Peninsulan Provinces

The Peninsulan Provinces are located between the 25° and 45° northern latitudes. The nations of Eliond and Herrisland fall mostly within the northern temperate geozone, while Foline and Alderia both lie entirely within the subtropical geozone. All four nations experience heavy rainfall, which causes lush vegetation, fertile soils and humid conditions to support life.

In the temperate north, Eliond and Herrisland both range from low to mid elevation, with significant maritime influence. This supports an ecosystem with temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, coastal wetlands, and fertile plains.

Foline resides mostly in the subtropical highlands, with high elevation and mostly rugged terrain. The landscape is covered in montane forests, and alpine meadows grow on the higher peaks. The rivers in Foline are fast-flowing due to the large amount of water generated from the nearby Iron Mountains. The southmost portion of the nation shares a similar climate to Alderia.

Alderia falls in subtropical coastal lowlands, containing mixed subtropical forests, numerous river deltas, and rolling hills. The warmer climate supports more agriculture-friendly flatlands.

The seasons bring a temperate deciduous cycle to the north, and a humid subtropical cycle to the south.

• Springtime: Coastal and river ecosystems swell with meltwater, and fertile plains sprout grain and wildflowers across the settled areas. Forests will undergo rapid growth during this time.
• Summertime: The temperature warms, allowing for humidity in the Alderian and Folinian subtropics. The temperate north is not greeted with the same intensity of heat, but the soil becomes more fertile. Thunderstorms are common, fueled by maritime air sweeping in from the Ocean of Origins.
• Autumn: Peninsulans can look forward to an abundant harvest season as the forests of the north shift to autumn coloration. Applicable fauna will begon to migrate inland.
• Winter: Significant snowfall hits the temperate north, particularly in the highest points of Eliond. Even Foline's mountains in the subtropics will see snow buildup. Alderia avoids most of this, and some fields are still capable of agriculture.

• Maritime Storms: Due to the Provinces’ ocean exposure, tropical cyclones or typhoon-like storms likely batter Alderia and Eliond in late summer.
• Highlands “Skyfall”: A seasonal wind-and-rain phenomenon where moist air hits mountains, creating intense rainstorms and fog banks.
• Sacred Winds of Eliond: Cultural phenomenon—unexpected but predictable seasonal winds tied to Aquila’s worship.
• Glacial Melt in High Peaks: Feeding rivers, causing spring floods that enrich farmlands but also threaten settlements.

Flora

The temperate north can expect to see oaks, breeches, birches, maples, and elms. In the highlands of the north, one will find pine, fir, and spruce. Along coastal marches, both reeds and willows will grow plentifully.

The highlands are swept with dense evergreen forests containing fir, cedar, and hemlock trees, while the valleys are covered with moss. One can find alpine shrubs and grasses above tree lines.

The Province's subtropical zones are filled with Broadleaf Evergreens. These contain laurel, magnolia, and oak trees. Fruit-bearing trees include citrus, figs, and pomegranates. The wetlands in this area support lotuses, and many papyrus-like plants.

Across the whole of the provinces, agricultural crops such as wheat, barley, and rice (in some southern deltas) grow plentifully.

Fauna

Temperate regions host large mammals such as deer, boar, bears, and wolves, while the highlands host mountain goats and the rare snow leopard. Subtropical zones see wild pigs. Avian life includes seabirds along coastlines, some migratory flocks in wetlands, a few species of hawk, and the sacred eagle. Nearby bodies of water contain tuna, cod, and shellfish in some areas.

• Forests: Abundant timber (oak, cedar, pine), resin, medicinal herbs, and game
• Mountains: Iron, copper, silver veins, rare gemstones; granite and marble quarries.
• Lowlands/Plains: Fertile soils for grain production, clay for pottery, reeds for papermaking.
• Coastal Areas: Salt, fish, pearls, trade harbors.

Early Settlement

In the midst of the rapid expansions of the Andlian Empire during the last era, a group of wayward travelers who had been labeled savages by the Andlians decided to travel in search of a place to call their own. These waywards worshipped the wind goddess Aquila and believed she would guide them to destined lands. An eastward wind blew on the morn of their departure, and so they travelled as far east as they could go. The stories state that on the final day of their travels, a single eagle soared through the skies above, and a lone feather fell from its wing, landing on a beautiful hill overlooking the ocean. The wayward travelers took this as a sign from their goddess, and decided to build upon that hill their new home. This hill, which was eventually built into a capitol city, was named Featherfall”. The settled lands came to be known as the Peninsulan Provinces.

First Underdark War

With plenty of arable land, and no significant bordering nations to contest with, the newly founded province thought they had little to worry about. That all changed with the Drow. When these surface-hating dark elves rose up to snuff out the life that had sprung on the Peninsulan Provinces, the people were all but defenseless. While they were no strangers to battle, the peninsulan people were unaccustomed to battling with such unorthodox warriors. The Drow went from settlement to settlement, slaughtering hundreds of people, and the individual militia were far too unorganized to put up a fight. These conditions paved the path for the rise of the Peninsulan Provinces' most celebrated hero, Yonwin of the Tinted Coast. With the fabled longsword known as Elfsbane, Yonwin rallied militia in the province of Eliond to form the Wayward Knights, an elite group of warriors who were capable of beating back the Drow onslaught. Once the battles, collectively referred to as the Underdark Wars, had concluded, the people of the Peninsulan Provinces decided that they needed a ruler to protect them from future threats. With a nearly unanimous decision, Yonwin of the Tinted Coast became Yonwin, the First Exalt of the Peninsulan Provinces. Upon his death many years later, Yonwin's daughter Eliza became the new Exalt, and so the tradition continued within his bloodline.

Religious Drift

Nearly a century later, the Peninsulan Provinces had blossomed into a cultured paradise. With the Drow threat extinguished, and the only bordering country being the Clans of the Iron Mountains (who were more than willing to trade with the Provinces after their display of strength and unity during the Underdark Wars), there was little standing in the way of progress. While most Peninsulans considered Aquila to be their patron goddess, a fair portion had, at this point, shifted away from worshipping Aquila and began to instead pray to Sol, god of fire and the sun. Sol was considered by most to be the prime deity of the Unish Pantheon, so naturally he began to develop a large following. Those who did so argued that, while Aquila had led them to their promised land, she was always a goddess of travellers, and now that they had settled, the Peninsulans had grown apart from her.

There was never open conflict between religions, as both acknowledged the divine providence of the other. However, tension began to build, as many Aquila worshippers viewed the shift in religion as a lack of gratitude towards the wind goddess. Conversely, some Sol worshippers began to look down on Aquilans, viewing them as followers of a lesser god. The heads of Sol worship sought to make a statement of Sol's superiority over the other gods and goddesses. And so, construction of a massive holy temple known as the Sunlight Citadel in the province of Herrisland began. When word of the citadel's construction spread, the vast majority of Sol worshippers migrated to Herrisland to behold the citadel, and most decided to settle there. This event was known as the Great Gathering, and was singlehandedly responsible for the creation and subsequent mass population of the Sunlight City, which surrounds the citadel itself. With the creation of the Sunlight Citadel, the Church of Sol elected a head of the church, the Grand Priestess Idus Carletta. She frequently clashed on matters of power with Exalt Jordus, who was notoriously opposed to religious interference in the runnings of the nation. These arguments were short-lived, however, as Idus soon passed and was replaced by her sister Dinah Carletta, a far more respectful Grand Priestess.

Frozt Immigration

It was roughly at this point in history that, due to the Mid-Neosan Salt Wars that wrecked the mideastern countries, a group of Froterian refugees settled in Foline after hearing stories of the open, fertile fields. Once there, the immigrants began planting the wine grapes that put Frotiere on the map, which then interbred with natural folinian plantlife to produce a hybrid grape that, when refined, creates the famous Noble Nectar wine. Foline then became a cultural powerhouse, churning out many drinks and drawing the attention of artist from all over the provinces.

Oswulf's Expeditions

When Exalt Jordus passed, his son Oswulf took the title of Exalt. Oswulf had an eye for exploration, and he launched a myriad of expeditions that were responsible for the colonization of the Herrisland islands, and for the discovery of the Northern Isles. Originally thought to be uninhabited, explorers were shocked to find that the isles were home to a reclusive order of mages. Most Peninsulans looked at magic as either myth or madness, as the Drow's destructive use of the Weave left a scar in their hearts that passed on even to that day. The Church of Sol insisted on ceasing contact with the mages, citing their practices as blasphemy of the highest degree. Oswulf complied, and the explorers were withdrawn, leaving the isles as a mystery. The next few years of expedition bore little fruit, and Oswulf came very close to ending the campaign, until a startling discovery was made entirely on accident; a ship was attempting to avoid a storm when it stumbled upon the land of Morean, an ancient land of high elves. Once again jaded by their past experience with elves, the Peninsulans cautiously came to a non-aggression pact with the high elves when they communicated their mutual distaste for the Drow. The two nations lived in quiet tolerance of the other.

The Peninsulan Schism

For over 300 years, the Peninsulan Provinces had been united under the rule of the Exalt. However, this was not to last. With the assassination of Grand Priest Delamor of Whitesteed by an unknown party, the leadership of the Church of Sol passed to Grand Priest Godwin, who was quick to denounce the Exalt and the entire province of Eliond as heretics who not only turned a blind eye to their true ruler, Sol, but proclaimed them as the very assassins that took the previous Grand Priest's life. While very few believed Godwin and his outrageous claims, many in the province of Herrisland felt that the rule of the Exalt over their homeland was unjustified. Exalt Marcus the Steadfast met this sudden resistance with what many historians believe to be the most influential cause of the Peninsulan Schism: the Wayward Knights, an organization that had been dedicated solely to protecting the provinces from monsters and invaders, were ordered to impose martial law in Herrisland and seize control of the Sunlight Citadel. Many of the Wayward Knights blatantly ignored this order, causing a bout of infighting in the order that, in turn caused a group of knights to split off to reform an ancient Unish order known as the Knights of the Sun, who then swore fealty to the Church of Sol. Eventually, the conflict escalated into the Peninsulan Civil War.

Though the provinces of Alderia and Foline had at first rallied under Eliond, both were reluctant to fight at all. Alderia had drifted away from religion after the Great Gathering, and Foline preferred more artistic pursuits to the art of warfare. It wasn’t long before both provinces, feeling their needs had been overlooked, withdrew their support and declared themselves as independent nations. This was a major blow to the morale of Eliond, and many soldiers began to question why they were fighting at all. After just six months of war, the Exalt of Eliond had no choice but to offer truce and independence to the province of Herrisland. The terms were accepted, and the Peninsulan Provinces were no more.

Second Underdark War

In their separation, the provinces were left in a weakened state. Though they had few enemies on borders, their greatest enemy, the Drow, still lurked below. Upon observation of the Province's collapse in unity, the Drow leaders knew that they had been gifted another chance to snuff out their enemies. Unfortunately, few Drowish house leaders were foolish enough to trust each other. A crippling power struggle wracked the Drowish Underdark for nearly a decade until House Torsek, led by House Mother Ethadril Torsek, was finally able to wrestle control from the other houses. Ethadril, henceforth proclaiming herself the Bloody Matron, led the Drow to the surface once more in an attack against the Peninsulan Provinces, sparking the beginning of the second Underdark War.

The second underdark war was nothing like its predecessor. Before, the Drow had no clear leader and attacked independently. This time, however, the Bloody Matron stood as their ruthless ruler. The attacks were swift, brutal, and often left few survivors. Many towns across the Peninsulan Provinces were laid to waste, and the lack of unity amongst the provinces proved detrimental to their defensive capabilities.

Eventually, help came in a form that very few expected; The elven island of Morean, a nation previously isolationist, began sending soldiers to Eliond, combating the Drow threat. Exalt Orion, acknowledging that assistance was needed, overlooked the breach of diplomacy and allied with the elves to drive out the Drow. However, the added assistance was not enough to give the provinces a foothold. Morean was not a fighting nation, and the Drow were far more organized and larger in number.

Finally, after massive casualties suffered from all sides, a hero emerged in the province of Alderia: an incredibly charismatic man by the name of Toltem Rickart. Wielding the legendary sword Elfsbane, Toltem crossed blades with the Bloody Matron in the Battle of Devil’s Creek and slew her. Toltem of Alderia led his people in driving out the Drow menace as Yonwin of the Tinted Coast had done so many years ago. Soon, the other provinces followed suit.

Beginning of the Rickart Royalty

Many at this point had come to believe Toltem to be an ancestor of Yonwin himself, something that Toltem used to his advantage. Not five years after the conclusion of the second Underdark War, Toltem Rickart was crowned as king of Alderia, beginning the Rickart dynasty that rules over Alderia to this day. Toltem then proceeded to denounce the worship of both Aquila, Sol, and any other god or goddess, stating that no deity had helped them in their time of need. While other provinces were disgusted by this act of blasphemy, Alderia was a realm with little religion, and its citizens accepted their new king's words with little objection.

Effects of the Gangian Plague

Nearly two hundred years had passed since the Peninsulan Schism. Recovery from the second Underdark War was a long and arduous process, but time had been kind, and the nations had restored order to their own. However, another beast would soon rear its ugly head, and this time, no amount of fighting could stop it. A sickness that was later named the Gangian Plague made its way from the southern nations of Fondo, Hilland and Zelena Piszek and wreaked havoc on the nations. Hundreds of thousands of lives were lost, and there was little the priests and priestesses of Sol and Aquila could do to prevent it. Something about this plague was unique in that it was able to survive any purging from the holy magics of the churches. The plague had no disposition towards class, either. In fact, two national leaders lost their lives to the plague; Exalt Fenrie of Eliond, and King Dumon Rickart of Alderia.

The Alderian-Elondian War

While animosity was not a new concept between the Peninsulan Provinces, open conflict had always been avoided after the Civil War. That is, until the Alderia-Eliond War. When an Alderian noble by the name of Gilderoy Goldwit laid an old family claim to Elondian territory on the border between the two nations, the claim was denied by the Elondian government, stating that his family revoked their right to the land when the provinces split. Rather than let the claim go, however, Gilderoy petitioned King Cecil Rickart to assist him in taking the territory by force. Cecil agreed, famously stating that “any land contested between Alderia and Eliond will go to the former.” Exalt Vivian Silverbrand would allow no transgression, however. When Alderia sent troops to occupy the contested land, they were met with Elondian forces of equal number. Before long, the Battle of the Bloody River kicked off a full-blown war between the two nations, and the border between the two countries turned into a bloodbath. While little ground was ever gained from either side, many political prisoners were held captive by both nations, causing chaos to erupt in the courts of their respective capitols. Finally, at the Battle of the Southern Pines, King Cecil’s brother, William, was captured by enemy forces. This forced a stalemate from Alderia, and the conflict simmered down into a tension-filled Cold War that remains to this day.

Resurrection of the Lich Queen

The Wrath of Kings