Nolissian Countries

Countries.

• Orm. Ormese are a spirited, intelligent people known for their commonplace magic, proud nobles, and flamboyant fashion. Their nation is an absolute monarchy ruled by the ambitious Queen Aurala ir'Wynarn. Every self-respecting Ormese knows their fine wines and enjoys a rousing duel. Orm possesses beautiful swaths of fertile fields that supply the nations of Nolis with food and fine wines, while large institutions of higher learning output scholars and knowledge. Power groups include the Royal Family and the Arcane Congress.

• Sharn. The Sharni are an independent and skeptical people that fiercely value free thought. However, every virtue comes with a vice, and Sharn is home to more corruption and underhanded dealings than any other nation. While governed by the well-loved monarch King Boranel ir'Wynarn, Sharni see great virtue in democracy; some even believe that upon his demise, a democratic government will be established, as none of his surviving heirs have his charisma. Sharn has a territory composed of open farmlands, woodlands, and sprawling metropolises. The lightning rail originates out of Sharn and travels out to the other nations of Nolis, while House Orien roadways branch out to more remote locations among the countryside. Power groups include The King's Citadel, the Sharni Parliament, and the Dragonmarked Houses present here.

• Iprada. During the Last War, goblinoid mercenaries were hired to protect the southwest of Cyre. Three decades ago, a young warlord named Haruuc realized that his people outnumbered the beleaguered humans. In an act of treachery, he overthrew his employers and claimed the land as a sovereign country for the ip, naming it Iprada—“Land of the People.” While Lhesh Haruuc Shaarat'kor rules Darguun, the farther removed you are from the capital of Rhukaan Draal, the less power he has. Although he has abolished slavery, some of the clan lords ignore this edict. Although Iprada signed the Treaty of Thronehold, it is a significantly wilder place than other nations. Law enforcement is often unpredictable, and crimes that would land you in jail in Sharn might just warrant a shrug in most parts of Iprada. Recently, the nation of Iprada has disengaged from the banner of the Nolissian empire and the nation has joined the alliance of the Sword Coast in Faerun. Power groups present here are the different patchwork of clans led by local warlords here.

• Aklava. Aklava was once a hellscape of a nation with barren land. Then, few mortals lived here other than the bloodthirsty Carrion Tribes, worshippers of the rakshasa and other fiends that dwell deep within the cracks of the earth. The proud orcs of the Ghaash'kala clan patrol the Labyrinth, the great system of maze-like canyons that guard the way to the mountains. The Ghaash’kala are dedicated to their sacred duty of preventing the evil of Aklava from ever leaving. The kinder of these clans might try to persuade those leaving Aklava to join their clan—others simply kill anyone or anything trying to leave. In the past, tribes of human and orc barbarians eked out a living here in the shadows of demons and night hags. The last remnant of the ancient civilization of the rakshasas that ruled the land before the Age of Monsters terrorize this land from their home in the ancient city of Ashtakala. Now, Aklava is a nation with a rift-ravaged city where extraplanar products are found. Power groups include the Carrion Tribes, the Ghaash'kala clans, and various groups of Night Hags.

• Tundell. The nation of Droaam declared its independence two decades ago. The monstrous inhabitants are now joined under the combined rule of three legendary hags, the Daughters of Sora Kell. However, Tundell’s sovereignty was not recognized under the Treaty of Thronehold then; as the Treaty’s laws do not apply here, Tundell frequently attracts deserters, refugees, and turncoats who seek a free life. Outsiders often wonder how the nation has not fallen to infighting. The hag queens, with their war troll army, command their warlords, who in turn hold dominion over swaths of the country. Elsewhere, the Dark Pack of the Towering Woods, the venerable illithid Xor’chylic of Graywall, the medusas of Cazhaak Draal, and other powers call this region home. Still, Nolis and Tundell are on ongoing talks of an alliance.

• Ronaki. A land of farmland and forest, the fiercely independent Ronaki were once part of Orm then but seceded almost 60 years ago. They were later recognized as a sovereign nation by the Treaty of Thronehold, but many residents fear Orm may try to reclaim its land. Within, the Towering Wood is home to many shifter communities, and druidism is the predominant faith of most communities. The Wardens of the Wood, the largest druidic sect in the Reaches, are the generally accepted authorities of the region; led by the greatpine Oalian, an ancient awakened tree, they espouse living in harmony with nature. House Vadalis is headquartered in the unforested southeastern portion of the region along the shores of Lake Galifar. One of the principal powers of the region, they and the many ranchers under their influence experience ongoing tensions with the Wardens, as the ranchers seek to develop the land for industry.

• Markora. Living in the unaturally cold region below the forest of Ronaki, the Markorans are a grim people with a strong martial heritage. Markora is home to Rekkenmark Academy, the most respected military academy in Nolis. Early in the war, Markora experienced a series of famines and crop failures that led King Kaius I to adopt the Blood of Vol as the state religion and accept help from a mysterious group within the faith known as the Order of the Emerald Claw. With their help, Markora raised armies of undead troops to bolster their ranks with soldiers who needed neither rest nor food. When King Kaius III took power less than a decade ago, he ousted the Order of the Emerald Claw and declared them terrorists and enemies of the state. The Blood of Vol was also stripped of its exalted status, though many Markorans still follow the faith and approve of the use of undead. Markora was one of the strongest proponents for ending the Last War, though Kaius has to keep a firm hand on his warlords, many of whom believe that they would have won the Last War.

• Turka. During the Last War, Turka declared independence from Markora, and this claim was recognized by the first Treaty of Thronehold. This homeland of the dwarves holds promise of vast wealth for those willing to delve deep in the Ironroot and Hoarfrost Mountains—both in veins of precious metals waiting to be mined, and deeper still, the recently discovered treasures of the lost Realm Below. But the prizes of the Realm Below come at a cost; these ancient halls are stalked by the daelkyr Dyrrn the Corruptor and his hordes of aberrations. Some Turkan dwarves embrace the power offered by the daelkyr, while others reject it, the divide drives deep wedges between the clans. On the surface of the Mountains, the dwarves have claimed the best land in the center of the valley, around Mirror Lake. But they are not the only ones to call Turka their home; the nomadic Jhorash'tar half-orcs live on the fringes, driven to the desolate mountains by the dominant dwarves. Tensions run high between the Jhorash'tar and most dwarven clans, many wishing to banish them entirely. The animosity is returned in kind, with raids on dwarven caravans and mining operations.

• Port Ferrin. As the Last War dragged on, it became clear that whatever the result, Galifar would never be the same. A conglomeration of disillusioned nobles, many from Cyre, declared they would abstain from the Last War and instead form a “New Galifar” in the jungles east of the Endworld Mountains. What they failed to account for were the existing inhabitants of their chosen paradise. These jungles were home to all forms of scaled beings including lizardfolk, dragonborn, and others. The settlers carved a bloody swath for themselves before finally agreeing to a treaty with the native inhabitants, allowing House Tharashk to set up extensive Nolissian dragonshard mining operations throughout the region. More recently, a second wave of immigrants, many of whom are Cyran refugees, have settled in mining towns to the west of this New Galifar. This mix of prospectors, wandslingers, and renegades created a federation under the flag of Hope. The last few years have brought increasing tensions between these settlers and “scales” of the region, and future conflict seems unavoidable. Now, the Endworld Mountains have disappeared due to mining and Port Ferrin is established as the new name for this New Galifar. Originally founded by Duke Ven ir'Kesslan of Cyre, the few human settlements continue to struggle against tribes of lizardfolk, Valenar warbands, pirate raiders, and kobold marauders from the remnants of the Endworld Mountains, not to mention disease-riddled swamp lands and dire and horrid lizards and dinosaurs. Port Ferrin is a land for the brave and the tenacious.

• Nebilford. Nebilford is a wild and untamed region with no centralized government. Long ago, human immigrants from Zamora landed on the western coast of Nolis and mingled with the native orc tribes, forming the hybrid tribes of today. Nebilford, the City of Stilts, is the traditional home of House Tharashk. The farther away from Nebilford you get, the wilder the land and its people. Uncounted tribes of orcs, humans, and half-orcs live out in the marshes. Some worship the daelkyr whose influence lingers still, while others keep the traditions of the Gatekeepers, slaying any aberrations they come across and maintaining the dimensional seals that keep the daelkyr sealed in Khyber. Nebilford is a city-state. Other nations or business concerns looking to deal with the territory inevitably deal with House Tharashk. Anyone who hopes to do business in Nebilford - or to stay alive while traveling here - knows to keep on the house's good side. Two religious traditions hold sway in Nebilford: the path of the Gatekeepers and the Cults of the Dragon Below. The orc tribes of the deep swamps are split evenly between the two faiths.

• Loghtfan. Loghtfan ranges from the arid grasslands in the north to the Blade Desert that runs along the remnants of the Endworld Mountains to the south. Its halfling residents and their dinosaur companions are the most well-known inhabitants of Loghtfan. It is the home of wandering herds of buffalo-sized dinosaurs and tribal halflings remaining true to their ancient nomadic way of life since the days before humans walked the lands of Nolis. It is the only permanent settlement of any size. The borders between Xenara and its planes appear to be particularly thin in this region, with spirits from Otherworlds, in particular, slipping through to the Material Plane through numerous manifest zones. Ancient ruins, be they demonic, couatl, Dhakaani, or dragonborn, dot the landscape, treated as sacred or cursed places by Loghtfani halflings.

• Maridur. Ridurians are a religious, devoted, and kind people that shun materialism and other vices. This theocracy is officially led by Jaela Daran, Keeper of the Flame—an eleven-year-old girl with a powerful connection to the Silver Flame. The vast majority of Ridurians follow the faith of the Silver Flame, and while few led to become bold warriors rooting out supernatural evil, they are all called to lives of goodness and faith. With its fertile lands bordered on most sides by rivers and greater bodies of water, Maridur was the only nation to retain all its territory in the Treaty of Thronehold. It also maintains control of the once-Ormese city-town of Thaliost it seized near the end of the Last War, and many citizens of both nations hold bitter resentment toward the other.

• Thronehold. Thronehold is the former capital city of Galifar. It is a place of international intrigue, divided into four districts that are each controlled by one of the surviving Five Nations.

• Namast. Formerly known as southeast Cyre, the land now known as Namast was seized by mounted Tairnadal warriors from Aerenal during the Last War. The human residents of Namast have transitioned surprisingly well to their new elven masters. While the Valaes Tairn are nominally the rulers, these warrior elves of Valenar are uninterested in the actual administration of the country. House Lyrandar has stepped in to govern while the Valaes Tairn try to provoke their neighbors (most prominently Markora) into skirmishes, or even better yet—an actual war. The Valaes Tairn were mercenary elves that has since shaped the young nation. Namast is where House Lyrandar test their new airship designs. Power groups present are the Keepers of the Past and the Siyal Marrain. The Keepers of the Past are bards and clerics who determine which ancestor will guide a newborn Tairnadal elf through life. In Tairnadal religion, each elf is duty-bound to honor and emulate his or her patron ancestor. The Tairnadal believe that these warrior ancestors, known as Spirits of the Past, can live again in the present if their deeds are recreated. Elves who share a common ancestor will compete with each other to become the perfect embodiment of their patron. The Siyal Marrain (Horse Watchers in Common), are a Namast druidic order charged with keeping the Namast steeds. These horses were believed by the elves to be the descendants of elven warriors who fought against the Su'lat League to free the elven people from slavery, but were cursed to remain in the equine forms they'd taken to carry their comrades into battle.

• Torvala. Torvala is a land and culture dominated by gnomes. On the surface the land is idyllic, with little to no crime, nearly untouched by the Last War, a safe and secure land. Dig a little deeper, however, and you will find the Valas maintain this facade through manipulation, blackmail, and paranoid surveillance. To the gnomes of Torvala, privacy is a luxury that is not worth the cost of violence, crime, or civil unrest. It is the duty of the Trust—their secret police—to maintain this vigil, and its members could be anyone, anywhere, at any time, and they are always watching.

• Nakato. A nation in which the Akatsushiman influence is strong and radiant as ever. With the first Treaty of Thronehold, the young nation has earned their place among those under the Nolissian banner.

• Adassa. Adassa was once a pirate safehaven with no law. Now, Adassa is home to privateers and merchant princes. This land and its waters are often regarded as lawless by the citizens of Nolis. While High Prince Rygar ir’Wynarn represented the collected principalities of Adassa during the Treaty of Thronehold, he does not rule Adassa. Instead, each fleet and captain independently govern over their claimed territories. Not every Adas is a pirate, and most ships are simply merchant ships. However, many of the principalities aren’t averse to flying more than one set of flags, depending on who they encounter on the high seas.

• Yushan. The nation known as the Far East Gate. Yushan has resources undisclosed to the Nolissian Empire and possibly, this could be the reason for them wanting sovereignty away from the empire.

• Basilei. The King's Capital established right after the Last War. As opposed to the multitowered metropolis of Sharn, this is the town-city of Emperor Nolis repurposed to a new height of it being the Capital of the Nolissian Empire. All of the nations of the empire have a territory here in Basilei.