Esphar:
The central Kingdom of the continent of Trothguard - once the seat of the Emperors and Empresses who ruled over the continent. Though there hasn't been an Emperor in over 300 years, it is still a nation of great power and influence. Esphar is the only nation that directly trades with all of the other kingdoms, and as such is a bit of a cultural melting pot.
Unlike the other kingdoms in Trothguard, Esphar is not governed by a King or Queen - but instead a council of 214 noble-born representatives, which once every 5 years appoint a series of titles to members via popular vote. These titled members act as the day-to-day governors of the kingdom.
The standing army of Esphar is known as the Knights of Troth, which was established during the reign of Empress Danatea the Second, Eighth Emperor of Trothguard, nearly 2,000 years ago. They were at one point the de facto army of the continent, but suffered great losses, upheaval, and change, at multiple points in their long history. Their noble order is a shadow of its legendary origins - but remains a force to be reckoned with in modern day.
Major features include:
- The Espharan Spine Mountains - which legends proclaim were raised in a great calamity thousands of years previous, when an angel crashed into Esphar Bay. They are an extremely dangerous mountain-range that splits the kingdom and are populated by numerous types of monsters and similar undesirable entities.
- Styx & Berain Cities - which feature one of the safest routes for trade through the perilous Spine mountains. Connected by a subterranean river that runs below the mountains who's main channels are well-traveled and relatively safe.
- Esphar City - which depending who you ask is the reason the Kingdom is named Esphar, or is named after the country. Various stories and conflicting histories support both theories. What is well established, is the city dates back to the days of the First Tyrant Emperor, and is the seat of the Emperor's Palace - and thus the Emperor's Throne. Though, no-one has seen the interior of the Palace in over 300 years, as the mysterious group of monks that have always been the caretakers of the Palace and the Throne long ago sealed it. These monks are known as "The Guiding Few".
- The Haunted Sea - North of Mach'Lithe lies a body of water that is empty but for the very bravest of souls. For many ages, those foolish enough to brave the waters have simply vanished. Foul and twisted monsters ply its waters, and more than one ship graveyard is known to be a feature.
- Esphar Bay - Rumored to be the very spot where an angel of the heavens crashed into the world, resulting in the creation of the Esphares Spine mountain range. These waters are good for fishing, but also more dangerous than most other seas, and tales of merfolk and much worse are well known.
Minor features include:
- Rhondid & the Greater Rhondid Area (Ruled by Lord Emaris Andar)
- Mercenary companies active in the area include The Amused Kings - A relatively well known up-and-coming group that has proved capable of helping to keep the peace and relative safety of towns and villages in the Greater Rhondid Area.
- Fort Pendor & the Pendor Salt Mines. Fort Pendor looks over one of the major inlets from the Esphares Bay. The salt mines provide the area with one of it's foremost exports. Due to the dangers of salt mining, most of this work is done by slaves and prisoners. Due to the laws of the land, slaves may only be taken from the 'beast races' (orcs, goblins, kobolds, etc). This has caused major conflict with the orc tribes that live in the heavily hilled area known as the Rhondid Mounds. Diplomacy is not an objective of either side of the conflict, as both sides view the other as mindless brutes.
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