Karnor

Karnor. The Northlands. Northlanders. The northernmost region of the main continent of Ransera is considered wild and largely untamed by the majority of inhabitants, even by those who have called the region home for generations. The vast majority of the landscape is covered by the indomitable woodland known as the Wildking’s Forge. This forest is reputed to be where Aedrin, Dragon God of Nature, first touched upon the world and breathed life into the wilds. Flora and fauna in the Wildking’s Forge tend to be healthier than other variations found in Ransera at large. Dire sized animals are a common sighting. As a result of the forest’s presence, the inhabitants of Karnor are known to be able bodied hunters and woodsmen. In terms of climate, the region is much colder due to its proximity to the north pole of the planet’s axis. Winters are dangerous, with cold storms being frequent and the lower temperatures lasting much longer than would be in other places. The summer season leans toward cooler temperatures with sweltering heat being a rarity.

The second most notable geographic feature of the Northlands is the Zeraphi Desert. Named in honor of the city-state that claims the majority of its for its own territory, the desert is an arctic desert interspersed with various oases to provide relief from the environment. The white sands of the Zeraphi Desert glisten with an opalescent quality, leading some to believe that the sands are not quite what they seem. The prevalence of Dread Mist storms to kick up the sands is well known in the area. Travelers are cautioned to carry a means of protecting themselves from the various warped and weird creatures that roam the dunes.

Following the desert, the other most notable geographic feature of the region are the Astralar Mountains. The Blackstone or Ebony Skymountains, as they are called, are a wonder to behold. While many of the mountains are earth-bound, there are numerous peaks and rock formations that float lazily in the sky. Gravity in the Astralar Mountains is a fickle thing and as a result, the majority of the wildlife to be found in the mountain range are capable of flight. A mineral known as eberrite can be found throughout the mountain range. While notoriously difficult to work with at a forge, the products yielded by the mineral are some of the rarest and most valuable in the world. Ebberite, once properly refined, is nearly indestructible and materials fashioned from it remain lightweight.

Political Dynamics

Historically, Karnor has been a region that has maintained independence from other powers in the continent. Prior to the Age of Sundering, it was a collection of feudal kingdoms unified under a single alliance. The Clockwork Empire once sought to conquer the Northlands and while their campaign saw several victories, they were ultimately unsuccessful in their efforts to conquer the north. Many speculate that this was due to the fact that the Empire and the rest of the world was brought to its knees as a result of the Sundering. In the present day Age of Steel, the cities of Karnor operate as a loose confederacy of independent city-states. Each city commands territory and resources that make it the equivalent of any ducal state in another kingdom. Each territory is helmed by one major city with various villages and townships in the surrounding countryside.

The current political climate of Karnor is tense. There is an informal alliance between the two opposing factions. These factions are led by the City of Zaichaer and the City of Kalzasi respectively. For generations, Zaichaer has been the informal capital of the Free Cities of the North. It is recognized as the city-state with the greatest amount of political influence and has an unquestionable amount of ability in the way of military resources. This dynamic has shifted as the city of Kalzasi has risen to prominence. The two cities could not be more stark in their philosophical differences. Whereas Zaichaer is a militant police state that is heavily anti-magic and a strong supporter of New Atheist views, Kalzasi is a constitutional monarchy and a very magic reliant city with deep veneration for spirituality and religious freedom. The two have garnered equal amounts of support among the other cities placing the two factions at a stalemate.

Zaichaer, High City of the Northlands

Government: Military Dictatorship

Leader: Grand Marshal Adrian Kane

Faction: Zaichaer

Zaichaer makes no attempts to fool anyone as to what it is about. The High City of the Northlands espouses itself to be the leader of all Karnor. In generations past, it was certainly viewed this way. It is a city that has history stretching back to before the Sundering of the World having served as the capital of an old kingdom that has since fallen. During the early years of the Age of Sundering, Zaichaer was the most well equipped to face the challenges of the new era. It provided strong guidance and support to the area, eventually gaining prominence to the degree that it was viewed as the sole great power in the north. This has changed in recent years. Over time, Zaichaer’s tolerance for any deviation from its views or its doctrine has dwindled. It is the primary benefactor of the ways of New Atheism in the Northlands. It is the headquarters of the Order of Reconciliators and actively goes out of its way to persecute any and all practitioners of magic or forms of magic that does not subject itself to the will of the State. Thirty years ago, the Grand Marshal of Zaichaer was nearly assassinated in an act of aggression from the city of Kalzasi. The political climate between the two cities has been, to put it politely, frigid ever since. Zaichaer actively views Kalzasi with hostility both because of the challenge it presents to the city’s dominance and because it is the bastion of everything antithetical to its views in the north. There are those who believe it is only a matter of time before the two come to open war.

Haqs, City of Fields

Government: Feudal County

Leader: Viscount Uther Gondral

Faction: Zaichaer

Haqs is known primarily as a farming settlement. The vast majority of its lands are dedicated to the raising of livestock and the agricultural pursuits available in the area. They are known for being shrewd negotiators. Haqs has no standing military, relying primarily on the protection of Zaichaer to whom it is closely allied. Being the settlement that is closest to the elven lands of Dalquia, the city comes into conflict with them every now and then. More than a few times, skirmishes along the borders of the city have arisen, requiring the intervention of Zaichaeri troops. For the moment, a tentative peace remains between Dalquia and Haqs but the city remains ever eager to expand at the expense of what the Dratori have traditionally viewed as their lands.

Satesoria, City of Stone

Government: Feudal March

Leader: Marchioness Vamilla Stonekeeper

Faction: Zaichaer

Satesoria is a city of old traditions and old knighthoods where one’s status in society is determined by their relation to these knightly families. However, while the knights of Satesoria follow a code, it is one that adheres to a rigid sense of loyalty to the ideals of the state. The knights of Satesoria are well known for the ability as hunters of monsters, beasts, and other more dangerous things that mere commoners tremble at. Coupled with its position deeper within the Wildking’s Forge, the city is a supplier of lumber and wood products. Satesoria is known to be a staunch purporter of the ways of New Atheism. The city’s leaders are quite vocal in their desires to see the Order of Reconciliation march across the region of Karnor and bring to heel all those they view as wielding magic recklessly. When the Cult of Mending threaded its web throughout the world, Satesoria suffered terribly as a result of their evil machinations. It was only through the intervention of Zaichaer and the Reconciliators that the city managed to free itself completely.

Kathiid, City of Sails

Government: Admiralty

Leader: Grand Admiral Judas Calderon

Faction: Zaichaer

Kathiid is second to Zaichaer among those cities allied with the High City and one that holds a considerable amount of sway politically. Kathiid is the city that supplies abjinurium to Zaichaer. The magebane stone is of vital importance to Zaichaer and its aspirations of controlling magic wherever it is encountered. The two cities have maintained a largely amicable relationship. Kathiid relies on Zaichaer to assist in protecting its merchant fleets as they sail on the inland sea it sits on, as well as protecting its land based caravans. In return, Zaichaer enjoys a steady stream of abjinurium that assists in maintaining control of aberrant forces in the area. Kathiid regularly exchanges trade with the nation of Zythura and the Merchant Princes of Blackwater Bay. It is a major port in the Northlands that brings in a considerable amount of trade from sea and skies from Zythura, Dalquia, and the Gelerian Imperium. It borders the territory of Shemashk, with whom it shares an uneasy ceasefire agreement due to the proximity of the Ashen Wastes. The bitter Mist Storms that regularly roll in from the wastes are kept firmly at bay through the efforts of the Shemashkan sorcerers, something that enables Kathiid to continue trade uninterrupted.

Shemashk, City of Pale Gates

Government: Magocracy

Leader: Archmagister Esilda Wyzend

Faction: Kalzasi

It is no question why Shemashk has allied itself with the city of Kalzasi. The city sits upon a rift between the material realm and a chasm to the Aetherium, something many speculate to be a holdover from the devastation of the Sundering. The issue caused many of the inhabitants to take up the arcane in order to better adapt to and handle the problems presented in the area. Shemashk was not a city that was originally present prior to the Sundering but rather it became a place of safety and protection to those in the area displaced and unable to safely make the journey to Zaichaer. A cadre of sorcerers came together to protect the burgeoning settlement from otherworldly threats that poured out of a rift that was discovered. The mages of Shemashk have remained in power ever since. Because of the rift present in Shemashk, the wizards there have developed considerable talent for Transposition magic. Additionally, the city’s western most border is carefully walled off using a great barrier known as the Ashwind Wall. This barrier helps protect Shemashk and indeed many of the other cities from the terrible storms that blow in from the Ashen Wastes.

Kalzasi, Jewel of the Northlands

Government: Constitutional Monarchy

Leader: Shokaze Savien Novalys

Faction: Kalzasi

The chief rival of Zaichaer for power in the North, Kalzasi was not a city that existed prior to the Sundering. It was established following the sojourn of the Synnekar Avialae from the Gelerian Imperium in the aftermath of a bloody civil war. Situated on a cavernous space known as the Warrens, a layer-cake of weird and eldritch creatures or mystifying happenings, the city quickly developed a reliance upon magic in order to survive. As a result, Kalzasi became quite powerful in a comparatively short amount of time and a haven against prosecution. Kalzasi committed itself to defending its nearby neighbors from the otherworldly horrors that cropped up in the area routinely, earning respect and admiration. The first true test of its independence from the influence of Zaichaer came roughly 150 years ago when the High City sent a regiment of Reconciliators to the area. Zaichaer commanded Kalzasi to turn over its dragonshard operations to the High City as well as dismantle the Circle of Spells and build a College of Minders, deeming Kalzasi’s presence a threat to all the Northlands. When Kalzasi refused, Zaichaer attempted to coerce its demands by force. Not only did the Synnekar soundly defeat the invading forces, they pushed back Zaichaeri militants to a degree that expanded Kalzasi’s territory. An uneasy truce has existed between the two states ever since, one that has been tested severely multiple times.

Zeraphesh, City of Glass

Government: Principality

Leader: Prince Ad’jan Vizani

Faction: Kalzasi

Zeraphesh is an old city, with roots stretching back to before the Sundering. The Zeraphi Desert is named after the city that rests within its dunes. The cold white sands of the desert blow listlessly through the winds that ghost through the region. The city of Zeraphesh stands as a testament to mortal ingenuity and resiliency. Zeraphesh is known to be a haven for the Lyrsanrin people, the wayward Children of Ash make up a sizeable portion of the population. They have a tumultuous history that has left them largely unwelcome in other parts of the world. Zeraphesh cares not for the judgement of other places, it is a city where one’s worth is determined by what they contribute to society. The city is renowned for being prodigious glassmakers and due to the environment, some of the most gifted Elementalists in the region make their home in the city. Zeraphi archaeologists are quite prominent, entire cities have been found among the dunes of the cold desert only to be lost again in a matter of days due to its enigmatic nature.

Antiris, City of Dragons

Government: Monarchy

Leader: Queen Freya Ryshaun

Faction: Kalzasi

Antiris stands united with Kalzasi in their determination to hold back the barbaric insurgency of the Vykul Clans. For generations, the Skyriders and Sky Guard of Kalzasi have lended their aid to the Dragon Knights of Antiris. As a result, the two cities have forged a strong friendship that has yielded considerable benefit for both. Antiris does not possess an abundance of farmland, and as a result, it imports what it cannot cultivate on its own from its neighbors. Antiris is home to the Dragon Knights, men and women who forge pacts with dragons and who learn to live and fight alongside them. While they are small in number, the dragon riders of Antiris have held the line against the Vykul hordes for generations. Given the overall antagonistic approach the principles of Zaichaer’s New Atheism has on such partnerships, Antiris was already wary of the High City’s influence. This wariness became outright hostility when the city attempted to force Antiris to break ties with the dragon allies it had cultivated over the centuries. Attempts to rally the populace against draconic interlopers was met with open disgust and outrage.