Areas and Nations in Tirotha
These are the major nations are peoples of the continet of Tirotha. Many of these can be seen on my map Others can't probably because they lie to the east off the edge of what I've drawn (Though some lie in other directions. And there's one that I haven't a clue where it is....)
- Northern Wastes- These are a cold and frozen tundra plain north of the woods of the elven nation of Loriea. In the far north it recedes into glacial ice-cap, exactly what lies beyond that is unknown. Very little is known of this region. It is inhabited by a few primative tribes of humans, and a race of orcs adapted to the cold weather and harsh conditions. Rumors abound of strange other creatures half-man/half-bear, giant burrowing worms and even weirder beings, but none of these rumors have ever been confirmed.
- Loriea- The remains of the ancient elven empire, Loriea is a chaotic nation of quarrelling nobles, jockying for the power to claim the crown. Currently, the three most powerful contenders for the throne are Prince Aylinar Lorin, Duke Balintas and Duke Yeltisar. All the other nobles shift their allegiance among these three, negotiating for power and wealth. The elves of Loriea tend to be quite arrogant, and want little to do with the outside world. Though they benefit from trade with the humans, they have only recently signed a treaty of peace for the war which the humans declared over hundreds of years ago. Relations are improving slowly, but the elves have long memories. Many of the great wonders of the elven empire were destroyed in the war, though that beauty is also returning.
- Belfiad- The greatest of the human empires, Belfiad is a strong and united nation. Though the dukes and other nobles bicker and quarrel among themselves, and plot against the King, in times of crisis or war, the nation stands as one (more or less.) The empire is divided into 7 duchies, based on the 7 great tribes of man during the Three Race's War.
- Leahat- The home of the Capital of the empire, Leahat is the most prosperous of the duchies. From here, King Roland III sits on his throne and rules. Leahat is his strongest base of power. The Duke of Leahat is extremely loyal as are all his counts. Leahat enjoys very profitable trade with both the dwarves and the elves of Loriea
- Candor- The second most powerful of the duchies, Candor
is the largest duchy area and population-wise. It has a large elven population, as the northern border continued to creep northward into Loreia for many years after the war. Candor is known by some as the home of culture in the empire, containing, as it does the empire's largest art gallery, and several of the most extensive libraries. It is also home to the Imperial College of the Arcane Arts, the only state-supported school of wizardry in Belfiad
- Tuln- One of the two "Sea Duchies," Tuln stretches over the northern half of the empire's coastline. It is a very trade-intensive duchy, buying and selling exotic goods, and shipping them up the river to Candor and Leahat.
- Girenn- The other Sea Duchie. Girenn is smaller and less prosperous. Like Tuln much of its
economy is fueled by trade, in addition, the city of Girenn is home to the Imperial Naval Yards,
where the King's own warships are docked. The Duke of Girenn also has his own naval ships,
largely occupied in dealing with pirates and smugglers.
- Frinor- Frinor is a small and sparsely populated land,
but its people are strong and hardworking, making
it a prosperous duchy. There is a small
enclave of elves living in Frinor, submitting to the rule
of the Duke. There are also a significant number of
half-elves. Wizards have noted that, though the land
of Frinor itself has lower than average magical essence,
it has an exceptional number of people with "The Gift" to
practice the magic arts. A large number of wizards
travel through Frinor, looking for gifted apprentices.
The the knights of the Imperial Order of Frinor are
mostly warriors trained in both the arcane arts and
the sword.
- Bravnair- Once one of the most prosperous duchies, Bravnair has recently fallen on hard times. Though Duke Bader Thorne retains most of his political clout, and all of
his wealth, the people suffer from repeated drought and plague. Even the great Imperial Order of Bravnair has atrophied as they lost knight after knight with few replacements, and less income.
- Tirone- The eastern-most duchy, Tirone is a more
independent realm, far from the eyes of the king.
Its eastern counties are full of goblin settlements,
and there are sometimes conflicts with these. The Duke
is known to be seeking more power, and looking for
ways to expand his domain. Up until now, the King has
done all he can to keep the Duke from going to war
but Duke Arman is looking hard for an excuse. He
doesn't care if its the elves or the goblins, he wants
somewhere to bite off a new county.
- The Dwarven Nations- A collection of city-states, the dwarves live in their underground cities in the mountains of Tirotha. Though they trade and deal with each other, there is no governing body and no formal agreements of alliance among the dwarves. In the past century, tension has been growing between the dwarves of the Deltarkan mountains (just east of Belfiad) and the southern dwarves of the Agnarthid chain.
- The Divine City of Raggaduk- Ruled by King Barrik, Raggaduk is a city in the southern reaches of the Deltarkan mountains. Along with the smaller cities of Avarat and Danthor, Raggaduk has formed a coallition of city-states, encouraging trade and mutual defense. Since the goblin invasion, Raggaduk and its allies have stood firm against the goblins, forcing the goblin army to divert north and bypass them.
- The Goblin Kingdoms- The goblins have long been a problem to every other race. They are warlike and chaotic, raiding and fighting among themselves, and with any nation they border. The goblins live in an untold number of small kingdoms, led by a powerful goblin lord ruling over a few towns and villages. It is rumored that in the eastern parts of goblin territory, great warlords are amassing larger kingdoms and building great cities. These lords could pose a great threat to the other civilized nations, if they turn their eyes westward.
- Wesliea- The elves of Wesliea are identical to their
northern cousins in racial stock, but following the Three
Races war they split off from the empire, abandoned their
cities and moved into the forests. Now they live an isolationist life, close to nature. There is no central
government, each village is ruled by an Elder, usually the
oldest elf in the village. At times, a Council of Elders is
called to deal with a crisis of import to the whole forest. Their is some contact and trade with the humans, diplomatic relations are in general friendly, if cool and detached.
- Thorinar- One of the newest of the Human Kingdoms, Thorinar is well known for its craftsman, and the special goods it gets from across the Sea. The Kingdom is split into three duchies. Thorinar recently became allies with Belfiad to the north.
- Manath - Manath is the Capitol of Thorinar, and it is here that King Starfire II rules from. There is some trading with the Dwarves to the east, but there is still trouble with some of the other Dwarven Clans in the north. It is here that Duke Brightblade controls, and his loyalty is second to none. His son recently died in saving the Heir from assassination.
- Clarith - The second largest of the duchies, and it is here the Order of the Radiant Knights has its main chapter house. Duke Nathan controls this area and most of the trade with the Dwarves is done from here. It is also here that the merchants have their Guildhome, a large town where the merchant princes live and work.
- Fordam - The newest of the duchies. Called a Sea Duchy by some, it is here that all the trading is done with Tuln to the north, and the other places across the Great Southern Sea. Duke Rathar is a loyal man, but he has been having some problems with some of his nobles.
- Romaldin- A large island chain off the south west coast of Tirotha, this is the home to a hardy race of seafaring humans, fishers, traders, and whalers. They are known by all to be the world's best sailors, even outclassing the great Imperial Navy at Girenn. They are ruled loosely by a King who is elected from among the ruling families every 10 years. The tradeships of Romaldin sail the whole world east of the Maelstrom, bringing word from southern Thorinar and exotic goods from Trialvin and further east. Romaldin has been known to violently defend their trade routes, and will board or sink ships sailing near some eastern parts. Though mostly a human realm, it's ports contain populations of elves, gnomes, goblins, and more exotic races.
- Trialvin- A kingdom in the east, beyond the goblin kingdoms, little is known about these humans. Some rumors claim that
they were never under elven rule, others claim they were (or
still are) dominated by an older and more powerful race. They are known to have a large slave trade, mostly in goblins and orcs, but humans slaves are not unknown. The western nobility enjoys many exotic foods and spices from Trialvin.