Heart of the Realm

Protected by the bulwark provinces of Meadows and Tobria lies the heartland of the Holy Empire of the Griffin Throne, also known as the Holy Garetian Empire, the Raulian Empire or, most commonly, the Middenrealm. This heartland is the source of its riches, its power and political influence throughout all Aventuria. The provinces of Garetia, Darpatia, Almada, Kosh and the North Marches form this extensive region and together, they are the most stable and prosperous part of Aventuria. While it is true that the Middenrealm would have fallen countless times already if not for the sturdiness of the Meadows, there would be no Middenrealm to begin with if not for this region, the so-called Heart of the Realm.

Due to the singular importance of the Middenrealm, the Heart of the Realm is the political centre of Aventuria as a whole. A provincial ruler in these lands has as much influence as a sovereign king in any other nation on the continent and each of the heartland provinces could easily survive as an independent kingdom. As such, it is not surprising that these lands, while outwardly peaceful, are by no means coexisting in perfect harmony. The Heart of the Realm is the home of cut-throat politicans, powerful and ambitious noblemen and the place where the fate of nations is decided. At its heart lies Gareth, the capital of the Middenrealm, as well as the largest and most influential city in all Aventuria.


The most important province of the Middenrealm, arguably the most important part of Aventuria as a whole, is undoubtedly the Kingdom of Garetia, which is directly ruled over by the emperor. It's capital city, Gareth, is the most populated city in all Aventuria and home to both, the Imperial Residence and the City of Light, the most important temple of Praios in Aventuria and seat of the Envoy of Light. As such, the history of Garetia is strongly tied to the history of the Middenrealm as a whole.

Once, it was the crown colony of Bosparan, when the ancient empire first settled in the north. The Bosparanians had holdings in all of the current Middenrealm provinces except Meadows, but no other colony managed to grow to outright rival the Bosparanian heartland in wealth and population. Gareth did so thanks to its cunning rulers, the Viceroys of Garetia. Instead of having one dynasty on the throne, the Garetians had an elective monarchy, where the new viceroy was chosen by popular vote and ruled over the province for a set amount of years. This ensured a constant string of popular and capable rulers, while the Bosparanian Empire as a whole suffered under a string of terrible, flawed rulers from the House of Bosparan, who ruled by supposedly divine and unquestionable right.

This led to a growing unrest among the people of Garetia, who had come to live in wealth and stability while the rest of the massive empire suffered from corruption, overextension and mismanagement. The fertile province repeatedly tried to gain more autonomy and inspired by its example, other provinces in the north, the North Marches and Tobria chiefly among them, tried to do the same.

Finally, one bosparanian emperor, the infamous Blood Emperor Fran-Horas, decided for a harsh response to the growing Garetian unrest. First, he tried to break them through brutal sanctions. They had the openly stated goal of economically and culturally crippling the province, to teach the Garetians a lesson in humility. Instead, it only drove them into open rebellion. It can be assumed that the otherwise cunning Fran had hoped for this, as it gave him an excuse to move his massive army against the former crown colony.

Just a few miles before reaching the city, Fran's army was confronted by the Garetian rebel army, who were less numerous, badly equipped and mostly just outraged peasants, who stood no chance against the Imperial Army. The battle could have been an easy and decisive victory for Bosparan, but Fran-Horas had something else in mind. Knowing that the other northern provinces sympathized with Garetia and that a moment of weakness would be enough for them to rise up against their overlords. As such, he decided to make an example of the Garetians. Using his extensive and unparalleled mastery of the domains of the Nether Hells, he and his mages summoned hundreds of demons to further bolster the ranks of their legions.

This proved to be Fran's undoing, as his mages were unable to control such a massive amount of demons. The unleashed beasts turned against him, slaughtering indiscriminately and crippling both armies in a terrible battle that was later known as the First Battle of the Demon. Fran and his personal guard managed to escape the slaughter, but the Blood Emperor was a broken man afterwards. Under massive pressure from his enemies back home, he had to abdicate the throne and died a few years later, in a self-imposed exile. The site of the battle was forever warped by demonic energies and the forest that grew in its place is known as The Fallows, a twisted, dangerous place, consisting of thick, crooked trees standing within a deceptive marshland. To this day, the Garetians avoid the place and it is rumoured that ghosts and demons wander within.



About five hundred years after Fran's death, his descendant Hela-Horas sealed the end of the Bosparanian Empire and the rise of the Middenrealm. She was a cruel and fickle empress, who had formed half a dozen pacts with the Archdemons of the Nether Hells, which placed her in direct opposition with the Church of Praios. Her father Murak-Horas had already started to conquer the Diamond Sultanate, the Tulamid empire to the south and west of Bosparan and Hela continued his war with all the brutal might of her strong empire and the Nether Hells.

During this war, Hela ordered to decimate every conquered Tulamid city, killing one out of two citizens to ensure that the Tulamid lands would never have the strength to rebel against her rule. By chance, the Tulamid warrior Raul lost his entire family, his parents, his wife and their three newborn children to this random act of cruelty. Other men would have despaired over this loss, but Raul swore revenge.

After years as a sellsword, in which he travelled through all of Aventuria, Raul and his companion Baduar of Boarstribe joined the Garetian city guard, which, by this point, was basically a group of rebels against their Bosparanian overlords. Still hungering for revenge, Raul encouraged this rebellion and with his experience as a sellsword, knowledge of the outside world and cunning sense for military tactics, he quickly became one of the leaders of this growing rebellion.

Hela-Horas replied quickly and like Fran before her, she sent her armies against Gareth. Unlike Fran, she first tried to win through superior numbers. She used the tactics that had served her father well during his war against the Tulamids, but unbeknownst to her, Raul, who had suffered defeat at these tactics before, had spent years analysing this defeat and developing a counter strategy.

Instead of facing the legions of Bosparan on the fields of Gareth, which favoured the larger army, Raul led his forces to meet the Bosparanians in southern Almada, pushing them through enemy territory and forcing a brutal pace, so that they could reach and reinforce the mountaneous region of Brig-Lo, where his numerically inferior army would have the advantage over the legions of Bosparan. This, paired with surprising reinforcements from the Tulamids, who had come to support their countryman Raul in his rebellion, meant that Hela was about to lose the battle.

The ruthless empress then made the same mistake as Fran, when she summoned a whole army of demons to support her troops. Unlike Fran, she was able to control them, if barely and the battle turned to her favour again. Due to her massive use of demons, this battle should later be known as the Second Battle of the Demon. However, her open alliance with the Nether Hells and the direct influence the Archdemons took upon the battle allowed for an equal response from the forces of Alveran. The gods Praios, Rondra, Efferd and Ingerimm, long since disgusted by Hela's open worship of the Archdemons, directly intervened in the battle and they managed to banish the demonic host back to the Nether Hells, while Raul's army defeated the Bosparanians in the field. Hela-Horas and her praetorian guard managed to escape, but the vengeful gods destroyed the entire city of Bosparan with fire and lightning, killing the empress in the process and ending the Bosparanian Empire.

For his heroism, Raul was declared the first emperor of the new Garetian Empire, the so-called Middenrealm. To legitimize his claim, he took Hela's niece, Vallusa of Bosparan, as his wife, for she had previously stood against her cruel aunt. The pair had two children, the start of the first House of Gareth and their descendants were later known as the Cunning Emperors.

Raul outlawed the worship of demons, which had grown widespread under Hela's rule and therefore secured himself the alliance of the Church of the Twelve Gods. The Church of the Twelve Gods was named the official state church of the Middenrealm, while demonic cults were simultaneously hunted down. Due to his Tulamid roots, the emperor was otherwise fairly open-minded towards other faiths and several deities worshipped outside of the realm, such as the God-Whale Swafnir or Ifirn the Swan Maiden were accepted as demigods in this official pantheon. Personally, Raul was said to be an ardent worshipper of the gods Praios and Phex, justice and trickery, an unlikely pair, but the fox, holy animal of Phex, is still the patron animal of the House of Gareth, which is therefore known as the House of the Fox. He also installed a number of Tulamid traditions within his own family, including a fateful law that ensured that no woman should ever sit on the imperial throne.

While the southern half of the Bosparanian empire remained independent from the new Middenrealm, Raul's empire quickly grew to great size and became the most important political entity in all Aventuria. As such, historians call it the New Empire, to make it clear that it is a successor state to the Old Empire of Bosparan. And for all these centuries, Gareth remained the capital, while Garetia became its true heartland, the granary of the realm, as well as its political and cultural centre.

Raul's line, the Cunning Emperors, died out a few centuries later, ironically due to Raul's own law that no woman should ever sit on the imperial throne, which removed the many daughters of his last male descendant Ugdalf from the line of succession. Ugdalf himself died at a young age and his only son was murdered before he could take the throne. His corpse bore claw markings, as if the young prince had been mauled by a lion. Similarly, an emblem was found near his corpse, bearing the holy symbol of Rondra. At the time, this was seen as proof that the Church of Rondra had murdered the prince, but later historians would argue that it could have just as well been the work of the Church of Praios, who framed the Rondrians to grab the power for himself. Without a legitimized male ruler of Raul's line, the Envoy of Light Aldec Praiofold appointed himself as the imperial steward. Though his intention was seemingly to protect the throne until a worthy successor would arise, he quickly took the crown for himself, beginning the infamous reign of the Priest Emperors, where the Church of Praios had direct worldly power over the realm.

For centuries, the entire Middenrealm suffered under the Priest Emperors, who ruled as fanatics, with fire, sword and an utter lack of tolerance for most other gods. Especially the Church of Rondra was hunted down, for their alleged role in the death of the last male member of Raul's line. The true reason beyond this was likely because their martial skills made them dangerous to the Priest Emperor's reign. Rondrians were hunted down in the entire realm, their castles destroyed and their followers burned at the stake by the thousands. It was a time of stagnation and instability for the realm and modern historians believe that without Aldec Praiofold and his theocratic successors, the Middenrealm could have easily exploited the weakness of their surrounding neighbours to the point where the full borders of the Bosparanian Empire could have been restored under the Garetian flag.

Their cruel reign was ended peacefully by the mage Rohal the Wise, who allegedly convinced the last of the Priest Emperors of his wrongdoings and sent him to live out his remaining days in exile, before taking the throne for himself. He did not call himself emperor, however, instead he merely considered himself the Protector of the Realm until a worthy successor would arise. With the exception of the Priest Emperors, who were elected by the Council of Inquisitors and had no children of their own, Rohal is the only Middenrealm emperor who did not claim to descend from Raul. In fact, his entire family line remains a mystery, as Rohal never revealed his family name, nor the place where he was born.

Rohal ruled over the Middenrealm for an unusually long amount of years, exactly 123 to be precise. His long life and great power, as well as his seemingly inhuman wisdom and patience in rebuilding a struggling empire and mending the wounds inflicted by the Priest Emperors are still a source of speculation. While many dismiss the more outlandish details of his rule as exaggerated reports, others presume that Rohal was, in fact, not a human mage, perhaps not even a mortal, but a lesser demigod sent by Hesinde, the goddess of wisdom. The church itself sees him as an incarnation of the Alveranian of Hidden Knowledge, a demigod son of Nandus and grandson of Hesinde, who leads mortals through times of great turmoil without ever revealing his divine nature.

Rohal himself disappeared when he faced the infamous Borbarad, a mage of similar power, who threatened the stability of the realm. Little is known of their final confrontation in the Gorian desert, deep in the Tulamid lands, but neither Rohal nor Borbarad were ever seen again. Rohal's sudden disappearance left a void in the power structure of the Middenrealm and for almost a full century, various factions fought over the throne. Since many of them were mages, who unleashed their power without holding back for the first time since the days of Hela-Horas, this period of civil wars is also known as the Mage Wars.

These Mage Wars brought unparalleled destruction upon the Middenrealm. Mages of all kinds, from well-intentioned disciples of Rohal to ruthless black mages fought for control, amassing armies and burning down entire cities with their arcane powers. In other parts of the empire, in Havena, Warunk and Ysilia, black mages even took control over the city and the surrounding regions for a time, establishing volatile and short-lived magocracies.

In the end, a dynasty from Almada took over the throne and the House of Gareth, after powerful mages managed to negotiate a truce and agree to split their forces into the three guilds of magic. This Almadani dynasty, later known as the Eslamid dynasty due to the name Eslam being uncommonly popular among male members of their line, claimed to descend from one of Raul's daughters, but this claim is far from undisputed. What is certain is that the Eslamid emperors ruled over the Middenrealm for centuries in what is a largely uneventful and not particularly prestigious, yet ultimately stable reign. That being said, their reign was peaceful solely due to the general war exhaustion among the citizens of the realm and not due to the Eslamids being particularly peaceful. As the only rulers of the Middenrealm, they did not rule from Gareth, but rather from the Almadani capital of Punin. Their stable and peaceful reign gave them the opportunity to build grand mansions and palaces all over Almada and to this day, the legacy of the Eslamids lives on not in their great political deeds, but in their support for artists and architects. It can be said that under them, the Middenrealm truly developed a cultural identity.

The only time the Eslamid emperors actually tried their hands at an offensive war also brought ruin to their line. During the reign of Eslam V., the protectorates of Hot-Alem and Mengbilla in the southern jungles tried to break free. Emperor Eslam sent his sons Bodar and Jacopo alongside the war fleet, though both died when the fleet was ambushed by the people of the Cyclops Islands. This crushed Eslam's spirit and he later knowingly accepted his assassination, when he drank from a cup which his food taster had previously died from. His only surviving son, Valpo, ascended on the throne and as his nickname, Valpo the Drunkard, implies, drank himself into an early grave during one of his lavish feasts. He left only one child, Princess Luciana, a physically and mentally impaired girl who would not outlive her father for very long.

For twenty years, various descendants of the Eslamid line, who had, through clever political marriages, ties to almost every major family in the Middenrealm, warred for control over the empire. The Crownless Years were notably less devastating than the Mage Wars, but nonetheless saw great battles and civil war between the various self-declared emperors.

The victor of this civil war was Perval of Mersley, whose father had declared himself emperor through very distant ties to the Eslamid dynasty. Said father, Barduron of Mersley, died from an infected wound shortly before the decisive battle and for the rest of his live, Perval had to deny rumours that he helped with his father's timely death. Given his later reputation, these rumours aren't exactly unbelievable. He took over the name Perval of Gareth, to show that he intends to continue the line of the Cunning Emperors, though later historians commonly call him Perval the Cruel.

Despite his name, fitting as it might have been, Perval was not a bad ruler. He gave the suffering realm a certain degree of peace, if only because he mercilessly moved against everyone who might oppose him. Even his own family wasn't save from his cruelty and for the first three years of his reign, he systematically pursued and eliminated all who threatened his rule. Only a handful of family members survived these days, among them Geldana of Gareth, Perval's cousin, who founded the Duchy of Paavi in the far north.

Perval's reign was bloody, but not necessarily a bad one for those who simply wanted to live in peace. He killed all who spoke out against him and was reportedly a moody and brutal man, but his enforced peace helped greatly with stabilizing a shaken realm. The simple people, who had no dreams of rebelling against their emperor and who were sick of the constant wars that happened during the interregnum had it good underneath him, but everyone who dared to defy Perval the Cruel soon realized that the man was a true prodigy when it came to innovative and torturous executions. That being said, he had a fateful soft spot for his children Bardo and Cella, whom he raised from spoiled, rotten children into spoiled, rotten adults.

It was his last will that Bardo and Cella both took over the throne simultaneously, which was a direct break with the Tulamid tradition and it made Cella the first Empress of the Middenrealm. Unfortunately, the Twin Emperors did not live up to the title and the expectations put into them. They were careless and, by all accounts, terrible rulers, who used their power as a means to finance their limitless debauchery. Feasts and orgies thrown by the Twin Emperors were legendary in scale, yet also in cost and they had neither interest nor talent for the day to day tasks of a ruler, which even their cruel father still lived up to.

The loss of dignity and prestige for the Garetian Empire culminated in the Day of Shame in the year 972 BF, during which Empress Cella fell asleep while sitting on the throne, still hungover from the night before, in the middle of court day. Only minutes later, Emperor Bardo ran into the room, completely naked save for a peasant woman's underpants, which he wore over his head. The apparently intoxicated and heavily confused emperor ran through the room, shouting at random courtiers, before urinating in front of them.

The imperial authority suffered greatly under the Twin Emperors and the only way to avoid permanent damage was to remove them from power. As such, the nobility of the realm was not unhappy when their cousin Reto, the son of Perval's favourite sister (and, as such, the only one of his siblings who survived the purge), arrived in Gareth and declared his intention to take the throne from his obviously incapable siblings. Many noblemen rallied to his support and it is said that Bardo and Cella resisted only half-heartedly, for they were clearly bored with their imperial duties.

Since they did not fight for their throne, Reto treated them well and negotiated an acceptable future for them, in which they will be given a sizeable amount of coin every year, as well as luxurious lodgings in a city of their choice. Both Twin Emperors lived out the rest of their days in great debauchery, arguably all they ever wanted. Bardo lived for another twenty years before disappearing without a trace after one of his orgies, likely drowned in the gutter and buried in a nameless grave. Cella, currently 85 years old, still lives in a sizeable mansion in Gareth. She is reportedly a deeply unpleasant woman, but her decadent feasts are always popular.

With Bardo and Cella out of the way, Reto was crowned Emperor of the Middenrealm, with overwhelming support from the nobility, who yearned for a respectable emperor on the throne instead of the shockingly depraved Twin Emperors. Reto delivered on that front, more than anyone could ever hope for. He was a hard-hearted and short-tempered man, whom many compared to Perval in how ruthless he could be. Unlike Perval, however, he never went out of his way to be cruel. If necessary, he had no problem with wiping out entire family lines, but he never did so with the obvious pleasure Emperor Perval had for these acts of brutality.

In fact, it is said that Reto didn't feel much pleasure to begin with, nor love or any other gentle emotion. He had a few friends, but most of those around him were subjects first and foremost and he wouldn't have it any other way. He demanded utmost loyalty and for his stern, but ultimately just and never unfair way of ruling over the realm, he received just as much from his subjects. Single-handedly, Reto managed to restore order and dignity to the realm. He was also stubborn and hard-headed and when he gave an order, he expected it to be followed through. As an emperor, he had no tolerance for failure, rarely gave a second chance and expected no negotiation. His will was iron and for this, he was known as the Iron Emperor, a name that circulated during his lifetime already and which he reportedly enjoyed greatly. In return, he also rewarded loyal service and great talent, regardless of status. To this day, Reto is generally seen as one of the greatest emperors the Middenrealm ever had, even if the man himself was likely far from pleasant to be around.

The only person he ever showed an almost uncharacteristic love for was his wife, Rohaja Damaris, the Princess of Maraskan. With her, the usually serious and gruff emperor was a changed man. He smiled when she was around, he laughed at her jokes, even trying his hand at some humour of his own, simply because the gentle princess loved to laugh and he loved to listen to her. They were an odd pair, Reto was a hulking, scarred brute, while Rohaja was a slender, shy beauty, but they were happy by all accounts. The court was happy with them and Rohaja's time by Reto's side was the only time the halls of the Imperial Residence in Gareth were filled with joy during his reign.

The greatest tragedy in Reto's life, perhaps the greatest tragedy for his realm during his entire rule, was the early death of Rohaja. The pair had only a few years together when they expected their first child. Indeed, this first child was a healthy boy, Prince Hal, but what no one expected was that Rohaja was not pregant with one, but with two children. The second child, Princess Selinde, was born malformed and deathly sick and within hours, mother and daughter passed away, despite receiving support from the Imperial Court Mages, all of whom Reto had executed for the failure of saving his wife.

It is said that after her death, Reto truly became the Iron Emperor, this loveless, violent man he is remembered as. He had little love for his only son, even though the boy had a lot in common with his meek, gentle mother. And though he was not even forty years old when Rohaja died, he remained unmarried for the rest of his life. Save for a rumoured affair with his later daughter-in-law, he was never even linked to another woman for his remaining days.

Worse for the realm as a whole, Reto's heart darkened and he broke the promise Rohaja had once given to her people, the Maraskani. When she married the Middenrealm Emperor, the princess, previously first in line to the Throne of Maraskan, gave up her titles and birthright and in their marriage contract, it was clearly stated that Reto's and Rohaja's children could never inherit the island nation. This had been a major aspect of their marriage contract and a main reason for her father, the proud King Harlijin of Maraskan, agreed to the marriage.

Nonetheless, Reto used his son's supposed birthright as a reason for invading Maraskan, possibly fuelled by blind rage in the wake of Rohaja's death. The Maraskan war was over quickly, thanks to the tactical genius of Reto's new favourite general, the former peasant soldier Helme Haffax. Under Reto, Haffax' true talent was discovered and appropriately nurtured and within a few years, the man rose from a mere soldier to the Count of Warkhome and High Marshall of the Middenrealm, a move that was among Reto's most brilliant personnel decisions.

That being said, conquering Maraskan was one thing, especially as Haffax' tactics completely shattered the already weaker Maraskanian army. Ruling over it is another thing entirely and the deadly jungles which cover the entire island are home to dozens of rebel groups to this day, who constantly fight against the Middenrealm yoke. Though the Middenrealm controls the larger cities, a constant war is waged over the island as a whole and its natural resources, a war that has become the most costly conflict in Middenrealm history.

All in all, Reto's rule is remembered fondly, his name is spoken to with great reverence by the nobility and the peasants alike, for he brought dignity and strength back to the struggling realm. His decision to value talent over birthright has also helped the realm in the long run as under him, the peasant Helme Haffax led the armies to many victories, while the lower nobleman Dexter Nemrod protected the empire from the shadows. Historians regard him as a harsh, uncompromising, but great man, whose integrity and dedication to the realm far outweighed his short temper and aggressive foreign politic.

Reto also had a fondness for unusual marriage pacts. Just like he married a Maraskanian princess, he sought to bind his family to distant rulers, forming new alliances that shaped the political landscape of Aventuria to his favour. His son Hal was married to Alara Paligan, a grandessa from the distant Empire of Al'Anfa, reportedly against Hal's outspoken will. Their only son Brin in return was betrothed to the Albernian princess Emer ni Bennain, securing the loyalty of the infamously unruly Albernians in a way no emperor has ever managed before.

As such, he left his son a great legacy to build upon. Unfortunately, growing up without a mother and with only a harsh father left its mark upon Hal. For his entire realm, the soft-hearted emperor sought not the fear or respect of his subjects as Perval and Reto did respectively, but he sought to be loved, or even better, worshipped. Unfortunately, Reto's upbringing had taught him how to be a good ruler, how to react in times of crisis, how to deal with foreign leaders, but not how to hold a simple conversation. For his entire life, Hal was aloof, distant and socially awkward. The few who held a private conversation with the solitary emperor described him as eager to please, but unable to connect with others on a personal level. This was not helped by Hal's attempt to have himself declared a god. His declaration came as a surprise to his advisers, as he had previously been seen as a humble man. In the tradition of the Bosparanian Emperors of old, Hal declared himself a descendant of the demigod Horas and therefore a member of the divine pantheon. Though he managed to coerce the Church of Praios into supporting his claim, he couldn't bring them to actually enforce it and the new Church of Hal is nothing more than a small cult to this day, with no large temples dedicated to the self-proclaimed god. Hal's claim was met with ridicule by his noblemen and it only further alienated him from them and from his courtiers. Perhaps this was all he ever intended to do with his decree, to have an excuse to remain distant from those around him.

Hal's desire for harmony moved him to install great reforms in favour of the peasantry, though these came at a cost, as he had to take away certain rights from the nobility. This made him quite disliked among his noblemen. However, at the same time, his reforms helped with a stagnating economy and encouraged peace and trade throughout the realm. As such, while Hal is seen as a weak, effeminate and indecisive ruler, who made many mistakes on a personal level, his reign as a whole did some necessary steps to modernize the realm.

Unlike Reto, whose foreign policy consisted mostly of conquest or planned invasion, Hal wished for a peaceful coexistence with the neighbours of the Middenrealm. As such, he was the first of the Garetian Emperors to establish diplomatic talks with their eternal rival to the south, the Horasian Empire, the remnant of hated Bosparan. He peacefully allowed the previous Middenrealm province of Arania, as well as the southern protectorate of Khemi to declare their independence in exchange for extensive trade deals, which filled the treasury of the realm, which had previously been depleted by Reto's war on Maraskan. However, perhaps out of respect for his father and the many soldiers who died on the island, he rejected Maraskan's attempts to declare their independence once more.

On a personal level, Hal alienated or even antagonized many great men within the realm and two of these in particular should end up as the greatest threats to his realm. These men were Answin of Ravenmouth and Gaius Galotta, the Duke of Darpatia and First Imperial Court Mage respectively. Disillusioned by Hal's reforms, Duke Answin, second in line to the throne, tried to have Hal's only son Brin murdered on his wedding day. Though his involvement was proven without any doubt, Hal did not punish the traitor as he should have, as Reto, Perval and likely even Rohal would have. He allowed Answin to live and remain within the realm. The duke lost his titles, but by no means his power.

Only a few years later, Gaius Galotta, the First Imperial Court Mage and a mage without equal in the fields of Influence and Domination, was accused by several women to have used his arcane ability to force them into his bed. Evidence in favour or against Galotta was thin, but instead of picking a clear side, Hal chose a middle way between executing his court mage or absolving him of any suspicion. He had him humiliated by ancient Tulamid fashion and then exiled, alive but forever shamed, in a decision few were actually satisfied with.

This mistake came to haunt haunt Hal during his reign. Galotta, equal parts brilliant mage and vengeful madman, used his magic to control the ogre tribes of Tobria. This united ogre army, over a thousand individuals strong, took Tobria by surprise, rampaging through the duchy and even destroying its capital, Ysilia. For a while, it seemed the beasts couldn't be stopped and would end up devastating Gareth the same way, until Helme Haffax once more developed a daring strategy to defeat the ogre army at the Trollgap, on the border between Tobria and Darpatia.

This victory over the ogres left Helme Haffax stronger and more popular, but Emperor Hal looked weak and indecisive next to his High Marshall and the other great military leaders who had saved the realm from Galotta and his army. This weakness led to Answin of Ravenmouth plotting against the emperor once more, from his position of seeming powerlessness. In secret, the former duke gathered allies and planned to make his move against Hal.

It should never come to this, much to Answin's chagrin, as the unpopular emperor vanished without a trace while on a political visit in the Bornland, where he met with the influential countess Thesia von Ilmenstein. To this day, there are no clues about Hal's whereabouts and while the common people of the realm miss the 'Gentle Emperor', as they have started to call him, the same cannot be said about the nobility, as many of his provincial rulers have lost at least some of their powers.

His successor and current ruler of the Middenrealm is Hal's only son with Alara Paligan, Prince Brin of Gareth. Though he is still young, his supporters already believe that he combines the best traits of both his predecessors, combining Hal's compassion with Reto's decisiveness. Out of respect for his father, he has not yet accepted the Imperial Crown, which has only further cemented his reputation as a man of integrity. Instead, his father is considered missing until a period of twelve years has passed, after which Brin will accept the crown and privileges of a Middenrealm emperor. Until then, he remains merely the Protector of the Realm, though the difference in power is mostly just of cosmetic nature.

That being said, during his young rule Brin already had to protect the realm twice in short succession. Immediately after his father disappeared, Answin of Ravenmouth made his long awaited move against the House of Gareth. With Brin not being the emperor, at least in name, Answin managed to rally a considerable amount of noblemen behind him. This time, the disgraced duke did not move in silence, but gathered his supporters openly and the result was nearly a civil war at the worst possible moment.

Though Answin was stopped eventually, the details of which will be described in the history of the Duchy of Darpatia below, his ill-fated attempt at claiming the throne for himself greatly weakened the Middenrealm, putting it at the brink of civil war and sowing discord among the noblemen of the realm. For a while, it even seemed possible for the empire, which had endured a thousand years at that point, to just dissolve.

The Aikar Brazoragh of the orks, Ashim Riak Assai, came to the same conclusion and he used the days of uncertainty and distrust that followed Answin's War to launch his deadly attack on the Middenrealm, the so-called Orkenstorm. Once more and before he was able to recover from Answin's attempt at taking his throne and his realm, Brin was forced to protect his father's legacy.

Though the provinces of Griffinsford and Meadows took the brunt of the Orkenstorm and suffered the worst for it, it should be mentioned that Garetia was also invaded, with the orks moving around the fortress city of Warkhome and marching into the true heartland of the Middenrealm. For several weeks, it seemed that Gareth itself could be besieged and refugees from all over Garetia sought shelter within the capital. Soon, the entire city was overcrowded, the streets filled with desperate, scared men and women whose homes were destroyed by the Blackfurs while they could do nothing but flee.

Once more, the orks surprised the Middenrealm when they did not attack the human armies on the fields north of the city, where Prince Brin had decided to make his stand. Instead, they merely attacked with a token force, while the main army once more moved around the city, before trying to besiege Gareth from the south, where it was far less fortified. This masterful trick by Sadrak Whassoi, the so-called Black Marshall of the orkish army would have succeeded if not for his human counterpart, High Marshall Helme Haffax, who saw through the deception.

The army of Garetia, supported by troops from Meadows and Albernia, confronted the orks on the Silken Plains, just south of Gareth. Though the orks still had a numerical advantage, the Middenrealm army managed to hold them off until relief effort from Almada arrived. After losing this battle, the orks were forced to retreat, which the Middenrealm army used as an opportunity to hunt them down and drive them back into the Orkland.

What began as the greatest challenge for the empire in generations was turned into a decisive, if costly victory, to no small amount thanks to the level-headed leadership of Brin of Gareth. Though his father had been missing for just barely a year back then, voices already grew that he should take the crown of Garetia and with it, the throne of the entire Middenrealm. So far, the prince has proven to have enough integrity to refuse, even though a majority of the realm would undoubtedly support him.

The House of Gareth rules over the provinces of Garetia and Almada, with Brin personally governing the former. His lands are rich and vast, as well as supremely well-protected, thanks to their location in the centre of the empire, the literal heart of the realm. It is divided into six counties, with the Imperial March of Gareth in its centre. Gareth itself is the most densely populated part of Aventuria, due to housing the eponymously named metropolis of the same name, the largest city in all Aventuria and perhaps the single most important one as well, both due to its history and its current political importance.

Gareth is the seat of the emperor, a city that has long surpassed even the famed Bosparan of old in sheer size. It is the social and political centre of the Middenrealm and seat of the Church of Praios, whose holy City of Light is located in southern Gareth. Virtually every other god that is worshipped by the Cult of the Twelve Gods has at least one temple here, some even more than once. The patron god of the city is not Praios, however, but Phex, who is also the patron god of the House of Gareth. This had lead to an odd duality, where Praios and Phex are equally revered by the common people, much to the chagrin of the former's clergy and the amusement of the latter's.

It should be no surprise that Gareth is a centre of commerce and most of the goods that travel from one end of Aventuria to the other have to pass through the city at some point. Though located in a fairly modest region in Aventuria, there's little Garetian merchants can't acquire with relative ease. Exotic spices from the south, fine furs from the north, animals, weapons from all corners of Aventuria, those are just some of the sights a Garetian is accustomed to. Travellers from the entire continent can be found on its streets and the Garetian people pride themselves in being accustomed to a great amount of foreign cultures.

That being said, the city has its darker side as well, as a notable part of the population lives in poverty in the outskirts, just outside the massive city walls. Crime is a significant problem in the city, despite its excellently equipped city guard and it is said that not just the Twelve Gods and their demigods are worshipped within its walls, but darker entities just as well. With such a large population, it cannot be doubted that demon cultists are among them as well and, quite likely, servants of the Nameless One, conducting bloody rituals in the darker corners of the city.

The Imperial City is surrounded by fertile farmland, though most of its population lives within Gareth itself. The farms produce a significant amount of food and yet, the city needs supplies from other corners of Aventuria to feed its countless citizens. It is an overwhelming metropolis, especially for those who have never lived in a city of a similar size before, a place of dreams and nightmares. Though life is by no means perfect for most of its citizens, they'd all agree that living in the heart of Aventuria is worth some sacrifice.

To all sides, the Imperial March is surrounded by the Garetian counties. To the south, it borders on the County of Eslamsground, which functions as a buffer region between Gareth and the rich Kingdom of Almada to the south. In the past, Eslamsground has actually been part of the Almadani county of Caldaia, until Emperor Eslam, first of the Eslamid dynasty, in his desire to mitigate the historic border struggles between the two provinces, split Caldaia into the Garetian county of Eslamsground and the Almadani county of Ragath. His plan for two culturally homogenous counties that would each serve as a buffer for the other province did not work out, however, and the Almadani consider Eslamsground part of their land to this very day.

The people of Eslamsground are deeply pious, with Praios being particularly worshipped, even more so than in Gareth, where numerous gods each receive equal praise. This stems from the Mage Wars, where the lands that would later form the duchy were part of a series of massive battles, with solely the Church of Praios offering safety from the unleashed destruction the mages. It was here that the fanatical Banray Order was first founded and though the witch hunters are viewed with suspicion in some parts of Aventuria, they receive unanimous praise in Eslamsground.

To the west of Gareth lies the County of Realmswood. Despite its name, the eponymous Realmswood, once the largest forest in the entire Middenrealm has been largely chopped down centuries ago and can now mostly be found in the neighbouring County of Woodstone. Realmswood itself used to be a centre of the lumber industry in the Middenrealm, but has since moved on to livestock breeding, with its fertile plains housing the largest livestock herds south of Meadows.

The nobility has a traditionally strong grip on the county. Knighthood and chivalric virtues are considered as the highest ideals to aspire to, though unlike the knights from the Shieldlands, the knights of Realmswood have to face few direct threats to their lands. As such, knightly tourneys are seen as an adequate alternative for aspiring warriors to prove their worth. The barons of Realmswood and their count, who traditionally comes from the wealthy House of Luring, are deeply loyal to the Middenrealm and in the past, they were usually the first to come to the aid of other provinces during great wars and catastrophes.

The actual Realmswood can be found north of the county that still bears its name, in the County of Woodstone. The lumber industry and coal burning are key factors of its economy, but as a whole, Woodstone is poorer and less densely populated than its southern neighbours. The Realmswood is a grim forest, not entirely explored and filled with dangers. It is said that brigands and orks roam within and that there's darker secrets to be found for any unlucky traveller.

Indeed, the Realmswood is a dangerous place, though not without light either. Due to its remote nature, many Lea Elven tribes have chosen to make it their home. Though their mere presence is not enough to mitigate the dangers of the forest, they have usually good relations to the humans that live within the small towns and remote villages of the county. It is speculated that the ancient High Elven city of Simyala, once one of the key cities of the High Elven empire, has once stood where the Realmswood now grows and that unexplored elven ruins might still be found within.

Uniquely among the counts of the Middenrealm, the Countess of Woodstone, Naheniel Springdance, is not a human, but a Lea Elf. While some counts in the North Marches and Almada are dwarves and there are a few half-elven noblemen in the realm, Naheniel is the only pure-blooded elf to hold such a high title. Unlike other elves who live among humans, she has not given up on the unique worldview her people hold, which means she is still fully connected to her elven kinsmen. At the same time, she has compromised her elven worldview with the needs of her human subjects, making her perfectly equipped to rule over the humans and non-humans of the densely forested county.

To the east of Woodstone and to the north of Gareth lies the county of Hartsteen, itself the border county between the historic rivals of Garetia and Darpatia. Whereas most of Garetia is undoubtedly civilized, with its people considered open-minded and worldly, Hartsteen is known for its harshness, as the old noble families are locked in numerous deep feuds, sometimes as old as the realm itself. This had an impact on the county itself and it is a place where most of the peacekeeping and arbitrating institutions of the realm have simply failed. Not piety, common decency or even higher authorities can fully put an end to the feuds that have torn the noble families of Hartsteen apart and conflicts end bloody more often than not.

As such, the people of Hartsteen have grown harsh and distrustful of outsiders and each other. They are deeply divided, with each barony having its own troops and protecting its own borders as if they were guarding the border to a hostile nation. The main reason for this is the Feud of Adderthorn, the decades-long struggle between the two strongest houses of the county, the House of Hartsteen and the House of Quintian-Quandt, who each have an equally strong and legitimate claim for the title of Count of Hartsteen. Most of the barons have sworn allegiance to one of the two houses and so far, not even the Iron Emperor Reto of Gareth, the strongest ruler in modern Middenrealm history, has been able to forge a lasting peace in the county. That being said, due to pressure from Gareth to the south and Warkhome to the north, the Feud of Adderthorn has not yet resulted in open warfare between the two houses.

Furthermore, Hartsteen took the brunt of the Orkenstorm in Garetia, as the main road between Gareth and Warkhome leads through the county. The Blackfurs have left a trail of destruction in the county and it has only reinforced the somewhat xenophobic attitude of the people of Hartsteen. As the only province in the Middenrealm, Hartsteen allows slavery to a certain degree, as the captured orks and their families have not been executed, but instead forced to work for their former enemies. These orks are slaves in all but name, property of the nobility, and they are used for the harshest and most dangerous labours at hand. Though the Middenrealm Crown does not condone slavery, hatred against the Blackfurs is so severe among the common people that not even Prince Brin has dared to force the barons of Hartsteen to release the orks.

Second-to-last, the County of Maw, to the east of Garetia, between Darpatia and the northern foothills of the Rashtul Wall. Maw is named after the eponymous volcano, the largest active one of its kind, which has been repurposed into a temple by the Church of Ingerimm and the dwarves, who worship the same god under the name of Angrosh. Though still active, the priests of Ingerimm and Angrosh have faith that their god would never allow the volcano to erupt and it is said that weapons forged within its fires are blessed.

Due to its close proximity to a large and active volcano, Maw is a highly fertile region and the people here enjoy peace and stability. The gods Ingerimm and Peraine are especially worshipped and the commoners live simple lives as farmers or craftsmen. Maw is comparably weakly fortified, relying mostly on its strong neighbours Gareth and Perricum to defend it, while also using the natural fortifications of the Rashtul Wall.

Finally, the County of Perricum, which borders on the Sea of Pearls to the east. Perricum is dominated by the city of the same name, a large fortress city and home to the Eastern Fleet of the Middenrealm navy. Though fairly small in size, the county is rich to the point where it can almost rival Gareth, due to its strategic position right at the Sea of Pearls and the fact that it shares a border with the fertile land of Arania to the south.

The city of Perricum is one of the largest in the entire Middenrealm and aside from its strategic position, it is supremely important to the Church of Rondra, who has its main temple in the city. In times of peace, the Sword of Swords rules from the heavily fortified keep, which itself towers even over the castle of Perricum's count. The presence of the Rondrians, paired with the impressive fortifications and the large standing fleet has led to Perricum being one of the most well-defended cities in the Middenrealm.

In the past, Perricum used to be part of the Sultanate of Nebachot, which extended across the northern half of Arania and the modern-day county of Perricum. Their capital was located right where Perricum is located nowadays and the modern city was built upon the ruins of the old by the Bosparanians after they conquered Nebachot. To this day, Perricum is a haven for archeologists and scholars, as Nebachoti ruins and artifacts can easily be discovered.

Though a bastion of light and civilization, Garetia is not without darkness. South of Gareth, just a few miles outside the greatest city of the entire continent, lies a gloomy forest, gradually developing into a dangerous marshland. Once, over one and a half thousand years ago, this place was where the armies of the Blood Emperor Fran-Horas faced the Garetian rebels. The severe demonic energies the Bosparanian emperor summoned never truly went away. Instead, they mingled with death and the madness of a battle which had grown out of control, seeping into the very ground itself and defiling it forever. This forest and especially the marshland in its centre is known as The Fallows.

Where Bosparanians and Garetians once fought each other and the forces of the Nether Hells, a wide forest now grows, filled with crooked trees and intercepted only by patches of marshland. Strange arcane and demonic phenomena run rampant within the Fallows and the common people of Garetia avoid it at all cost. It is said that demons and worse prey on any innocent who ventures too deep into this partially unexplored marshland and tellingly, the only people who willingly live there, albeit only in the outskirts of the forest, are outlaws on the run.

These outskirts are relatively harmless, but still considered cursed and vile by upstanding citizens. Though travelling around the marshland can take well over a week, only madmen would dare to travel through it. The outer forest meanwhile is similarly avoided by most, though occasionally bandits and madmen call it a temporary home. During dire times, hunters and gatherers enter the outer forest, but it is said that the food they bring from there spoils easily and tastes worse than food acquired elsewhere.

The deeper one ventures into the Fallows, the more dangerous the journey becomes. Travellers and scholars speak of strange creatures, voices that call to them from the marshes, lights that try to trick them into leaving their path, even moving trees. A journey into the Fallows is so dangerous that the Church of Praios has officially forbidden any further expedition into the place. And yet, even karmic attempts by the church to seal the place off have failed.

Scholars have theorized that the Fallows are led by a rudimentary demonic intelligence, perhaps a fragment of the Nether Hells themselves, once summoned by the madman Fran-Horas and now resisting any attempt to seal it off. Adventurers who ventured deeper into the marshland speak of a forest in its centre, a place of pure darkness, where tall, leafless trees drown out the light, where misshapen monstrosities lurk and where a voice called for them, ancient and evil.

Perhaps worst of it all is the fact that the Fallows are slowly expanding. The location of the original First Battle of the Demon is supposedly where the leafless forest grows, though the marshland has spread over miles beyond that point, swallowing hamlets and farmsteads over the centuries of its existence. It seems to avoid the Imperial City, perhaps repelled by the karmic energies of the City of Light within its walls, though with each passing year, the Fallows expand by a few inches into another direction.


To the east of Garetia, between the seat of the emperor and the Duchy of Tobria lies Darpatia, faithful ally, fierce rival, greatest friend and most terrible enemy of Garetia. Throughout its history, the duchy has been all of these things, sometimes more than one at the same time. Through all times, their histories were closely intertwined. Both provinces were founded at roughly the same time by the Bosparanian settlers, as part of the Kingdom of Rommilys, the northern frontier of the empire.

The initial plan of the Bosparanian emperors was to make Rommilys the northern seat of power for the empire, a second Bosparan to forever secure the Horas-Emperor's grip over the northern realms. The Al'Hani, the people of ancient Tobria, put an end to these plans, as they proved remarkably hard to conquer. What began as a promising city quickly turned into a frontier outpost, as Rommilys found itself at the front of the war against the Al'Hani.

As such, the Bosparanian Emperors decided to split the Kingdom of Rommilys in two. One half of the province became the new Viceroyalty of Garetia, with the growing city of Gareth as its capital, the other became the Kingdom of Darpatia, with Rommilys as its capital. This early history, with the Garetians ruled from Rommilys, arguably shaped the opinion many Darpatians have of their powerful neighbour to the west.

Unlike the other northern provinces, Darpatia long depended on aid from Bosparan, as the war against the Al'Hani drained the usually fertile province of its resources for generations. This led to closer ties between Darpatia and its overlords, a deeper loyalty, as well as animosity to the rich Garetia, which the old Kings of Darpatia considered their rightful property.

As such, when Raul of Gareth rose up in arms against Hela-Horas and her legions, Darpatia was the only northern province to stand loyal to the Horas-Empress. The aid they gave to Hela during the Second Battle of the Demon was significant and almost enough to turn the tide for the Bosparanians. For this, Darpatia suffered greatly under Raul once the Garetians had won the day.

For centuries, the province was humiliated to the utmost. The Garetians directly ruled over Darpatia and considered its people second-class citizens. To this day, the Garetian stewardship is seen as the greatest shame for proud Darpatians and it remains a source of conflict between the two provinces that arguably embody the heart of the Middenrealm like no other.

It was Rohal the Wise who ended the Garetian stewardship and as such, he remains the most popular Middenrealm emperor within Darpatia by far. Rohal realized that the Darpatians would never truly support the realm if not properly rewarded, so he restored the province proper, thereby founding the modern Duchy of Darpatia.

From its very beginnings, Darpatia has been ruled over by the House of Ravenmouth, back then merely the Counts of Warkhome, a family formerly known for their loyalty to the throne. Over the centuries, the vast family clan has increased their direct holdings, from the County Warkhome to the baronies of Dergelmouth and Gallys to the County of Oxwater. No other family has as many members of their line directly holding a noble title in the Middenrealm and this alone would already be enough to make the Ravenmouth one of the most important noble families of the empire, rivalling even the power of the House of Gareth.

Indeed, no other family is larger as well, for the Ravenmouth have always valued marriage and the extension of the family line. Furthermore, they are highly involved in the Church of Travia and for generations without interruption, they have provided both sides of the Holy Couple, the head of the church, who reside in Rommilys, Darpatia's capital city.

It is no surprise that this amount of worldly and clerical power has given birth to higher ambitions. And none of the Ravenmouth had higher ambitions than Answin Garbit Hildebrand, nephew of Emperor Reto, Duke of Darpatia, Count of Warkhome and High Chancellor of the Middenrealm. Rising to power in the later years of Reto's reign, he would become the second-most powerful man in the realm during the reign of Emperor Hal and where Hal was often seen as indecisive and weak, Answin was anything but.

In retrospect, it shouldn't be surprising that a man as confident in himself and his own power, as ambitious and popular among the nobility of the realm would try to plot against his emperor, but due to their family ties, Emperor Hal turned a blind eye on Answin for many years. This led to Answin scheming to kill Crown Prince Brin of Gareth on the day of the young man's wedding with Emer ni Bennain. It was an open secret that Hal shunned the bed of his wife, with rumours of him being infertile or not interested in women circulating for the entirety of his reign. As such, Answin could hope that he himself would succeed Hal as emperor, should the Crown Prince die.

Only luck and decisive actions from a group of Middenrealm agents led to Brin's survival and the reveal of Answin's involvement in the plot. The duke was imprisoned, but Hal hesitated to execute his own cousin, especially given the man's significant power and popularity among the already unruly nobles of the realm. As such, he made the fatal error of merely stripping Answin of his worldly titles and imprisoning him on Castle Ravenmouth in Darpatia's heartland. Answin's successor as the ruler of Darpatia was his sister Hildelind, who secretly remained loyal to her brother.

Hal's mercy gave Answin the opportunity to plot his return to power, using his very much existent ties to the other noble families of the realm and the growing dissatisfaction with Emperor Hal. His advantage over Hal faded, however, when the Gentle Emperor disappeared without a trace while on a political visit in the Bornland. Nobles who only barely supported his father were more easily convinced to rally behind Prince Brin and most of Answin's power base began to waver.

The former duke knew he had to act fast or else he would lose his only chance to gain what he perceived to be his birthright. It was fortunate for him that rumours of an incoming orkish attack forced Prince Brin to personally check up on the northern fortifications of his realm, which left the imperial residence in Gareth empty for a short while.

As such, Answin gathered his supporters and after a brief struggle, he managed to take Gareth by storm. His sister, Duchess Hildelind, as well as his brother-in-law Kuniberth of Honourstone, the Duke of Tobria, were his most important followers during these days, though the latter abandoned him quickly after blood was spilled during the taking of Gareth. This hesitation likely saved Kuniberth and the House of Honourstone from the same shame Answin brought over House Ravenmouth, but it also sealed the self-proclaimed Raven Emperor's fate.

When Brin and his army arrived at the gates of Gareth, Answin realized too late that Hildelind's daughter Irmegunda, who was named stewardess of Darpatia while her mother marched with Answin, held back crucial reinforcements from her uncle, as she and roughly half of House Ravenmouth had decided to remain loyal to the House of Gareth instead. A brief skirmish ensued between Answin's troops and the Middenrealm army, which saw the death of Duchess Hildelind.

Answin himself remained in the city during the skirmish, where a group of heroes, led by King Cuanu of Albernia, Margrave Raidri Conchobair and High Spymaster Dexter Nemrod managed to infiltrate the Imperial Residence. Cornered and without any remaining ally, Answin was convinced to surrender without further bloodshed, even though he knew it would not spare him from the hangman this time.

Under unexplained circumstances, Answin escaped from custody before Brin could reach him, however. The whereabouts of the former duke are unknown to this day, though rumours circulate about him hiding in the Valley of Svelt or beyond the Seven Wind Sea, on the vast continent of Myranor. Out of his former allies, only those who abandoned him in a timely manner were pardoned, among them Duke Kuniberth of Honourstone and his bannermen. Most of his noble supporters and military officers were imprisoned on the Tobrian prison isle of Rulat, while those of his direct family members who openly supported him either managed to flee or were executed after Brin managed to retake his throne, among them two of Answin's children.

For her loyalty in a crucial moment, Answin's niece Irmegunda succeeded her mother as the Duchess of Darpatia, though her opposition to the highly respected patriarch of House Ravenmouth effectively shattered her family, with many of her relatives being disgusted by her lack of loyalty to her powerful uncle, while others respected her precisely for her integrity and loyalty to the throne.

She now rules over a mostly peaceful realm, always watchful that none of Answin's former supporters would ever gain any power within Darpatia again, always fearing the day her uncle could return. Nonetheless, the fact that the House of Ravenmouth was allowed to keep some of their many titles, including the prestigious rule over Darpatia itself caused many Darpatian nobles to warm up to Brin and the land itself has mostly managed to leave its treacherous past behind.

Darpatia is rich and fertile, second only to Garetia. Well-protected by all three of the Shieldlands of Meadows, Tobria and Griffinsford, Darpatia enjoys peace and stability, with its people living comparably good lives. Famine and war have spared the land and as a result, Darpatia has excellent living conditions and an infrastructure that rivals even the technologically advanced Horasian empire.

The goddess Travia is particularly worshipped in Darpatia, with even the tiniest hamlet having at least a shrine to the goddess of marriage, family and home. Unsurprisingly, this means that most Darpatians have strong ties to their family and their homes and few commoners among them ever leave their home village by their own free will. The Travian virtues of loyalty, fidelity and modesty are deeply embedded in the Darpatian way of life and though they are known for their warmth and their strong communities, many Darpatians have little tolerance for those who lack these virtues. Outsiders and newcomers have to prove their faithfulness before they are accepted as part of a village, but once they do so, they are welcomed warmly. Traitors or adulterers are shunned and usually driven away and rarely given a second chance by their communities. By extension, since the Church of Travia places particular emphasis on a traditional marriage between man and woman and the importance of children, Darpatia as a whole is generally less tolerant of homosexual relationships than many other parts of Aventuria.

Darpatia is divided into four counties. To the east, bordering on Tobria, is the County of Troll Peaks, which nominally incorporates the mountain range of the same name. Factually, the Troll Peaks remain a no man's land, however, only inhabited by the savage Troll Peakers. Instead, the people of the county live to the north and west of the mountains. Due to the dangers that come from the Troll Peaks to the south and the Black Sickle to the north, the people of the county are resilient and ready to defend themselves, though the land is fertile enough to convince many settlers to try their luck in the region.

Fairly central in the County of Troll Peaks lies the Trollgap, a narrow path where the Troll Peak mountains and the mountains of the Black Sickle almost meet, with the large and barely passable mountains being only four miles apart from each other at its most narrow. Ancient humans have built a wall there, allowing for an easy way to defend the Trollgap from any attacker and though the ancient fortification has fallen into disrepair over millenia, its position still offers a strategic value for any army seeking to block off the lands beyond the Trollgap from an invading force. High Marshall Helme Haffax used the existing fortifications, enhanced by dwarven architects, to hold off the invading ogre army during the March of the Thousand Ogres and ever since the wall has gained prominence as one of the so-called Wonders of Mankind.

To the west of Troll Peaks lies the County of Oxwater, the heartland of Darpatia. It is the largest county of the entire region and by far the richest. Dominated by the mighty city of Rommilys, Oxwater is the centre of trade for the entire region and the centre of power for the House of Ravenmouth. In past centuries, Oxwater was said to have a rough, untamed beauty to it, though generations of Ravenmouths have gradually tamed the land and by now, it is one of the more densely populated counties in the entire Middenrealm, a centre of industry and commerce.

The Church of Travia is at its strongest in Oxwater, where the usually benevolent church even employs their own knightly orders to oversee the peace. Furthermore, due to its wealth the county, especially the city of Rommilys, has managed to gain significant prominence, with many considering it the second-most important city in the realm after Gareth, much to the chagrin of other important cities such as Havena in Albernia or Punin in Almada. Rommilys is home to the Information Institute, a school of magic directly sworn to the Middenrealm, specialized in Anti-Magic and Clairvoyance, whose graduates are often recruited into the elusive ranks of Middenrealm Intelligence after finishing their studies.

Further to the west of Oxwater lies the County of Twomills, the granary of Darpatia. A picturesque county with gentle hills, peaceful hamlets and light woods, Twomills is one of the safest regions in the entire Middenrealm. A majority of the people makes a living on the countless farms that keep the entire duchy well-fed. Dangers are rare and almost never more than a few bandits, with Twomills being spared the horrors of war for centuries.

The county used to be a part of the County of Oxwater, before the March of the Thousand Ogres in the year 1003 after Bosparan's Fall. Back then, the Thorwalian warrior Ragna Drakkarsdottir led a daring infantry charge to save the host of Emperor Hal and Marshall Haffax from the approaching ogres, personally saving the life of the two most important men in the empire and with it, likely turned the tides of the decisive battle against the ogre army. To thank her, Emperor Hal made her a countess of the Middenrealm, a move which was seen as way too generous even by Hal's standards. Though Ragna has settled in well in her county over the last thirteen years, she is still not fully accepted by the old nobility of Darpatia, especially those elements of House Ravenmouth still sympathetic to Answin the Usurper.

Finally, the County of Warkhome, the westernmost region of Darpatia, located on the border between Meadows, Garetia and Griffinsford. In the ancient days of the Bosparanian Empire, the province was known as Veratia and it marked the northern border of the civilized world for the Bosparanians. There, they built a mighty fortress, which was meant to keep the empire safe from the threats of the wild north. The Garetians renamed the province and the fortress itself, calling it Warkhome ever since.

Though the northern realms of Meadows have long since been incorporated into the Garetian Empire, Warkhome never lost its purpose, as the fortress city still oversees the most important crossroad in the Middenrealm. From the south, the largest of the Imperial Roads passes through it, the one that connects Punin, Gareth, Baliho and Trallop with each other. To the east, a second Imperial Road has its beginning in Warkhome, connecting the fortress city with Rommilys and the Duchy of Tobria. As such, it is no surprise that Warkhome has significant strategic value. For centuries, it belonged to House Ravenmouth, with its last count being none other than Answin of Ravenmouth, the usurper. After his failed attempt at taking the throne, Warkhome was taken from him and his family. Instead, it was given to Helme Haffax, the High Marshall of the Middenrealm, who has protected the fortress ever since.


While Garetia and Darpatia, especially the struggle between the two provinces, has shaped the Middenrealm like no other, there is a third province that can be described as a true pillar of power within the realm, as well as the unquestioned pillar of stability upon which the power of the Middenrealm emperor can easily rest. This province is the Duchy of the North Marches, the rich land located between Garetia and Albernia.

The North Marches are the oldest political entity within the Middenrealm, as they were the first proper northern province of the Bosparanian Empire, when it first expanded into the northern wilds. Back then, the North Marches were notably larger than they are today, with the territories of Albernia, Almada, Windhag, Kosh and the western Garetia all being a part of the new province.

Soon, the North Marches were oversized and crippled by the resulting mismanagement. The Bosparanian emperor Yulag-Horas restructured and narrowed the province, forming the provinces of Kosh and Almada, as well as giving Albernia a high degree of autonomy. The proud settlers of the North Marches took this badly and resented Bosparan ever since.

As such, the North Marches were the first province to declare its independence from the Empire after the disastrous outcome of the First Battle of the Demon at Gareth, where the Bosparanian legions were decimated by the demonic auxiliaries which their own emperor, Fran-Horas, had summoned to crush the Garetian rebels.

Though it managed to remain independent for longer than the Garetians, who, after suffering even more catastrophic losses during the battle, had to submit back to Bosparanian control, the Kingdom of the North Marches would never truly gain political recognition and the Bosparanian emperors would always continue to consider it a part of their empire.

About two hundred years later, Emperor Jel-Horas, a warmonger who sought to regain the control his distant predecessors had over the northern realms, forcefully reincorporated the North Marches into the empire, where it would remain for the centuries to come. Following the surrender of the North Marches, Jel-Horas' successor, the cunning emperor Yarum-Horas, decreed the Lex Imperia, a massive realignment of the northern territories, through which the North Marches' loss of territory was reinforced. In doing so, Yarum hoped to fragment and weaken the unruly northern provinces, yet while it prolonged Bosparanian control over the North Marches, it also reinforced the hatred they had for their imperial overlords.

As such, the North Marches were the first province to come to Raul of Gareth's aid, when he led the Garetian rebels against Hela-Horas, the final empress of the Bosparanian empire. The North Marchers did so not just out of hatred for the Bosparanians, but out of deep, religious conviction. Back then, the Bosparanian emperor was also always the nominal head of the Church of Praios, called the Heliodan back then. While many priests objected to being led by the often deeply flawed Bosparanian emperors, the opposition against Hela-Horas was particularly fierce, for she was openly in league with demons. As such, the influential priest of Praios Yarum Praiohilm rallied the famously pious North Marchers against the demon-worshipping tyrant from Bosparan.

Troops from the North Marches had a crucial part during the Second Battle of the Demon, the climactic battle that saw the defeat of Hela-Horas and the end of the Bosparanian Empire. Though Raul was unwilling to grant them their old territories back, for these territories had also aided the Garetians against Bosparan, he did grant them favourable conditions and special benefits within his new Garetian empire. Yarum Praiohilm meanwhile succeeded Hela-Horas as head of the Church of Praios, therefore dividing worldly and ecclesiastical power between the Emperor of the Middenrealm and the Envoy of Light.

The new North Marches, though smaller than during their glory days under the Bosparanian Empire, received honours and great importance in Raul's empire, which led to them developing a fierce loyalty to their new Garetian overlords. Through the presence of the Envoy of Light, the province also developed into a centre of faith for the Church of Praios and over the last centuries, many Envoys of Light came from there.

The citizens of the North Marches are typically a bit narrow-minded and have a reputation for having a bad sense of humour. They are certainly stern, occasionally arrogant men and women who view their position within the realm with the utmost confidence. It is said that the people of the North Marches are prideful and stark, yet loyal to the bitter end.

The history of the entire duchy can be narrowed down to three essential topics. First would be the dwarves, whose ancestral homelands lie in the southern parts of the duchy. Second, the difficult relationship with its neighbours in Kosh, Windhag and especially Albernia, all three of which once belonged to the North Marches at various points in the past. Third, the most defining geographical feature of the region, the aptly named Great River, the longest and widest river in all Aventuria.

Ancient dwarven scriptures reveal that the land on which the humans now live stands above the homelands of the dwarves, their ancient mountain kingdoms from the days where Angrosh formed their entire race. Though most of those ancient strongholds have fallen during the dwarven war against the God-Dragon Pyrdacor, the massive subterranean city of Xorlosh remains. It is the oldest continuously inhabited city in Aventuria and considered a holy place to the dwarven race. The solitary Ore Dwarves, second-largest of the dwarven clans, lives there, though they are reclusive and even more traditional than the people of the North Marches.

The relationship between dwarves and North Marchers is by no means an easy one. Though the races as a whole tend to get along well, the people of the North Marches required extensive treaties with the ore dwarves to ensure a peaceful coexistence. Always following the rules to the latter, the ore dwarves punish even minor infractions severely and to this day, few humans have ever been allowed to enter the holy halls of Xorlosh. Instead, the elders of the ore dwarves communicate with the humans through several messengers, some of which are human barons themselves, who are sworn to the dwarven king and the Duke of the North Marches simultaneously.

In the past, there have been skirmishes between the humans and their ore dwarven neighbours and while their southern neighbours in the Kosh get along just splendidly, North Marchers and Ore Dwarves merely tolerate one another. This does not mean that there aren't a lot of dwarves outside of Xorlosh, in the human cities and castles. Those of the dwarves who reject the strict rules of ore dwarven society find a new home in the nearby human cities, where they are praised for their efficiency and sense of duty.

As mentioned above, the North Marches used to be much larger than they are today. The provinces of Albernia, Kosh and Windhag all used to be a part of the original borders of the North Marches, during Bosparanian times and out of these three, only the comparably poor Windhag was released against the outspoken will of the ruler of the North Marches. Especially the loss of the rich lands of Albernia gnaws on the confidence of the North Marchers and there is a severe rivalry between the two provinces that has almost erupted into open war in the past.

At one point, the North Marches even assumed stewardship over the notoriously unruly Albernia, which is seen as a moment of glory for the North Marchers, while the Albernians consider it a dark time that brought shame upon their kingdom. To this day, they are fierce rivals, outright hostile to each other and though this rivalry is mostly fought by the nobility of both provinces, the common people have a number of sever and mostly wrong prejudices against each other.

This rivalry reached their worst moment during the Answin crisis, when Answin of Ravenmouth tried to usurp the throne. With all eyes on the capital and an orkish horde on the borders of the realm, one of Albernia's fiercest enemies made her move. Isora of Elenvina, who once was almost betrothed to King Cuanu of Albernia, hired mercenaries to take the Albernian capital of Havena, declaring herself the rightful queen of Albernia through questionable and half-forgotten ties to the kingdom's previous ruling dynasty, the legally extinct House Ulaman. Though the official version is that Isora acted on her own, few Albernians believe this, as she is the cousin of Duke Jast of the North Marches and reportedly quite close to him. If he didn't support her outright, many believe he at least knew of and quietly accepted her plans, for it would weaken and possibly outright subdue his greatest rival. The fact that Isora was granted political exile at her cousin's court after her plans were thwarted, where she lives and schemes to this day, has caused the rift between the provinces to widen even further.

The rivalry between the North Marches and the Kosh is more good-natured nowadays and the two dukes Jast and Blasius are on friendly terms with each other. The North Marches still send tax collectors to the Kosh, though no one actually expects them to collect anything and they are usually turned away at the border. Meanwhile, the people of Kosh call the North Marches 'Lower Kosh' and generally love to make fun at the expense of their northern neighbour.

In the past, their rivalry has been equally fierce as that between Albernia and the North Marches, however. Though Emperor Raul and his descendants managed to secure peace between the two, this rivalry tends to flare up whenever there's no emperor on the throne. During the days of the Mage Wars, the Kosh and the North Marches have waged war against each other and many died during these dark days. Overcoming this bad blood has taken generations and the continuous effort of the Eslamid emperors to build trust and understanding between two of the most important provinces of the realm.

The North Marches have mountain ranges in the south and thick forests in its north, though the one geographical feature that defines the region like none other is the Great River. Though Aventuria's longest and widest river has its origins in the mountains of Kosh and it pours into the Seven Wind Sea near Havena in Albernia, ninety percent of the Great River pours through the North Marches and it is there that numerous smaller rivers flow into it, truly creating the massive stream that has become crucial for the lives, wealth and geography of the entire region.

The Great River is the reason for the riches of the North Marches, as it not only makes the province one of the most continuously fertile provinces in the Middenrealm, but also opens up opportunities for lucrative river trade. Most of its large cities have been built at the shores of the Great River and half of the population makes a living on or near the water. The wealthiest baronies are those who hold land on both sides of the river, as crossing the river requires the payment of a river tax.

The Church of Efferd considers the Great River a holy place, blessed by their god and their presence in Aventuria is strongest in the North Marches. Even though the rulers of the North Marches mostly pray to Praios, Efferd is the god of the common man there. Furthermore, the Great River is home to countless river spirits, from the elusive mermaids to mischievous pixies to the semi-legendary River Father himself, a mysterious and powerful entity that supposedly controls the river. The Church of Efferd sees him as a herald of their god, though there is little evidence that supports their theory. The River Father is usually indifferent to the humans that make a living from his river, which, by all accounts, is an arrangement the people of the North Marches consider acceptable.

The worldly rulers of the North Marches even take their name from the river, as they are House Greatriver. For several centuries, they have ruled over the land on both sides of the river they named themselves after and by and large, the Greatriver dukes are seen as competent and capable. Thanks to them, the North Marches have avoided many of the catastrophes the neighbouring provinces have slithered in during the past and their rule has allowed the North Marches to fully profit from its natural resources.

The current Duke of the North Marches is Jast Gorsam of Greatriver, a man who embodies the duchy like few ever did before him. Confident, just barely humble enough to avoid outright arrogance, with firm morals, integrity and a short temper. He has always admired Emperor Reto, though his relationship with the missing Emperor Hal and the current Protector of the Realm, Prince Brin, is reportedly more difficult, due to Hal's general opposition from the nobility and Brin's marriage to the Albernian princess Emer.

There is no doubt that Jast is the most powerful nobleman in the realm outside the House of Gareth and he has used this power with confidence and skill, ever seeking to increase his standing. Under him, the North Marches consider themselves the pillar upon which the order of the Middenrealm resides. And while this has indeed been twith some degree of truth to it for many years, recent developments cast a shadow over the way the North Marcher see themselves.

Recently, the High Priest of Praios in Elenvina, Hilberian Praiofold, supposedly received a vision from Ucuri, Praios' herald, in which he was named the true Envoy of Light, head of the Church of Praios. However, this title is by no means vacant and currently held by Jariel Praiotin, who has also gained the title with Praios' blessing. Both men are convinced of the rightfulness of their claim and are unwilling to back down, for they consider their actions to be blessed by their god.

The already tense situation has grown worse due to the fact that Hilberian is Jast Gorsam's half-brother and the duke has decided to fully support him, despite Prince Brin openly forbidding the nobility of the realm to interfere in this crisis, so that it would not lead the realm into civil war. Though a majority of the church stands behind Jariel, it is Jast's support that allows Hilberian to continue his campaign to crown himself Envoy of Light.

Though no armed conflict has taken place so far, many believe it is only a matter of time until Jariel and Hilberian will openly fight each other. The interference of Duke Jast hasn't made things any easier. During an arranged meeting to mitigate the conflict, the hot-tempered duke got into a fierce argument with the similarly belligerent Inquisitor Rapherian of Eslamshague, one of Jariel's most ardent supporters. In the end, Jast drew steel and heavily injured the inquisitor with his sword, making it even less likely that a peaceful solution can ever be found.

The North Marches are divided into four provinces, with the Great River and its tributary rivers being major geographical features in each of them. First, the Ducal City of Elenvina, the smallest of the four provinces of the North Marches, as it consists solely of the capital city and the surrounding landscape. Elenvina legally holds the status of a county, which makes it an equal to the other three provinces, even though it is notably smaller.

The city is large and prosperous, located directly at the Great River, which makes it a crucial trading port in the western Middenrealm. It is also of great cultural importance and the seat of the second-most important Temple of Praios in Aventuria, the Bulwark of Praios. Compared to the rest of the North Marches, Elenvina is seen as tolerant and open to the world and the people of the city enjoy arts and cultural celebrations.

To the west of Elenvina lies the County of Isenhague. Its northern half is dominated by the Great River, as most of the duchy, though to the south, the landscape grows sharper, with deep forests and the foothills of the Ironwood mountains. This southern reaches are the homeland of the dwarven race in Aventuria and the ancient city of Xorlosh can be found here.

As such, dwarves are a common sight in Isenhague. Due to an old treaty, the Count of Isenhague needs the approval of the Mountain King of Xorlosh to rule over the county, which makes it the only county that cannot be inherited by Middenrealm law. Though the Mountain King mostly lets the counts of Isenhague choose their own successors from their families, the mere fact that they have this right means the counts needs to constantly appease the dwarven population of their county as well. Technically, they are sworn to both, the Mountain King of Xorlosh and the Duke of the North Marches and depending on the political situation, this can grant the Count of Isenhague a degree of protection unseen in other parts of the empire, or it can easily manoeuvre them into difficult situations.

Almost the entire northern half of the duchy is part of the County of Ridgerock, the most populous county in the North Marches. The southern half of the county is rich, sometimes even prosperous, as the river Tommel, the most important tributary of the Great River, has created a wide, open and fertile landscape, the Ridgerock Basin. Most of the wealth of the entire county can be found here, whereas the northern baronies are densely forested, harsh and generally quite poor.

These northern baronies are among the poorer ones in the entire Middenrealm, as well as among the more dangerous ones. Poverty and famine are common and many people are unemployed, or have to resort to criminal means to survive. Highwaymen are not an unusual sight and it is said that the dense forests are home to outlaws and orks. To combat these threats, the southern baronies have to pay higher taxes, so that the Count of Ridgerock can properly protect the northern roads. This has led to the southern barons to grow resentful of their poorer neighbours to the north.

Finally, the County of Albenhus, the south-eastern county of the North Marches. Sharing a border with Garetia and the Kosh, it is heavily influenced by both and heavily relies on the Great River to even function as a county. The province is densely forested, but not as poor as northern Ridgerock, mostly thanks to the lucrative river trade with its neighbouring provinces. The Great River is used quite heavily here and thanks to its numerous smaller tributaries and the uninhabited forests that make up most of the county, river pirates are a genuine menace to the merchants of Albenhus.

The nobility of Albenhus is comparably weak, due to they themselves ruling solely over the land, which is by no means a source of wealth. This means, they are also generally poorer than the noblemen in most parts of the realm. The merchants and craftsmen in the larger cities have gained heavy influence in recent decades, to the point where they have successfully demanded privileges from the local nobility. There seems to be no end to their growing influence in the county and they are the true reason why the province hasn't been economically left behind by its richer neighbours.


The southern border of the Middenrealm is guarded by the region known as Almada, historically a key province of both, the Middenrealm and its predecessor, the Bosparanian Empire, as well as a region of importance for the Tulamids. Modern day Almada borders on and is influenced by the Middenrealm, Horasia and the Novadi caliphate. This has created a unique mixture of cultures and all three of these major influences remain important to Almadani society to this very day.

The first human settlers in Almada were the Gyldenlanders, refugees from the ancient First Empire of Myranor, the continent to Aventuria's west. Since there is virtually no contact between modern Aventuria and Myranor, most of what historians know of that continent comes from the Gyldenlanders, the history and customs they brought with them. These settlers founded the Empire of Bosparan in the region around the river Yaquir.

As this empire expanded, the settlers discovered a fertile land up the river, in the region they called Yaquiria Magna. It soon became a core province of the growing empire, the place from which the northern colonies were governed until they themselves grew too large to guarantee an effective administration from the Bosparanian heartland.

For most of its time under Bosparanian rule, Almada remained Yaquiria Magna, with its current name merely being used by locals and not by the Empire proper. Almada has always been fertile and prosperous and to hold it as part of their empire, the Bosparanian emperors fought many bloody wars against the Tulamids from the south and the dwarves from the north. Both, dwarves and Tulamids, even entered an unlikely alliance to compete against the Bosparanians, though the empire prevailed against both foes.

The second big influence for the Almadani came during the Dark Ages, when the empire's armies were shattered and enemies from within and without threatened to tear Bosparan apart. Though Almada was never considered part of the northern colonies, protecting it became virtually impossible for the weakened emperors that followed after Fran-Horas, the mad tyrant who provoked the First Battle of the Demon and lost most of his army due to his own hubris.

Troops from Almada had fought on both sides of the battle and they suffered heavy losses, which resulted in the rich Almada being left with virtually no protection. The Tulamids from the southern desert and the Ferkina of the Rashtul Wall devastated the land with a series of brutal raids and more and more Almadani fled to safer parts of the crumbling empire.

Eventually, the Bosparanian emperors were unable to prevent the Tulamids from settling there. A civil war in the Khom desert had forced one of its tribes, the formerly influential Beni Shadif, to leave their ancient homeland and they chose the lands of Yaquiria Magna as their new home. Their new state was the Emirate of Al'Mada and after a century of violence and suffering, they brought peace and stability back to the region.

Though the Bosparanians laid the foundation, it is said that the Tulamids made Al'Mada rich and great and to this day, many of the older cities have a distinct Tulamid style to it. The emirs constructed great palaces that stand to this day, but they also made Al'Mada a haven for scholars and inventors who had to fear for their lives in other parts of Aventuria.

Unfortunately, Al'Mada has never been a particularly strong nation, owing its very existence to the fact that its neighbours on all sides were too busy dealing with their own problems to conquer the rich lands right at their doorstep. For centuries, the emirs have been able to fight back any half-hearted attempt made by the Bosparanians or the Novadi, though the wiser scholars of the small nation knew that this situation could not last forever.

It was Milena-Horas, third-last of the Bosparanian emperors, who managed to finally bring the declining empire back to a state where it could press its ancient claims on the lands of Al'Mada. Under her leadership, the legions of Bosparan grew stronger again and more numerous than any other standing army in Aventuria. And to symbolize a return to the glory days of the empire, she first decided to march against Al'Mada.

The last emir of Al'Mada, Harabal ibn Avun was a wise man, who quickly realized that resistance would only bring devastation upon the land he loved. Wanting to protect his subjects and hoping to preserve the unique cultural legacy of Al'Mada, he surrendered to Milena-Horas before a single battle was fought, offering the lands peacefully and sparing them the horrors of having to fight against a vastly superior enemy in return. For this, Harabal is remembered fondly by the people of Almada to this day.

His son Rashid did not agree, unfortunately. Proud and stubborn, he led a resistance against the Bosparanians and his actions nearly caused the war his father had tried so desperately to prevent. These rebels had unexpected success at first, though not even the capable Rashid was able to truly defeat the legions of Bosparan. His force was utterly decimated and in the end, Rashid commited suicide by jumping from the walls of the ancient fortress of Al'Muktur, the former capital of his emirate.

Out of respect for Harabal's wise decision, Milena-Horas named the newly conquered province Almada and allowed its people a great deal of religious and cultural freedom. As such, she also deserves credit for preserving the culture of Almada.

The region would not remain under Bosparanian control for long, however. Milena's granddaughter was Hela-Horas, the last empress of Bosparan, whose cruelty was unprecedented. Her fickle rule extended to Almada, where she installed her friend Teodicus as Governor. Known as the Lord of the Rack, after his favoured instrument of torture, Teodicus was no less brutal than his empress and his rule saw several violent uprisings, which he beat down with even more violence. Teodicus was eventually killed in the final year of the Bosparanian Empire, when Almadani rebels stormed his castle and dragged him to his own dungeons, where he was gruesomely racked to death. His successor was Xafira Sfalia, another protegee of Hela, but one who was notably less cruel than Teodicus.

Eventually, Hela provoked the Second Battle of the Demon when she moved her legions against the Garetian rebels once more, mirroring the actions of her ancestor Fran-Horas. Similar to the First Battle of the Demon, Almadani troops stood on both sides of the battle, some fighting for Hela, others for her enemy, the Tulamid warlord Raul.

After the battle was over, the Bosparanian empire was no more. Hela managed to flee, though by the time she reached Bosparan again, her empire had crumbled around her. In its stead, the Garetian Empire rose, with Raul of Gareth as its first emperor. Though it is a province of the Middenrealm in current times, Almada would remain nominally under Bosparanian control for two more years.

Though Governor Xafira had only sent a token force to support Hela during the Second Battle of the Demon, she remained loyal to her dead empress and refused to bow to Raul until the emperor personally led an army into Almada. Raul knew he could not conquer Bosparan proper, but he also knew that he needed a buffer between Garetia and the remnants of the hated Bosparanian empire. The rich lands of Almada would serve this purpose well. As she saw his armies approach, Xafira realized she could not stop them and as such, mirroring the wisdom of the last Emir of Al'Mada, she bent the knee to the Garetians.

Ever since, Almada remained a core province of the Middenrealm. The first Duke of Almada was Obidos Viryamun, formerly one of the rebels responsible for the death of Governor Teodicus. He chose the ancient city of Punin as his seat and though the House of Viryamun has long since lost the title of Duke of Almada, Punin remains the capital city of the province. It is an old, prestigious metropolis, built by the Bosparanians and refined by the Tulamids. Not just the old ducal city, it also harbours the Academy of High Magic, the largest and most respected academy of magic in Aventuria, as well as the Wheel, the most sacred temple of the Church of Boron in Aventuria.

Uniquely for the Middenrealm, Punin is ruled not by a nobleman, but by a city council of commoners, mostly rich merchants. Though intended to provice a counterpart to the notoriously unruly nobility of Almada, this city council was actually crucial in removing the last duchess of House Viryamun, whose own mother once established the council. During the chaotic reign of the Priest Emperors, the council used their growing influence to oust the unpopular Viryamun duchess from Almada, ruling over a virtually independent Almada without much opposition from the priest emperors, whom they swore nominal fealty to.

Their reign lasted for almost a full century and though the first High Councillor of Punin, Boronathan, is remembered as a cruel tyrant, his successors were actually fairly popular with the common people, which is a big reason why the City Council of Punin continues to exist to this very day, even though they no longer rule over all of Almada.

Eventually, the Priest Emperors were no longer willing to accept Almada's status as a commoner-ruled and virtually independent part of the realm. They sent the Sun Legion into Almada, crushing its armies and executing the entire city council. In its stead, they installed the Sun Lords, who were personally chosen by the Priest Emperors to govern Almada and to ensure that it would never stray from the light of Praios.

The Sun Lords shared the Priest Emperors' infamous fanaticism and they brutally enforced worship of Praios in Almada. Other temples were closed, the lavish statues built by the Bosparanians and the Tulamids were destroyed for depicting what the Priest Emperors considered to be false gods and invaluable treasures were lost forever to the Sun Lords and their lackeys. Followers of other faiths were brutally persecuted, Tulamids from the southern lands were all but ousted from Almada and anyone who dared to slander Praios was publicly burned to death.

Unsurprisingly, the people of Almada were unruly subjects and insurrections against the Sun Lords were quite common. Smaller incidents were often swiftly contained, but larger rebellions began to form. Eventually, the Almadani rose against the Sun Lords, just as the later Mage Emperor Rohal journeyed through the realm to gather support in his attempt to end the Priest Emperor reign. While he peacefully convinced the last Priest Emperor to lay down his titles and atone for his cruelty, the reign of the Sun Lords ended in bloodshed.

Narvan, last of the Sun Lords, heavily relied on aid from Gareth to keep Almada subjugated. Once Rohal managed to end the reign of the Priest Emperors in Gareth, Narvan's days were numbered. Without support from the capital, his troops were easily outnumbered and decimated by the Almadani rebels. Narvan himself was captured, stripped naked and chased into the swamps, where he disappeared, likely having died an unceremonious death.

The leader of this final insurrection, Zafira of Aguilon, was appointed as Duchess of Almada by Rohal himself, honouring her role in the end of the Priest Emperor reign over the Middenrealm. This made her the first proper Duchess of Almada in centuries and after the cruel reign of the Sun Lords, the people of Almada were quite eager to support her.

Unfortunately, the House of Aguilon did not hold this title for particularly long. The Almadani nobility was notoriously unruly and hostile to each other and just a century after Zafira was appointed as Duchess of Almada, the noblemen of the Yaquir Valley almost went into open war with each other after the expensive mineral Alaun was found on their lands.

Zafira's great-granddaughter Madalena invited them to her keep, where several of the Yaquiri noblemen slaughtered her, her entire family and several of their enemies among the other Yaquiris. This massacre is nowadays known as the Massacre of the Thirteenth Ingerimm, after the day during which it happened. The House of Aguilon died out on that day and Rohal the Wise, still ruling over the Middenrealm after a full century, appointed Tyrdaris of Punin as her successor, a minor nobleman from Punin who was known for his kindness and generosity.

Unfortunately, Rohal disappeared not long after this and Almada was hit badly by the Mage Wars that followed in his wake. During the Disaster of Punin, virtually the entire leadership of the Great Guild of Magic died when their combined arcane forces unwittingly summoned a barely containable cataclysm of unleashed magic. The city of Punin was devastated during this arcane storm and though the mages managed to end it, most of the brightest minds of Aventuria were killed, leaving the mages without leaders.

The period that followed saw arcane warfare on an unprecedented scale, as mages fought against mages, with dozens of warlords fighting for control over the throne of the Middenrealm. Duke Tyrdaris of Punin, despite his good intentions, was manipulated by one such mage, the infamous Black Mage Zulipan, who was essentially the true power behind the throne of Almada, using the vast resources of the ducal treasury to fund inhuman experiments in the dungeons beneath the Academy of High Magic.

It is said that Tyrdaris eventually realized his error and his son Eslam was actually crucial to end the reign of Zulipan and the Mage Wars. As a distant relative of Emperor Ugdalf, the last Emperor of Raul's bloodline, Eslam was chosen to succeed Rohal as Emperor of the Middenrealm. Though his house was formally the House of Almada, his dynasty was known as the Eslamid Emperors already during their later reign, for most of them were named after Eslam the First.

Compared to the great deeds of Raul or Rohal, Eslam was a fairly unassuming ruler, but he brought the realm something much more important after the devastating Mage Wars: Peace, stability and prosperity. Though privately, the emperor was said to harbour a desire for conquest, he was intelligent enough to know that the Middenrealm did not need more war. Instead, he and his descendants ruled peacefully, using the vast armies of the realm solely to defend its borders, not to expand on them.

The Eslamid emperors were famous patrons of the finer arts and Almada became a haven for artists, from painters to writers, actors or sculptors. Their reign was a golden age for the theatre and every Eslamid emperor built at least one palace during their reign. As the only rulers of the Middenrealm, they ruled not from Gareth, but from Punin and these centuries have majorly influenced the view Almada has of itself, as a land of emperors and great artists.

Famously unwilling to wage war, the Eslamid emperors gave up on their nominal claims on the Khom desert, unpressed and ancient claims which the Middenrealm had since the days of Raul of Gareth. They also tried to make peace with the Kingdom of Yaquiria, the successor state of Bosparan and itself the predecessor of the modern Horasian Empire.

Ironically, the end of the Eslamid line came during one of the few times they actually tried their hands at warfare. Eslam the Fifth, a proud and stubborn man, refused to abandon his rightful claims upon the southern Middenrealm enclave of Mengbilla, a comparably small and worthless patch of land in the jungles of Meridiana in the far south. He sent his sons Bodar and Jacopo to lead the Middenrealm fleet to Mengbilla, after the locals of the jungle city had declared their independence from the Middenrealm.

Their journey led the princes and their fleet through the Cyclops Islands. The Cyclopeans, fearing the fleet and rightfully presuming the emperor had plans to conquer them just as well, riled the cyclopes, ancient one-eyed giants who serve the god Ingerimm, into fighting for them and as the fleet tried to pass the Islands, the cyclopes sunk almost every single ship by hurling mighty rocks at them. Both princes died during this massacre and both, Mengbilla and the Cyclops Islands managed to keep their independence.

Emperor Eslam was heartbroken by the death of his sons and he quickly lost all joy he had in life. He spent his final days in a sullen, broken state of mind and many believe that he willingly ended his life. Unknown enemies poisoned the emperor's wine and even though his food taster died right before his eyes, Eslam still drank from the wine. Contemporary historians believe that the emperor himself is responsible for this, that he poisoned his own wine or at least knew of the plot before it even happened.

He left his youngest and least favourite son, Valpo, to succeed him. Unlike Bodar and Jacopo, Valpo was never meant to rule over the realm and where his older brothers both received a proper princely education and made a name for themselves as warriors and administrators, Valpo's sole outstanding talent was his love for the finer pleasures of life. During his brief reign, he drank and whored himself into an early grave. His only child was Luciana, a half-witted and sickly girl who would not outlive her father for very long and though her gender and especially her mental state made it impossible for her to ever succeed her father to begin with, the House of Almada officially died out with her.

With Valpo's death, the Eslamid dynasty came to a sudden end. The so-called Crownless Years, the Interregnum that followed was once again a period of civil war, as warlords from all over the Middenrealm fought over the throne. Due to clever marriage politics, the Eslamid emperors had family ties to most of the important noble families of the realm and some of the less important ones as well. Several of these warlords came from Almada, but ultimately, the Eslamid emperors would become the first and last Almadanis to rule over the entire Middenrealm.

With the Eslamid dynasty, the last Kings of Almada also died out, as the emperors held both titles. Their eventual successor Perval of Gareth, infamously known as Perval the Cruel in modern times, realized the Almadani desire for greatness and though he himself was not an Almadani, he managed to please the people by bestowing the title upon his twin children, Bardo and Cella, who would eventually succeed him as Twin Emperors. Ever since, the crown prince of the Middenrealm is simultaneously the King of Almada, which is an arrangement the Almadanis are quite pleased with.

As such, the current King of Almada is Brin of Gareth, Protector of the Realm and soon-to-be Emperor of the Middenrealm. Once he has ascended to the throne, it is expected that his son and heir apparent Selindian Hal will become the new King of Almada. Despite this, the noblemen of Almada are known for harbouring desires to separate from the Middenrealm, though to date none of these desires have actually led to serious action.

Nonetheless, Almada stood divided when Answin of Ravenmouth declared himself Emperor of the Middenrealm. During the Answin Crisis, the province saw a rise in nationalist desires, as many Almadani nationalists hoped for favourable conditions, high autonomy or even outright independence under an Emperor Answin. The nobility of Almada was torn between loyalty to the House of Gareth and the promises Answin's ambassadors made them. Without a strong hand to guide them, they split up into several warring factions, loosely divided into Answinists and Loyalists.

This crisis could have forced every other province into outright civil war, but Almada favours a more elegant solution. Though shows of force between the two factions and their numerous splinter groups was common and the peasants of Almada lived in the constant and real fear that a war would be fought on their land, the leaders of the factions, Gwain of Harmamouth for the Answinists and Khorim Uchakbar for the Loyalists, decided to negotiate instead of outright going to war. This has brought both men a great deal of respect even from ardent supporters of the other side.

Eventually, the Answin Crisis in Almada was ended when Gwain and Khorim agreed on a symbolic battle between their forces. Each side would nominate twelve fighters, one for each god, and they would fight each other before the gates of Punin. To Gwain's surprise, Khorim, a Novadi and ardent follower of the god Rastullah instead of the Twelve Gods, nominated only nine fighters, since the number is the most holy in his faith. Despite this numeric disadvantage, Khorim and his fighters managed to triumph over the Answinists. Gwain of Harmamouth was captured alive and sent to a life in prison, whereas Almada as a whole decided to support Brin of Gareth in the power struggle. This decision turned out to be a wise one, when Answin was ultimately defeated, as the Almadani loyalists were richly rewarded.

Almada is not just located in the centre of Aventuria, it is also widely considered the most beautiful part of the Middenrealm. Gentle hills, an abundance of lavish palaces for the nobility of Almada, large, sprawling cities and, for the most part, a lack of the dangers the other provinces constantly suffer from have made it one of the most desirable places in the entire realm. The Almadani enjoy the capable leadership of the House of Gareth, although quite a number of them would much rather wish for an emperor who rules from Almada.

In general, local patriotism is far more pronounced in Almada than the rest of the realm, aside from possibly Albernia. Whereas people from Darpatia or the North Marches fully consider themselves citizens of the Middenrealm, the men of Almada are Almadani first and Middenrealm citizens a distant second. Common prejudice against the Almadani paints them as pompous and slightly buffoonish hedonists, whose arrogance is only exceeded by their vanity. At the same time, it is a common joke in the rest of the Middenrealm that the worst enemy of an Almadani is another Almadani. At least this joke has some truth to it, as the noblemen of Almada, the so-called magnates, are notoriously jealous of each other and feuds between noble houses are common.

Their land, as mentioned above, is fertile and safe. It is the most populous province of the realm and in stark contrast to Meadows or Tobria, urbanization is common. The infrastructure is excellent, drawing from solid Bosparanian footwork and Tulamid innovativeness. This has led to Almadani cities being generally pleasant places to live, free of the waste and disease that often plagues the northern settlements. Even smaller settlements can be reached by carriage, owing to the splendid street network and even the peasants rarely have to starve.

The climate in Almada is warm and even during the winter, snow is a rarity. The landscape shows heavy signs of human inhabitation and there are only a few places left where the natural beauty of Almada can still be experienced. These places are generally the least safe parts of the province, located in the far south-east, close to the Rashtul Wall, Aventuria's highest mountain chain.

Almadani society places a great deal on personal honour, politeness and appearances. In contrast, personal gain is also quite valued. This has led to the development of a highly contrasting culture, where even the shadiest Almadani baron will try his best to appear honourable upfront, while mercilessly scheming to take down his enemies behind closed doors. An uncovered scheme is rarely made public, instead it is used as a weapon, to blackmail a potential rival at a later point. At the same time, public affronts against someone's honour quickly lead to a duel, either to the first, second or third blood depending on how grievous the insult was.

Many of the Almadani noblemen are capable schemers and it is almost necessary to advance within the province to get involved in the Great Game, as the locals call it. Intrigue is common, paranoia is widespread and grudges are expected to be held for a lifetime. As such, it is only to be expected that the nobility of Almada is deeply resentful of each other. No other province of the realm sees such widespread hostilities between the noble families and sometimes even within them. At the same time, these hostilities rarely lead to open bloodshed beyond personal duels, as even the most inept Almadani baron knows that such an act of open violence can easily lead to a civil war.

Almada is divided into four counties, each of which are quarrelling with each other and among itself. To the north-east lies the County of Ragath, successor of the ancient County of Caldaia, a historic province of Bosparan and still the name for the entire region of northern Almada. Caldaia used to be an Almadani county until Emperor Eslam, in an ill-advised bid to create a buffer between Almada and Gareth, split the county up into the County of Ragath in Almada and the County of Eslamsground in Garetia.

Though most of Caldaia's wealth remains within Ragath, the Almadani consider the separation an insult to this very day. In past years, the Count of Ragath even openly called himself Count of Caldaia and it is not unusual for the border barons of Ragath and Eslamsground to have hostile relations with each other. To ease tensions, Prince Brin appointed an outsider, the Tobrian knight Brandil of Honourstone, a distant nephew of Duke Kuniberth of Tobria, as the new Count of Ragath after the previous holder of the title died without an heir.

Ragath is one of the few regions in Almada where the wild, natural beauty of the land can still be appreciated. The region is not particularly fertile and earns its riches through extensive mining, which means that agriculture is not particularly widespread. Especially the north-western parts of Ragath remain sparsely populated and it is here that one of the few goblin tribes south of the Bornland resides.

To the south of Ragath lies the County of Yaquiria, the largest and most central county of Almada. The region is fertile and well-developed, as well as densely populated, with villages rarely being less than a handful of miles apart from each other. The Yaquir River grants the entire region its wealth and the people of Yaquiria can make a decent living from agriculture and especially from the countless vineyards that litter the landscape. It is said that Yaquiria produces the finest wines in the entire Middenrealm, rivalling even the famous wines of Horasia, and that even the Patriarch of distant Al'Anfa enjoys Yaquiria's products.

In the heart of Yaquiria and Almada as a whole lies Punin, the third-largest city of the Middenrealm, as well as by far its oldest continuously inhabited settlement. Unlike the Horasian capital of Vinsalt, which was built on the ruins of Bosparan, Punin carefully and expensively maintains the ancient Bosparanian architecture. It is considered the most beautiful city in the Middenrealm and the centre of civilization, especially as far as the Almadani are concerned. Indeed, Punin is a haven for artists, for finer craftsmen or architects and it offers without a doubt the highest quality of life even for its poorer citizens, as running water and even heated floors are not uncommon even for smaller households.

Since Almada (and Punin as well, nominally) is ruled over by the heir to the Middenrealm throne, who usually resides in Gareth, there is no large ducal palace as it is known from the other regional capitals. Instead, the city is dominated by two distinct buildings. First, the Academy of High Magic, the largest academy of magic in Aventuria, as well as its oldest. Belonging to the Grey Guild, it is ruled over by Prishya of Garlishgreet, current Convocata Prima, the leader of the guild itself.

Second, Punin is the seat of the Church of Boron, who is extensively worshipped in a city that otherwise enjoys and celebrates life. The so-called Puninan Rite of the Church of Boron is followed in most of northern Aventuria and it stands in direct conflict with the Al'Anfanian Rite, which dominates the south. A major difference is that the Puninan Rite accepts the leadership of the Church of Praios over the entire Church of the Twelve Gods, whereas the Al'Anfanian Rite worships Boron as the King of Gods. This schism between the two churches is a big reason for the rivalry between the Middenrealm and the Empire of Al'Anfa.

As said above, Punin is the seat of the Puninan Rite of the Church of Boron and it is here that the Raven of Punin resides, the head of the Rite and commonly accepted head of the entire Church of Boron by Middenrealm standards. The current Raven, Bahram Nazir, is downright ancient for a human, a gaunt, seemingly sickly man of nearly a hundred years, who nonetheless remains a sharp and highly capable leader. He resides in the Wheel, a massive, round building made of black stone, the most visually distinct Temple of Boron north of Al'Anfa. Ironically, directly opposing it is the Rainbow Temple, the main temple of the Church of Tsa, which has most likely been built there by servants of the Young Goddess to spite the death-worshipping Church of Boron.

To the north-east of Yaquiria lies the County of Woodwatch. Similar to Ragath, the barons of Woodwatch make their fortune mostly through mining, as the region lies partially within the rich Ironwood Mountains. It is a harsh county, dominated by sharp mountain ranges and deep valleys and the people who live there are sturdy and often-times quite similar to their dwarven neighbours. Similar to the cattle barons of central Meadows, the rulers of Woodwatch are known as the Miner Barons, though the term is also used to describe rich, but common-born mine owners.

Woodwatch lies partially on the ancient homeland of the dwarven race, similar to the entirety of the Kosh and the southern parts of the North Marches. Unlike the Kosh, where relations between the races have mostly been amiable, or the North Marches, where humans and dwarves managed to come to an uneasy agreement, early relations between the dwarves and humans of Woodwatch were dominated by hostility. The ancient Bosparanians had no desire to share the rich land at the doorstep of their homes with the stubborn dwarves, so quarrel over the mines of Woodwatch often turned bloody. In their despair, the dwarves even allied with the Ancient Tulamids, willing to share control over Almada with the humans of the south if it meant the possibility to fight off the hated Bosparanian invaders.

Nowadays, relations are mostly peaceful, but the long-lived dwarves have not forgotten the slights done to their race during these days. Middenrealm authority over Woodwatch is accepted, although a large part of the local nobility is actually of dwarven origin. Even the Count of Woodwatch, Rabosh Son of Reshmin, is a dwarf. He is also the longest-living nobleman of the realm, having held the title since the days of Emperor Eslam the Fifth over one-hundred and sixty years ago.

Finally, the southernmost county of Almada, the County of Southgate, bordering the Horasian Empire and the Novadi Caliphate and protecting the realm from both. While Tobria, Meadows and Griffinsford are usually considered the Shields of the Realm against the northern threat, the barons of Southgate consider themselves the true defenders of Almada and the realm itself, for they don't have to face hordes of untrained orks or ogres, but highly intelligent, cunning and capable human opponents instead.

Unlike the cultured, elegant and often hedonistic noblemen of northern Almada, the nobility of Southgate is much closer to what one would find in the northern Middenrealm. They are warriors first and foremost, as well as defenders of the Middenrealm. Knightly traditions are strong in Southgate, while finer arts are rare and usually looked down upon. Atypical for the rest of Almada, Southgate has well-fortified castles and cities

The region is dominated by the League of Culming, an alliance of the strongest barons of Southgate, with the goal to defend the borders against Novadi raiders and possible invasions from Horasia. They have one of the largest standing armies in the southern Middenrealm and are constantly on guard. Against the outspoken wishes of the then-Emperor Hal of Gareth, the League of Culming even banned followers of the Cult of Rastullah from their lands, seeing them as dissidents who seek to spy for the Novadi Caliphate. The league is a fairly divisive organization within Southgate, with its supporters hailing them as protectors of the entire Middenrealm, while their critics hold them responsible for the increasingly hostile relationship between Almadanis and Novadis within the province.


Between Almada and the North Marches, surrounded by mountain ranges on three sides, lies the remote and unassuming Duchy of Kosh. Often called The Kosh, similar to how the Duchy of Meadows is commonly called The Meadows, the small duchy is one of the oldest provinces of the realm and compared to the rest of them, it is also by far the most peaceful.

The history of the Kosh is closely tied to the dwarven race, for a majority of their ancient homeland lies there and still, a majority of the dwarven race lives in the cities that lie beneath the mountains of the province. The Anvil Dwarves, most numerous of the dwarven tribes, have built their Kingdom of Tosh Mur there, though the surface part of their home has long since been claimed by the humans.

As with many provinces of the realm, the first human settlers in the Kosh were the Bosparanians. For centuries, dwarven resistance and the natural dangers of the Anvil Mountains have prevented the Bosparanians from exploring or even settling in the Kosh, which they considered mostly worthless, especially compared to its rich and fertile neighbours Garetia, Almada and the North Marches. Colonization of these provinces was well-funded and encouraged, whereas the Kosh was considered virtual no-man's land for most of the empire's existence.

It was Sanin the Older, retired admiral of the Bosparanian fleet and avid explorer, who first sailed down the entirety of the Great River, all the way from Albernia through the North Marches and into the territory that would later become the Kosh. During his journey, he braved countless dangers and the maps he drew of the entirety of the Great River eventually allowed for safer travel for the humans who would settle the land after him.

Sanin discovered that the heartland of Kosh was by no means as infertile as previously suspected and he also realized that the mountains were rich in precious minerals. He also founded Vadocia, the first human settlement in the Kosh, originally intended to be a trading post where humans and dwarves could peacefully meet and exchange goods.

His Bosparanian overlords had other intentions and soon, settlers were encouraged to explore and colonize the previously untouched surface of Kosh. Though the Horas emperors were concerned for another war with the dwarves, as they knew from their attempts to settle in Almada, the Anvil Dwarves of the Kosh were highly different from their Ore Dwarven cousins in northern Almada. Instead of fighting them, the dwarven kings welcomed the humans with open arms and their first meeting ended in a large feast, which cemented peaceful and friendly relations between the races.

The dwarves of the Anvil Mountains soon met with ambassadors of Bosparan and, in a rare move for the great empire, they managed to negotiate a lasting peace between Bosparan and Tosh Mur. The humans were allowed to settle in the Kosh, though the mountains themselves were only to be colonized under strict dwarven supervision, with many mountains and the surrounding valleys being entirely off limit. Knowing how tenacious the dwarves could be, the Horas emperors agreed to the Mountain King's demands.

As such, the relationship between the humans of Kosh and their dwarven neighbours is cordial and though smaller tensions have arisen over the centuries, they are bond by friendship and mutual respect. No other province has such a high amount of dwarves living among humans and no other province has such a deep understanding for the customs and the culture of the Sons of Angrosh. Their terms were written down in the Eternal Pact and though Bosparan has long since fallen, the dwarves still consider it a legally binding contract between them and the humans of Kosh, who in return make sure to honour the words written down by their Bosparanian ancestors.

The Kosh has always been distant from the rest of Aventuria, more concerned with its own internal affairs and reluctant to go to war. Never close to Bosparan, it was nonetheless a peaceful province and by no means as unruly as Garetia or the North Marches. During the First Battle of the Demon, the Blood Emperor Fran-Horas demanded soldiers from the Governor of Kosh, but his request was politely refused. It can be speculated that even a small contingent of Koshian soldiers could have turned the tide of battle in favour of the Bosparanians. In return, only the near-total annihilation of the Bosparanian legions spared the Kosh the wrath of the mighty empire. Ever since, relations were strained. Still, the Kosh was by no means an ally to the Garetian rebels and made sure to distance itself from its powerful northern neighbour.

The man who would change this was Baduar of Boarstribe, also known as Baduar the Chivalrous, due to his great virtue and bravery. He was a respected nobleman of the Kosh and second-in-command of Leonora of the Mountain, herself a high-ranking Bosparanian general and outspoken critic of Bosparan's last empress, Hela-Horas. More importantly, Baduar was also a close friend of the Tulamid warlord Raul ibn Rafid, whose entire family had been massacred by the Demon Empress.

Together with Raul, Baduar travelled to Gareth, where they became leaders of the city guard, essentially an unauthorized rebel force fighting against Bosparanian control of the city. It was Baduar who convinced the people of Kosh to support Raul and he also managed to convince his former commanding officer, Leonora of the Mountain, alongside her legion. As such, while Raul, with his charisma and military genius, led the army to victory over the vastly more powerful Bosparan, it was Baduar who provided the army that would bring the mighty empire to its knees.

Unlike Leonora, Baduar survived the battle, which would later be known as the Battle of the Demon. Heavily injured by demonic forces, he was unable to remain by his friends side, as Raul was crowned emperor of the Garetian Empire, the Middenrealm. To reward him for his loyalty, Raul allowed him to settle down in the Kosh, which he granted to him, naming him first Duke of Kosh and granting the province favourable conditions within his new realm.

Baduar's descendants, the House of Boarstribe, rule over the Kosh to this day, which makes them the longest-ruling unbroken dynasty of the entire Middenrealm. For most of their history, they haven't involved the Kosh in external affairs. Continuing the politics of their Bosparanian predecessors, the Kosh is mostly focussed on its internal happenings, making sure that its people are quiet and satisfied and that no threat arises from within.

That being said, the Kosh had its fair share of disasters. Earthquakes, fires and floods have repeatedly destroyed entire cities and while such catastrophes happen all over Aventuria from time to time, they are surprisingly common in the Kosh. No higher force seems to be behind these events, which means that the duchy might be simply unlucky when it comes to this. The most likely explanation would be the Kosh's mountainous landscape, as several of those mountains are active volcanoes.

Nonetheless, the continued natural disasters have set back the development of the Kosh. Compared to its neighbours, the province is very poor, despite its natural riches. 'Poor as a Kosh Baron' is a common saying in the Middenrealm to describe extreme poverty. That being said, the people of Kosh are known for being modest, hard-working and content with their lot in life, with the duchy usually being considered the happiest place in the entire Middenrealm. The Koshians, though usually considered simple, are also widely regarded as friendly and warm-hearted people who, rare for the more superstitious peasantry of the Middenrealm, have no fear of the unknown and approach other cultures and races with an open mind.

Due to the general poverty of the population, simple gods such as Peraine and Travia are widely worshipped. However, the Kosh is also a centre of faith for the Church of Ingerimm, the god of fire and craftsmanship, whom the dwarves worship under the name Angrosh and whom they consider to be their creator. In contrast, gods such as Rondra or Boron are not particularly widely worshipped, as their aspects have little room in the simple, peaceful lives of the Koshians.

Due to its mountainous terrain, most of the Kosh is not suited for agriculture, which removes one of the main pillars of income for most Middenrealm baronies. The mountains are rich in minerals, but due to the Eternal Pact with the dwarves, the places where humans are actually allowed to mine are few and staunchly supervised by the dwarves. Nonetheless, the close relations with the Sons of Angrosh have helped the Kosh a great deal, as the dwarves are excellent trading partners and their knowledge about metalwork and craftsmanship has helped the Kosh a great deal. As such, even though the province as a whole is fairly poor, the cities are well-industrialized and craftsmen from the Kosh have a mastery of their chosen trade that usually exceeds that of similar craftsmen from other provinces.

If there is one thing the Kosh can truly be considered to stand out from the rest of the realm, however, it is its cuisine. Though the upper classes from other provinces typically look down on Koshian food, as they look down on the province in general, the Kosh is renowned for its culinary delights. Though simply and most certainly affordable even for the general populace of the poor duchy, the cuisine of the Kosh is excellent. This is a direct result of the close relations between the humans and the hill dwarves of central Kosh, who greatly value simple, but exceptionally delicious food. The Kosh is also renowned for brewing the best beer in Aventuria and every city of note has its own brewery.

Capital and largest city of the Kosh is Angbar. Fairly small for a provincial capital, it is an idyllic town on the shores of the eponymously named Lake Angbar, with the scenic Anvil Mountains just on the other shore. As the only provincial capital in the Middenrealm, Angbar is not the seat of the provincial ruler. Instead, the Duke of Kosh resides in Castle Princeroost a few miles out of the city.

Angbar, the nearby lake and, in fact, the entire county of Angbar have taken their name from Angbarosh, an old dwarven settlement and one of the few times the Anvil Dwarves have tried to settle aboveground. However, since dwarven history and culture is heavily tied to a life below ground, most dwarves preferred to use Angbarosh not as a permanent residence, but as a trading post in their dealings with the early human settlers of the Kosh. Over time, this trading post became dominated by those humans, until it was no longer considered an extension of the dwarven domain but simply another human settlement instead.

The County of Lake Angbar is the heartland of the Kosh. The eponymous lake is fed by the Great River and is rich with fish, which means that fishing has become a major source of income for many citizens of Lake Angbar. Even the dwarves, notoriously wary of large bodies of water, can be found among these fishermen. While the region is not particularly fertile, the lake itself is enough to feed the common people and Lake Angbar has been spared the famines that have plagued its neighbours to the north and the east.

Together with its neighbouring county, the County of Nookhoard, Lake Angbar forms the larger region of the Hill-Lands, the central part of the Kosh, which is mostly defined by its gentle, unassuming nature, the poor, but pleasant smallfolk and the peaceful coexistence between humans and dwarves. Most notably, the Hill-Lands is the ancestral home of the Hill Dwarves, a highly unusual dwarven tribe. Hill Dwarves prefer to live in semi-subterranean hills and usually avoid the higher mountains. Their culture values family and friendship, as well as peace and comfort and they are renowned for having perfected the art of beer brewing.

Unlike Lake Angbar, which has a mostly peaceful history, the neighbouting county of Nookhoard's past is notoriously darker. As the most densely forested region in the Kosh, Nookhoard has always been home to unsavoury people, who prefer the anonymity and the sparsely populated wilds to avoid the authorities. Without the lake to feed them, the people here are poor and often lack the friendly demeanour the Koshians are known for.

During the Imperial Interregnum, Nookhoard was infamous as one of the most lawless placed in the Middenrealm. Without a strong central ruler to control them, the barons of Nookhoard have openly fought against each other, with various bandit barons terrorizing the people. Even after Perval of Gareth was crowned emperor, the region remained a haven for outlaws for many years, until the Duke of Kosh personally intervened, executing many of the bandit barons and filling their posts with loyal successors. Nowadays, it is ruled over by Helkor of Bodrin, a sullen, but stalwart man who has brought a semblance of peace to the county for the time being.

The southernmost county of the Kosh, the County of Ferdok, is the richest province of the entire region, even if that doesn't mean much in the notoriously poor duchy. It is also highly fertile and produces most of the Kosh's grain. Ferdok's capital is the city of the same name. The great merchant city of Ferdok, while second in size to Angbar, is the most well-known city in the entire duchy and the one that has the greatest importance to the outside world. Located on the shores of the Great River, it was founded as Vadocia by the Bosparanian admiral and explorer Sanin the Elder.

Ferdok is highly important for the trade along the Great River. The river merchants are so important for the city and its people that the entire harbourside has been built specifically to cater to the needs of arriving merchants. In the past, the city has even been abandoned and rebuilt after a terrible flood caused the Great River to permanently alter its course away from the city. These days, a complicated system of dams ensures that this will never happen again and that Ferdok will forever remain the rich merchant city by the Great River.

The southern part of the county is part of the Kingdom of Tosh Mur, the great kingdom of the Anvil Dwarves, the most numerous dwarven tribe in Aventuria. The hard-working and mercantile dwarves play an important role in the economy of the county, which has given them considerable influence among the Count of Ferdok, much to the chagrin of the human nobility. While relations between humans and dwarves are peaceful in the rest of the Kosh, they are at least strained in the County of Ferdok, as several influential noblemen are openly resisting the growing dwarven influence over their land. They have formed the Pact of the Faithful, a loose alliance of similarly-minded noblemen who try to maintain absolute control over their lands, especially against the dwarves.

By contrast, the northernmost part of the Kosh, the County of Slopeholm is dirt poor. The Kosh itself may be poorer than most other regions in the Middenrealm, but only Slopeholm truly deserves its reputation as an impoverished backwater county. It is located in the Mountains of Kosh and is by far the least fertile and most sparsely populated part of the duchy. With dramatic mountain ranges and only a few densely forested valleys, the region is remote and often entirely removed from the tragedies that befall the Middenrealm from time to time.

That being said, the region is actually fairly rich in minerals, at least below ground. Unfortunately, these subterranean parts of the Kosh belong to the Ore Dwarves. It says a lot about the humans of Slopeholm that they never tried to protest against the old agreement that protects the dwarven mining rights. Their neighbours in the North Marches often shake their head at what they perceive as naivety, but the men of Slopeholm cherish their close bond to the dwarves and are satisfied with their meagre, but often-times happy and peaceful lives above ground.

Due to their strange worldview, which is heavily influenced by the Ore Dwarves, the humans of Slopeholm are considered simple, straightforward and a bit naïve by the neighbouring counties, but they are also proud of their home and of their cultural identity. They share a strong connection to each other and the sense of unity among the villages and small towns of Slopeholm is unparalleled. Back when the Bosparanian Emperors still ruled over the Kosh, this sense of unity has led to the creation of the Confederacy of Slopeholm, an alliance where the different villages promised to aid each other in times of need.

It is in no small parts thanks to the Confederacy that Slopeholm managed to get through the Dark Ages of the Bosparanian Empire relatively unharmed. While goblin hordes rampaged through Phecadia, while orks seized the northern provinces, Slopeholm became a refuge for war-weary humans, a haven for those who sought peace. Gradually, the Confederacy was turned into the Enclave of Slopeholm, a more tightly organized successor and its members actually came to desire their own nation, free from the Bosparanian yoke. Though by far not the only province to try and gain their independence from the empire during the Dark Ages, Slopeholm was actually fairly successful and enjoyed a great degree of autonomy and factual independence until Raul of Gareth and Baduar of Boarstribe peacefully convinced the men of Slopeholm to disband the Enclave and rejoin the Duchy of Kosh. To this day, the county has remained as such, but many of its more prideful citizens openly call for a reformation of the Confederacy, to properly protect the interests of Slopeholm against the demands of duke and emperor.



There are some rulers whose mere birth is already a good omen, some who are destined for greatness from their very first moment in this world. Hal of Gareth is no such man. His birth was accompanied by death and great tragedy upon his house. Though Hal himself was born healthy, his twin sister Selinde was not this lucky. Neither she nor their mother, the Maraskanian princess Rohaja Damaris, survived the day.

Hal's father Reto had always been a hard and cold man with little love for those around him, but Rohaja had been the one person he truly loved in his life. Losing her made him infamously harsh and it was only after her death that people started calling him the 'Iron Emperor'. This was the family Hal was born into, a dead mother and a bitter father. Accounts of his childhood are rare, but it is clear that the boy came more after the gentle and naive Rohaja than the strict and hot-headed Reto. Confidential sources claim he suffered greatly under his demanding father.

Perhaps this hard childhood shaped Hal into the man he became when Reto died. His leadership was drastically different from his father's. Where Reto ruled through strength and even fear, Hal always ever tried to be loved by his subjects. Seeing how the peasants suffered under the strong and partially cruel provincial rulers of the Middenrealm, Hal's inner politics were aimed at stabilizing and improving the lot of the common people of the Middenrealm. While the nobility heavily protested against this, his reforms actually helped with improving the economy of the realm, which still suffered from the mismanagement of Reto's predecessors, the Twin Emperors Bardo and Cella. As such, Hal's rule, while marked by personal weakness and indecisiveness, was also one of peace and stability.

Hal's political marriage with the Al'Anfanian noblewoman Alara Paligan was reportedly unhappy and rumour has it that the emperor spent not a single night with his wife after she gave birth to their only son, Prince Brin, despite her renowned beauty and charm. In general, Hal was distant from those he should have been closest to, his own family and his advisers. A few trusted friends managed to climb far under his patronage, but in general, Hal is remembered as a man who had trouble with forming close relationships.

This only increased after his ill-fated attempt at declaring himself a god in the tradition of the Bosparanian Emperors of old. Just what caused him to made this move is not known and while the Church of Praios nominally (and likely under direct coercion from the emperor himself) supports his claim, they do little to enforce it. Hal is not generally worshipped as a god, with only a handful of cults throughout the realm actually believing in his divinity.

The emperor disappeared in the year 1010 BF while visiting the Countess Thesia von Ilmenstein in the Bornland. Despite a thorough search, he was never found. Though his family believes him dead, he can only be legally declared dead after a period of twelve years has passed. As such, Hal is still the nominal Emperor of the Middenrealm. He left his son a largely stable and prosperous realm, but the seeds of his mistakes threaten to grow out of control.


Many eyebrows were raised when Emperor Reto of Gareth announced the engagement of his only son and heir not to a suitable noblewoman from the Middenrealm, but to a grandessa from the distant Empire of Al'Anfa. No one knows the full details of the carefully guarded marriage contract between the House of Gareth and House Paligan, except those present when it was negotiated. It certainly came with a significant amount of Al'Anfanian coin to help the struggling Middenrealm treasury, as well as honours and titles for two of Alara's sisters and their offspring.

When Alara came to the Garetian court, she was only seventeen years old and her arrival brought a great culture shock to the conservative and traditionally prudish capital. As an Al'Anfanian grandessa, she was used to the careless, hedonistic lifestyle that is celebrated in her home. She brought strange customs with her, her attire showed enough skin to be considered shameless by most nobles at court, the music she demanded to listen to was shrill to their ears and her preferred cuisine was way too spicy for their taste.

And yet, with her exotic beauty, charming personality and unusual self-confidence, she eventually won the court over. Her marriage with Hal was strictly political and they never grew close as lovers, though the empress-consort seemed to have gained at least a modicum of Hal's trust, which is more than even many of his personal advisers could claim. Her Al'Anfanian lifestyle provoked more than one serious scandal during her youth, including the rumour that she had several extramarital affairs. Among those most commonly linked to her are Answin of Ravenmouth, the former court mage Galotta and, most scandalously, her father-in-law Reto of Gareth.

Through clever scheming, Alara gained considerable influence during her husband's rule, as well as the distrust and animosity of many powerful figures within the realm, who either disapproved of her constant scheming, her shameless hedonism, or her mercurial personality. After her husband's disappearance, her enemies commonly call her the 'Black Widow' and she is unable to fully rid herself of the rumours that she was involved in Hal's disappearance. This is unlikely to be true, however, since Alara lost a lot of power afterwards. While she remains the Empress-Consort of the Middenrealm in name, few expect her husband to return, so it is only a matter of a few years until her title will be that of the infinitely less prestigious Empress Mother. Now in her early fifties, she is desperately fighting the loss of her beauty, youth and influence at court, especially as it seems that her son Brin is not too keen on keeping her as an advisor.


Brin of Gareth is the only child of Emperor Hal and Alara Paligan, which makes him the heir to the Middenrealm. After the disappearance of his father Hal just a few years ago, Brin has taken over as Emperor of the Middenrealm in all but name. Out of respect for his father and since Hal's death is by no means confirmed, he has declared a period of twelve years in which he will merely be seen as the Protector of the Realm, his father's steward until the emperor either returns or is legally declared dead. This move, while giving him less absolute power over the Middenrealm when compared to his father, says a lot about Brin's integrity and it has helped with making him quite popular with the traditionalists among his noblemen, the very same who opposed his father at every turn.

In general, Brin's position, while legally weaker due to not being the emperor yet, is generally considered stronger than that of his father, whose reign saw issues between the nobility and the peasants. The latter support Brin due to his father's actions, the former support him because he does not carry Hal's bad reputation among them. He has a calm temper and a keen sense for doing what he has to do in the right moments, combining the best traits of Reto and Hal of Gareth.

Though he holds the potential to continue in the great tradition of his popular grandfather Reto, or to even surpass him perhaps, his young reign has seen more trouble than most emperors have to face in decades. His father left him with several powerful enemies, chief among them Answin of Ravenmouth and Gaius Galotta. The former tried to murder Brin on his wedding day and when Hal disappeared, the duke even tried to usurp the throne just as Brin was away to personally investigate the orkish threat to his borders, a threat that should eventually develop into the Orkenstorm, the most devastating attack on the Middenrealm in centuries.

He is married to the Albernian princess Emer ni Bennain and the couple has three children, the twin girls Rohaja and Yppolita, as well as their only son, Selindian Hal, named after Brin's disappeared father and his deceased aunt. Unusual for someone of his line, his marriage to Emer is undoubtedly a happy one, which contrasts the cold distance between his parents and the tragic and short-lived romance between his grandparents.


The oldest child of Prince Brin and Princess Emer was never considered to inherit the throne at the time of her birth. Due to the Tulamid roots of House Gareth, tradition has it that a woman cannot inherit the throne of the Middenrealm, a divisive and much-discussed rule, which Prince Brin's predecessors Hal and Reto nonetheless clung to. As such, her younger brother Selindian Hal is currently the crown prince.

That being said, Rohaja's mother Emer ni Bennain is heavily pushing in favour of finally getting rid of this ancient rule and unlike his predecessors, Brin seems to consider this idea. As a result, many at court treat the young Rohaja as if she is the crown princess already. Unlike her quiet and sickly brother, whose health is a source of concern for many, Rohaja is strong and healthy, which only further increases her position as the favoured heiress to the Middenrealm.

Though merely a child, the princess already seems to have taken on the best traits of both her parents. She is as decisive and inherently just as her father, while also being as honest and stubborn as her mother. Unlike her gentle namesake, her great-grandmother Rohaja Damaris of Maraskan, she also shows interest in the art of warfare. It remains to be seen if her father actually breaks with tradition and names her as his heiress, but few doubt that the young princess will make a name for herself in the Middenrealm.


The story of Helme Haffax, Count of Warkhome and High Marshall of the Middenrealm, is as unlikely as it is inspiring. Unlike any of his predecessors, Helme Haffax was not born into a noble family, nor did he visit one of the prestigious warrior academies that are found throughout the realm, those elite schools aimed at training the future generation of battlefield commanders. In fact, he was born into a dirt poor family in Darpatia, his parents unable to provide for his education.

As such, the young Helme had no choice but to join the military as a common footsoldier. Through dedication, hard work and the right superior officers, he was soon promoted and given a positition as a low-ranking officer, one of the highest achievements a man of his birth could gain. Other men would remain there for the rest of their lives, but Haffax was always different from others.

Once given a position in which he could lead other soldiers, his true genius became obvious. Without proper training or education, this low officer developed battle tactics that went way beyond what was common for his background. What certainly helped his case was the fact that the war he served in was the Maraskan Campaign and the general he served under was Emperor Reto of Gareth.

It is said that the Iron Emperor had only two weak spots in his life. One was for his beloved wife Rohaja of Maraskan, the other was for common people who showed talent beyond their position. He supported these people, believing them to be the future of the realm. And indeed, Reto became Helme's greatest benefactor, giving him more and more responsibilities, which the soldier rose up to quite brilliantly. During the Maraskan campaign, his new and unique tactics played a big part in the realm's decisive victory against the Maraskanian army.

In the last years of Reto's rule, Helme Haffax became High Marshall of the Middenrealm, the supreme leader of the empire's armies. In one move, the commoner Helme Haffax had risen to the highest ranks of nobility within the realm. Under any other emperor, this would have been quite the scandal, but Reto was as respected as he was feared and no one dared to question him.

Though the Iron Emperor did not live to see Haffax in action as the High Marshall again, he should remain right about him. In the years that followed, the former peasant revolutionized the art of warfare. It is said that he has written or redeveloped every single modern battle tactic. He has saved the realm during the March of the Thousand Ogres and during the Orkenstorm and though his reputation might be exaggerated, he is considered to be the greatest military genius since Raul of Gareth. After Answin of Ravenmouth tried and failed to crown himself emperor, Haffax even received Answin's former title as Count of Warkhome, which means he now governs the important fortress city halfway between Gareth and Trallop.

Privately, the Count is stern, honest and as dutiful as only a former soldier can be. Though one of the most powerful men within the realm, he has remained humble and free of the decadence that has become so common among people in his position. As such, he is incredibly popular amongst his soldiers, though the nobility of the realm still sees and treats him as a peasant. He takes joy in simple things, such as a good meal, a warm campfire or the company of his prized hounds. Despite his position as one of the most important noblemen in the realm, the Count remains unmarried and the sole living member of his family. Those who have served with him on Maraskan mention that the only time he showed true happiness was with a local from this strange island, but their unlikely love did not survive the war. While this rumour cannot be properly checked nowadays, Haffax has an uncharacteristic hatred for the island and it is written that he repeatedly tried to convince Reto to even abandon the cursed conquest of the island.


Few people can look back at a career as extensive as that of Dexter Nemrod, the feared High Spymaster of the Middenrealm. He used to be a soldier of the Middenrealm, an acolyte within the Church of Praios, Colonel of the Imperial Guard, Captain of the Banray Order and Grand Inquisitor of Praios. Furthermore he is the founder and current leader of Middenrealm Intelligence, the extensive network of spies and agent which protects the empire from the shadows.

Like so many of the notable figures among the Middenrealm, Dexter, the baron of the small and largely unassuming Garetian town of Elmshome by birth, built his career under Emperor Reto. He served during the Maraskan War and rose through the ranks, though Reto realized that this ambitious nobleman was not a born fighter. Instead, Dexter always had a keen mind for logistics and for tactics, as well as a genuine gift to uncover secrets, through persuasion, extortion or even torture. As such, the emperor kept him close and even made him a member of his Imperial Guard, eventually even a ranking officer, a title Dexter holds to this day.

After the Maraskan War, he was the first to realize that the Middenrealm needs a way to properly gather, analyse and uncover intel on present and future enemies. As such, with Reto's blessing, he founded Middenrealm Intelligence, a gathering of spies and diplomats operating partially outside the borders of Middenrealm law. He leads this organization with an iron fist and it is said that he, the former Inquisitor of Praios, is not the slightest bit fond of the secrecy and dishonourable methods his agents often have to employ. If anything, it proves that Dexter is willing to commit a necessary evil for the greater good of the Middenrealm.

Nowadays, the High Spymaster has an almost legendary reputation. People fear him and for good reason, for his Middenrealm Intelligence has their eyes and ears pretty much everywhere. He is a secretive man with no close friends and even his own wife lives estranged from him. Rarely seen at court, he reports to no one but the emperor himself. He is the only living soul to know every Middenrealm Intelligence secret or even just how many agents there are and his enemies fear that he will eventually use his uniquely powerful position for his own gain.


In the history of the Middenrealm, there are few figures as destructive and infamous, yet equal parts revered and downright worshipped as Answin of Ravenmouth. Formerly the Duke of Darpatia and head of the powerful House Ravenmouth, Answin was the second-most important man of the Middenrealm for most of his life. Despite being a patriot through and through, he also ended up as the greatest threat to the stability of the Garetian Empire in centuries.

By the time of his birth, Answin, the oldest nephew of Emperor Reto of Gareth, was first in line to the throne and he remained Crown Prince for the first nine years of his life until Reto's son Hal was born. He was his uncle's squire and lifelong companion, as well as a friend for his cousin Hal. Under Reto, he even ascended to the prestigious position of High Chancellor of the Realm, essentially the right hand of the emperor, a position he kept under Hal. He was also the Duke of Darpatia and head of House Ravenmouth. Though his family was always powerful, Answin was the most influential member of his entire family throughout their long and prestigious history.

In later years, he and Hal disagreed more openly, especially over Hal increasing the rights of the common people by simultaneously weakening the nobility. Companions describe the Duke as ambitious, ruthless and prone to hold a grudge, yet also as a brilliant politician, cunning orator and decisive leader. Above everything else, Answin was a patriot and deeply dissatisfied with Hal's political decisions, which he considered a betrayal of Reto's legacy.

And yet, Answin surprised even his lifelong friends when he tried to have Hal's only son, the Crown Prince Brin murdered on his wedding day, a move that would have made himself the new crown prince if successful and not discovered. Unfortunately for him, Brin survived and Answin's involvement in these events was uncovered. Unwilling to punish his influential and popular chancellor to the utmost, Hal spared his life, but took all of his titles and banished him from court.

This proved to be too little to permanently eliminate the former Duke of Darpatia. Answin seemingly retired, but in secret, he gathered his supporters, all of them powerful noblemen who were dissatisfied with Hal's political course. When the emperor disappeared without warning in the year 1010 BF, Answin wasted no time to make his move. While Prince Brin and his army were out in the field to confront the orks, who had just started the massive attack later known as the Orkenstorm, Answin attacked Gareth and took the city by storm, with minimal casualties. There, he crowned himself emperor.

Ultimately, the Raven Emperor's reign was short-lived and he never gained the allegiance of the most powerful of the realm. Duke Blasius of Boarstribe openly challenged him, as did Duke Cuanu of Albernia and Duke Waldemar of Meadows, all of whom Answin hoped to lure to his side. A strike team led by Cuanu ui Bennain, Raidri Conchobair and Dexter Nemrod infiltrated the occupied city of Gareth and confronted the usurper.

In the end, Answin was convinced to surrender peacefully, knowing fully well that this time, there would be no mercy for him. Under unexplained circumstances, he escaped custody before Prince Brin returned from the field and he vanished without a trace. In his stead, several members of his family were executed and the rest either believably proved that they had no hand in his insurrection or they fled with Answin.

His current whereabouts are unknown, but it is not doubted that he is still alive. Some believe he fled beyond the sea, to the continent of Myranor, others believe he hides in the Valley of Svelt, while yet others believe he has been caught and is currently imprisoned deep within the Tobrian prison island of Rulat. No matter the truth, Answin's shadow still looms over the empire. Many of his supporters were spared and merely imprisoned or even remain free and no one truly knows how many noblemen actually sympathize with the usurper. Should he ever return, his mere presence could shake the Middenrealm to its very core once again.


When Answin of Ravenmouth tried and failed to poison Prince Brin of Gareth, he lost all of his titles, including the most prestigious of them, the Duke of Darpatia. Against the advice of his closest friends, Emperor Hal decided against taking the title from House Ravenmouth entirely. Instead, he chose to gave it to Answin's younger sister Hildelind, who had no part in her brother's treachery.

Hildelind did not appreciate Hal's merciful actions and when Answin tried to crown himself emperor after Hal's disappearance, she and a unit of Darpatian soldiers came to his aid. Back then, it was thanks to her daughter Irmegunda, who truly never approved of her uncle's ambitions, that Answin did not win. When Prince Brin's loyalists moved in on the Answinists, they expected to be outnumbered. However, Irmegunda surprisingly refused her mother's plea for help and she forced the Darpatian troops to remain in Darpatia until the crisis was over. Her mother was killed during a brief skirmish against the loyalists and after Answin was defeated, Brin honoured Irmegunda's loyalty by allowing her to remain Duchess of Darpatia, essentially keeping the prestigious title within the hands of House Ravenmouth even after Answin and a significant part of the family had tried to usurp the throne.

In her youth, Irmegunda was shaping up to become a renowned warrior and before her uncle's treachery forced her mother to become the new Duchess of Darpatia, with her as the heiress, she considered a career within the Middenrealm military or perhaps even the path of a Priestess of Rondra. An orkish raid in the early days of the Orkenstorm put an end to these dreams, as Irmegunda was heavily injured in the process, losing her shield arm and with it her skill as a fighter.

She remains a cunning tactician, however, and has served Prince Brin and his father as a military advisor. In private, she is also a deeply devout follower of the goddess Travia and a great supporter of the Church of Travia. In contrast to this, Irmegunda has never been married, or even romantically linked to someone else, which also means that her reign is clean of the scandals that surround some of the other nobles of the realm. She remains childless, with her heir apparent being one of her several siblings. She has not decided whom to appoint as her successor yet, however, and has refused any attempt of her brothers and sisters to force her to make up her mind.

Just like her uncle Answin, Irmegunda is a skilled politician. With her prowess as a fighter gone, she has fully devoted herself to her political legacy, which is shaping up to be a tremendous one. Through clever marriage policies, she has managed to restore much of the lost influence of her family after Answin failed to usurp the throne twice. Furthermore, she has broken with her uncle so thoroughly that not even Answin's fiercest opponents could ever doubt her loyalty to the realm.


Out of all the noblemen in the realm, there is none more powerful and feared than Jast Gorsam of House Greatriver, the Duke of the North Marches, Count of Elenvina, Baron of Bollharsh, Crossbellow and Foxgau, as well as High Seneschal of the Middenrealm. For decades, the duke has ruled over his domain, the wealthy North Marches and throughout his entire reign, he has only ever gained more power, influence and respect. Quite aware of his strong position, he confidently considers himself the Defender of the Law.

As High Seneschal of the Middenrealm, he is essentially the highest secular judge within the realm, who is responsible for legitimizing the emperor's verdicts. Since he also decides whom to grant the right to appeal to a verdict, this position is vastly more important than the many other titles that are given to the nobles of the realm, most of whom are merely representative.

Jast is cunning, aware of his power and ruthless enough to use his position to strengthen the legacy of his family for generations. Due to his numerous children (as well as several rumoured and confirmed bastards), his lineage is safe to outlast him by far. He has a reputation for being uncompromising and lawful to the bitter end, as well as ever cautious, so cautious in fact that he remained neutral during Answin's War, the only provincial ruler to not declare for Brin or Answin. As a firm supporter of the Church of Praios, he has a lot of influence among their ranks as well.

That being said, Jast is recently facing his greatest battle. His half-brother Hilberian, an Inquisitor within the Church of Praios, follows a supposed vision in which Praios' herald Ucuri has named him as the new Envoy of the Light. This claim has put him in direct opposition to Jariel Praiotin and the Church of Praios. Naturally, Jast stands by the side of his half-brother and his support gives Hilberian a sizeable amount of power to push for his claim.

The proud, hot-headed Duke of the North Marches has gone as far as to outright attack and seriously injure the Grand Inquisitor of Praios, Rapherian of Eslamshague, during Jariel's last attempt to negotiate with his rival. While it didn't help Hilberian in his mission, it has proven without a doubt that Jast is willing to push his half-brother's claim by force and, if necessary, he would even be willing to march to war against the Church of Praios.

Jast is a man with few friends and many enemies, though due to his sheer power, integrity and political skill, the amount of his allies outweighs any opponent by far. He has a deep, personal rivalry with King Cuanu ni Bennain of Albernia, whose province he considers a rightful part of the North Marches. This dislike of Albernia and its king also leads to him quite obviously disliking Cuanu's daughter Emer as well, even though she is married to his liege, Prince Brin of Gareth. Only the even-tempered Brin himself managed to prevent open dispute between his wife and his most powerful bannerman. The growing influence his historic Albernian enemies have within the realm is a source of concern for Jast, though so far, he has taken no open measure to weaken House Bennain. What he might be planning behind closed doors, that is another matter entirely, one only he and his closest allies are privy to.


Compared to the other powerful men and women of the Middenrealm, Blasius of Boarstribe is definitely the odd one out. He is neither an accomplished warrior, nor a cunning statesman, he hasn't committed acts of heroism or treachery, he has no notable enemies, nor ambitions to rise above his current position. The Duke of Kosh is like his land itself, peaceful and stable, if a little bit stolid.

Back in the day, his father used to be the only provincial ruler who already served under the Twin Emperors Bardo and Cella, who still managed to keep his duchy throughout the entirety of Reto's rule, despite the Iron Emperor's dislike of anyone who associated with his predecessors. This says a lot about how capable a ruler he was and Blasius is said to be even better than his father at keeping the peace and not making any enemies along the way. His reign is neither prestigious, nor one of great deeds, but it is exactly as it needs to be, stable and well-tempered.

Blasius is a jolly, cordial man and a gifted storyteller, who loves to tell tales of his past, especially during a fine dinner. Though he is not a skilled fighter, he actually led his troops into battle during the Orkenstorm, where he was soundly defeated and captured by the Blackfurs. He was released peacefully after his family paid a significant amount of coin and to this day, the duke considers this tale to be his favourite.

The duke's way of governing his province resembles a father who cares for a newborn baby. He is careful, gentle and always well-meaning towards his subjects and they love him for it. Furthermore, the Kosh rarely got involved in past conflicts within the Middenrealm under his rule, as he prefers to keep his people out of such matters. The Orkenstorm is the sole exception as he feared for the safety of his duchy. While he declared for Brin during Answin's War, he also sent only a token force to support the Protector of the Realm, just enough for the Kosh to be recognized for its loyalty, but not enough to weaken his lands should Answin have succeeded.


Though the House of The Mountain can claim no title as prestigious as those of the Houses Ravenmouth, Greatriver or Gareth, they are one of the oldest, proudest and most influential members of Middenrealm aristocracy nonetheless, with smaller holdings all over the provinces of Garetia, Almada and the North Marches, as well as significant influence among the Middenrealm military. They are a family of career soldiers and warriors of renown, with ties to almost every great house of the realm.

Leomar of The Mountain, the Baron of Brig-Lo in southern Almada, is one of the most powerful scions the family has ever brought forth. A career soldier and brilliant tactician, he is a trusted military advisor of the imperial family and high-ranking captain of the Lion Guard, the personal guard unit of the Middenrealm emperors. If not for the sheer brilliance of Helme Haffax, it is speculated that Leomar would have become High Marshall of the Middenrealm years ago, despite his relative youth.

His true claim to fame stemmed from his contribution to the Khom War, where the Al'Anfanian Empire waged a war of conquest against the Novadi Caliphate. The carefully planned war caught the squabbling Novadi tribes at a bad moment and the Al'Anfanians were quickly gaining the upper hand. Their victory would have given them a direct border with the Middenrealm and near-total control over the southern half of the continent, therefore challenging the status of the Middenrealm as the most powerful state in Aventuria.

On his own, Emperor Hal would have never sent aid to the Novadis, due to his preference for peace and the bad experiences he had suffered during the Maraskan war. Back then, it was Leomar who convinced the emperor to support the Caliphate, to prevent the Al'Anfanian conquest. Unwilling to directly intervene, Hal opted to send neither troops nor coin, but something far more valuable.

Under Leomar, a group of Middenrealm tacticians ventured into the Khom desert, where they quickly organized the loosely united Novadi tribes into a proper army, able to challenge the Al'Anfanians on their own terms. What began as a one-sided massacre in favour of the Al'Anfanians quickly turned into a costly loss for the southern empire, as the Novadis managed to thwart the invasion. Without Leomar's aid, they wouldn't have been able to reform their military and for this, he is considered the only Middenrealm soldier to ever become a war hero among the Novadis. Since their tongue has difficulties with pronouncing his name, he is known as El'Omar of Al'Mada among them.

His role in the Khom War allowed for more favourable relations between the typically xenophobic Caliphate and the Middenrealm, which is currently proving to be mutually beneficial. Leomar returned home a decorated war hero and veteran despite not even being thirty years old by the time the war ended. He is widely considered a possible successor to the ageing Helme Haffax and known as one of the finest tacticians the realm has ever brought forth.

In private, Leomar is known as a jovial, if arrogant man who loves to boast about his deeds during the Khom War. This directly contrast with the strict and serious Helme Haffax, as he is a soldier through and through who prefers to hang out with his comrades after battle and who has never missed an opportunity for a good feast or good company, as his numerous bastard children in the Khom Desert can prove. He is favoured by the old aristocracy of the realm, people who wish to empower the nobility, which recently suffered under Emperor Hal's reign, but thanks to his status as a war hero and the countless tall tales told about his exploits against the Al'Anfanians, he is also well-liked among the common people.


The Middenrealm had to suffer through many terrible foes throughout the thousand years of its existence. Hela-Horas and the armies of Bosparan, the corrupt and power-hungry Priest Emperors, the orkish horde, Answin of Ravenmouth and many more. Yet, there is arguably no foe with whom things are more personal than with the former First Imperial Court Mage Gaius Galotta.

Galotta's upbringing and his initial years were a far cry from the man he eventually became. He was and undoubtedly still is a prodigal mage, quite likely the most talented of his kind since Rohal the Wise. In his youth, he was actually a loyal servant of the Middenrealm, who studied at the prestigious Academy of Domination at Elenvina, the only academy within the white guild to teach its students the darker arts of influence and domination magic.

With his immense talent, it was unsurprising that Galotta advanced through the ranks of his academy swiftly, eventually becoming the youngest spectability in the history of the white guild when he assumed leadership over the academy at Elenvina. Clearly possessing skills beyond that of any of his living colleagues, Galotta seemed to have a bright future ahead. And indeed, not long afterwards, Emperor Reto himself asked him to become the First Imperial Court Mage, the highest mage within the entire Middenrealm, the emperor's personal court mage, a position he kept even after Reto's death.

The ambitious Galotta had gotten all he ever dreamt of. Charming and quite charismatic, the court of Gareth was the perfect environment for him and soon, he had become a highly respected member of the imperial court. At the same time, Galotta was vain and overly prideful of his handsome physical appearance, especially in his long, red hair. This vanity and his great power made him many enemies, who were envious of his gifts. At the same time, he became close friends with the later High Spymaster Nemrod and with High Marshall Helme Haffax.

Galotta always loved women and women always loved Galotta. As such, he had a multitude of romantic affairs with the women at court, from lowly servants to the higher circles of nobility. Many found the confident, handsome and charming mage to be utterly irresistible. Among them was, according to rumours, even the young Empress-Consort Alara, whose husband famously shunned her bed.

Eventually, these affairs were his undoing. In the year 1002, several women stepped forward and accused Galotta of having used his powerful domination magic on them to force them into his bed. When a furious Emperor Hal summoned him to the throne room, Galotta denied everything. Dominating another person in such a way would be easy for a mage of his skills, as would erasing any hint that such a thing ever happened. Though Galotta brought forth a believable testimony in favour of his innocence, the women who accused him brought forth equally believable and damning accusations against him.

Ultimately, his word stood against that of his alleged victims. The punishment for such an abuse of magic was clearly death, yet at the same time, Emperor Hal had his doubts that the trusted court mage actually raped these women, given that the whole thing could have just as likely been part of a scheme against a man who was known to be unlikeable and arrogant even on a good day. Famously indecisive when it came to his friends, Hal made a terrible mistake. He opted for a middle ground between pardoning Galotta and giving him the proper punishment for rape. That way, he argued, he would not let an alleged rapist go free, but neither would he kill a possibly innocent man. On top of that, the rumours about Galotta and the Empress-Consort had clearly drained him to the point where he was happy to get rid of the man.

Instead of killing him, Hal declared that he would strip Galotta of his position and exile him. Furthermore, he would be shamed in the style of the ancient Tulamids who had once founded the Middenrealm -The Dance of the Scarlet Cap. Galotta was stripped naked in front of the court and his head was shaven clean. Then, Hal himself poured a scalding hot mixture of various foreign acids over the mage's head. Where it initially hit the skin, this mixture caused horrific burn wounds and it permanently shaped the tip of his head in a scarlet red. Though his face was spared, the resulting injury to his head was unmistakable and highly disfiguring. Afterwards, the mage was forced to dance naked on a bed of burning charcoal until he eventually passed out. At first, even as he had started to dance, Galotta begged for mercy and claimed to be innocent. However, between his shrieks of agony, his final words before losing conscious were vicious vows of revenge.


No matter the truth,even those who defended him during the trial would agree that the vengeful mage took things too far in the following months. Driven to the point of insanity, he swore revenge upon the realm. For a mage of his powers, dominating a simple mind was the easiest thing in the world and out of all the sentient races of Aventuria, there is no mind as simple as that of the ogre. Conducting an ancient ritual, Galotta dominated the minds of every ogre tribe he could find within the wilds of Tobria, before sending them on a rampage towards Gareth.

This event, later known as the March of the Thousand Ogres, took the Middenrealm by surprise. The bulk of the army was protecting the border regions, but the ogres already lived within the wilder regions of the realm itself, bypassing most of its defences as a result. Thanks to Galotta's actions, the duchy of Tobria was devastated. Though his plan to raze the capital failed thanks to a decisive strike from Emperor Hal and Marshall Haffax, his ogre army killed thousands of soldiers and even more peasants before it was defeated. Galotta himself was confronted by a group of Middenrealm agents in his hideout, but he managed to escape.

Galotta's later whereabouts are unknown. Middenrealm Intelligence lost his trail in the jungles of Meridiana. In the following years, they received reports that Galotta had been seen in Brabak and Al'Anfa, but none of these were ever confirmed and the Middenrealm's most hateful foe remains on the run to this day.