An Introduction to The Provinces of Mhirriah
The Promised Land
It's amazing to me how the Legions and their customs have withstood the test of time. It's been what, a couple thousand years since their last stand in Ozlith and yet here in this strange land I find myself in, I still see them. My first moments in Mhirriah were brutal yet enlightening for when I open my eyes and found myself here I beheld a Battlefield. People of many colors all representative of the many cultures that the Empire consisted of, fighting with one another and yet not a single soldier died. It was clear the sides have been chosen and lines have been drawn. The sight was very strange to me...well, almost everything in this time strange to me but the moment I saw a grizzled warrior look down on a young man he had bested and then offered him a hand to get him back on his feet, yelling to be heard over the battle about the mistakes the young man had made I got to see how the Vanguard Legions had influenced this nation. It reminded me so much of the tyrants.Mhirriah is an unforgiving nation almost twice the size of Estoya. It's filled with small tribes of various cultures that routinely wage war with one another to make themselves and each other stronger. There are 12 tribes in Mhirriah and each is varied in many ways. The one constant element is the church of Mhirriah which is the faith of the Mhirrian people and strictly enforced in their laws. Mhirriah is the only protection northern nations have against the Infernum. At its southern border stand the red and black gates that secure the valley between the mountains. The gates made from the cores of Ozolithian Mold, have been defended for generations. The people of Mhirriah trace their heritage to Ozlith itself and the land is littered with Ozolithian Markers to prove it.
A Nation of Exiles
The Mhirrian Church has many records of the growth of their nation. They say that a nameless king, betrothed to Mhirriah, grew proud and in that hubris sought to be like the gods he worshiped. He failed and brought in a horde of demons into the world. The gods of Ozlith and its Seven Legions made a final stand as their people escaped. The last empress of Ozlith, Mhirriah, took her people away from their home and out of the twenty to thirty thousand people, only ten to fifteen thousand made it to the promised land. The gods of Ozlith spoke to Mhirriah just before she departed. The told her to head north, and gave her instructions on where the land was and what she was to do when she arrived and on her way their. If she completes this task, she would ascend to godhood through their final breaths.
The Church
Mhirriah is a Theocracy and the church has severe punishments for breaking its laws. Mhirriah dictated much of the religion, such as rites, and customs which stemmed from Ozlith. Another topic was what was allowed and not allowed. Mhirriah, The Warrior Empress forbade any form of magic that makes use of flames, as it is widely believed that it invites the evils of the The Infernum. Mhirriah is a remarkably silent goddess and the church has, since her ascension, made numerous changes and additions to the rules as they were needed, even fracturing itself into numerous Druid circles to better enforce their laws.The Infernal Crusades
The Infernal Crusades are the name given to the massive hordes of demonic creatures that assail the red and black gates. Every few decades a new horde emerges. In recent years, Dwarves , and the The Low Elves who live in the mountains have had to join the fray to keep the hordes back. Every attack is bigger in scale and every attack gets harder to push back into the Infernum.I saw, what did you call them... Berzerkers fighting with such feral insanity as the centurions of the mad god once did, even bearing the same Ozlithian Brands. I saw these Druids casting fourth Arcane spells as The Sanguine Legion and The Widow's Legion did using blood as paint in the miasma of death. I was already homesick when I came here. I'm not sure if that was why or maybe it was due to my naivety, but this familiarity I experienced of a place I once called home, it brought tears...
Geography
The land is unique in that its climate is impossibly varied. the eastern highlands are dense forests reaching into tundra and snowy hills as one reaches the ice spire. The west is covered in grassy plains. The Central part of the nation is almost tropical with rain forests. The north is almost a wasteland and the south is filled with swamps and marshes as it gives way to obsidian fields. Each tribe defends their borders and has a little control over their territory so long as it doesn't break the Circles laws. Each tribe is named after one of the members of Mhirriah's entourage.
Fauna & Flora
Many creatures exist in the nation, it's most known for its megafauna and megaflora. Terrorlysts actually served as vehicles for Expedition Ares due to their size and power. In fact, the taming of the many crwatures in Mhirriah is a hobby for many. The Beastmasters are widely known for the domestication of the nations wildlife. Many creatures reside here that most in Estalia would consider monsters. Mhirriah is a savage land, and it has made its people savage in kind.
Natural Resources
Mhirriah has lumber and deposits of iron and precious stones of various types but other than that it's fairly Barron of resources. The culture of Mhirriah focuses on living off the land for this reason. The nation has a hunter-gatherer mentality.
Expedition Ares
The last expedition before Expedition Demeter was Expedition Ares. It was the only expedition planned by a nation other than Estoya and consisted of over 50,000 men and women. The expedition had a single goal: Find the 1st Marker of Mhirriah and use its knowledge to find Ozlith. The expedition was designed to be a preemptive strike against the Infernum, but it was an absolute disaster. No one is aware of what occurred, but less than a year after their departure, a grisly message was sent back to the Mhirriah through the Teleboxes. It was a severed arm with an ornate spear attached to it. The arm was engulfed in unholy flames and twitched as if in pain. The telebox was thrown from the gates and it would take a hundred years for the next expedition to depart.Those who marched further.
It is said that many people in Ozlith departed the empire long before its fall. These people are said to be those who settled Lartasia, Estoya, and The Freeholds . This would explain how cosmopolitan these nation's human populations are.The Labors of Mhirriah
Mhirriah built 12 Markers, 1 for each of the foretold regions her land would have. She wrote the story of her homeland and their exodus within these monoliths and it is said that many secrets reside within them as well. When she arrived in the promised land, she disappeared for many years, constructing many markers in her new land as well as leaving clues in the markers she built along her journey. The markers in Mhirriah told tales of a coming messiah who would wield Mhirriah's spear and a piece of armor from each of the seven legions. This messiah would come and liberate the people of this promised land and lead them to retake their homeland.Not long after this, Mhirriah constructed The Ice Spire in the east that would serve as her tomb and to enter it is strictly forbidden. She constructed The Red and Black Gates and decreed they will forever me manned by her people. She returned to her entourage and gave instructions to them as to how the country was to be run and how her religion was to be practiced and then ascended to godhood.
Mhirriah's Entourage
Of the people who escaped the fall of Ozlith, Mhirriah took twelve men and women who were her most trusted companions and loyal friends. Each exorcised power over one of the twelve provinces that Ozlith was composed of. These people were the ones tasked with leading their respective followers in their exodus under Mhirriah's guidance. They left friends and family in favor of the brightest minds and most skilled fighters. This sacrifice was felt for the rest of their days. Their nation would be named after their savior, and divided into 12 regions.The tribes they formed with their followers would bear their names and still do to this day.
Included Locations
Owner/Ruler
Mhirrian Matriarchy
Women often enjoy higher status than men in Mhirriah. In fact, many of the matriarchal traditions of Ozlith traveled with the exiles in their exodus. For instance, unlike Ozlith, men can reveal their names to whoever they please and often choose their names once they reach adulthood, this was decreed by Mhirriah herself who lamented at the fact that so many men died and remain nameless. The marriage tradition of Ozlith, however, remains the same. A man would be given a name by his spouse, this is his name to her and only to her and to reveal it to any other is punishable by death. This is considered his true name and is tattooed above his heart, then covered by an ornate cloth, usually in the colors of his wife's choosing, that is sticker over the tattoo to hide it from sight. This cloth cab only be removed upon death and only by his wife or, if he is a widower, his mother or high ranking female Matriach, women in the druidic circles who run the nation. Also like Ozlith, A man's highest calling was usually war as in war, men and women are equals. For all are viewed equally in death.Remove these ads. Join the Worldbuilders Guild
The cloth and tattoo thing remind me of the Widow legion.. Any connection there? :D " almost twice the size of Estalia" - For those of us with no idea of how big Estalia is... Is that big? :) "He failed and brought in a horde of demons " - He brought demons into.. Ozlith? Or Estalia? "Mhirriah herself forbade any form of magic that makes use of flames, as it invites the evils of the Infernum" - This is interesting; is it true? Is this a widely help believed in other regions? :) " In recent years, giants, dwarves, and the deep elves who live in the mountains have had to join the fray to keep the hordes back. " - Have this had any political or diplomatic effects? Are people uniting together or fracturing under the threat? All in all, it is a good article and I hope we see some more detail about stuff in it <3
Creator of Araea, Megacorpolis, and many others.
Thanks so much as always for the comments and like and kind words. The cloth connection is very much so connected to the the legion and ozlith. Mhirriah is what ozlith became in the present time. I've been having trouble deciding about the size of the regions but I'll see a hat I can figure out. Demons in ozlith not Estalia lol and not really. Superstition. Mhirriah is the only region in contact with the infernum so no other nation has the superstition. So while uniting is the goal of say Estalia it doesn't seem to be a goal for others. The mountain races are incredibly antisocial and don't communicate well. But in the end it is a time of unification. :) thanks so much.