Myrisia
"It makes me nervous, trading there. All those wizards, all that sorcery, not to mention... other things. I worry a bad deal can get my family cursed for generations, you know? I would make a terrible frog!"On the other side of Erisdaire from the Rhyliss Empire is the land magic built: Myrisia. Many know of it as a land populated by mystics who wield arcane magic readily, and there are great wonders and terrible dangers in equal measure. There are fewer large cities than in the western lands, such as Saltbreeze Harbor and Tora Malachite, but the smaller settlements are defended by magic instead of steel. The council of Great Sages take care of most major decisions, while each city and town have a Sage to act both to create the laws and to direct development. The society is much less rigid than in the Empire, but tradition binds all the same.
These settlements are referred to as "Towers", though in the last few centuries new establishments have been moving away from a vertical construction. A singular Sage leads the settlement, through whatever means they prefer, and is charged with keeping the population safe. These Towers were always intended to be mostly self-sufficient, trading excess resources amongst each other only occasionally. After the war, however, the pressure lightened up some as larger Tower settlements supported by several smaller ones were planned out and constructed. These are similar in scale to the cities in Imperial lands, though often laid out with a planned pattern.
Trade has increased, often going through sea routes and roads such as the Old Alishan Way across the middle of the continent and Ardent Highway along the southern coastline. A few magical avenues are used, however the Imperial wariness of arcane magic makes it uncommon except for more time-sensitive materials. Furthermore, many citizens of Myrisia have grown to maturity around magic, and possess a basic understanding of what it can (and cannot) do. Being aware of such things gives an illusion of being better educated, but it is instead a different education reflecting the difference in life experiences. This hasn't stopped adult citizens from embracing this idea, making discussions with others outside Myrisia difficult - to say the least.
Geography
Most of eastern Erisdaire is under the 'control' of Myrisia, though it is a loose control indeed. The western boundary was loosely defined by the Treaty of Helen, and it is currently accepted to start in the north at Koma's Cleft before passing through Hilgar near the Broken Spine mountains and terminating at Saltbreeze Harbor. A great deal of this territory has not been "tamed", with navigation done by landmarks rather than roads. Citizens are permitted to use teleportation magic to reach distant locations for a nominal fee, which is one reason for this; great roads aren't strictly necessary when such is possible. The two major roads of note are the Old Alishan Way (passing through the Broken Spine wilderness) and the Ardent Highway which starts at the eastern shores and travels along the southern coastline until it reaches Eva Oceana.In the colder north a penninsula stretches eastward, called the Frostcrown Horn. This area has few Myrisian settlements due to harsh weather, but underground there are settlements of gnomes and dwarves who run mines or cultivate hardwood for trade. The Snowdelve Mines are a major source for iron and copper in Myrisia, and the Tower of Actin Tora performs arcane magic to turn the raw ore into refined material.
The eastern coastline is largely unsettled south of the Frostcrown Horn until reaching Tryanir's Cove, due to the terrain being partly unstable. A Sage in previous centuries was experimenting with an arcane means to alter the landscape, and succeeded well enough to create the Wildstone Coast. The shifts are not particularly violent, but it renders maps useless as people can fall asleep in a forest and wake up in wetlands - or worse. After Tryanir's Cove, the coastline is known as the Rising Coast as many spots along it have significant cliffs not far from the shore.
The southern portion of Myrisia holds many of the settlements which create items and materials for trade, and is more densely settled. Along with Saltbreeze Harbor there are other ports which have trade arrangements with the Exalted Isle and the Fireshard Islands further out in the ocean. Furthermore, the Khardinh Peninsula is where a large number of the tieflings in Myrisia began establishing roots and traditions. This is one of the few places where their location is openly known, not concealed, a small point of tension between Myrisia and the Empire.
Lastly, the islands off the southeast coast are home to the Great Library of Myrisia and assorted supporting settlements. The exact location of the library is kept secret, out of fear for adversaries wanting to destroy or pervert the knowledge within, and so access is only given to Sages who have proven trustworthy. Powerful enchantments blanket the whole islands, leaving residents isolated except through magical methods of arrival and departure. Attempting to travel there by other means is not advised, and no ships will accept a charter to try - this is a quick way to earn exile from Myrisia.
History
Ages ago, before the Rhyliss Imperium rose, a magical calamity almost drove kingdoms to collapse as Erisdaire struggled in the aftermath. Common folk started to blame their misfortune on those who displayed arcane talent, shunning them at best or turning lethal mobs on them at worst. As the outcasts were steadily pushed out of the existing kingdoms, they gathered east of the Sanguine River in communities held together by their fear of what might happen if they were discovered. Settlements became capable of moving quickly and leaving behind little trace of where they had been, often with magical aid.
After a generation of living this way, a number of young adepts decided to put an end to this way of life. They proposed simply moving well beyond where the kingdoms ended, into the unknown eastern lands. This idea gained interest and support, until enough banded together to make an expedition viable. Stories of this have reached almost the status of 'folk legend' among Myrisian citizens, believed to be tall tales or allegories rather than a strict account. This frustrates historians greatly, as this means an incalculable amount of historical knowledge may actually be filed away with fictitious writings. Eventually, the eastern coastline was reached and a settlement was begun. Over time, the people spread out and started embracing the arcane talents they possessed rather than trying to hide them. The settlements agreed to a loose union which was named "Myrisia", developing a hierarchy of arcane-talented individuals to keep things stable.
Centuries later, Myrisia had spread out to encompass much of the wilderness of eastern Erisdaire. The loose union had become its own organized country, incorporating many of the indigenous people over the generations. A council of Great Sages had been assembled to handle large-scale problems, trusting Sages to run their own settlements when it came to local troubles. Nobody wanted to give absolute power to a single ruler, and even the idea of a ruling council had been resisted for a long time, but expansion had made it a necessity. There needed to be some guidelines set in place, in order to guide how arcane magic should be used to enrich the lives of citizens rather than as a danger. Elementalist magic was used to provide clean water, till fields, and heat the homes. Conjuring magic was used to allow goods to travel much faster than the use of wagons, which in turn meant perishable objects could be delivered at greater ranges. Other sorts of magic allowed broken things to be mended if enough of the original was recovered, and artisans were able to utilize magic to do fine detail work.
Relations with the outside world were difficult at first, as the people of Myrisia were not keen on inviting trouble back into their midst. However, the first to make contact were the elven houses who maintained homes in the wilderness and emphasized with the wayward arcanists. After all, the Empire had also slowly encroached on the wild places in the west and the reaction to elven protests depended entirely on which emperor was in charge. After the elves saw fit to set up permanent settlements in Myrisia, word began to spread of the "mystics of Myrisia" and others began to arrive. Dwarves set up some clan halls, while the tieflings claimed some islands off the easternmost part of Erisdaire as a new sanctuary.
But this increased attention attracted others, who had less favorable reactions to the news of an "arcane empire". Eventually, Emperor Laurent Rhyliss chose to march his Legion to conquer the lands which were not under his rule. After passing through territory unclaimed by Myrisia and trying to assault some Sages' homesteads, it was appearing as though history was coming back to the mystics. However, a growing faction of mystics had been sharpening their skills in magic specifically to fight with them. A sage named Zurith had been perfecting this 'battle magic' over his lifetime, out of fear there would be a reason to use it. Against the will of the Great Sages, he trained many who likewise feared what the Emperor would bring. Together they orchestrated defeat after defeat, punctuating this by using divination magic to find the Emperor's encampment and drop a conjuration of flame on it.
After that, an uneasy peace became assured. The Treaty of Helen was written to mark out a neutral territory which neither Myrisia or the Empire could occupy. But there was a different tension in Myrisia as the population came to grips with what had been done. The mystics who had become the "Arcane Fist" refused to put aside their studies, lest the defenders be attacked again. Sage Zuri resigned, discarding her credentials and choosing to build a place where any could come and learn this 'battle magic'. After her death, the order which had been the "Arcane Fist" was renamed "Zurithan's Hammer" over objections of those who knew her closely. Other instructors began to establish training grounds, making it so there was a division between the Myrisian and Zurithan ways of arcane study. Rather than be divided by a line on a map, they were divided by practices and principles.
Since then, there has been an uneasy peace between the Empire and Myrisia. Due to the Treaty of Helen, no Myrisian settlements are allowed to exist west of a determined line and the Empire can send no soldiers east of Aurora Bay. This caused Myrisia to renounce claims to a few settlements, and those Sages acquiesced only under duress. Traders now ply their trade along a number of routes, and in the last few generations a few enchanted amenities have filtered across into the Empire - and some Imperial citizens have traveled to finally see the 'Land Built by Magic'.
After a generation of living this way, a number of young adepts decided to put an end to this way of life. They proposed simply moving well beyond where the kingdoms ended, into the unknown eastern lands. This idea gained interest and support, until enough banded together to make an expedition viable. Stories of this have reached almost the status of 'folk legend' among Myrisian citizens, believed to be tall tales or allegories rather than a strict account. This frustrates historians greatly, as this means an incalculable amount of historical knowledge may actually be filed away with fictitious writings. Eventually, the eastern coastline was reached and a settlement was begun. Over time, the people spread out and started embracing the arcane talents they possessed rather than trying to hide them. The settlements agreed to a loose union which was named "Myrisia", developing a hierarchy of arcane-talented individuals to keep things stable.
Centuries later, Myrisia had spread out to encompass much of the wilderness of eastern Erisdaire. The loose union had become its own organized country, incorporating many of the indigenous people over the generations. A council of Great Sages had been assembled to handle large-scale problems, trusting Sages to run their own settlements when it came to local troubles. Nobody wanted to give absolute power to a single ruler, and even the idea of a ruling council had been resisted for a long time, but expansion had made it a necessity. There needed to be some guidelines set in place, in order to guide how arcane magic should be used to enrich the lives of citizens rather than as a danger. Elementalist magic was used to provide clean water, till fields, and heat the homes. Conjuring magic was used to allow goods to travel much faster than the use of wagons, which in turn meant perishable objects could be delivered at greater ranges. Other sorts of magic allowed broken things to be mended if enough of the original was recovered, and artisans were able to utilize magic to do fine detail work.
Relations with the outside world were difficult at first, as the people of Myrisia were not keen on inviting trouble back into their midst. However, the first to make contact were the elven houses who maintained homes in the wilderness and emphasized with the wayward arcanists. After all, the Empire had also slowly encroached on the wild places in the west and the reaction to elven protests depended entirely on which emperor was in charge. After the elves saw fit to set up permanent settlements in Myrisia, word began to spread of the "mystics of Myrisia" and others began to arrive. Dwarves set up some clan halls, while the tieflings claimed some islands off the easternmost part of Erisdaire as a new sanctuary.
But this increased attention attracted others, who had less favorable reactions to the news of an "arcane empire". Eventually, Emperor Laurent Rhyliss chose to march his Legion to conquer the lands which were not under his rule. After passing through territory unclaimed by Myrisia and trying to assault some Sages' homesteads, it was appearing as though history was coming back to the mystics. However, a growing faction of mystics had been sharpening their skills in magic specifically to fight with them. A sage named Zurith had been perfecting this 'battle magic' over his lifetime, out of fear there would be a reason to use it. Against the will of the Great Sages, he trained many who likewise feared what the Emperor would bring. Together they orchestrated defeat after defeat, punctuating this by using divination magic to find the Emperor's encampment and drop a conjuration of flame on it.
After that, an uneasy peace became assured. The Treaty of Helen was written to mark out a neutral territory which neither Myrisia or the Empire could occupy. But there was a different tension in Myrisia as the population came to grips with what had been done. The mystics who had become the "Arcane Fist" refused to put aside their studies, lest the defenders be attacked again. Sage Zuri resigned, discarding her credentials and choosing to build a place where any could come and learn this 'battle magic'. After her death, the order which had been the "Arcane Fist" was renamed "Zurithan's Hammer" over objections of those who knew her closely. Other instructors began to establish training grounds, making it so there was a division between the Myrisian and Zurithan ways of arcane study. Rather than be divided by a line on a map, they were divided by practices and principles.
Since then, there has been an uneasy peace between the Empire and Myrisia. Due to the Treaty of Helen, no Myrisian settlements are allowed to exist west of a determined line and the Empire can send no soldiers east of Aurora Bay. This caused Myrisia to renounce claims to a few settlements, and those Sages acquiesced only under duress. Traders now ply their trade along a number of routes, and in the last few generations a few enchanted amenities have filtered across into the Empire - and some Imperial citizens have traveled to finally see the 'Land Built by Magic'.
The Land Built By Magic
Type
Geopolitical, Country
Demonym
Myrisian
Ruling Organization
Government System
Magocracy
Related Ranks & Titles
Controlled Territories
Comments