Darlish - Darlish is a mysterious and dangerous country, ruled by the Council of the Seven, a cabal of powerful spellcasters. Magical ability is valued extremely highly in Darlish, and the noble families that control day to day power within the realm strive to have their members recognized for their spell casting talents and abilities. The common people do not fare nearly as well, and it is fair to say that nowhere else in the Northlands is the gap between the ruling elite and the common folk as wide as it is here. Servitude that amounts to little more than slavery is commonplace, with the lowest tier of society living a wretched existence. Some of the more powerful noble houses do have slaves, either purchased in the far South, or captured and brought in against their will.
The rulers of Darlish have lofty ambitions with regards to the place of their realm in the future of the Northlands (in other words, they believe they should be running the whole show). The Darlishites are intent on expansion and extending their sphere of influence, to the chagrin of the more moderate lands that they are in contact with. Rumors of Darlishite agents and spies abound throughout the North, and are not without basis in reality. Political intrigue and information gathering is a Darlishite focus, and also a specialty. The one thing that keeps Darlish from being even more of a threat than they already are is that the internal power struggles of the various noble houses within the realm is equal to, or even exceeds, their ambitions in the outside world.
Darlish is located at the far southwestern end of the Great North Road. The land of Mirraddi is to its north, the Blood Peaks form its eastern border, and Lake Trelgar forms the southern border. Varlune is to its southeast, and the Florian Empire is across Lake Trelgar to the south.
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| Darlish and Varlune |
Varlune - The Blessed Land of Varlune is a small nation, roughly 75 miles both north to south and east to west, on the eastern shores of Lake Trelgar. Varlune is a theocracy, with the worship of a triumvirate of gods being the official state religion. The ruling class is tied directly to the clerical hierarchy of these gods. The three main gods are Ardran, the All-Father (the Creator diety), Tombal, the god of balance, and Barsek, the god of fate. Of only slightly less significance are Brand (duty and honor), Barrin (justice) and Valtus (perseverance). Duty, honor and righteousness are important to the Varlune people. This makes Varlune an excellent choice to serve as a buffer that exists on the border with Darlish (to the northwest).
Varlune may be a small nation, and pacifist by nature, but its "duty and honor" mindset results in a small but highly trained and very effective military. Even the Council of the Seven in Darlish, with their overdeveloped superiority complex, would think twice before provoking the people of Varlune.
Mirraddi - Not much is commonly known about the land of Mirraddi, other than that it is the far western terminus of the Great North Road. Not much more that 25 or 30 years ago, this territory was wilderness. Over the last couple of generations, settlers from the far west, beyond the rugged mountains, have staked claim to this area, and have begun to settle some of what was the Elder realm of Ithilkar.
The people of Mirraddi speak what is known as Westreth, a language related to the Old Gorlavan tongue. This language is related to Darlishite, and suggests a common ancestry with the Elder nation of Gorlavar. The Mirraddi are tall and strong, typically with reddish blonde hair, similar to how the tales describe the Gorlavar people of the Elder days.
Next...Wrapping up the tour of the Realms with the South...
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