Red Princedom

A loose collection of guilds, mercenary companies and secret societies, the Red Princedom has no formal government. Citizens of the Princedom are free to do whatever they like, in theory atleast. In actuality, the foremost of the warrior guilds, known by its members as The Warlock's Men, keeps the law in many of the townships and in the capital city of Shra itself. Though little more than a band of cutthroats and bandits, the Men have imposed a ban on harming their own, and are mostly capable of upholding it due to their sheer numbers.

The reappearance of the dragons from the pit of Shra lead to a social upheaval in the Princedom. Many guilds argued for an alliance with the beasts, recounting old tales about the king allying with flying reptiles against the ogres. Others insisted that it was a sign from a greater power that they flew from the depths of the bottomless chasm at the heart of their capital. Nevertheless, this resulted in large parts of the population departing on a pilgrimage in the dragons' wake. The Red Pilgrims made an alliance with the dragons in the ruins of Tor Ashar founding the empire of Nor Ashar.

Technologically the Princedom is on par with the Holy Dominion. This is mostly due to the exiled Flochnosian sect, The Apochrad Aristocracy, that is allowed to openly operate within the Princedom as long as they don't test their experimental weapons on the populace.

Though worship of the Ancient Lords is still alive and well in the Princedom, a new pantheon of deities started to gain prevalence halfway into the third century of the Second Awakening. As if by divine providence, people started preaching about new powers in the cosmos, ones that would give a supplicant tangible results swiftly. Cults formed around the worship of these deities, gathering a mass of followers quickly and then closing their societies from all but the select few. The titles of these deities are commonly known, though most cannot beseech them without knowing their true names or the proper rites. The most prevalent of these deities are as follows:   The Serpent of Paradise: This wise ophidian is consulted when a difficult decision is to be made, for it is said mankind was banished from a divine paradise for not heeding its words. People from all walks of life pray to the Serpent and there are many separate cults dedicated to this deity. Some of them, like the Iron Serpent, dedicate themselves to spreading their faith to other peoples. Followers of the Serpent are famed for their skill at oratory and many in service to the Snake begin to display ophidian features themselves; flaunted as a mark of favour from their deity.   The Sunking: The patron of scholars and mages, the Sunking is depicted as a handsome angelic figure, whose wings frame a brilliant sun. The Sunking promotes a mastery of one's mind, teaching his followers that physical might and beauty are only attainable by true learning. In truth, the more magical knowledge one gleans from the King, the more deformed and twisted in form one becomes. Cultists often use magic to hide these marks so as not to be seen as failures by their comrades.   The Heavenly Host: A magnificent flock of winged angels descend from the skies to carry souls to salvation; thus goes the gospel of cults dedicated to this entity. Salvation belongs to all, saint and sinner alike, and many are the desperates seeking it from this being. The cults welcome all and preach most openly in the streets, promising apotheosis for anyone willing to give themselves unto the Host; becoming one with this sublime entity.   The Gallant Cavalier: A charming knight in shining armour, mounted on a majestic steed, beloved by all. All who worship the Cavalier aspire to imitate him. Most of his faithful are warriors with a sense of self-respect bordering the unhealthy, with a distinct majority being local landed aristocrats. That is well, for of all the deities in the new pantheon, the Cavalier is the most benign. His followers gain no physical mutations, though their physical capabilities soar to new heights. This is usually accompanied by an increase to their egoes proportional to their physical enhancements, though none can say if this newfound arrogance is entheal in nature.

Every guild and company in the Princedom has their own codes and laws, though these are never expected to apply to outsiders, unless atleast one of the parties in a business dealing belongs to one. Due to their ubiquity, any given citizen of the Princedom is assumed to belong to the Warlock's Men, unless proven otherwise. This gives the ordinary person some amount of legal protection, as long as they pay a tenth of their income as a tithe to the great pit of Shra. The Men believe this tithe goes straight to the Warlock Prince, who they view as their unofficial leader.