Eastern Vales

The Eastern Vales are a largely flat stretch of land between Ironhelm Ridge and the Rust Edge Mountains, and take up the northeastern quarter of the continent. The Vales have excellent timber, open plains, a great marshland, and beautiful lush beaches towards the southeast coast. However, these lands are best known as a quiet and peaceful place free from much of the political turmoil that plagues the continent. Many who seek a quiet life reside in the Vales.
Still, the Eastern Vales are not without their own conflicts and hardships. Dragons stalk the southern regions, and large monsters traverse the woods. Since the cities of the Vales are not a united nation, there are few who keep these problems in check outside of the largest settlements. Wandering into the uninhabited places of the Vales is often a fool’s errand.

Overview

The Vales take their name simply from their geographical location and landscape: the eastern edge of the continent is made up of valleys and plains, with spots of green hills and lush greenery. The Eastern Vales were briefly dubbed Karnsreik by a ruthless tyrant, but no one living in the Vales today calls their home by that name.

Population

Roughly two million people live in the Eastern Vales, mostly in dispersed clusters of small villages and towns. The region supports only a few cities, but most are an eclectic melting pot of cultures and ancestries. The Eastern Vales are home to the largest communities of halflings in the continent, located amongst the green hills and open fields.

Capital

Foreigners typically regard Port Brynor as the unofficial capital of the Eastern Vales thanks to its fortified position and status as a destination for established trade routes across the Ender Ocean. Regardless, the Eastern Vales are proud to be a free league of small communities and cities.

Government

Although the Vales have been claimed by several rulers in the past, today the Eastern Vales have no unified government. Most settlements are wholly independent, though a few are vassals to the larger cities in the region. This informal arrangement has worked well for the people of the Vales since the fall of Karn, and locals believe it has successfully insulated the Vales from the political turmoil facing the rest of the continent.

Military

In the past, the Eastern Vales have assembled great armies under powerful warlords, but today their militaries focus on defending their own lands. Commander Esther Livingston of Port Brynor has organized a defensive pact with her neighbors, and sports a respectable navy. Otherwise, towns rely on volunteer forces, mercenaries, and local militias for protection.

Religion

Religious beliefs in the Eastern Vales are extremely heterogeneous. Worship of the Old Gods is openly practiced in the Eastern Vales. A popular sect in the Vales regard Arwyn, Morrigan, and Phantasia as a trinity of three wise sisters, and halfling communities are among the few places where public shrines to Shegorach may be found.
Alongside worship of the Old Gods, the Faith of the Sacred Flame is firmly rooted here. However, Flamekeepers in the Eastern Vales are far removed geographically from the church hierarchy in Lumen, including many who have never traveled to Elyria and only rarely communicate with their peers in other lands. As a result, the Vales are home to several divergent denominations of the Faith, including unorthodox beliefs which attempt to reconcile the Faith of the Sacred Flame and myths of the Old Gods. These beliefs conflate Saint Tarna with the goddess Nuada and tell how the Sacred Flame was created by Ogham, Lugh, and Gaibhne to protect the world with a beacon of knowledge and light.

Magic

The Amethyst Academy operates its most important school for the instruction of young mages in the Eastern Vales at Paradox Castle. As such, the people of the Eastern Vales are quite accustomed and comfortable with arcane magic, and the purple-robed wizards are often encountered escorting new students to the castle. Alongside the distance from the great nations and mild political climate in the Vales, the Academy can operate with more privacy and autonomy here. Since the Eastern Vales lacked a singular ruler when the Edicts of Lumen were enacted, it’s unclear whether or not the treaty actually applies to the region as a whole, as only Port Brynor was represented during negotiations. Nevertheless, the Eastern Vales largely abide the Edicts in spirit if not always to the letter, lest they incite the ire of their warlike neighbors.