The Verges
In the largest and deepest crater remnant of the Retribution, a delicate balance has been established between a collective of small nation-states. The bottom of the crater is an open maw—one of the only two publicly accessible safe passages between the Brights and the Gloom (the other being the city of Threshold).
Each kingdom of the Verges is unique. Some identify more with the Brights and others with the Gloom, but the collective maintains a council of ambassadors in the Diplomatic Ring of the Skyward Citadel—an architectural marvel and remnant of the Ancients that hovers over the crater maw—that makes sweeping decisions and controls passage through the center bore.
The Queendom of Imori
The Queendom is the largest nation-state of the Verges to maintain itself as part of the Brights, and provides the home for the Mavros Guild in the town of Hartfell. Imori is a classically medieval, largely rural setting. A large population of kalashtar live in the nation, and each queen in its unbroken line has inherited the bond to the same quori that gives the queendom its name. Queen Madimori, the current and twenty-sixth ruler, is known as a philosopher-monarch with especial interest in developing her kingdom’s artistic value and sponsoring new development of technology and magic. Palatia, the capital city of the Queendom, is home to the Queen’s castle and a shining jewel of progress in the Verges. The Queendom’s representative in the diplomatic ring of the Skyward Citadel is Ambassador Corinne, the personal consort to Queen Madimori. The Queendom of Imori has spent the majority of its history growing from its roots as a feudal culture built upon localized farming villages into a prosperous center of exploration and progress in both magic and artifice. Previous Queens imposed heavy taxes on outside goods to foster local culture, but Madimori has reversed many of these decrees in the hopes of expanding the nation’s influence outside of the Verges and into the wider world. The Queendom remains capable of producing all its citizens need to survive, but previously luxury foreign goods are increasingly available in Madimori’s reign. The majority of people in the Queendom are local tradesfolk who belong to a queendom-wide guild regulating their industry and providing basic training and resources to new apprentices. Any major legal industry with a presence in Imori has an associated guild, with the Mavros Guild of Adventurers being the newest addition. All major day-to-day occupations (farmers, smiths, merchants, minstrels) have an associated guild with a hall in the queendom’s capital, Palatia. Most notable are:- Mavros Guild of Adventurers: Some consider this guild’s title disingenuous and prefer to call it a mercenary guild, but its true purpose is as a research, development, testing, and exploration hub for the queendom’s foreign relations and influence.
- Kallia Guild of Entertainers: Consolidates and represents actors, heralds, and the legal (and illegal) bardic colleges. Led by Headmaster Lore and his council of the other college headmasters.
- Sephys Guild of Couriers: Publically an information trading post for messengers and postal work, but also sponsors the largest network of thieves and black-marketeers in Imori. Founded and led by the elder vampire Lydia.
If you want to add your own kingdom to the Verges, submit one to the Core DM team! We've left this region wide-open for your contributions.
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