Softor
Cirethian Duchy
While technically part of the Cirethian Empire, the duchy of Softor is more of a wilderness, scattered wtih lonely towns, than a true imperial holding. Taxes are rarely collected and there is little to no protection from the imperial government for the citizens of Softor. Each town is left to fend for itself. Interestingly, the lack of presence from the sun god's priests has allowed the other Constellations from the Council of Stars to have a much greater presence than in other Cirethian regions, and entire towns dedicated to non-Cir deities are relatively common.
Living In Softor
For most citizens of Softor, life is difficult and dangerous, but free. A general lack of military or clerical presence from the Cirethian Empire means that towns are free to rule themselves, only occasionally paying homage to the empire they belong to. The towns scattered throughout the Softorian wilderness are tough, self sufficient, and distrusting of strangers. Most towns have at least one Cirethian priest, though rarely one of higher rank than a Torch, and a local militia force made up of the citizens of the town and nearby farms. Monster attacks are common enough that the militias of Softorian villages are often more veteran than the town guards of large cities in other regions. With such a high monster presence in Softor, travelling monster hunters are common. When a town encounters a monster that they are unable to effectively fight back against, they hire teams of experts to come and make the problem go away. In all of Softor, there are only two large cities. Culture within the cities differs dramatically from that of the wilderness towns due to a heightened presence of Cirethian military and clergy. Orm is the capital of Softor that sits near its eastern border. It contains the largest training facility for Cirethian priests on the continent, and its frequent border skirmishes with its neighbor, Erholthrond, have attracted a massive amount of military might from both duchies. Near Orm, imperial military and priests are everywhere. In the north east of Softor, seemingly in the middle of nowhere, sits Kopastad. The city started its life as a quarry rich in valuable stones such as granite and marble. When the quarry fled, nearly destroying the city, the survivors quickly found that a large, reliable water source in such close proximity to the Bloodgold Road, the largest trade route in the known world, made for an attractive resting spot for merchants. Within a single century, Kopastad became one of the largest trade hubs outside of Melavik and Union Bridge, a title it holds to this day.Citizens
Softor, like much of Cireth, is primarily home to humans, the chosen people of Cir. This is particularly true in Orm. Kopastad is likewise dominated by humans, but non-humans are welcome in Kopastad, moreso than in Orm. Many different mortal and near-mortal species' come to Kopastad to make their career. Outside of the cities, there is no hard and fast rule. Each town has its own culture and its own tendencies. As a whole, Softor contains a wide array of different mortal populations, but each individual town tends to be made of people of similar heritage.Governmental Structure
Kopastad and Orm are ruled directly by the Cirethian priesthood, with Duke Gregory, Archbeacon of Softor, at the top. He resides in Kopastad most of the time, leaving the rule of Orm to his Beacon. Outside the cities, each town decides their own governmental structure, usually some form of elder council or a mayorship. Tax collectors show up every few years to remind the towns that they belong to the empire. Since the tax collecters are Cirethian priests themselves, they rarely "mysteriously disappear" on the trip.Religion
Even though Softor is ostensibly within the Cirethian Empire, the rarity of significant Cirethian military or clerical presence makes the region much more religiously diverse than other areas within the empire. Most towns do have a low ranking priest of Cir, but many do not. Some towns, such as Twobridge, are even outright devoted to another deity, though they always pay some form of homage to Cir. In the northern regions of Softor, along the major trade routes such as the Bloodgold Road, many towns include shrines or even temples to Tiln, the Constellation who watches over travelers and craftsmen. In the southern reaches of Softor, near the border of the White Forest, home of the halflings, many towns revere Bolgarung, the god of the halflings, storms, and nature's balance.Magic
Officially, Softor follows the same laws as the rest of Cireth. Priests of the Council of Stars are well known and generally respected, particularly within the large cities. Non-stellar religions are often distrusted but not necessarily banned outright. Primal magic, the magic of nature, is fairly common. Each town has its own opinions on the practice. Some towns are only possible due to the presence of a shaman or druid, while others view practitioners of primal magic as strange folks, useful but not to be trusted. The weirder forms of magic, psionic and occult, are almost universally frowned upon or worse. Many stories of such magics poorly controlled are told throughout Softor. Most towns consider these as forms of "black magic" and will not tolerate the practitioner's presence in their area. Arcane magic is nearly as untrusted as the weird magics, particularly since most townsfolk know little of the differences between which magics are technically legal in Cireth and which are banned by the Faith of the Burning Crown. In the cities, Arcane magic is completely illegal without a government approved license. In more rural areas, the license might save a wizard from an untrusting town's wrath, but they are still unlikely to approve of wizardry during the visit.Maps
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Kopastad
Type
Geopolitical, Duchy
Capital
Training Level
Trained
Veterancy Level
Experienced
Demonym
Softorian
Leader
Head of State
Head of Government
Government System
Monarchy, Theocratic
Power Structure
Feudal state
Economic System
Market economy
Currency
@[Cirethian suns]
Legislative Body
@[Faith of the Healing Light]
Judicial Body
Parent Organization
Deities
Controlled Territories
Neighboring Nations
