The Kingdom of Sephia

Seph - Seph was founded by King Seph I the first, the man who won the First Great Civil War and united Northern Anach after a long a bloody conflict culminating in the defeat of Castamir the Cruel at the Siege of Ferra. Since then the city of Seph has endured long after its founder and namesake, and has seen a great many Seph's sit upon the marble throne in The Ivory Tower, a pinnacle of stonework that reaches high above the cities' center to dominate the surrounding urban sprawl and countryside.

Its high walls have protected it from many a sieges, and it is said that Seph cannot fall to invaders so long as the true King of Sephia defends the keep. This is problematic of course, given the politics of the royal family. Still, its walls and penninsular location make the city formidable anyway.

Speaking of succession, the throne now lies empty after the death of Seph the Tenth not a year ago. The door is now open for his many sons and relatives of any distance - to say nothing of the generals. However, it would take the assent of the Privy Council to allow a new king to claim the crown, and the Privy Council is not ready for a new leader. Only time will tell how the situation plays out.

Ferra - Ferra is a city as ancient as the world itself, and once the capital of Sephia itself both before and after Elven rule waned in the region. As such, many great and terrible battles have been fought here over the years. However, Ferra has declined in importance ever since the capital was moved to Seph, though it is by no means a dead city yet. It boasts the third largest population in the world. However, even with such a formidable number over half of the city is deserted, vast tracts lay uninhabited, but usually in good order. A strong garrison is kept here under General Antiochus, C-&-C of the army while the throne of Sephia lays empty. As such, the city has an endless stream of pretenders to the throne who wish to curry favor with the army to support their claim to the throne.

Ferra's walls are strong, and its position is very commanding on account of being at the heart of Sephia. It lays upon a hilltop, and the plains around it are virtually impassable without drawing the wrath of Sephia's Finest.

Artanis - Artanis is one of the most unique cities in the world, a city of art and culture and understanding to rival Linariel but with a maritime power that would make the Western Corsairs think twice of challenging the city. Virtually the whole nearby coast is a walled haven for the world's ships and wealth that pass directly through Duke Kaelin the Half-Elf's hands.

Since ageless times past the ruler of Artanis has been of mixed elvish and human blood, purely because the city itself is 50% human and 40% elven with the other 10% being reserved for the more minor of the world's races. This is a true blessing that has preserved the cities' independence from other nations, drawing on the elvish naval and magical affinity and the human's great strength and ingenuity. At least four wars have been fought over the city, each ending with at best a shameful ceasefire for the Sephian armies and at worst the total destruction of the Sephian fleet. As such, relations with the Sephians are always strained but not necessarily hostile.

Nahl - Nahl was originally founded by an Artanian, who also founded the sister city of Tahl just across the Marobian Gulf. Until recently, the two cities were joined together under one lord, called The Pirate King, Lord of the Corsairs. The Corsairs made nearly constant raids on the Sephian coast, taking many slaves and making habitation anywhere near the Endless Sea to be extremely perilous. However, as Seph the Tenth's last act not long before his death, he invaded Nahl and took it after a lengthy siege, killing The Pirate King and reducing his kingdom by almost half. Raids are still common, but Sephia is much better able to counter them with the largest port on Anach's western seaboard under their control.

Lhovanion

Linariel - Linariel is the world's last true elvish city, boasting a roughly equal population of High Elves and Wood Elves behind its walls and in its trees. Founded by Tariel the Great after the elves were driven from the northern Sephia they escaped the wrath of the humans only by crossing the mighty Septim river, and then holding off their enemies through magical stratagems until a tentative truce was called.

The last remnants of the once mighty High Elven army withdrew into the Linariel woods and joined themselves with the scattered Wood Elven folk. Within only a dozen years the city of Linariel was crafted, combining the best of Wood Elven craft and High Elven architecture. Its walls are high and white, and its buildings are many despite not a single tree being felled in the cities' founding. The Wood Elves now inhabit the high trees left in the city, reached only by rope ladder. The High Elves could never become accustomed to this however, and so they remain with their great foundries and illustrious schools on the ground.

Traditionally, Linariel's territory encompasses all to the east of the river Septim, their ancient savior. This land has grown accustomed to elven magic, and has become something of a paradise on earth where the elves will suffer no animal's blood to be shed needlessly. Having been on the brink of extinction must've given them a healthy respect of life, if not for the Sephian's since the cities' foreign policy against the northerners is usually lukewarm. Still, many foreigners are accepted and welcomed in the city to learn magic and craftsmanship, making Linariel a cultural capital of the world to rival Artanis, another city-state and the only people the Linarians can truly call friends.

If you intend to visit this enchanted land then you had best come in peace, since its borders are constantly watched by the skilled Wood Elven rangers.

Brightwood - Brightwood lives up to its name, being vibrant and full of life. A forest just open enough to experience decent sunlight. Few illnesses trouble this place, either in the form of bandits or predators. Nearby Linariel likely has a hand in this and the elves' magic has been known to reach out and touch Brightwood. Scattered homesteads and hamlets dot the forest floor in numbers too great to count, and the Wood Elves walk among the tree's, making the land feel happy with nature's touch.

Darkwood - Darkwood is everything that Brightwood is not. The land is sick, very sick. It is here that the dark powers of the south and the purity of the elves clash in proxy, and the dark powers are winning. Once joined with Brightwood as one large forest, Darkwood is distinctly separate, a terror to pass through and a nightmare to live in. Long ago Darkwood contained as many settlements as Brightwood, but no longer. Only a single road remains, passing through the fortified Brenil. Beyond twenty meters east or west of this road, nothing is known of the geography or its inhabitants. The road is kept clear only by the necessary merchant caravans, heavily armed caravans it should be added. To stray far from the route to Brenil is perilous during the day, suicide at night. Even the road itself is not safe when the burning sun sinks below the tree tops, and those outside of Brenil must hasten to it or turn back as quick as they may.

No one of the outside world knows what is wrong with the forest, but it is haunted by nefarious creatures. Orcs, Vampires, and Werewolves thrive in great numbers. Even more insidious creatures are known to fill the night with their terrible moans, their shuffling feet, and their cold grasping fingers.

Brenil - Brenil is a lone island in the sea of blackness that is Darkwood. Palisade walls, twenty feet high have been erected all around the village-turned-fortress. Atop the walls are torches, one every ten paces that are kept lit religiously all night with similar lights lit thirty feet out from the walls, on the forest's floor. If one of the perimeter lights is ever extinguished then the town's guard prepares for action, and arrows are shot towards the empty space in the ring of light. Outsiders may feel this is a silly superstition, but more then one body has been found pierced with arrows when the dim morning comes.

Brenil is home to only several hundred souls of nearly any given race, and a place where race holds no baring on people's opinion of you. ALl that matters is how you will help the town survive. Brenil sits directly on the only route south, and throw the magistrate's hands passes all of the commerce that means to go south, or north. Therefore, the city is at least well supplied and confident about its continued existence. Only time will tell if the last twinkle of light in Darkwood is extinguished.

Marobi

Axum - Axum emerged from the desert centuries ago, originally starting as a small circle of wagons to guard against the infamous Marobi scorpions, creatures known to grew as large as horses. Legend tells of how a black-cloaked man approached the small group of herdsmen who rested where Axum would soon lie. He told them of the infinite power that he would grant them in return for one thing: Their total devotion of worship. Thus the forefathers of the Setan race were born, devoted followers of Setis the Dark God.

Now the city is divided in two, the 'Outer Ring' of buildings is home to foreigners whereas the 'Inner Ring' (and the only ring protected by walls) is reserved for Marobi and Setan believers, the faithful of Setis. Within the city are many icons of serpants and snakes, creatures held to be sacred to Setis. In the very core of the city is The Great Temple, tall structure with rocky stairs upon its southern face leading to it's entrance fifty feet above the ground. It is here that the High Priestess stays, along with the Axum King, both of Setan blood. The former watches over the supposed remains of Setis, tending to them with extreme reverence. The latter rules his kingdom with an iron fist, a kingdom that now encompasses all of Marobi ever since the joining of the two crowns by marriage.

Tahl - Tahl was originally founded by an Artanian, who also founded the sister city of Nahl just across the Marobian Gulf. Until recently, these two cities were joined under one king, The Pirate King, Lord of the Corsairs.

Tahl sits upon a small peninsula jutting out into The Endless Sea, a giant walled haven for ships and pirates that flee Sephian retribution for their crimes. They owe allegiance to the King of Axum now, who has conquered the city through his marriage bed. However, the title Lord of the Corsairs has not been passed on with this matrimony, and Castamir the Shipmaster is the real authority with in cities' walls. He is a man who is Sephian by blood, like many of the cities' rulers though he holds little of the Sephian's vaunted nobility. Despite the loss of Nahl to Seph the Tenth not long ago, Tahl's navy has grown mightier then ever under Castamir and the glory days of the corsairs can be felt returning, when they harried the Sephian coasts with impunity.

The Dark Kingdoms

Necrom - Just how long ago this vast city was built is unknown to even the greatest scholars. What is known is that it was uninhabited when the High Elves drove the Dark Elves south from Sephia, causing the latter to seek a new home. Ever since then, thousands of years ago, it has been ruled by a Dark Elven King or Queen whose power over the surrounding regions is nigh indisputable.

The city itself lays on a snowy plain, close to the center of Narada. It is surrounded by one great circular wall, made with black stone with a smooth surface. Inside the circular enclosure are many narrow streets and buildings that are packed into the cities' limited space. Squalor and crime is high in the streets, and it is said that you can buy anything imaginable in the markets - for the right price.

All of this pales in comparison to the cities' center, a glorious castle with lavish decorations and carvings where the royal family and their retainers live in absolute decadence, despite the poverty outside.