The Factions – Who is your Liege?

The Vilthari are an enigmatic people who lack visible Giftrunes, yet still wield their power. Their origins on Ashar are unknown. Tribal chieftains govern them with a High Chieftain above them all. There are six surviving tribes: the Zenti and Ketal, residing in northern Shinar; the Autgar, Lotan, and Kili, living in Havilah’s northern reaches, and the Bozq, residing in northern Ruhr. Some keep the Old Ways, worshiping their ancient gods, the Iskur. Others have adopted the religious and cultural practices of the Realms to varying degrees. This ideological split that causes frequent tribal conflicts. Those following the Old Ways are hostile to the Northern Realms, but all the Vilthari are enemies to the Imperium.

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A long, unbroken line of kings hailing from Great House Jabal has ruled Shinar since its inception. Shinar’s topography is varied, holding mountains, plains, and vast woodlands. In the south lies Arioch, its capital, along with both the barren Western Akal Range and the verdant Altair Mountains. Its northern reaches are home to the storied Alabaster Spire, but also to the hostile Zenti and Ketal Tribes of the Vilthari. Frequent raiding by those tribes have crippled the export of lumber, a primary resource, for centuries.

Culturally, Shinarians profess to serve Elyon, though many of its citizens practice the arcane arts.

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Havilah is ruled by steward kings of the Great House of Kohath.  Kedesh, its current capital, was founded after the fall of the city of Zereth—a stroke of divine judgement which left only the Great Temple intact. It is a land bordered on north and south by the highest mountains on the continent, rich in ore and gems. Its central region, the Plain of Rephid, is the breadbasket of the Federation. Havilah has cultivated and maintained a strong relationship with the three Vilthari tribes living in its northern mountains—a boon to both peoples.

Havilah is also a land rich in history and divine prophecy. Its people are orthodox followers of Elyon, its rulers entrusted with the Scepter—one of the three legendary Talismans. To this day, practice of all arcane arts is strictly forbidden.

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For last two decades, Ruhr has been ruled by an Assembly of Consuls elected by the Greater and Lesser Houses. It is a land of rivers, rolling hills, and plains situated on the eastern coast of the Federation. Fishing and farming are Ruhr’s major sources of income. The Ruhrians have a tenuous relationship with the Bozq tribe of the Vilthari, who reside on the northern seaboard. Years of oppression have pushed the Bozq to the brink of revolt.

They are a secular state who pursues all paths to progress. Innovation and engineering are king in this realm.

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Darvoth has been ruled by a dynastic line of Emperors since the Sundering. It is home to the ancient city of Zoan, capital of the Imperium. The Imperium stretches from the Voth River in the north to the southern tip of the Kolian continent. In the southwest lays the Maveth, a wasteland that brings death to all who dare to enter it. Deep in the Maveth, the ruins of Rishabeth, the First Home, hold the fabled Viridian Spire. The southwest is also home the subjugated Sariq people, whose Clanlords are always a breath away from rebellion.

Darvothians are worshippers of Elyon, but have also embraced the Fifth Tome—the source of the Arcane Orders. Their religion mandates that they bring all to the Faith by any means. War between the Imperium and the Federation has been constant and brutal.

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Clanlords have ruled Maon’Sariq, the Dwelling Place of the People, since the days the souled arrived on Ashar. A Conclave of these rulers determines the course of the nation. Two mighty rivers its length north to south—the Ahavah and the Nisroq. The lands east of the Ahavah River are dominated by fertile plains, home to thriving farms and orchards. The southern border holds seaports unrivaled on the Kolian continent. West of the Ahavah lays the Maveth, a deadly wasteland holding the ruins of Rishabeth, the First Home. The fabled Viridian Spire is said to be at the city’s heart, though any who have tried to explore it have perished. The Sariq have chafed under Imperial rule for decades, and have prosecuted two large-scale revolts. Both failed, but dealt serious damage to their oppressors. They have vowed to fight until they are free.

The Sariq are staunch worshippers of Elyon, rejecting the Fifth Tome—desptie it being the Imperium’s mandated religion. Many of its citizens are also Interbred. Said to be the offspring of Rapha and Men, they exhibit extraordinary strength and stature. Many are divinely skilled healers, and some still bear the lost Giftrune of Veiling.

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