Overview of Thelinis

Taken from The Musings of a Wanderer by Bevel Dart

When one goes a-quest’n, they’d best begin that quest’n in Thelinis. The region boasts many many wondrous places and discoveries. One can usually find help within a few day’s ride in the remotest places (unlike Misku’un or the Wildlands), and the land itself isn’t trying to kill you (unlike the Thundering Sands or Durann).

Thelinis is the cradle of modern civilization. It makes up what we believe to have been the backbone of the Empire of Iron. The great nations of Nashriam and Curath (plus Rowlem) are nestled into this valley, both nations tracing lineages back to the Empire. Not that much evidence these lineages are left after the cursed Purge, though some records were spared when they were carved into walls or worked into tapestries. But I tell you, some of these lords will praddle like a poop down on the list of their ancestors. Moving on!

Geography

In the north lies Lake Drazieu, around which wraps much of Curath’s power. Flowing from the lake down the length of the great valley is Storjot River. The river is largely free of treacherous hazards, so navigation up and down the river binds the people of Thelinis with common trade and news.

Many villages and settlements dot Thelinis, along with several large cities. One must go out of one’s way to find a place not within a day’s ride of some house or hold. But Thelinis still has its share of congruence hazards and monsters! In fact, it has been theorized that the greater concentrations of people have heightened the quantity and strength of congruence hazards. All said, I do recommend you take yourself out to the boon-toolies of Thelinis. Be willing to get yourself in a bit of trouble. Life is best when it carries a measure of strife.

The land’s connection with the lost Empire has left many ruins and artifacts calling for a wanderer such as yourself. Take yourself into the mountains north of Nashriam and give the cryptum city of Polyandrium a visit. Adventure beyond to the oft-contested Kestrel Fields, where the interests of Curath, Nashriam, and Caliharah regularly collide with stabby-stabby sticks. Dive into the depths of Beteje Forest, where it is rumored that every tree was once a soul in some long-forgotten battle; though this is not the place for the inexperienced wanderer. Nor is the mountain range north of the forest, which boasts an unhealthy amount of monsters.

With the expectation of Rowlem, you should find the people of Thelinis largely civil, though it does have its fair share of bandits. Throughout the region you will find the great guilds hard at work, the Syndicate slaving, the Ion’cavar capturing, the Clerks counting, and the Guardians guiding.

Get yourself out there and go a-quest’n! Make some friends. Make some enemies! Manage a bit of trouble, just keep your head on your shoulders. This wide world calls!

Characteristics of the Region:

The region of Thelinis owes a great deal of its culture and idiosyncrasies to the Empire of Iron.

Architecture

The best way to describe architecture is “vertical.” Buildings will often be two to five stories tall. Single-story buildings are uncommon in Thelenis, even in rural areas where there is plenty of space to build out instead of up. If a homesteader does not yet have the means to build up, they tend to build the first-story “roof” with the intention of it being a second-story floor in the future.

Due to this vertical peculiarity, towns and cities have the appearance of being built on top of themselves. Skywalks over streets and alleys are common, and over time these skybridges can expand down the length of a street, creating tunnels and passages rather than open walks.

Neighborhoods and city districts without strict building rules will tend to turn into shadowy places, unless the community invests in streetlamps. Indeed, some communities have made their tunnel-like streets into enchanting walks and merry markets with the creative use of string lights, lamps, and congruence globes.

Family and Communal Structure

Family structures heavily mirror stereotypical western family structures, with the man acting as an external worker, while the woman takes care of the household. Children are brought up by their parents and are expected to begin contributing to the family’s well-being as soon as they are physically able. Youth are expected to begin contributing real value by the age of 8, including tending the shop, caring for livestock, working as couriers, or apprenticing for a trade. Some children will stay on with their parents long-term, tending the family shop or trade, while some may leave home as early as 12.

Weddings and Extended Families

Weddings are a big deal in Thelinis. Celebrations usually last 3-4 solid days. While the immediate family unit is usually the maximum extent of a single household, extended families are usually tightly knit bunches. Cousins might as well be siblings. And when someone in the extended family gets married, the whole pack gets involved.

Unique to Thelinis, and throwback to the Empire of Iron, is the use of the circlet by the bride and groom. Both the mother and father of the bride and groom are expected to contribute to creation of each circlet. Wedding circlets are worn by all married couples in attendance for the 3-4 day celebration. The event culminates in the actual wedding ceremony, wherein the bride and groom are both “crowned” with their own new circlets.