Ahlissa
Proper Name: United Kingdom of Ahlissa
Ruler: His Transcendent Imperial Majesty, Overking
Xavener I, Grand Prince of Kalstrand, Crowned
Head of House Darmen (NE male human Rog15)
Government: Feudal empire with hereditary rulership;
principalities are loosely governed by monarch
whose powers are limited by written agreements
with major nobles
Capital: Kalstrand
Major Towns: Carnifand (pop. 4,800), Hexpools
(pop. 12,700), Innspa (pop. 12,200), Jalpa (pop.
22,900), Kalstrand (pop. 24,000), Naerie (pop. 6,300),
Nulbish (pop. 17,100), Orred (pop. 5,800), Pardue
(pop. 4,100), Prymp (pop. 17,400), Ralsand (pop.
2,500), Rel Deven (pop. 29,400), Sarndt (pop. 2,300),
Torrich (pop. 27,500), Zelradton (pop. 12,900) Provinces: Eight principalities, one grand principality,
various marchlands, and numerous very small
noble fiefs (counties, duchies, and baronies) Resources: Foodstuffs, livestock, cloth, silver,
copper, gold, iron products, timber, herbs, fine ale and
beer, historical and magical knowledge
Coinage: [Modified Aerdy] nightingale (pp), crown(gp), noble (ep), penny (sp), common (cp)
Population: 3,836,100—Human 79% (OSf),
Halfling 9%, Elf 5% (sylvan 90%), Dwarf 2%, Gnome
2%, Half-elf 1%, Half-orc 1%, Orc 1%
Languages: Common, Old Oeridian, Orc, Halfling,
Elven
Alignments: N, NE, LE*, LN, CE, CN, LG
Religions: Zilchus*, Hextor, Oeridian agricultural
gods, Xerbo, Fharlanghn, Olidammara, Kord,
Norebo, Ralishaz, Procan, Kurell, orc pantheon,
halfling pantheon, Boccob, Wee Jas, Delleb, Syrul,
various goblinoid gods, Rudd, elf pantheon
Allies: None
Enemies: Scarlet Brotherhood, North Kingdom,
Iuz. Ahlissa is gravely distrusted by everyone else,
particularly by all areas formerly a part of or adjacent
to the old Great Kingdom. The Rhennee hate
Ahlissa and do not travel there.
Overview: The United Kingdom of Ahlissa is the
official title of the remainder of the central and
southern lands that once comprised the vast Great
Kingdom. At its height, the empire spanned the
Flanaess from the Solnor Coast to the Fals Gap, from
the Azure Sea in the south to the Icy Sea in the
north, leaving its cultural imprint on every realm in
between. Today, the kingdom is a shadow of its
former self, as wars of independence and centuries
of conflict have sundered the once great empire. It is
now colloquially referred to as the New Kingdom of
Ahlissa, or more often just Ahlissa, borrowing the
name of an ancient Flan realm that the Aerdy
defeated to win these fecund southern lands during
the migrations.
Most of the territory of Ahlissa lies between the former South Province of the Great Kingdom and the Grandwood Forest; portions of it extend as far north as Innspa, near the Adri. These lands are densely populated, with most of the citizenry clustered around a series of large river cities. The people of these lands are largely an Oeridian-Suel mix; some orcs and goblinoids are here, but few elves, gnomes, and halflings exist except in the forests and hills. At one time these were the richest provinces of the Great Kingdom, but years of war have reduced much of the economy to tatters. The last five years were dutifully spent rebuilding infrastructure.
These lands center around the vast, temperate
plains formed by the Flanmi, Mikar, and Thelly
river systems of the eastern Flanaess, which have
for centuries nourished the Great Kingdom and its
predecessor states. Most native predators were long
ago exterminated by the Aerdi, though some survive
on the wild plains far from the river valleys,
where the majority of Ahlissa's cultivated lands are
found. The rivers of Ahlissa carry the products of
the countryside to the large cities, which contain
the markets of the kingdom and produce manufactured
goods and services. The Adri and Grandwood
are all that remain of a once-vast deciduous forest
that legends say met on the broad banks of the
Flanmi. The Aerdi cut back the woods ages ago, and
continue to reduce both forests, particularly the
Adri, with aggressive logging and clearing for pastures
and farmland. These central farmlands once
grew vast amounts of grain to support the burgeoning
populations of the kingdom, but the fields near
the disputed borders now lie mostly fallow. Most
large wildlife in the kingdom consists of grazing
animals such as aurochs (wild cattle) and many sorts
of deer and horses.
The whole of these lands is now ruled from a newly sired capital, Kalstrand, where Overking Xavener of House Darmen has established his royal court. Use of the term "Malachite Throne," which once described the office of the overking, is now considered vulgar. House Darmen, the priesthood of Zilchus, and the Royal Guild of Merchants constitute the most dominant power block in the kingdom through their control of trade and administration of the cities.
The mandate given to Overking Xavener by these
factions is very clear: They want him to reestablish
Aerdy as the preeminent economic and political
power in the Flanaess, avoiding further warfare at all
costs. An enormous black market in medicines,
weapons, clothing, livestock, and food threatens the
legal economy, and Xavener has acted to tightly
draw together the provinces under his banner by
restoring the imperial hierarchy. His recent restructuring
of the system of nobility, once top-heavy with
princes of minor power, has created much ill will
between lesser and greater noble houses for control
of territory, taxes, and merchant traffic within
Ahlissa and with outside states. Most of Ahlissa's
lords, however, are loyal to the new order because it
has reduced the chaos and restored a sense of purpose
to the kingdom.