Darincedonia

Darincedonia is a nation in Egol Tarnia and one of the Northern Kingdoms. It is a feudal monarchy, the home of the Church of the One God, and the birthplace of the human species.

Capital: Darincedon.

Demonym: Darincedonian

Geography
Darincedonia is a temperate climate, with hot and humid summers, colorful autumns and cold freezing winters. Most of the region north of the Yannis River is heavily forested, though there are parts of the tree cover that stand out on their own. Due north of  Darincedon lies the Forlorn Forest, a dark and thick region, infested with wild animals and bandits. The Glenroe Woodlands west of Aberdent is a stand-alone forest. In central Darincedonia, one finds the Shirehill Downs, a forested region of foothills for the Grey Mountains to the north. The region south of the Yannis and east of the Gerot is a flat and fertile land known as the Breadbasket. This region is heavily farmed. Due to the lack of trees, the region is also infamous for its wind. Along the coast north of Darincedon, runs the Jagged Coast, a rocky coastline of granite with few sand beaches and many sharp cliffs and twisted inlets, stretching far to the north. The Dragontail Ridge is the start of the Stonebreaker Mountains (though this small stretch enters Grimweald before entering the Stonebreaker Mountains) in the northeastern most corner of the map.

The Shirehill Downs is a region of rolling hills and verdent grasslands. They are the foothills of the Gray Mountains. The people in this region herd livestock of all kinds, but primarily sheep. The Shirehill Downs is in the Province of Orlant, and due to the many sheep, most of the economy is textile. As Darincedonia became more and more industrial, this region became famous for its textile mills. Bexwich is the largest city, the capital of Orlant, within the Shirehill Downs.

The Forlorn Forest, once known as the Kingswood for its proximity to Darincedon, is due north of the capital city. Though the Kingswood stretches to the banks of the Yannis, the region commonfolk name the Forlorn Forest is an especially dark region that begins about a hundred miles north of the city. In FY 187, the king of Grimweald invaded Darincedonia in a vicious campaign. The king of Darincedonia mustered an enormous army in defense of the realm. In the center of the Kingswood they met and fought for over a week. The battle was a massacre. Both kings died, the armies were both almost entirely decimated and over two hundred thousand went to their graves in that forest. This terrible battle sundered the boundary between the physical plane and the spiritual plane. Ghosts prowl the woods and inhabit the bodies of animals, mostly wolves and monstrous spiders the size of wolves. It is a wood that the commonfolk fear. The Forlorn Forest is also a home to many bandit groups who prey on merchants traveling through on the way to Leedsham, although the smarter merchants take the safer, if not longer, coastal road through Stolfast to go around the forest.

St. Jordan's Marsh is a marshland due south of Aberdent. It is a large swampy region roughly ninety thousand square miles. The city of Croswell, the capital of the Province of Marmalla sits on its northern edge and from Croswell the Marshlanders (as Darincedonians call them) sail their boats through the weeds to fish. There are islands, of a sort, throughout St. Jordan's Marsh where many fishing villages sit. These can only be accessed by boat. Marshlanders are thought by other Darincedonians as being “queer.” The marsh gets its name from a rebellion instigated by St. Jordan. In IY 133, Jordan of Croswell rose up against the Resarian Imperium, to defend the Church of Seinac from Resarian oppression. Though ultimately defeated in battle, St. Jordan is remembered for his courage and his efforts did in fact save the church from being entirely forgotten during the five hundred years of Resarian rule.

The Gray Mountains is a small range of snow-capped mountains that sit north of the Shirehill Downs. These mountains are cold and rocky and there are very few settlements within them. The Mountain Men of the Gray Mountains, like the Marshlanders, are often considered as “queer.” The city of Korgin's Peak is at the base of the mountain with the same name, a towering peak some fifteen thousand feet high. Korgin's Peak inhabits the only pass through the mountains wide enough for merchant wagons to go through. The mountain is the site where the High Priest Korgin begged Seinac to return to his people. The Gray Mountains can be a dangerous place if one adventures off the road, not only for its sharp rocks, steep cliffs and avalanches, but also for its wolves, weregrin and bears.

The Bread Basket is named for its vast wheat fields. The land is unbearably flat and susceptible to winds. There are few trees or cover and unfarmed land is often towering waving fields of grasses two to three feet high by the end of summer. Aside from wheat (the largest produce in the Bread Basket) barley and hops are very common, the region is known for its beer production. Potatoes make a fourth produce and after that are a generic mix of vegetables. Darincedonian breed horses are also bred here, the mustangs are prized around the world. The Bread Basket is a sparsely populated region, the villages are spread wide.

The El Ranol Roughlands sit between the thick Reimwood Forest and Dragontail Fortress, north of the Grey Mountains. It is a rocky land that lies almost vacant of people due to the difficulty of farming north of Caris Cross and the threat of invasion from Grimweald. There are a few small villages and a number of settlers but this is the least populous region of the land. The population of the province of El Ranol are mostly in the west by the Reimwood Forest and the coastline. Because the land is so rocky, with boulders the size of houses, it is difficult to maneuver a large army through the land and so the region is protected by a network of Darincedonian fortresses.

The Jagged Coast stretches from a few miles north of Stolfast all the way to the arctic reaches beyond Grimweald. In Darincedonia, it is a region of rocky coastline with deep but treacherous inlets, jutting peninsulas, islands and few beaches. It is a difficult area to navigate and though well charted, many unseasoned captains hit rocks in these regions and sink. During storms and the winter time, this coastline is virtually unnavigable. Due to the many hidden harbors and the treacherous terrain it is also a haven of pirates and smugglers. For this reason, the Darincedonian army and navy controls the watchtowers in the land that serve as both lighthouses for legitimate shippers and as lookout points. Even though the Darincedonians heavily patrol the shore, there is too much to cover, making capture a great difficulty. Tyresport sits within the Jagged Coast in one of the rare locations that can serve as a safe deepwater point. Most other villages along the coast are small, hardscrabble fishing villages.

Kenvers Cape is the southernmost point of Darincedonia, squeezing the Kessar Straight to a mere half a mile width to the opposing shoreline. On its opposite side lies Grom'char, historically an enemy of Darincedonia and so the cape is protected by the fortress city of  Caershire and a large fleet presence is maintained in this region.

History
In its earliest days, Darincedonia was known as Numma. After the destruction of the Ankaru and the other Titan-Blessed races, the god Seinac desired worship from a good and righteous people. He created humans as his children, he nurtured them and cultivated them. The humans called themselves the Nummath and their land, the Numma. During this time, the Nummath were but hunter-gatherers, living off the land. They were broken into multiple tribes, the only central leadership between all the tribes came from Seinac and his elected Archbishop. Typically, the women gathered and took care of the children while the men hunted. Each tribe was lead by a chieftain and a priest. Though the Nummath did not build many permanent structures at this time in history, they did build many chapels in devotion to Seinac. They also built the Shrine of Seinac, a large collection of dolmens covering an expanse of land some one thousand square miles in total coverage. The site is thought to be built in 25,000  BI, and the method of construction is unclear, though  magic may have been used.

Unfortunately, humans, like all the other races, were prone to evil. Most were of good heart and intention, but they sinned nonetheless. Such decadence was the same decadence that lead to the destruction of the Ankaru at the hands of the Titans. Seinac became frustrated in his race and sometime in 4000 BI, he abandoned the Nummath. The humans split into independent tribes and spread across the the world, finding other gods and beings to worship. The Nummath however remained true to Seinac. They continued to worship Seinac who had abandoned them. In 3081 BI, the High Priest Korgin traveled to Snowpeak Summit in the Grey Hills and pleaded with Seinac for 30 days and 30 nights. Seinac relented and became the god of the Nummath again. Snowpeak Summit became known as Korgin's Peak.

The Nummath became the largest of the human tribes in the region and they began to build permanent settlements. A fortified city called Korgin's Peak was built by the mountain of the same name. There, High Priest Korgin crowned King Jaric, the first king of Numma (and of course Darincedonia) in BI 3071. Meanwhile, the port city of Rummenstrung<span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;line-height:19px;"> was built on Seinac's Tear at the mouth of the Yannis and became the most important city to Numma's economy.

<span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;line-height:19px;">Numma's history from BI 3071 to the rise of the Resarian Imperium was one of violence and war. King Jaric III in BI 3003 invaded the Grimweald and began a 25 year long campaign of conquest that failed in the end. King Josef II in BI 2924 began an expedition into the wild lands across the Kessar Strait. There he met the Grom'char orcs. A campaign to conquer that land ended at the ancient fortress of Kruck in BI 2920. From that moment on, Darincedonia and Grom'char shared a mutual hatred and wars were fought on both sides of the Strait, There were periods when Darincedonia owned parts of the Ren'kotor forest, and periods where Grom'char owned parts of southern Darincedonia. Such gains were never kept for longer than a century.

<span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;line-height:19px;">In BI 1528, Arcanite Scholars built their tower in Rummenstrung. The School of the Arcanites survived through centuries of war and surprisingly remained politically neutral, focusing on educating mages and defending the world from practitioners of the dark arts.

<span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;line-height:19px;">Numma lost it's independence in IY<span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;line-height:19px;"> 25 when the Resarian Imperium landed an army and three powerful magisters south of Rummenstrung. They besieged and sacked the city and conquered the nation by IY 28, just three years later. Emperor Melosin Rantiva of Resaria declared himself a god and outlawed the worship of Seinac. King Trystan was beheaded in IY 29 and Lord Xiantos of Resaria was placed as governor of Numma.

<span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;line-height:19px;">The language of the Numma was slowly phased out for the Resarian language they speak today, a tongue that is common in many nations across Astarnia. Nummath, as a language was only retained by scholars. Though their language was lost, they held onto their culture and in secret, their religion. In IY 286, Jordan of Croswell raised a rebellion against the Imperium. He fought, declaring himself a soldier of Seinac, in the marshes, marshalling an army to retake Rummenstrung. His initial battles to take Croswell and surrounding villages were a success but the power of the magisters was brought against him and his army fled into the marshes. There for three years he continued to resist but was caught in the end. Lord Xiantos III, the governor of Numma had Jordan flayed in public. Legend has that he made a jerkin from Jordan's skin. Jordan was secretly sainted for his efforts.

<span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;line-height:19px;">Emperor Melosin Rantiva (a lich who was granted immortality) was killed a world away in the Resarian homeland by Alesantros Eldarick in IY 527. Eldarick's rebellion brought down the magisters as well and the empire collapsed. The  Blood Centuries<span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;line-height:19px;"> (also known as the Breaking of the World), a period that lasted to  FY<span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;line-height:19px;"> 312, wracked the world with political struggle as men wrestled for control of the various nations of the world. Numma however was largely untouched by the Blood Centuries. A prince who traced his lineage to King Trystan rose and his name was Darince. Prince Darince took control of Numma and renamed Rummenstrung to Darincedon and the land to Darincedonia. "Don" and "Donia" are old Nummath words for "city" and "land" respectively. Darincedon means "Darince's city" and Darincedonia means "Darince's land." He moved the capital to Darincedon. The priests and bishops of Seinac balked at his hubris in naming the land after himself, but the name remained and so did King Darince, who was crowned the King of Darincedonia in FY 15. He was eighteen at the time and he ruled until FY 90, when he died at a very old age.

<span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;line-height:19px;">Darincedonia became a very powerful nation during the Blood Centuries, due to King Darince's consolidation of Numma. Darincedonia became a major exporter of gold, copper and iron from the Grey Mountains, averone, wheat, potatoes and barley from the Breadbasket, and fish and shellfish from along the Jagged Coast. Also, their armies and navies became very powerful. Ships built from the trees of the Mercian Forest were strong and nearly fireproof.

<span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;line-height:19px;">In FY 327, a young peasant from Bexwich named Samir found himself mixed in the Krasus War. During this war, warlocks from Azalnar nearly unleashed the Titan Krasus. Samir managed to defeat the Dark God's avatar and was declared a hero. And in FY 450, Trystan Blake, a paladin who deserted the  Hand of Seinac<span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;line-height:19px;">, began his adventures which became bedtime stories for Darincedonian children.

<span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;line-height:19px;">Ztaraii and Paeriannis went to war in FY 593 by the schemes of the Titan Naggarlothep, who took control of the wolvhan's god, Lupos. As a result of the war, the gods departed the physical war, after banishing Lupos to Hell. However, little did they realize that Naggarlothep escaped banishment. In fact, they were unaware of Naggarlothep's presents entirely else they might not have left. Naggarlothep found a new champion in a powerful mage named Raeldrek. In FY 596, the War of the Necromancer broke out and Raeldrek's undead armies ravaged the world. Darincedonia joined an alliance of free nations (including their ancient enemy Grom'char) to defend against Raeldrek, while Raeldrek's lifelong friend, Darren Maerig, sought to end Raeldrek's reign of terror. Paeriannis fell and was utterly destroyed. The wolvhan were also utterly destroyed. The Free Nations nearly faced defeat when Darren Maerig destroyed Raeldrek in FY 598

<span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;line-height:19px;">Unfortunately, Raeldrek was not permanently destroyed. His spirit endured and his lover Sarastae raised him in FY 1198, exactly 600 years after his defeat. It was Darren's descendent, Taeryn Maerig who defeated Raeldrek during the Second War. The only means to destroy him utterly destroyed the Heart of Magic and from that point on, magic was a power that no mortal could control.

<span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;line-height:19px;">Darincedonia again joined forces with their enemy in Grom'char after the death of magic to destroy Azalnar for once and for all. Without their magics, the warlocks were crushed in FY 1207. Grom'char took southern Azalnar and gave northern Azalnar to the Croags of Weldbept. Both nations worked to heal the scorched land. Darincedonia withdrew.

<span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;line-height:19px;">An industrial revolution brewed in FY 1369 when Samel Clentin invented the steam engine and a dwarf from the Stonebreaker Mountains discovered flashpowder and invented the musket. Both inventions occured in the same year and lead to a major revolution. In FY 1390, Darincedonia conquered Grimweald.

<span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;line-height:19px;">Civil unrest and poverty came to a flashpoint in FY 1405. The Darincedonian Revolution broke out and ended in FY 1413 when King Jemes X was overthrown. The government was reformed into a democracy with two congressional houses and a president at the head of state and a prime minister as the head of government. The first president of Darincedonia was President Tomas Jensen and Prime Minister Christof Pharris.

<span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;line-height:19px;">Electricity was discovered in FY 1637 and by FY 1800, Astarnia looked similar to our world in 2011 AD.

<span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;line-height:19px;">Government
<span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;line-height:19px;">From the time of King Jaric to King Jemes X, Darincedonia was a feudal monarchy. The nation was divided into 7 provinces and 62 counties, with 7 - 8 counties in each province. The King ruled the entire nation as the final authority, unless the High Council over ruled him <span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;line-height:19px;"> unanimously. The High Council was a council of advisors, various lords from selected houses, appointed by the king. They could overrule and overthrow the king but only in unanimity. Each of the seven provinces was governed by a Duke. The Duke had the same authority as the king in his province, but could not issue law in conflict of the king's law. Each county was governed by a Baron and the baron had the same authority over his county as the duke had over his province. Both the dukes and the barons were charged with maintaining knights and armies in support of the king. Kingship, dukeship and barony were all inherited by the first born son of the current officeholder once he died, though the officeholder could name anyone else to the office if he so desired. If there was no heir to a barony, the duke picks a suitable replacement. If there is no heir to a duchy, the king picks the replacement. And if there is no heir to the crown, the High Council picks a replacement. Civil war was an often occurrence in Darincedonia due to succession conflicts. Bastards, unless legitimized by the king, could not gain their father's office.

<span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;line-height:19px;">The seven provinces are as follows (each sub line is the provincial capital and the home of the Duke):
 * El Ranol
 * Korgin's Peak
 * Dransen
 * Kirkdon
 * Altoria
 * Leedsham
 * Orlant
 * Bexwich
 * Marmala
 * Croswell
 * Taril
 * Iverness
 * Theradan
 * Stratham

<span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;line-height:19px;">No new provinces were added until Grimweald was conquered in FY 1390 when another seven provinces were added.

<span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;line-height:19px;">In BI 2483, the government gained a constitution when rebel forces forced the crown to sign a pledge to protect various human rights, and from that point, Darincedonia can also be considered a constitutional monarchy.

<span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;line-height:19px;">After King Jemes X was overthrown, Darincedonia became a democratic republic. The President was the head of the executive branch. He could sign and veto law but could not write or vote for them. The congress, broke into two houses, could write and vote for law. Law had to pass both houses before going to the President. Each province had two senators and a number of representatives based on population with a minimum of two representatives. Congress could impeach the president or overthrow his veto if both houses voted a 2/3s majority. The Prime Minister was in charge of Congress. The High Council became merely a council of advisors, much like the Cabinet of the United States. Members of the High Council often headed important government agencies.

<span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;line-height:19px;">Culture
<span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;line-height:19px;">Darincedonians are the original humans and as such they are typically tall, well built, with brown or blue eyes and brown hair (though there are a few blonds and even fewer reds.) Males average out to 6'1" and females at 5'10". Darincedonians are also proud. They take pride in their heritage and in their race and due to such pride, many of them can be bigots and racists. But for the most part, they are a friendly hospitable people.

<span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;line-height:19px;">Religion is a major aspect of Darincedonian life. Sundays are devoted to Seinac (later known as The One God and his son, Eliash.) Entire village communities will spend most of the day, excluding mealtimes, in church singing and praying and listening to sermons. They have several feast days. The Festival of Light is a celebration on the Winter Solstice when Darincedonians celebrate that they've made it to the darkest day of the year and they will, with Seinac's grace, survive rest of the winter. The Feastday of High Priest Korgin on the first Sunday of July celebrates the day Seinac came back to the Nummath. And the Feastday of St. Jordan celebrates Jordan's martyrdom in the marshes.

<span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;line-height:19px;">As devout  Seinacians<span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;line-height:19px;">, Darincedonians are typically charitable and hospitable. When a man eats at another man's table, the first is a guest and is not to be harmed in anyway. Houses that break such a rule fall into disgrace. It is also expected for those who have to give a little something on Sunday. At worship, baskets are handed out for money. The church takes 50% of this collection to pay administrative bills and the rest goes to charity.

<span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;line-height:19px;">Darincedonia is a male dominated society. Women can own land and run businesses but men are considered the head of the household and only men can hold public offices. The Queen is merely a figurehead and has zero legal authority. If the King is indisposed, the High Council picks a representative from among themselves to run the day-to-day court. Women aren't treated much better than property and they are traded back and forth in marriages among the nobility. Women are expected to clean, cook and house keep and men are expected to be the soldiers, bankers, sailors and so on and so forth. And though women are allowed to own property and run businesses, it is rare that they do.

<span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;line-height:19px;">Darincedonians also dress somewhat conservatively. Though they are not nearly as bad as the Dwarves, they are not nearly as liberal as the Paerian elves or the  Sisothians<span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;line-height:19px;">. Men and women NEVER bath together. Women are expected to cover their ankles, shoulders, breasts and genitals. Men are expected only to wear pants. Nudity is frowned upon. Brothels are not usually illegal, most kings who made them illegal found themselves very unpopular, but it is considered an act of shame to be caught in one.

<span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;line-height:19px;">The food in Darincedonia generally consists of what can be grown locally. Potatos and grains are very common. Barley and hops are grown for beer. Averone, a type of cattle, several types of poultry, and deer are common. Horses are bred for riding in the Breadbasket, but undesired horses are sometimes slaughtered for meat. Due to the rarity (horsemeat is rare because horses are bread for riding, not food, and Darincedonian horse breeders are very good at what they do), horsemeat is a delicacy. Being along the Doraith Ocean, Darincedonians are also fond of fish and shellfish.

Holida ys
<span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;line-height:19px;">Darincedonians also have several holidays:


 * Winter's Light: The Solstice festival of light on the winter solstice in late december. Celebrated by feasting and dancing
 * St Jordan's Day: A summer harvest festival and thanksgiving to Seinac. The last Sunday of August. Celebrated by feasting and dancing.
 * St Korgin's Day: An autumnal day of reflection and repentance, the last Sunday of October, celebrated by fasting, confession and worship
 * New Years Day: April First, celebrates the renewal of life as winter comes to its end. Marks the first day of the calender. Feasting and dancing
 * Feast of Eliash: The first Sunday of May plus ten days, celebrates the death and resurrection of Eliash. The first ten days are for reflection, prayer and reflection, the last day is celebrated with gift giving, feasting and dancing.

Bestiary
Darincedonia is home to a number of ordinary creatures. Horses, wild and tame, run along the Breadbasket. Wolves and bears haunt the forests where they hunt deer and rabbits. Foxes, pheasants, skunks, squirrels, most creatures and critters who love a temperate woodland or meadow will make its home in Darincedonia.

Among the sentient races you'll find most the Darincedonian population is human, and most are fair-skinned natives, though some other human mixes form small minorities. You'll never find an orc, Green or Black, living in Darincedonia, except perhaps as Arcanites, for the Arcanites are neutral. Dro'hagron are not permanent residents, but they pass through frequently in caravans. Elves do not typically make their homes in this land either, most preferring to stay in Paeriannis (before its destruction) or Illyara. There are a few communities of dwarves in the Gray Mountains and the Dragontail Ridge, and they generally get along well with the Darincedonian people.

Of the more extraordinary creatures, the Grey Mountains are haunted by weregrin, the Forlorn Forest features enormous spiders. Averone are also bread in Darincedonia, though they are a creature imported from Grimweald long ago. As the cradle of human civilization, protected by Seinac, Darincedonia is rather well tamed and thus its wildlife isn't exceptionally dangerous and tends to avoid towns and roads.

Major Cities

 * Aberdent
 * Bexwich
 * Brocknell Rock
 * Caershire
 * Caris Cross
 * Darincedon
 * Dragontail Fortress
 * Korgin's Peak
 * Stolfast