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The Three Kingdoms - Encyclopaedia

Map of the Three Kingdoms

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The Three Kingdoms​

Vaskaan
- Theocratic Monarchy â?? The King/Queen upholds the rule of the Gods
- Oldest of three kingdoms
- Use of magic monitored closely and restricted to members of the church, destructive magic is limited to one certain sect
- Magic seen as a gift from the Gods
- Worship of Gods is mandatory for all people (actual belief isnâ??t)
- Believe large dangerous magical beings, and most non-humans, generally belong in the wild
- Generally perceived by outside kingdoms as a bit conservative and formal, but generally have good intentions

Etana
- Absolute Monarchy â?? The King/Queen has unquestioned authority
- Rebelled from Vaskaan over theological differences
- Believe large dangerous magical beings, and most non-humans, should be studied and, where possible, trained to be useful additions to society (or at least fun pets)
- Study of magic open to everyone, destructive or otherwise
- Magic seen as just another part of the natural world with no necessary divine connection
- Generally perceived by outside kingdoms as a little reckless and self serving

Ferazi
- Mercantile Plutocracy â?? wealth = power, the richest rule
- Six ruling Magnates (merchant-lords/ladies), called the Six Princes
- Neutral kingdom, refuses to be involved in Etana/Vaskaan squabbles
- Everyone ultimately serves themselves; No one cares how you achieve wealth as long as you succeed
- Being the only port kingdom, trade with pirates and overseas cultures have introduced many foreign technologies, goods, and sometimes races to Ferazi
- Generally perceived by outside kingdoms as a kingdom of mercenaries where each industry Magnate controls their own army and the only thing that keeps the whole society from imploding is that civil war is bad for business
- These observations are largely true, and the Ferazians couldnâ??t care less as long as it doesnâ??t affect business
 
A Brief History of the Vaskaan-Etana War​

163 years ago:
- Nordrik Etan gains fame in Kassan area as an outspoken protestor of the Temple and its teachings.

162 years ago:
- Nordrik Etan travels to Seranto and purchases magical texts from black market traders

161 years ago:
- Nordrik teaches himself how to enact the spells in the book.

160 years ago:
- Nordrik founds a secret magic school in an old farmhouse on the edge of Kassan near the forest edge. He tutors nine students every night; they call themselves The Midnight Fellowship. Nordrik emphasizes free thought and use of magic without a religious component. One student is the very young Esker Firanta

157 years ago:
- Nordrik and his followers successfully spread anti-religious sentiment through majority of Kassan and Blackstone
- Movement finally attracts the attention of Vaskaanâ??s leaders, soldiers dispatched to suppress dissenters
- Four of the original nine, lead by Esker, take Nordrikâ??s teachings a step further and preach total atheism. They form a militant group, Midnight Shadow, which launches open attacks against the Vaskaan forces. Citizen revolts become far more common in the following months

158 years ago:
- Northern cities declare independence. Nordrik becomes King Etan I
- Kassan made capitol of new kingdom of Etana
- Using magic, the royal palace is erected on site of The Midnight Fellowshipâ??s farm.
- King Etan appoints Esker his court mage and advisor
- King Etan founds the Kassan Magic Guild. His pupils are the first teachers and Nordrik takes on role as headmaster
- Vaskaan declares war on Etana

157 years ago:
- Esker leaves Kassan for reasons unknown and travels to Blackstone
- Despite protests from Etanans, Esker splits the Vaskaan Mountains. Locals, fearing potential dangers invading from the west, dub the pass Eskerâ??s Folly
- Esker disappears

156 years ago:
- Trolls from the south attack Muinyana, starting the Troll Wars
- Etanite discovered in Blackstone
- Military outpost of Southfield established on southern Etana border. Quickly becomes the center of Etanaâ??s military forces.

154 years ago:
- Vaskaan sends military contingent to Ferazi region in order to direct local soldiers and militia in attacks against Etana
- Seranto merchants upset at prospect of war interrupting their business. Most influential citizens form the Council of Six to orchestrate a resistance. They use their wealth to buy mercenaries and bribe soldiers, effectively forming their own personal army
- Council of Six uses influence to instigate a full citizen uprising in Seranto. Council mercenary army, along with help of the rioting citizens, ejects the Vaskaan forces
- Council sends a messenger to Vaskaan with an announcement of their regionâ??s desired independence and neutrality in the conflict. Stressing that trade relations with Vaskaan would remain unaffected by independence but would close Vaskaan insisted on sending more soldiers. Neither willing nor able to support a second war, Vaskaan agrees to the terms. Ferazi region becomes an independent kingdom and Council of Six becomes the Six Princes.

153 years ago:
- News of Etanite arrives in Seranto, sparking a trade boom with Etana
- First convoy from Blackstone crosses the Vaskaan Mountains via Eskerâ??s Folly

151 years ago:
- Trolls invade Eastbank Logging Camp
- Battle of Eastbank sees the destruction of the Troll invaders by the combined Vaskaan and Muinyana armies, thus ending the Troll Wars. The Eastbank Peace Accord is signed
- Light Elves agree to aid Vaskaan in a major push against Etana
- Esker, now known as Archmage Firanta, reappears to the world when Magewood School for the Gifted makes its presence known for the first time and challenges talented young mages to apply. The school teaches that power over the world can be achieved through arcane arts, and the ability to work magic as proof that there is no gods
- King Etan meets with Archmage Firanta. Esker reaffirms his loyalty to his former teacher.
- Before the year is out, Magewood has already become a reasonably sized village populated by those drawn to the powerful magic that emanates from Esker, his followers, and especially their tower.
- Vaskaan government forms Shadow Keepers in response to news of Eskerâ??s new magic school and its destructive curriculum. Name a play on Eskerâ??s former group: Midnight Shadow (Eskerâ??s shadow starts to spread, the Keepers contain it)

150 years ago:
- The Week of Tears. Combined forces of Muinyana and Vaskaan meet Etana army at the banks of the Black River. Combat lasts for a full week. Both sides end up withdrawing after losing 70 to 80 percent of their people. Both sides consider the battle a major loss
- The Black River turns red. Renamed the Red River
- Muinyana withdraws from the war. Light Elves become a rare sighting to Humans.

149 years ago:
- On the anniversary of the Week of Tears, soldiers on both sides of the battle report sightings of the walking dead in the plains for the first time. Undead sightings increase exponentially over the year.
- Mad Nymphs first appear
- The warzone becomes popularly referred to as the Dead Plains

77 years ago:
- King Etan I dies at 92 years of age and is entombed in a great mausoleum beneath the palace. He is remembered in Etana as the Great King, and in Vaskaan as the Dark King
- Archmage Firanta leaves Magewood at 82 years of age and crosses into the west, never to be seen in the three kingdoms again. He is remembered everywhere as Esker the Bold for the countless fearless acts he did, both beneficial and destructive

7 years ago:
- The Six Princes initiate peace talks between the Royalty of Etana and Vaskaan.
- Acarah Myskil finds Etanite in Vaskaan

5 years ago:
- The Treaty of Ferazi is signed, ending the war

Present Day:
- Tensions between Etana and Vaskaan still run high. Both countries have standing trade embargos against the other which has helped Feraziâ??s economy immensely. Both also regularly conduct covert operations in each otherâ??s territory, although if these agents are caught their home country denies any knowledge of their actions. Citizens of each country are considered criminals in the other. Ferazi remains the only neutral ground where all are welcome (as long as they have money)
- The Eastbank Peace Accord is still in effect, although there has been no formal contact with Muinyana for 150 years
 
The Wilderness​

The Great Green
This massive forest covers half the land and extends beyond the land of the three kingdoms to the north and south. It is old and holds many secrets, as well as countless dangers. Some consider it the kingdom of the Elves, but even the Elves are never totally safe from the creatures lurking in thick greenery of this wild domain.

The Mire
This flooded swampland is the part of The Great Green where the Red River from the south meets with the Ilorza River from the north and flows out into The Sea of Coins. The Mire is almost perpetually covered in a thick fog, and the wet conditions make this area exceptionally dangerous to unwary travellers as even local creatures often get lost and sucked into the mud, or become food for larger predators that lurk in the endless gloom.

Dankwood
This is the portion of The Great Green that borders The Mire. The ground is damp and muddy, but not a flooded swamp like The Mire is. It is thought by many that The Mire may have started out like Dankwood, and then became wetter over time. If that is the case, than The Mire may be slowly growing and eventually all of Dankwood could be absorbed into the swamp.

Dead Plains
Cursed by the bloodshed of countless soldiers and ripped asunder by the battling of powerful mages, the Dead Plains is a lasting blight on the land. Former settlements now remain only as charred ruins. Fields of grass and wildflowers are marked with craters where no life will ever grow again. And a silence like the world should never know hangs in the air: the silence of the grave. No birds sing in the plains, and the quiet wind always seems cold as death. The most terrifying aspect of the Dead Plains though are the creatures left behind in the wake of generations of conflict. Demonic beasts summoned for battle and left to feed on the corpses, undead warriors who have lost their minds in death and now only know pain and anger, and Nymphs gone mad from the corruption of their homes are all dangers travellers here must be ready to face. Then again, most feel that it is only the incredibly brave and the incredibly foolish who dare enter this forsaken place.

Vaskaan Mountains
The Vaskaan Mountains create an all but impassable barrier on the western edge of the land. Only one path leads through it: Eskerâ??s Folly. The pass was made by the first Archmage of Etana, and the kingdom has kept tight control of it ever since. Vaskaan is given no access to it, and traders from Ferazi must pay a steep tax for the privilege as it is the only road to the western lands. Occasionally, travellers in the pass are attacked by wild animals or bands of Dwarves.
 
The Three Rivers
Three major rivers flow through the land, providing abundant fresh water for plants and animals​

Red River
The most prominent river in the land, it cuts through the Vaskaan Mountains and flows northeast into The Mire and out to The Sea of Coins. The Red River used to be called the Black River before the wars between Etana and Vaskaan because the soil and minerals from the mountains made the water dark and murky. The wars though saw countless deaths and unimaginable horrors on the battlefield which resulted in an ongoing legacy in the form of the cursed wasteland that is the Dead Plains. The Black River, which cut across the midst of the plains, was the sight of the many of the warsâ?? largest and most fierce battles. The ground is thought to be permanently stained by the blood sweat and tears of the men and women who fought and died there. The river provides some evidence of this, as now the dark waters that flow from the mountains quickly turn a blood red as they pass through the plains.

Green River
Flowing through The Great Green and originating in lands far to the south, this river gets its name from the giant forest that is its home. The waters of this river are sparkling and clear. Although not necessarily magical, some believe the water of the Green River have a natural purifying quality. The evidence for this, people say, is seen where the Green River meets the Red River. The blood-coloured waters of the Red River fade almost as soon as they meet the clear waters from the south, as if being cleaned. The Green Riverâ??s cleansing power is not perfect though, as the Red River still retains a bit of its red colouring all the way to the sea.

Ilorza River
Incredibly deep, dangerously swift, and unceasingly cold, the Ilorza River from the north is an intimidating barrier to cross. This ceaseless torrent of frigid waters from the far north is often blamed for the creation of The Mire. Given the great depth of the river compared to the Red River, into which it flows, one can easily see how it could cause the water to overflow its banks and flood the forest.
 
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