The Nation of Otem

Otem’s government is essentially a theocracy, deriving its power from the extremely large priest class who dedicate their worship to Vilt. The clergy leadership select three members of the general populace (usually craftspeople and artisans as this class is greatly revered in Otem) to form a council of advisers to the High Priest of Vilt. These four people make up the leadership of the country of Otem, with the High Priest wielding the vast majority of the council’s power. While a High Priest holds his position for life, the three other council members serve for fifteen years with a new member being chosen every five years. There has always been some friction between this council and the church leadership, the latter of which are always looking to gather the favor of the High Priest in order to advance the church’s agenda--sometimes to the detriment of the country as a whole. It is generally the clergy who seek to hinder reconciliation with the tiefling clans of the desert, who they judge to be demonic monsters. The current High Priest is Daylen Gullscream, a wise and fair peace-seeker who has attempted to apply Otem’s considerably gifted craftsmen to economic rather than military matters. Daylen claims to receive instructions directly from Vilt himself. He regularly clashes Hagar Shanks, the most militaristic (and longest serving) member of the council who will vacate his post in five years. The next most experienced member of the council is the devout Lorelai Stormchapel, chosen by the Priests of Vilt for her hard-line views regarding the tiefling desert tribes. The newly chosen blacksmith Mirabel Faringray, was just chosen by the clergy for the council. Mirabel is a recluse who has preferred the fire of her forge to public life. The Clergy believe that she will be a pliable servant of Gond’s will, but it is difficult to tell.

The Otemwuste is believed by many to have spawned life on this continent. Most Otemites believe Vilt, God of Crafts, began making the sentient beings of this continent from the abundant sand of the Otemwuste. The capital of Otem, Gosem, is home to the largest temple of Vilt on the continent, and he is greatly revered. Vilt’s machinations, however, are said to have been tainted (or sanctified depending on your perspective) by Draida, the Goddess of Dark Magic, who interfered with Vilt’s work and created the Tiefling clans that dominate the desert. Realizing Draida’s trickery, Vilt is said to have used the raging waters of the Heart of the World to create a new race of humans who now rule Otem. This story is accepted by the human populace, partially in order to justify their position of political power in the country, but it is rejected by the tiefling clans who prefer to think of their creation not as the result of demonic trickery but of a useful alliance between Vilt and Draida. While they style themselves the chosen people of Gond, the humans of Otem have engendered the hate of their tiefling countrymen whom they have politically dominated and subsequently relegated to second class citizens.     While the tiefling clans of the Otemwuste have generally feuded with each other, there have been historic moments when they have been united under either under the command of a single ruler called an Draid or a tribal council known as an Draidon. When this happens the clans meet at a central point in the desert thought to be the site where Vilt and Draida’s temporarily joined forces to create the tiefling race. Calling themselves “The First People,” these alliances have been able to wield significant power in changing the course of Otem’s history, once even breaching the walls of the capital city and assassinating the High Priest. The aims of the First People have ranged over the years from the outright destruction of the clergy and expulsion of the human citizens of Otem to reconciliation with their human countrymen. Even the most peace-seaking of tiefling movements have, out of necessity, been characterized by the accumulation of military power, usually making use of arcane elements. It is widely accepted that without this military power (and without the warlocks, sorcerers, and wizards that make up their high command) the First People would be speedily undone by the Otemite military.

Due to its geographical isolation, Otem rarely has to interact with many of the countries on its massive, landlocked borders. Otem’s closest ally is the coastal nation of Esma, whose people they regard as fellow children of Gond. The Esmish navy has saved Otem on many occasions by serving essentially as an extension of Otem’s considerable ground forces.   Otem currently enjoys a tentative and primarily economic alliance with Stanster, its neighbor to the west. Stanster boasts a mercantile fleet is simply unequaled on the continent and is, thus, an incredibly important trading partner for Otem’s varied and renowned crafts. The two countries have fought several wars, usually ending in standstills, in the past. It is a constant source of fear in Otem that Stanster will use its upriver position on Otem’s great river in order to launch an invasion. This fear has made Otem wary of engaging in a closer and more militaristic relationship with Stanster, much to the chagrin of Stanster’s leadership. Stanster is currently engaged in a war with the neighboring country of Ocras which has recently achieved a foothold on its northeastern border. Requests for military aid have been received coldly by Otem’s current council of advisers.     Otem generally looks at Ardenia, the largely peaceful nation to its south, with confusion and reverence, thinking of the Ardenians as the foremost nation on the continent (other than Otem of course) with regards to culture societal advancement. It is extremely difficult, however, for the two nations to communicate due to the constant hindrance that is the massive forest of Arden. Most communication between the two nations requires the use of Stanster as an intermediary. Stanster, however, is sometimes reluctant to act in this fashion, fearing an alliance between Ardenia’s magical and natural prowess and Otem’s massive military architecture.     The nation of Learia, just to the north of Otem, is Otem’s current greatest enemy. Learia and Otem have had multiple skirmishes along the river Lear in the past few years. It is, ultimately, this river that keeps both nations from turning these low-level conflicts into all out war as neither military wants to risk the inevitable casualties of invading across this river. Otem looks at Learia enviously as a means to attach itself to the sea. There are rumors in the capital city that the military intends to use its alliance with Esma in order to bring about the ultimate end of Learia.