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-Vitaveus map
+<fs xx-large>Vitaveus map</fs>
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+====== Geography and Important Locations ======
+<fs xx-large>Vitaveus: Western Territories</fs>
+-->Kaduraas#
+<fs xx-large>Geography</fs>
+What was once a land of towering trees and fertile soil is now a landscape brought under flame and blade.  Kaduraas now exists as a desolate land, a scar upon Vitaveus and a reminder to its people. Kaduraans huddle to the husk of a few standing outposts under the purview and ever watchful eye of the Venerated Republic, yet to do so is futile - Kaduraas is nearly completely lost to the horrors of the Torment. One of the last of these veritable bastions for humanity found within this once beautiful land is Antongrad.  All roads from the West lead through Antongrad, and it acts as not only a beacon of hope from those trying to escape the hellish expanse, but also as a reminder that the Venerated Republic will stand in defiance of even overwhelming odds, until the very last man alive.
+<fs xx-large>History</fs>
+Kaduraas was one of many territories under the ancient rule of the Collatian Dynasty, standing tall for centuries before the might of the Venerated Republic struck down its heretical teachings and those who would spread them in the hearts of men during the Reckoning.  Much of the teachings of the Kaduraan people have been put to the flame, as many of their works were deemed blasphemous and highly heretical by the Clergy of the Decusian Faith. Due to this, what little has survived the flames is solely found in the form of oration and the memory of the spurned.  One rather infamous tale that is often shared is the betrayal the Kaduraans suffered at the hands of the Teramer people. For it was the Teramerians who gave the Republic safe passage, fed and armed their Templar with Collatian iron, and allowed them take to blade and flame to the Kaduraan people completely unhindered. Because of this wretched betrayal, Kaduraan and Teremerians still hold ill will against one another, despite such treachery having been wrought centuries ago.
+Kaduraas had once been a fertile land, settled between Teramer and Collatia proper, with abundant forests ranging from taigas to wet tropical uplands. However, the once-bountiful territory has been reduced to ashes in many places, the ending years of the Reclamation having used it for countless front-line battles and skirmishes. In many places, even hundreds of years later, the earth itself is still scorched for miles upon miles, with vegetation, trees and plant-life seemingly refusing to grow back in silent protest of the thousands of gallons of blood spilled upon the cursed soil. In modern times, the concentrations of population in Kaduraas spotted the map of the territory, namely settled around it's various rivers and waterways where at least a semblance of nature has been able to grow back.
+Traditional Kaduraan people are a lithe and wirey bunch, with dusky skin and darker pigments of hair, with brown to green colored eyes.  However, many of the Kaduraan people are of mixed blood, interbreeding with those from the East that now occupy their once proud nation; a nation that was reduced to nothing more than ash and dried blood long before the Torment ever came to be.  The few larger Municipalities that existed in the territory prior to the Torment were merely alive due in part to their Republic garrisons they held, of which were heavily fortified with the means of sustaining themselves inside. Everything from crops and livestock were often grown and raised within these walls, while metals, medicinal supplies and religious goods were brought in through heavily guarded caravans.  Life was  uncomfortable even within these walls, as everything was rationed to its registered citizenry. Those wayward fools who passed through such garrisons often had to give up a great deal of wealth to even purchase a mere piece of stale bread from those who already have too little to even feed themselves; thus, Kaduraans are often looked upon with a sense of scorn in these modern times.
+Prior to the Torment, magical practice was heavily conducted by the Consortium in Antongrad, one of Kaduraas' largest cities. Antongrad Auditorii are considered to be some of the most blood thirsty and unwavering representatives of their cause in the entirety of Vitaveus, and many believe that the recruits that the Consortium melds into these battle-mages were sent to Kaduraas as their power, temperament and sheer natures would lend them to be executed in any more civilized areas of the Republic. Local Templar Chapters and Legion cohorts within Kaduraas were extremely distrustful of this Circle, believing such wildcard magi could easily stray from the Flame and bring about their ruin from the inside on behalf of the Resolve, yet the Church's power within this blighted territory has never been anything more than a fleeting presence.  Due to this rather unique circumstance magi of Kaduraas find themselves within, a certain sense of infamy is enjoyed for any that claim to hail from Kaduraas, for magical users hailing from territory are often considered extremely well versed, practiced, powerful and above all else, dangerous. Of special note is the rather peculiar tendency of these infamous magii and magickin to adopt the ways of the sword as well, which had led to the concept of the Kaduraasian Warlock - a terrifying stereotype of a well-versed mage of whom is also adept in sword-fighting.
+<fs xx-large>Torment</fs>
+The current hellscape that is Kaduraas now lends itself to have been scorched not once, but twice, due completely to the spread of Torment and early efforts to control it. Kaduraas has now been literally brought to the Flame; for it is here that the Republic had tested many of its’ newer technological achievements, to include artillery, cannons, and heavy ordinances in an effort to rate their effectiveness against the Torment. Currently, the Torment is at a critical apex in Kaduraas, with less than a dozen strongholds and Municipalities of Republic forces standing firm against the plague.
+The only true portion of Kadurass that is firmly held by the Republic is that of Antongrad and the road to it. A fortnight's ride into Kaduraas from it's southeastern borders, Antongrad stands as an island within a veritable sea of madness and chaos. Somehow, against all odds, Antongrad still stands, and currently represents the only known habitable stretch of Eden within the Blacklands of Kaduraas.
+<fs xx-large>Points of Interest</fs>
+**The Murderfields**
+The fields between Antongrad and the Godspine are known as the Murderfields; a vast expanse of charred nothingness.  The road Eastward from Antongrad to the Midlands cuts right through the middle of this desolate and macabre plain, leading those who have made it this far out of the West and further into the arms of the Republic.  It was here that the Venerated Apothecary Corps, backed by the Templar and Inquisition, took to their prototype use of pyrotechnics and flamethrowers, setting ablaze every settlement and village from the Godspine to the walls of Antongrad - infected or not. Even today, as the winds sweep the charred hills of the Murderfields, they at times still carry with them the ashes of the dead, choking the air from the lungs of those who would dare walk its wastes.
+**Antongrad**
+Surrounded on all sides by ruin and scorched earth, Antongrad acts as the passage and last checkpoint before reaching the only path safe enough through the Godspine, of which is heavily guarded by Legion forces.  Those who make the journey to the City of Skulls as it is colloquially referred to as are greeted with the visage of all those who have attempted to befoul and curse the last bastion of the Empire.  Piles of skulls flayed of their flesh line the sturdy and foreboding walls of this city and serve to cast their judgemental gaze upon those who dare enter. Westerners must pass through Antongrad if they are to attempt the roads eastward into the Midlands. Of recent note is that these travelers must be ever mindful of their possessions, as many are searched for any heretical material that they may smuggle East into the Imperial heartland - no doubt due to orders of traumatized Legion officiants whose grips on reality are beginning to fade.
+//**Inspirations and Influences**//
+Bulgaria, Romania. Traditional example names such as Naiden, Ignat, Rada and Lyubov are common for those hailing from Kaduraas.
+<--
+-->Murandesh#
+<fs xx-large>Geography</fs>
+Nestled between the Tempest Ocean and the Eternal Range lies a land full of dense, tropical forest and murky swamps known by the indigenous people as Murandesh. This region is roughly 200,000 square miles in size, kept fed and lush by the many rivers and deltas produced by runoffs from the imposing mountains. The 3,000 miles of coastal territory that is plagued by many ships brought to ruin by the unwavering storms and hurricanes of that given credence to the Tempest Ocean’s namesake.
+Due to the hostile environment brought on from the Tempest Ocean, and the lowland climate of Murandesh, the only true season within the Western Province is hot seasons and hurricane season, forcing many of its native inhabitants to reside on the Eastern side of the Amawrak River.
+<fs xx-large>History</fs>
+The Murandai is a name given to the indigenous people of Murandesh by themselves as a whole, and the only translation Decusian scholars can assert it to is simply: “The People”. These people, although slightly different from one another in their sub-cultural ways, hold very similar appearances anatomically, and also see themselves as children of a single set of gods; due to this they trade openly with one another, at least until recent times. Due to the invasion of the Venerated Republic, the relationships between the various cultural groups that make up the whole body of the Murandai have been in a hard place, due to each group having their own political views on the encroachment of Republic on their long held lands.
+As a collective whole, the Venerated Republic view the inhabitants of Murandesh as primitive sacrilegious creatures, due to their lack of developed city infrastructure, primitive beliefs in paganistic entities, the lack of written lore, and finally the open practice of cannibalism as a societal right. Many people from the lands East of Prodai and the Eternal Range view the indigenous people from Murandesh as just above the status of animals, useful for nothing more than manual labor.
+However, upon closer review, these people have a rich culture that is unique to its people and not experienced elsewhere in Vitaveus, or in Watanga, the turtle whom we live on the back of, according to the Murandai.
+<fs xx-large>Torment</fs>
+The Murandai simply view the torment as an “outlanders curse”, a boon of their false man god and his conquerors to bring the true people to their knees, as they are forced to harken the calls of the grand witch, Decus.  Due to their cultural views on magic, they see no difference in the Resolve and the Republic, to them, they are one in the same, both figuratively and even culturally.  As many in Murandesh only speak local obscure languages and dialects that vary between tribal bands, they have no true grasp of the “common tongue”, therefore, Republic and Resolve even lexically sound the same, therefore are in context, the same.  This is further supported in their eyes as members of the Consortium, bearing numbered robes and the Venerated banners of the Republic utilize the evil of magic at their very whims, against the indigenous people of Murandesh.
+The VIC have made numerous attempts to seize the region and to purge the more nomadic bands, however, due to the harsh environment, weapons and armor made of iron are highly susceptible to rust, along with the difficult terrain in which the Republic has struggled with topographically mapping and developing a sound large scale assault on such a mobile, reclusive and minimalistic group.  As the VIC struggle with these indigenous people, they also have to battle the efforts of the Torment; the Du’Mela and Lani tribes view this as the Republic is losing its control over its magics, and the Mother Goddess turning their physical embodiments of witchery and sin, against their creators.
+<fs xx-large>Points of Interest</fs>
+**Amawrak Rainforest**
+The Amawrak Rainforest, named after the great river which runs through it, covers most of the Amawrak Basin in Muradesh. This tropical rainforest holds the most-varied species of plants, animals, and insects found within Vitaveus. It is so verdant with undiscovered life, that explorers may easily walk from their expeditions with a new creature or plant named after them.
+The dense foliage of this rainforest hides many secrets, and it is unwilling to give them up. Ruins of ancient civilizations lay buried beneath silt and tangled vines. Great deposits of precious minerals hide beneath the trees. This rainforest also holds the highest number of unindoctrinated tribes throughout Vitaveus; a number estimated to be about 67. Many Decusians have attempted to bring our faith to these heretics, but none have ever returned.
+**Amawrak River**
+The Amawrak River is the greatest river of Muradesh and the largest drainage system, by volume of its flow, of Vitaveus. The total length of the river, measured by its headwaters in Sulastas to the Tempest Ocean, is at least 4,000 miles. The vast basin it runs though holds the most tributaries and widest floodplains of Vitaveus.
+According to heretical tribes of the Murandai, Murdadesh was once as dry and arid as its neighbor Prodai. During a particularly dry season, these ancient people prayed to whom they believed to be their great creator, known as Whakikoero, for relief. Their prayers were answered by the appearance of the great serpent Amawrak. The serpent burrowed into the earth, causing great tremors, and created passageways to channel rainwater from the raging storms of Sulastas. From these crevices sprung a deluge of freshwater, which gave rise to the fertile marshes and forests of Muradesh.
+//**Inspirations and Influences**//
+The Amazon Rainforest. Purutu, Taruca, and Amaru are common for those hailing from Murandesh
+<--
+-->Niunas#
+<fs xx-large>Geography</fs>
+The vast swamps of Niunas stretch seemingly without end, from the western deltas of the loosely labeled province to the Eastern end pressed against the Godspine mountains.  There is little variation in the terrain as you enter Niunas and walk its expansive floodwaters and murky bogs. For most of the summer, Niunas is ravaged by hurricanes from the Tempest Ocean. During this terrifying season, the entirety of the region is flooded well past the point of being remotely habitable, uprooting most of the swamps vegetation and trees out into the rolling waves of the Tempest Ocean.  Nemus, one of the only infamously known provinces in the entire territory, is situated geographically in an area that is able to endure the seasonal storms, but at a cost to those on the outermost fringes of the province.
+<fs xx-large>History</fs>
+Niunas isn’t a land of any particular people, cultures or creeds, mostly due to it's inability to be fully habitable. It does however boast a curious bit of trivial history, as it is named after the Old Collatian word for rage.  Due to the terrifying storms that plague most of the warm months that Niunas experiences, along with the lack of any formidable soil to build upon as the deltas quickly give away from the hurricanes, this territory has never truly been a place for a people to reside for any permanent stretch of time.  However, if someone is attempting to flee the efforts of Republic law, Church agents or everyday rivals and loan sharks, Niunas represents something of a hidden gem, as many of its habitable areas are in fact nigh impossible to reach without a bit of luck and a whole lot of nefarious know-how.
+The province of Nemus, home to a city sharing the same name, rests against the Godspine Mountains and is a hotbed of criminal minds and scoundrels avoiding the oversight of the ever-watchful Church.  Its original inhabitants and founders are thought to have been Collatian dissidents who sought to escape the potential persecution of their native homeland and the Collatian Dynasty, and to do so, threw caution to the winds and attempted to hide within the treacherous Stormborne Swamps.  Due to this shared ancestry and ancient hatreds, traditional Nemus culture is a haphazard amalgamation that combines aspects of the Old Dynasty with common practices passed down from thieves and cutthroats who've historically dealt in some of the most illegal acts throughout Vitaveus. However, due to the literal erasure of any vestige of Old Dynasty culture from the face of Vitaveus by the hands of the Republic, it is seemingly impossible to separate customs and traditions derived from ancient Collatia from that of the practices and culture passed down by the criminal element that has permeated through its' society. For this reason, Niunasians as a whole are considered the worst of the worst in terms of Decusian ilk, and are detested, distrusted, and considered tainted from birth.
+The city of Nemus itself is pieced together by countless hundreds of docks branching out from a central focal point, colloquially known as "The Heart", where the first outlaws established themselves against and alongside the mountain face.  The further one finds themselves from The Heart, the newer the inhabitant most likely is, and their knowledge of the inner workings of the city and its unspoken rules  more apparent. Newcomers to Nemus rarely last long, and those that do survive only because they listen and adapt to the terms of the cities people quickly. As a city of thieves, miscreants, and human trash, Niunas’ economy provides no real commodities or resources for trade, and thus, the people of the city often reach out into the East towards territories such as Ghaenthgrand for precious resources and at times, luxury goods.
+<fs xx-large>Torment</fs>
+The Torment exists in small pockets throughout Niunas, however whatever creatures that may be affected by the horrifying disease are usually prone to the elemental forces that continually besiege the territory and its’ peoples.  Due to the storms continuously sweeping in from the coast, much of the Torment blight is quite literally sucked out into the Tempest Ocean. Therefore, much of the territory, especially around Nemus, is largely unaffected by the disease. However, despite the relative safety one may find from the Torment, Niunas is absolutely rife and rampant with its own threats, of which that have only increased exponentially since the arrival of the scourge. Decusian presence has been completely and thoroughly pulled out from all but the fringe borders of Niunas, resulting in the traditionally lawless territory sinking further into decadency. Niunas is therefore a territory nearly completely devoid of the Republic's influence, and thus, is considered one of the most dangerous places in all of Vitaveus.
+<fs xx-large>Points of Interest</fs>
+**Stormborne Swamp**
+The thick ichor of this swamp’s bogs and marshlands cover the entirety of the territory for countless hundreds of miles.  For a decent part of the year, the swamp itself is a dangerous trek through predatory waters too dense from algae, vegetation and swirling mud.  However, in the last months of summer, the storms of the Tempest Ocean pick up to cataclysmic levels and flood the swamps of this region; any poor soul caught between Collatia and Nemus best pray to Decus, for their chances of surviving are negligible at best.
+**Nemus**
+Pushed deep and back into the Eastern edge of the Province, nestled up against the Godspine, lies the notorious city of Nemus.  It is home to the offspring of Collatian dissidents and outlaws who found the natural protection of the swamp from justice. In modern and recent times, much is unchanged, as those who choose to live in Nemus are nearly all criminals or ne'er do wells who fled their respective homeland territories for the “don’t ask, don't tell” mentality of the famed criminal city.  It is said that those who don't wish to go through Antongrad and the Kaduraan Pass for legal reasons opt for guides and routes from Nemus smugglers in dangerous expeditions through the Stormborne Swamp.  However, word to the warning, you may lose your coin or your life just as quickly on this route as any other out of the West, for these folk are a conniving, wicked lot.
+//**Inspirations and Influences**//
+Brazil, Rainforests, Everglades. Traditional example names such as Itzcali, Cadmel, Eadrich and Ctialee are common for those hailing from Niunas.
+<--
+-->Prodai#
+<fs xx-large>Geography</fs>
+Prodai, though a desert climate, once held a wealth of forested lands that hugged the southeastern edges of its mountain barriers.  However, over the generations of expansion on behalf of its ancient priest royalty and their great architectures to venerate their wretched, pagan gods, they had exhausted these natural resources completely, which resulted in many of their civilizations and cities to become empty husks where life once thrived.  The sweltering desert landscape has swallowed up these ancient places, burying them beneath the hot Prodain sands as time has taken its toll. The Prodai region is predominantly flat at its center, becoming more pronounced as you reach the foothills along the mountains that encompass almost all of its border. Almost in the center of this barren waste is a massive scar that plunges deep into Eden and stretches further than the eye can see; its depths craggy and torn, and one false step could be the undoing of any mere mortal foolish enough to get close to its edge. Boasting the largest territorial claim of any region within Vitaveus, Prodai's legacy is as lengthy and large as it's vast, rolling deserts.
+<fs xx-large>History</fs>
+Historically speaking, Prodaen people had been long isolated due to the lack of horses or mule-like animals in their region to help them overcome the vast and towering mountains that surround their desert lands.  Due to this, ancient Prodaen society had to internally rely on their own lands to further their development of civilization. Initially, this was not of concern to the Prodaen people, as their populations were easily manageable; however, as population levels grew, the demand for more resources grew in tandem.  Herein lies the conflict that slowly reduced by all accounts a once thriving empire into a ghost of its former, ancient glory.
+The ancient rulers of the Prodaen people, considered “God Kings” by divine right and mandated as such by the priesthood of their society, sought to expand their cultural influence by building over their predecessors and erected great architecture that would stand well beyond their reign.  These grand projects, which served as vain tributes to themselves, saw to a mass commitment of an already dwindling supply of natural resources and manpower. For every one of these towering effigies built, a ritual of sacrifice would be conducted, taking the labor-force who were conscripted to build such marvels and murdering them en-masse as a tribute to whatever mad machinations the God Kings had worshiped.
+The laypeople of Prodaen society eventually revolted against their God Kings, resulting in a bloody coup that would last years. In the midst of this violent and prolonged rebellion, the Venerated Republic visited its war machine upon the territory's borders, bringing with it their Holy Reclamation.  Like a hot knife carving through butter, the Republic made quick work of those who would stand against them, be it those loyal to the God Kings, or the revolutionists who see to overthrow their former rulers.  Hundreds upon thousands of Prodaen people were slain in the conflict of subduing Prodai, and the Reclamation efforts within the territory would last nearly a decade - the longest sustained campaign of Reclamation the Republic would ever wage. When the dust had finally settled in Prodai, those who would remain were brought to heel before the Venerated Republic, either working predominantly in the countless salt mines that would later become the primary export of the region, or becoming conscripted into the vast armies of the Legion to replenish the staggering losses it sustained in attempting to subdue the region.
+<fs xx-large>Torment</fs>
+Since the emergence of the Torment, Prodai has become embroiled in a separatist movement founded on ancient cultural beliefs that have become reinterpreted by the indigenous people.  Technically, the Torment has not overtaken Prodai in earnest, mostly due to the natural borders that block easy travel as well as the sprawling deserts that are the hallmark of this territory.
+Curiously, for many true-blooded Prodaen people, the Torment isn't looked upon as a plague that affects them, but one that has been called forth by the old, dethroned God-Kings to plague the Decusians and their false angelic God.  They believe that the Torment to be retribution for the subjugation of Prodai. As such, numerous pockets of the territory has become unsafe. Public executions, murder mobs and lynching have all become commonplace in this region, and have only been exacerbated due to the dwindling Republic presence in the form of Legion and Templar military units.  This separatist movement, formally known as "The Luella",  has now reached a level of organization and sophistication previously thought impossible for a rebel group operating within Vitaveus, and has amassed a large guerilla force that has repulsed many of the smaller Legion outposts of the region due to their inability to guard the Province as the Torment threat calls their attention elsewhere. Content on simply keeping the region contained as of the present, the Republic has thus declared Prodai as Blacklands, despite that it is lost more to revolution rather than the Torment threat.
+<fs xx-large>Points of Interest</fs>
+**The Great Maw**
+This scar into the depths of Eden is revered by the people of Prodai, but for what reasons has been lost to time. Up until the arrival of the Venerated Republic, Prodean God Kings would ritualistically sacrifice one of their children into this large canyon-like crater upon their ascension to the throne. Today, many Decusian followers left abandoned in Prodai, particularly members of the Clergy, have been executed by being tossed into the Maw as an homage to the Old Ways.
+**Kobo**
+The largest city in Prodai, Kobo is positioned at the eastern end of the Great Maw, nestled against one of the few freshwater sources in all of Prodai.  It is here where the heart of the territory was founded and built, with countless temples spanning the desert, all stained in a rust-like color from ages of shedding blood upon their sandstone bricks.  Nearly all of these temples were brought to utter ruin by the Venerated Republic after the conclusion of the Recalamation, with churches to Archangel Decus having been erected in their place. In proper cyclic form, the Luella have now taken to dismantling these Decusian churches and cathedrals as well, working to reestablish the horizon of Kobo with the silhouettes of countless dozens of temples to the old God Kings.
+//**Inspirations and Influences**//
+Ancient Persia. Traditional example names such as Ahman, Srivan, Aida and Shana are common for those hailing from Prodai.
+<--
+-->Sulastas#
+<fs xx-large>Geography</fs>
+The southwestern territory of Sulastas is nestled between uninhabitable Niunas and the ravenously tribal province of Murandesh.  On its Eastern edge, the Godspine begins to taper into a large pass leading into Ghaenthgrand; this pass, known as Roenhelm’s Gap, has been the site of many conflicts through the centuries by both the Sulastains and the Ghaenthens. The region is filled with vast jungles with thick canopies made primarily of Kapok trees, which produce a plant fiber that is highly regarded for its ability to be weaved into tapestries and other materials that need to be light, yet durable.  The raging storms from the Tempest Ocean only really impact the coastal region, making travel through the interior of Sulastas less hostile than its neighboring territories. Yet make no mistake, Sulastas is a dangerous land even before the onset of the Torment, mainly due to threats of all kinds hiding within the thick canopies of the vast jungles that make up the majority of the territory.
+<fs xx-large>History</fs>
+Sulastas was the second to last of the Collatian Dynasty territories to fall during the Decusian Reckoning, and held some of the largest hold-fasts within the western territories.  The natives to the region, known as Sulastains, primarily built their settlements among the faults of the Godspine Mountains. Though most Sulastain lands are dense jungles, very few ancient people inhabited them, instead opting for settlement in the Godspine faults.  These uninhabited jungles did serve a purpose to early Sulastains however, acting as a major source for cotton, lumber, and exotic animal products ill found anywhere else in all of the Old Dynasty - and thus making the territory keenly valuable to the Collatians. Apart from that, Sulastain ancient society was primarily agrarian, with their peoples having developed a terrace farming technique to utilize the mountains and their exposure to the sun to cultivate plants such as corn, squash and wheat.
+Traditional Sulastains themselves are a short and lithe people, and number among the shortest people in all of Vitaveus.  Their skin is of a deep brown complexion and their eyes boasts a wide range of greens and browns. They often dressed in fine loose garments, made from the fiberr of the kapok trees, and wore thick coats and hats to keep warm at the higher altitudes of their homeland.  Sulastain people also boast a wide array of body modifications, taking bones, rocks or precious stones, and placing them through their nostrils, ears or even their foreheads. Sulastain society was caste-based prior to the Reckoning, with a scholarly caste at the top of the food-chain, followed by the warrior caste, the trade caste, and lastly, the bound caste.
+Sulastas at one point boasted the largest slave market in all of Vitaveus, and settlements and villages from territories such as Ghaenthgrand made up a large part of their ancient slave force.  Before the Reckoning and their eventual downfall, Sulastas really consisted of one export: slaves. It is for this reason that the Republic had taken a rather violent and prejudicial hand to Sulastas during the Reclamation, wholly in part to the Decusian belief of slavery being a cardinal sin. It is estimated that less than fifteen percent of Sulastain bloodlines survived the Decusian Reclamation
+<fs xx-large>Torment</fs>
+The Torment has fully consumed this province in it's entirety.  Pockets of Tormented cysts have been reported throughout the jungles, which has put a stop to the fiber production from the region since early 1320. Roenhelm’s Gap has become a massive quarantine point as of 1340, when a anarchist plot to bring the disease further into the heart of the Midlands was thwarted; however, these diabolic agents in a last ditch effort brought damnation upon the pass, spreading their sickness and infecting the surrounding area.  Due to this, Sulastas is considered through and through Blacklands, and little effort has been made to reclaim it in the near thirty years since the emergence of the Torment.
+<fs xx-large>Points of Interest</fs>
+**Itzamaatl**
+One of the largest cities in Sulastas, Itzamaatl was a hotbed for trade and cotton production in per-Reclamation times.  At one point, due to its central location along the Godpsine in Sulastas, Itzamaatl acted as the trade center for the entire territory's slave markets, with travelers from all over what would later become known as the Western Territories traveling there to take part in the auctions.  Upon the arrival of the Decusians during the Reckoning, these slave markets were razed to the ground and turned into nothing more than piles of rubble. Nearly all of the former slave masters of Itzamaatl were systematically rounded up and ritualistically executed by Decusian forces following it's capture by Templar forces. Due to this, Republic sentiment amongst the laypersons of Itzamaatl, which consisted mostly of the ancestors of freed slaves, had tradtionally been exceptionally strong for a Western Territorial holding. Unfortunately, this good-will and sentiment was not enough to keep the city safe, and since as early as 1322, Itzamaatl has been lost to the Torment, with tens of thousands of Afflicted that still roaming it's streets to this day.
+**Chat’tumal**
+Once a large slave territory, Chat’tumal is now a ruin reclaimed by nature, and haunted by those who died there long, long ago.  During the final days of the Reckoning, a slave revolt took place within the territory, the enslaved seeing the Decusian invasion as an opportunity to strike out against their retreating and weakened masters, in an attempt to free themselves from their wretched bonds.  When the slaves revolted, they took to slaughtering everything in their sights that was not bound in irons, killing everyone in their path in so that none were left alive to raise a hand upon them again. Upon the arrival of Decusian forces to Chat’tumal, some of the most battle-hardened commanders of the Republic forces were even left in awe from the savagery they had witnessed upon entering the territory, and had immediately declared Chat’tumal to be uninhabitable for future Decusian purposes. Many to this day think Chat’tumal to be haunted, believing that the foul souls of the slavers still roam its' ruins, looking to exert dominance over the living once more.
+**Roenhelm’s Gap**
+Named after a famous Ghaenthgran hero of ancient lore, Roenhelm’s Gap is the only passage through the Godspine into Sulastas from Ghaenthgrand.  At one point this pass held impressive fortifications that near-rivaled that of the Angelspire herself, however, today it stands a shadow of its former glory. It is the only element of Republic power within the entire region, and serves solely to protect entry into Ghaenthgrand from the ruined territory of Sulastas.
+//**Inspirations and Influences**//
+Peru, Tropical Rainforests. Traditional example names such as Xoc, Akna, Ah-mun and Nakon are common for those hailing from Sulastas.
+<--
+-->Teramer#
+<fs xx-large>Geography</fs>
+Teramer lies against the Northwestern edge of Vitaveus, butted up against the cold and dreadful Caddoch Sea and the Tempest Ocean.  Its shores are an anomaly to many that first land upon them and gaze towards their ebony colored sands. The most devoted of Decusians believe that these sands are stained with the sins of Teramer’s inhabitants, of whom taint the very lands they walk upon.  The winds from the Caddoch Sea, coupled with the currents of the Tempest Ocean bring with forth a harsh and perpetual rain that turns to ice and snow from Warmwind to Dewfall. Trees are minimal in the lands of Teramer, and thus, wooden effects and trinkets are prized as gifts strictly for those who bear a higher status amongst Teramerian society.  Most of the settlements, cities and villages within Teramer are nestled within the Southern reaches of the province, pushed up against the Godspine Mountains. Teramer is a brutal, unforgiving land, and its' spawn possess personalities much the same.
+<fs xx-large>History</fs>
+Historically speaking, the people of Teramer, known as Teramerians, are a stout and hearty people of light colored hair and very fair skin, with shorter limbs and stocky frames.  As a whole, their communities were nomadic with centralized settlements that they had gravitated towards during the harsher snow seasons. Their clans and tribes had taken to herding elk and reindeer, of which provided them with a vast quantity of hides and meats, and are the main resource they thrived off of alongside mining communities that exist along the southeastern borders and the Godspine Mountains. Teramer’s hills are still rich with iron deposits, and as such, most of their settlements were formed out of rock and iron, as the scarcity of wood is saved for more ceremonial effigies and for people in positions of power and recognition.  Trade in the past was conducted with the people of Kaduraas prior to the Reckoning, but now, post-Torment, the landscapes of Kaduraas are a ruin and its surviving people now despise those of Teramer for imagined betrayals.
+Traditional Teramerians remain closely knit in modern times, with a singular cultural identity, no matter how far away its members may travel from the Southern settlements.  Be it of their own devices, or to simply lead the herds further north in the warmer months, Teramerians are still a part of the Clan no matter how far they may travel from Teramer’s black sands.  They are a matriarchal people, their clans structured around the All-Mother, the eldest woman in the clan who also bears the longest lineage of Teramerian offspring. A common Teramerian saying is “From the womb bears our lineage, and to it we give homage”. This simple phrase sheds light upon the Teramerian stance of the All-Mother and her importance to the Clan’s wellbeing; acting as both the giver of life and the rule of law for the clans as they interact with one another.
+While largely independent in the years leading up to the Reckoning, Teramer fell for a time under the purview of Collatia, acting as one of many subjects that greased the cogs of the ancient Western power.  Due to their smaller population they were easily routed and brought into the heretical dominion by the larger and more imposing nation. Due to their limited natural resources, Collatia demanded exorbitant amounts of hides and pelts from the Teramer herds, along with working some of the Southern settlements into exhaustion for their iron deposits to fuel their city-state.  At times, Teramerian settlements would act as the scapegoats for the Collatians, of whom would reave and raid these settlements of their livestock, iron stores, and even of women if they felt their demands were not being met to fuel the already engorged bellies of the Dynasty. These acts, of which compiled over many generations, would leave a lasting impact upon the Teramerian people, of whom would ultimately look for any opportunity to see themselves one day looking down upon Collatia as it fell into the sea.
+When the Reckoning began and the armies of the Decusian peoples descended upon the lands of the Collatian Dynasty, a better staging point for their naval forces was sorely needed. Traversing large cohorts and legions across the Godspine would have seen a vast number of their forces dwindled before setting down upon Collatia due to its hazardous peaks and harsh winters. Teramer offered a place for the Decusians to sweep down upon their heretical foes in the name of their God and Savior, and to do so from a staging point that offered little resistance to their efforts; for small bands of nomadic people such as the Teramerians would be easily quelled if they attempted to rise against the Republic.  What the Decusians had not been prepared for was that the fact that the Teramerians quickly, and almost fervently, warmed to the Decusians occupation and arrival of their massive armies.
+For the Decusian invaders were not seen as enemies to Teramer, but as royalty blessed themselves by the Gods, for they sailed upon large ships far beyond anything the Teramerians could have ever imagined.  Instead of rebuking these conquerors, they instead opened their lands to them along with their mines, offering the Republic a means of supplying itself on the front-lines of its Holy War as well as providing a vital staging point that would play a pivotal role in striking down the Western Collatian serpents.  As the Western nations fell under the Legion’s and Templar’s swords, many of the Collatian Old Dynasty vowed to pay vengeance upon the Teramer people for their insolence and perceived betrayal.
+In more modern history, the Venerated Republic would continue to maintain its outposts and over-watch of the province, taking full use of the mines and the deep reserves they offered in iron and precious minerals.  Due to the region being home to the Warbishop Naum Alexandrov himself, Teramer boasts a large Inquisition presence within the capital city of Aleksandrov, named after the Bishop himself. In fact, Teramer is responsible in providing to the Republic upwards of twenty-five percent of the Inquisition’s yearly recruits, whom are regarded to be some of the most physically conditioned and imposing men and women throughout the entire known continent of Vitaveus. Due to Alexandrov’s ascension to one of the highest stations in all of the Republic, Teramerians regard him as a figure of high regard (and at times, even legend). Because of this fanaticism, Teramerians are fiercely dedicated to serving the Church in whatever martial capacity they can, be it through the Inquisition, Templar, or even the Apothecary Corps. It is said that nearly all of Teramerian youth culture is fixated upon this facet of life, so much so that formal education in Teramerian is often neglected to favor that of physical conditioning, martial training and other related disciplines.
+<fs xx-large>Becoming One with the Flame</fs>
+The introduction of burning the dead is something new to most inhabitants of Vitaveus, however, its roots stem from Teramer culture long before the time of the Torment.  Due to the permafrost that takes to most of the soil in Teramer, bodies were ill suited to be buried, due to inevitably being summoned forth from the cold ground within a couple years of being interred.  This natural act of resurfacing the dead no doubt brought many contagion and disease upon the locals in Teramer. As such, no one is buried in the entirety of the territory, their bodies are burned en-mass when enough of the dead pile up within their honored walls to offset the cost and rarity of lumber; coal is often used to propel the flames where wood may be in short supply, or the dead number many lowborn or criminal folk.
+As of late, this practice is now widely used to dispatch the dead in other parts of the Republic, and given a much more symbolic meaning as the fallen is said to be returning to the Flame from which man once came.
+<fs xx-large>Torment</fs>
+The Torment is a problem for all, and although it is not as prevalent within the settlements dotted about the landscape in Teramer, it has however seeped within the soil and the wildlife, where droves of reindeer herds and elk farms have been brought to disease and ruin.  Farming and the impact to the Teramerian wildlife has left an impact on the already small population of Teramer, and due to this rampant and deadly disease, many have taken to becoming refugees in other lands, daring to trek over the Godspine and the Republican ramparts that dot it to find safety within its embrace.  The people of Teramer believe the Torment is a curse placed upon them by the Old Dynasty of Collatia for their role in their ultimate demise at the hands of the Decusians, however, those Teramerians who leave their homelands to other parts of the world are quite shocked to see that this sentiment is also shared by others outside of Teramer’s lands, albeit somewhat rarely.
+Logistically speaking, nearly 70% of Teramer is currently considered Blackland and lost to the blight of the Torment. Only the most southeastern villages of Teramer that line the foothills of the Galehorn mountains, along with the mega-city of Aleksandrov, remain "held" by the Republic, and only because of the fierce fanaticism of the zealot Teramerians that still serve the Republic. Venturing any farther than a day's ride from the Galehorn is a fool's errand, with those embarking on such a quest never being seen nor heard from again. The remaining holdouts of Republic power within Teramer suffer from nightmarish conditions, and are subjected to constant and harrowing battles against the afflicted and Tormented whom roam the Western Territories in great, unmitigated hordes. Not surprisingly, however, is the unbridled and near-psychotic lust that many Teramerians hold in regards to their current forsaken predicament.
+<fs xx-large>Points of Interest</fs>
+**Muldr Mine**
+A large mine within the Galehorn Mountains, Muldr Mine was a major excavation site known for its mineral deposits that became a vital operation for the Republic post-reckoning.  The mine however became abandoned sometime after 1313, when the Torment began to ooze forth across Vitaveus, bringing death and suffering to all it touched.
+**Aleksandrov**
+The largest Municipality within Teramer, Aleksandrov is home to the largest Decusian Cathedral and subsequent Templar and Inquisition garrisons in the entire region. Due to being built into the face of the Galehorn peaks, it remains a vestige of power within the Western Territories and Blacklands of Teramer proper.  Of particular interest to those from both Teramer and tourists is that it is also the birthplace of Naum Alexandrov, Warbishop of the Venerated Republic, hence the origin of this impressive stone and iron city’s namesake.  His prestige is so well regarded in Teramer that many large wooden statues are erected in his honor and image along the rolling hills and in town squares.
+//**Inspirations and Influences**//
+Black Sand Beach - Iceland, Siberia, Russia. Traditional example names such as Artyom, Konstanin, Sasha and Nikita are common for those hailing from Teramer.
+<--
+<fs xx-large>Vitaveus: Midlands</fs>
+-->Drolund#
+<fs xx-large>Geography</fs>
+Gray skies perpetually hug the rolling fields of Drolund, as tall wheat fields run the landscape as far as the eye can see.  The hardy climate that sits at a cool temperature year round provides a decent amount of rainfall for this province of the Venerated Republic, the large stocks of wheat grown by the Drodain people feeding them for eons.  The region is almost split in two as a saddle forms off the Godspine and cuts right through the heart of the province. On Drolund’s easternmost edge is the beautiful and vast Good Sea, the largest body of water on the continent of Vitaveus.
+<fs xx-large>History</fs>
+Historically, the Drodain people were farmers first and foremost.  The large swaths of land provided them with an ample bounty of wild grasses, that over time, they had learned to cultivate and germinate through ancient methods of agriculture and horticulture.  To this day, Drolund breads are prized throughout the Republic, as their stocks of wheat and grains have brought a vast bounty of sweat and delicious breads to all corners of the known world. This reputation Drolund possessed in its' early years had not been to it's benefit, however. Ostenam, a neighboring region and long time bitter rival, spent much of its formative years  raiding their neighbor Drodain of their hard earned cultivation.
+Due to the constant threat of the Osteins, the Drodain of the Drolund Plains were forced to take up martial practices to defend their farmlands.  Initially their efforts yielded armies of impressive size. When the legions of the Venerated Republic arrived within Drolund when the Reckoning had finally reached their lands, the Drodain were no match for the overwhelming might that the Decusian faith brought to bear upon them.  In defeat, the Drodain surrdenders to the Decusians after only two years of resistance, solidifying their position as a major grain production power to feed the well oiled Republican war machine.
+<fs xx-large>Torment</fs>
+The Torment is in a frenzy within this region, and the Venerated Republic along with the Apothecary Corps is doing everything it can do to stave off the threat of losing one of its largest grain producers for its Empire.  Those of the Drolund fields that still inhabit the region have moved most of their efforts to the Eastern edges of the territory, taking shelter around the Good Sea and the Bloody Basin. It is within these areas one will even find whispers of anti-Western rhetoric, with some whispering about the sudden and violent spreading of the Torment being a plot of the Osteins to try and remove their ancient and long-time rivals without fear of being branded as seditionists to the Republic. For it is quite curious that the Torment is so deeply entrenched within Drolund as opposed to its neighboring territories, a fact that leads many to believe foul play beyond that of normal means of the plague spreading. Due to the violent outbreaks of Torment across Drolund, Westerners who sometimes make it safely through the Godspine find no quarter within these foul lands. Some are even hung along the winding roads of Drolund as warning to other foreigners and wayward migrants that the Torment is at a fever pitch within Drolund. Yet others interpret this message as something else; perhaps a warning to the Osteins that the Drodain trust none but their own in these trying times.
+<fs xx-large>Points of Interest</fs>
+**Bloody Basin**
+This large body of water is home to a peculiar site for many to witness for their first time.  Eden itself is molded around it as though a massive object once fell here, but what is more intriguing is that the rich iron deposits and minerals deep within the hard stone floor of the basin cause a bleeding effect of rust to emerge at the edges of the water where the rock and lake converge.  This effect is where its namesake takes place, as the shores look like they run red with the blood of thousands.
+**Kaduraas Pass**
+This pass that breaching from East to West is a major point of traffic for those who official pass through the region on the good graces of the Republic. It is famous in modern times for being one of the last places that the legendary Resolve and their forsaken followers were observed before disappearing into the Western Territories nearly thirty years ago. The pass is lined with outposts and towers that are manned by Legion forces, and of late, have become bolstered as the efforts to beat back the Torment into the Western Territories have failed.  People who pass through the checkpoint must reach the next in a series of stops within a specific allotted amount of time stamped on their passage writ due to the area being notorious for illicit activity such as smuggling, human trafficking and more; not to mention the specter of the Resolve. If these times are found to be forged or altered, travelers are often simply executed in the street, with Republic forces citing the offender of having been in league with the Resolve. If times prove to be tardy by an unreasonable amount, the offending traveler traditionally would be set back to Antongrad for questioning and interrogation. However, in such dark times as these, these offenders are often executed as well, solely due to hysteria involving infiltration by loyalists to the Resolve.  It is for this very reason many colloquially call this place, the “Mad Dash Pass”.
+//**Inspirations and Influences**//
+Midwestern United States. Traditional example names such as Colborn, Cade, Kimberley and Nara are common for those hailing from Drolund.
+<--
+-->Ghaenthgrand#
+<fs xx-large>Geography</fs>
+Those who have traveled the Shimmering Plains of Virrenul will tell you that the grasslands go on forever. Indeed, whether on horseback or foot it is hard to imagine the sprawling plains coming to any sort of end. Yet end they do, as does Virrenul, when it runs up against the Broadwater, which at over 500 miles in length approaches even the mighty Red River in length. If you should chance to cross the river, as the pioneers did long ago, you will find yourself in Ghaenthgrand, the territory which lies at the center of Vitaveus. The Shimmering Plains may end at the Broadwater, but the majority of Ghaenthgrand is dominated by such grasslands and prairies. Save for the west and the south, most of the territory is a vast expanse, broken only sporadically by rivers and forests. This abundance of land only makes what lies further into Ghaenthgrand more breathtaking.
+Situated along the northern border of the region rests Goodsea, which is Vitaveus' largest inland body of water. It is fed from sources all over central Vitaveus but within Ghaenthgrand the greatest of those sources is the Broken-Hearted River, one of Vitaveus' great rivers alongside the Red and Broadwater rivers. Goodsea is composed of freshwater and the lake is approximately 38,0000 square miles in surface area and is a central feature of not only Ghaenthgrand but the entire region. Amidst Vitaveus' flatlands it must seem unique, but the truth of the matter is that while it may be the largest inland body of water, it is not the only one within Ghaenthgrand's borders. One-hundred miles to the northeast one may also find the Lake Volg, another large lake in central Vitaveus. Lake Volg is the terminus of the Broadwater and connects to Goodsea via the Wise Canal, the longest of three channels connecting central Vitaveus' four largest lakes.
+Despite these features it would be fallacy to claim that Ghaenthgrand is all plains, rivers and lakes. The Godspine Mountains, Vitaveus' tallest range, compromise the western border of the territory, and along with the Godspine comes foothills and boreal forests. Southern Ghaenthgrand is also bordered by rocky highlands; Roenhelm's Valley (better known as the Cauldron) is the southernmost point of Ghaenthgrand and a part of the Eternal Range, a sprawling series of mountains which continues for over 800 miles to the southeast.
+As is the case with most of the territories in central Vitaveus, the majority of Ghaenthgrand's citizens live near the lakes. There are certainly towns and even small cities in the foothills and backlands, but the northeastern portion of the region is far more densely populated than the southwest. Those settlements that aren't near the lakes or the fertile midlands are nearly always a stones throw from the banks of the Broken-Hearted River or one of its tributaries. One such town, perhaps the largest of all the backland towns, is Raven's Bridge. It is opportunely located at the fork where the Broken-Hearted River is joined by Katrina's River, one of its many tributaries. Roughly 300 miles southwest of the Goodsea, Raven's Bridge (and indeed all the settlements in the southwest) are considered off the beaten path. Still, the placement of Raven's Bridge makes it something of a regional capital for the villages and hamlets in the area. Such a designation has brought prosperity to it, and along with that prosperity Raven's Bridge has steadily grown over the years.
+While Raven's Bridge may indeed be the central town of the southwest, Hegvard is the true territorial capital of Ghaenthgrand. The largest settlement in the territory, Hegvard lies on the shores the Goodsea. Citizens of the eastern territories might share a good laugh when the people of Ghaenthgrand call Hegvard a harbor town, but the truth of the matter is that the title is every bit deserved. Goodsea is perhaps the best source of transportation and food in the region and allows the residents of Hegvard to do business with both Drolund and Ostenam. Access to Volgen via the Wise Canal and Lake Volg further supplements Hegvard's mastery of the region. Hegvard also sees a fair amount of traffic from travelers; the road west leads through Drolund to the Angelspire Traverse, making the settlement a prime stopping point for both those on their way to the western territories or those heading back east.
+Depending on their journey, those same travelers often pass through Steelferry as well. Situated some 250 miles east of the capital, this tiny town rests along the banks of the Broadwater at the edge of the Shimmering Plains. The town gets its name not only from the lumbering chain ferries which it operates for those crossing the Broadwater, but also for the majority of its clientèle; Steelferry's barges are often frequented by fresh Legion platoons on their way west. Though the ferry may be what the village is known and named for, in truth it survives off of what most towns in northeastern Ghaenthgrand survive off of; miles and miles of fields. Perhaps the best of such fields can be found in the Rathyn Expanse, the fertile tract of land between Goodsea and Lake Volg. Some 160 miles northeast of Hegvard across the waters of the Goodsea one can find the town of Fieldstone, the seat of power in the Rathyn. Though not as large as Hegvard, Fieldstone served as the capital of Ghaenthgrand until the road west was forged through the territory. Soon after it was outgrown and replaced, though it still likely holds honors as the wealthiest town in Ghaenthgrand due to the value of the surrounding land. Its counterpart, across the Expanse on the shores of Lake Volg, is Tills.
+<fs xx-large>History</fs>
+Ghaenthgrand is unique to Decusian culture, as it is a territory that was sparsely and thinly populated by native peoples upon the arrival of Decusians to Vitaveus. When the first explorers set foot in what was to become Ghaenthgrand and made their way to the shores of Goodsea, you can imagine their incredulity. The year was 477 AS and Arkhess was being settled, while intrepid sailors were already mapping out the meandering shores of the northern Yultac territory. The Goodsea was unexpected, unplanned for, and many had no explanation other than the fact that they were standing upon the beaches of Vitaveus' west coast. It was a rumor dispelled with further exploration, but the seed had already been planted and already people were talking about the sea in the west.
+And so came the pioneers, slowly at first, and then in droves. By 525 AS a full-fledged settlement effort was underway. Those with nothing to lose crossed the Shimmering Plains in Virrenul, which at times proved rather inhospitable, but the majority came from Volgen to the northeast. Many settled on the shores of the lake there, and it was these people who gave the Goodsea its name, claiming it held all the benefits of the Pearl Sea to the east with none of the dangers. One such group was led by Martus Rathyn who, newly wealthy from his land in Volgen, led his family southwest in hopes of even greater success. He discovered it on the shores of the Goodsea when, in 528 AS, he founded a settlement he would call Fieldstone. Drawing others to his banner, Rathyn's town grew and soon became the defacto provincial capital of the Ghaenthgrand region. Eventually all the surrounding lands came to bear his name as well, and the Rathyn Expanse was heralded as a success that many pioneers of Vitaveus hoped to emulate.
+Still, some were not content simply to reach the lake and pressed on into the territory, following the shores of Goodsea and eventually the banks of the Broken-Hearted River southwest. Perhaps the best known was Katrina Yudoras, who in her youth had been a High Deacon of the Decusian Church and a member of the Circle of Illumination. Though she had since retired from the clergy she continued with the research that had propelled her through the ranks of the church, convinced that the mountains to the west held religious relics from centuries past. Along with a contingent of pilgrims she followed the Broken-Hearted River southwest until, in 542 AS, reached the confluence of the Broken-Hearted River and what would come to be know as Katrina's River. There she died of natural causes. Without her leadership the pilgrims faltered. One half of the group decided that with Katrina's death so ended their mission and at that site they founded the town of Raven's Bridge. A smaller second group, led by one of Katrina's outspoken pupils named Walther Roenhelm, continued south along Katrina's River and up into the mountainous valley which came to bear his name. Roenhelm's Valley would eventually take his life and the lives of many of his followers, and though it still draws adventurers those in Ghaenthgrand have all but written it (and Walther Roenhelm) out of history.
+The latter portion of the 6th century brought a radical shift in population to Ghaenthgrand. Many of the territory's current towns were already in place, but settlers were also startling to look west to Drolund. Though it was many years before passage through the Godspine Mountains would be opened the Republic was already thinking of such prospects and in 568 AS started their work on the road west through Ghaenthgrand. Nearly every settlement on the great road grew as a consequence, including a well-to-do town called Hegvard on the banks of the Goodsea. The road proved so prosperous that Hegvard soon became the largest town in the region. Still, most states and districts within the territory continued to operate independently for the next 180 years as the Republic spread throughout Vitaveus. What few decisions concerning Ghaenthgrand as a whole continued to take place in Fieldstone until the official proclamation of the Republic in 749 AS. With Ghaenthgrand's declaration as a territory the capital was moved to the more centrally located Hegvard.
+Aside from some mild rivalry between Rathyn and Hegvard, Ghaenthgrand has continued to prosper throughout the years.
+<fs xx-large>Torment</fs>
+Ghaenthgrand has been spared many of the horrors of the Torment, undoubtedly due to most of it's territorial holdings consisting of powerful Prelacy Parish estates and baronies of whom had been able to weather the initial outbreaks with ease. Ghaenthgrand continues to remain stalwart in the face of the Torment, although since the 1320s, numerous patches it's sprawling grasslands have been claimed by new construction - namely in the form of temporary camps, settlements and relief villages for displaced Republic citizenry from both overcrowded Municipalities in the Baronies as well as evacuated Townships in the Midlands.
+<fs xx-large>Points of Interest</fs>
+**Chapterhouse of the Knights of the Walls**
+Throughout history the prosperous and fortunate have always had a desire for exclusivity, and in Ghaenthgrand those men are found in the Rathyn Expanse. Amidst the sprawling crops and field walls there is a fort where, for all practical purposes, none has a reason to exist. This is the Chapterhouse of the Knights of the Walls, the headquarters of a fraternal organization comprised of influential Prelacy men from all over central Vitaveus.
+Such chivalric orders have existed in many different forms all throughout the Republic. Though holding no power in any official capacity, they tend to draw membership from powerful people in society and in that regard the Chapterhouse of the Knights of the Walls is no different. The group claims to have been founded by Martus Rathyn himself in 530 AS, though due to their unnecessarily secretive ways this cannot be confirmed.
+Much of the clubs traditions and practices are a secret, members rarely speak openly of their involvement, and access to the Chapterhouse is forbidden to anyone but full members. Still, it is hard to point to anything malicious about the group and indeed “the Walls”, as they are colloquially called, are often associated with charitable works in central Vitaveus.
+**Principle Falls & Katrina's Tears**
+The Principle Falls can be considered the headwaters of the Broken-Hearted River. At the falls three rivers which flow out of the Godspine Mountains come together before plunging over a sheer cliff face in a 75 foot drop. Though quite a site, the falls are rarely visited due to their secluded nature. Evidence suggests this may not always have been the case; rough stone steps have been carved into the cliffside leading from the base of the falls to the peak. Who did this or why remains a mystery, but they seem to predate any settlements in the region.
+Stranger still are the similarities they bear to other stone carvings that can be found some 220 miles to the southeast. Katrina's River is not the only geographical feature to bear Katrina Yudoras' name. On its way out of the foothills to join the Broken-Hearted River in the north, Katrina's River passes through a series of lakes that have come to be known as Katrina's Tears. The lakes, collectively much smaller than Goodsea or Lake Volg, are serene, out of the way places that are rarely visited. Again, this was not always the case; stone steps can be found carved into lakeside bluffs and many of the lakes even possess wreckage from what might have been crude stone tables. That such remnants can be found without any trace of actual settlements is a perplexing mystery and one still unanswered to this day.
+**Roenhelm's Valley**
+High up in the Eternal Range, at the northernmost tip of the mountains, there is a place that few venture. It is a valley, some 3800 miles square in area, secluded by a craggy rim encircling it. It is called Roenhelm's Valley, though Ghaenthgrand locals who speak of it (if they speak of it at all) simply call it the Cauldron.
+Though rumors passed on by explorers and scouts had circulated, the area did not truly come into focus until 542 AS, when Walther Roenhelm led a group of pilgrims up into the Eternal Range and then down into the auspicious valley. There was no word for several months until a quarter of Roenhelm's party returned, bringing with them morbid tales of the valley. It was a wonder some of them had made it out alive, for nearly all of them seemed to be afflicted with some type of unknown flux. Fatigued and weary, they took as many as three months to recover from the strange sickness. Though those who tended to the refugees never fell ill, their patients were clearly afflicted with something; in addition to more common symptoms such as headaches and nausea, many lost hair, fingernails and teeth. Even more had strange rashes or discolorations near their armpits, throats and groins.
+Perhaps more disturbing than their unusual malady were the stories they told of their journey into Roenhelm's Valley. With their words they painted a picture of a dusty basin hardly able to sustain life. The plants that grew in the rocky soil were withered and stunted. They had seen no animals save for the dogs and mules they had brought with them. And as they traveled deeper into the valley they claimed Walther Roenhelm himself became more and more disconnected from the reality of their situation. He claimed that Katrina Yudoras was speaking to him from beyond the grave, leading them onward to the site upon which they would build a monastery and unlock the secrets of Ascendance. Unwilling to follow Roenhelm's apparent delusions any longer, the small splinter group left in the night. They were not pursued.
+Despite the ill portents, the tale of Walther Roenhelm and his Decusian monastery live on, drawing desperate men and women from all over Vitaveus to the Cauldron. The Venerated Inquisition Corps has organized missions in 591 AS and 688 AS to put an end to the persistent sacrilege, though each group eventually returned empty-handed.
+The valley remains unsettled and any who venture into it seem to contract the strange malady that afflicted the original refugees. Most recover, though some die suddenly years later to a vicious wasting disease with symptoms identical to the original flux. The Church has quietly declared the area forbidden, though there is no effort in place to stop people from entering. Even if there was, it seems to be a moot point; most who enter seldom return.
+<fs xx-large>Inspirations and Influences</fs>
+Anglo-Saxon, Camelot - Arthurian Legend. Traditional example names such as Theobald, Baldric, Bella and Anabel are common for those hailing from Ghaenthgrand.
+<--
+-->Heston#
+<fs xx-large>Geography</fs>
+Heston is nestled between some of the most vibrant and beautiful Provinces within the Midlands and Eastern Baronies, which in turn forms a interesting and breathtaking array of landscape features that bring Heston its unforgettable charm.  Large yew trees encroaching from Athaerun, the rolling hills of poppy flowers from Virrenul, and some of the beautiful freshwater springs that run from the Godspine itself all lend themselves to the splendor that Heston claims dominion over. The dales of Heston are something to be admired in the summer and the fall, as the colors change and the vegetation is still in full bloom. The largest quantities of exports such as potatoes, cabbage, onions and tomatoes come from the various agricultural Townships and occasional Municipalities of Heston, which makes the territory critically important to sustaining the Republic with fresh food supplies.
+<fs xx-large>History</fs>
+Heston is a region that has long been settled by some of the first men to walk Vitaveus.  Although the region is named Heston, the people from the region do not call themselves in some sort of variation of the name, as Heston simply implies “from the bushwood enclosure”.  They are in essence like the Republic itself, a melting pot of mixing cultures from the surrounding regions, which in part played a vital aspect in their assimilation to the Venerated Republic at the time of the Reckoning.  Natives of Heston are often known for their reserved but tempered response, while some may argue that their mannerisms border on the behavior of laziness and lackluster enthusiasm, especially when it comes to the hustle and bustle of cities such as Greatport.
+Historically, the peoples of Heston showed an affinity and admiration of the natural world, and as such some of the more rural areas of the territory had been rife with all manners of paganism and earth-based worship.  When it came to the Reckoning however, Heston was conquered in but a few short months. So notorious was the quick assimilation of the region into the Decusian empire that tales still speak of the weak-willed nature of the native peoples, with sayings such as  “people from Heston have yellow bellies and lead in their shoes" being commonplace.  These sentiments are easily misguided and far from the pulse of what the people of Heston are like in reality - for many rumor that the pagans of Heston were such in tune with their earthly roots, they had foreseen the arrival of Decusians long before they ever stepped foot upon Vitaveus. For this reason, they opted to preserve the beauty of their lands rather than stain them red with the blood of the fallen in a futile attempt to resist the inevitable; indoctrination by the Decusian war machine.
+People from Heston look like an amalgamation of Aedaens, Easterings, Virrenians, and Athaerians; their skins ranging from sunkisses to pale, brown eyes to light blues and greens, and even blonde hair to raven black.  Their settlements were typically small and built in naturally open spaces as to bring little disturbance to the natural world; using mud and stone to erect buildings with thatched roofs. In modern times, however, sprawling development of large cities has taken rise, yet a consideration to aesthetics as well as impact on the local environment has always guided any sort of development within the territory. Inexplicably, Heston has retained much of its' grandeur while also bearing home to some of the largest populated areas west of the Baronies.
+<fs xx-large>Torment</fs>
+Paganistic groups from the dales have made public attempts to thwart and push back the efforts of the encroaching Torment from more caustic and problematic Provinces like Aedenshyr, Virrenul and even Redholme.  However, these practitioners of the Old are no members of the Consortium, and as such are deemed apostates, no matter what good intent them seem to serve. Consortium Circle members have been operating within the dales for a while now, and suspect that these apostates were supported by the Moorwick circle in Virrenul, which subsequently saw to the destruction of its members by the Church and its more devote Auditorii.  This in turn as made the pagans who are trying to stem the tide of the Torment hostile to Republic interference, afraid that they may do more harm than good in trying to bring them to the Flame, as the world around them is coming closer to going up in flames itself. Do to this flagrant disregard to Decusian laws and culture, as well as the significance of the territory in terms of pure agricultural worth, the Church has focused a significant effort into flooding Heston with Legion and Templar forces; not because of the Torment, but to systematically eradicate any and all whom would promote or harbor the pagan groups and their wicked magics from the face of Vitaveus. Much to the dismay of many in the higher echelons of the Legion and Church leaderships, tens of thousands of soldiers have been committed to chasing down what amounts to less than a few thousand practitioners, and as a result, has turned Heston into a modern-day witch hunter's paradise.
+<fs xx-large>Points of Interest</fs>
+**d’Abre Cour**
+The manor of a once wealth and powerful Prelacy family who held large dominion over Heston, d’Abre Cour sat amidst the rolling poppy fields as they breached out of Virrenul and into the dales.  The owner of the manor, a Prelacy family with the surname of Comberstack, began to make attempts to tax goods both exported and imported into the region to assist with the efforts of the Republic in keeping order within the post-Torment territory.  However, these efforts were a front, and the Comberstacks were funneling the money to pay for their lavish tastes in heretical literature. When a local Templar Chapter heard word of the Comberstack's deceit, the Chapter seized their lands, and executed all those even associated with the Prelacy family, to include hundreds of serfs.
+**Coquelicot**
+A small but bustling city resting halfway between the border of Redholme and Keluben, Coquelicot was named after the rolling poppy flower hills that reach into the Province and part around the settlement in a beautiful perimeter display.  This settlement is well defended compared to many of the much smaller hamlets that dot the landscape, as the people of Heston make every attempt to not disrupt the growth or natural beauty of Eden; a view expressed very differently from their neighbors to the South in Aedenshyr, who pride themselves on modern advancements in machine and steel.
+//**Inspirations and Influences**//
+Celtic and Gaelic. Traditional example names such as Bryn, Rowan, Gwyneth and Morgan are common for those hailing from Heston.
+<--
+-->Ostenam#
+<fs xx-large>Geography</fs>
+Coniferous trees paint the landscape of Ostenam, with rocks and the forest floors covered in thick coats of lichen.  The air is thick with fog that rolls through almost year round, only breaking when the Flame reaches the highest points in the sky.  The landscape of the region begins to slope into a lowland when pushing further East away from the Godspine Mountains and the Galehorn Mountains that give Ostenam its sturdy Western backbone.  Strong waterfalls off the Godspine fall into the province and form the many rivers that cut through the middle of Ostenam, making their way South by Southeast and forming many of the lakes on their Southern border, including the famous Lake Volg. While mostly unsuited for large-scale agricultural use, the region of Ostenam is important to the Republic primarily for its' mass production and easy transportation via. waterways of lumber. The majority of Ostenam's population hubs are situation around the shores of Lake Volg, but other notable cities can also be found at the base of the Godspine as well.
+<fs xx-large>History</fs>
+Ostenam is one of three nations that, until the arrival of the Decusian Faith and the Venerated Republic, was embroiled in constant skirmishes and raids to establish itself the rightful power within Vitaveus among its rivals: Volgen and Drolund.  Though not concerned with establishing an outright Empire, the nations of Ostenam, Drolund and Volgen all conspired to exert exclusive rights of rule throughout the region, with their key goals being to establish a form of taxation for both currency and valued good, along with rights to land claims and wild game within the regions.  This drive originates from an ancient period of warring tribes that once converged to a singular people, and for many who first visit each of these Midland provinces, the vestiges of these ancient cultures seem one in the same at face value.
+The ancient people of Ostenam were a pale skinned and dark of hair and eyes folk.  They remain among the tallest people within Vitaveus, and their frames are usually bulky and big boned, and native Osteins still retain much of their pale skin and dark hair identifiers.  Their size however should not dismay someone from thinking they are no more than mere cumbersome bulls, as the people of Ostenam have a rich history of being some of the best hunters and trackers to stalk Eden.  Their ancient culture is one of seldom words, and to share such tongues with folks even if a mere single word is a sign of respect in their eyes; “No prey hears its stalker,” as the Osteins (Aws-tee-nhs) say in regards to their shortness from outsiders.
+When the Republic entered the Ostenam during the Reckoning, they had their hands full in dealing with the local populace as their guerrilla tactics proved to be a nuisance to their larger forces and their garrison positions, harassing them at every cost.  What seized the region for them was not just their enduring presence or their might in large scale battles, but a single military stroke of luck that saw the thane of an area known as Tills brought to the sword by a small group of Legionnaires who sought revenge for their brethren in battle after being displaced from the bulk of the Legions forces in Ostenam.  By breaking through the sentries in the dead of night and slaying the thane in his sleep, the Osteins took this as a sign that they had become prey to an apex predator, the Republic, and agreed to bend the knee to the conquering Decusians on their war path. To this day, the near mythical tale of how Ostenam's armies of thousands were brought to heel by but a handful of Legionnaires is cited ad nausea in basic training of all the branches of the Republic's military programs.
+Post-assimilation, Ostenam found a niche within the Empire quickly.  Their capability for conducting quick and brutally effective raids, along with their gifted talents in tracking, saw to their people as being highly regarded among the Legion and Templar. Ostenam itself never possessed a true religion of its own, and thus were able to be adopted into the Decusian faith with little resistance. As such, little of traditional Ostenam beliefs remain today.
+<fs xx-large>Torment</fs>
+The Torment is an interesting beast when it comes to the territory and provinces of Ostenam.  On one side, the fringes of the territory are being slowly encroached upon by its manic death and destruction from the farmlands of Drolund.  On the other, near Volgen, the Lake is showing signs of Torment, where schools of fish are washing ashore in malformed and misshapen husks.  Tills, for example, is now being supplied most of its waters through aquifers produced by runoffs of the Galehorn Mountains, however, the disease has shown up in pockets around Tills, where some of the outlying villages have been quarantined or outright eradicated. Despite this, Ostenam remains strong and more than 80% of the region is still inhabitable. Yet while the Torment does not claim this land, another menace does. Reports of neopaganistic activity, situated mostly in the western edges of Ostenam, are commonplace. Some even believe that the uncanny prosperity Ostenam has seen in resisting being wholly consumed by the Torment is due to the dark and ancient magics perpetrated by these blasphemous heathens.
+<fs xx-large>Points of Interest</fs>
+**Tills**
+Along the rivers that feeding into Lake Volg and the Goodsea, Tills is a major logging and ferry junction for the bulk of the Republics lumber production throughout the Midlands.  Along with serving as the home to countless lumber mills and ferries, Tills also claims to be the base of operations for one of the most important military academies for the Venerated Republic, the Republic Citadel. It is here that many of Inquisitor and Templar forces whom operate in more clandestine operations on behalf of their Empire hone their skills and temper their wit, far from the distracting influences of the Eastern Baronies.  The training here is brutal, and it is not uncommon to hear of countless deaths occurring due to it, as troops here can often spend years within Tills and the surrounding regions learning advanced survival skills and training in tracking techniques often taught by the descendants of local Ostein peoples.
+//**Inspirations and Influences**//
+Tarkine Forest, Australia. Traditional example names such as Isaac, Arlo, Harper and Evie are common for those hailing from Ostenam.
+<--
+-->Volgen#
+<fs xx-large>Geography</fs>
+Volgen is a moorish highland with barren crag-like hills that roll into the Freemantle Range, where the breathtaking Prelate’s Peak resides.  It is butted up against the First Province, along with the mountains that border it and Arkhess; to its Northwestern border is Ostenam, along with ones of its largest exporters, Yultac, where most of their wool trade is sent.  Within Volgen are a few streams and rivers, but Volgen boasts some of the largest and most abundant bodies of water throughout its Province, the largest of these being Lake Volg.
+<fs xx-large>History</fs>
+Volgen is one of three nations that, until the arrival of the Decusian Faith and the Venerated Republic, was embroiled in constant skirmishes and raids to establish itself the rightful power within Vitaveus among its rivals: Ostenam and Drolund.  Though not concerned with establishing an outright Empire, the nations of Ostenam, Drolund and Volgen all conspired to exert exclusive rights of rule throughout the region, with their key goals being to establish a form of taxation for both currency and valued good, along with rights to land claims and wild game within the regions.  This drive originates from an ancient period of warring tribes that once converged to a singular people, and for many who first visit each of these Midland provinces, the vestiges of these ancient cultures seem one in the same at face value.
+The Volgen people, once known as the Volgs (Vol-g-z) were a chiefdom clan based group of people who have established their presence within the crag-like highlands on the Eastern end of the Midlands.  This region gives little in the form of fertile soil, and as such, most of their harvests come from much more heartier plants that are indigenous to the region and wild growing.  Their main form of nourishment that provided them with sustenance were the moor-headed sheep that are still abundant throughout the region. The Volg throughout ancient history, well before the arrival of the Decusian faith, began to domestic these sheep for their benefit.  What ancestor they may have shared with the common sheep in the Eastern Provinces today is no doubt lost from breeding, but none the less, Volgen remains known for it's livestock.
+Due to the nomadic needs and grazing patterns of these sheep, historically Volg people could not pen them in and thus, early Volg developed a nomadic lifestyle solely; many of the herdsmen and rangers of the Volg spent months away from their hearth and home just to maintain their flock.  It is a lonely business for such folk, but they were not without the faithful company of some notoriously famous companions: the Volgen Retriever. This stout and wire-haired beast with a broad but short snout was undying in its loyalty to its handlers, who had grown up along sides these four legged hounds since man the first men walks Vitaveus.  They make for great flushing dogs and hunt in packs that seem to indoctrinate their handlers into the pack hierarchy at the apex position. Today, they are not only used to help range in the sheep, but also as Legion sentries, guard dogs and even as pedigree show dogs among aristocratic Easterners of the Prelacy.
+When the Reckoning took hold of the territory of Volgen, the men and women of the Volg quickly became favored for their extensive knowledge in animal breeding and herding techniques, their hounds becoming quickly integrated into the Legion and Templar forces to act as force multipliers.  This importance laid upon their prized hounds brought the Volg people a greater sense of purpose, and hopes to eventually crush their rivals, which became a reality as they bent the knee in homage and absolute fealty to the Venerated Republic without so much as a few months worth of resistance
+<fs xx-large>Torment</fs>
+The Torment remains a major issue within the region, which isn’t anything new for those living in these dark times.  However, the Volg people are beginning to become restless. When The First Province fell, many of it's former inhabitants had begun to flock to the other territories within the Baronies. However, many chose to evacuate further west, namely to that of Volgen. This influx of refugees has put a damper on the herds of sheep the territory is famously known for, as poaching has become a rising threat to the herdsmen and their flocks. The final nail in the coffin for many within the territory has been the contamination of Lake Volg, where many Municipalities and townships are seated around. Thus, many whom reside in these affected cities and villages have begun to blame the refugees that have flocked to their cities and towns for spreading their sickness to the waters, tainting their fish and soiling their water - resulting in a very xenophobic and sometimes violent reaction to newcomers.
+<fs xx-large>Points of Interest</fs>
+**Lake Volg**
+This lake rests as a natural border between  Ghaenthgrand and Ostenam, on its westernmost limit. Many of the settlements and cities that the Volg people inhabit are dotted around these lakes; the harsh terrain of the region makes it hard for transporting goods, particularly their prized wools to surrounding nations of the Republic.  These lakes and their waterways allow for the Volg people to transport their stocks by boat, however, the trip has become tumultuous, as Lake Volg has become contaminated with the Torment. Fish wash ashore in amalgamated husks, and ferrymen have reported seeing large creatures surfacing from the watery depths to swallow men whole.
+//**Inspirations and Influences**//
+Yorkshire Moors. Traditional example names such as Albert, Victor, Brea and Fiona are common for those hailing from Volgen.
+<--
+-->Yultac#
+<fs xx-large>Geography</fs>
+Yultac is beautiful in all measure of the word; lush green rolling hills, ancient birch trees, and bountiful waterways feeding into the Caddoch Sea from both the Galehorn Mountains and the Lake of Volgan all bring out the natural beauty that Yultac has to offer.  This highland territory offers steep plateaus that cut down into valleys and rolling hills that increase in scale as they move Westward against the Galehorn Mountains. Settlements and trade posts litter the countryside, and all roads lead to the North, where the Port of Dwindain resides, the beating heart of the territory proper.
+<fs xx-large>History</fs>
+The Yult people of the Yultac highlands were traditionally a pale flesh people with lighter colored hair and eyes of blue and greenish hues.  Compared to the size of other Midlanders, they were slightly shorter build with a coarse hair. Many joke of their excessive body hair, and a common phrase in the Midlands is “a Yult would sell you the hair on his back if it meant an extra copper.”  The Yults were a people gifted in trade and commerce, and the early development of their written and spoken language which spread like wildfire throughout the Midlands pre-arrival of the Decusian war-machine is indicative of this.
+During the Reckoning, some resistance was give among the Midlands to the conquests marching upon their homes.  The ancient Yults, however, saw the invading Decusian forces as an opportunity to bring about wealth and prosperity to their fiefdoms by opening their borders freely to the Imperial machine, welcoming it with open arms, unlike many other early peoples of Vitaveus.  The Yults were also a faithless lot, and as such, had no qualms with taking on the religious and ritual practices of an invading force if it means that further trade can be conducted to better suit their needs. As such, the Decusian faith was embraced with open arms, and all effigies to paganistic practices within less-enlightened provinces of the territory were toppled with little more than a stifled yawn.
+Due to the historical wealth and abundance associated with the region throughout history, many members of the Clergy lavish the opportunity to be sent to the region, as it is far from the eyes of Redholme and Tor, and the Yult traders have no issues with lining the pockets of established church officials in order to get extended favors and indulgences.
+<fs xx-large>The Yultish Language</fs>
+The Yult people were one of the first to develop a standardized writing system along with a pattern of speech that borrowed from many of the surrounding Midland tribal groups and fiefdoms.  Due to their extensive trade networks and this development of a common writing system, their language began to spread to the surrounding territories; those who wished to trade with them found the language similar in ways to their own, and quite easy to pick up, borrowing on a similar lexicon of tones and patterns.  Furthermore, as many of the surrounding fiefdoms lacked a writing system, relying on oral traditions and recollection, picking up the Yultish writing system only bolstered the capabilities of communication within the Midlands; for both its own politics and religious practices, but also its trading efforts with surrounding regions.
+<fs xx-large>Torment</fs>
+The Torment is beginning to make its way into the Northern reaches of the Midlands, and even though these cases are few and far between, what has hurt Yultac most is that the other surrounding regions are suffering heavily from the Resolvist plague.  This has placed a heavier burden on their trade routes, having to take extra measures to protect their traders, caravaneers, and any perishable imports they’ve come across. Provinces like Ghaenthgrand have all but cut trade ties with the Yultian border cities, as their plight with the Torment on the Western front has brought them on the brink of calamity and destruction.  Due to all this, many less reputable or skilled traders have been forced to uproot their shops and coteries for better commercial opportunities elsewhere in Vitaveus.
+<fs xx-large>Points of Interest</fs>
+**Port of Dwindain**
+Resting on the Northern edge of Yultac, this port city is the major economic seat of the Yult people and the Republic efforts in the Midlands.  During the Reckoning, Port Dwindain was used as a staging point for Imperial forces, as it is the last port on the route West along the Caddoch Sea and its deadly squalls that capsize smaller vessels.
+**Edring’s Monolith**
+A large black obelisk that stands almost squarely in the middle of the Yultac province, Edring’s Monolith has been given its moniker for its unfortunate circumstances.  Many Inquisitors who have actually looked upon the stone have felt a sense of dread and unease, claiming it something foul from a time long forgotten. However, as legend and folklore may have it, a foolish and shrewd trader by the name of Edring held no belief in such preposterous things many years prior to the Decusian assimilation of Yultac.  As the stories say, to show those in his employ that there was little to fear of such a stone, Edring attempted to carve his name into the obelisk, cementing a message that it was his shrewd trading prowess that should be feared and whispered about, and not some old rock.  Those who watched said that when Edring hit his chisel and hammer against the smooth stone, the man turned into a cloud of red mist, never to be seen again. To this day, the Monolith remains untoppled, seated squarely in the middle of a ridiculously large and walled-in containment area that has been patrolled and guarded by Inquisitor Clergies for centuries.
+**Galehorn Mine**
+The Galehorns provide the Midlands with an extravagant amount of minerals and metals that prove vital to both trade and the lifeblood of the Venerated war machine.  The Galehorn Mines, named after the very mountains they plunge deep into, have long been abandoned, ripped of any value that Eden once provided. It is now home to many Western refugees, forced to live within the abandoned passages as they’ve little elsewhere to go.  Due to this, crime has spiked dramatically along the Galehorn, and thus, many have begun to cite further anti-Western sentiments.
+//**Inspirations and Influences**//
+Ireland. Traditional example names such as Maxwell, Douglas, Ainsley and Kenna are common for those hailing from Yultac.
+<--
+<fs xx-large>Vitaveus: Eastern Baronies</fs>
+-->Aedenshyr#
+<fs xx-large>Geography</fs>
+Sail the Pearl Sea long enough and your journey will eventually bring you to the Gulf of Solurien. Located on the southeastern coast of Vitaveus, the golden waters of the gulf are part of Aedenshyr, a proud territory of this Venerated Republic. The Pearl Sea makes up perhaps the most significant portion of Aedenshyr's border, with the coast of the gulf alone covering over 650 miles. Mountainous regions make up much of Aedenshyr's other boundaries, with the Glowing Range to the South and the Drifting Hills, which are the southernmost spur of the Eternal Range, to the West. The Drifting River serves as a Northern border until until it hits Aedenshyr's northeast border, the vast expanse of Rustwood.
+Due in large part to the presence of the gulf, most of Aedenshyr is warm temperate zone, enjoying humid summer months and very mild winters. However, the Southwestern region of the territory, specifically Corlais Canyon and the land surrounding the Riding River valley becomes more arid and desert-like the further West one travels. As a coastal region, most of the population in Aedenshyr is centered around the Gulf of Solurien. Various settlements and villages dot its shores, living happily off the bounty of the sea. The largest city is the aptly-named Greatport, which is home to nearly 100,000 citizens. Greatport is not only the most populated city in Aedenshyr but also the territorial capital for the entire region. Greatport is sometimes called the Floating City, a moniker bestowed upon it by sailors due to its extensive system of wharves and piers. Its often said you can dock in Greatport, restock on supplies, sell your goods in the market and spend the evening in the tavern without ever setting foot on dry land. The majority of the city, of course, is built upon the shore, but this fanciful anecdote always draws visitors to Greatport's bustling harbor.
+Greatport and all the other coastal cities truly highlight the importance of the Gulf of Solurien, but it would be naïve to discount the many prosperous inland cities and towns of Aedenshyr. There are two of particular note, both significant border towns. Nestled in the Northeastern corner of the region is Keluben. Travel through Rustwood is often impractical and sometimes dangerous, so it is no surprise that Keluben, which lies near the edge of the great forest, is a is a popular stopping point for travelers. Those making their way by foot or horse either into Aedenshyr or back to Redholme and Athaerûn often find themselves passing through the small city. Its residents are a proud folk and many will claim that they passed through so often that one trip they just decided to stay.
+At the opposite end of Aedenshyr lies the second settlement of note, Corlais. Located in the Riding River valley and perched above Corlais Canyon, the Municipality takes its name from the Legion stronghold that lies at its heart; Corlais Castle. Corlais  is the last stop for those making the descent into the desert below. Due to its proximity to the Riding River one might think that Corlais Castle is also in a prime position to transport goods between Aedenshyr and Prodai, but the truth of the matter is that, plagued alternatively by flash floods and droughts, the river is too unpredictable for any type of reliable shipping.
+<fs xx-large>History</fs>
+Aedenshyr was an appealing region for pioneers even before it became widely settled by the Republic. Though Redholme was by far the more popular destination of the time for those who followed the coast South, people were already speaking of the land beyond the Rustwood. Eager to take advantage of this unsettled expanse, early Decusian citizens and prospectors led the push West before the Republic turned its official attention towards Aedenshyr. Due to the rather passive nature of the local tribes and peoples of the territory, expansion was rapid, easy and without any strife.
+Many settlements, including Greatport, were established in this period of time. Trade was also established through Corlais Canyon with the natives of the desert beyond. However, despite the early successes of settlers within Aedenshyr, it was not until much later that the territory saw dedicated support from the Republic. Even this was regarded as something of a slight to the settlers, though; while peacekeeping forces were left in some of the larger towns, the sights of the Republic were set even further West. Led by a contingent of Templar, an army of the Legion and an equally sizable army of their engineers marched across Aedenshyr, barely stopping until it reached Corlais Canyon. Here they started the construction of Corlais Castle, lighting a spark that would eventually burst into flame some 20 years later with the completion of the stronghold and the initiation of conflict with the clans to the West.
+Soon thereafter, Aedenshyr had resigned itself to being one side of a battlefront in a war that would last some 30 years. Still, save for several small incidents, all-out war never spilled past the Riding River valley and into the territory proper. The drain on resources and the constant recruiting efforts were the most the citizens of the fledgling territory had to deal with, and even those passed in time. Even if most had never even lifted a sword many settlers took pride that their home had played a small part in uniting the peoples of Eden. Due to the largely benign and passive nature of the original tribes and peoples of the territory, little is known about their cultures and traditional roots, for their assimilation into the Decusian culture was seamless. It is for this reason that Aedenshyr is the home of many of patriots and nationalists outside that of the First Province, as the heritage of the territory is nearly a blank slate.
+<fs xx-large>Torment</fs>
+In 1309, Aedenshyr had saw the realignment of Corlais Castle from a Legion stronghold to a civil enclave. Its days of battle were long behind it and its garrison had dwindled, yet instead of abandoning it entirely it was simply realigned to serve as the governing authority of the Riding River valley. It was at this time that it began to truly grow as a township, and a few years later the settlement was officially, and appropriately, given the name Corlais Castle. It had since became a popular place for retired Legion veterans to make a home. With the outbreak of the Torment and subsequent problems in the Western Territories, Corlais Castle was re-instituted as a Republic military focal-point in 1320. It has since served as the most high-profile entry-points into the West proper, with thousands of military personnel traveling through the stronghold and surrounding countryside on a weekly basis. Apart from this, Aedenshyr has only otherwise have had to deal with Afflicted incursions upon it's borders with Prodai, as on occasion roving hordes of the mindless undead make their way across the inhospitable deserts in arduous exoduses that would otherwise kill the living.
+<fs xx-large>Points of Interest</fs>
+**Church of Bones**
+Settlements are not the only thing that can be found along the coastline of the Gulf of Solurien. On the southern shore there is a stretch of beach perhaps a mile in length littered with the skeletons and carcasses of great sea creatures; the Church of Bones. It is from these remains that the area gets its name; half buried into the sand, rib-cages rise into the air like the arches or flying buttresses of a cathedral. The bones of perhaps hundreds of these creatures are littered along the strand, but perhaps the greatest concentration is around the bones of a leviathan locals and sailors have come to call Ahmael. Though only a portion of of the skeleton is visible from the shore, Ahmael is by far the largest specimen in the Church of Bones and was over 45 meters in length.
+Though some of the skeletons are perhaps centuries old, every so often a fresh body will appear on the shoreline, left to rot and be picked apart by scavengers. Scholars have no explanation for why some of these creatures die in such a fashion, nor can they answer why this particular stretch of shore is the site they come to. The locals stay well away, not needing an explanation to know that the Church of Bones is a dark and unnatural place. That sentiment aside, it still draws many travelers throughout the year.
+**Stonewood Hills**
+Rustwood is perhaps the best known forest near Aedenshyr, but located in the hilly region perhaps 50 miles southwest of the wood there is a forest of another sort. This is Stonewood, a forest noted not for its trees but its rocks. A region perhaps 40 square miles in size, Stonewood is dotted with stranding stones. Varying from approximately 1 meter to 5 meters in height, the stones truly do resemble the trunks of trees. They are of the same rock as the surrounding hillside although they do not show any hint of masonry. Still, it seems unlikely that they are natural and many scholars have devoted their lives to studying the Stonewood.
+//**Inspirations and Influences**//
+Greece, Italy. Traditional example names such as Alexander, Deacon, Adelphie and Callista are common for those hailing from Aedenshyr.
+<--
+-->Arkhess#
+<fs xx-large>Geography</fs>
+Arkhess forms the northernmost Province in the Eastern Baronies, jutting out into the Pearl Sea as it bends towards the Caddoch Sea.  Formed primarily of eskers that formed long ago when the area was perpetually frozen and covered in ice, red pines ride the saddles and elevated slopes as these gravely eskers reach towards the West and the Freemantle Range.  Low and marshy fens sit between sprawling taiga forests, resulting in the vast majority of the cities of Arkhess being settled upon the eskers themselves. The majority of the concentrated population lies in the southern-most areas of this territory, closer to the border shared with Volgen, with Arkhess supporting millions of souls in various Municipalities spanning this fertile area of forested land. Farther north, Arkhess hardly represents a true Eastern territory, as hospitable land gives way to more frigid conditions and population thins. It is in these northern-most areas that tales of peculiar paganistic practices have always flourished, lending Arkhess to maintaining the title of being one of the most mysterious territories within the otherwise civilized and tamed lands of the Republic. While such tales and rumors have been widely shown to be utter none-sense by centuries of Inquisitional inquiries and investigations, the inhospitable northern reaches of the territory by their sheer nature lend Arkhess to maintaining a reputation of mystery and danger.
+<fs xx-large>History</fs>
+Historically speaking, Arkhess, or known among its early peoples as Arkkuharjut (meaning “coffin eskers”) is a land of sturdy folk who have adapted well to their environment.  Their abilities to read the land and understand the importance of surviving in some of the most austere conditions have made them both practical and utilitarian in their approach to a hard world.  Their diet consisted primarily of wild berries, meats and fish, with milks and cheeses farmed from domesticated reindeer. Their homes were forged from pine and other conifer trees that are abundant in the region. Of note are the Akrhess' iconic sauna shacks; structures designed for both a social experience among members of a tight knit community, but also to provide much needed warmth in an area that can freeze a man in his sleep.
+The Arknonen people had followed a code known as Sisu, one that means determination, will and perseverance.  An Arkonen who is confronted to not possess Sisu in regards to one's familial bonds, support in their community or even one's self survival, may be banished as an outcast and exile; though these exiles typically succumb to the environment if they truly lack Sisu, those who show determination at the will to survive, are brought back into the fold.  This cultural concept and pillar that upheld their society had also played into their relationship with the invading forces of the Venerated Republic.
+With the arrival of the Decusians to Vitaveus, many scouting parties and explorers were sent out to map the surrounding lands that would eventually become the seat of their dominion; Arkhess was one such region.  Upon their arrival to these far northern reaches, Decusian explorers met with locals who warned them of the path they looked to tread through the region, speaking of the Arkkuharjut that have claimed many foolish and unprepared lives.  Not understanding their dialect or what they spoke of, they assumed they were calling the land Arkkuharjut, and opted to label the province Arkhess in a matter of linguistic ignorance.
+Arkhess was home to a system of feudal lords who in turn swore fealty to the High Magnate, a position in which has been shared by a single common bloodline since recorded Arknonen history.  During the time of the Reckoning, the High Magnate, Antti Jarvinen, passed without an heir. During his final years, his negotiations and diplomatic engagements with the Decusians built enough of a amicable relationship.  His fears of a Volgen invasion or the shrewd Yults sowing discord among his people and dividing them brought Antti to a crossroads; to either let his only daughter fend off her lands and people without allies, or bond her in marriage to the swelling Empire to the south that spoke of hope and ascension through God.  Antti choose the latter, cementing a long relationship between the Decusians and the Arkonen of Arkhess. As a budding religion carving its way slowly through what is now known as the Eastern Baronies, forming bonds through marriage unions oft times saw the avoidance of bloodshed, while still finding a way of subjugating a group of people into the Republic. And thus did the Arkonen become one of the first civilizations to become assimilated into the sprawling Republic of Decus.
+<fs xx-large>Torment</fs>
+When the city of Tor fell, many of those trying to escape by sea had two options at hand; join the mass exodus south to the lands of Redholme, an already overcrowded region of survivors, or travel North to the less hospitable yet lesser populated lands of Arkhess. This is not to mention of the particularly difficult escape through the seemingly impenetrable mountains of which surrounded the First Province. Choosing the seaborne option, hundreds of vessels made their way from the Torian docks north to Arkhess when the city had fell. However, as with any calamitous run-in with the Torment, many aboard these vessels were infected. Before these vessels could find safety in one of the many Arkhess port towns, many of these ships lost all aboard to the Torment, inevitably crashing into the shores and spilling out the infected and the mad onto the beach heads of the frozen coast.  Previously untouched by the Torment, the Arknonen coastline is now a hotbed for the scourge, placing a major setback on both the importation and exportation of goods from the province along with pushing many of its people into the eskers along the Freemantle Range, resulting in overcrowding in the larger cities now forced to accommodate for the safety of the coastal villages seeking refuge from the Torment. Numerous Legion cohorts work to clean these coastal areas to this day.
+<fs xx-large>Points of Interest</fs>
+**Kalastaa**
+One of the largest port towns in Arkhess, Kalastaa supported a major fishing industry that Arkhess benefited from along the Pearl Sea to the Bay of Good Men.  Today, it is only home to the walking damned, the Torment having spread like wildfire in this once vital port due to the calamities involved with fleeing Torians. Those who escaped speak of the disease spreading from the fish becoming infected themselves, no doubt feeding on the bloated and floating dead that lingered off its frozen coasts during the exodus of Tor.
+**The Arkkuharjut**
+Translating to the "coffin eskers", this region of Arkhess is said to have the buried ills long forgotten beneath its eskers, placed inside caves dotting along the ridge lines that form the area.  Local superstitions speak of dead creatures walking the hills and visiting terror upon those who wander too close to the icy caves and saddles. The First Decusians confused this term with the name of the region when they came to explore the regions North of their newfound home, believing the locals spoke of all of the Province, as its know today, as Arkkuharjut, which was translated to Arkhess.
+**Jyri’s Last Stand**
+Atop one of the summits of the Freemantle Range is a large granite effigy erected in tribute to a single soul that helped alert the Arkhonen people of a Volgen counter offensive at the early points of the Reckoning.  Jyri and his brother Jere were conducting a patrol around the mountain passes that led from Volgen into Arkhess. Running into a Volgen raiding party, Jyri was severely wounded; in order to alert the nearby troops garrisoned within the region, Jyri sent his brother Jere to warn them of the invaders while he stayed behind to buy them time.  Jyri fought with great Sisu, but was inevitably feasted upon by a large pack of Volgen Retrievers. His efforts stopped the military counter attack as his brother warned the nearby conscripts of the situation. This monument was built in his honor, atop his very bones that lie interred there today.
+//**Inspirations and Influences**//
+Greenland, Alaska. Traditional example names such as Hans, Jakob, Kristine and Mette are common for those hailing from Arkhess.
+<--
+-->Athaerun#
+<fs xx-large>Geography</fs>
+Athaerun sits atop some of the most magnificent bluffs along the Pearl Sea, providing it a natural defense from any possible seaborne invasions upon its borders.  Thick yew forests with and heavy mossy underbrush cover the landscapes subtle hills that rest atop its impressive cliffs overlooking the Pearl Sea. Due to the idyllic vistas and landscapes Athaerun boasts, this Province is home to some of the largest monasteries ever built, looming over the cliffs in impressive displays of architecture and veneration to their God, Decus.
+<fs xx-large>History</fs>
+The first tribes of Athaerun were primarily of a sedentary lifestyle, living in small communities that relied heavily on hunting wild game, particularly the stags in the region that have become well known for their beautiful coats and succulent meat.  Athaerians were well prized for their excellent craftsmanship with wood and their ability to make some of the finest bows in all of Vitaveus; a large part of this specialty developed no doubt due to the abundant yew trees that cover the region. These once tribal groups of people were brought under the might of the Venerated Republic through the sword and might of the Decusian war machine.
+During the Reckoning, as the Legion began its assault from the northeastern shores of Athaerun, they found themselves at a disadvantage being on the low ground overlooked by the impressive cliffs that hug almost all of Athaerun’s coastal border. Besieged by Athaerian archers whom would rain down volleys of arrows upon their heads, the Decusian war machine had fallen prey to the defenses of these tribes who rallied together to push back the red tide of the Legion. For this reason, Athaerun remains rooted in military history as being an infamously costly region to have taken so early during the Reclamation efforts.
+As the Venerated Republic moved through the countryside and into the interior of the province, they began erecting effigies and monoliths to the Archangel Decus, establishing a firm rooted iconography that painted the landscape of Athaerun and still does to this day.  When the tribes conceded defeat to their invaders, they were put to the task of building some of the most marvelous monasteries and educational centers for religious philosophy in all of Vitaveus, taking their expertise in working wood and creating artful inlays that told visual tales of Decus and his gift to mankind.  Through decades of working on the Empire's singular artistic identity through religious iconography, many of the Athaerians began to convert fully to the religion, taking up positions within the clergy as the faith grew throughout the Eastern province. Today, many of the Decusian high clergy can trace their bloodlines back to Athaerian ancestry, and those that cannot undoubtedly had spent a good deal of their academic years within the Province studying at one of the hundreds of monasteries that dot its landscape.
+<fs xx-large>Torment</fs>
+The monasteries of the Decusian faith, in more modern of times, have evolved to become the learned centers of both the philosophical and medical. However, during the beginning stages of the Torment, little in the way of protective equipment was developed and as such, many of the medical personnel became infected with the wretched disease. The Alftwyn Monastery, one of the largest epicenters for medical research was a tragic loss to this plague on humanity, as its patients began to turn horribly against their caretakers, and in a single foul swoop, all inside were claimed by the terror that is the Torment. The sprawling monastery has since been walled off, and Templar with the purview of the Apothecary Corps have been maintaining a watchful gaze over its once beautiful architecture, now marred by the screams and blood spilled by these amalgamations that were once the faithful. There is concern however that even the walls and pyres built by the Church to keep the disease at bay are not working, as the lush wilds around the monastery have begun to turn dead and blackened, with sightings of sickly stags and dead birds throughout the forests have become talk among the common folk.
+Apart from this sole exception, Athaerun has remained a strong and stable element in post-Torment Vitaveus. Situated between the historically significant territory of the First Province and the epicenter of Republic power, Redholme, Athaerun has benefited from a strong and measured response from Decusian forces whenever even a hint of threat emerges. The numerous dozens of Municipalities and hundreds of Townships that litter the Athaerun countrysides are some of the most safest places for residential living outside of Redholme; this is undoubtedly due to the staggeringly large presence of clerical estates and Prelacy mansions and manors and keeps that call Athaerun home. Athaerun is further considered one of the most wealthy Territories of the Baronies, falling only behind Redholme - this is undoubtedly due to the massive presence of Prelacy bloodlines and houses that call the territory home.
+<fs xx-large>Points of Interest</fs>
+**Alftwyn Monastery**
+One of the largest monastical compounds ever constructed, Alftwyn was dedicated to the understanding of medicine. This once proud monastery was heralded as the East's epicenter for those who wished to learn the practices of Allopathy in an effort to better the lives of those who lived beneath the merciful gaze of the Venerated Republic.  Recently, Alftwyn has become home to nothing more than the living dead and the Tormented, forever locking its doors off to anyone who would have once sought enlightenment from its cloistered walls.
+**Varo Monastery**
+Due to the fall of the Alftwyn monastery, Varo has become a replacement for what knowledge was lost at the large monastery no less than a fortnight's ride away.  It has been highly fortified as of late, and many of the local citizenry who once entered its sprawling grounds to hear sermons of the Clergy or gain an education there have all been turned away. This has sparked great concern among the numerous local communities whom utilized the campus in times prior to the Torment.
+**Monument of the Legion**
+A large black slab of granite naturally formed along the bluffs of the Athaerun cliffs has been turned into a massive mural of dedication to venerate the Legion of the Republic for its heroic sacrifices in the Reckoning.  This mural is a massive 60 feet in height and 300 feet in length, and depicts Legion soldiers valiantly marching into battle under the hail of a sky of arrows. The name of every Legion Cohort to have fought and died during the Reckoning within Athaerun has been carved into the side of the mural, paying homage to the sacrifices the faithful gave in the name of their God.
+//**Inspirations and Influences**//
+Scottish Highlands. Traditional example names such as Camdyn, Glenn, Isla and Finella are common for those hailing from Athaerun.
+<--
+-->Redholme#
+<fs xx-large>Geography</fs>
+Encapsulated by impressive mountain ranges, Redholme has always been a geographically isolated province. The ruthless rough country of the Rustwood combined with numerous natural chokepoints gives the province an appearance almost as though it were engineered for defense. The Rustwood extends far to the south and west bleeding through into Aedenshyr Province and access to the mighty and impressive trees contained therein forbidden by the Venerated Republic, leaving them inaccessible to all but the most bold of poachers.
+The natural climate preserved in the rural areas of Redholme is a temperate one. The fresh air and mild seasons allowed for prosperous  agricultural trade in the early history of the Province.
+Within the sprawling cityscape that takes the province's namesake, however, the last several decades have led to a choking smog from industrial machine shops, factories, and power generating plants. Due to the geography of the province, the run-off from Redholme’s booming industrial sectors has led to the tainting of once pure waterways that ran through the province. Likewise, the smog, carried by wind fronts off the coast, has come to settle in low-lying farmlands leading to a mass-exodus from these rural municipalities.
+In the man-made hills of the Redholme City upon which gated Prelacy communities and government facilities dwell, power is dealt in lavish comfort. Powerbroking is the chief sport among the Redholme Parishes, and it is often whispered among the civilian and citizen classes that the lives of men, even whole cities and Legions are moved about as carelessly as pieces in a game of checkers.
+<fs xx-large>History</fs>
+In the foundational days of the Republic, when the First Apostles still walked upon the soil of Vitaveus, Redholme proved an instrumental foothold. The wealth of natural resources contained within its valley-esque geography made it the principal engine of industry and war during the Reckoning. Since that time, the descendants of many Prelates have established their Parishes in Redholme, making it home to some of the oldest and wealthiest families in the Republic. High Society of Redholme is touted as hosting only those of the purest of lineages who have always been able to date their lines back to the First Landing.
+A thoroughfare for colonization, Redholme has always been a melting pot of the Republic. Displaced peoples from the western and midlands were often shuffled off back towards the Eastern Baronies, especially Redholme wherein they were forced, sometimes by economic pressures and sometimes by more literal means, to labor in the workshops, logging operations, and deep mines of the territory even before the technological revolution of the late 13th century.
+Due to spiraling debts, the descendants of many of these displaced emigres persist in this system even to this day. Their great-great grandparents who labored in the dangerous and unpredictable Rustwood logging operations were often contracted to pass their debts on to their descendants, owed to a variety of Parishes. Many of these Parishes have made themselves into industrial magnates in the current era, using indentured servitude in their factories.
+Today, Redholme is one of the last shining beacons of the might of the Venerated Republic. The city on the hill which takes the Territory's namesake has found itself the political capital of the Republic since the fall of Tor.
+<fs xx-large>Torment</fs>
+The mountain passes, immense dangers of the Rustwood, and narrow chokepoints have made securing the province a thing of relative ease in a cooperative effort between the official soldiery of the republic and the small private armies held in the pockets of the multitudinous Prelacy Parishes.
+Entry to the province for those not fortunate enough to be a blooded member or treasured servant of a Prelacy Parish, however, is a trial which most fail. Having instituted a strict overland Quarantine, entry to the province without the appropriate paperwork is restricted to hikes through the treacherous Rustwood or mountain-climbing attempts which rarely result in success.
+More so than even its natural defenses, its strategic importance ensures stalwart and continued military support by the Venerated Church. Some even say that if Redholme were to fall, the Republic would follow soon after.
+Day-to-day life in Redholme is significantly more stable compared to that of other territories as the wealth of natural material and ocean access by the large ports down-river of the Redholme City there have been no shortages of materials as other provinces have seen.
+All is not well in the City, however, as the old-blood Redholme Parishes look on in horror as they watch fellow Prelacy and even Citizens flood in from other Territories. Not because they fear their own mortality but because they recoil at the thought of allowing destitute, deluded bloodlines from less prominent Territories into their High Society.
+Meanwhile, tensions are high in the overcrowded civilian neighborhoods and refugee shanty towns that sprung up before border crackdowns. These conditions leave room for criminals, revolutionaries, and fanatics of all kinds to infiltrate the city and grow their followings.
+<fs xx-large>Points of Interest</fs>
+**The Rustwood**
+A great temperate rainforest made up of large redwoods, their rust-coloring has given the land its namesake. During the warmest months of the year, a thick fog from the south makes the forest difficult to navigate. If the threat of poachers and pagans do not deter entry, it is most certainly the fear of forced conscription into the Apothecary's many alleged field camps if caught trespassing, as its acreage to this day is still controlled and regulated by the State.
+In the time of the First Apostles, it is chronicled that The Rustwood made up the entirety of the territory, and provided lumber to the budding Empire. The Republic seized control of the region and restricted access for reasons of triage to stop the spread of a deadly, contagious plague in the 8th century known as Woodsmen's Rot. Theories as to the plague's origins varied, some saw it as a targeted attack from the pagan tribes seeking to push the Decusians out of their lands, others saw it as having ventured too deep into the forest and becoming exposed to new miasmas.
+Nonetheless, the Parishes whose wealth depended on the managing of the Rustwood redirected their heavily in building infrastructure for the Venerated Apothecary Corp in the region to combat the outbreak.
+In recent times, the Foundry has sought to once again utilize the forest to fuel its industry as Torment threatens its lumber supply chains in the Midlands, where the Apothecary sees the forest as potentially holding medical breakthroughs from the expansive biodiversity that could combat Torment.
+**Redholme City**
+Upon the official quarantining of the First Province in 1342, the Republic Senate, The College of Bishops, and other major Factions relocated to Redholme from Tor, repurposing The Pontufex as the new seat of Government. This transition brings political tensions, as the Vicars who represent Redholme City can operate with the full might of their influence now that the bureaucracy has taken residence within their borders.
+The largest city in the Eastern Baronies, Redholme City is located where the Dray River meets the smaller Aldor River. In the early days of settlement, this spot where the rivers met was utilized to transport logs downriver to the coast to supply the budding Decusian Empire with ships and materials to continue their conquest westward.
+After the Rustwood was seized by the State, the wealthy Parishes shifted focus into venture capital wealth reaped from lumber operations into the development of industry and trade in nearby territories, and with those profits began investing in their future; putting both large sums of money and blooded Prelacy into the ranks of the Apothecary and Foundry.
+This financial stimulus from the city’s Prelacy class has transformed the city over time into becoming a major center of scientific pursuit and technological advancement. To many, the city is a glimpse of what the future held for the Republic before the emergence of Torment; electric street lamps luminate the majority of main streets and plumbing is a required amenity within the city limits.
+To others, Redholme represents everything wrong with the Republic, the egregious wealth flaunted by Prelacy class as civilians waste away in crowded, impoverished neighborhoods having to subject themselves to horrible work conditions in the city's factories in order to survive.
+With exception to those refugees within the shanty towns, the average citizen of the city is generally out of touch with the situation throughout the rest of the continent.
+**Pontufex Hill**
+The Pontufex is an independent city-state surrounded by the municipality of Redholme City with full ownership, exclusive dominion, sovereign authority and jurisdiction solely under the Venerated Archbishop. With an area of 151 acres and a population of 501, it is considered the smallest province in Vitaveus.
+The city-state contains religious and cultural sites such as the Castrum Lucius, Salvatorem Nostrum, and museums. Vitaveus’s most famous paintings, sculptures, and scriptures are protected within the city’s vaults. Its unique economy is supported financially by donations of the faithful and Prelacy tithes. The Pontufex has no taxes on property nor sales of any items.
+Castrum Lucius is the archbishop’s palatial residence. It initially was planned as a summer palace for Lucius Randamus V, fourth emperor of the Venerated Empire. Built in early 6th century design, it is a series of self-contained buildings within a courtyard surrounded by an outer structure. The palace houses residential and support offices of various functions as well as administrative offices not focused on the life and functions of the archbishop.
+Salvatorem Nostrum is a cathedral built to replace the aging Castrum Lucius and to serve as a site for religious function. Construction began in the mid 8th century, paused for the outbreak of Woodmans Rot, and was finally completed within the early 9th century. Currently it houses administration chambers for the Venerated Archbishop and Council of Bishops.
+Decusian tradition holds it is the burial site of early prelacy and many venerated archbishops as well. It was a famous place of pilgrimage for Decusians and would draw annual audiences of 125,000 in years prior to the initial Torment outbreak of 1313. Access to Salvatorem Nostrum was restricted shortly after the outbreak and then completely prohibited with occupation of the Venerated Archbishop and Council of Bishops.
+**University of Arbitrium**
+Located on the outskirts of Redholme City, this is the Seat of the Venerated Apothecary Corp.
+Originally built in the 8th Century in the time of the Rot, the Abritrium has been on the forefront of academia for centuries; its proximity to the Rustwood provides them a natural breeding ground of diseases for study. It is rumored that the privacy of this restricted land also harbors many an unsanctioned labor camp wherein civilians are conscripted to be forcefully exposed to contagion, as well as subject to other more sinister medical experimenting.
+In recent years many scholars from Aetherun’s Monastic regions have relocated here in recent times to continue their fight against Torment. Moreover, the introduction of the fifth humor has caused a stir in the recent decade, inflaming debate again over whether or not science would go too far.
+**The Redholme University of Medicine and Disease**
+Established in Redholme City in 1327 A.S. in what is essentially the Foundry’s attempt to establish a foothold in medicine to capitalize on their more recent scientific advancements. Where the Apothecary’s University of Arbitrium focuses on the theoretical, Redholme University focuses on vocational concepts in incorporating what the Foundry is known for; standardization and regulation.
+Some of their methods would be towing the line of heretical by the Apothecaries' teachings, as their official stance on humors is that they paint a partial picture of a whole that needs to be further investigated to be understood.
+Thus, the University requires a reference from the Venerated Apothecary Corps to be permitted to study at the establishment. Though many in academia grumble that this is all just pageantry to stay a step removed from any scandal should the public turn on the institution for their philosophies, as the politically savvy could point out the same Parish families who quietly back the University financially hold seats on the Apothecary’s Third Panel.
+While their methods are allegedly more effective, they are often met with suspicion due to the harsh realities of what it takes to save a patient coupled with the more expensive cost of service when compared against the Apothecary Corps medical services.
+**The Republic Sentinel**
+Established in 1210 A.S. The Republic Sentinel serves the Republic nationwide from its headquarters in Redholme City. In recent times, the Sentinel’s reach to those outside of Redholme has been erratic and infrequent - pockets of civilization can be in the dark on the national scene for months to years due to logistical nightmares surrounding the Torment.
+One of the most popular sections that rarely circulates outside of the city proper is the Society Pages. Its reporting centers on the lives and social gatherings of the Prelacy Class, with names partially deleted by dashes and reports mildly satirical. In its infancy, the reporting was first met with outrage, followed by subsequent stages of curiosity and amusement, and finally embraced as a means of self-gratification.
+Sources for the Society Pages range from servants to heads of Parish Houses, all looking to use these pages to control public perception; rehashing their parties and outings as on behalf of charities and stability of the Republic. To the Parishes in high society, it informs everyone who is or is not considered to be in the most elite circles at any given time.
+//**Inspirations and Influences**//
+England, western Europe. Traditional example names such as James, Winston, Ashley, and Mildred are common for those hailing from Redholme. Prelacy families hailing from this region exclusively have latin naming conventions.
+<--
+-->The First Coast#
+<fs xx-large>Geography</fs>
+If one wishes to know the Venerated Republic of Decus they must start at the beginning. They must start at the First Coast. The birthplace of an empire and the landing site of the Apostles, this densely populated region is steeped in history and culture. The continent of Vitaveus is broad and vast, yet one could spend their whole life wandering just the First Coast and still not see everything worth seeing. The First Coast is a region that stretches roughly 250 miles along the Pearl Sea, more specifically encompassing almost the entire shoreline of the Bay of Good Men. Though they are not directly part of the coast, it is not uncommon for inland locations to sometimes be considered part of the region. Aside from the bay, the First Coast has several distinct geographical hallmarks that set it apart. The first looms to the Northwest in the form of Prelate's Peak. Though not the tallest of the sister mountains that comprise the chain known as the Freemantle, Prelate's Peak summit is still a respectable 14,000 ft above sea level. On a clear day this is high enough to see all the way to the Red River, the First Coast's other notable geographical feature. The Red River forms the southern border of the territory. With its source in Lake Provenance and its terminus in the Bay of Good Men, the river stretches over 600 miles and is the region's greatest aquatic thoroughfare, second to only the Pearl Sea itself.
+The First Coast enjoys a temperate climate with regular seasons and accompanying rainfall throughout the year. This weather supports a healthy mix of grasslands and forests. Seeing as the First Coast has experienced roughly 900 years of development and growth much of the wilderness has been appropriated for agriculture and infrastructure. Though the First Coast boasts a number of fine settlements they all tend to be overshadowed by the capital. Tor, the first true city of the Venerated Republic, stands as a shining beacon of an empire. Its like cannot be found on Vitaveus or beyond, for its' history and cultural significance makes it one of the most well-known cities in all of the Republic. At one time, it was one of the largest cities in the Republic, boasting a population of well over a hundred thousand souls from every walk of life - however, since as early as 700AS, Tor had been dwarfed by far larger city-states and sprawling Municipalities in other portions of the Republic. Structurally, Tor is organized into a series of districts of varying sizes and import. Since the Republic was founded, it has been a seat of power and culture in the Republic and there is little indication that it will ever be fully disregarded as a relic of days gone.
+A whole guide could be written on Tor alone. Despite its grandeur, culture and history, it is by no means the only city or province within the First Coast. The territory boasts numerous other provinces, and specifically, two other Municipalities of import. The first, located approximately 100 miles south of Tor, is that of Paeldern. Situated where the Red River empties into the Bay of Good Men, Paeldern is far larger than Tor and boasts an economy nearly triple to that of the former capital. Its success can be measured by the flow of the Red River, which allows Paeldern's merchants and traders to ship goods deep into not only the First Coast, but Virrenul and Volgen as well. Paeldern is unique in that it may in fact be two cities; on the other side of the Red River lies the territory of Athaerûn and the city of Prosus. Though founded as one, the City on the South Bank has gradually split with Paeldern. The friendly rivalry between the two cities has encouraged growth for both.
+Resting some 250 miles West of the coast is Kedian, the regions greatest inland province. Reachable by following the Red River from Paeldern or the Marching Highway from Tor, travelers familiar with the First Coast will sometimes cleverly refer to Kedian as the 'Last' First City. Though there are numerous other settlements, Municipalities and Townships along the borders of the First Coast, Kedian is the last province and City for hundreds of miles inland that boasts a population of over a million souls, which has earned it such a glib moniker. It takes pride in the designation and is a well-known stopping point for those making the journey West or embarking upon the final stretch of the path to Tor. There are numerous other towns, villages and hamlets scattered throughout the First Coast. Though of respectable size, they are far too many to number. However, travelers with vast experience throughout the Republic often indicate that, compared to other settlements of their size, the towns in the First Coast are some of the finest in all of Vitaveus - this is undoubtedly due to the rich history and culture the First Coast possesses. It is also no coincidence that more than half of the Republic's entire Prelacy bloodlines claim the First Coast as home.
+<fs xx-large>History</fs>
+The First Coast is the cradle of civilization and has a long and storied history to show for it. Much of the early history in the region is dominated by tales of bloodshed and accounts of battles. Some of the most distant events are unverifiable, but even if certain milestones are historically suspect they are still widely accepted by both the scholar and the layman. Before the start of the 5th century Vitaveus was a dark continent, unknown to the First Apostles. Native civilizations existed throughout the land, though what little is known has mostly been washed away by the tides of time. However, the area that was to become the First Coast is said to have been populated by an especially malignant society whose name has since been erased from the histories of our great nation.
+It is not until 405 AS that the region truly became the First Coast, for this year marks arrival of the Apostles upon the shore of Vitaveus. Charged with spreading the One True Faith by word or by sword, this was also their first true test in a new world. Church historians claim that when the First Apostles made landfall they discovered Nora Thryn, a stronghold ruled by heretics and twisted by sin. With faith on their side, they are said to have razed this den of iniquity and founded Tor upon the bones of the ancient city as a message to all. The truth of the matter and the details of this encounter are lost to time, but also immaterial; what is important is that when Tor was founded so was the Decusian Kingdom, which would eventually grown into the Republic we know today. Expansion of the fledgling kingdom began almost immediately and although it would take centuries to reach its current state the First Coast was tamed within roughly fifty years and settlers were already on their way to unclaimed territories. Improvements within the First Coast continued in stride and farmlands in the region steadily grew to support the increasing population. The greatest effort of this period is perhaps the Marching Highway, Vitaveus' first true great road. Since then similar such roads have spread across the continent, but it was here on the First Coast that the technology was first developed that would carry the settlers and armies of the Republic across the continent.
+The culture of the First Coast is the culture of the Venerated Republic itself. The wellspring of civilization and the birthplace of an empire, nowhere is the spirit of the Republic more alive or more revered. There are two facets of culture on the First Coast that warrant inspection.
+The first is faith and religion. Even the most unshakable skeptic can be a believer in the Venerated Republic for Decusian faith, at its most unadorned, depends not on the actions of divine agents but upon the actions of men. The heart of a religion that founded a kingdom, an empire, does not beat on the First Coast simply because Tor was the traditional seat of the Archbishop, but because Tor was once the capital of the Republic. Faith has made the Republic what it is today, and nowhere is this more apparent than the First Coast.
+The second aspect of culture on the First Coast is a direct result of the Renaissance of 990 AS. This upheaval, which some claim to be an indirect result of the establishment of the Republic, shook the foundations of the empire. Instead of crumbling, however, those foundations became stronger. Philosophy, politics, science and technology went through radical advances, most of which started on the First Coast. Religion did not survive this upheaval unscathed, but instead went through its own transformation from an unbending and dogmatic institution to the more broadly-applicable and widely-accepted faith we know today. These two facets can be pointed to as the greatest contributors to culture on the First Coast and throughout the Republic as a whole. One need only read a book of poetry, visit a gallery, or even walk down a street and observe the architecture to see the combined influence of the First Coast's faith-based beginning and liberal reawakening.
+<fs xx-large>Torment</fs>
+In 1342, The First Coast suffered a truly debilitating blow; the fall of Tor. Prior to this, Tor had been a focal point in the war efforts against the Torment and the Resolve - having been the traditional home to the Republic Senate and Archbishop, many pertinent decisions were made within Tor, and her more contemporary larger sister-city, Redholme. While there are many rumors and theories as to why and how Tor had fallen, no official statement has ever been made by the Republic as to what attributed to the fall of the once magnificent city. Since then, the entirety of the First Province - the land provincial territory surrounding and including Tor itself - has been rendered a Quarantine Zone. While considered a considerable blow to the morale of the Republic and its' people, no efforts have been made to reclaim Tor or the First Province due to the lingering threat of the Torment and the sheer volume of afflicted that roam the Province.
+Save for this particular costly and notable causality, the First Coast remains a relatively safe and well protected territory - undoubtedly due to the immeasurable wealth and resources afforded to it by it's Prelacy families and the Ecclesial Authority.
+<fs xx-large>Points of Interest</fs>
+**Cathedral of the Virtues & the Sea of Silent Names**
+Though not the biggest cathedral on the First Coast, the Cathedral of the Virtues is perhaps the most-visited. Located just outside of Tor herself, the Cathedral of the Virtues is a popular pilgrimage site for devout citizens from all over the Republic. It is a commonly-held belief that the cathedral houses the mortal remains of the eight Avatars who, after being anointed in 376 AS, would eventually lead the First Apostles of the One True Faith across the seas and to victory at Nora Thryn. Whether the cathedral truly holds the bodies of the men and women for whom The Day of Heroes is named has actually never been confirmed by the Decusian Church, and even if it does the alleged remains are certainly not accessible to the public, but that has not stopped thousands from coming each year.
+Even for those of little faith the Cathedral of Virtues has much to see. The architecture alone is worth the trip, for while the cathedral has its roots in the gothic style it is quite unconventional and its curving contours and asymmetrical lines are both beautiful and awe inspiring. Many visitors arriving at the gates do not make it to the cathedral proper for hours due to the Sea of Silent Names. Surrounding the Cathedral of the Virtues is the First Coast's largest graveyard, where headstones, mausoleums and statuary mark the final resting places of over 200,000 of the Republic's greatest citizens - mostly hailing from influential positions within the Ecclesial Authority or from influential Prelacy families.
+**Prelate's Peak**
+Almost 200 miles North of Kedian lies Prelate's Peak. Few make the journey to the fabled mountain. Even fewer are hale and hardy enough to reach the summit. Any member of the Church of Decus, however, will tell you that the true splendor of the mountain lies not atop it, but within it. Honeycombed with tunnels both natural and man-made, Prelate's Peak is home to the Monastery of the Divine Enlightenment. Strictly forbidden to the public, it is within these halls that many of the Decusian Ecclesial Authority undertake their studies.
+**Lucerna Obscurus**
+Lucerna Obscurus is a source of considerable mystery on the First Coast. Though it has no official name, the Dark Lamp is what citizens have come to call the small island that rests roughly 40 miles East of Tor. Oval in shape and approximately 10 miles in diameter, the only distinguishing feature of the craggy island is a towering lighthouse which is never burning. It is for this structure that the island has earned its name, in part. It is also called so since the island is completely forbidden to all potential visitors.
+There is all manner of speculation surrounding the landmass, most involving the Church. Their ownership and desire to protect the island from intruders is no secret, but what they actually use it for is completely unknown. Anyone approaching the island is firmly warned to turn back by wandering patrol boats, anyone landing on the island is roughly ejected and anyone trying to go inland is never seen again (though this last part is likely a fanciful rumor).
+//**Inspirations and Influences**//
+Ancient Rome. Traditional example names such as Marcellus, Maximus, Octavia and Valeria are common for those hailing from the First Coast.
+<--