EditPower on the rise- Tone: A nation once steeped in decadence painfully re-finding itself
- Timeframe: -3000 to Present historically; -10 to Present
- Artifice: Standard
- Region: Civizia
- Capital: Gormo (~83,000)
- Notable Settlements: Nellund (province, ~51,000), Wessermarke (province, ~41,000), Hossia (province, ~39,500), Gundoria (province, ~35,000), Mersai (Nellund capital, ~33,000), Wessermer (Wessermarke capital, ~22,000), Gundorsmark / Zalisham (Gundoria capital, ~15,000)
- Government: Empire
- Ruler: Emperor Nanok Kymaeris I
- Races: Human (~750,000), Atlovs (Human, ~22,000)
- Languages: Civizian (Primary), Anorn (Gundorza)
- Religions: The New Gods (Icus Pantheon)
- Coinage: Falcorin (1 gp), Lunorin (1 sp), Kadrorin (1 cp)
EditSynopsis
Long ago a border province of the Calamshari territory of great Sharmut, Falcoria rose to its own prominence and sovereignty almost three thousand years ago during the bloody succession wars following the implosion of the mother country. Falcoria eventually became an imperialistic power in Civizia, carving out a large Empire by conquering other nations that had also broken off from Calamshar in the succession wars and other outlying lands as well.
At its height, Falcoria easily rivaled Calamshar in power and influence, and the tensions between the two great nations defined the political landscape of the region. Eventually a long-standing equilibrium was reached where neither nation could afford to square off against the other without risking certain destruction from within or without. And thus detante set in; trade flourished, and the two very similar neighbors found great profit and stability by reinforcing the others existence.
However, a succession of weak and petty rulers and a lack of unifying threats lead to moral decline in Falcoria as the upper aristocracy slid into decadency and parasitism. The common populace came to detest their useless and sinful aristocracy, and revolt became common. Increasingly the nation began to crumble from within, as individual provinces became more powerful and politically distinct, and further ever greater measures had to be taken to quell the unhappy populace. Two of it's wealthier provinces, Azoria and Baerilla, managed to secede within a century of each other. Falcoria was on the steps of a downward spiral to oblivion.
Then the unexpected happened. An Anornian horde lead by the barbarian Grender Gundarsen invaded and conquered a respectable coastal fiefdom from the lands of Wessermarke and Hossia, and posed enough of a threat for Falcoria to rouse itself a little. A long and bloody series of battles was fought back and forth for a hundred and twenty years, and at last a conditional surrender was signed by the King of Gundoria. However by this time the Anorns had interbred with the locals and become a distinct people. The newly-reconquered lands remain as the province of Gundoria, and the barbaric influences of the Anornians can still be detected.
In fighting this long and bitter war, the Falcorian military machine was resharpened. Thus when not two years after Gundoria was reclaimed a horde of savage Wicta descended on Civizia, Falcoria was able to resist the bloody tide and hold firm, rather than face the same fate as Azoria and Baerilla who both fell entirely under the Wicta's merciless invasion.
In the face of constant Wicta attacks the nation shifted back into a wartime footing once again. The military establishment became increasingly powerful and popular with the common people, and the then current Emperor Menemidas Aquilius IV was particularly reviled as a pederast and worse. Falcoria had long relied on the practice of recruiting bold and mighty warriors from far and wide and allowing them to rise into command positions to strengthen their armed might, and thus it was that the physically mighty and very popular outlander General Nanok, a Kymarian, came to lead a military coup that saw Menemidas dead under his iron handed grip, and Nanok named Emperor.
In the succeeding several years Nanok's barbaric boldness has seen him fight off several attempted coups, survive several assassination attempts, crack down on the excesses and power of the aristocracy, and continue to fend off the Wicta.
EditMagic Falcoria has a healthy Alchemy trade, and a fair number of Occultists. Ecclesiastics are not common per se, but are an almost everyday sight in the cities.
Daemonologists were commonplace in a past era, but the priests of the New Gods stamped them out mercilessly and even still act as one (including even the rare and secretive followers of Malicus) to suss out and destroy any newly formed Daemon cults. Similarly, Necromantists and Thanomancers have not been tolerated by the churches.
EditDetails
- Heraldry: The standard of Falcoria is the personal arms of its current King; however the colors are always consistent; the background is black and the foreground is gold and incorporates a five-pointed crown; this color combination is reserved for royal use and non-ruling members of the ruling family reverse the colors on their personal arms. The current standard is somewhat manufactured due to the upstart barbarian nature of King Nonak; he is likened to a bear in his stature and thus his standard is rendered as sable, a bear rampant or crowned or. Each province maintains their own distinctive arms, but each is mantled with the crown of Falcoria to demonstrate their allegiances.
Approximately 700 years ago religionists from Albizia brought the worship of the so-called "New Gods" to Falcoria. It took a couple of centuries, but the worship of the old "Elder Gods" was slowly replaced by the new beliefs. Various churches to some of the gods are powerful both spiritually and politically, though each province favors different ones. Pockets of the old faith still survive in outlying areas, and sometimes in different forms, but they tend to be secretive.
EditAdventure Seeds Royal Audience: An unusual ruler to say the least, unlike the effete scions of noble families that sit most thrones Nonak is a common man of barbarous birth, more comfortable in an ale house than a palatial dining hall. He has no love of the mild music and stately entertainers paid to perform at state functions and thus to amuse himself he often invites common adventurers and warriors of repute to dine at his left hand as guests of honor. The price of a kingly feast is simple: regale the Emperor with personal tales of battle and high adventure...but be warned that Nonak has had more than his share of dangerous hijinks and knows the difference between enjoyable embellishment used to spin a real event into a good story vs. purely invented bullshit.
Humans
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