Country: Free Islands confederation
Ruled by: Cirle' (deceased); currently disputed
Population: 81,000
Primary Business:
Alchemist: yes
Magic Shop: yes, but see below
Sage:
Wizards' School:
Typical Physiology: The typical appearance in this country is black hair, ebony skin, sharp features, average to very heavy build, height well above average for world population. The ruling class tend to be taller, heavier, and darker of skin than the common people.
Notes: This city rules over the neighboring islands. The ruling class are all sorcerers, with deep black skin. Their emperor, Cirle', was killed by the players around 1160, as was his imperial dragon. Since they, there has been a power struggle to see who would become the new ruler; this has resulted in hundreds of deaths, but no clear winner has emerged yet.
Calendriahn is very isolationist, and receives trade goods through the two small towns to the east and west, which trade with outer cities. It has no diplomatic relations with other countries, and has a sea maze leading to the city docks (which are home only to warships), and a flight of dragons of various colors (these are true dragons), which mount warriors of Calendriahn in battle. There are about 8000 warriors in active service; this number could be doubled overnight if needed. Only the ancient Melnibonean religions are tolerated in public; in private, since all those deities are deceased, priests have converted to other gods.
Calendriahn was founded in 840 Eighth Age, when the Vadhagh appeared (from where, nobody knows) and conquered the island in a swift series of attacks from their dragon steeds and armies of warrior mages.
Figures of Interest: Cirle', the former ruler, was the modern incarnation of the legendary Elric. Ebony skinned, high level magic-user and fighter, owner of several legendary items, all considered the regalia of Calendriahn, he was slain by the players and all his possessions taken, except for Stormbringer which disappeared. He had a good friend (one of his few true friends, and not those merely seeking power) named Selenmord, who has not been seen since Cirle's death. He was engaged to Cymoril, a cousin; Cymoril's brother, Yyrkoon, also sought her hand. This was a part of a major rift between Yyrkoon and Cirle'. He had little chance of attaining the throne while Cirle' was alive, as he had no great magical items to even the playing field.
It's a largish island, one big city and a number of smaller towns. It was ruled by a hereditary line of mage-warriors, of some race actually a slightly different species called Vadhagh - not just physically different, but actually infertile with humans, elves, and the like. They were all very dark-skinned, tall, and vibrantly healthy, long-lived, and took to magical arts like a fish to water. They had enslaved a large population of True Dragons, and forced them to act as mounts and combat minions.
The actual population of the Vadhagh, Cirle's people, was probably not more than a couple of thousand. So great was their power, however, that they were able to rule over tens of thousands of humans (and a scattering of non-humans) on their island.
The Vadhagh population was about evenly split between worship of the god of Chaos, Arioch (and his minions) and Donblas (god of Law) and his minions. When both gods died (at least, for all purposes on this plane), a civil war erupted, and apparently the Chaos faction won, by a slight margin. The remaining Arioch worshipers bent their powers toward revenge on those who had a hand in slaying Arioch, or other enemies they had accumulated over the years. Their Emperor, apparently unhinged by the death of his god, his family and his kingdom, forced his followers to launch a series of suicidal attacks, leaving only a small party of powerful characters, some of whom had lived in Aertael under deep cover for many years, alive to strike a final blow. Little did they know, they weren't to be allowed to escape alive.
What is left on Calendriahn can only be speculated. The Vadhagh lived under constant intrigue, literally backstabbing their way to the top, possessing no morality that a human might recognize. More than likely, there are few beings left alive on the island (and probably no Vadhagh), and any items of value left behind have either been pillaged or were left so heavily trapped and magically guarded that getting to them could be as dangerous as fighting the Ebon King himself!
It was learned in early 1165 that at least a few Vadhagh survived, as Yyrkoon is maneuvering for the throne, and managed to convince the king of Attellaria to buy the Ring of Kings from Paraswarm, to demonstrate to the people that he deserved the throne.