Baeon

In a land of a thousand thrones there are plenty of ambitious men and women willing to do anything for a crown. Under the authority of the High King the thousand thrones ostensibly work together to keep back the Curse of the Wilds, but in truth are engaged in power struggles spanning a continent.

Though not all crowns carry the same weight. Some thrones command hundreds of thousands of peasants and the lands to support them. Others command thousands of peasants within part of a single valley.

Regions

There are many regions within the Civilized lands with their own cultures and identity. Here are three sample regions that contain many kingdoms, but there are many others with other cultures.

Alandus Melkanate

The high plain that lines the southern shore of the Inland Sea. Bordered by a near impassable mountain range to the south that protects them from the worst of the Wilds beyond them. Land is owned by the Barons (Raisats) who defend it militarily. Their allegiance is courted by Counts (Ataquama), Dukes(Amtrap), and Kings(Melkir) in exchange for trade, diplomatic, and defense gurarentees. Titles are hereditary, but can be passed through marriage to spouses and children. There are more than one Raisat "King" with nothing but a long defunct family title. The common religion is a shared of Falhaya Philosopher Saints with different groups have specific patrons but are unified in their shared philosophy.

Grashian Kingdoms

A group of western inland kingdoms that usually vote for High King in a bloc. Of all the kingdoms they have the most strict of feudal politics. Kings control land that they dole out to Dukes to manage. Those lands are broken into Counties each controlled by a Count. Counts have a group of Barons who serve them, ostensibly providing military forces to be led by their Count in service of the Duke. While titles tend so stay within families all lands remain "owned" by the local king who can dissennoble a Duke and replace them, a Duke can dissennoble a Count, and a Count can banish Barons from their lands. This typically requires military involvement or complex political wrangling. Lands can only exchange hands between Kings, either through diplomacy or military conquest. The idea, ostensibly, keeps vassals from warring amongst themselves for land, but in practice limited warfare does still occur. While the Triumver Church is gaining a foothold the people still follow the Saints and local Spirits more than they do more distant Gods.

Border Kingdoms

The Border Kingdoms are a diverse collection of kingdoms that share a border with the Wilds. They often are included in other regions.

Veisoan League

Lining the North of the Inland Sea, the Veisoan League is a group of City States ruled by varying types of government led Petty Kingdoms. They range from being hereditary King or Queen led to democratically elected leaders. They tend to be trade focused and more often involved in conflicts with each other preventing them from collaborating like other blocs.

The Wilds

The Curse of the Wilds dominates Baeon. It is all the territory beyond Civilization inhabited by monstrosities, chimerical creatures, and monstrous intelligences that prey on each other. In small quantities they can slip through the Border Kingdoms, becoming hazards for all kingdoms. But when they are on the march, often being pushed onward be something larger and more dangerous preying on them, they can require the full force of the Confederation of Thrones to repel.

History

The Isolation

When the last Dragon Tyrants fell, their citadel in in ruins, their subjects were forced out into the surrounding Wilds. As they had to carve out new lands from the monster ridden Wilds to survive. Castles began to be built as bulwarks against the Wilds. Initially, the leaders of the Dragon Tyrants overthrow led the people of Baeon. But as new kingdoms were forged, those who refused the yoke of new lords would strike out to carve out new territory in the Wilds. Most would fall prey to the monsters of the Wilds, but some survived creating kingdoms of their own. As new kingdoms pushed back the Wilds, the older kingdoms were no longer holding back the Wilds. Instead they would war against each other, competing for resources, territory, and prestige. This conflict would drive more and more people out of the inner kingdoms and into the widening wilds. But they would pay for their abdication of their responsibilities.

Discovering the Gray Marches

With the expansion of the kingdoms of Baeon, eventually they found their first Golden Path to Gray Marches. Early explorers and researchers investigated the energies of the Necrowells learned how to channel them into spells. These researchers founded the first schools of Wizardry. Since then, wizardry has not been able to shed the image of its necromantic origins on Baeon.

The Wilds Push Back

Some say it was a migration, others say it was revenge, others declared pushing into the Wilds uncovered a Godswar Curse. But whatever the cause, the effect was the same, creatures of the Wilds overwhelmed the Border Kingdoms. Hordes of Goblinoids, chimerical Monstrosities, and creatures of nightmare poured form the wilds to devour the people. Hundreds of thousands died and many kingdoms were destroyed.

Rebuilding to the Citadel

During the March of the Wilds, the Dragon Tyrant Baewroth's citadel at the heart of the inner kingdoms, was re-occupied by refugees from collapsing kingdoms. It became the heart of the defense against the Wilds and the center of organization between the kingdoms. Eventually the Congress of Kings raised Alberion to be High King to coordinate the defense against the Wilds and retake lands. Upon the death of Alberion a new High King was raised. Notably, it was not a child of Alberion who was raised and since then High King has not been a hereditary position. Many of these leaders in the early days of the citadel became Saints, including a few Falhaya Saints.

Exploration Era

Under the early strong High Kings and access to Wizardry not only the previous lands were retaken, but expanded beyond previously inhabited territory. It was during these heady days that the Golden Path to Nexus was discovered.

The Nexus Wars

The push into the Wilds stalled as the empty Nexus continent, free of monstrous creatures, was discovered. A rush for territory, outside the authority of a series of weak High Kings, began. Without the High King's moderating influence wars among the settlers were common. And as the settlers had to be more interdependent in the face of the Second and Third Nexus wars, the High King never gained a foothold of authority.

The Contraction

And as the center of economic power shifted to Nexus following the Nexus Accords, many Baeon peasants emigrated away, weakening the Confederacy of Thrones. As the Border Kingdoms lost population they began to contract, surrendering lands to the Wilds. And the oscillation between strong and weak High Kings lead to more Breakaway Kingdoms, territorial wars, and loss of land to The Wilds.

Government

Confederacy of Thrones

The lands of Baeon are made up of independent kingdoms joined in the Confederacy of Thrones under the authority of a High King. Conferred by the Congress of Kings, the High Kingship will have varying degrees of control depending on the strength of the High King. Some are powerful rulers who can enforce direct control on the Confederacy, while others are mere puppets of the dominant faction of the Congress of Kings.

High King

While the High Kingship is not a hereditary position some families tend to end up wearing the crown. The High King is reaffirmed every decade of their rulership. Most High Kings rule for one to three terms, though remarkable individuals have served as many as six.

Congress of Kings

The collection of all the kings, some dukes, and some other leaders of the kingdoms, duchies, and city states that meet every decade, or when a High King dies. Typically a flurry of Diplomatic overtures occur during this time, treaties are made, norms are created, alliances are reinforced, marriage matches are made, and the High King is elected. If there is an existing High King they will preside over the Congress, but do not have the ability to cast a vote.

Breakaway Kingdoms

There are kingdoms who do not recognize the High King's authority over them. Through diplomacy and force of arms they are able to maintain their independence.

Petty Kingdoms

Typically formed as against a bulwark against the border Wilds, these small kingdoms will often lack the feudal hierarchy or bureaucracy of greater kingdoms. Some may only have a King or Queen with no vassals. Maintaining these kingdom requires devious, powerful, and capable leadership. Petty Kingdoms have limited lifespans as greater Kings will conquer their lands and dethroning them.

Religion

The primary religion of Baeon is the reverence of regional Gods, Saints, and Spirits. Primarily, they interact with the populace through Pactmages who lead their devotion and act as Priests. But some Gods and Saints are able to garner Adherents with whom they share their power more freely. Also, the lesser Spirits and Saints will make deals with others for small exchanges of power for services. In some areas the Gods, Saints, and Spirits are organized into Pantheons of allied divinities. These Pantheon may be united by philosophy, culture, geography, or divine politics.

Muerana Deis

Standing alone from all the other Gods of faiths of Baeon, Muerana Deis is the goddess of death. The earliest fully divine Goddess discovered by those who researched the Necrowells, she is often credited with the Domains of Death and Magic. While not worshiped by anyone but her Mueranites, she is revered and her priests are respected by other faiths.

The Old Religion

During the Revolt Against the Tyrants, as with other people across the spheres, the Pactmages became spiritual leaders of their communities as they were kept out of other leadership roles. As the people layered on their devotion over the generations many of the Spirits were raised to Godhood. Worship of these gods often looks different in different locations and in most influenced by the personalities of the God's Adherents. Those who follow the old religion interact with their gods in a transactional manner as influenced by their history of providing Pacts, making sacrifices and doing service in exchange for the God's favor or protection.

The Saints

Adherence and worship to the memory and ideals of powerful leaders led to their ascension upon death. Sometimes with a divine patron, as with many pactmages and adherents, sometimes by the force of their own will and the dedication they garnered from other in life. These Saints are ailgned with a single domain, like the more powerful Spirits. Many follow individual Saints' examples or philosophies, emulating them in their daily lives while still venerating other gods.

Falhaya

The name of the philosophy of a group of Saints native to the Alandus High Plain. They share a philosophy around of service, dedication to oaths, and mathematics.

Triumver

Claiming to be three parts of an Old God, the Triumver gods have the most developed rules and prohibitions of any faith on Baeon. They garner a large pantheon of Saints supporting them that provide the immediate interface with the faith while the Triumver gods hold themselves apart, manifesting their heaven and ostensibly keeping the spheres turning. However, the Triumver religion has been making inroads over the past few centuries and their influence is expanding. More willing to get involved directly in moral affairs than those of other divinities, Triumver priests are starting to integrate themselves into certain power structures as a bestower of divine legitimacy of rulership. The Grashian Kingdoms seem to be the most receptive to their message.