(Georic Gazetteer) Bermeja Islands

 (Author's Note, 3rd Printing:   When I first compiled my simple notes from wandering the continent of Talaishia, it was meant first as a travel guide, then as a primer to the nations that reside there.  As is the case, the correspondence that's taken place has largely regaled tales of far more distant lands.  Parthia, Kufrik, even Chi'in.  In my second printing of this tome, I skipped the entire Senzar Empire and took the reader completely across the Lantl to Cos Mora and Hy Braseal.  

Yes, due to reader demand, I will commit to parchment the true tales beyond this humble appendix, but I believe I might need to don my adventuring cloak once again and actually see the lands, to separate the fact from myth.

While that's all well and good, I have composed this entry for my readers who requested it (with gold), the Bermeja Islands

The Bermeja Islands

Red rock rise, red rock sink
Count your crew then count again. 

   - A Children's Rhyme, known in at least seven common languages. 

                                     

Where is it? 

Despite the demand for hard facts, Bermeja isn't a kingdom or even it's own domain.  Between Amazonian, Muyan, Teclan, and Amayran peoples of the distant mainland, the myths and legends of the island chain are quite consistent, for the islands themselves are quite inconsistent.  

To the casual eye, the islands appear to be drifting.  The winds and the seas have little to no effect on the direction or speed.   There could be argued, with some degree of accuracy,  that the islands have a consistent, if not accurately charted, direction and pattern, the shape of a triangle within the western Mer Karabesh.   However, no scholar or loremaster has explained the fact that the island can simply disappear at irregular intervals, reappearing at a different interval than the lapsed time suggests.

Many of the accounts describe the rust-colored cliffs, emanating like dried blood in the glow of the sunset, but they appear to have practical effect  that they obstruct most passage onto the island.

My humble opinion, from thousands of miles away, is that these islands are enchanted, and mystically fenced in with some alleged fractured ley-lines crossing each out.  Until proper research and study can be conducted, at great expense, it's a geographic paradox.

Who lives there?  

The recent influx of Senzar colonizers in the region skews recent information.    In the early days of the world, different cultures suggest serpent-folk, or perhaps the birthplace of some of the giantkind that migrated south to establish part of the Cos Mora.  

There are no known human/common humanoid settlements or cultures on any of the islands.    A common theme is an ashy colored race of fishmen, living on and below the floating islands, helping them navigate, perhaps.

Why do we care?  

The powers of Senzar and Talaishia are already colonizing Vargaard for resources much less intriguing than the mere rumors of what the items hold:

• The obvious magical implications of the crossing ley lines, and the earth magic that allows the islands to float.  
• Red iron ore that never rusts
• Fire pearls harvested from volcanic vents
• And the magical quandary of how to stop the islands from floating... and should anyone even attempt. 
  
  

I blame Kenneth Hite and Robin D Laws for this one.  Just the modern intrigue from the segment on  Ken and Robin Talk About Stuff Episode #684 was enough to put in the placeholder on the blog.

(Georic Gazetteer) Kingdom of Mercadia

The Kingdom of Mercadia

Pantheon: Mixed Ferasean/Dwarf/Gnome Mythos

Ruled By: "Mad" King Norm I the Shaven
Capital: Golgonooza

Other Cities:  Dingleburgh (old capital),  Grunsch, Luren, Dewberry

Language: Trade Prythax, Gnomish, Dwarvish

Flag/Emblem:  A field of navy, with a white mushroom center, in front of crossed battleaxes.

Coinage: Mercadian Standard
Important Personas: Prince Jerek Stormhammer of Krondahar, Prince Grumli (heir apparent/eldest son), Count Edward of Aosta, Arthur Tinkerswagger (Lord Mayor of Dingleburgh), Julio Hohensee, High Priest of Akana in Golgonoza, Queen Sorienne Lafontaine, Thorrin, Royal Armorer

Alliances:  Uneasy alliance with Skyforge, Gran Duchy of Vesthamm, Argos

Hostilities:  Crosedes, Masgoth, Emron (except New Koland)

Open Warfare/Skirmishing:  The methodical destruction of Emron.

Intrigues: King Norm loves to create intrigue and crisis in Skyforge, showing the other dwarves that he has more power. Daughter is missing???  Counterfeit coins threatens to undermine new currency system.

Demi-Humans:   Human 60%, Gnome 25%, Dwarf  15%,  

Magickal Devices:  Sign of the Paladins, Librum Arcanus, the sword Rottonenkopf, the ancient battle-axe Overslayer.

Thumbnail Sketch:  

Mercadia was orginally a "Gift Duchy" of Crosedes, awarded after the formation of the Third Ferasean Empire around 1075 to a simple dwarf mushroom farmer, Norm Dingleberry. Despite his name and his profession, that fact that he helped fight off the forces of darkness which one of the most powerful artifacts in all of Talaishia was enough for Emperor Rurik IV to grant the dwarf his dream.

King Norm has been always been underestimated and forgotten, and those that do have earned his wrath. Mercadia was carved out of southeastern Crosedes, but considered an Imperial land grant. Over the years (and three human wives) Norm has successfully carved off a portion of the Gnomish land of Masgoth, usurp the dwarven government of Skyforge, break off to form his own Kingdom with the collapse of the Ferasean Empire, and has continued his expansionist policies further into Masgoth and Skyforge, and a campaign into the Principalities of Emron that seems to embarrass the powerful wizards with not a scent of retribution.

Dingleburgh, the original capital, from the original Duchy

Despite supporting the Agenmoor rulers in exile, Elvenkind (including pixie faeries) are banned in the borders of the kingdom..

Both Masgoth and Mercadia had been working towards a unified capital of Grunsch, being constructed as an independent city in the Barony of Qually. If completed, this may result in the two countries merging, probably under King Norm's Banner

Rumorsthat Golgonooza has an entrance to the center of the world. (... and why Norm began his expansion in the first place!)

His expansionist policies has garnered the nation the vast knowledge of windship technology.  Yards in North Forge and Hugelspitze manufacture a number of the ships, most going to other countries.

Travelers beware, though!  While the King is quite sympathetic to the lost tribes of elves of Agenmoor.  Elvenkind, including pixie faeries are banned in the borders of the kingdom.

The Notable Dominions of Mercadia

County of Aosta 

Ruler: Count Edward of Aosta (Human Magic-User)

Capital: Aosta Tower

Outside of Krondahar, the only magic-user that retained a title from the conquered Emron lands.

Barony of Belagerung

Ruler: Thurgood Hammerstien (Dw Fighter) Rella Hammerstien (Dw)       

Capital: Kopstar

Other Towns: Hunter's Mill

Famous for its flowers (and the dyes and perfumes which come from them

Barony of Dewberry

Ruler: Lord Bezwinger (aka  Orcimedes Stoneskinn, Dw Fighter)

Capital: Dewsburg
Orcimedes was Norm's right hand man during the invasion of Appresca. He is very loyal and very well trained in the art of tactics of battle and war.  Orcimedes insists most people, especially commoners or lower ranking people of the army, call him “Lord Bezwinger” (lord conqueror). His friends call him Bezwinger and very few call him by his real name. Orcimedes lost his wife of many years in a battle of his home city in Skyforge.   She was killed and this has haunted him ever since.  

Barony of Grenze  (Eastern Masgoth)

Ruler: Baron Festus Ironguard (Dw Fighter), Mimi IronGuard (Gnome Prostitute)

Capital: Orcshame Pass

Other Towns: New Viscose 

Festus was a very adept fighter.  He enjoys taunting his foes and thinking of ways to kill them in a more unique fashion than just slicing, smashing and chopping. He enjoys the ladies and often flirts heavily on them. He married Mimi, who was a prostitute from Viscose when he conquered the town. 

Duchy of Heimstatte

Ruler:  King Norm I
Capital: Golgonoza 

King Norm moved his entire court to Golgonoza once the Principality of Appresca was completely conquered. The port city is beautiful, but also has centuries of magical experiments under its streets and deep into its sewers. 

Barony of Hugelspitze  

Ruled by: Giselle Magemasher (Dw Fighter), Ottis Magemasher (Dw Cleric)

Capital Tawdryberro  (Formerly Alberro)

Other towns: Luren, Elmendorf

Giselle was one of the few female fighters in Norms army. She was fierce and has just as strong a personality, taking no slack or disrespect from other. She is a fierce fighter with knowledge of many weapons, some exotic in nature. She and her husband Ottis are a package deal, though Giselle obviously controls the situations and decisions. Ottis is a practicing priest. 

Barony of Illefarn (Formerly Gulluvia) - 

Ruler: Baron Devin Ironeater  

Capital: Argenta

Other Towns: Thorvald, Mere

This remote barony was not just claimed by Mercadia in 1143 from Skyforge territory, the Mercadian claims make it sound like they just discovered this lost Barony of of the Second Ferasean Empire, cut off from society by foul swamps and dangerous mountains.  Baron Ironeater led the initial forces who discovered and defeated an evil human witch who ruled the people harshly.  Ruling from the Silver Citadel, Ironeater's efforts have been instrumental to resuming some very profitable gemstone mines. 

A rare, but dated, map of Illefarn/Gulluvia.  The gem mines are north of Mere.

Principality of Krondahar 

Ruled by: Prince Jerek Stormhammer (16th level Dwarven Battle Mage)
Capital: Mountova
Other Town: Brasstar (1,500)
Notes: Krondahar was previously a Principality in Emron, but being the only principality with a with a Dwarf on the throne easily turned it into a buffer state in 1141.

Barony of Northforge

Ruler:  Uli Fireforge (Dw Fighter), Maeve Fireforge (Dw)

Capital: Dingleburgh

Other Towns: Cleaveland

The original lands bequeathed to Norm in 1175.  "Mercadia Prime" 

Uli was a master blacksmith and fighter for Norm's army. His weapons were exceptional and he was quick at making them. His wife was the daughter of a shopkeeper and taught to handle finances and inventory by her father.  She does this for Uli and his shop when needed, but manages the territories finances as well for Uli so he can work in his shop or make more important legal and leading decisions.

 

The Mad King himself, King Norm I

Barony of Ostmark

Ruled by Zwerg Schlepprock (Gnome Titan Fighter),   Brynhildur Schlepprock  (Gnome Cleric)
Capital: Battleborough
Other Towns: Freewood Station (Nice)

Zwerg is very loyal and a decent fighter, but much better with his diplomatic skills.

Barony of Quallys

Ruled by Oberon Settedetsammen (Gnome Illusionist), Arnleif (Gnome)

Capital: Nordmark

Other Towns: Grunsch

Quallys was the primary agricultural regions for the Masgoth Gnomes, and under Mercadia rules, little has changed.

Oberon was one of the few magic users in the army.  He is currently very obsessed with steam and its applications to machinery and possibilities of daily uses. He can be scatter brained and forgetful at times, but is extremely smart and well versed in most subjects. His wife Arnleif is the daughter of merchant and engineer who has built many buildings, towers, bridges in the kingdom. Arnleif was taught many of these skills and is a huge asset to Oberon and his pass time. She also helps with his rulings and decisions of the territories, especially keeping him on task at times.  Concreecia is their daughter. She is a young teenager.  She is being taught the ways of the family trade by scribes and hired help. They are also overseeing the slow construction of the future capital of Grunsch. 

Geography of Note:

The Silver Palace of Illefarn

The Tower of Aosta

With hallways that reconfigure, doors leading to different floors, the tower itself might be alive, or subject to Count Edward's moods, the actual reason Norm and his generals did not want to attempt to physically capture this territory. 

The Fields of Parfume (Belagerung)

The Rolling hills of flowers cultivated for dyes and perfumes. When in bloom, the air is overwhelming, sweet to the point of dizziness.  Legends have certain blooms are magically altered; inhaling them induces prophetic dreams, though prolonged exposure can be fatal.

Mentions of the Country in the Blog: 

Ballad of the Pigeon God #31 - Norm's first claim to paperwork to being a Duke of Mercadia, at least four years before it even existed.

Burning Trogs Rule! #8 - King Norm I of Mercadia, escorted by the Burning Trogs, tries to broker a peace deal between Emron and Senzar. First appearance of Mercadian skyships.

Burning Trogs Rule! #16 - Rumors that Golgonoza has an entrance to the center of the world 

Burning Trogs Rule! #33 - King Norm continues to control Senzar-Emron negotiations, plus installs a new king on the throne of Skyforge.

Burning Trogs Rule! #50 - Stronghome owns a Mercadian Airship

Adventures in Gulluvia #28 - The Mercadian invasion of Gulluvia in 1143.

GM Notes: Yes, the campaign this country developed from happened right around a certain set of Magic cards were available.  Imitation is the sincerest form....

1085 - Marriage to  Queen Elanisse Veyrond 

1090 - Birth of Daughter - Beryanna

1092 - Birth of Son -  Grumli

1098 - Death of Queeen Elanisse

1100 - Marriage to Queen Mirelada Chavanne

1102 - Birth of Daughter  - Tovanna

1103 - Mercadia invades Masgoth

1104 - Birth of Son  - Drogath

1105 - Death of Rurik IV, Mercadia Declares Independence

1107 - Birth of Son - Elgrun 

1110 - Death of Queen Mirelda
1112 - Mercadia invades Bergdhoven
1114 - Mercadia Invades Appresca

1115 - Marriage to Queen Sorienne Lafontaine

1118 - Birth of Daughter - Carya
1120 - Birth of Son - Supagol

1122 - Birth of Son  - Halgstr 

1127 - Mercadia captures Golgonoza 
1128 - Death to 2nd Wife
1138 - Mercadia invades Belcadiz (Punitive action only)

1141 - Krondahar joing Mercadia
1143 - Mercadia invades Gulluvia

(Georic Gazetteer) The City-State of Anon-Maxis

 

The City-State of Anon-Maxis

Pantheon:  Keltic with Senzar influences

Ruler:  Her Serene Majesty, The Red Mage, Dahut Morgana XIX

Government: Lordship

Capital: Anon-Maxis

Other Cities:  None

Language: Keltic, Trade Prythax,  High Elven

Flag/Emblem:  A golden maul standing in "T" form, on a field of six horizontal bars of green and blue.

Coinage:  None, usually whatever Alois honors.

Important Personas:  Various heads of guilds and institutions 

Alliances: Alois, Crosedes,

Hostilities: Lygresse

Open Warfare/Skirmishing: None

Intrigues: Plot to set Dahut Morgana on the throne of Alois, fully allied with Crosedes. Negotiations with Pohojola on unknown matters

Demi-Humans:   Sahuagin 20%, Elves 5%

Magickal Devices: The city as accumulated an impressive collection of artifacts and devices over the millennia.  Notable confirmed items over the last century include The Moon Pearl, The Flux Lever, and the First, Third, and Sixth Wheels of Entropy, 

Thumbnail Sketch:  While assumed to be part of the Six Kingdoms, the city-state is a unique entity that shares a geographic location with the others.  The city is mentioned in the earliest records of both the Khemmet and Senzar Empires.  Those original dispatches detail a city with black and weathered buildings, even older buildings in ruins, and savages running through the streets.  

The city, of course, has been rebuilt, multiple time in multiple styles.   The split of land it sits upon juts into the Starfall Channel, protected by a 100 foot cyclopean wall.  A considerable amount of trade stops in Anon-Maxis from all directions, which makes sense, as there is only one passable road, the Halfling Road, coming from Alois, through the rugged terrain from the southeast.

Still, there is more than the Antediluvian city.  The over 200 square miles the city-state controls is full of grazing lands, some farming, as well as mines for lead, silver, and one that production is a mystery.   

Anon-Maxis is a city for, and of, magic practitioners.  It's unsure how one is recruited or accepted into the Anon-Maxis Academie Sorcerie D'Ys, but they do produce an inordinate number of Battle Mages.  

Because the ruler is an arcana practitioner, and with the aid of the Anon-Maxis Academie Sorcerie D'Ys, it's no surprise that much of the city proper is protected by Iron Guardmen, 100 sentient golems with full law-enforcement powers.  

Visitors should note the peculiarity of the citizenry. While most visitors simply account for Keltic, Fereasean, and Senzar stock intermixing over the centuries... or longer. One can not ignore the large Sahuagin population in the city. A few bulbous eyes that aren't quite centered show a mixing of the communities that some nations don't even ponder. 

Geography & Major Cities

Cairn-Tor: The largest of the villages outside the city, this  fortified hill settlement in the southeast, near the Alois border serves as the first line of defense and a trading post. The town has a thriving market and one of the few inns.

Notable Locations & Attractions

The Spire of the Abyss: The ruling seat of Anon-Maxis was once regaled as an impossible structure of coral stone, living glass, and tide-forged black metal. It is still there but the prehistoric structure has been built over in numerous styles over the years, hiding its mysteries.  It rises above the city at the sea wall’s edge, acting as palace, temple, and lighthouse all in one.

The Deep Market: Beneath the central plaza lies an inverted bazaar, accessible through spiral tunnels and shimmering tide-doors. Exotic goods from below the sea, distant isles, and otherworldly realms are sold here, though not all with coin.

The Drowned Crown of Orvael:   Along the eastern shore of Anon-Maxis, where the grazing lands fall sharply into rocky cliffs and tide-slick coves, lies this ancient ring of menhirs and megalithic structures. They have been worn down and claimed by the sea—though only partially.   The remains of the massive stones leave the weathered tops visible above the surf like broken teeth in a foaming maw.

Mar Gwelwyn: A sprawling freshwater marsh near the western border. Much of it is impassable except by flatboat. Local guides whisper of drowned spirits and submerged paths that shift with the stars.

Sitooterie Park: A perfectly lovely park within an inhospitable looking city, the park is rumored to be the dumping ground for random mage's creations, and the mistakes with the magic school.  Beware the gazebos!   

Mentions of Anon-Maxis in the Blog:

Ballad of the Pigeon God #71 - Reference that a Cabal of Mages from Anon-Maxis bringing another 100 Iron Guardmen to the Battle of Apotheosis on the (losing) side of evil.

Ballad of the Pigeon God #75 -  The failures of the Cabal of Mages results in the death of the Red Mage, and the ascension of Kannex into the role, post-1073

Journey of Mutumbo #1 - Mutumbo begins his quest to return his artifact to the Red Mage of Anon-Maxis.

Journey of Mutumbo #4 - The artifact returned, the group encounters strange things in Sitooterie Park.  The town Lansluck mentioned is, in fact, Cairn-Tor.

Burning Trogs Rule #5 - Notes regarding a hidden summer estate of the Red Mage, somewhere within Crosedes.
Burning Trogs Rule #33 - Reference to a former Red Mage, Kannex, serving as Riknl of Senzar.  

🔰(Georic Gazetteer) Principality of Phennantia

The Principality of Phennantia

Pantheon:  Xellenism, dominated by worship of Poseidon, Athena, and Hephaestus

Ruler: Prince Alexios Drakonis III

Government: Hereditary Principality with a Council of Elders

Capital: Heraklion (20,000)

Other Cities:  Cannan (15,000)

Language: Xellnic, (Common), High Elven, Minotauran

Flag/Emblem:  A golden fish leaping, on a field of blue

Coinage:  Phennant Standard

Important Personas:  Various nobles, 

Alliances: Direct trade agreement with Argivia, Danaan, Amond Coast.

Hostilities: Oliva

Open Warfare/Skirmishing: None

Intrigues: Unknown

Demi-Humans:   Elf 10%, Minoatur 8%, Dwarf 2%

Magickal Devices: The dreaded Knife of Nethersummoning is wielded in public by Prince Alexios, the Doubleaxe of Asterion, 

Thumbnail Sketch:

The Principality of Phennatia is a fiercely independent island domain, renowned for its naval power, labyrinthine cities, and a unique blend of human, elven, and minotaur cultures. This island has been called a vassal to almost every culture in the Mer Med:  Barthey, Danaan, Khemmet, and even Lybboss, and the culture is mixed, but the true roots currently return to Xellnic culture. With recent decline in Barthey influence, Phennantia shed all semblance of their relationship with Barthey two generations ago, asserting its autonomy, forging its own destiny as a hub of trade, magic, and seafaring might across the sea.   With towering white cliffs, sprawling olive groves, and legendary ruins, Phennantia is a land of both natural splendor and deep historical mystery.

The Council of Elders, composed of influential merchants, sea captains, and mages, serves as an advisory body to the prince, ensuring that power is not held too tightly by one ruler. While the monarchy is respected, Phennantia prides itself on its political pragmatism, allowing for shrewd maneuvering in the ever-changing tides within the region.

Cretans take pride in their seafaring traditions, martial prowess, and independence. Many young men and women train in naval combat and spear-fighting, while others dedicate themselves to the mystic arts, particularly magic tied to water, wind, and the stars.

Minotaurs, though once seen as mere labyrinth guardians and warriors, have become integral to Cretan society, serving as elite palace guards, shipbuilders, and even advisors to the prince. Their long oral traditions have merged with human and elven influences, creating a rich storytelling culture.  Yes, there is good chance you will encounter a singing or dramatic Minoatuar on the island. 

Phennantian festivals celebrate the sea gods, particularly Poseidon, with grand naval games, feasts, and sailing competitions. The greatest of these is the Tideborn Festival, where the prince himself leads a fleet in ceremonial voyages to the island’s sacred grottoes.

Geography & Major Cities

Heraklion (Capital) – A bustling port city, Heraklion is Phennantia's beating heart, filled with white-washed houses, winding stone streets, and towering bronze statues of Cretan heroes. Its great harbor, protected by enchanted sea walls, serves as a gateway between East and West.

Knossos – Once an ancient elven and minotaur stronghold, Knossos is now an eerie mix of crumbling temples, deep underground tunnels, and arcane ruins where scholars and adventurers seek lost knowledge. The legendary Labyrinth of Daedalus lies beneath the city, still said to be haunted by forgotten creatures.

Cannan – A city of merchants and sailors, Chania is famous for its shipwrights, pirate lords, and hidden coves where smugglers conduct secretive dealings. Many believe that the city harbors agents from every major power, making it a hub of espionage and intrigue.

Notable Locations & Attractions

The Labyrinth of Daedalus – In Knossos, a sprawling underground maze said to house ancient minotaur relics, arcane traps, and possibly even the last remnants of the original labyrinth-dwelling Minotaur King

The Ruins of Zakros – An abandoned palace, rumored to have been a stronghold of the lost elven tribes, prior to their emigration onto the Talaishian mainland. Now home to ghostly whispers and hidden vaults of knowledge.  It's labyrinth has not been conquered.

Mentions of Phennantia in the Blog: None

🔰(Georic Gazetteer) The Kingdom of Oliva

The Star-Crowned Kingdom of Oliva

Pantheon: Akana is the state religion (Church of the Divine Light), ,alongside older regional Xellnic cults to Apollo, Aphrodite, and localized nature spirts.

Ruled by: Queen Arseline II (Bolas) with largely ceremonial Arcane Council

Capital: Nicol

Other Cities: Famarra, Limarion, Kyren Vale

Languages: Olivienne (a mixed dialect derived from Ispatlian and Ferasean), Elven, Dwarven, Trade Prythax, Trade Khemmet

Flag/Emblem: Gold galley with a gold shooting star overhead, on a white field.

Coinage: Olivienne Standard

Important Persons:  Duke of Cerynia Malrec Vaelorin, the lord mayor of Famarra, 

Dame Virella Ondros Admiral Lord Jarred Thaynos, and Crown Prince Kaelen Argentis Bolas

Alliances: Nominally supportive of Argivia, Danaan, and the Almond Coast to continue their claim as a free port. 

Hostilities: Simmering threats with Ispatlia over specific targeting by the Corsair Brotherhood, with Oliva refuses to admit is real. 

Open Warfare/Skirmishing: Selective targeting of uncooperative merchant fleets from Myridius and Khemmet, in coordination with the Corsair Brotherhood.

Intrigues: 

Demi-Humans:   Elves (6% Sea Elf, 6% Moon Elf),  Dwarfs 4%, Halflings 3%

Magickal Devices:  Oliva holds the Spheres of Opposition, Miasmal Reeds, and a host of other devices, many as minor gifts from the recent recruited magi.  

Thumbnail Sketch: 

Oliva is a place where fate dances on a blade’s edge. A realm of shadow courts, forgotten gods, and star-born prophecies. Those who seek glory, gold, or arcane mastery may find it here—but only if they survive the game.

-Caldrin Thesselmoor

Those are the exact words used in the opening page of "An Adventurer's Guide to the Sapphire Island of Oliva" a travel gazetteer published by the esteemed half-elven writer.  He goes on further to claim he composed these lines atop the Argent Spire during a lunar eclipse, although general consensus says it was during one of his long drunken stays in a Famarra winehall with whispering, becloaked nobles and two dwarven females of ill-repute. 

The Kingdom of Oliva lies in the heart of the Mer Med a crossroads of culture, commerce, and conquest. Rich in history and steeped in magic, Olivia balances on the edge of diplomacy and danger. It has long acted as a maritime lynchpin between the Khemmet deserts, the merchant city-states of Ispatlia, and still in the shadow of Barthey, They were one of the early dominions to wrest independence from the Olivia, and with the help of propagandists like Caldrin, they may have done it the wisest.  .

Oliva is a realm of gleaming vineyards, rune-carved cliffs, and perilous deepwater coves. Its nobility still duel over titles, its merchant lords war with coin, and its mystics read the stars for omens and advantage. Though small, and pulled from all sides from nations much more powerful they the island kingdom.  The nobles of House Bolas knew that to maintain their independence and stability, they needed to pull  something most countries craved, a haven of tourism, free trade (especially silk and spices from the East), and winter residences of powerful magi who would be quite put off if mere mortals wanted to start an inconvenient war. 

Oliva a destination for the wealthy, and only a few olive groves, vineyards, and shrines were sacrificed to allow prime territory for the building of arcane towers.   To bolster the purported power of the wizards, the nobles formed the Arcane Council.  The council is largely ceremonial, drawing on the advice and council of the ex-patriate wizards they've recruited to promote an alleged show of solidarity and force for the royal family.  No one has truly tested this shadow force within the government, but after the significant disasters of the Ispatlian-Emron and Senzar-Emron wars, no one has the appetite for it. 

Beyond the clean beaches, worldly cuisine, and a veritable stockpile of wine to lure anyone with coin, Queen Arseline has established the Goldwreath Games, a collection athletic, artistic, and academic displays with awards granted.  Done every year for the past 10 years, one the anniversary of the queen's coronation, it has begun to draw a variety of people, specifically from around the Mer Med.

Geography & Major Cities

Nicol – The capital. A fortified city of marble domes, scriptoriums, and subterranean councils. Here the Star-Court meets and the Astral Heralds plot beneath a dome of enchanted glass.
Famarra – Secretly, the wealthiest port on the Mer Med, where silk pavilions and elemental bazaars rival any mainland city. Famarra's banking houses are international forces, backing foreign wars, kingdom purchases, and arcane expeditions alike.

Limarion – Naval stronghold and base of the Corsair Brotherhood, where pirate lords and royal admirals hold grudging court.

Kyren Vale – Nestled in high cliffs, this mystic city is famed for its floating lantern towers, mirror pools, and vaults of lost lore.

---

Notable Places

The Celestine Vault of Calithea - The old Cathedral to Akana was reimagined under Olivenne sovereignty rededicated to Calithea, a local/naval warden of the moon. Members of the Moonbound Order protect the secrets and artifacts of the crown. 

The Argent Spire – A lighthouse-temple in Famarra that watches the stars, sea beasts, and possible invasions all at once.

The Cursed Hollow of Kition – An ancient ruin where voices whisper from beneath the earth, daring treasure-seekers to dig too deep.

Mentions of Oliva in the blog:  

None

(Georic Gazetteer) The Giants of Cos Mora

(Author's Notes: I began writing my gazetteer service to help dispel rumors and legends of the nations on the continent of Talaishia.  My greatest correspondence hasn't been in regard to any nation on (or below) the continent. The greatest intrigue are the kingdoms and lands far from our shores.  

My appendix entry of Hy Braseal has been my favorite entry of all folks, and more requests within that part of the world have been requested.  

So, despite my better judgement, I've accumulated fact and myth for the lands far south of Hy Braseal, below the impenetrable jungle, the high plains and hills perfect for high races:  The Giants of Cos Mora. 

One final and important disclaimer: Almost all of the information accumulated has ben derived from the same limited Hibernian explorers who visited Hy Braseal and Amazonia.  The Hibernians are famous for their drinking, their short stature (that could easily influence any claims), and the fact that their "explorers" were foolhardy raiders, rather than scholarly explorers.  The most outrageous and fantastical claims are listed as such.

Cos Mora

Pantheon:  Orddu’r Craidd 

Ruled By:  The Assembly of Six Colossi, various regional chieftains 

Capital: Q’ari P’illay ("City of Light")

Other Cities: Muru Lluk,  T’raqwayn,  Sari Runku.  Aserthera, Sekhimnos

Language:  Various Giant-Kin languages.  Even the smaller races speak the language right-heighted.

Flag/Emblem:  A silver spiral-mountain pierced by a thunderbolt, on a field of twilight blue is a decoration in a number of cultures

Coinage:   Mostly barter, Ore-weighted stone marks (never used by lesser races; mostly ceremonial)
Important Personas: Deep-Mother (Elder of Stone), Hail-wrath Tempest-Seer, Marn, General of the Canyon Hosts, Qwarfan the Molten Herald, Mayu Warmi Ayllin of Llinquwasi

Alliances:  None, sometimes with each other

Hostilities:  None

Open Warfare/Skirmishing:  Seasonal border clashes between Stone-Ice tribes and the Emberblood Forges.

Intrigues:  Titan politics run on prophecy, grudges, and geological omens.

Demi-Humans:  • Coka Wyrd Ogres (6%)
• Frost-Chisel Dwarves (5%)
• Frog-folk (3%)
Magickal Devices:  The Thunder-Seared Tablets, Ember-Forge Braziers, Stone-Memory Looms, Canyon Javelins of Lightning, Reed-Bound Chalices of the River Sibills, The Obsidian Heart of Pelondar

Thumbnail Sketch
The Titanland of Cos Mora dominates an entire southern continent below Vargaard. Far below Hy Braseal and Amazonia are vast plains, adamantine mountains, glacial fjords, and jungled river basins ruled not by men, but by at least sixfold civilizations of giants whose cultures vary as widely as their terrain.

Where lesser realms speak of kings or councils, the Cos Mora speak cyclical skyfire the elves haven't even notated, and the slow bargaining of beings who live long enough to watch mountains rise.

For thousands of years the giant tribes have shaped the continent’s geography through war, artistry, and divine pact-making. The storms of the mountains to the west and the ocean to the east are their loyal neighbors.   The rivers of Urqa run according to ancient treaties between stone and water.

Explorers from distant Senzar, Chi’in, and the Fortunate Isles agree on only a few facts:

• The land is impossibly fertile, shaped by ancient magic.
• The giants maintain loose boundaries; trespassers rarely return unobserved.
• Their temples predate known history.
• Each region houses a different giant-kind, each evolved to mastery of their domain.
• Lesser races survive only through shrewd alliances, mobility, or by living where giants find little interest.
• The Orddu’r Craidd pantheon blends sky-mothers, mountain-spirits, and storm-sisters—no two tribes interpret the myths the same way.

The giants of Cos Mora rarely attack outsiders unless provoked.
But when they do, they move with the inevitability of avalanches and rockslides.


Pampa Qhuri
Dominant Giantkind: Prairie Titans
Landscape: Endless rolling plains, windscoured steppes, monumental herds
Government: A triad of Shepherd-Matriarchs
Lesser Races: Halfling wind-riders, gnome grass-witches
Notable Sites:
• The Whispering Prairie-Stones
• The Aurochs-Spiral, a giant livestock city
• The Wind-Root Sanctuaries
Notes:
The Pampagor control weather patterns with slow ritual dances. Their strict fire-laws are enforced brutally.

Cos Mora South - Stone Giants 
Dominant Giantkind: Stone-Ice Giants
Landscape: Glacial shores, basalt cliffs, cobalt fjords
Government: The Neverending Council 
Lesser Races: Sealfolk, frost dwarves, wandering elven whalers
Notable Sites:
• The Frozen Reliquary
• Mount Ceirios, the Singing Glacier
• The Tidelocked Monoliths
Notes: Believed to be the oldest giant race; their burial grounds double as geomantic fortresses.

Kuyu Qhapaq: The Vinfael Emberbloods

Dominant Giantkind: Fire Giants
Landscape: Calderas, obsidian ridges, fumarole fields
Government: The Furnace Senate
Lesser Races: Fire-resistant dwarves,
Notable Sites:
• The Shatterforge Arches
• The Ember Crucible beneath Aconcagua
• The March of Broken Glass
Notes:
They are master smiths; their weapons are traded only under oath-binding rituals.

Qulla Suyu): The Airaith Tempestborn
Dominant Giantkind: Mountain, Frost, and  Storm Giants
Landscape: Thunder-split canyons, high desert mesas, salt flats
Government: The Lightning Oracle of Three Voices
Lesser Races: Aarakocra cliff-monks
Notable Sites:
• The Valle del Ryswrath (Valley of Red Thunder)
• Sky-Cairns of the Wayfarers
• The Salt Crystal Mirror
Notes:
They interpret lightning the way other cultures interpret scripture.

Urqa: The  Mire-Shapers
Dominant Giantkind: River Giants
Landscape: Wetlands, river forests, rune-woven waterways
Government: The Confluence Throne
Lesser Races: Amphibian folk
Notable Sites:
• The Temple of the Triple Current
• The Reed-Lantern Delta
• The Tide-Changer Beacons
Notes:
The most peaceful giants, but their flooding magic can swallow entire villages. 

Chaku Mayu: The Thornshroud Wardens
Dominant Giantkind: Hill Giants
Landscape: Dense forests, thorn labyrinths, humid twilight canopies
Government: The Verdant Matrons
Lesser Races: Jaguar-folk, sentient insects, vine "kobolds"
Notable Sites:
• The Green Labyrinth of Arahura
• The Root-Nexus where vines whisper
• The Canopy Thrones
Notes:
They wage a secret war against a hive of aberrant mind-eating plants.

GEOGRAPHY OF NOTE

The Rift of the Stone Mothers - A canyon said to be the wound left when the first giants crawled from the earth. Ongoing earthquakes are considered “the Mothers turning in their sleep.”

The Aurochs-Spiral of the Pampa - A city-sized spiral of earthworks used to herd the titan-cattle referred to as Aurochs.

The Temples of Urqa - Temples anchored alongside the river.  Priests offer water-prophecy.

The March of Broken Glass - A nearly impossible region to cross, volcanic activity, sulfur deposits, constantly changing landscape. 

The Salt-Sky Cairns - Skyward stone stacks perched on canyon rims.  Each Cairn marks a lightning prophecy

The Mirror-Delta - Water surfaces that reflect not the current moment but potential futures.  An unnerving experience, but one of the top draws for philosophers and bards.

Aroglith the Walking Mountain - A slow-moving colossus rumored to be a forgotten titan.Watching it move is like seeing a mountain breathe.  

Mentions of the Country in the Blog: None

GM Notes: The author of the Gazetteer wasn't being facetious, the "Appendix" entry on Hy Braseal and Amazonia netted the best debut for the Gazetteer, and thanks, and thanks to Episode #677 of Ken and Robin Talk About Stuff, and the Cos Mora was conceived.    Just enough bad Hibernian and pseudo-Incan to be wrong but interesting...

🧙‍♂️(Georic Gazetteer) The Fallen Kingdom of Agenmoor

The Fallen Kingdom of Agenmoor

Pantheon:  Drow 

Ruled By: The Drow
Capital: Riafelton

Other Cities:  High tree (now devastated)

Language: Elvish (wood, high, Drow)

Flag/Emblem:  A blackened, gnarled tree, with blood-red roots, on a field of dark purple

Coinage: Ancient Agemoor currency, no longer overvalued outside of the forest.
Important Personas: Bhionn the Sorceress, Keleron, Slavelord of the Minions

Alliances:  Netherdeep

Hostilities:  Netherdeep, Grunge Elves, Markovia, Mercadia

Open Warfare/Skirmishing:  Netherdeep, Grunge Elves, 

Intrigues: Shadow Elf High Priestesses from below still investigating why the land has not fully corrupted. 

Demi-Humans:  Shadow Elf/Drow (65%), Humanoid (10%), Corrupted Fairy (10%), Elf (15%) 

Magickal Devices:  The Eclipsing Heart, the Web of Ten Thousand Lies, The Wailing Crown of Riafellton

Thumbnail Sketch:  

The once-great elven kingdom of Agenmoor is no longer the land they remember. Corruption and shadows have twisted the trees, and a war rages between the Drow overlords andthe desperate elven resistance.

The once glorious forests now form a twisted canopy, darkening the land below.  Strange mists and unnatural silence cloak the depths of the woods. The Drow/Shadow Elves rule unchallenged, but corruption is not absolute. 

In 1133, the Drow Army of the NetherDeep invaded and corrupted Agenmoor, overthrowing the once-great Elven Kingdom and driving thousands of elves into exile. The once-majestic emerald canopy was reshaped into a twisted labyrinth of blackened vines, gnarled roots, and shadow-choked undergrowth. The Drow have since turned the land into an extension of their subterranean empire, poisoning the heart of the forest with dark magic.

The Great High Tree of Riafellton, once the towering heart of elven magic and governance, now stands half-dead, its bark blackened, oozing with dark ichor. Legends whisper that the last surviving essence of the old forest still lingers deep within, waiting for the right soul to rekindle it.

The Drow, however, have not achieved complete victory. By 1136, their expansion faltered, and the edges of the corrupted forest began to recede as much as a mile back. Though the Drow maintain control, their influence is no longer absolute, as the land itself seems to be resisting their dominion.

The Elven Kingdom of Agenmoor in Exile

Ruled by: The Twilight Cabal

Capital: Most of the Cabal bases operations in Draloite in Crosedes

Language: High Elvish

Flag/Emblem: A leafless tree of silver, on a field of blue.

Coinage: Ancient Agemoor currency, no longer overvalued outside of the forest.

Important Personas: Ashe and Binklen Winnebago

Allied with: Mercadia

Hostilities: uneasiness w/ Skyforge

Intrigues: The Winnebagos trying to ally with the Grunge Elves

Magic Items Recovered: Everflame of Aelindor, Skybough Shard, Moonveil Tapestry, Blades of Dawn and Dusk

Thumbnail Sketch:

The Twilight Cabal are a secret society of exiled elven scholars and priests working in the shadows, trying to restore the land’s balance. They are scattered and disorganized, but they know that if the High Tree’s last essence can be reignited, Agenmoor can be reclaimed.

The Twilight Cabal

But beyond that, the cabal's efforts often come in conflict with the Grunge elves, gleefully fighting a guerrilla war against the Drow.

Even beyond that is the growing resistance organized by brothers, Ashe and Binklen Winnebago. Famed adventurers, with ties to the discovery and ascension of Emperor Rurik of Feraso, the siblings are organization a multi-prong attack on the Drow, to challenge not only the Sorceress Bhionn, but the Cabal as well.

Binklen Winnebago

But time is running out. If the balance is not restored, Agenmoor may soon be lost forever to the NetherDeep.

Ashe Winnebago

Mentions in the Blog

Lost Dispatches of Feraso #7  - Infamous adventurer Talanth Blackash could be of Agenmoor, rather than Wyrmnalian elven birth

Lost Dispatches of Feraso #16  - The Ras-Prythax Principality of Fürstentum had a number of elven visitors well befor the invasion, should have some refugees or some resistance. 

Lost Dispatches of Feraso #17  - Reference that the Enstead Bandit Kingdoms in Ras-Prytax were once a rival Elven Kingdom like Agenmoor

Lost Dispatches of Feraso #30 -  Comparing the treacherousness of the "Snow Elves" Ilvablight to Agenmoor

Lost Dispatches of Feraso #72  - A biased description of Ashe Winnebago

Lost Dispatches of Feraso #83  - An early reference to Keleron, before the destruction of Agenmoor.

Ballad of the Pigeon God #0 - Mention of the Agenmoor betrayal.

Ballad of the Pigeon God #39 - An aside regarding Ashe and Binklen Winnebago of the Elvish Winnebago Clan.

Ballad of the Pigeon God #40 - A map referencing the southern tip of Agenmoor

Ballad of the Pigeon God #62 -  Elves in Agenmoor pour across the border, to witness the alleged return of the God-King.

Ballad of the Pigeon God #73 - Ashe and Binklen Winnebago return to Agenmoor.  

Ballad of the Pigeon God #75 - Emporer Rurik gives Agenmoor equal footing in the Feraso Imperial Court, at least until his death.   Ashe and Binklen Winnebago remain in Agenmoor at least until the original Shadow Incursion in 1130.  Rumored to have moved to Ilvablight.

Journey of Mutumbo #12 - Mention of the (possibly lost) Darkspruce Manor in Agenmoor
Burning Trogs Rule! #5 - Cecelia Darkspruce travels through the Drow-tainted lands that no longer resemble the forest kingdom
Burning Trogs Rule! #8 - The final Drow invasion coincides with the Great Comet of 1132, which destroyed parts of Emron.

Burning Trogs Rule! #12 - Any sense of the original elven kingdom is gone by 1133.  Elvish refugees flee to Marakeikos.

Burning Trogs Rule! #15 - Mention of elvish refugees not surviving the journey to Marakeikos, or disappearing once they do arrive.

Burning Trogs Rule! #45 - Agenmoor refugees in Radlebb first report on the Marakeikan Civil War.  Give the Burning Trogs safe passage.