The Eastern Territories
Located outside the Sea of Trees, the Territories have existed since the Dawn of Man and were there thousands of years before the first settlers entered the Coast. There is no magic in the Territories despite the best efforts of the brightest scholars, but it’s important to remember that not every human is capable of living day to day under the constant magical pressure that the atmosphere of the Sea exerts. Indeed, most cannot- thus even a thousand years' worth of endeavors to settle the Coast have done little to affect the population of the Territories in terms of size.
Founded by the legendary adventurer Huan-le Long, the Princedoms of Yunhai are a decentralized union of states bordering the Unkai Directorate and Piraan Hegemony. Yunhai was once a vast, united kingdom but was fragmented through centuries of land inheritance claims and subsequent secessions resulting in dissolution of the union in the first century LN and its reformation as a nation of allied princedoms three centuries later. Prior to the disunion Yunhai became the first Territory to settle the Coast, driven to do so by its state religion: an evolution of ancient “pagan” traditions whose followers seek to escape the infinite cycle of life, death, and rebirth by reaching the Everdream at the center of the sea. The Princedoms founded a second, less successful city-state known as Xinyuan in LN 413.
The Princedoms of Yunhai
Founded by the legendary adventurer Huan-le Long, the Princedoms of Yunhai are a decentralized union of states bordering the Unkai Directorate and Piraan Hegemony. Yunhai was once a vast, united kingdom but was fragmented through centuries of land inheritance claims and subsequent secessions resulting in dissolution of the union in the first century LN and its reformation as a nation of allied princedoms three centuries later. Prior to the disunion Yunhai became the first Territory to settle the Coast, driven to do so by its state religion: an evolution of ancient “pagan” traditions whose followers seek to escape the infinite cycle of life, death, and rebirth by reaching the Everdream at the center of the sea. The Princedoms founded a second, less successful city-state known as Xinyuan in LN 413.
The Unkai Directorate
Language: Tora
Initially established as a Piraan territory at the edge of the Sea, Unkai was once much smaller than it is now. Just five years after founding the city of Kansujian on the coastline in LN 57, the Unkaian Shogun divested himself of his country and took much of the Territory's leadership and military force with him to conquer Wěitīng. The First Unkai Republic was formed in his absence, seceding from the Piraan Hegemony.
A series of crop failures and poor decisions on the part of the Shicho resulted in a brief war with Pira, which ended with Unkai returning to vassalhood. Five hundred years later, following a cataclysmic event which devastated the Piraan Hegemony, the people of Unkai came together to overthrow their leadership in a revolt and the Second Unkai Republic was formed. The Second Republic lasted only four years, eventually superseded by the Directorate following a revolution headed by twelve noble houses.
The faith of Kowasu-mi, and its followers the Chains or Breakers, believes that their one true deity - the Chained God - had his divinity, magic, and power stolen by the Infernal Binders. They seek to reach the Center and free their imprisoned god, who will then bring magic and order to all of Qarna. Owing to the endless cycle of stressful political turmoil in their history, as well as their proximity to the Coast and Yunhai, Unkai has spent most of its existence as a militarized state and thus its state religion follows suit.
The Illustrious and Resplendent Celestial Hegemony of Piraan
Language: Hiran
The Piraan Hegemony began with an Almani man who claimed he had reached the center of the Sea (before any nation had even attempted to settle it) and emerged unscathed and chosen by the gods. He established a city at the base of Mount Tiraal - now known as Old Pira - and raised a religion around himself which eventually led to the creation of the largest and most powerful nation on Qarna: under the Hegemons Pira achieved a scale of economic, social, and scientific progress to exceed the Alman Empire's, and the two have warred over territory and holdings since the beginnings of history.
The cataclysmic eruption of Mount Tiraal in LN 1013 buried Pira’s capital city in volcanic ash, and the deaths of the Hegemon and most of the Territory's aristocracy left it in utter disarray. Deprived of much of its holdings in the aftermath, New Pira is a shadow of its predecessor-- though its high courts behave as though the glory days never ended. The Hegemony functions as an absolute monarchy: the Hegemon is both king and prophet, with the crime of high treason assigned to any who dares dispute either. Of note is that the title of Hegemon is passed directly to one of his or her children but there is no scripture regarding the gender or any other trait of the Hegemon.
The Winged Faith’s Seraphists believe in the Gods of the Sea, and that their chosen Hegemon is obviously the correct wielder of the greatest power in Qarna; otherwise the other gods would have struck him down. The Alman emperor has long disputed the Hegemon’s claim, saying that the Almani are the true heirs of the Sea.
The Empire of Alman
Language: Loewen
Religion: पंखों (Pankhon; The Winged Faith [Alman Orthodox])
The Almani are one of the most ancient civilizations in Qarna. Renowned as the home of a sturdy, hardworking people, it is geographically the largest Territory but much of its land consists of frozen tundra or is otherwise uninhabitable. Alman founded the city-state of Drachenkrone in the Coast during the sixth century LN, during the era of what is now called Old Alman. In LN 972, Drachenkrone declared independence from Alman, instigating the Coast War.
A conflict primarily between Old Alman and Old Pira, the Coast War (which despite its name took place entirely outside the Coast) ended with the Cataclysm and the start of the Jirol Dynasty in Alman. Two centuries later, leadership transferred to the Von Jader Dynasty following a military coup. Throughout the last decades the Empire has made attempts to persuade the Piraan Hegemony to join forces and form a vast Eastern Empire but has thus far found little purchase.
The Old Alman religion centered around “The Four,” as much gods as concepts. At a glance, they represent ideals and necessary functions of civilization: the Knight protects, the Priest guides, the Traveler learns, and the King rules. Piraanese theologians speculate that The Four began as four wise philosophers, or early leaders of Almani tribes before the Empire was formed. The Empire adopted its own interpretation of the Piraanese Winged Faith after Riegel von Jader's rise to power.
Azir
Language: Abn’awaa
Religion: N/A
Azir is a technologically advanced trade state committed to a policy of political neutrality and non-interference in the affairs of other nations. It began as a series of trading cities on the northern outskirts of Old Pira, but split away in LN 1014 following the eruption of Mount Tiraal. Its wealth and stability are attractive to educated individuals, and the people of Azir developed the earliest firearms, steam engines, and glass lenses on Qarna. Azir is unique among the Territories for being a fully secular state.
Azir was settled around the coast of a large bay in a region environmentally resembling the Southern United States. The population of the southern half is culturally Piraanese, but since their peaceful integration into the Azir nation have largely adopted Aziran customs, language, and architecture. This demographic now calls itself the Pazir. The Pazir region once housed the Hegemony’s major trading centers, owing to its placement on the south edge of the Azir Bay, but most commerce has since moved northwards. The South is now primarily agrarian and proto-industrial: the farms of South Azir function as test beds for the first steam-driven agricultural machinery. The results have been promising thus far.
Thanks to the heavy geographic division of its cultural boundaries (the Bay slides neatly between the two) there has been little to no cultural friction between the Aziran and Paziran demographics.
The Coalition of Kingdoms
Language: Lobo
Religion: Mixed
The Coalition of Kingdoms are, in a sense, the bastard children of Piraan and Alman - territories located between the two that were annexed back and forth for centuries as the two great empires warred for supremacy. The Coalition began as a handful of states that withdrew from Unkai following the First Lotus War in LN 319, and now consists of one hundred small independent states united through a treaty signed in LN 1016.
In light of this history it is little wonder that the Coalition earnestly strives to provide a peaceful life for its people, and the kingdoms that follow this principle are well known for their pursuits in agriculture, horticulture, and both the culinary and fine arts.
Once known as the Bowl of Piraan, the Coalition’s lands are almost entirely arable with warm and sunny weather year-round. Its capital city, Torreno, is highly regarded and every Territory noble worth his salt has traveled there at least once to dine at one of its many incredible mementos.
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