Otherlands: Trinacria, The Three-Become-One (triˈna.kri.a)
"Long have you suffered under misrule, where siblings spilt their blood and trouble reigned in every corner. I breathe now, in Royalty, and make Three become One. I do this for you, my people, for I love you."
Trinacria is a peninsula to the west of Edari proper, connected via Old Bais. It is a confederation composed of four parts. To the west lies Vanchnfal, the home of the iconoclastic orcs. To the north is Odjunaar, a mountainous country where the warlike humans dwell. And to the east is Gah-Ouraan, the desolate land of the ash elves. In the center lies the Imperial Demesne, populated by all three groups, and home to the capital and the Emperor. Trinacria is a land of factions and divided interests, where conflicts between different groups drive battles and quests across the land, with each group seeking supremacy over their rivals.
Geography
The landscape of Trinacria is diverse, stretching from frozen tundra in the north, to tropical rainforest in the south, to desert in the east. At the center of the country is the Imperial Demesne, administered directly by the Emperor– a bountiful heartland of rivers and farms. Trinacria is about the size of Anamore, though sparsely populated beyond the Demesne. Even the largest cities outside the Demesne are only as large as the smaller ones inside of it.Landmarks
In the heart of the Demesne itself is the Trinity River Valley, which unites three rivers that flow from the sacred mountains, Bthuchin, Foyada, and Hofkahsebrum. To the north lies the Great Spine, a ring of hills and mountains that separate Trinacria from Old Bais. Temperatures to the north of the Spine are much colder than those to the south, while the humid rainforests of the west are much wetter than the dry deserts of the east. The Yakal Ocean separates Trinacria from Edari– the two were once connected by Bais, but that land bridge has long since become inaccessible. In ancient times, the ancestors of the Ash Elves crossed the ocean to search for a new home. Today, trade between the two has become much more frequent, and travelers from the East are often welcome in Imperial ports.Towns
Trinity
Trinity is the capital and holy city of Trinacria, the center of its three constituents, and the most populous settlement by far in the country. The number three is sacred in Trinacrian culture, and this is reflected in every aspect of Trinity– three sided roofs, three way roads, three corners meeting, great importance is placed on this aspect of the city. At the center of the city is the Imperial Palace, a three-sided pyramidal structure that serves as the home of the Emperor and the Imperial Court.Nenavar
When most travelers come to Trinacria by sea, they will first arrive in Nenavar, a port at the mouth of the Trinity River. Nenavar was first settled by the Ash Elves, and while they are now outnumbered by Half-Elves and Half-Orcs, they still make up a large demographic of the city, and their influence in its architecture and culture cannot be denied. The foreign quarter dominates the city, playing host to travelers and immigrants from Edari who come to Trinacria seeking their fortunes– which the Silver Fingers guild is more than happy to exploit.Rielle Tor
Founded as a defensive fort at the foothills of the Great Spine, Rielle Tor is a city of warriors. The Devoted, the most elite fighting force in Trinacria, is based here, and they tightly patrol the city streets, ensuring that all remains in perfect order. Rielle Tor is also a mining town, primarily for silver, but also for iron and adamantine, which they use to arm their soldiers. Of the major cities in Trinacria, this is the only one where humans outnumber Half-Elves and Half-Orcs.Hetachame
Even moreso than Rielle Tor, Hetachame sits at the fringes of the Demesne, on the eastern shore of Lake Gandranen. This distant placement has made it an ideal place for outsiders– scholars and artists whose ideas are less accepted in the Demesne at large. Hetachame is also known as the City of A Hundred Cults, unorthodox religious beliefs have special toleration in the city, and it is famous for the Street of Prophets, where countless would-be prophets preach their truths.Others
While significantly less populous than those within the Demesne, there are many cities outside of it. On the northern shore of Lake Gandranen lies Faadvezar, a majority human settlement that rose after the abandonment of Hofkahsebrum. Here, the Skalds keep their oldest Hall, where their voices echo the legends of their distant past. Beyond the Great Spine, human tribes continue nomadic existences in relative isolation, with only a few sparse trading settlements. When the Elves first arrived in Trinacria, they landed on the site of what became Khuul Neen, now much outsized by Nenavar, but still one of the most important ports in Trinacria. If a traveler does not first arrive in Nenavar, they will likely land in Khuul Neen first. Beyond that, settlements are sparse, save for Foyada, a holy city for the Ash Elves which is still strictly patrolled and forbidden to outsiders. The Orcs of Vanchnfal order themselves into Eight Schools, one for each school of magic, and around some of these schools, larger settlements have developed. Most remain relatively small towns, but the largest of these are Angthmzinch of Conjuration, Dinchend of Transmutation, and Ingthleft of Enchantment. The schools of Abjuration, Illusion, and Divination are only open to those who successfully find them, while the schools of Evocation and Necromancy are dangerous and not recommended to travelers.Culture
The Trinacrians are a melting pot of peoples, and their culture is as diverse as the groups which make it up . Life in the Demesne centers around the Emperor and the Empire, when in Trinacria itself, Trinacrians always pray in the direction of the Imperial Palace. The culture varies from city to city, but the Demesne is highly cosmopolitan and egalitarian, where merit is often esteemed as the great equalizer– though this is not always true among the entrenched elites. Personal honor is highly valued, as are one’s deeds. The Trinacrians are prone to picking up useful habits or wisdom from outsiders, and foreign trends or fashions often take root in Nenavar or Trinity. Vanchnfal is a deeply iconoclastic place, the Eight Schools once ruled the land before the Empire, and their drive towards knowledge above all continues to dominate the region. For the most devoted members of the Eight Schools, there is no line too hard to cross, no taboo too obscene to prevent the advancement of knowledge. The Orcs of Vanchnfal are often stereotyped for arrogance, but it is difficult to refute their long history of study in the arcane. While they often disregard foreigners, they are also willing to accept knowledge from any source, and if one proves themselves a valuable source, their origins are unimportant. The Ash Elves have a history of schism and division, which they see as sacred in the eyes of the god Thalios, who was themself divided from Zirco. Much of their understanding of the world takes root from Thaliosite philosophy– in order for the new to be born, the old must die. As such, the act of division, creating the new from the destruction of the old, is divine, and cutting is the most sacred act of all. Death is afforded no special importance, no more than any petty crime. In Gah-Ouraan, it is more important to live as the Gah-Ouraani do, a foreigner born in Edari who respects the ways and customs of the Ash Elves is afforded more respect than an Ash Elf born and raised in the Demesne with no knowledge of Gah-Ouraani customs. Odjunaar is a harsh, unrelenting land, and its inhabitants are often just as blunt, preferring to say more with less. For much of their history, the humans of Trinacria had no writing system and relied on an oral tradition, thus many sayings and common stories permeate their speech. Those born in the Demesne often think of their cousins as fickle or indecisive, one such saying is that one of Odjunaar “must change their mind 5 times a day, or freeze in the manner of their forefathers”. The people of Odjunaar place great importance on blood, aristocrats and chieftains can trace their entire lineage back to the tribe which they hail from, and outsiders are often distrusted.Government
The Emperor is the supreme head of state for Trinacria, and considered to be the descendant of a demigod, the Phoenix Emperor. Underneath them is the Order of the Twelve, a council of advisors descended from the original 12 companions of the Phoenix Emperor. Each province has its own governing body in varying forms– the Eight Schools make up a council in Vanchnfal, the Zirconium House in Gah-Ouraan, and the Moot in Odjunaar, each headed by an Imperial Viceroy who reports directly to the emperor. Each Emperor styles themselves after a bird, in imitation of the Phoenix Emperor, the first Emperor who united Trinacria under one rule. Typically names are chosen in order to embody the values which they wish to observe– the Owl Empress for wisdom, the Peacock Emperor for beauty, the Dove Emperor for peace, so on and so forth. The current ruler is the Hawk Empress, named so for her aggressive negotiations with the Otherlands.Religion
The state religion is composed of the common Edari pantheon with 5 gods, 13 demigods, and one noticeable addition. In Trinacria, the Phoenix Emperor, founder of the Empire, is considered to be a demigod. The Trinacrians make no claim to any divine descent, but instead believe they ascended to godhood based on the merit and virtue of their deeds. Accordingly, it is essential that a person accomplish great and lasting deeds in life to achieve honor in death. Typically, a Trinacrian forms their own Triumvirate, the three gods who mean the most to them personally, which they worship as both one entity, and three entities. The Phoenix Emperor is almost always one part of this Triumvirate, and any invocation to one which does not include them is taboo. While the state religion is followed throughout the demesne, the residents of the provinces are permitted to follow their traditional faiths, save a few. In Vanchnfal, worship is given near exclusively to Akhard and Vonia. This veneration is less how one in Edari might think of worship, and more like how one might react to an exceptionally interesting bug or sea creature. The Orcs of Vanchnfal believe that the spark of divinity is internally generated, and long to attain divinity for themselves. The Red Death Cult, a doomsday cult, once was popular in the region, but has long since been outlawed and destroyed. Gah-Ouraan was founded as a monastic state for worshippers of Thalios, who sought freedom to explore their beliefs. This changed with migration of Suraakhi, fleeing the expansion of the empire, who brought a much-changed version of the Edari pantheon. Religious conflict terrorized the region until the first “Triumvirate” was developed, one which named Thalios, Andu, and Pryreon as the prime gods of the Ash Elves. Even today, this is the Triumvirate which most Ash Elves tend to invoke, save those who have fully integrated into the demesne. Of the three provinces, Odjunaar has largely adopted the standard pantheon, though few worship the Phoenix Emperor. While there are some favored gods, Cado, Pidad, and Galanthe in particular, they are not focused to the same degree as the Gah-Ouraani do with their Triumvirate. In ancient times, Odjunaar was ruled by the Fell Dragon, who reigned over the humans with a cult devoted to their worship, though with the Fell Dragon’s defeat by the Phoenix Emperor, that worship has gone extinct.The Phoenix Emperor
The Phoenix Emperor, sometimes called simply The Emperor, is the state god of Trinacria, and acknowledged by the empire as a demigod. The Emperor was the first ruler of a united Trinacria, who mysteriously disappeared after a climactic battle. Their former companions announced that the Emperor had ascended to demigod status by virtue of their deeds, and include them within the standard pantheon. The worship of the Emperor is largely unrecognized by religious authorities outside of Trinacria, and only Trinacrian natives in Edari even consider them to be divine. According to the Imperial Cult, the Phoenix Emperor holds the spheres of Justice, Honorable Combat, and Revolution Against The Unrighteous. In times of peace and prosperity, the Phoenix Emperor upholds the state, but should the rule become unjust, then they support the overthrow of the regime, as they themselves did to unite Trinacria. While Caddo is still worshipped as the demigod of war, it is the Emperor who is prayed to before duels and smaller skirmishes, as a way of assuring that one's cause is just. Trinacrians believe that the world exists in cycles of creation, destruction, and rebirth, a system thought to have originated with the Ash Elves. According to their belief, the world is on its Seventh Cycle. There is no afterlife in Trinacrian belief, simply the infinite wheel of reincarnation– the gods, like the Phoenix Emperor, are those who have gone beyond the wheel and seen the true shape of creation, gaining great power and insight from this revelation.Population
Within the Imperial Demesne, Half-Elves and Half-Orcs have largely emerged as a distinct culture, oftentimes unable to trace where their original human and elven ancestral lines met. In fact, so closely blended together are these two that the distinction is frequently more cultural than biological, whether or not one prefers to identify as Elvish or Orcish. Even most humans in the Demesne carry huge amounts of Orc or Elf ancestry– it is sometimes joked that the only distinction is whether or not they possess darkvision. The provinces are a different story, and tend to be much less diverse. Orcs dominate Vanchnfal, Ash Elves in Gah-Ouraan, and Humans in Odjunaar. Despite this, diversity does exist in these regions. Students from across the Empire attend the Eight Schools of Vanchnfal, and Gah-Ouraan was the primary landing point for travelers from Edari for centuries; much of Old Suraakh’s culture has become part of Gah-Ouraan from the influx of refugees. Even in Odjunaar, Dragonborn and Kobolds tread within the mountains of the Great Spine, descendants of the Fell Dragon who tend to avoid interaction with mistrustful humans or imperial tax collectors.Food and Art
In the Demesne, meals are largely communal, with family-size servings that are intended to feed large gatherings. Rice and soy tend to be more common grains in the west and south, whereas wheat and millet dominate the north and east. Seafood and salads are popular in the Demesne, though less common the further inland one goes, with pastas and dumplings being common. The hunt is an important communal activity in both Odjunaar and Gah-Ouraan. Beyond the Spine, nomadic tribes of humans herd reindeer and fish in great lakes. Food preservation is important, especially in the cold winter months when food is scarce. Little can be farmed in this part of the world, and it is essential to use every part of the animal. In Gah-Ouraan, most crops are those which grow well in the ash of Mount Foyada, particularly tubers like potatoes and yams, but also peppers. Ash Elves living in the ashlands tend to prefer vegetarian diets of stews and curries, but those living to the south add baked pies and hunted meat from the desert or the Betmora, like giant eagles or scorpions. Despite the strange flora and fauna of the rainforest, the people of Vanchnfal thrive with their cuisines. Rice farming in Trinacria originated here, and rice dishes with Vanchnfal ingredients are a local staple, as well as barbecue favorites: Displacer Beast, Flail Snail, and Manticore. Both in Vanchnfal and the Demesne, restaurants which cater to foreign styles are common.Clothing
The Demesne is an eclectic mix of styles and fashions, born from a mingle of countless local traditions and introductions of foreign trends. A style which catches on for a week in Trinity will be outdated by the next, only to become popular in Nenavar, but taboo in Hetachame. Fashion is highly mutable and unpredictable, and the wealthy and powerful tend to show their wealth by embracing these trends. As Vanchnfal is dominated by the Eight Schools, the most common form of dress is a uniform. Not simply for robes for students and faculty, but for business owners in the surrounding towns, cart drivers between settlements, families based on which school they support. One’s uniform is considered a marker of status, and it is common to embrace a certain one in order to affirm a particular identity. Flairs are bigger markers of individuality, hats, jewelry, and other accessories. Warmth and practicality are much more important in Odjunaar, furs and skins are essential to keep warm in the freezing temperatures. Full metal armor is often frowned upon, leathers and hides are much preferred in order to retain body heat. When a human of Odjunaar reaches adulthood, they tattoo the symbology of their chosen Triumvirate upon their back as a form of observance. Painting of the face is commonly done for ritual purposes, but sometimes as a stylistic choice. Residents of Gah-Ouraan typically wear flowing garments, brighter colors in the ashlands and whites in the desert. Black and dark colors are often seen as a marker of the Silver Fingers or the Red Palm, and are generally avoided if possible. Piercings and ritual scarring is a common practice among the Ash Elves, it is not unusual to see a child as young as 5 years old with several piercings. Scars are deeply respected in Ash Elf culture, and there is great pride to be had in bearing scars or burns earned in battle.History
Origins and Settlement
The oldest written records of Trinacria are from the Orcs. It is unknown when the Fell Dragon took residence in Odjunaar, though it is most likely a time beyond reckoning. Its human worshippers pre-date the disappearance of Bais, but their precise origins remain vague. The Ashen Schism occurred 1000 years before The Century War, when the rebel Elves split from their Drow cousins and ventured to the far west. For a time, the three cultures existed in relative isolation, settling initially around three sacred mountains. The Orcs, determining that Mount Bthuchin carried some magical properties, established a base there for further study. The Ash Elves had not yet developed a resistance to sunlight, and required the choking ash of Mount Foyada to colonize the surface. It is unknown how Humans came to inhabit Odjunaar, though it is suspected they migrated from the tundra wastes to the north. The name “Trinacria” dates to the pre-Imperial era, in which the three powers of the region, Vanchnfal, Odjunaar, and Gah-Ouraan existed in an ever-shifting struggle for control. What is today the Imperial Demesne was divided between the three. Lake Gandranen and its surrounds were most frequently held by Vanchnfal, Odjunaar controlled the Malatar Woods and the hilly north, and Gah-Ouraan ruled over the Gold Coast. These were frequently temporary, however, as the Demesne was the primary battleground between the three, and lands often exchanged hands.Mad Orc Mages of Vanchnfal
Vanchnfal was a magocratic state ruled by a council of Eight Clans, each devoted to a different school of magic. The Eight Clans were deeply iconoclastic and cared only for advancing their own study, sometimes at the expense of the other clans. Each Clan had their own primary holding, but they met in Bthuchin, the center of learning and administration. Even now, the Orcs of Vanchnfal are an isolationist people, who care little for affairs outside of their own borders. Their conflicts with Gah-Ouraan and Odjunaar were primarily defensive in nature, as the Clans sought to protect their arcane secrets or research interests from foreign incursion. The early Orcish histories pay little mind to the arrival of humans and elves, and much more to their own successes or failures. The Orcs kept no records of where they came from, and to this day, see the matter as irrelevant to their study of magic. Orcs in Edari proper are not known for magic, and any biological distinction between the two groups is flimsy at best, non-existent at worst. The Vanchnfalese see their origins as a pointless diversion, as it is what they do in the present which is most important. What is known is that the Eight Clans were primarily worshippers of Akhard, and Vonia in particular, seeing the demigod as the final goal of magic, that is, defiance of possibility. The Orcs today acknowledge the existence of other gods, but only see the parent-child duo as worthy of worship. The primary drive of any Vanchnfal wizard-lord is apotheosis, becoming one with the Weave, and only Akhard and Vonia are the optimal paths to that conclusion One exception was the Red Death Cult, a fatalist doomsday cult which was born from Thalios worshippers in Gah-Ouraan. The Ash Elves spent much of their history in contemplation of the nature of the divine, and this knowledge was valuable to the Vanchnfalese, who sought to become gods themselves. The intersection of these two nearly led to calamity as the Red Death sought to unmake the world.Gah-Ouraan of the Broken House
Gah-Ouraan was first established by a religious schism among the elves. The Dark Elves first separated from their cousins for their worship of the god Zirco, seen as dangerous in ancient days, but were divided themselves when Zirco split into Caddo and Thalios. The Dark Elves who were devoted to Caddo remained in Edari, where they were later known as the Drow and participated in the Century War. The Dark Elves devoted to Thalios would abandon the continent and sail to the far west, eventually arriving in what would become Gah-Ouraan. The country began as a theocratic state, for those exiles who devoted themselves exclusively to the worship of Thalios. Initially, they retained the sunlight sensitivity of their ancestors, and lived under the shadow of Mount Foyada, whose billowing clouds of ash filled the sky. But, as time went on, they slowly spread to the savannas and deserts to their south, adapting to the sun and becoming the Ash Elves. Across the sea, as the land of Suraakh developed into an empire, many dissenters fled to the west, where they found Gah-Ouraan. Some of the arriving Suraakhi were members of the Hand of Glory, once a minor thieves’ guild in Seta, but one fortunate enough to leave long before Eida’s Calamity and the sinking of that city. With their establishment in Gah-Ouraan, the Hand quickly took root, and became much more powerful in Gah-Ouraan than they ever were in Suraakh. These Suraakhi also brought with them the worship of Eida and the Chaos Beasts, which led to another schism among the monolatryst Ash Elves. Many of the changes in the religious landscape of Edari were popular among the young generation of Ash Elves, who grew up under the suffocating atmosphere of their Thaliite forbears, and embraced it as a form of rebellion. The religious conflict rocked Gah-Ouraan for years before it was ultimately settled with the development of the Triumvirate, a trinity of the demigods Thalios, Andu, and Pryreon, who were the most popular among those worshiped in the region. The exclusive worshippers of Thalios abandoned the country for Vanchnfal, where, after many generations, they would evolve into the Red Death Cult.The Fell Dragon’s Heirs: Odjunaar
Of the three parts of Trinacria, Odjunaar was the last to be formed, though humans in the region predate the Ash Elves. Their precise origin is unknown, some believe that they were refugees from the long-lost country of Bais, though they themselves have no clear recollections of this mythic past. Even as Vanchnfal and Gah-Ouraan developed, the humans existed in scattered tribes of peaceful lake fishers and reindeer herders across the northern tundra. As Gah-Ouraan spread its influence, they launched raids on and demanded tribute from the human tribes, driving some into the mountains to escape their attacks. It was there that one of these tribes awoke the Fell Dragon on the frozen peak of Hofkahsebrum. The tribe became worshippers of The Fell Dragon, who, in exchange, taught them the ways of writing and warfare. The Fell Dragon formed them into Odjunaar, and from there, spread in a campaign of conquest across north and central Trinacria. The humans were not the strongest among their rivals, nor the most skilled at magic. They did not possess great wealth or strategic resources. But they were driven and adaptable, rapidly adjusting their strategies as the situation called for, and communal, working to assist each other where weaknesses were evident. Under the Fell Dragon’s command, Odjunaar met with great success on the battlefield, victories from Vanchnfal or Gah-Ouraan were often a result of cooperation between the two, either directly or indirectly. As the centuries passed, the Fell Dragon’s rule, once seen as a guiding light, slowly became perceived as tyrannical. Laws were enforced with little exception or mercy, with the most common punishment being imprisonment or death. The Fell Dragon claimed tribute from across Odjunaar, driving some villages to starvation or ruin. Their elite soldiers, the Devoted, enforced the Dragon’s will across the land, and prayers to the gods of the old pantheon went unheard. These three powers spent centuries in a struggle for dominance over Trinacria, with countless innocents caught in the crossfire of their conflicts. It was into this world, in the year 2023, that the person who would become the Emperor was born.Rise of the Emperor
In truth, very little is known about the Phoenix Emperor. They carry many names, the Hero With a Thousand Faces, the Six-Way Walker, the Great Uniter, and to some, Demigod, but their birth name, their ancestry, their appearance or gender, all this remains unknown. All that is known of their origin is that they were born on an uncertain day in an uncertain month in the year 2023, in what would one day become Trinity, future capital of Trinacria. Countless myths exist of the Emperor’s birth, their childhood, and their early years. The Orcs, the Ash Elves, and the Humans have all claimed the Emperor as one of their own. What is known for certain is that they were first discovered as a prisoner in what would become Trinity, under arrest by the Devoted for reasons which remain hotly debated. They were found by the first of their future Companions, of which there would be Twelve. The Emperor managed to escape prison, and embarked on a journey which would take them across the whole of Trinacria, facing a series of enemies who would later be known as the Three Calamities.The Three Calamities
The first of the Calamities was the Fell Dragon, whose Devoted were the ones to arrest the Emperor. In their travels, the Emperor began to call for a return to the old worship of the Five Gods. The cultures of Trinacria had long since abandoned the worship of all five, preferring to keep with their preferred gods or demigods, or of godlike beings. The Emperor’s belief was that this disturbed the balance of things, and sought a return to traditional modes of worship. This posed a direct threat to the Fell Dragon’s rule, and they hunted the Emperor relentlessly. After a long series of chases and skirmishes, the Emperor and their Companions met the Fell Dragon in battle at the peak of Hofkahsebrum. The battle lasted for hours and caused the death of some of their Companions, but the Emperor managed to slay the Fell Dragon. The Devoted, with their leader now dead, surrendered their arms, and the Emperor now found themselves as King of Odjunaar. Many called for the disbandment of the Devoted, but news soon arrived of the Red Death Cult’s activities in Vanchnfal, and the Emperor would soon have to embark on a campaign in the west. It was instead proposed that the Devoted be allowed to remain as a peacekeeping and questing organization, forsaking their direct ties to the government in favor of becoming an independent group. Some objected to this, but the alternative was risking rebellion while busy in Vanchnfal, and so the Emperor relented. The Second Calamity was the Red Death Cult itself– for years it worked quietly in the shadows, expanding its influence in the Eight Clans, until they seized control of the Clans and sought to enact a ritual that would enable them to claim godhood, or so they believed. One by one, and with the forces of Odjunaar behind them, the Emperor hunted down the lich-lords of the cult, and after a battle in Bthuchin, put a stop to their dark plot. The Eight Clans were greatly weakened after the war, and the degree to which the cult had infiltrated them left many uncertain how to proceed. After much debate, the surviving leaders of the Eight Clans submitted to the rule of Odjunaar, where they were restructured into schools. The magic duels and blood rites of the past were abolished, and it was hoped that with the introduction of outsiders, the influence of the Cult could slowly be whittled away. It was in Bthuchin, as the Eight Clans bowed to the Emperor, that they were first acclaimed as such, and with the peaceful submission of Gah-Ouraan, the three lands of Odjunaar, Vanchnfal, and Gah-Ouraan became united as the Empire of Trinacria. With the battles seemingly over, the Emperor returned to their hometown to begin building an new capital at the heart of the three powers, a city that would, after their disappearance, become known as Trinity. Yet, despite the defeat of the Fell Dragon and the Red Death Cult, the Third Calamity had yet to emerge. Though the Third Calamity is known as such today, they did not exist until the Emperor’s rise to power. The Emperor, over the course of their quest, acquired 13 companions. One of these companions, referred to in modern texts only as The 13th, was a member of the Hand of Glory, which, by the Emperor’s time, had long since overtaken the defunct Thalios clergy as the true rulers of Gah-Ouraan. It was under the 13th’s influence that the Hand of Glory, seeing the devastation of the wars in Odjunaar and Vanchnfal, agreed to become clients of the Emperor, not quite vassals but willing to acknowledge their supremacy. This led to yet another schism in the Ash Elves’ schismatic history, but Gah-Ouraan, for a time, was peaceful. Then, a decade after the battle at Bthuchin, as construction on the future capital was underway, the 13th Companion abruptly betrayed the Emperor, taking Gah-Ouraan with them, and the former friends went to war. The exact reason for their betrayal remains a mystery. Some believe that the 13th always planned to forsake the Emperor, others claim that an escaping lich offered the secret of ascension, or even that the Emperor betrayed the 13th first. Whatever the reason, the two companions’ armies met in battle at Mount Foyada.Apotheosis
As the battle raged, the 13th retreated into the volcano. The Emperor pursued them to engage in single combat. What happened under Foyada is unknown, but the mountain erupted, and in the ashes, neither the bodies of the 13th or the Emperor were found. The rebels of Gah-Ouraan were routed, but the Emperor was lost. Their eldest child took the throne, but without the uniting force of the Phoenix Emperor, it was feared all would be lost. The remaining 12 Companions met in the capital, convening a council for 108 days, and when they emerged, they declared that the Emperor had become a demigod, despite having no divine blood in their veins. Many factions within the provinces rebelled at the introduction of the Emperor into the religious pantheon, but after a long period of civil war, a peace was agreed– the provinces could maintain their own faiths, but the pantheon of the Empire itself would include the Phoenix Emperor. Over the following centuries, Trinacria slowly returned to a state of stability, then prosperity. Half-Elves and Half-Orcs flourished in the Imperial Demesne, and in that region today, outnumber the full-blooded humans, elves, and orcs alike. Other settlements were established as the population grew, and contacts with Edari were reestablished– though it is only within the last two hundred years that trade and travel between the two has been frequent. The age of war is a distant memory, unknown to even the oldest elves. But in this peace, opportunity has emerged. Warring factions within Trinacria vie for supremacy, seeking to pursue their own goals and overcome their rivals. In an era without war, they have much need for the work of the Mavros Guild, as useful tools to hold against their enemies and enact their secret agendas. Only time will tell if this correspondence with Edari will help save the Empire, or thrust it into an new age of calamity.Factions
Imperial Factions
Order of the Twelve
Imperial Cult
Vanchnfal Factions
The Eight Schools
God-Learners
Odjunaar Factions
The Devoted
Hall of the Skalds
Gah-Ouraan Factions
The Silver Fingers
The Red Palm
Capital: Trinity
Leader: Hawk Empress
Government System: Monarchy
National Mascot: Phoenix
Patron God: The Phoenix Emperor
Demonym: Trinacrian
Population: ~1,000,000
Demographics: Half-Elf, Half-Orc, Human, Elf (Ash), Orc, Kobold, Dragonborn
Major Imports: Gemstones, Silk, Cotton, Fruits
Major Exports: Soy, Silver, Chitin, Spices, Glory-seekers
Comments