The Starry Realm of Byrtonil

From the Imperial Palace amid the thundering falls of Waterfell Queen Ealanor of Daewood rules Byrtonil. Millennia ago when mankind first left the The Endless Ice they landed in Byrtonil, or as they called it in the ancient tongue, The Shattered Isle. It is a land of heavy mist and mystic silence. The people of Byrtonil are said to have taken mermaid brides and certainly it seems as though their sailors are magically at home on the water. Byrtonil is wealthy off its sea trade but although it may seem a tempting opportunity no invasion of Byrtonil has ever been successful.
Most of the coastline is stark cliffs with no natural landing point, fragmented by innumerable fjords. The fjords are tight and winding, and many an attacking fleet has been sunk by catapults positioned on the cliffs above or by an illusion leading to a dead end. Watchmen keep a stern vigil from their lighthouse towers, ready at a moment’s notice to sound the alarm.
It was the Byrtonilians that first uncovered the mystic runes the Gruath’an ship people used to cross the great deep and so they were the first Empire to lay claim to the bounty of the continent of Nekoti . Exotic products from the world over are found in Waterfell’s markets, the center of a dynamic trading empire. Far Realm magic is prolific, with fraternities dedicated to apotheosis through communion with the Eldritch Gods. Trolls, mankind’s earliest competitor in Felizeen , are sworn to the crown and carry out official duties such as collecting bridge tolls and guarding the fjords.
But not all happy with the results of the nation’s wealth. Outside the main cities the vast majority of the populace lives in sleep villages, watched over by nobles from their moss covered castles, many of them practicing the old sword arts passed down from their ancestors. Most shun the decadence of city life, but none more than the Reindeer Lords of the Northern Provinces. They favor the old tongue, feasting in their mead halls and living off the reindeer they prize so dearly.
In other parts of the realm mages and nobles alike dabble and experiment with strange magic. Who knows what they are up to?

Maps

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  Rough Draft of Byrtonil

  First draft of Byrtonil, not including the separate areas marked.

Type

Geopolitical, Empire

Demonym

Byrtonilian

Location

Felizeen