The Civilized World: Nations of Talahm

The continent of Talahm is the home of most of the "civilized" nations of Arius. The climate of Talahm runs the gamut from sub-arctic in the far north to tropical in the south. The posts below will feature the largest nations of Talahm, those that cover wide swathes of the continent or otherwise heavily influence the world.

Please note that these nations do not constitute every country on Talahm, though they will likely be the only ones on any widely-available map. The borders between these nations are not clearly defined in most places, but instead the hold of the larger nations slowly gives way to tiny kingdoms and petty city-states before reconsolidating into the neighboring major power.

The Avalonian Empire consists of the Kingdom of Avalon proper, which comprises a large portion of the western coast of Talahm, the islands of Inismore and Albanor, the Highland Marches to the north of the Kingdom, and a myriad of colonies across the world.

The people of Avalon are a varied lot, including natives of all of the Empire's provinces as well as immigrants from the colonies and generally anywhere else in the world. Avalon is a land of opportunity, as the cities of Avalon have a gargantuan demand for resources, raw materials, and people for both skilled and unskilled labor.

Outside of the industrial powerhouses of Avalonian cities, the land of Avalon is a place of mystery and magic. Many of the great empires of the past had their roots in the land on which Avalon now rests, and their ancient palaces and mystical redoubts lay decaying in the Avalonian wilderness. Among these ruins live some of the most unique creatures to exist on Talahm, including an inordinate amount of fey. Rumor holds that the grand kingdom of the fey, Bryn Bresail, lies hidden somewhere in the deepest, most untamed forests in Avalon.

The current king of Avalon is King Willem I. King Willem is very young for one in his position of power, being only twenty-five years of age. His father, King Rycard IV, was truly a good man and a great leader, both on his throne and on his warhorse. King Willem is idealistic and naive, but has the potential to be as great as his father, should he be given the opportunity to do so. The people of Avalon love their king, and happily accept his rule as his birthright and believe he rules by consent of the Gods, even if he does need a small army of advisers in order to make a prudent decision.

To the east of Avalon, over the Wyrmspine Mountains, lies the grand nation of Kaarn. Kaarn is an ancient kingdom that is borne on the backs of thousands of gruff miners and a fierce, highly trained military. Sandwiched between the Wyrmspine and Darkhold mountain ranges, Kaarn has mineral wealth unmatched on Talahm, and quite possibly anywhere in the world. This wealth is pulled from the earth by Kaarni miners by the ton every year, constituting a large part of the kingdom's annual product.

The people of Kaarn are a dour and hardworking folk, with a strong nationalistic streak and a military heritage that can be traced back dozens of generations. Military service is compulsory, though few believe it needs to be. The average Kaarn can recall at least fifteen generations of their ancestry, including military branch, rank, division, and notable heroics. This emphasis on military tradition allows for a rather unique social system in Kaarn. While most societies in Talahm have strictly defined social strata, with hereditary nobility and hereditary serfdom, in Kaarn, noble status is conferred on high-ranking military officers as well, and is passed on to their children.

Also unique to the Kaarn military is the idea of patriotism after death. While in most other nations, one's duty to King and Country ends at death, as they pass on to their final reward or eternal punishment. Not so in Kaarn. Generations of careful research by Kaarni wizards has led to the creation of a special kind of undead. These reanimated corpses, infused with a modicum of intelligence, serve in special regiments of the Kaarn military, as well as in supplemental forces. Every soldier in the Kaarn military, from the lowliest footsoldier to the noblest paladin, swears an oath of service that extends beyond death, and they can expect to be reanimated to continue their service should they fall on the battlefield.

The current ruler of Kaarn is King Stefan IIV. Stefan is a dark, brooding man in his fifth decade, with deep, black hair turning steel grey at the temples and throughout his beard. He is a legendary military leader and has brought much honor to his grandfather's name. The people of Kaarn may or may not love their king, but few lack respect for his accomplishments.

The land known as Scythia could not properly be called a country. Scythia is a fragmented place, home of hundreds of fiefs and baronies that come and go with little notice from the outside world. It is a vast land with varied terrain, from craggy peaks and frigid woods in the north to steaming, festering swamplands in the south. Above all, Scythia is a place of great wealth and terrible secrets.

Scythians are an insular people, distrusting or outright hostile to outsiders. This manner comes from the fact that Scythia's wildlands are home to some of the most terrifying creatures on Arius, both mundane and otherworldly. Many stories of vampires stalking the cities, werewolves prowling the forests, and more horrifying things hiding in the dark places trickle from Scythia. These things are facts of life to the common Scythian. They do not bother fearing the creatures that lurk outside their gates, they simply prepare their defenses and accept the fact that those that wander away in the night are not coming back.

Scythia is divided among hundreds of petty kingdoms due both to the things that lurk in the wilderness and the fact that Scythians hate each other nearly as much as they hate outsiders. Many armies have attempted to take advantage of the fragmentary nature of Scythia, attempting to ally themselves with locals against their neighbors. However, they were without fail rebuffed, as the only thing that can cause Scythia to unite is invasion by outsiders. War heroes have attempted to unite Scythia after a successful campaign against outsiders, but as soon as the last invader has retreated across the border, the united people of Scythia disintegrate back into their ever-bickering factions.

The once-great Empire of Reaht is a thing of the past. Once a decadent empire of unimaginable wealth and power, Reaht started its decline over five centuries ago. Since its fall began, Reaht has withered and shrunk. The grand empire that once spanned the whole of Talahm has been reduced to a fraction of the size, and now encompasses a fairly small region southeast of Avalon on a long peninsula.

The people of Reaht are proud and hardworking, a holdover from their empire-building days. They have a long military tradition, and the Reahtian Legions are still a force to be reckoned with, even in their weakened state.

The Reahtian economy is a careful balance between their maritime trading success and their agricultural products, which flourish in their unique soil, which is rocky but surprisingly fertile. Reahtian wines and cheeses are sought the world over.

The Scherian Islands is a loose nation of sailors, merchants, fishermen, privateers, mercenaries, and pirates that control the Scherian Archipelago south of the mainland of Talahm.

Each island or island group in the Scherian Islands is controlled by a Prince (there are no Princesses in the Islands, though there are a few female Princes). Each of these principalities has its own laws, citizens, holdings, and fleet, and are only nominally part of the same government. The only exception to this is the Captain's Table, a council of the most powerful Princes in the Scherian Islands.