North Gaer Coast

Three independent city-states hold the power in the region along the northern coast of the Gaer Sea. Two of these are human states that originated in the time of the Andarian Empire. The third is the first dwarven state on Embril, and by some calculations, even older than the city of West Andaria. Other than regional proximity, these city-states do not share much in common. But they conduct trade with each other and maintain relatively peaceful relations. Conflicts with other regional dangers, such as orc, goblinoid, and human barbarian tribes, plus various monsters in the wilderness usually demand too much attention to worry about potential struggles with neighboring city-states.
Alkren is a dwarven monarchy with its roots firmly dug into the Stone Horn Mountains. It could be considered more than a city-state if it sought to actively tame more of the mountainous terrain around it and establish larger settlements. As it stands, most of its people live in small, loosely-connected mining villages around the city-proper.
Molinay is an oligarchy ruled by the nobles of the city. From among them, they elect a Lord, to serve as leader. The Lord works closely with the Council of Nobles and serves a term of four years, but can be reelected by the Council.
Talith is a magocracy where the Mystic Archons, an enigmatic mage guild, holds power. The Grand Archon, leader of the guild, also serves as the ruler of Talith. Though Talith is a magocracy, it does not possess a particularly large magic-using population. The Mystic Archons are a secretive organization whose membership is difficult to attain and few spell-casters outside the guild chose to remain in Talith for long.

Life and Society

Life in the North Gaer Coast varies greatly based on location.
Dwarves in Alkren live mainly underground, working in mines and carving out their grand halls. Proud dwarven traditions dominate Alkrenian society. Instead of social classes, they have a clan system where one’s influence directly correlates to the status of one’s clan and his own standing within the clan. The royal family’s clan, of course, ranks as the most prestigious and influential clan.
Molinay has a more traditional class system, divided between nobles and commoners. The division between the classes is formally observed in many interactions between them. It is customary for commoners to address nobles as “sir” or “madam,” or “my lord,” “my lady.” When encountering them on the street, commoners should allow nobles to pass before them. Various other small observances and customs are followed in Molinay.
No formal classes exist in Talith. For many, money equals power, and power equates to status. Those with power and money tend to use it to their benefit, careful not to cross someone of greater influence or wealth. And few in Talith would dare cross the Mystic Archons, for their magical might is power that even supersedes money. The Mystic Archons do not openly abuse their power, though many believe they do so in secret.
Where mining and stonework are the main industries in Alkren, the port cities of Molinay and Talith have thriving fishing industries as well as timber producing and hunting. Many adventurers also frequent the area. The Tall Trees, Westwoods, and regional mountain ranges provide many opportunities for treasure hunters and glory seekers.

Major Geographical Features

Forest covers much of the area, from the Westwoods south near Molinay to the coniferous Tall Trees to the north. Surrounding Molinay and Talith are many small villages and farms under their influence. But the farther one ventures from the cities, the untamed nature of the wilderness, particularly in the Tall Trees, takes over. Alkren, also represents a point of stable civilization in the Stone Horn Mountains, with its various mines and villages surrounding it. But farther out from the city, the mountains become wilder and more dangerous.
Stone Horn Mountains: This mountain range is considered the origin point of dwarves on Embril. The first dwarven city of Alkren was founded in the northern part of the range. Just about any kind of mountainous creature can be found here, from goats to dragons and anything in between. The Stone Horn Mountains form a natural barrier between the majority of the Haegren Barrens and the Westwoods. Many caves in the Stone Horn Mountains are said to lead to the Underdark, and at least one known drow city, Tlac’ven.
Tall Trees: This coniferous forest is home to numerous nomadic tribes of various races, including humans, goblinoids, and orcs. Many monsters inhabit the woods as well. Harsh winters and cool summers are the standard in the Tall Trees, with cold winds blowing in from the North Sea. Winter in the Tall Trees typically lasts from mid-October to mid-April.
Westwoods: The Westwoods covers a large portion of the west coast of the continent of Velen. It is home to many woodland creatures, monsters, as well as elves and humans. It bares several varieties of tall, leafy trees. The undergrowth in the forest is moderate, and the trees are not as densely packed as in the Great Forest. But the thick canopy keeps the majority of the forest floor in perpetual shade.

Important Settlements

The three city-states are separated by great distances. The roads between them are only moderately patrolled, and that just nearest to the cities themselves. These roads are mainly well-worn paths from repeated caravan use. In the winters, these roads become covered in snow, making them difficult to traverse.
Alkren (Large City, 15,500): The city begins as a fortified keep on the side of the mountain range. Large stone walls topped with parapets and wide, crenelated square towers rise from the lower slopes to greet visitors. Beyond the intricately carved gate several stone buildings line a grid of streets paved with geometric precision. Two massive and ornate archways lead into the mountain and the city continues underground with structures even grander than the ones outside.
King Lomruk Rubymane rules Alkren. He is the fourth king in the Rubymane line. He is assisted by the Deepforge Council, a council comprised of the heads of the most elite clans in Alkren. His eldest son, Prince Joriak, is next in line for the throne. But King Lomruk is expected to rule for at least another hundred years before considering retirement.
Alkren’s banner is a navy blue background with a golden helm over golden eyes and a beard in eight golden braids.
Molinay (Large City, 19,000): A large port city, many ships come and go from Molinay. Trade with Talith to the north, the islands of Durman and Camlund, as well as several countries to the south ensure Molinay thrives economically. The city itself is full of two, or three-story cottage-style buildings that spread out from the docks in a half-circle. Many of these are either dedicated to business, as shops, inns, or taverns, while many others serve as tenement homes. Molinay contains a park decorated with well-tended gardens which bloom with colorful flowers in late spring and early summer. Farther from the coast and the bustle of the docks, opulent villas form the noble quarter in the southeast.
Lord Brun Odraldi is the current ruler of Molinay. He is a very wealthy and influential noble with several supporters in the Council of Nobles.
Molinay’s banner is a white background with three green diagonal stripes and a black silhouette of a falcon in the center.
Talith (Large City, 17,000): Talith sits on the north bank of the Adlerine River as it spills into the Gaer Sea. Talith is a large port city that trades with all nearby ports. Many expeditions to the north originate from here as well, meaning traffic comes and goes from both directions. The city hugs the river and the west coast giving Talith an angular shape that bulges slightly in the center where the two branches meet. Cold winds and rains are typical in the spring and autumn with a pleasant, but short summers. The winters are cold and long, however. Many frontiersmen live in Talith, making a living off the Tall Trees nearby. Various craftsmen operate in the city, helping to keep the markets stocked with local products as well as providing wares for export.
The Mystic Archons, a mysterious mage guild, are the recognized rulers of the city. The Tower the Archons is in the center of the city, a structure with a broad base forming various halls before jutting straight up for six stories in an impressive black tower. Vuvald Ravenspark is the Grand Archon, leader of the guild, and therefore, ruler of Talith. Though he makes few proclamations and rarely addresses the masses, any proclamations from the Mystic Archons are considered as if originating from him and treated as law.
Talith’s banner is a red background with a silver, star-tipped wand in the center, pointing upwards.

Regional History

According to calculations based off dwarven history, Alkren was originally founded in 510 AE. The legends state that Moradin, the Dwarffather, had sent a group of his followers through a portal into this new world so that they may stake a claim here. They had appeared at the base of the Stone Horn Mountains, where they had founded their first city. As the dwarves in Alkren thrived and expanded, so did many other creatures in the nearby areas. Early on, the dwarves came into contact with orcs, which led to immediate conflict. But the dwarves remained confident in their mountain seclusion and largely attempted to ignore the rest of the world around them. For this they paid the price in 1090 AC, when orcs, led by a powerful chieftain named Gralmok, attacked Alkren. Gralmok had united the orc tribes in the Tall Trees and began leading his army south, beginning with the dwarven city. Gralmok soundly defeated the dwarves and took Alkren. Whatever dwarves survived were displaced and forced to flee.
Gralmok’s orcs spread south and conquered the Westwoods before he was killed by the green dragon Medrydandril. However, Gralmok’s sons split his kingdom into separate tribes and continued to rule the Westwoods and into the Tall Trees up past the Stone Horn Mountains. The dwarves, with their numbers diminished could not reclaim their city. Two centuries later, the orcs were driven out of the Westwoods by the powerful human Andarian Empire. The orcs consolidated their territory north of the Crin River, still keeping hold of Alkren.
Then, in 1522 AC, the human city of Molinay was founded north of the Crin. Molinay was independent of the Andarian Empire, though it benefited much from its connections to it. However, the Andarians were unwilling to commit too many resources north of the Crin, so Molinay claimed its own sovereignty. The city carved out its own little niche in the northern Westwoods and managed to greatly weaken the orc presence in the area. Molinay began as a monarchy, with the thought that a strong central leader was necessary for it to prosper.
With the orcs in the area losing hold of the region, the dwarves made their move. In 1590 AC, on the 500th anniversary of their defeat, they attacked and defeated the orcs, retaking the city of Alkren. Bumlimbar Grandaxe became the first king in the second founding of the kingdom of Alkren.
In 1847 AC, the human city of Talith was founded to the north, also independent of the Andarian Empire. Talith began as a monarchy, with the intention of creating a small kingdom along the coast.
In 1965 AC, the Andarian Empire collapsed, but the city-states of Molinay and Talith retained much of their stability since they were independent. As the centuries past, the Andarian spoken in these cities mixed with dwarven from Alkren and elven from the Dylanthatar to create the Gaeric language spoken there today.
As the city-states of the north Gaer Coast strengthened, they faced numerous challenges from the Tall Trees and Stone Horn Mountains, mainly in the form of monstrous and human barbarian tribes. Numerous incursions and attacks have riddled the region’s history and the number of tribes in the Tall Trees has been so great, that civilized expansion into the area beyond the established city-states has been largely stifled. Without a conquering power, such as that of the Andarian Empire, the Tall Trees have remained wild and inhospitable. The city-states have had little choice than to focus on their internal situations before considering any broad expansion.
Alkren has remained a monarchy throughout its history, but in 2368 AC, King Yolo Grandaxe, having three daughters and no male heirs, passed his crown to his son-in-law, Mariak Rubymane, husband to Yolo’s eldest daughter, Thulta. This ended the Grandaxe line of kings. The Rubymane family has led ever since.
In Molinay, the monarchy eventually crumbled, never really asserting itself as a credible power, and only lasting as long as it did out of tradition. The nobles of Molinay began claiming more and more power, until the monarchy just became an outdated tradition. After a few centuries, it was done away with altogether and replaced with the city Lord and the Council of Nobles.
In Talith, the monarchy, similarly, did not last, also lacking much credibility. Talith became an oligarchy where those with wealth or power formed an exclusive ruling class. This lasted for centuries until the Mystic Archons came to power, their magic proving more powerful than the wealth of the oligarchy. This happened in 340 AV, when a group of mercenaries attacked the headquarters of the mage guild, the Tower of the Archons. In a bloody battle, many mages were killed, but so were all the mercenaries. That same evening several of the oligarchs of Talith died when their homes were destroyed in unexplained magical explosions. The Mystic Archons have ruled Talith uncontested ever since.

Capital
None
Government
Varies by city-state
Banner/Flag
Varies by city-state
Population
613,000 (humans 60%, dwarves 27%, half-elves 4%, half-orcs 3%, elves 2%, gnomes 2%, halflings 1%)
Demonym
Alkrenian, Molinite, Talish
Religions
Caelum, Clades, Fortuna, Luna, Magus, Moradin, Mortem, Mundus, Pontus, Terra, Vita
Imports
Fruits, glass, ivory, livestock, pearls, spices, textiles, vegetables
Exports
Armor, fish, gems, hides, metal, ore, timber, weapons
Language
Dwarven (Alkren), Gaeric (Molinay and Talith)
Alignment
N, LE, LG

The Continent of Velen

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