Editing Autia (section)

=='''Flickfowl'''==

It is named many things by many people
The Belkan's called it "Ace's Right Hand" and believe it to be their holy land
The Union called it "Lemortia" their fabled land where one could speak to the spirits of the lost without aid of magic
Alkorian's called the northernmost stretch of land "New sharnom" after their capital city
The Second Empire believes it to be "Shao-bonham" the remains of the Edrian's first colony
Brazilistan called it "Nungunda" a land where one could find sacred metals that would grant one the powers to meet the stars
The Shahdom called the Western Half "The Kingdom of Cun (Pronounced Key-Un)" and it was their first colony

The natives of the land call it "Fickfowl", and it's a hot fucking mess that'll try to kill you before setting you up with it's sister over a cup of Findeligh High Tea

==='''Mainland'''===

====Second Empire====

The main focus of the Second Empire (mostly because of their inability to expand in the mainland) is to colonize Shao-bonham, rightful Eldrian clay.
Their attitude towards the natives depend on whether or not the historians sent by the government think that they descend from the Eldrians or were created by them, in this case they are considered citizens and accorded some regional autonomy but "invaders" are conquered and used as much needed servile workforce serving the Eldrian colonists.

====Duckers====

The Duckers are a confederation of duckmen living in coastal towns and swamp villages.
Choleric, mercurial and yet cowardly they are despised by the natives because of their bad personality but they have a culture strangely similar to the one of the ancient Eldrians and claim to be the cursed descendants of a glorious fallen empire, earning them an alliance with the Second Empire.

They worship some Gods like those in the Eldrian Empire with the addition of many local spirits (especially in the swamps) and only practiced Spirit Magic but since then the colonists of the Second Empire tought them all of the southern schools besides Dark Aether Channeling.

====Peaks of the Heavens====

Beneath the Upper Empire lie the vast Thandara mountains, known to outsiders are the Peaks of the Heavens. Within these mountains lie strange multi-tiered pagodas of many colors and an even stranger people residing inside them. The race of birdmen known as the Akasa-prabuharu in their home tongue call these buildings home however as their elders say they once ruled the entire continent, however a series of devastating losses in battle between the Upper Empire and the races of the South led to them being forced to flee into the mountains where they reside to this day. Many a bird perishes in the conditions found in these peaks as they were never meant to reside in this climate and it is clear the race is a dying one. However they simply wait, content to survive as long as possible seeking trade with nearby settlers.

Sky-Lords Military:

The Sky-Lords have lost the ability to field enough numbers to match a typical army for decades now, so they have adapted the philosophy of doing much from very little. Scattered in outposts and small towers across the Peaks of the Heavens gaze ever vigilant eyes belonging to keen eyed trappers and rangers. Their main advantage comes not from single warriors however, rather the mountains that they reside in. After all “the peaks may be our captors, but they remain our defenders” as a commonly spoken sky-lord proverb goes. A small group of rangers, given the right amount of preparation they constantly remain in set up deadly traps such as triggering an avalanche right on top of a marching army or luring them into a herd of furious ox-goats. Right during mating season where they remain their most aggressive. When forced into combat however the dexterity and marksmanship with a bow remains unparalleled among any other race leading to many a sky-lord to leave their home to seek fortune as a mercenary and send back the money earned to their home, in hopes of securing a better livelihood for their family with the appliances such as modern furnaces they purchase. Many a ranger bring with them the prized beasts they battle in the mountains and even in some cases tame, such as the aforementioned ox-goat or chillmane tiger, most likely a distant relative of the dread dire tiger the Maritime Khuluritai so love. Magic remains a possibility among the birdmen of Flickfowl as well, with these abilities being translated into a method to boost a rangers stealth even further. These mages commonly form the very peak of sky-lord warriors each being captains of a trapper squad as a group of rangers is called.

====Copper Plains====

Centralized in the west of Flickfowl, lie dry plains with certain arable parts caused from the many rivers flowing from the Thandara mountains. These seemingly standard lands have a bloody history of revolt however as living races no longer rule here. Far in the past a group of mages had settled in this area and through several experiments, discovered the method to create autonomous constructs powered by a magical core. The first of these golems were made from clay leading to these lands being named the terracotta plains. In their pride following this great accomplishment and extreme arrogance they deigned it fit to grant these creatures a mind equal to that of a mans. This would be the mages greatest mistake as once they deployed a legion of iron automatons to push the sky-lords who once lived in the area away and bronze constructs to be servitors. As the golems returned to their homelands a plan was hatched among many of them and by stirring their comrades into a hateful frenzy their greatswords and lances were pointed towards their mage overlords who were all slaughtered. Following this time the newly freed golems have been feverishly studying the techniques once used to create them as they can no longer replicate themselves however when they battle they never tire and will stop at nothing to defend their homeland.

Military:

When the golems of the Terracotta Plains march, it is to defend their homeland. These armies consist of golems with skin of iron and massive weapons such as greatswords, poleaxes and glaives. Following these regiments of unflinching warriors come several more exotic and rarer constructs, created as shows of power among the ancient mages who ruled them. Steel birds, lions, even a great iron dragon was constructed to serve as a defense for their capital before the revolt. As for magic, while golems have cores of magic there is no way for them to tap into this power as magic is very much their lifeblood and not a means to fight with.

====Kangoo Tribes====

In the warm southern end of Flickflow lives a species of humanoid kangoroos species known as kangoo. They are known for being good hunters and aggressive fighters, it not hapopens rarely that two full grown male kangoos fight to the death for one female during mating season. Each kangoo tribe is led by two people, a chieftain that has to be skilled in the art of fighting and a shaman as spiritual leader, who is the oldest and experienced of the entire tribe and an advisor in difficult times. Shamans are so wise and respected, even by the rivaled tribes that it can happen that one shaman can interferre in a fight between two tribes to stop it. One day a month, shamans from every tribe, gathered on the big island in south around a hill for a session in times of crisis or rituals to call the spirits for help. The kangoos do not believe in gods but in spirits, each spirit has one purpose, most populare one are a spirit of war to increase the morale and courage of the warriors or a spirit fertility who assist a female kangoo during birth.

====Deep Desert====

The Deep Desert is a dry wasteland occupying most of Flickflow's central regions.
Few can stand its harshness besides the local Snake People, bizarre snake-like beings with a single human hand at the end of their tail that they use for tool-making and magic allowing them to have a simple civilization in the desert.
Despite being predators rarely encountering outsiders, they are quite gentle and respectful towards all other sapient races.

====Puppet Clans====

Starkly contrasting the great peaks and warm regions Flickfowl possesses, the southwestern regions are a grim and cheerless place. Relentless storms constantly chip away at the stone cliffs, mysterious creatures stalk the lands, presenting a stark contrast from the eastern Kangoo Tribes. Only savages would deign this land fit to live in, and savages there were as many tribes of foolhardy warriors call these lands home. Initially they attempted to hunt the animals found within the mainland and the 4 large islands dotting the coast yet the prey quite often snuck off into the mist. Raiding soon became a far more viable option for these tribesmen to partake in so they found the mightiest and most brutish among them, named them the leader and set sail crossing the coast. Raiding proved a perfect alternative to hunting as they attacked small towns, large ones were to be avoided as they surely would be repelled. Even with their new lifestyle, the tribesmen hungered for more. They could not travel far as they dwelled in among the most distant regions a man could live in and the demand for food and supplies kept increasing. This came to a head when they discovered a mysterious sort of tower hidden right in the center of the three southwest islands. A presence seemed to beckon them towards it as they opened the heavy door to enter, unknowingly removing a seal that had been placed there for good reason. The spirit they released immediately broke free and his malevolent presence addled the minds of the unfortunate clansmen who had entered the tower. Soon their minds warped to the point where they could understand what the entity had to say, it knew their desires and claimed that it could fulfill them. The clansmen cheerily returned home informing the tribes to meet this entity and hear what it had to say.

The next day the entire population of the land had come forth to see what the spirit could do that would allow them to see the farthest lands and take the most exotic of spices for themselves. They were shown a marvelous and psychedelic sea, claimed to be a part of the aether and if one travelled through, they could enter whatever part of the world pleased them as long as they had the right coordinates. Pleased to hear this the tribes pledged eternal loyalty to the spirit, and unknowingly began the process of becoming thralls. Thrall meant slave in the tribes language and as they entered the sea of souls as this parallel world was dubbed, their minds became filled with dark thoughts and started lapsing into random fits of madness. Mortal beings were not meant to be here and they quickly lost the little sanity they had left, and the spirit chuckled as its plan had been finished. These wretches of former men were now his slaves and he would send them to raid for an eternity. Now, twisted ships appear at small towns and mutated monstrosities disembark to loot and pillage. Unfortunate souls who get captures are fed to the thralls master and before the proper authorities can arrive, the ships have already left in the mist.

Military:

Being a nomadic horde, with no clear homeland minus the south of Flickfowl, when they occasionally return to it the Puppet Clans have a very disorganized military. Each longship is filled with crazed wretches who hurl themselves into the nearest fight and each have some sort of bizarre mutation, like tentacles or claws for arms or two heads. These berserkers primarily comprise their forces with gibbering wizards in the back instinctively using dark aether channeling to poison the land and bring devastation. Following them are unholy, animalistic beasts which may have formerly been clansmen or monsters they brought with them.

====Sultanate of Miqdaad====

Flickfowl is covered by deserts and plains, there's no way around it. The heat is intense and wherever you go you'd most likely just see rocks. Therefore the east coast should also be a desert with nothing much of value, yet a traveler would see shining oases and gilded temples sprawling out into the sunset. This is due to the wondrous art of celestial magic that is the lifeblood of the region known as the Sultanate of Miqdaad. A nation firmly built on the principles of astrology and faith to the one true god Miqdaad, master of life. Through searching the heavens and the teachings of their holy prophet Aasub who first imparted the teachings of Miqdaad, the pitiful nomads who populated the desert brought rain down and made the sands into a paradise by essentially fixing their desire for food and water. In the current day the Sultanate is a land at the forefront of magecraft and divination, constantly inventing new devices to further enhance man's understandings of the stars. Within their capital of Isbillyah lie a thousand telescopes and orreries pointing to the sun and moon and a league of hunched scholars poring over the meaning behind these celestial bodies movement and what it spells for the future. Comfortably far from any major attackers due to the magitech weapons that line their homes and border alongside the battle wizards who twist the winds against their enemy and benefit the fleets of their homelands by always giving favorable sailing conditions. The courts are as decadent as it's people, constantly bickering over who should rightfully become the next heir to the Sultan or spending shocking amounts on pleasure palaces. In fact this had led to quite a rivalry against the celestial college who need this money to purchase new equipment.

Military:

Mostly used for either border defense or homeland security the army of the Sultanate is made of scimitar wielding conscripts and archers. However the nations real power comes from their celestial weapons capable of unleashing deadly blasts at anyone who even dares approach their lands with malicious intent, quickly blowing their ships to smithereens. Alongside this, mages are among the most feared and respected individuals of the land as without them, it would not be the lush paradise that it is.

Chief among their weaponry are the strange weapons known only as Heavenly Eyes. These are great telescopes with a secondary system of glasses and magic cores allowing it to shoot off a magic projectile at blindingly fast speed which is sure to leave a dent if not completely pierce anything it hits. Knowing the power of these weapons crafting variations and other such devices is the primary concern of the army.

Following the mages and scimitar wielders, follow soldiers wielding slender firearms known as Jezails. These weapons are typically decorated by their wielders and similarly to the shahdom found far to the west, camels are a popular means of transport inside the nation due to their capability to survive the farther and more barren reaches of the countries, the last vestiges of the desert that formerly encapsulated the eastern coast. Some assorted nomad tribes live in these regions and serve as auxiliaries, being skilled scouts in travelling the desert alongside attacking and riding back into the sands.

Transport: Camels are the most widespread means of transportation, respected for their hardiness and ability to bear a load, great beetles found across the dunes that are ridden by merchants traveling around the cities to trade at a fast pace (the army even has a flying regiment of great armored scarabs who serve alongside the drake riders as flying cavalry) and flying carpets which are reserved for mages and nobility.

Currency: The golden talent is the currency of the land and is recognized by all nations in Flickfowl and many beyond. Alongside this bartering is a favorite pastime of the locals who frequently partake in it within their great markets known as bazaars.

Religion: Miqdaad is the one and only god worshipped by the Miqdaadites as the father of life, his gift of life is represented in the form of rain. The people of the Sultanate refuse to hear slander against the one true gods name and can be worked into a frenzy over their interpretation of the faith.

Magic: Magical potential is a highly respected gift among children and these blessed children are gladly given to the celestial college for training. celestial magic remains the primary school of wizardry in the land however aetheric magic involved in spirit channeling and healing magic have their users. Alongside this some female leaders of the nomad tribes have the curious ability to control sand in the area.

Fun fact 1: The Sultanate is centered near the ruins of an ancient farming civilization known for building magnificent pyramids and colorful art pieces in a pictographic tongue. Perhaps the blood of these people still runs today inside of the Miqdaadites?

Fun fact 2: Recently the Golems have made an ally of the Miqdaadites and have agreed to guard the western coast in exchange for access to the Blue Library, a massive repository of medicinal, arcane and all sorts of other knowledge. This is a wonder of Isbillyah and a common bragging point to foreigners.

Exports of the Sultanate:

Being a nation with a large amount of land and a warm climate, made tropical thanks to terraforming efforts by celestial mages, the Sultanate has been a major part of the so called "spice trade". Several culinary spices and fragrances with names such as Frankincense and Myrrh. Alongside this spices such as Coriander and Turmeric serve as excellent additions to a meal. The growing hunger for these spices have served as a mainstay in the Miqdaadite economy and will continue to remain so, as they jealously guard their spices from outside merchants.

Navy:
The Miqdaadites possess a vast trading network due to their role in the lucrative spice trade, commonly at rival to Soukos over oceanic mastery. Due to this they possess a massive merchant fleet. Sleek dhows skirt the coast of the land fishing and selling their wares to nearby locations. Pictured above alongside some other ship types a dhow can greatly differ from a small trading vessel to a swift merchant ship filled with compartments for fish, spices, jewelry and indeed, some hidden openings to store some more “policed” goods as the traders call their clearly smuggled items. Second to this, a felluca is a ship made to sail the oceans and thus is the main means of international trade the Sultanate possesses. Equipped with 4 slots on each side for cannons and renowned for a swift speed at most times so long as the wind favors its sails, a felluca is used for many purposes, from trade to naval battles where they sail by employing superior speed and skirmish tactics alongside their magical sails enchanted by celestial mages which allow for permanent good wind conditions by subtly altering wind paths letting them perform shocking bursts of speed and maneuverability. And let it be known that the ironclads and paddleships of Alkor have not gone unnoticed as the Sultanate have developed a standard ship of the lune known as a baglah. A massive warship outfitted with an ornate back alongside 3 levels each with 7 weapon ports per side and a hardened hull ready for ramming, with a steam engine powering it and commonly several magitech modifications. Such ships being able to constantly be produced in the shipyards are the pride of the navy and help police the waters from the endless threat of pirates. Should a mage choose to follow a ship or fleet one day you can commonly see them sailing by gently on flying carpets as they survey the surroundings and foretell if there will be storms, attacks or other conditions by studying the stars.

Funnily enough even with devices like flying carpets, the idea of flying machines beyond carpets never crossed the minds of any mage of scientist until the recent rediscovery and subsequent alliance between the Miqdaadites and their estranged northern descendants, the Belkans (before you ask yes this has been discussed before. Belkan sees Flickfowl as the holy land of their religion alongside a shared magitech obsession and an anon who I assume made Belkan put this idea forwards initially) allowed them to see the airships they fielded, the one key discovery keeping them from being among the technological level of the Nantic states. Due to this they immediately set to work using the specialized talents their celestial mages possessed to establish their own brand of flying transport. Currently two patterns of magical airship have been produced, both being supremely powerful yet difficult to manufacture airships. Firstly the efreet-class strike cruiser is a fast and deadly elemental airship shooting forwards and launching a powerful double beam attack due to the two heavenly eyes, harpoon cannon, bombs and fiery ring surrounding it allowing for a powerful wave of heat to be released. Secondly, the djinn-class carrier is a massive armored war machine capable of unleashing shocking amounts of damage due to the 6 heavenly eyes, 12 cannons, 2 harpoon guns and cohort of armored scarab riders surrounding it. Together these weapons have been the key to victory in battles such as a skirmish against the Puppet Clans due to their ability to quickly reach the combat zone and fire upon the longship used by the foul, mutated warriors before they could board and escape into the Sea of Souls once more.

Hashashins:

Deep in the southeast of the Sultanate, hidden within the crevasses of the sandstone mountain range bordering the Kangoo tribes a fearsome cult obsessed with death make their home. These are the Hashashins, an ancient order of assassins said to be as ancient as the ninja clans of Nippon and a stain upon the purity of Miqdaad's chosen though a necessary evil. Long before the Sultanate was properly established and a great desert covered the lands the original Hashashins had set up holdings within the mountains after fleeing an especially bad sandstorm. They would not be able to leave these mountains for a very long time as it seemed because a veritable mountain of sand had blocked up the entrance they travelled through meaning they were stuck within the mountains. This new home was deceptively safe as it turned out to be a more dangerous realm than the outside they had fled, for the great cave dwelling lizard who called it home had a ravenous hunger that season and these newcomers would satiate them quite well. Rather than direct confrontations, these beasts who had been rendered nearly blind from life within the caves chose to strike at times when the guard of the nomads was lowest dragging off their kin into the depths never to be seen again. Time and time again their numbers were thinned from these man-eaters and the nomads had to either adapt or die, and adapt they did for they took to meditating and taking in every sound travelling through the caves for hours on end. Their ears became keen enough to hear even the slightest intrusion and kill whoever was stalking them while their martial talents grew much, with one of their ranks being able to throw a dagger right into the skull of a lizard in the blink of an eye.

Years passed as this battle between hunters slowly shifted in their favor as the sand that had sealed them inside the caves in the first place abruptly opened up exposing them to the outside world. Their forays outside and the stories of their forefathers had them expecting primitive nomads, needless to say they were quite surprised when the first human contact they came across were a group of camel riders garbed in colorful robes who wielded gleaming swords and spears. After initial conversation, they found these riders were nomads like them, though their tribe had sworn fealty to a great power just to their north said to be able to bring rain upon these desolate lands with a mere flick of the wrist who had gifted them these weapons. Fascinated by the tales of these magic men, they travelled further north still until they came across a newly built city amongst a lush rainforest that had been magically terraformed into existence. This city was Isbillyah, the soon-to-be capital of the burgeoning Sultanate and knowing the stories told earlier to be true they entered the city and swore allegiance themselves to the Celestial Mages and nobles running this land hoping to receive a portion of their bounty for themselves. Knowing not about their nature as silent killers, the freshly crowned Sultan believed them to be yet another nomad tribe seeking their gifts and in exchange for conversion to the faith of Miqdaad they were welcomed into the Sultanate. A caravan full of food and gifts set back home in exchange for their fealty, though this meeting quickly got much more interesting when the merchant steering the caravan was nearly killed by the guards settled in front of the entrance to the caves the Hashashins called home who thought him to be an intruder.

While rattled from the endeavor, the Miqdaadite merchant was fascinated by the way these men had seemingly appeared out of thin air next to his caravan and jumped aboard it holding his throat at knifepoint until the others quickly explained that he was a friend. He reported this incident back to his employers once he reached Isbillyah again who were now quite hesitant to allow them to be fully integrated into the Sultanate seeing them as bloodthirsty rogues. An idea was posited by one of the nobles however, rather than shun them directly, they could put these men to use by sending them to take out someone deemed a threat to the Sultanate. With their skills of stealth, this would be easy for the Hashashin as the Miqdaadites had come to calling this tribe after discovering their capacity as assassins. A theological issue was the only thing preventing the Hashashin from being allowed to realize this new role as the code of Miqdaad said to move away from unnecessary violence and only fight in self-defense. This was resolved in the end with a compromise, the Hashashins would still have to practice the faith of Miqdaad but they would practice a slightly modified versions of it where sanctioned killing would be tolerated. With these formalities properly answered, the Hashashin soon became the stuff of legend amongst the people of the Sultanate with many legends and myths springing up about them. Looking back to the Hashashin during this time, they had taken to their new responsibilities quite well with the greatest amongst their ranks commonly heading out on clandestine operations. These tasks would be aided by a myriad of new tools provided to them by the Miqdaadites as their part of the deal with items such as poisons and new weapons being provided, many of them enchanted with each helping them get their way. Currently they retain their traditional role, being sent out to gather information or kill important targets either during a battle or in enemy land.

====Desert Elves of Arqilis-Malkor (Copper Plains, Deep Desert, Crescent Islands, Sultanate of Miqdaad, Second Empire)====

History:

The Desert Elves, or the Litsequendi as they call themselves in their own language are a relatively young branch of the elves. Being leftover colonists from the peak of the Sartyrian empire, they have spread across Flickfowl offering their services as mystics and mercenaries. In fact this behavior has been going on even before the majority of the Sartyrians fled home as they were struck with a case of Smelter Disease. This departure enabled a group of mages to populate this colony now known as the Copper Plains and when the travelling elves returned they found they had been abandoned and their homes taken. However unwilling to give up they travelled into the Deep Desert and set up a new home and base of operations as they continue their ways of travelling. While they have dispersed throughout the continent they have the most holdings in the northern half of the Deep Desert known as Arqilis-Malkor, a contested region between the local snakemen who populate the southern half of the desert. Regardless of arguments between who the land belongs to, the neighbors are relatively friendly and allow each other to travel across their half of the desert ignoring borders.

People:

The elves are brown in skin and slightly taller and thinner then most elves, being perfectly suited to live in the desert they have resided in for the last few hundred years.

Religion:

Having lost most contact with the Sartyrians the elves do not strictly follow a single god, though their roving nature has made it so that they have picked up the gods of the area they currently reside in.

Magic:

The art of fire magic has been diluted through the ages due to their distance from the World Flame resulting in a loss of their native pyromancies. Instead they have picked up magic related to enhancements such as enhancing their ability to hide without making a sound.

Economy:

Believing greatly in the concept of individuality and the fact that Arqilis-Malkor is always half full with elves coming and going a permanent economy for the region is yet to be established. Instead each elf with the money earned from their fat wages as wandering swords-for-hire sends a portion of it home. Serving as mercenaries and travelling the world is their chief goal leaving the only thing they really export being the fine pottery they make.

Military:

Having most of their men and women serving as either wizards or mercenaries, martial prowess is quite important to the Desert Elves. As such from a young age they are drilled in the art of melee and ranged combat with their primary strategy being to hide in the shadows until they find the perfect opportunity to strike with lethal force. Their entire style of fighting is built around stealth surpassing even the legendary ninjas of Napan and makes them quite good assassins should they choose to get involved in that sort of trade. While they are most skilled with melee weapons as part of their trade most Desert Elves pick up marksmanship with either a bow or a gun on their travels as they have seen the uses of such weapons.

Their common tours as mercenaries have led to most their warriors having decades of experience under their belt without feeling the effects of age, however this leaves their homeland relatively unguarded as most elves are halfway across the world. Should a battle be inevitable, the bellkeepers in Arqilis-Malkor who are all retired warriors will ring a magical bell mentally signaling every desert elf possessing an amulet linked to this bell to come home. It will take a week at least for most to return however leading to the aid of the snakemen and the nomads of the Sultanate being hired to repel any possible attacks. The nomads are slightly difficult to convince as they know the elves as mysterious spirits of the desert and many fear them as part of their legends.

====Ghol (Underground)====

The city of Ghol is unique, even amongst the dwarves. This place is not nearly the stronghold that their people are known for, rather Ghol is a city of learning and craftsmanship. The city is home to the Gholi dwarves and a large number of stone elementals. The two sets of beings live symbiotically, with each providing for the other. The elementals aid the dwarves by building the very city and its infrastructure while also protecting the dwarves, and in return the dwarves provide the elementals with comforts and amenities that they crave. Nearly the entirety of the city was made by the elementals. The dwarves settled here specifically to live a amongst the earthen denizens of this area. Built in an old cavern of a great lava flow that has ceased moving and lost its heat a millennia ago. The old flow runs right to the edge of the Great Shelf, a precipice in the dark. The shelf is an immense drop off that reaches down to the deepest depths of the earth and is as large as an inland sea. The murky black and sheer size of the hole means no living being has even been to the bottom, or at the very least not made it back up to speak of it. It is on the old lava flow, against the edge of the Shelf, that they dwarves chose as their home.

The Gholi dwarves are a diaspora of an old Hold that existed under the ground between Autia and Lapus. The stronghold was sturdy and the dwarves were proud. They prospered for generations without turmoil. That was until a great earthquake rocked their civilization. Nearly everything they had built and worked towards was destroyed as the entire world around them trembled and crumbled. The survivors of the calamity reported that at the height of the rupture, when the cracking and moaning of the earth was at its most intense, they heard a deep and ominous voice groaning from the walls, floor, and ceiling of the earth around them. This, they decided, was the great Spirit of Stone. This Spirit is reportedly a sentience of the very stone that comprises the solid world itself, and they believed that through some transgression they had incurred the wrath of this great spirit. Their survival would depend on righting this wrong, and living in harmony with the stone of the deep places. They wandered through the dark for a generation until they found the location to build their city. The place they chose was full of earthen elementals, and rested on the edge of a great chasm. This chasm was important for the Gholi, as they believed the Spirit of Stone resided in the deepest depths of the world. Here they made a pact of companionship with the elementals and built a society that reveres the very stone around them.

The earthen beings that comprise the other half of the Gholi society are nearly ageless. They are slow, calm, and methodical. Even when they move it is with a careful deliberateness. They are truly spirits that inhabit physical stone, animating it and even living as it. They come in a variety of rock and exist in all shapes and sizes. They can be a stone parody of a dwarf to great masses of boulders larger than buildings.
The elementals are capable of shaping solid stone as if it were clay, and perform incredible feats of building on behalf of the dwarves, construction nearly every building and work of rock within the city. They also comprise the bulk of the cities defense, like an avalanche crushing their foes. In return, the dwarves provide the elementals with heat and water. High temperatures and hot air loosen the stones that comprise the elementals. With enough heat they become more active and mobile, with their general lethargy subsiding and being replaced with an almost youthful energy. The water is a comfort, flowing streams diverted through the city provide a place for the stone spirits to lounge and relax. The water rolling over their forms is very soothing for them. Without these amenities the elementals can lay inert for extended periods of time being nearly indistinguishable from a pile of rocks or a cavern wall. They are naturally drawn to this place, living on the old lava flow, still hoping for the long lost heat of the place. In this way, the dwarves have provided them with the warmth they desire.

The dwarves now have a culture of scholarly pursuits, with geometry and geology being of chief importance. Magic is prominent among them, using powers of fire and light widely. The dwarves here differ from much of their kin in that martial pursuits are rarely undertaken. With the elementals making up the bulk of the physical might of their society, they dedicate themselves to power and thought. They do have a conscription force for defense but this is a minority of their armed forces, only making up about a third of the cities army. For these reasons, the Gholi are not known for creating great weapons and armor like some dwarves, but instead their forges and craftsmanship are directed towards metalworking for the sake of precise tools and refined jewelry. The furnaces of the city are always alight, and the heat they produce is deliberately sweltering for the comfort and needs of the elementals. The City of Ghol is always basked in the warm glow of their many fires. They have a very good friendship with the Moles of the Nest of Princes to their immediate north, and trade with them often. They despise Drow, making no distinction between the different cities, and would never allow the "slave-makers" near their scared home.

==='''Emerald Isles'''===

====Fantal Islands====

The Fantal Islands are a cluster of demon inhabited jungle islands that Alkor is trying to colonize since they have lots of gold, but it is not going too great for them.

People:

The local tribesmen are members of the Shaobon human ethnic group. Culturally they are split between those that have accepted and rejected civilization. Also present are a wide range of foreigners. Alkor has colonized parts of the Fantal Islands, but rely heavily on other foreigners to work and guard their lands, particularly individuals from their holdings in southeast Autia, and Afzen Amazons from nearby Afrolia. The Alkorian colonies are a popular jumping point for explorers and mercenaries in the Emerald Isles, and folk of all sorts are tolerated here as long as they respect local laws.

Religion:

Foreigners practice whatever religion they followed in their homelands. Missionary efforts are discouraged for political reasons, even for religious organizations favored by Alkor.

Zmugtazu the Black Hearted One is the main god among the civilized Fantal Tribes. Once as bloodthirsty as other gods worshipped by the Fantal Tribes, a prophet appeared who told them to stop sacrifices and demon binding, and start practising a form of pragmatic pacifism. Some of Zmugtazu's followers refused to change their ways, and those that did tend to rely on the Alkorians for protection, as now all the rest of the Fantal consider them to be heretics.

Among the hostile Fantal Tribes, the main god is now Mon-k'e M'e-me, a nihilistic god who avocates for destruction for the sake of destruction and hates civilization. Others still worship the old version of Zmugtazu, a hurricane demon believed to be another form of Shaleheart, the vampiric twins Golga and Lyki (believed to be local versions of Gogotha and Lykian), or the Dead One (most likely Deadicorn).

Magic:

Foreigners use whatever form of magic they practised in their homelands.
Most civilized Fantal Tribesmen have given up on magic, but the hostile tribesmen still practice magic given to them by assorted dark gods, particularly Mon-k'e M'e-me.
People:

The local tribesmen are members of the Shaobon human ethnic group. Culturally they are split between those that have accepted and rejected civilization. Also present are a wide range of foreigners. Alkor has colonized parts of the Fantal Islands, but rely heavily on other foreigners to work and guard their lands, particularly individuals from their holdings in southeast Autia, and Afzen Amazons from nearby Afrolia. The Alkorian colonies are a popular jumping point for explorers and mercenaries in the Emerald Isles, and folk of all sorts are tolerated here as long as they respect local laws.

Religion:

Foreigners practice whatever religion they followed in their homelands. Missionary efforts are discouraged for political reasons, even for religious organizations favored by Alkor.

Zmugtazu the Black Hearted One is the main god among the civilized Fantal Tribes. Once as bloodthirsty as other gods worshipped by the Fantal Tribes, a prophet appeared who told them to stop sacrifices and demon binding, and start practising a form of pragmatic pacifism. Some of Zmugtazu's followers refused to change their ways, and those that did tend to rely on the Alkorians for protection, as now all the rest of the Fantal consider them to be heretics.

Among the hostile Fantal Tribes, the main god is now Mon-k'e M'e-me, a nihilistic god who avocates for destruction for the sake of destruction and hates civilization. Others still worship the old version of Zmugtazu, a hurricane demon believed to be another form of Shaleheart, the vampiric twins Golga and Lyki (believed to be local versions of Gogotha and Lykian), or the Dead One (most likely Deadicorn).

Magic:

Foreigners use whatever form of magic they practised in their homelands.
Most civilized Fantal Tribesmen have given up on magic, but the hostile tribesmen still practice magic given to them by assorted dark gods, particularly Mon-k'e M'e-me.

Economy:

The Fantal Islands contain rich gold veins, but attempts by Alkor and others to exploit them have been limited by sabotage by hostile Fantal Tribes. Plantations of cash crops are also frequently sabotaged. Despite this, the Alkorian colonies generate reasonable profits.

In addition to resources, Alkorians and locals also make reasonable profits serving as the main gateway to the region for human adventurers looking to explore ruins. Supplies and accommodation are sold with a high mark-up, and the weaker exploration parties often sell treasures and artifacts to brokers in the Alkorian colonies at fraction of their true worth rather than risk getting robbed while trying to transport them to auctioneers in Autia.

The Fantal Island also serve as a useful staging point for Alkor and certain allies and neutral parties to process large scale shipments of goods coming to and from a certain race of turtle like arms dealers further to the south.

Although slavery is illegal in Alkor, the local authorities turn a blind eye to slave raids by Afzen Amazons against hostile tribes, and the use of slavery by more civilized tribes to pay debts. Many Afzen business women and landowners also openly own slaves.

The hostile Fantal Tribes are hunter gatherers who seem vehemently opposed to civilization and prioritize raids against mines, logging operations, and plantations.

Demons of the Fantal Islands:

Although demons are summoned by the reckless and insane in all parts of the world, they rarely persist for long unless somehow bound to a person or object, and as a result, are fairly rare. An exception to this rule seems to be certain sections of the Fantal Islands, where many of the vile monsters have been confirmed to be of demonic origin, rather than fey, natural, or magically altered. Many of these demons are bound to this world by powerful magics that bind them to wildlife, while other seem to be bound to people or debris.

It is unknown who did these bindings. Although the more feral tribes of the Fantal Islands have some skill at demon binding, it is believed that many were created centuries, or perhaps even millennia ago.

Although demons come in many different shapes, below are some of the more common or well known:

- Bat Demon - Commonly associated with local Golga/Gogotha and Lyki/Lykian. They are powerful demons with many of the same powers as vampires, plus capable of agile flight and the ability to disorient and cause irrational fear with their shrill shrieks.

- Boar Demon - Boars and warthogs are often associated with filth and stupidity among locals of the Fantal Islands, so it is perhaps fitting that those seen as overly prideful, vain, or arrogant are transformed into these slobbering, reeking brutes. They typically retain their intellect and memories of their past lives, but are bound to the will of whoever created them.

- Charismites - Unlike many other demons of the Fantal Islands, charismites have no obvious ties to the jungle, and have been encountered elsewhere in the service of their demon lady Wanilla. Much like succubi, they delight in using their looks and enchantment magic to enslave mortals to their fiendish will, though unlike succubi, charismites seem to have a deep need to be idolized by mortals. Although Wanilla isn't particularly popular with the modern inhabitants of the Emerald Isles, temples that appear to be dedicated to her have been found in both the Fantal and Crescent Islands.

- Elephant Demon - Dumb, but incredibly powerful, they are often used as guardians by other demons.

- Fungal Demons - A multi-limbed fusion of humanoid, fungi, and vines, these foul creatures are said to reproduce by capturing travelers and repeatedly infusing them with clouds of demonic spores.

- Gorilladon - This massive four armed brute is believed to be the result of a powerful demon being bound to a gorilla. Only rarely encountered in the deepest of jungles, some believe there is only one in existence, which is more than enough. Said by some to be one of several avatars of the demon lord Mon-k'e M'e-me.

- Glow Eyes - Another potentially one of a kind demon, it has never been seen during the day, but its haunting bright eyes are occasionally seen at night. Usually some unspeakable massacre is discovered the next day.

- Horsemen - Much hated demons associated with Deadicorn, they are more common here than in most places.

- Jungle Imps - Small, weak demons, they make up for their lack of strength with raw numbers. They come in all sorts of shapes, though share some common traits like spellcasting ability and a fondness for cruelty.

- Mosquito Demon - Much despised demons, relatively weak in a straight fight, but often attack victims while they sleep or are crossing difficult terrain with limited mobility. Mosquito demon attacks are a common source of witherlings.

- Muckmen - A strange mix of zombie, vegetation, and mud, these creatures are almost impossible to see until it is too late. Sometimes they seem to work on behalf of other demons, while other times, they snatch victims for mysterious, but no doubt vile purposes.

- Pitcher Demons - Plant demons infamous for paralyzing people, then slowly consuming them in an internal chamber full of acid.

- Snake Demons - Resembling one of the snake people of the fey realms, except the humanoid upper half is also very snake like. They love tormenting their victims with poisoned bites and constricting coils, and are said to sometimes "play with their food" for months.

- Spider Demons - Fairly powerful demons that often fill patches of forest and cave networks with mazes of webs. The fate of those caught in their webs is far worse than death.

- Strangler Vines - Demons that resemble writhing masses of spiked vines. Those captured by these creatures are slowly dismantled in the most painful ways imaginable.

- Succubi - A fairly common demon around the world, particularly among servants of Gogotha. They are much the same here as elsewhere, though the dress code is a bit different.

- Toad Demons - These foul demons come in many shapes and sizes, but all seem to have a need to inflict pain and destruction that goes beyond mere hunger. Their sticky tongues can drag unsuspecting victims many meters into the fetid pools they like to hide in, and it is said those consumed whole by the larger varieties are kept alive for years by unnatural means has they are slowly dissolved.

- Twig Men - Relatively weak demons made by infusing trees with demonic energy, they delight in impaling victims, then slowly spreading their branches through them while they are still alive. They will often keep bones and other body parts as mementos.

- Vampires - Much the same as they are elsewhere in the world, they straddle the line between demon and undead. Usually associated with Lykian.

- Witherling - Minor demons that resemble dessicated corpses, they have traits associated with both demons and the undead. They are created by demon binders and other demons. Generally seen as mindless creatures bound to the will of their creator, they actually retain the memories of their former life, and are often more dangerous and creative than some forms of zombie encountered elsewhere.

- Zombie - A minor demon similar to a witherling, though weaker. Slow, but durable, they are often mistaken for the mindless undead sometimes found in Autia and Tismo, though like witherlings they retain their minds, though not their free will. Demons and demonbinders can create these in large numbers.

====Crescent Islands====

The first archipelago located immediately west of mainland Flickfowl, the Crescent Islands known of course for their crescent shape are famed for ancient stone statue dotting the many islands with menacing faces of ancient warrior-kings leering down upon passerby. These lands were once unified by a vast seafaring empire, known for building magnificent stone temples with statues of their mortal god and his serpentine companion alongside a vast canal system dotting their ancient cities. Archaeological examinations of murals from this time alongside clear signs of battle in the cities show a great civil war fought with unknowable hidden weapons capable of raining hellfire from above and tracing a path of pure destruction across anything in front of it. The many burnt and cracked portions of the islands only prove to certify this fact but any remaining weapons of this nature are well hidden and for now attempts to find them have ended in failure. The islands have vastly devolved in the passing centuries with the few cities remaining on the isles being lawless places where might is the one driving factor to success. This is not exclusively due to the current state of the island, rather the fact that a great deal of the lands populations are mercenaries. Due to the uninhabited state of the now ruined cities the once carefully cultivated gardens and formerly sprawling if the murals are to be believed farms and gardens have grown unchecked only adding to the already convoluted forests covering the landscape as many powerful and exotic creatures who were once kept as curiosities in the capital's zoo have escaped and bred. These nightmarish conditions are enticing to many a headstrong mercenary captain as these lands would serve as prime training for a mercenary company, should they survive of course.

These cities are also frequented by many an archaeologists seeking to sift through the debris of the ruined cities and canals searching for the fabled superweapons that all information about these lands point towards. Weapons of course aren't the primary feature as the bits and bobs of random items will fetch quite a price for them at home. Many an "authentic" piece of Crescent jewelry or ointments pop up on the market, and while most are quickly ousted as being fakes the truly valuable ones can sell for ludicrous sums in auctions. The price is jacked up further due to resistance from a mysterious local tribe of women who seem to share many traits with the Amazonian races scattered across the world who occasionally assault would-be explorers during their hunts. Sailing across the islands with their slender ships these warrior-women seem to have the singular goal of hunting the invasive beasts now populating the jungles in the name of their moon god, whose symbol is coincidentally enough a crescent. This god too can be traced back to the ancient empire that inhabited the isles (fuck I just realized I called my Khmer empire knockoff an empire when I wrote kings earlier) as the lover of the as of yet unnamed patron god of the lands who's statues are a common sight in the many temples found here.

====The Tortle Realms====

Dotted across the Emerald Isles are a series of lush and picturesque islands teeming with strange life that seems to exclusively be centered inside the region, these lands are collectively known as the Tortle Realms due to the excitable and positively ancient race of bipedal turtles inhabiting them. As the story goes, in a time where no nations dotted the Earth a great rift between the Sea of Souls and the planet split open as the divine turtle Aru-Tama swam forth seeking a calm region to settle down and hibernate in. For the next 900,000 years she slept without disturbance, however during that time she dreamt of many great and fearsome things. Chief among these thoughts were the desire to foster children like her and this intense desire manifested in the still-opened portal to the Sea of Souls releasing several turtlefolk who awoke to see a vast lush landscape of islands that had formed from portions of their mother's shell and the vast and magnificent Great Turtles that swam across the coast. Soon after exploring their strange and new surroundings as children would they set up small wooden villages around the time the Ogrillons began to form and nationalize and slowly studied their surroundings, soon discovering and beginning to research the art of alchemy. Their intense isolation and amiable relations with the then-formed Khimere Empire in the Crescent Isles, sadly reduced to ruin in the modern age allowed them to devote all their time into this endeavor. And through strange diagrams that grew in complexity as they discovered the specific combination of materials needed to invent and manufacture the wonderous material now known as gunpowder to the modern races when they finally figured out how it worked themselves many years after the Tortles. This bizarre invention was considered their greatest work yet and a fascination to experiment and further develop uses of it grew to the forefront of every Tortles mind.

Decades after their initial discovery of gunpowder by their forefathers, the use for gunpowder to serve as a propellant for this device was brought up. This led to an entirely new interest in the material and it quickly returned to the primary material for research into, eventually returning to the form of a simple firearm. This quickly escalated into devices such as fire spears, cannons, better guns, better cannon sized guns and a slew of other inventions. These were placed onto everything, their forts, ships, homes (for celebratory purposes as fireworks) and even on top of the Great Turtles they had since allied with and sailed alongside their newfound fleet of turtle ships, great armored boats serving as their primary means of transport. During this following period of slow weapons creep an earthshaking civil war broke out in the Khimerian Empire with the opposing sides in the conflict using the mighty weapons the Tortles had sold them alongside their own magitech doomsday devices, and as some fool of an official targeted their own island during this war to clear off the enemy it lead to a sudden and painful destruction of everything they had built. Horrified and partially at fault for the destruction of their greatest trade partner and ally the Tortles split themselves off from common society for a century as the Eldrian Empire expanded and entered a period of quiet reflection choosing to breed the Great Turtles and produce even stronger variants. While research continued, it was at a far slower pace however they remained the top producer of ballistic weaponry and as the current era crept forwards the time to reconnect with the surrounding world had arrived. By developing canals they sailed their fleets into the Sea of Souls, the portals to which remained open as they resisted the corruptive effects of the plane, being originally born from it and all.

They appeared outside of many a settlement offering to trade wares such as Great Turtle shell armor, one of the toughest materials in the world and indeed, some of their guns. Weapons such as great whirring turrets firing a an deadly volley in a few seconds went up and for the richest buyers, some sort of rare "automatic" rifle, though of course such claims are most likely bogus. How could such a thing exist after all? Through their wares they became well known by supplying blueprints for new models and deadly weapons throughout the world, uncaring about who they sold to so long as they swore to use them only for self-defense and their Great Turtles. Living battleships of beasts that tower over hydras and are covered in mounted turrets and other such weaponry should combat somehow ensue. And most likely to serve as a warning never to overstep boundaries with the Tortles, lest the wrath of their firepower be turned upon you and conveniently sold specifically to all your military rivals in a week. Back at home the great school of alchemy they founded years ago still stands and produces fresh new magitechnicians and engineers while their trident wielding sailors serve as an honor guard and expert riders of the Great Turtles.

Recent events: Travel through the Sea of Souls has vastly increased in danger recently. Even the most well armored Turtle Ship has the capability to be stealthily snuck up upon and boarded by the Puppet Clans who call this strange portion of the aether home. With their foul mutant berserkers, skin fighters, corruptive mages, two-headed wyrm and other ungodly creatures many a traveling ship has been overwhelmed. To make matters worse with the revolting powers they have been gifted with, even the noble Great Turtles can be corrupted and shifted into the temperamental and maddened monsters the rest of the Clans warbeasts are. Thus war has been declared against the Puppet Clans inside the Sea of Souls to finally end their foul taint.

Religion: Soon after awakening upon the Turtle Realms the Tortles found that the ground beneath them was not as unliving as they once thought, rather a massive resting organism resembling a turtle had been the basis their homeland was made from. They soon deified this creature naming it Aru-Tama, the god-turtle and while they do not know the exact circumstances why she is sleeping, they still give prayer and thanks for all the life inhabiting the islands of her making. And in a traditional Tortle funeral, the deceased individual is put inside a casket and lowered to the bottom of the sea near the head of the god-turtle, which resembles more of a great cliff than a real head. This is so they may join the god in her great rest and when she finally reawakens one day, their souls will follow her to a new paradise.

Currency: Tortles accept nearly all forms of currency when trading however at home they prefer to barter and give favors rather than employ a common currency.

Language: Every Tortle is well versed in Turtlith, their native language however traders learn to speak Common Nantic or the most commonly used language in wherever they trade the most.

People: The Tortles are as they sound, a race of long-lived bipedal turtles. With natural armor in the form of a shell and a tranquil nature when at home and undisturbed many a Tortle devotes their life to furthering the knowledge of their combined race and maintaining the knowledge of the past.

Magic: The Tortles primarily have a focus on magitech rather than magic, producing wares such as a magically supported bubble surrounding a Great Turtle’s shell, making it so the weapons mounted upon it do not lose effectiveness and the Tortles remain able to fire them when the creature dives underwater. However, talented water mages have been known to come from the land and can create distruptive whirlpools and call to the surrounding wildlife to focus their attention on assault of the unfortunate target the spell was aimed at.

Army: Due to their fascination with magic and gunpowder weapons development, considering it a field of alchemy a well-equipped military had been structured by the Tortles over time. This self-defense force as they call it, consists of volunteers given the best weapons and guns affordable by the ruling body of village chieftains that serve as the de facto leaders of the islands. Alongside this they constantly breed the colossal Great Turtles for combat and a league of ironclad turtle ships with several massive turrets strapped onto them. This pattern of weapon mounted wildfire remains in use on land as well due to the presence of the Sharpshell Tortoises, a massive variant of a standard Tortoise and descendant of the Great Turtles. These serve as a hardy transport and are commonly mounted with a swiveling cannon or two for a rider on top to attack with. Some especially powerful tortoises are outfitted with a secondary armored shell of steel to wear, essentially turning them into a biological iron beast.

====Afrolia and Afrozil====

People:

The dominant race in these two nations are the Afzen Amazons, a dark skinned Amazon race believed to originated in the Emerald Isles before expanding to Autia and other continents. They make heavy use of other races as slaves, servants, and/or mates, including pretty much any race of human (but mostly Shaobon humans who make up a large portion of the population in Afrolia), orcs, goblins, ogres, hiisi, monkeymen, and even members of other Amazon races.

Afzen Amazons are organized in close knit clans, with the core of each clan living like nobility, while lesser members are sometimes quite poor but still very loyal to their clan. A notoriously decadent people, ports in Afrolia and Afrozil are extremely popular with foreign sailors, despite the risk of enslavement.

Religion:

Like most Amazon, the Afzen Amazons worship Gaelhalla in the form of Ayala, though they are much less religious than other Amazon cultures. Other races worship their own gods as long as it doesn't interfere with the interests of the Afzen Amazons. Some try to worship Ayala as a way of gaining favour among the Afzen, but quickly find that Afzen Amazons have little interest in spreading their religion to other cultures.

Magic:

The Afzen Amazons aren't particularly adept at magic, but pay handsome wages outsiders who are. They aren't picky about what types of mages they use, and are just as happy working with a gentle scholar from Falconbridge as they are working with the most cruel flesh molders and demon worshippers.

Military:

Afzen Amazons are more interested in banditry, slavery, and piracy than outright military action. Like other Amazon races, their feminine form conceals the fact they are stronger, faster, and tougher than the typical human. Afzen are particularly physically adept and are often described by seasoned veterans as having the strength and toughness of an orc, with the speed and stealth of an elf. Afzen Amazons use clubs, nets, and bolas while on slave raids, but also have no shortage of more advanced weapons purchased from other nations like firearms, magi-tech, wands, and staffs.

Despite their self-centered reputation, Afrolia and Afrozil have both fended off several large scale invasions from other nations, particularly Belkan, Soukos, and the Voluntas Pact. They also have to deal with raids from the Sparticians, Republic of Free Men, Fantal Island Tribes, the Puppet Clans, and the many monster races found in the vicinity of both Afrolia and Afrozil. Likewise, they sometimes assemble large armies for those who can afford them, typically Alkor. For such large scale operations, they rely on a patchwork force of seasoned militias and mercenaries, many of whom are hardened slavers or pirates. When faced with superior numbers, they will typically switch to guerilla warfare that relies heavily on the use of snipers and brutal night time close combat raids.

At sea, the Afzen are also quite dangerous, and are typically considered the foremost pirate race, rivaled only by the Puppet Clans, and to a lesser extent by the Gullet Pirates, Orkistan, the Bridge Tribes, Malsolia, and Utopia. They rarely build their own ships, but quickly learn to adapt a wide range of ocean vessels and air craft to piracy. They prefer to avoid confrontation when possible, one of their favorite strategies is to disguise themselves as civilian vessels. They are aided in this by the fact that many merchant fleets do in fact operate out of both Afrolia and Afrozil.

History:

The Afzen Amazons have lived in the Emerald Isles as far back as anyone can remember. In ancient times, they went to war with the crumbling Sorgos Empire which resulted in them forming the nation of Afrozil in western Autia. Afrozil was later made a vassal of the Nantic Empire, but freed itself following the collapse of the Nantic Empire and have been independent ever since, though large parts of it have been occupied by foreign powers at various points in history. The Afzen Amazons have a long standing friendship with Alkor that has existed as long as Alkor has, though the reasons for this alliance are shrouded in mystery. The alliance has benefitted both nations greatly, and has helped give Alkor an edge against rival naval powers like Soukos and the Sultanate. They are also close with the aquatic races like Aquatica and the Phinmin, which aids them in their piratical activities.

Economy:

The backbone of the economy of both Afrolia and Afrozil is slavery. Although some assume the Afzen Amazons only engage in slavery to find mates, they actually sell more than they use themselves. Both Afrolia and Afrozil have large numbers of hereditary slaves, and surplus slaves are typically sold anywhere where there is a profit to be made. The more populous nation of Afrolia sells lots of slaves to Afrozil, where frequent wars and raids provide lots of opportunities for slaves to escape, but slave routes are also set up going to or from parts of southern Autia and the Imperium when market conditions are right. Slaves captured on raids actually account for a relatively small percentage of the slave population. The Voluntas Pact, the Republic of Free Men, Sparticia, and the Fantal and Crescent Isles are the most popular targets, supplemented by slaves taken on occasional raids on Falconhead, the Eritroans, Ercaenmedi, southeast Autia, prisoners of war and slaves captured via piracy.

Aside from slavery, the rather dry and hilly nation of Afrozil relies on piracy, banditry, and mercenary work to supplement a struggling economy based on agriculture and mining. In contrast, Afrolia is very wealthy, though this wealth is mostly concentrated at the top. Ownership of slave routes and merchant firms, combined with the export of exotic spices, dyes, and gemstones, helps bring in plenty of gold coin for the elite.

==='''Other:'''===

====Issbjarn Hold====

The Issbjarn are an enigmatic bearfolk who populate the southwestern Ninquabar Islands as their outposts and originating from the islands in between Flickfowl and Tismo. In the years since the Nicsenóreans first established a foothold within the islands and spread out they were shocked to find that another race had called these chilled lands home. They lived in great wooden halls laden with tapestries of their history where a constant stream of festivities were held in honor of their heroes such as the warrior known as Bearowulf. The bipedal armored bears inhabiting these halls observed the relatively small (by their standards) newcomers who came bringing strangely crafted gifts as a means to seek their aid. Enraptured by the strange devices shining with an inner fire allowing one to light a fire merely by switching a lever and weapons of mithril make the guards allowed the elves in as the jarls, as they called their leaders spread across the islands were called to speak with the diplomats. The bearfolk soon heard the requests of the elves for their maps of the region and aid in return for free trade between their people and a steady stream of tributes to be given to the jarls. A relatively simple treaty, but it was enough for the bears as long as they could be sent more food to last all throughout the harsh winters. So long as this prerequisite would be met their feasting halls would remain open to the elves and they would lend their aid as fighters should their skills be required.

People:

As of yet, the Issbjarn have no clear story in their creation being a race of intelligence bipedal bears. Both their island homes nowhere near even the farthest outpost of the Eldrian empire and their nearest contacts being the Miqdaadites who are very much human. Regardless of their strange origins, the bearkin tower over most mortals and have an animalistic strength to them. These martial abilities remain their defining trait however most would find their mental capabilities to be slightly lacking to say the least. Nevertheless the Issbjarn have stayed well fed and happy throughout their races lives and make good coin managing a series of tollbooths along the eastern trade routes of the world.

Religion:

The bears pay little heed to conventional religion instead choosing to deify their ancestors and legendary heroes. Heroes such as Bearowulf have great shrines depicting the epic saga that was their life spread throughout their great mead-halls and their names are spoken right before rushing into a hunt or battle.

Magic:

Little to no magic is found among the bears and those who have it never even realize they possess such a gift. However due to the nature of their inherent abilities of smithing, their armor has a shockingly high resistance to magic with all but the highest level spells dissolving the second it touches them.

History:

Much of the early history of the bears have been forgotten and the little that remains is most likely just myth. These stories told to their cubs speak of emergence from ancient caves into a harsh world filled with feral beasts who sought to devour them, lindwurms, drakes, dire bears, wolf packs, a whole menagerie was contained within these islands. With numbers too small to fight against the beasts forced to hide in their caves to avoid being devoured, in desperation they travelled deeper into the caves braving the dark and discovered many glistening chunks of ore. Through experimentation and a strange natural talent for metalworking they successfully produced suits of armor and battleaxes for each and every bear to don. Resplendent in their new armor they set out and pushed back against the monsters who sought to kill them and so the first great halls were established. From that time they continued to peacefully grow and seek greater achievements in battle, even coexisting with their more savage cousins the dire bears. Becoming the dominant race of their islands many bears seeking to expand their homelands influence chose to sail downwards into the lands now known as the Ninquabar islands and create new halls there. However trapped amongst a land of fierce snowstorms and ice they were unable to report their findings to their families resulting in the two similar yet separate cultures of bearfolk living in the world today. One with brown and black fur and another with fur of pure white.

Following their meeting with the Nicsenóreans and subsequent treaty alongside sharing of their lands ,the bears have served as bodyguards and shock troops for the snow elves and anyone else who seeks their talents and great suits of armor. In this fashion many Issbjarn travel across the world gaining renown as mercenaries with their elders staying at home managing the gates and tollbooths prospective eastern traders must pass through.

Military: The concept of a military is quite a strange one to the bears as they all naturally are warriors. Using their natural skill at forging each makes and wears a suit of armor specifically suited to their needs with weapons such as battleaxes and greatswords all being made with the strongest ores they find on their journeys across the islands. However when the need to hunt or defend their homes comes up the Issbjarn gather together to repel any prospective assault. Alongside a line of armored warriors they also bring dire bears, by far the most dangerous of the "dire" creatures which are essentially larger and deadlier versions of wildlife into battle. These bears who are brought out of their own caves through enticing berries, meat and all other kind of food being offered to them and are outfitted with their own suit of armor being either walked or ridden into a battle.

The only known skirmishes to have occurred by other nations on their borders have been a failed excursion by Dalavchtai nomads and an assault from the Second Empire seeking to seize their lands. Once the Eldrian's monsters were being torn apart by the claws of dire bears and their guns bouncing off the reinforced plate of angry warriors they realized their mistake.

Economy:

Strangely enough the bears make a good amount of coin by managing a series of humorously named "tollbooth castles" along the coast where would be traders have to pay up before being allowed passage. This makes them a steady stream of income from Autian and Shaobon traders yet they are most famed for the great suits of plate and weapons they export. These are strong enough to compete with even Great Turtle shell armor and slightly more common as the Tortles show up to trade sporadically. I say slightly as you have to specifically travel to the islands of the bearfolk and commission a suit of armor to be made. Typically one must wait a week for it to be forged as there are several orders to be taken care of.