‭Magocracy of Xor Anath:‬

‭Xor‬‭Anath‬‭is‬‭a‬‭tyrannical‬‭empire‬‭of‬‭magic‬‭users‬‭in‬‭the‬‭far‬‭north,‬‭the‬‭remnants‬‭of‬‭an‬‭Ancient‬‭(Vaal)‬‭nation‬
t‭hat‬ ‭long‬ ‭ago‬ ‭waged‬ ‭a‬ ‭disastrous‬ ‭war‬ ‭of‬ ‭arcane‬ ‭conquest‬ ‭against‬ ‭the‬ ‭rest‬ ‭of‬ ‭Vaal‬ ‭humanity,‬ ‭known‬ ‭as‬ ‭the‬
‭Magewar.‬ ‭Eventually‬ ‭defeated‬ ‭in‬ ‭the‬ ‭conflict‬ ‭they‬ ‭themselves‬ ‭began,‬‭the‬‭Xorathi‬‭mage-elite‬‭fled‬‭their‬‭southern‬
‭realms‬‭and‬‭founded‬‭a‬‭number‬‭of‬‭nearly‬‭impervious‬‭cities‬‭that‬‭today‬‭make‬‭up‬‭the‬‭entirety‬‭of‬‭their‬‭nation.‬‭Cruel‬‭and‬
‭uncaring,‬‭the‬‭mages‬‭maintain‬‭a‬‭stranglehold‬‭on‬‭their‬‭subjects‬‭due‬‭to‬‭the‬‭necessity‬‭of‬‭the‬‭magic‬‭they‬‭possess,‬‭for‬
‭without‬‭their‬‭spellcasting‬‭the‬‭cities‬‭would‬‭definitely‬‭perish.‬‭In‬‭typical‬‭Vaal‬‭stubbornness‬‭the‬‭magocracy‬‭elite‬‭have‬
‭continued‬‭their‬‭studies‬‭and‬‭plotting,‬‭hoping‬‭to‬‭retake‬‭their‬‭old‬‭lands,‬‭enslave‬‭the‬‭inferior‬‭Ark‬‭settlers‬‭and‬‭vanquish‬
‭the remains of the other Ancients.‬
‭The‬‭Xorathi‬‭cities‬‭are‬‭located‬‭inside‬‭the‬‭Arctic‬‭circle‬‭of‬‭the‬‭One‬‭World‬‭where‬‭human‬‭life‬‭is‬‭unsustainable‬
‭but‬‭monstrous‬‭is‬‭not.‬‭The‬‭land‬‭surrounding‬‭the‬‭settlements‬‭of‬‭the‬‭mages‬‭are‬‭completely‬‭inhospitable,‬‭consisting‬
‭of‬ ‭endless‬‭icy‬‭wastes‬‭ruled‬‭by‬‭kingdoms‬‭of‬‭Frost‬‭Giants‬‭and‬‭their‬‭servants‬‭who‬‭want‬‭to‬‭destroy‬‭and‬‭pillage‬‭the‬
‭intruding‬ ‭Ancients.‬ ‭To‬ ‭protect‬‭themselves‬‭both‬‭from‬‭the‬‭harsh‬‭elements‬‭and‬‭their‬‭powerful‬‭enemies,‬‭the‬‭mages‬
‭have‬ ‭erected‬ ‭their‬ ‭cities‬ ‭atop‬ ‭inside‬ ‭the‬ ‭bowels‬ ‭of‬ ‭a‬ ‭chain‬ ‭of‬ ‭active‬ ‭volcanoes‬ ‭they‬ ‭keep‬ ‭dormant‬ ‭through‬
‭elemental‬‭binding.‬‭Huge‬‭walls‬‭encircle‬‭the‬‭calderas‬‭of‬‭the‬‭volcanoes,‬‭fortified‬‭with‬‭lethal‬‭magical‬‭defenses.‬‭Each‬
‭volcano‬‭city‬‭is‬‭self-sufficient‬‭thanks‬‭to‬‭complex‬‭institutions‬‭of‬‭arcane‬‭magic‬‭that‬‭make‬‭life‬‭possible,‬‭as‬‭no‬‭traveling‬
‭is‬ ‭possible‬ ‭between‬ ‭cities‬ ‭through‬ ‭mundane‬ ‭means.‬ ‭Communicating‬ ‭and‬ ‭trading‬ ‭is‬ ‭instead‬ ‭conducted‬‭through‬
‭arcane‬ ‭means,‬ ‭by‬ ‭braving‬ ‭the‬ ‭perilous‬ ‭Depths‬ ‭or‬ ‭through‬ ‭rare‬ ‭flying‬ ‭transportation.‬ ‭Despite‬‭their‬‭isolation,‬‭the‬
‭cities‬ ‭remain‬ ‭closely‬ ‭allied,‬ ‭for‬ ‭the‬ ‭Xorathi‬ ‭people‬ ‭have‬‭a‬‭strong‬‭sense‬‭of‬‭national‬‭identity‬‭(a‬‭trait‬‭shared‬‭by‬‭all‬
‭Ancients).‬‭In‬‭addition,‬‭mineral‬‭riches‬‭and‬‭unregulated‬‭magic‬‭usage‬‭ensure‬‭the‬‭economic‬‭prosperity‬‭of‬‭the‬‭cities,‬
‭which also practice slavery, though native Xorathi citizens are freemen.‬
‭Xor‬‭Anath‬‭maintains‬‭mostly‬‭hostile‬‭relations‬‭with‬‭other‬‭human‬‭nations,‬‭often‬‭concocting‬‭devious‬‭schemes‬
‭aiming to take advantage of any weaknesses they have.‬

‭The Grand Duchy of Provaine:‬

‭ rovaine‬ ‭is‬ ‭a‬ ‭nation‬ ‭of‬ ‭Ark‬ ‭humans‬ ‭founded‬ ‭with‬ ‭the‬ ‭blessings‬‭of‬‭the‬‭Sister‬‭Cities‬‭to‬‭act‬‭as‬‭a‬‭bulwark‬
P
‭against‬‭the‬‭inhuman‬‭terrors‬‭of‬‭the‬‭south.‬‭Nestled‬‭between‬‭the‬‭fallen‬‭kingdom‬‭of‬‭Manach‬‭to‬‭the‬‭west‬‭and‬‭both‬‭the‬
‭Blood‬‭Gorge‬‭and‬‭unruly‬‭Bhelerkim‬‭to‬‭the‬‭East,‬‭the‬‭Grand‬‭Duchy‬‭is‬‭a‬‭nation‬‭of‬‭Order‬‭amidst‬‭chaos.‬‭With‬‭wealth‬
‭and‬ ‭manpower‬‭brought‬‭in‬‭by‬‭the‬‭Sister‬‭Cities‬‭however,‬‭Provaine‬‭has‬‭managed‬‭to‬‭tame‬‭the‬‭hilly‬‭wilderness‬‭that‬
‭dominates‬ ‭its‬ ‭lands.‬ ‭With‬ ‭the‬ ‭recent‬ ‭fracturing‬ ‭of‬ ‭Rhasgalon‬ ‭to‬ ‭the‬ ‭north,‬ ‭one‬ ‭could‬ ‭even‬ ‭say‬ ‭that‬ ‭Provaine‬
‭thrives.‬ ‭Merchants‬ ‭travel‬ ‭to‬ ‭its‬ ‭southern‬ ‭ports‬ ‭safely‬ ‭connecting‬ ‭the‬ ‭Peninsula‬ ‭with‬ ‭the‬ ‭rest‬ ‭of‬ ‭East‬ ‭while‬
‭numerous mercenaries launch expeditions to neighboring regions, bringing back treasures and valuable ore.‬
‭Meanwhile,‬‭Provaine's‬‭extensive‬‭military‬‭and‬‭relatively‬‭liberated‬‭magic‬‭users‬‭fight‬‭back‬‭orcs,‬‭undead‬‭and‬
‭outlaws, keeping the duchy, and consequently all of the Dawnlands, safe from danger.‬
‭Provaine's‬‭population‬‭remains‬‭rugged‬‭and‬‭robust.‬‭Most‬‭notably,‬‭its‬‭people‬‭are‬‭of‬‭highly‬‭mixed‬‭descent.‬‭A‬
‭multitude‬‭of‬‭races‬‭can‬‭be‬‭found‬‭in‬‭Provaine,‬‭especially‬‭elves‬‭that‬‭are‬‭eager‬‭to‬‭safeguard‬‭the‬‭realm‬‭by‬‭protecting‬
‭the‬‭Star‬‭Stones.‬‭Mixed‬‭communities‬‭are‬‭the‬‭norm‬‭in‬‭the‬‭duchy‬‭and‬‭all‬‭answer‬‭to‬‭its‬‭undisputed‬‭ruler,‬‭the‬‭Grand‬
‭Duke Roschen.‬
‭The‬ ‭current‬ ‭Duke‬ ‭isn't‬ ‭as‬ ‭interested‬ ‭as‬ ‭his‬ ‭predecessors‬ ‭in‬ ‭Provaine‬ ‭acting‬ ‭as‬ ‭a‬ ‭mere‬ ‭wall‬ ‭against‬
‭monsters,‬ ‭seeking‬‭instead‬‭a‬‭new‬‭purpose:‬‭to‬‭elevate‬‭the‬‭Dutchy‬‭to‬‭the‬‭status‬‭of‬‭a‬‭true,‬‭sovereign‬‭kingdom‬‭and‬
‭claim‬‭the‬‭desolate‬‭lands‬‭near‬‭his‬‭borders‬‭as‬‭his‬‭own.‬‭Agents‬‭of‬‭the‬‭Sister‬‭Cities‬‭however‬‭keep‬‭a‬‭close‬‭eye‬‭on‬‭the‬
‭aspiring Roschen, ready to thwart his ambitions.‬