Crowlands

Capital: Crow’s Rest
Overview In most ways Teremia is a group of independent counties and villages who operate according to their own rules and laws with little concern for the outside world. In reality however true power lies in the hands of the First Brother of the Order of the Crow.
The religion commands indoctrinated and unwavering loyalty of its followers using nefarious blood magic and its paramilitary wing, the Knights of the Crow, when necessary to enhance its grip. Despite this the land has thrived under the Order’s rule with peace flourishing between its adherents and conflict only occurring against the neighboring Lichdom of Moriliseum.

Demographics

The people of Teremia are extremely devout and loyal to the crow prioritising their religion above all other aspects of life. Church is held every week on a Sunday at a dais outside the Crow Church which is often near the marketplace. Followers do often however come to the church regularly to consult the Crow Brother on all manners of life allowing the priests to hold significant power in communal life.
Teremians are also highly cautious around mages viewing magic as dangerous when not guided by the Crow. All children that show magic are taken by the Order and taught to use their magic responsibly until they are 18 when they are conscripted into the Knights of the Crow. Those who attempt to resist or flee are executed as heretics and burned alive.

Government

Teremia’s political system is publicly feudal with the Order of the Crow having no official political capacity. All feudal lords manage their own taxes and affairs managing their security and economies as any other sovereign state does. In reality the Order of the Crow’s influence can best be seen by the common title of Teremia now being the ‘Crowlands’.
The Order is run by the First Brother who helps manage the faith with his conclave of 13 consisting of 12 Elder Brothers and the Grandmaster of the Knights of the Crow. Nobles who challenge the orthodoxy of the Order of the Crow find themselves ousted by their own people when the church turns on them and commands its adherents to burn the corrupted tyrant as a heretic. As such near any significant decision is run through the consent of the Order and many nobles have a powerful Black Priest or Elder Brother in their court to help advise them on affairs of the realm.
Some counties within the Crowlands are also run directly by the Order, usually due to the previous nobles being ousted for anti-order activity. Among these is the capital of the order now known as Crow’s Rest (formerly Veisbach). These states are run as theocracies in which the order has total sovereign power and usually act as regional powers among the nearby counties.

Defences

Each of the feudal lords of Minern has their own army though besides those bordering Milesia and Moriliseum few ever see any use besides putting down bandits. The noted border counts are engaged in occasional skirmishes against the neighbouring states with those by Moriliseum occasionally having their forces join the Knights of the Crow for assaults against the Lichdom.
The unofficial military of the ‘state’ is the Holy Order of the Knights of the Crow whose steel plated knights wielding greatswords adorned with silver regularly do battle with the Lichdom in an effort to destroy the Wight King. The Holy Order is composed of three components the Crow Knights, The Crow Magi and volunteers from across Teremia who seek to aid their efforts.
Despite its coast Teremia has no navy and very little maritime presence or influence beside that of the coastal counts who rarely cooperate.

Assets

Teremia is a relatively poor region whose wealth is largely agricultural with peasants owning and seeking little more than what is necessary to survive. The nobles tend to live modestly compared to others, largely in fear of the Order of the Crow, but enjoy certain imported luxuries such as wine and jewellery.

RUINED SETTLEMENT
2483

Founding Date

2420

Founders

• First Brother Ignaci Crow

Alternative Name(s)

Teremia

Type

State

Inhabitant Demonym

Crowlander, Teremian

Location under

Falarin

Owner/Ruler

First Brother Ignaci Crow

Ruling/Owning Rank

First Brother of the Order of the Crow

Owning Organization

The Order of the Crow