Lightforged Realm of Morencia

Morencia is an unforgiving land pincered between mountain, sea and canyon. It is a windswept plateau, bounded by the sea to west, the Donark Mountains running from northwest to northeast, and a deep, dry canyon system that runs along its eastern flank to the ocean. The west coast faces the Gulf of Thal'Andras where trade routes lead outwards to the Southern Colonies, Meridian Concord, Ondari Dominion, and beyond. The dry eastern plateau is wilder and less inhabited, and exposed to the strong winds coming down from the heights of the Donark Mountains. Although the sea is never far, the realm mostly suffer from a dry climate, due to the combined effects of constant winds and rainshadow from the Donarks. In that context, water has become one of the most precious resources, and the bigger cities have emerged on the shores of the few rivers flowing from the Donarks, or, in the case of the great Salves River, from far in Eastern Esseas along the Kybar's Teeth. Morencian Provinces, under both the Zentherians, and later the Tirians, was always a bit of an outlier. It was sparsely populated, and geographical separated from much of the rest of the Kingdom, with much of its population residing on the coast in port cities. This created a people used to outsiders and visitors, making them a very open and inclusive people where much of the rest of Tiriande was far less so.

Emergence of the Light

Sometime during the 1550s 5E, in the rocky foothills of the Donark Mountains, a Tiefling explorer by the name of Akira happened upon a set of ancient ruins deep within a cave, seemingly untouched for eons perhaps. There she was visited for the first time by the Guiding Light who offered to break the cycle of their diabolical heritage, and bring her, and everyone else into the light. Slowly, and quietly, Akira spread word among Tieflings that they could be saved and brought into the Light, leave behind their past, start a-new, and push back against the dark in the world. Word quickly spread among the Tiefling communities around the world, and many who were able started to flock to Freehold and the area. Over the next 30 years, the number of Tieflings in Morencia exploded until they made up nearly half the population in some regions. Being the culturally diverse and open region that Morencia was, it likely part of the reason the Guiding Light flew under the radar of the Tirians for so long. Seeing so many of their kind one place, the Tieflings started to openly discuss the idea of a true homeland for themselves for the first time. During this time, the Sol'Cari Elves in Thas'Dorah secretly began to offer their assistance to bring a Tiefling nation into reality. In 1586 5e, The Lightforged Uprising began. It was swift, and well organized. Much of the military forces of Tiriande were off fighting in Kirkwall against the Dominion and on the Aranoc Islands. Many local leaders had been converted already, and all that was left was a quick assault on the skeleton thin garrisons that were left behind. The entire uprising was nearly bloodless because they caught the garrisons by such surprise, and in keeping with the teachings of the Light, spared the lives of the Tirian soldiers. The Tirians, unable to fight wars on three fronts would be unable to mount an extensive response allowing the new Lightforged Realm of Morencia to dig in and consolidate its position. Over the next several decades Morencia and Tiriande would continue to come to blows. The Lightforged Uprising took less than a month, and cemented Morencia as the first true home for Tieflings across the world.

Welcoming and Festive

Owing in part to the cultural openness of the people living in Morencia, and a pragmatic need for more people to protect itself; after its founding Morencia very quickly opened its doors to everyone who wished to embrace the light, or just find a new home without persecution. This message resounded deeply within marginalized groups such as Tieflings, Dragonborn, High Elves, Half-Elves, and others. Shortly after their founding, the state also re-discovered the ruins of a Dragonborn city on the bluff above the Dry Gulch. So they invited the Dragonborn, as a largely stateless people like they themselves had been, to come reclaim a slice of their history and join the free peoples of Morencia in creating themselves a new home. Many Dragonborn took them up on their offer, and many also embraced the Morencian religion of "The Guiding Light", having become disenfranchised with their god Bahamut, and the Ancestor-Aspects of each colour. When they are not fighting for the greater good or against the forces of darkness, Morencians are warm, festive, and eager to celebrate. They have many occasions, and many ways, to do so—be it the birth of a child, holiday or the end of a vampire hunt, they rejoice and feast, sometimes for several days. Music and dance are always a major part of the celebrations, even if bound by rigorous customs. Towards outsiders, for those who show no sign of evil or darkness, and who respect Morencian customs, there is always a place around the fire. Morencians are overwhelmingly honest and passionate about their state religion The Guiding Light. They are known to be hard working, once accepting a task they devote themselves to its completion. The population of Morencia has swelled in interceding decades with marginalized people seeking a home. The Tenants of Guiding Light are appealing to people who feel abandoned by their own gods. As such the population in Morencia is Human, Dragonborn, and Tiefling in near equal parts, with a large population of Half-Elves, High Elves, and Half-Orcs. Other species like Dwarves, Gnomes, Halflings, etc. are also found, but in much smaller numbers comparatively than elsewhere. Against the common belief, the majority of Morencians are not zealots, and they are tolerant of other belief systems that don't worship dark deities. This is in part because of the Tenants of Light, taught by the Guiding light, but also because most people in Morencia come from marginalized communities, who know the pain of those actions and seek not to perpetrate it. Morencians also understand that The Guiding Light demands its followers only destroy evil incarnate in the forms of the undead, fiends, abominations, etc. For example, If a paladin of Guiding Light sensed an evil within a person they would first attempt council them back to the light before resulting to violence, because the person isn't evil in an incarnate form. However, on some extreme occasions this has been hard a set of ideals to follow. They are also not entirely unified, while they all do worship the same Guiding Light, interpretations vary on the teachings, resulting in several different sects and orders. Such as the Illuminator Order, who are a charitable religious order working to help the sick and the poor across Esseas and emphasizes the compassionate parts of the Tenants of Light; or the Radiant Harbingers, a militant order dedicated to seeking out and destroying the darkness in its purest forms wherever found.

A Theocratic State

Unlike the majority of countries in Esseas, Morencia is a theocracy, led by the Heirarch, Lightbringer Y'mera. Y'mera is the third Heirarch after the passing of the first and second Heirarchs; Lightbringer Ashoka and Mymera. The Heriarch is both the Political leader, and the spiritual leader of the country; represented by the dual titles of Heirarch and Lightbringer. The Heirarch is assisted by a personal advisory, the Hand of the Prophet or Sigilite of Light; who acts on the Hierarchs authority in her absence, has extensive authorities and agents of his own, and is a close confident and friend to the Heirarch. Beneath the Heirarch is the Council of Scions; a governing and advisory body of five Scions who run much of the day-to-day operations of the country. These five represent the broad swathes of society and include the: Arch-Lector of Light, Grand Vicaar of Artificiers, High Exarch of the Golden Army, High Wyrmcaller of the Dragonborn, and Lord Arcanum. Together these individuals advise, and carry out the will of the Heirarch and the Guiding Light. Beneath them, is the Synod of Light. A grand council chamber of the 120 most senior members of the country, 20 from each of their respective segments of society, and 20 ley people chosen from the community. This body itself has little in the way of power, but it can recommend and draft legislation, and most importantly act as a sounding board for the people to voice concerns. Morencia has a positive, but complex relationship with the Elves of Thas'Dorah. The elves assisted them greatly in their bid for independence, and also act as an ally against Tirian aggression; but the teaching of the Guiding Light frown heavily upon some of the practices observed, causing concern among the Morencian leadership. On the eastern side, the relationship between Morencia and Tiriande is very poor. Tiriande seeks to retake its lost territory in both Morencia and Charnault. Morencia is also one of few locations in the world that is known to mine Petricite, a type of realmstone known for its magic dampening capabilities which the Tirians make extensive use of.

Cities of Morencia

Morencia is split, with the vast majority of its population settled on the coast near the mouth of one of several rivers. Outside of these cities, the largest inland settlements are the Capital of Whiterock, and the Dragoborn city of Ember Cairn.
Freehold - the largest city in Morencia, and formerly the defacto capital of the Morencian province. It is an enormous port city, and a hub of trade and culture in the region boasting a plethora of races and communities. Ember Cairn - Once the ruins of an ancient Dragonborn colony on the bluff above the Dry Gulch Canyon, it is now a bustling holy city for Dragonborn. It is the largest single settlement for Dragonborn on the continent of Esseas, as is at the same time a center for worship of the Dragon God Bahamut, seen as an ally against the darkness; and the Guiding Light. Whiterock, The City of Light - Whiterock is said to be built on top of the very site which the first Lightbringer was visited by the Guiding Light. It is known for its gleaming white marble structures, and massive temples; the largest of which is said to house an Angel of Light all year round as the intermediary between the Heirarch the Guiding Light.