Celestina

  Celestina is an island nation to the north of Allethra. Inhabited by a mix of humans, orcs, and half-orcs, it is has been a relatively reclusive and isolated nation for all of known history. Known for its deposits of rare metals and magically-imbued soil, Celestina spent most of its history exporting very little, but receiving large amounts of goods and wealth in return. Today, Celestina has been declared "off-limits" to outsiders, and much of its population has been displaced by its xenophobic policies.   Magic, and in particular magic having to do with the moons, is ingrained into everyday life in Celestina. Even the shape of the island resembles a crescent moon. Celestinian legend has it that in forgotten eons past, Essaria had a Fourth Moon. When it was sundered, a chunk of it landed in the ocean, upending the seas and forming the island. As a result, the vanishing of the Third Moon affected Celestinian culture strongly.  

Geography

Celestina's geography is obviously magical in design: its southern coast is covered in volcanic hills that are colored a dark navy blue, and there are dozens of small islands hosting fishing villages. Inland, these regions change to beautiful rolling plains of white and cerulean grasses. These grasses naturally produce highly nutritious flowers, which makes up the majority of Celestinian diet. The northern coast of the island is flat and temperately warm, where the Celestinians harvest from seaweed farms. Though normal trees sparsely dot the island, a single forest made of Nythwood stands in western Celestina. The northern island is covered in rich deposits of iron, mithril, orichalcum, adamantine, and other normally rare metals. The island itself is considered sacred, and only annointed Celestinians are allowed to set foot and mine the materials.  

History

During the Pliscian Winter, a small number of humans migrated to the island. Presumably not long after, a fleet of orcish barges appeared from another Iterum and landed on the shores. The two peoples intermingled with one another and quickly merged into one distinct culture. After the Winter ended, the Celestinians kept to themselves, content to live in isolation from the rest of the world. The orcs brought Nythwood saplings with them and began their cultivation of the Nythwood Forest. The Celestinians began to learn how to mine and shape the rare metals on their islands.   The ancient Bariseans discovered the island in 1053 BE and became the first to witness the mystical creations of the Celestinians. Though they didn't trade much, "Celestinian Steel" became a much-sought commodity on the continent.   In 628 BE, a more militant Barisean Senate became upset at the small exports from Celestina and tried to invade the islands to sieze control over the resources. Despite facing overwhelming numbers, the magically and technologically advanced Celestinians fought for 10 years and drove the Bariseans out.   During the rise of the Allesend Empire, Celestina was specifically left out of God-Emperor Alles-Taluus' conquest. He never made a statement about why, but it was always said that even with the full might of Allethra behind him, the God-Emperor could not win a war against Celestina.   Celestina ceased trade with all of Allethra during the Independence War, choosing not to profit off of the war. Instead, they opened their borders to provide a neutral meeting ground for the warring nations. Ultimately, the war came to an end with the Treaty of Celestina in 320 AE. With that, Celestina reopened trade with the mainland.   In 452 AE, the Third Moon vanished. No nation's panic was greater than that of Celestina. Normally the face of cool and calm in Allethra, the Celestinian response was severe. Believing that an internal faction had orchestrated the blasphemous end of the moon, Celestina began to displace and remove certain citizens from its territory, sending them across the sea to Allethra. Many nations closed their borders to the refugees, fearing issues of overpopulation. The notable exceptions were the city of Daripur and the nation of Ithon, both of which continue to accept refugees en masse.