The Artill Unison
When roaming bands of refugees first settled the eastern coast of Elix, they sought destruction of one another to claim dominion over the region. As small villages grew, the conflicts between them continued long into the Age of Strife. It wasn’t until Evra, the Paved Way, journeyed to the Artill coast that the strife would cease. Stories tell of Evra, descending upon the land like a comet. In her descent, she flung a bolt of celestial energy into the countryside of what is now Port Thune. From a small grove of cypress trees rose Nethys, the Veiled Dagger. The two gods, engaged in frightful battle, clashed high above the coastal lands. As the Veiled Dagger would begin his retreat, the Paved Way turned her head towards the small towns of Artill and waved her arms wide. Divine rains filled the clouds above the coast and drenched the lands for a week, cleansing Nethys’ envious essence from the lands.
Free of the discordant clutches of a Dark One, the city states promptly abandoned their wars against one another and instead embraced the teachings of the Paved Way. The towns grew into blossoming cities, engaging in robust trade with their neighbors. Though the gods would inevitably fall silent at the dawn of the False Age, the people of Artill would continue their worship of the Paved Way. Owing their liberation to Evra, they believed that abidance of her dogma would continue to create prosperity for the growing city states. Seeing the rise and solidification of neighboring nations, the wealthiest leaders of each assembled to discuss the future of the Artill coast. It was here that they decided that each Artill city would be ruled individually by a viscount who would also run the merchant guilds of the city. The viscounts of the city would work together to maintain consistent rule of law between all the cities of the new Unison.
Upon the arrival of Tierysian emissaries, the viscounts gathered and, recognizing the might of such a foreign empire and the potential earnings to be gained from trade with such, agreed unanimously to assist the Tierysians in furthering their agenda on the continent of Elix. In exchange for key information gathered by the merchants of the Unison and the supplies provided to the Tierysian Empire, the Artill Unison was guaranteed its independence upon the Tierysian occupation of Elix. Though such a promise was upheld, it was quickly discovered by the viscounts that their allies had nonetheless established numerous informations and spies throughout the merchant guilds of the cities. While these activities wouldn’t hinder the Unison’s mercantile activities, it created a general feeling of distrust towards the Artill’s supposed allies.
When the gods would awaken during the Trial for Existence, the many temples and shrines to Evra, under the order of the viscounts out of an abundance of caution, began a series of ritual offerings of massive quantities of wealth to their former liberator. Feeling the summons of her loyal followers, Evra returned to the coasts of Artill. Gathering all the material offerings, it is written that the Paved Way blasted them with such a divine heat, that all the coins and gems melted into a solid mass. Descending from the skies, Evra fashioned the golden object into a massive sculpture depicting a set of balancing scales and placed it upon the site where Nethys hid, oozing his contempt thousands of years prior. It is believed that this gift from Evra was imbued with so much of her divine essence that it warded off any attempt by the Dark Ones, namely the Veiled Dagger, to interfere with the people of Artill during the trial.
Though the Unison would face a setback at the loss of such a trade partner as the Tierysian Empire, their prosperity would continue, as even the nations that detested their partnership with Elix’s occupiers still relied on the guilds of Artill for robust trade. Well into the Age of Rebirth, the Artill Unison continues to strengthen its commercial ventures within Elix and across the Teal Ocean with the nations of the Shattered Continent. Always keen for more, the Unison has reportedly set its eyes on rumored lands existing far outside its half of the globe, believing that, with Evra’s blessings, the people of Artill will be the ones to pave new ways.
Cities & Locations
Port Thune: Ruled by Viscount Vogel Kosk, Port Thune is the Unison's largest and most wealthy city. The city's center, a massive open-air pavilion surrounded by a temple complex dedicated to the Paved Way, is marked by Evra's Golden Scales. Surrounding the temple complex is a ring of markets, largely catering to the exotic and refined tastes of the wealthy. While the city saw its origins in the production and exporting of various refined textiles, the city and its Viscount see such a massive amount of internal commerce, that tax revenues overwhelmingly dwarf other sources of income. The city is largely circular in design, with Evra's gift, temple complex, wealthy markets, and guild headquarters in the center. In the central ring exists a majority of personal residences, smaller commercial markets, inns, taverns, and various ordinary and specialty craftsmen. The exterior of the city, lined in walls that eventually taper into the Teal Ocean, generally houses poorer commoners. Most buildings within the city, especially the inner and middle rings, are beautifully designed with red-tiled roofs; paved roads, like spokes on a wheel, connect every gatehouse to the city's center. Old Town, the oldest district in Port Thune that is situated near the docks, has been classified as the slums and houses the poorest of Port Thune. Here, it is said the criminal organization known as the Collective operates.
Port Dragnus: Owing its success to its proximity to the Arvenora Conclave, Port Dragnus, governed by Viscount Sarya Yesfiel, deals largely in the purchase of Anaraldaron goods to then be sold to more distant nations. The city has colorful rooftops and towers which vary in height and design, giving an eclectic visual of a jumble of cultures having built this space without unified vision. The city itself, sustaining a decent expanse of vineyards and farms, produces a large quantity of ales, alcohols, and spirits, which it exports to other city states and the nations of Elix and the Shattered Continent.
Adresh: Adresh, a boisterous and rambunctious city, goverened by Viscount Ukragak Razgul, is home to many adventuring guilds and the bars and taverns that sustain them. Due to the nature of the clientele, many weaponsmiths and armorsmiths ply their crafts here. The guilds of Adresh, sponsoring a great many adventuring contracts and mercenary troops, often find their revenue in ebbs and flows outside of the borders of the Unison at large. A more recent phenomenon, a few of the guilds in Adresh, sponsored by the Viscount, have begun exploring archeological operations, largely searching for ancient and profitable relics found throughout the realms. While most of these endeavors have focused on Age of Strife era items, many have begun to whisper about the possibility of the Adreshian guilds pursuing Tierysian artifacts and the dangerous ramifications of such.
Yaru: Once a humble fishing village, Yaru has blossomed into something far bigger. Today, the island-city sports a massive array of harbors. Given its location within the Teal Ocean, it not only serves as the first point of access for vessels traversing across the ocean, but also as a vital safe haven and supply depot for those seeking safety from the threat posed by the pirates of the Drowned. An impressive network of towers span the coast and shallow waters of Yaru, constantly manned and on the lookout for hostile vessels that seek to harm trade. Besides finding profit from international trade, Yaru still supports extensive fishing operations. Braving deeper seas these days, Yaru also provides more rare products to market in the form of exotic fish and oceanic herbs. Viscount Elcerys Nielor, a militaristic woman by all accounts, is both bold and aggressive in her vision for Yaru.
Shayle: Shayle, small but stable and consistent, is situated in the most fertile of the Union's lands. While it does not compare to potential levels of production of House Aelnore, within the Kingdom of Silverlight, it has historically supported itself through its export of agricultural products throughout the Union's city states. As imports of foodstuffs from the south, after tariffs and taxes, generally cost more than the goods harvested and produced here, the future business and livelihood of Shayle seems assured. Viscount Cho Midun, the ruler of Shayle and its agricultural and commercial guilds, is described as a warm and happy woman who cares deeply for the wellbeing of her people.
Yadrela: Situated on the border with the Kingdom of Silverlight, Yadrela, ruled by Viscount Javon Chirsk, is responsible for monitoring most of the imports and exports to and from the kingdom. Many in Yadrela are employed by customs guilds, which verify the quantity, quality, and integrity of the goods flowing through the Unison. As of late, however, there has been an uptick in stolen goods and forgeries within Yadrela, all believed to be the work of the Collective. Moreover, there are increasing reports of unsanctioned gathering operations within the bordering Anaraldaron forests originating from Yadrela, creating tension between Viscount Chirsk and the others of the Unison.
Estana: A small, but growing town, Estana is ruled by Viscount Kirilun Goldbuckle. Estana, once just a mere village under the purview of Port Thune and Viscount Vogel Kosk, has recently been elevated to its own city state under the rule of Viscount Goldbuckle, previously a dwarven merchant from the Steinhar Empire. Viscount Goldbuckle has recently funded efforts to break ground into what he envisions will be an extensive mining network within the Morinfell Mountains. While only common ores such as iron, copper, and coal have been discovered so far, the people of Estana are optimistic for better finds in the future.
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