vleanoan society are typically prisoners of war, heretics who were able to avoid death sentences and those who commit crimes that don’t fall under heresy. They work the worst jobs and keep Vleanoan society functioning. Many serve in agricultural positions much like serfs, but they have no freedom of any kind to leave their positions. Slaves are seen as being sinners, and as such need to learn the errors of their ways. Slavery is seens as a way to encourage them to repent and change their ways through worship of the Sept. To facilitate this there are no laws regarding how slaves should be treated and some slaveholders are quite cruel, though this is not universal. Social mobility is incredibly difficult, it is often only available by joining the Lord’s military or being chosen to serve as an Inquisitor. Earning these opportunities takes exceptional ambition and fortitude. Those who rise through the ranks to do so are notorious for being the most demanding and the least empathetic. The official stance of the Vleanoan government is that there is no unrest in Vlean, but rumors swirl about loosely organized bands of freedom fighters who play at revolution. Maybe at this point rebellion is in the blood of the nation. Such rumors are quashed harshly by the inquisition and they regularly pose undercover to ferret out such treason before it can take root.
Lifestyles
When you live in Vlean you spend a lot of time at home. Anytime you leave your home you run the risk of drawing attention to yourself, one of the most dangerous things you can do. People go to the market during the busiest times, the better to not stand out. They attend services at the local cathedrals early and often. If there is a way to demonstrate your loyalty to Vlean you do it loudly and visibly. Travel is nearly unthinkable and for most the idea of recreation is spending time quietly at home with one’s family.
Art
With so much free time on their hands most nobles will take to practicing some art form or another, and one of the few reasons travel is approved is so that apprentices can learn from masters. Vleanoan painters and sculptors are some of the best in the world at their craft. All art in Vlean is influenced by the Sept, just as the rest of life there is. “Good” art depicts the Sept in some capacity and has something to say about the righteousness of Vlean. Dance is also extremely popular, particularly among the nobility. Parties featuring string quartets or other small band music groups are considered to be a sign of a good host. Theater in Vlean tends to be religious doctrine brought to life by fictional characters. It’s cheap to get into and very popular with the poorest of citizens who seek ways to pass the time. Literature in Vlean is complicated as it needs to be approved for reading before it can be distributed and people are very careful to make sure they are not caught with any books that might be considered unacceptable material. This leaves books as mostly a tool of the nobility. Vleanoan wine is delicate and highly regarded throughout Novitas even among those who oppose Vlean. With longer growing seasons and better fields Vlean can produce more varieties of wine with much more complex flavors.
Vleanoan Papers
Unique to the Theocracy of Vlean is the idea of papers of identification. As a deeply bureaucratic nation they document everything including an individual’s class and what rights or privileges that individual may possess. If a right is not stamped then that Vleanoan has no access to it. Vleanoan’s caught going beyond the rights of their papers often face dire consequences. Papers are issued by regional Septons and records are kept in the great halls of the Order of Revenue. Thanks to powerful rituals, fake papers can be identified by the trained eye, and attempts to forge access to rights can be tracked. Papers of those reported as deceased can even be destroyed remotely. When someone is reported as missing in action their papers can be updated from their regional office to ensure that if bad actors get their hands on a fallen Inquisitor's papers they can’t impersonate them for long. Inquisitors can ask for the papers of anyone of any station at any time. Not being able to produce them on demand can lead to dire consequences.
Inhabitants
According to Vlean the only citizens of the Theocracy are human. This isn’t completely true. Non-humans do exist inside of Vlean but they are persecuted at all times. Faekin are hunted by the inquisition but their families sometimes successfully keep them in hiding or attempt to smuggle them out of the country. Other non-human species are not welcome there. The Fae find Vlean to be stuffy and just altogether awful, this inspires them to cause more problems there than they do elsewhere. Other wild creatures largely live in the Spires of Retribution, the lowlands of Vlean have been battlegrounds for so long there aren’t many places available for them to live.
Religion
There is only one religion in Vlean and only one way to practice it. Worshiping any being other than the Sept and failing to do so in the proscribed fashion is a high crime. Draconus is scorned as a coward at best, a fable at worst. Off-hand remarks that mention the Dark Three without condemning them can be punishable by death. Daily prayer to each of the Seven is required and missing even a single prayer is cause for gossip, especially if such laziness is seen as habitual. Great Cathedrals have been built in every Vleanoan city, while lesser towns and hamlets each have their own gathering places. The star of the Sept can be seen in decorations and furnishings in every home. Few conversations happen without a “Sept’s blessing” being offered. Septons bless weddings and births. They work as teachers, medics and chaplains for the military. Funerals are held at designated locations so that Septons can oversee them and properly lay the remains to rest. Funerals in Vlean are particularly different from elsewhere. Individuals near death are taken to hospices to be comforted and to make sure they are ready to pass on to the Stranger’s care. Family visits them and when the time comes the funeral is held at the hospice shortly after their passing. Any individual who is labeled as an organ donor is then taken from there so that they can help Vlean in death with their organs. Few people know exactly what this means but they know it’s an important thing they can do to help Vlean after their deaths and many people have it marked on their papers.
Economy
Vleanoan citizens each face a hefty tax burden they are all expected to contribute to. Those who fail to do so are generally made examples of and everyone else redoubles their efforts to pay their taxes. Every Vleanoan is also expected to tithe to their local place of worship and those who make minimal donations are watched carefully for heresy. The main exports of Vlean are art, food and wine. Nobles there take great pride in patronizing artistic works and their system of vassalage leads to large-scale agricultural production. This food is then exported to maximize profits and pay taxes. Sure the common folk may be hungry, but they can’t afford to pay for the food. Freelanders and ironically enough Civen (as long as they don’t realize the food is coming from Vlean) pay well for the crops and that keeps the Nobles in the lifestyle to which they are accustomed. Vlean regularly imports arms and armor. Though as self-sufficient as they can be, their lack of a healthy middle class leads to few craftspeople capable of producing basic goods. Those individuals who can practice such trades often find themselves quickly patronized by one noble or another to serve a particular house and no other. This leaves the army in need of equipment which the Conclave quietly sources from Terra and Gersh. As a deeply bureaucratic nation, all merchants in Vlean are overseen by the Order of Trade. This order covers all matters of international trade. They establish and enforce tariffs on imports and exports. It also falls on the Order of Trade to re-distribute food and other necessary resources as needed. Each year the Order of Trade informs each region what crops they are expected to produce and those regions in turn assign their constituents with expected crops and desired yields.
Walled Enclaves
During the war with Civen keeping crops from being destroyed often meant life or death for those fighting furthest from the mountains. As a result many agricultural areas were built inside of walled enclosures to keep invading forces out. These walled enclaves are scattered all over Vlean and still exist to this day. Today the workers who tend those crops live inside the enclosures. Many assume them to be slaves, criminals put to work after being convicted of heresy but only the people running the enclosures know for a certainty. No one is allowed to interact with the workers and few see any issues with this situation.
Merchant opportunities
Merchants in Vlean can be involved in the export of Food, Wine, and Art from the country or help to import tools, weapons and armor from elsewhere. Smuggling contraband across the border, both goods and people is another thing merchants could easily get involved with in Vlean. Despite food being a major export a character interested in helping the common folk could smuggle food INTO Vlean to help feed people. Nobles also have a high demand for unusual goods which can’t always be acquired legally.
Government
Vlean is a Theocratic Oligarchy ruled by seven Septons who collectively are known as the Divine Conclave. They reside in Vleanoa inside of the vast Keep of Radiant Truth where, as far as anyone knows they never emerge. Instead they issue orders through the Arch Septimus, a position appointed by the Conclave. The Arch Septimus lives just outside of the Keep of Radiant Truth in a separate building known as the Keep of Radiant Light. There they take on reports and periodically consult with the Conclave directly. In matters of state the Arch Septimus is the direct supervisor of all branches of government. They advise these offices directly, collect monthly report submissions and coordinates with the Conclave. Since the earliest days of the rebellion few have ever been granted an audience with their supreme holinesses, the Divine Conclave. Those that do often see their houses raised in stature almost overnight. Only the most loyal are permitted to serve the needs of the keep and those individuals live there. No one knows what criteria they use to select replacements or even when these replacements occur. In the history of Vlean there have been no official funerals for members of the Divine Conclave. There are many important branches to the Vleanoan government that serve to keep the Theocracy functioning. Too many to list in this book. The two branches of Vlean’s government characters are most likely to interact with are the Sodality of the Inquisition and the Order of Revenue. The Sodality of the Inquisition watches over the people to find threats from within. Inquisitors can come from any walk of life so long as they prove their zeal for protecting Vlean from those who would do it harm. Inquisitors who prove themselves time and again can theoretically be promoted to the rank of High Inquisitor, but this honor is almost entirely reserved for noble born inquisitors. All inquisitors report to the Lord Inquisitor who is always a noble. The inquisitor’s job is to be feared by all. They observe, they interrogate and when they find what they are looking for they act. Lucky heretics are disposed of quietly, unlucky ones are made an example of. The word heretic here can be very broad. Anyone who an inquisitor deems as a threat to Vlean can be labeled a heretic though in practice nobles are rarely labeled as such. The most effective inquisitors of noble standing will eventually be promoted to the title of High Inquisitor. These individuals have proven themselves time and again and are quite renowned for their viciousness in carrying out their duties. Even other inquisitors fear the high inquisitors. The Order of Revenue is overseen by the Deputy of Finance this order collects the taxes and handles all the bookkeeping for the nation. As such they also oversee Vleanoan papers and keep a copy of each Vleanoan’s papers.
Authority Figures
The current Arch Septimus is Greggory Vaztani, an elderly Septon from the Greater Vleanoa District.
Laws
The laws of Vlean are complex, long and numerous. In most situations it is nearly impossible to actually follow every law in every circumstance. Certain key laws are always obeyed by everyone, at least publicly while others have a tendency to not even be known by the public at all. This leaves Inquisitors with tremendous leeway to arrest or detain anyone they wish to with somewhat legitimate charges at any moment. One common charge that Inquisitors will often add is “Vandalizing the Spire of Faith”. No one is capable of disproving this charge which leaves it a perfect addition when throwing the book at someone. For more on the Spire of Faith see the notable locations of Vlean on page XX. No one in Vlean is more wanted than the criminal Baldisere Ferrizano. He is an inquisitor with over a decade of excellent service hunting the enemies of Vlean. Living in the Freelands for too long he eventually went native and turned on the people of Vlean. Seduced by one of the fae he had hunted for so long, Baldisere is an enemy of the people who must be returned to Vlean to be made an example of. Vlean has a standing bounty of 8000 coin for his capture.
Military
Due to long conflict with Civen, border skirmishes that still happen from time to time, and distrust that Civen will honor their word, Vlean keeps their army ready on the western border at all times. Vlean’s military is composed of two branches: The Vleanoan Army and the Order of the Divine Aegis.
The Vleanoan Army
The Vleanoan Army is the rank and file fighting force that serves to support the Order of the Divine Aegis. It is filled with enlisted commoners and some conscripted people as well. They answer to the Supreme Commander of Arms. The Vleanoan army is organized in squads who are each led by a noble Commander from the same region. When squads work together the most senior Commander is in charge.
Order of the Divine Aegis
The Order of the Divine Aegis remains the sword of the people. This elite fighting force defends the borders and focuses on external threats. When dangerous creatures roam the wild places within Vlean it is this order who dispatch them. It is generally populated by nobles of good standing who have proven themselves as capable combatants. The order is overseen by a Praetor who is always of noble birth. This noble fighting force is trained as both soldier and mage, they are one of the most elite fighting forces in all of Novitas. Some suggest that they use “unwholesome tactics” but offer few details on what exactly that means, the ones that do have a tendency to recant such statements later. There are five ranks within the order. Acolytes are barely members of the order. They spend their time learning and meditating, each is required to take an acolyte vow to demonstrate their piety, this could be anything from silence to chastity. These vows are taken as constant reminders that personal comfort comes second to the Order. In time Acolytes become Protectors or Shields, the soldiers of the Order. They fight at the will of the Praetor or their superiors. It is also their duty to settle disputes between commoners and in events of civil unrest. Those who prove themselves will be promoted to the status of Paladin or Templar. These individuals serve as officers leading squadrons of the order as needed. They in turn are led by a Lord Paladin who serves as the highest ranking field commander of the Order. The Lord Paladins serve at the behest of the Praetor, the supreme commander of the Order of the Divine Aegis.
The Resistance
A growing movement exists inside of Vlean, resistance to the strict laws and watchful eye of the inquisition. Each member must demonstrate complete caution, to be exposed is to be executed for treason. For now they have little purpose, no plans, and few supplies, but for some it's enough to give them hope that it doesn’t always have to be like this. They are not all unified, different resistance groups exist. The need for secrecy is so great, particularly with the inquisition attempting to infiltrate them, that sometimes two separate factions will exist side by side in the same community and not even know about one another. The different resistance groups typically specialize in helping Faekin and others deemed heretics to escape the country. They also engage in smuggling contraband into Vlean. Much of the resistance is organized in the Freelands where they can operate more openly and can attempt to gather allies from elsewhere. This brings many inquisitors to the Freelands hoping to capture them there. Oddly most members of the resistance are still devout Sept followers, they just don’t see eye to eye with the Theocracy as it presently exists. Many of them also still see Civen as an enemy. Civen will sometimes attempt to insert spies into the resistance either as a prelude to a future attempt to reclaim Vlean or to learn what is happening there.
Status Opportunities
Being involved with any of the major organizations of Vlean would be represented by status. The Inquisition and the Order of the Divine Aegis are both things that pretty much require status to be involved with. Nobles who are not involved in either organization might also have status representing their influence on Vleanoan society. They might come to the Freelands to make allies for Vlean or to demonstrate to outsiders that Vlean is doing better than many give it credit for. Vleanoans can also be members of the resistance trying to make a difference from the outside and might use status to represent this. Some loyalists will also seek out those resistance members so they can report them to their superiors. They may not have official titles but they could earn status with Vlean for such acts.
Views
Civen
Vleanoans hate Civen with a passion. Everything that is wrong inside of Vlean is Civen’s fault. Sometimes that’s even true. Vlean takes every chance it gets to undermine and embarrass Civen internationally. Though the war is officially over, border skirmishes do happen from time to time, a particular challenge for those merchants who have decided that lucrative trade between Civen and Vlean is worth the risks involved.
Evenandra
Evenandra prohibits Vleanoan missionaries from preaching within their borders. The Vleanoans find this disappointing, but it has not stopped them from allowing those merchants with appropriate permission from trading there. The two nations aren’t hostile to one another but they are not friendly either. Vlean sees Evenandran society as imperfect but a close second to their own as they too have dedicated themselves completely to the Sept. Not bad for a bunch of elves.
Fionn A’ilean
There is almost no relationship with the Great Forest for Vleanoans. It’s far away and travel is limited in Vlean as is. If asked about wood elves the average Vleanoan would assume they are lazy and carefree, two tremendous insults coming from a Vleanoan.
Gersh
The average citizen of Vleanoa thinks of Gersh as a place where the Dark Three rule openly. Snow goblins are creatures of darkness that should be put down just like any Orc or Troll. A nation composed of them must surely be evil in every possible way. Oddly the government of Vlean get along incredibly well with that of Gersh. Both adhere strictly to customs at all times and this lets them interact with a great deal of efficiency. Whispers state that Vleanoan officials have been known to secretly engage in Gershan customs when official delegations come to visit.
The Dellin Tribelands
A barbaric people with barbaric customs and worse beliefs. The Dellins are beyond any hope for redemption and are not permitted any entry into Vlean.
The Freelands
Home of Dellins with nicer clothing and just slightly more manners, the Freelands are a place to be pitied. Missionaries are sent there to try to spread the good word of Vlean. Inquisitors are sent there officially to hunt and destroy the worshippers of the Dark Gods who live there freely, but unofficially they watch for those who would try to escape Vlean and drag them back unwillingly to face justice. Many members of the Resistance use the Freelands as a place to meet openly and plot rebellion. The Inquisition knows this and watches for them as well.
Terra
The Vleanoans dislike that Terra sells arms and armor to Civen, but they love that the Terrans sell those same arms and armor to them. Terran craftsmanship is respected and if Terrans could follow the rest of the sept as dutifully as they follow the craftsman they might be halfway respectable.
Vargainen
Who? Why are you spreading such heretical lies? Vargainen sank beneath the ocean at the end of the War of the Gods, the Sept have taught us this. Would you question the word of the Sept? These are just more liars of the Dark Gods seeking to trick us from the one true path of the Sept’s Light.
Notable Locations
Hallenton
Training site for the Order of the Divine Aegis and one of the primary defensive cities on the border with Civen. It is the first line of defense of the sovereign soil of Vlean. This city felt the brunt of nearly all of the Civen/Vlean war.
Norgard
This is a nearly abandoned mining settlement where only the soldiers who guard the mine remain. The public isn’t allowed to know why the mine was closed but rumors range from a reptilian hive that couldn’t be removed to things far darker.
Sunderhaven
One of the eldest cities in all of novitas. This was an old Adecian fortress city with fortifications that come close to rivaling the great stone fortress found in Civenopolis. Unlike that fortress, none of the Sept are directly associated with this construction, and no one is entirely sure who built this fortress or why.
The Spire of Faith
This tall peak located in the Spires of Retribution was said to be one of the major sources of healing water that comes out of the mountains. In the last 40 years it’s run-off has taken on a dull red color reminiscent of blood. Some say that this is just iron in the water, but some say it is the Mother’s tears crying for those lost in the war. Heretics claim that it is the Mother crying for the unjust deaths in Vlean. Official policy has been to say that it has begun to run red because of those who have failed to live up to proper Septly standards.
Vleanoa
The capital city of Vlean and before that the capital of Adecia. Home to the Keep of Radiant Truth where the Divine Conclave lives, outside of which sits the Keep of Radiant Light where the Arch Septimus oversees the Theocracy on the Conclave’s behalf. The Keep towers above the city as a reminder of the glory of the Sept.
Room for Growth
These locations are deliberately minimally defined. Players and Gamemasters alike are encouraged to develop these locations further in ways that other players can add on more details later.
Brewend Mines
The largest human-run mine in all of Novitas. This vast mine rivals some of the finest work out of Terra. Constructed in 1532NL to gather resources for the war effort, it was dug in no time with skill that many would have found surprising for an agricultural human society.
Carcosian District
One of only two districts that directly border the Freelands. More secure than the middle pastures due to its distance from the Civen border, this is a well traveled region and serves as the primary stopping point for anyone journeying from Vlean to anywhere else other than Civen. As a result it is a common place to find those attempting to flee Vlean and Inquisitors seeking to stop them.
Middles Pastures District
This district is on the border of both Civen and the Freelands. During the war it saw heavy fighting but now it is commonly used for international trade due to its accessibility while still keeping outsiders from traveling any further into Vlean than they must.
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