Raevo
The northern province of Ostoya is steeped in magic.
Their wizards rival the abilities of the members of the
Erlefurt Imperial Colleges and the elves of the Charneault
Kingdom. In the fortress city of Castalore, the mageocracy
of Raevo stands in opposition to Soma’s Crimson Court.
Castalore is known for its magical crafts, among the
finest in Etharis. The Raevan wizards have perfected the
art of golems, such that they have pioneered ways to
manufacture constructs made of diamonds, orichalcum,
and other exotic materials. The Shaper Guild employs
the foremost crafters of magical items in Raevo,
constructing staves, potions, and spellbooks by the
thousands each year.
All magic in Raevo was learned from one source—the
fabled wizard academy of the Ravencourt Sanctuary,
located on an island southeast of Castalore. Travelling
there on your own is impossible—not only does an
enchanted mist hide the island, but the ocean surrounding
it is also roiling with sea monsters eager to swallow
intruders. The only way to get across is by invitation.
A boat arrives at the Castalore dock once every seven
years, bearing the names of those deemed worthy to
cross over. Of every ten candidates who go, only nine
ever return. The last one, it seems, remains on the isle,
and the Ravencourt wizards never reveal why this is
done or the fate of those left behind.
Raevo holds plenty of opportunities for enterprising
adventurers. First Minister Mina Taliesin continually
seeks out talented operatives to spy on and sabotage the
Soman Aristocracy, offering rewards to those who serve
her. Meanwhile, General Artemios Dulka, Ostoyan
dissident and leader of the Order of Dawn, seeks to
destroy the undead plague and the vampire aristocracy
through whatever means necessary. He seeks out those
of like mind and strong in arm. Doubtless, adventurers
who can stomach his rhetoric find ample opportunities
in his employment.
Structure
Raevo is currently ruled by the Lady of Masks,
Mina Taliesin, and her Council of Mages.
The Masked Lady is a turbulent figure bent
on overthrowing the Soman government and
dominating Ostoya. Each minister of the court is
guarded by their own golem bodyguards.
While the Raevans enjoy a higher standard of life
than other provinces, they are essentially a police
state under the watchful eye of the magocracy.
Any act of disloyalty or dissent is dealt with
quickly and unequivocally.
Assets
While Raevo does not have mining resources as
extensive as Soma, it does possess more arable
land. Supplementing this by fishing and hunting,
Raevans generally have a more stable food supply
and thus a higher standard of living than their
counterparts in Soma.
Where the Raevans possess their real edge is the
burgeoning industry of crafting magical items.
The Raevans greatly admire magic and have the
highest concentration of wizards and alchemists
in Ostoya. The skill of their artisans has generated
fame for Raevo and their wares are highly sought
after in other nations. In particular, golems are
considered the pinnacle of craftsmanship in
Raevo, though the prohibitive cost of making one
makes their production rare. Still, any visitor to
Castalore will doubtlessly marvel at the city’s
roving bands of golem honour guards.
Soma has enacted strict edicts against magical
items and has blocked trade routes going to Raevo
to weaken their economy, yet the mages have
still found ways to smuggle goods in and out
of the province. Finding out their trade secrets
would certainly put one in the good graces of the
Soman nobility.
History
Raevo was founded by a young diviner, Lissandra,
who dreamt she would one day raise a force
that could defend Ostoya from those who would despoil it.
She followed her visions from her hometown
of Voyd to the high cliffs to the north. Here she
raised the settlement known as Castalore with her
family, which grew into a fortified whaling town.
Though the town thrived, Lissandra herself
grew withdrawn, spending her time looking into
the mists across the sea. Eventually, she took a
rowboat and vanished into the east.
Several years later, the townsfolk were surprised
to see a lone, unmanned rowboat emerge from
the mists and dock at the pier. In the boat was
a wax-sealed envelope containing a note, which
said that all who had the talent for magic should
travel to the Ravencourt Sanctuary, if they wished
to learn the craft. Most of the townsfolk thought
it was just a hoax, but ten young men and women
boarded the boat against their elders’ wishes. The
boat bore them away into the mist.
When they returned seven years later, they came
home as wizards. But not all of them returned—
one was missing, and the mages could not be
made to tell what happened to their lost member.
The wizards improved the conditions of the
town and eventually turned it into a city. They
established themselves as leaders of the republic
and fostered its economy. Every seven years,
another boat would come from the mists bearing
the same invitation. Those who had potential
would go into the mists and return as mages—but
always, the Sanctuary kept one student as its due.
When news spread that the Soman nobility had
become vampires, not all citizens fell in with the
new regime. The few who rebelled took advantage
of the aristocracy’s war with the Bürach and
settled in the northern province of Raevo.
There they established ties with the existing
government, forming a republic. By the time the
Crimson Court could turn their full attention to
the dissidents, Raevo was ready for them.
In the Ostoyan civil war, Soma possesses the
larger army, composed of battle-hardened
veterans from the war against Bürach and
supplemented with strike teams of undead. On
the other hand, Raevo has its wizards. Their
magic enables them to match the greater numbers
of the Somans and beguile soldiers into fighting
each other. To deal with the undead horde, the
Raevan mages turn to their strategic allies, the
Order of Dawn.
Leader
Parent Organization
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