Raevo

Far to the north lies Soma’s rival for control of all of Ostoya. Raevo is a province ruled by wizards, a magocracy that fights to abolish the Soman nobility and find a way to end the undead supremacy. A delicate balance of power exists between the two provinces. While the Raevans are technically at war with the Somans, they are sometimes forced to work together to repel the Bürach Empire. Thus, both are incapable of destroying the other while their common enemy exists. Raevans built their city of Castalore with incredible foresight—they knew that they would one day be besieged, whether by an invading Bürach force or by their own countrymen, so they built their city as a fortress from its inception. Castalore sits atop a cliff and is shaped like a snake coiling upwards. High stone walls and a ten-ton steel portcullis protect the lower city. The higher one goes up the spiral, the more affluent the neighbourhood; at the very top sits Nightingale Tower, the magocracy’s seat of power. Raevo openly supports the Order of Dawn in their bid to fight the Crimson Court. Whether this support is entirely benevolent or merely pragmatic remains to be seen.  

Demographics

  The peoples or Raevo are inherently similar to their southern brethren, that of being primarily human. However, approaching the northern mountains seperating them from the great white wastes of the north beyond, they often come into contact with Dwarves, Half-Orcs, and some Elven spellcasters have found interests in Raevo, particularly magical. That being said, many of the more mundane inhabitants of Raevo, including farmers, merchants, and most soldiers, have at least some propensity for magic. Cantrips are practiced from youth and thus few magical interjections will shock your average Raevan. They do still however harbor quite a distrust of those who practice any form of necromancy, as it is so inherently aligned with the vampires of the southern province of Soma.  

Government

Raevo is currently ruled by the Lady of Masks, Mina Taliesin, and her Council of Mages. The Masked Lady is a turbulent figure bent on overthrowing the Soman government and dominating Ostoya. Each minister of the court is guarded by their own golem bodyguards. While the Raevans enjoy a higher standard of life than other provinces, they are essentially a police state under the watchful eye of the magocracy. Any act of disloyalty or dissent is dealt with quickly and unequivocally.  

Industry and Trade

While Raevo does not have mining resources as extensive as Soma, it does possess more arable land. Supplementing this by fishing and hunting, Raevans generally have a more stable food supply and thus a higher standard of living than their counterparts in Soma. Where the Raevans possess their real edge is the burgeoning industry of crafting magical items. The Raevans greatly admire magic and have the highest concentration of wizards and alchemists in Ostoya. The skill of their artisans has generated fame for Raevo and their wares are highly sought after in other nations. In particular, golems are considered the pinnacle of craftsmanship in Raevo, though the prohibitive cost of making one makes their production rare. Still, any visitor to Castalore will doubtlessly marvel at the city’s roving bands of golem honour guards. Soma has enacted strict edicts against magical items and has blocked trade routes going to Raevo to weaken their economy, yet the mages have still found ways to smuggle goods in and out of the province. Finding out their trade secrets would certainly put one in the good graces of the Soman nobility.  

Guilds and Factions

The Order of Dawn and the Ravencourt Sanctuary both vie for power amidst the lands of Raevo, each controlling a significant sector of both the culture and the resources and respect of the people.  

Locations of Interest

Ravencourt Sanctuary

Miles from the Raevan shore, a permanent blanket of fog called the Mistwall obscures the horizon. This is the first line of defence of the island that holds the Ravencourt Sanctuary. Little is known of the Sanctuary itself, and the mages who return from it will not be drawn into discussing it. All that historians have gleaned is that the Sanctuary is an academy and haven for mages. Some mages have alluded, with a longing sigh, to its vast libraries filled with tomes and spellbooks, or its laboratories with all manner of instruments primed for magical experimentation. Then they catch themselves and fall silent once more. Until now, none have been able to uncover the secrets of the Sanctuary. Yet every seven years, like clockwork, a boat comes through the Mistwall bearing those who have graduated from the academy. Invitations to others deemed worthy are given out as well, and the boat bears them away. Those who, by accident or design, end up in the Mistwall without an invitation wind up hopelessly lost in the fog. If they linger within, they are soon beset by monstrous sea serpents. The sheer number of broken ships that wash up at the Dire Shore stands as a testament to the dangers of the Mistwall.  

Castalore

Castalore is the capital of the Raevo province, a spiralling fort like city built on the top of a cliff, coiling like a snake up to the summit and beyond. At the base of the towering fortifications are the golem guards by the 10 foot high portcullis gate, ready to rebuff any attempts at a siege from their neighbours to the south. The higher one travels up the spiralling city, the more affluent the locale. At the very top of the city lies the Nightingale Tower, the magocracy's seat of power To a pragmatist, the Capital City of Castellan is truly a wonder to behold. Sweeping stepped vistas cleverly disguise impregnable walls, marred with subtle portcullises and kill holes. ingeniously designed city layout is careful to interrupt the flow of an attacking force while benefiting a defending of retreating one. As a capital city of a Magocracy, those who are in the know, will be able to identify countless hidden passages, stairways, ladders, and safehouses cleverly hidden by the cities mages and criminal ilk. The majority of the city is comprised of washed gray stone quarried from the mountains to the north. The streets run from rough cobble at the external rings of the city to a more precise and smooth paver-stone as the higher and more affluent the districts become. Many homes and businesses are of timber construction, and adhere to particular district codes for construction, aesthetics, and placement standards. It is not uncommon for wondrous domiciles of smooth stone to have seemingly been shaped at the highest eschelons of Raevan Society.