Vendithian Union
“Prosperity flows from the King’s respect”
Alignment: NG
Description: An aristocratic republic that thrives on trade along the Great Road. The Union has rebuilt itself from the devastation of the Chaos Wars into the largest power in the West and the largest outside of the Elven realms.
Geography: The Vendithian Union lies between the Western Sea and the Central Sea, also known as Gaia’s Cup. The Union is named for the Vendithian Mountains which form the spine of the country, running roughly from northwest to southeast. The mountains are richly forested in pine. East of the mountains, there is rich farmland, and the largest river is the Warnive, which is navigable up to the foothills of the Vendithians. West of the mountains, the lands are dry and rugged between the mountains and the broad coastal plain. The rivers in this area have seasonal flows and shifting channels that limit navigation to the lower reaches.
Ruler: King Alexy Zadis, 35 years old.
Government: In the Union, a Parliament of nobles elects the king. The power of the king is limited in favor of the nobles and the wealthy burghers. The parliament meets when called by the king, usually once every two years. The senior leaders of Parliament form the King’s Council and administer much of the Union’s regular business. The Parliament’s meetings take place at various locations around the Union, typically in large and ornate encampments.
Capital: The capital of Oris is on the Warnive River near the Central Sea. The city’s keep is the seat of the King when he is in residence and is home to the King’s Council. Oris is a thriving trade city attracting merchants from all over, particularly those traveling along the Great Road. The Governing Council of Oris is made up of nobles and burghers. Oris has a number of humanoids from foreign lands, including an Elvish embassy. Oris escaped the worst of the Chaos Wars, but signs of damage can still be seen, and the city today is only about half as large as it was prior to the wars. (45,000 humans, 3500 dwarves, 1500 orcs, 800 indentured gnolls, 500 tieflings, 250 halflings, and 100 elves).
Regions:
Panithia. Panithia is the rich land east of the mountains, bordered on the north by the Agmith mountains and the orc lands beyond and on the south by the Vendithians. To the southeast, the Lachan Marches separate Panithia from the City State of Datia on the shore of the Central Sea. Panithia is home to many of the noble houses, including King Alexy’s. The people and lands of Panithia were spared the worst of the Chaos Wars, but the surrounding mountains are home to ogre tribes and gnolls roam the Lachan Marches to the south.
Notable Settlement: Oris.
Wyndrake’s Pass. The main pass through the Vendithian Mountains is the traditional land of the Stonehammer Dwarves. The approaches to the pass are lined with orchards and small farms. Prior to the formation of the Union, the pass was the sight of numerous battles as the humans from both sides of the mountains protested the punitive taxes that the Dwarves imposed on trade. The success of the Final Siege of Stonehammer was one of the key events that lead to the formation of the Union.
Notable Settlement: Stonehammer Hold (6,500 dwarves, 2,250 humans, 300 other).
Tellur. In the temperate lands along the northeast shore of the Western Sea, the holdings are widely spaced. The passes north through the Vendithians lead to the range of the nomadic orcs. To the northwest is the spreading dark forest and Frostforge Hold in the Northern Vendithians. Tellur was badly damaged during the Chaos Wars but is beginning to rebuild. Further to the west are other lands still struggling to recover from the Chaos Wars.
Notable Settlement: Maruchan (8,000 humans, 3,000 dwarves, 1,500 orcs, 800 tieflings, and 500 indentured gnolls).
Mirtula. The lands south of Tellur are more arid, and their southern border is under constant threat from gnolls, the beast-men of Narris. During the Chaos Wars, the port city of Beldan was destroyed, and the shifting sea left the ruins stranded miles inland. Now Beldan is home only to undead and other chaos creatures. The new city of Zadar is benefiting from increasing trade with the tieflings and other lands to the west. A southern route along the Great Road leads through Narris to Datia and other points east, but it is a dangerous road.
Notable Settlement: Zadar (10,000 humans, 3,000 dwarves, 1,500 tieflings, and 800 dwarves).
Notable Groups:
Knights of Lacha. The Knights guide and care for travelers along the Great Road. The Knights are based in Oris and maintain waystations for travelers in all of the Union’s major cities and in other cities along the road.
The Guardians. A group of druids, rangers, and others that are the protectors of the island of Amphala near the middle of the Central Sea, where the uninitiated are not allowed.
Stoutanvil Dwarves. Exiles from their ruined hold, they are scattered across the Union and in Frostforge Hold. Some hope to one day return to their former home in the mountains northwest of Panithia.
DM Secrets:
- Some of the western nobles resent the growing influence of the Oris merchants and are beginning to secretly discuss whether to exercise their lawful right to rebel against King Alexy.
- The dwarves have long memories. Many among the Stonehammers resent the presence of humans in Wyndrake Pass and see that most of the benefits of the Union have flowed to the humans.
- The Guardians have been sending expeditions throughout the lands surrounding the Central Sea, even into the dark forests north of the Western Sea. They may be mapping the changed world and documenting the chaos still present, or they may have other objectives that no one outside their order knows.
- The gnoll slaves in Oris and Zadar have brought their worship of the Dark Lord with them, and others have begun to join their cult.