Dis

Dis, The Emperor's Peak as it is sometimes known, is an independent country in the Southlands, with a reputation for being the most Wild and Magical.  Existing in its current state for around five centuries, Dis has made some of the widest gains and deepest losses in the Cold Game, with its borders being the second largest in size and encompassing the warm coasts and freezing mountains.  People from these wide-reaching lands are referred to en masse as Disians, but a multitude of ethnic groups exist within that demonym and it is common for people to insist on a specific other word instead.     The Winglords of Dis are known as the most unpredictable of any rulers in the Southlands.  From their idiosyncratic method of choosing an imperial successor; to their declaration as an empire within one hundred years of their foundation; to their legacy of legendary tacticians, they are always an important variable in trying to parse the next phase of the Cold Game.   Major Cities and Landmarks     The capital city of Dis is Grandin, which has a reputation for architecture which accentuates its natural hilly landscape.  The home of the Winglords when they are not surveying their lands, Grandin sprawls widely, with its walls ringing the city rising in height in proximity to its nearby Wildlands.     The next largest city is Bendin, considered a commercial hub between Dis and Galumær.  Bendin is considered "safe" from the Cold Game's dangers thanks to the dubious protection of one Vahn Nogala, a masterful fighter who actively refuses to designate loyalty to anyone except his mayor.     Other major cities include Marino, the home of Dis' river flotilla and the testing ground for naval advancements; Arbo, a city of academics whose Headmaster actively seeks to rival the grandeur of Hwæke University; Petra Dell, who oversees the largest uninterrupted farmlands in Dis; and Silverin, named for its legendarily extensive mining operations.     Dis has the most Wildlands within its borders compared to any other Nation of the 8.  Along with the legendary Grandin Mountain, where the wyverns nest and the Winglord's is chosen by the best climber of their children, there is also the shifting and shadowy Flatstone Forest; The Lookout Point on its northern shore, where fish sometimes learn to walk; Godsend Valley, the perilous, thunder-stricken route between the Empire and Homunan; and The Skyhill, where the twin moons deposit gifts to the honest of heart.   History     Dis is a patchwork nation, rising from a series of failed states that came before it.  The common story is that each failed kingdom gave itself increasingly grandiose titles, and each failed to reach their namesakes.  However, the first Winglord, a woman named Koinlana, chose a different route: she named her nation a name with no meaning, claiming that a new empire would create a definition for itself.  This begins a tradition of Winglords in Dis following strongly individualist paths in their times as ruler.     As the legend goes, Koinlana gained her title by escaping from a fierce battle and climbing Grandin Mountain.  Pursued by enemies, she reached the plateau known as Destiny's Peak and captured a King's Wyvern.  Koinlana then dove off the peak, using her wyvern to knock her pursuers to their deaths.  When she reached the battle on the plains below, the soldiers of both sides fell to their knees and plead loyalty to the new Winglord.     Since then, Dis has grown and shrunk, with inconsistent results in its participation in the Cold Game.  Winglords all seek their own methods to becoming legends, and often the only similarity from one to the next is their family and their physical abilities.  The force of personality of the Winglords has historically superseded the contributions of other individuals.  For one who is not a ruler to be recorded in history, they are a great person indeed.   Culture     Dis, more than most, is a very individualistic society.  Dreams are a very common subject of conversation, both recounting from the night before and as a metaphor for everyday life.  Small communities may come together based upon shared interests, regardless of any previous association or single person's origins.  The most ambitious among the people will often seek positions in local or military structures in order to better seek their goals.     Disian people have very few national stereotypes, other than one thing: the valuation of uniqueness in Dis has led to many stories of "madmen from Dis" spreading across the Southlands.  While the vast majority of Disian people are not violent, insane, or otherwise attention-grabbing, the people who are are pulled into legend and infamy with an interesting regularity.     It is also worth mentioning that the oldest known documentation of Nomads comes from Disian lands.  Dis is seen as a place where leaving home to seek fate and fortune is unsurprising, and the Leaving Record of Arbo shows how many people were following their own way.   Races     As Dis covers so many unique pieces of the Southlands, its populations vary just as much - it can be safely said that nearly any race that lives in the South, lives in Dis.  Its Northern coastlines are home to the largest native population of Tieflings, around Skyhill and Godsend Valley.  The lands around Flatstone Forest are home to the only known homelands of Firbolgs.  Humans, Dragonborn and Dwarves inhabit the lands near to Galumær.  The Grandin Mountain Range is a common homeland for Gnomish people.   Religion     There is no dominant religion in Dis, but each of the other major religions in the Southlands can be found there.  There is a pantheon in the northern region, where each deity is associated with either the Wildlands, Nature, or the Moons.  However, that faith is currently being ideologically threatened by encroaching religious missionaries.  Some of these northern deities Dis include Sirinlimat the god of the sea (Tempest and Ocean Domains), Sachuman the god of stone and earth (Life and EarthDomains), Dlen and Dlon the Married Moon Deities (Light and MoonDomains), and Cheharga the goddess of Magic and knowledge (Knowledge and Trickery Domains).     It is worth noting that Druids of almost all forms originate from Dis (Specifically the Grandin Mountain and Flatstone Forest regions), and that the tradition of Druidic magic is derived from that old religious practice.