Tirel

Tirel is an Aristocracy controlling the territories in the far east of The Conflux Sea by the same name. It’s territories are separated from the rest of Southern Kashura and those that hold sway over it, The Morya Sultanate, by The Blackreach: a large, desolate Mountainrange still under the sway of The Shade, a dark force which once held all of Tirel in it’s icy grasp.
Tirel is an old nation, ancient by most standards, with its founding reaching well into the mists of pre-history and legend, into the times of ancient heroes and living gods. It was supposedly founded by Tiriel, the Savior of The Tiravela Elves (see: The Elven Strain) and “prime deity” of the faith known as The Guiding Light, which is also the predominant religion of the region by no small margin.
Despite this, Tirels influence on the world stage has always been and still is rather minor, not due to a lack of power, but a reluctance to use it. That said, ever since the founding of The Morya Sultanate to its west, relations with its new neighbor have been icy at best, in no small part due to its persecution of followers of The Guiding Light, as well as other faiths.
Tirel is overwhelmingly inhabited by Elves of the Tiravela variety with minorities of Hominids and Zoltai, especially on the island territories of Ambrysis and Mancha, which have been growing ever since the war between The Morya Sultanate and The Conflux Tripact began.

Territory:

Tirel lies in the far east of southern Kashura in the farthest eastern reaches of The Conflux Sea. It stretches from The Blackreach in the west, over the fertile valleys, rivers, lakes and forests of central Tirel, all the way over The Andalos Mountains to The Sea of Silence and finally the islands of Mancha and Ambrysis to its north and east.
Most of Tirel’s around 450.000 people live in central Tirel, around The Sea of Tiriel and the fertile plains encircled by the region's three mountain ranges. Only about 25% live on Ambrysis and Mancha, and it is also here that most of the nation's non-Tiravela population can be found. This trend has been intensifying ever since the founding of The Morya Sultanate, due to a rapid influx of refugees fleeing from war and persecution.

Government:

While Tirel is viewed by most outsiders as a unified political entity, the reality is that the entirety of Tirel has not been ruled by a united sovereign since the time of The Savior (see: The Guiding Light).
Tirel is split into numerous Dukados or “lordships” ruled by local lords, aristocrats who in turn rule, govern and at least on paper protect the people on their lands. The way in which these positions are filled vary from Dukado to Dukado: some are inherited, some elected, some are chosen by prophecy.
Armed conflict between the Dukados and their lords and ladies isn’t unheard of, but it is rare, alliance networks, vassalages and defensive pacts between the different lordships often sweeping away any thoughts of conquest and delusions of grandeur a young upstart might get.
Despite their at times rather large differences, the one thing all lords and ladies of Tirel seem to agree to is that bringing outsiders into Tirel matters is a terrible idea. As spoken by The Savior themselves in the 7th canticle of unity: “Let not thine sacred home suffer the feet of foreign soldiers, for they invite fracture and conspiracy.” Or to say it with words that regular people understand: Let foreign powers get a foot through the door and next thing you know they think they own the place!
As such, the lords and ladies of Tirel stand united against all those that would force themselves into their affairs from outside, as well as against all those that would align themselves with such elements. Fractured within, but united towards the outside, that is the way of Tirel.
Tirel has rarely if ever involved itself with foreign conflicts, and barring a few naval battles over trade disputes in The Conflux Sea or the odd defensive war spawning from ill-conceived dreams of grandeur of other nations in the past millennium, has rarely found itself in open conflict with other powers; In equal parts all due to its natural barriers, clever diplomacy and stubbornness of Tirels ruling class.
That said, times are changing: To its west, Tirel sees a titan rise how it hasn’t been seen since the times of ancient Dracoris, stopped so far only by the stubborn resistance of independent city states banding together to face their common enemy. Should they fail in this endeavor, and should The Morya Sultanate emerge victorious, what would stop them from setting their eyes onto Tirel next? An expansionist empire right on their borders, with the largest and most likely best equipped army Kashura had ever seen, was this a foe that Tirel could stand alone against?
Such voices are growing louder and louder among the lordships of Tirel in recent years, especially on Ambrysis, Mancha and north of Tesarossa. Among them, Duke Tamil Barkas, Lord of Basarra and the most influential man of Ambrysis, as well as Lady Annamari Soriya, one of the most prominent voices among the Aristocracy of Tesarossa seem to be leading the charge.
If there was such a thing as a universal central authority within Tirel, it would probably be The Immortal Bastion, home to The Lightsworn, an order of knights and Paladins dedicated to eradicating The Shade. Their mission is vital to the well-being and continued survival of Tirel and its people, and as such they hold the authority to intervene directly in any and all matters and go-ons in Tirel, should they deem it necessary. However, the need to make use of this power is rare, and The Lightsworn are heavily discouraged from actually using it unless they are absolutely, without a doubt, 100% sure it is necessary. As the words of High Warden Kalistor Sakristan, founder of The Lightsworn, are often quoted: “Where Knights and Nobles congregate, only trouble can arise.”

History:

When first Tiriel, founder of our nation, savior of our people and deity of The Guiding Light led our ancestors to these lands, they expected to find a paradise of lush forests and plains. What they found instead was Sheor Durak, “The Shadowlands”, dark hostile forests and still waters deep in the clutches of The Shade.
Their faith wavered, at least it did for most of them, and how could it not? Having taken the treacherous journey from our ancestral homeland in Devoj, years of travel through hostile jungles, mountains and the seas, years if not decades without homes, and at the end they would be faced with this? A barren, cursed land inhabited by the remnants of a civilization so old history itself had forgotten them? No, it wasn’t fair, it wasn’t right, and they would make this known to our Savior.
Tiriel knew this of course, expected this reaction, even relied upon it, for it was this moment in our history that they would use to teach our ancestors the lessons which they passed down to us ever since then:
“In darkness, the glimmer of light is amplified a thousandfold, from adversity we grow, from experience we draw our strength.” We could not expect to simply find paradise presented to us on a silver platter, no, if we truly wanted it, we would have to create it by our own hands. So our ancestors set forth, and from this cursed land, Sheor Durak, they would carve out our new home, our future, our hope, by will alone if need be.
The struggle would last many decades, until the death of the Savior themselves, where in their final act they would banish The Shade to The Blackreach, and the deepest depths of The Veil of Sur. It was done- With the lands of Tirel liberated from darkness we set out to settle our homeland.
There were attempts at first, at unification, at peaceful union, altogether doomed to fail of course. As is the nature of our kind, we soon fractured, first into clans, then houses, then families, without a literal living god guiding our path, it seems that this was the fate of our people. The teachings of The Guiding Light of course held strong within us, and bloodshed was a resort rarely taken by choice, yet it could not stop the infighting, the lust for power, the darkness that all of us carry within us, to a degree at least. It blinded us. In our arrogance we believed that a jailed Foe would be content to remain locked away forever, but it was not so:
The Shade, left unattended and unwatched for hundreds of years, by now little more than a story to scare children reemerged with full force, devastating villages and cities, pauper and patrician alike. It could have likely spelled our end had it not been for the timely intervention of Kalistor Sakristan. Under his leadership, the faithful organized and beat back the shade once again, stopping it from eradicating us, though the prize was high, and lacking the powers of the divine themselves, they could not banish The Shade completely.
It was for this reason that in the final years of his life, Kalistor Sakristan, established the order of The Lightsworn, a holy order of knights and paladins with the express purpose of combating The Shade wherever and whenever it may reemerge. The ruling houses at the time, still feeling the impact of what a re-empowered shade could mean for them, made great concessions to the order, essentially granting them absolute authority to intervene in any and all matters should they deem it necessary for their holy mission.
In the centuries since then, many lords and ladies have come to lament this decision, though trying to curtail the powers of a militant order with the express purpose of fighting for the survival of us all against a seemingly inexhaustible foe doesn’t exactly make for a popular opinion, especially if that order has a nearly spotless record in terms of abusing said power.
Not entirely spotless mind you, power can corrupt even those that shine brightest after all, but given the extent of their powers it is honestly surprising it hasn’t happened more.
In the following centuries things went back to usual in Tirel, though the devastation of the previous decades had created many a power vacuum, once which both old and new were all too eager to fill. New houses emerged, others fell or vanished into obscurity.
In the meantime, foreign nations neither preceding nor outlasting our own occasionally engaged with us in petty conflict over land, sea and coin, though to relatively little consequence of the homeland. After this initial century of unrest things mostly settled, and there would not be another great upheaval to the political order of Tirel until the year 0 SF, with the founding and rapid expansion of The Morya Sultanate.
It is now 32 SF, almost 12 years since The war between Morya and The Conflux Tripact began. Refugees from both sides and farther away still arrive in Tirel on a daily basis, their numbers growing ever larger, facing the rulers of Tirel with an evermore difficult choice:
To turn them away would be to turn away the needy, to close one’s doors in their hour of need, an act most sinful to the followers of The Guiding Light. Yet with their ever growing numbers, Tirel finds itself evermore incapable of sheltering and providing for these poor people, should they starve their own people to provide for another?
Furthermore, the voices calling for war from within Tirel grow ever louder, a development here before unseen, both due to the everrising pressure from refugees, Moryas countless transgressions against the faithful and a fear for what might happen if they won the war. No army might have ever crossed The Blackreach, but there is a first time for everything. What the future will bring for Tirel, only the light may know.

Culture & Society:

Tirel’s cultural and societal quirks are as much a product of ancient tradition, as of their environment. Insulated both culturally and geographically from most other parts of the world, their traditions still survive virtually unchanged in the heartlands, less so outside of it.

The Shade:

The Bane of those that wander in the light, the Plague of ages past, The Deepshadow, Sheor, The Shade is known by many names. Few things have left as much of a mark on Tirel, both figuratively and literally. A remnant of a civilization so old even its name has been lost to time, The Shade is often described as something akin to a conscious natural disaster, a malicious one with a will of its own, a hunger for the living and scorn for the dead.
On the surface one might believe it to be a simple curse, a powerful one, but simple nonetheless: A dark mist, almost black, which drains life from all that lives and puppeteers the dead, twisting them into malicious servants of the dark, The Shadewalkers. Once it held all of Tirel in its grasp “Sheor Durak” it was called back then, thought banished forever a thousand years ago by, reemerged after millenia, held at bay ever since by The Lightsworn, devout servants of The Guiding Light.
Nowadays it remains confined mostly to The Blackreach and The Veil of Sur. Occasionally there are manifestations elsewhere though, the lines of the faithful are holding, but only just.

Sworn to the Light:

The predominant faith of Tirel is The Guiding Light, and by no small margin. While other faiths are neither persecuted nor discriminated against in the realm, both its people and history are so closely tied to The Light, that to consider anything else might as well be blasphemy. To the vast majority of people in Tirel there is only one truth, The Guiding Light, different shapes it may take, but nonetheless, only one.
The degree to which people adhere to the principles of The Guiding Light vary of course. Some say that the machinations of high politics and the creed are mutually exclusive, but even among the nobility one will be hard-pressed to find anyone not pledging to follow the faith.

Last Rites:

It is forbidden to bury the dead on the mainland of Tirel, for fear that The Shade might rise and take hold of them. As a consequence of this, a tradition has emerged to bring the dead to The Silent Isles, a mostly uninhabited Archipelago (save for the grave tenders) north of The Sea of Silence, where over the years large amounts of mausoleums and burial mounds have been erected.

Welcoming to Outsiders:

The people of Tirel are said to be exceptionally welcoming to outsiders. Travelers from abroad, the few that actually do come to Tirel speak of country folk practically begging them to sit at their tables, break bread, and find themselves having to reject wayward gifts for the fear of their packs growing too heavy to carry. Hyperbole of course, though it does carry some truth: Travelers rarely go hungry in Tirel, so long as there are no famines and they stay close to civilization. It is after all one of the core tenets of The Guiding Light, to take care of and shelter those in need.
“Shelter the needy, show them the light, and they will carry it to light a hundred more.”

Fancies from far Beyond:

Though Tirel is mostly separated from the matters of the rest of the world, the same is not true for its people. Most with the means undertake The Great Pilgrimage (see: The Guiding Light) in their life, interacting with people and cultures of lands far away, to hear their stories and to spread the light. Those who return bring back stories, traditions, knowledge, inventions, treasures and trinkets from all over the world, and there is hardly a household in Tirel that does not possess a “Trinket from far away”, standing in for a family heirloom.

Laws & Institutions:

The Laws around Kashura generally don’t vary all that much from one another, murder and theft is pretty much illegal everywhere for instance, this section will therefore focus only on the noteworthy:

Local Laws:

The Laws of Tirel vary within the different Dukados, as the lords and ladies of Tirel set the laws within their own domain. There are a few things though, upon which they all agree:

Slavery Banned:

To force another into servitude against their will is a great affront to the principles of The Guiding Light, at least as most people interpret them. Some jurisdictions allow criminals to work to lessen their sentence, but beyond that both prison labor and slavery are heavily penalized and frowned upon.

Vile Spawns of The Dark:

While other places in the world aren’t exactly clambering to have necromancers within their borders (most at least), Tirels Lords and ladies are among the very few that go out of their way to ban and penalize the practice. Usually with death, one of the only crimes carrying such a heavy sentence in Tirel.

Major Settlements:

Basarra - The largest major settlement of Abrysis and home to Duke Tamil Barkas, the most influential man of the entire island. It is located south of The Ambrysis Highlands on the Ambros Gulf, one of the very few places on the island where the soil is fertile enough to support year-round agriculture. As of 32 SF, Basarra is home to ~12.000 people. It is known for being the most multicultural city in all of Tirel, as almost half of the population consists of people other than Tiravela. This portion has been growing in tandem with the swelling refugee crisis caused by the war between The Conlux Tripact and The Morya Sultanate.
Eurias - The largest city in all of Tirel, Eurias is located in the central valley of Tirel, flanked by The Andalos Mountains, The Bromos Heights and The Blackreach. It is the bread bowl of Tirel, producing enough surplus to feed the rest of the nation even during the harsh months, and is known for its unique cuisine. The ruler of Eurias is Duke Alvaro Merinoza, a wealthy man and philanthropist, beloved by his people. As of 32 SF, Eurias is home to around 25.000 people, most of them being Tiravela Elves.
Hamon - The largest major settlement and de facto capital of the island of Mancha, Hamon is the epicenter of Kashura’s coffee industry, as almost a quarter of all coffee is produced either here or on the rest of Mancha. The Ruler of Hamon is Lady Diana Balderas, an upstart merchant that has climbed the ranks of the Tirelian aristocracy. As of 32 SF, Hamon is home to around 9.000 people, around ⅔ of which are Tiravela Elves.
Harahel - Lying just two dozen miles away from The Blackreach, Harahel is the base of operations of The Lightsworn and home to The Immortal Bastion. The City itself is governed by Lord Viktor Doloroso, a man of faith praised by many as a prophet, who’s light is second only to The Savior itself. As of 32 SF, Harahel is home to roughly 7.000 people, almost all of which are Tiravela Elves.
Karvossa - Known around the nation as The City of Wine and Honey, Karvossa is the main producer of both of those things in Tirel. Located just a few miles off of the river mouth between The Andalos Mountains and The Bromos Heights, the conditions here are perfect for growing the plants and other ingredients for the world-famous Karveran Red. Besides that, Karvossa is also a major port city, with one of only two ports in Tirel that are accessible even during the harsh seasons. As of 32 SF, the city is home to around 15.000 people, most of which are Tiravela Elves. The man ruling over them is Lord Emmand Lessau, whose family has held this title for the better part of 400 years.
Kaserra - Located just a few miles inland from the southern shores of The Sea of Tiriel, Kaserra is Tirels forestry and shipbuilding center. The proximity to both The Veil of Sur and The Blackreach is a matter of concern for all who live here, so it is no surprise that The Lightsworn have a very strong presence here. It is also from here that most foolish adventurers seeking to explore the ancient ruins that lie in the lands claimed by The Shade set out to begin their journey, most never return. The Lady of Kaserra, Duchess Loretta Artusa, is an honorary member of The Lightsworn and has protected her people from The Shade with her own blade on more than one occasion. As of 32 SF, Kaserra is home to roughly 10.000 people, most of which are Tiravela Elves.
Primarosa - Isolated from the rest of Tiriel by mountain and sea, Primarosa is a community on an island in the far south of the region. Despite its relatively diminutive size of around 4.000 people, about 60% of which are Tiravela Elves, Primarosa is an epicenter of Tirelian culture. It is here after all that The Cantarella, a major place of learning for scholars, storytellers and entertainers can be found. Many members of the higher classes of Tirel have spent at least a year studying here, though one does not need to be one of their status to enroll.
The Ruler of Primarosa, Lady Moraine Eskanola, is part of the great house of Eskanola, which has been ruling over this city and the lands surrounding it since even before The Shade broke free from its confines.
Tesarossa - Also known as “The Gate”, Tesarossa is the second largest city of Tirel, and the first stop for most people that come to the state from the outside. Besides the fertile plains and forest surrounding it, the lands around Testarossa are also rich in salt, gold and other precious minerals. Tesarossa is Tirels richest city, profiting from internal and foreign trade, a relatively high population, fertile soils, access to sea and fresh water and abundant natural resources. Vast networks of flood-tunnels and raised platforms ensure that the city's ports are accessible all year round, even during the flood-seasons. The Aristocracy of Tesarossa is all too often at each other's throats, trying to consolidate the influence of their own house. Following the sudden death of the last Governor Elect, Lord Brent Alvanor, this has intensified even further. Political assassinations are rare in Tirel, but not unheard of in Tesarossa, and rumors say that right now it would be safer to wander The Blackreach naked, than to make a play for the office of governor, not that this has ever stopped anyone. Lady Annamari Soriya and Lord Elan Alvanor are the most likely candidates to rule the city of over 20.000 people, factions split over the issue of intervening in the war that is currently ravaging The Conflux Sea.

Landmarks:

Mountains & other geographical Features:

Ambrysis
Mancha
The Ambrysis Highlands
The Andalos Mountains
The Blackreach
The Bromos Heights
The Silent Isles

Forests, Swamps etc:

The Bromos Woods
The Gilded Woods
The Veil of Sur

Bodies of Water:

The Sea of Silence
The Sea of Tiriel

Tirel:

Geography:

Region: southern Kashura:
The Conflux Sea

Society:

Population: ~450.000
Strains: Elves (Tiravela) 85%, Hominids 7%, Zoltai 5% Other 3%
Religion: The Guiding Light

Politics:

Government: Aristocracy
Ruler: -
Influence: minor

Commerce:

Currency:
50 copper batran = 1 silver martillo
25 silver martillo = 1 gold dukat