Eastern Zenninfal

Summary: Eastern Zenninfal is slightly less industrious than the west, but it is overall more educated in the fields of mysticism, philosophy, mathematics, politics and law. Magic is largely what drives the society, whether it is in the mages becoming figures of political power in the city-states and kingdoms, or the priests and shamans leading their tribes of barbarians in the less civilized areas. Money is used, but trading for goods and services is still practiced. Overall, the people living in Eastern Zenninfal are more tolerant of most everything, from the differences between people to the injustices of society. There are notable exceptions however, which will be detailed in the "Major Conflicts" paragraph.

Regional Religion: The religions of Eastern Zenninfal are wide and varied, though most of the universally worshiped gods are seen as forces where you are better off if you are ignored. Most prayers are not prayers asking for favors or good events to happen, but rather, prayers asking for salvation and mercy. Priests of many gods are seen less as intermediaries between their god and the people, and more as defenders of the people against the excesses of what their god represents.

Naming styles: The names of people and places in Eastern Zenninfal tend to come from the romance languages. Towards the north, people and places tend to have Greek names, and towards the southwest and northwest, people and places tend to have Slavic names.

Major Political Factions: Igakari is the driving nation in this region, with most other nations and kingdoms being mere city-states. Igakari itself is ruled over by two sections of government. The first section is a group of Magistrates from every town and city. These Magistrates serve as both mayors and national representatives; they stay in contact with one another through magic and drive national policy. The larger the city, the more influence that city's magistrate is afforded. International policy is driven by a group of 12 council members who act as both diplomats and foreign policy advisers.

History: Igakari has existed as a nation for more than two millennia, and have considered wars or conquest beneath them. Historically, the magistrates and council members of Igakari have seen fit to maintaining the power balance that exists in the region and nothing more. Several hundred years ago, when the Jerol empire was attempting to conquer the world, the invaders were stopped fast in their tracks by the Barbarians of Rothysia, who consider themselves fiercely independent and managed to keep the Jerolans at bay using guerrilla tactics and magical powers. Many Igans recognize that their current, peaceful way of life would have been impossible without the barbarians to the west, though just as many do not.

Magical Styles: Although magic in Igakari is not as industrious as it is in Cerenbaun, enchanted items are still extremely common. The most common enchanted items are wands and stones that allow the holder to cast specific spells. These items are so common that there are mages with no innate magical talent of their own, who instead do all of their casting using such objects. Magical items in Eastern Zenninfal are normally activated by thought or command words; the switches, gears and buttons of Cerenbaun are not used here, and considered superfluous and inelegant. Magical law is also far more lax in Igakari than it is in the west, although some notable styles of casting are still illegal, such as murder or grave-robbing for the sake of necromantic materials, or creating soul-links with more than two people.

Major Conflicts: Recently, many barbarian tribes have been propositioning the Igan government to annex their tribes as new cities and towns. This "expansive borders" immigration has caused a political group called the Barbarian Caucus to form, in order to represent the rights and interest of the Barbarians of Rothysia. A notable exception is that the Barbarian Caucus has refused to acknowledge the existence of the Bush Ardlins as legitimate barbarians, while it (controversially) accepts Ghrok with open arms.

A group of mages from the west have recently begun stirring up trouble in Igakari. They feel that two thousand years is far too long for a nation to exist, and they seek to exacerbate the tensions between Igakari and the Rothysian barbarians in order to destabilize the region.

Although powerful mages have always become an impromptu part of the Igan government, recently these mages have been experimenting with magical styles heavily frowned upon by Igakari's populace. As a result, the number of "Mage-hunter" adventurers has increased as of late, and there are rumors that the Mages may attempt to take over and break off massive chunks of territory so they may increase their magical power unmolested.

The Valdrex from southern Yessha are attempting to set up permanent bases of opperation and trade in both goods and slaves in the lawless areas of Rothysia, illiciting mixed feelings from all sections of society.

In the south of Igakari, bandits from the region of Camaria have been raiding the local towns with impunity.

The Ghrok have been slowly going extinct. They have been competing for territory with the vicious bush ardlins and bandits reveling in the lawlessness of the region. The Ghrok are aware of their impending extinction, and this makes them very dangerous.

Points of Interest:

Chianmos Desert: This desert to the north acts as part of a barrier leadaing into Eastern Habruk. Due to its northerly location, it is more often cold than hot. The snow coming down off of the Elfalos mountain blends into the white sands of this desert. From a distance the desert looks like a glacier coming down off the mountains.

Elfalos Mountain Range: Also known as "The shelf above the world" this mountain range helps to separate Zenninfal from Habruk, as well as divide Habruk into the eastern and western regions.

Lake Siloros: A large glacial lake that lies at the base of the Elfalos mountain range. Those who live north and west of the lake tend to be Habrukan. Those who live south and east of the lake tend to be Igan.

Kressia: The most humid area of Eastern Zenninfal, Kressia is a region made up of peaceful city-state dwellers who tend to wear shawls and ceremonial masks. They are master woodcarvers and fishermen, but their region is otherwise impoverished. Kressia is known for its plains of blueish grass, and coniferous forests with needles of a similar hue. It is also famous for its fog.

Rothysia: An expansive region of plains, and the source of the Lyeban river, the longest river in the northern world. Rothysia has resisted civilizing influences for countless centuries, and is home to a proud barbarian culture. It is home to Ghrok, Bush Ardlins, Valdrex colonists, bandits and human barbarians. In Western Zenninfal, Rothysia is known as "The Eastern Border" regardless of whether or not the location in question actually borders Rothysia.

Tehgrahan: A large confderation of many smaller kingdoms, Tehgrahan is an area east of Rothysia. It was conquered by the Jerolans when they were expanding their empire, so the natives largely speak the Jerolan language. However, they still follow much of the culture of Eastern Zenninfal and worship the more Easterly gods. The kingdoms in the north of Tehgrahan are conservative and known for grumpy, under-educated, superstitious and pessimistic people. The south of Tehgrahan is made up of large, expansive forests inhabited largely by Orchaein. The inhabitants here tend to be much friendlier than their northern neighbors. Like the whole of Eastern Zenninfal is a melting pot between the views of the far east and far west, Tehgrahan itself is a melting pot between Eastern Zenninfal and Western Zenninfal.

The Southwest Way: This valley leads directly into the Yesshan Desert, and is an important trade route, the only land line route that least to Eastern Yessha.

Climate: Eastern Zenninfal is somewhat arid. In the south, it is made up of hot bushlands. The middle of the region is mostly grasslands and plains. The north is cooler and more temperate, though it still suffers from less than average rainfall. There are sparse forests closer to the eastern coast, and thicker forests on the coast of the Great Barrier Sea.

Native Godtouched: Humans (Primarily Igans), Theromorphs, Bush Ardlins, Ghrok, Orchaein, Satyrs, Phoenixes, Sphinxes, Unicorns, Earth dragons, Valdrex (colonists only), Vampries and other Undead.