Ebrian Union

The union was forged around 1650BGS under the rule of Queen Mildred, the second that conquered and claimed all of Ebria and Alba. Both regions had been partly unruled or governed by lesser tribes and warlords, and she simply marched on with her army, found the biggest tribes and warlords and indiscriminately slaughtered them, their children and wifes, and burnt their village settlements and towns. The lessons were not wasted. After just a few such displays of power the remaining tribes and warlords started pledging their loyalty to her, real fast, and the Ebrian Union was formed. Kadus joined the Union much later, an act out of sheer desperation. The Elexian empire had first courted their little independent kingdom, then later started incidents, nightly raids mostly, to see if they could provoke rebellion or resistance within Kadus ranks. They escalated to acts of terror, and the populace reacted, but they did not surrender. Finally there had been enough Elexian troops on the Kadus's doorstep that they had pledged their loyalty to King Allmark the First now ruler of Ebria, and pleaded with him to send his army and support. It never came to much real conflict, King Allmark made it widely known that Kadus had decided to join the Ebrian Union, and made a month of celebration to make sure the word got out, he also sent several battalions of to the border between Kadus and Gilheart. The Elexian Emperor withdrew his troops directly on the border, further inland into the jungle of Gilheart, he never intended a full invasion, he was far from home on the outer border without logistics to support the troops. He really just wanted to see if Kadus was the easy pick his advisor had claimed, turned out it was not, but there was always another day and still fresh territory for his appetite. He consolidated his troops realising there was now a solid southern border at the Elcoln River and straight East to the ocean, he built a few garrisons and left people there, mostly to calm the inhabitants of Gilheart, then he moved on, he had other fights to attend to.

Geography: The Union lies within several enormous forest areas that span most of the southern Ardensis. Its western border is formed by the mighty Undarbhur Spires mountain range and by the Amassian Sea to the west. In the north the border in Kadus runs along the Elcoln River but breaks off into a line straight east through the swamps and jungle of the Elcoln lowlands. The southern border is somewhat undefined a shifting, depending on what the warlords of Rhay'ady consider theirs for the time being.

Military: The Ebrian Union actively conscripts and has a standing force of around 50.000 light and heavy infantry, 4.500 horse mounted infantry, 2400 archers and a major fleet in the Sea of Amas to keep the empire at bay. All forces are found eirher on the northern border to the Empire or on its southern border towards Ray'ady.

Religion: No mainstream religion, but many local religions and cults exist. The famous Blood Cult of Karala dominates the capital of Kelgarath, but there are a slew of lesser gods,goddeses and minor cults as well.

Social: They peolpe of Kadus are easy going and very similar to their neighbours in Gilheart. While the the populace of Alba is as secretive and private as the forest people of Rhy'ady. It is quite remarkable that so different pepople could find each other in an alliance. But the power of a common enemy holds them together, and they know they will be ripe for taking should the Union waver.

Trade:

Magic: Like in many other parts of Ardensis, magic is all gone form the Ebrian Union. Most magical beings retreated into Rhy'ady once men became dominant, but there are caves and underground dwellings in the mountains, but the Ebrians don't go looking for that kind of trouble.

Social: Mostly military people, not unfriendly but they are a watchful of strangers in the land. The most homely, hospitable and friendly people are probably the ones inside the relative safety of the many garrisons that lie along the Elcon river. A huge part of the population spends their time at sea either fishing or within the Union's fleet, the bulk of which is run out of Kadus. On shore leave these can be friendly enough people although they have a tendency to smash things up, to blow steam, as they say. The bottomline is, you either have business in Kadus and a legit reason for being there or you better be on your way, these people have no tolerance for civil toddlers or jaywalkers, they are all about war.

Geography: The region is dominated by the Elcon River that flows all the way from the Undabhur Spires in the west to the Sea of Amas in the east. The Elcon is the lifenerve of Kadus, strategically important in military and civilian transport and lifegiving in the lowlands that runs along its banks. In the mainland Kadus we find the only jungle in the Union, and although it covers a huge area it isn't dense as in GilHeart or Kel'sythia.

Military: Kadus has a standing force of around 30.000 light and heavy infantry, 2.500 horse mounted infantry, 1400 archers and a major fleet in the Sea of Amas to keep the empire at bay. Additional forces are found in garrisons to the south hosting around 10.000 light and heavy infantry, 500 horse mounted infantry, 650 archers always on alert.

Trade: All prisoners of war taken in the Union end up as slaves and are sold to Gilheart in Elexias. The Union also persues active slavery, sending out raiding parties to capture or buy slaves for trade. Kadus has no other commoditives. Everything they need, Ebri and Alba supplies them in return for their defense of the Union.

Religion: There are conscripts from all over the Union and a lot of local beliefs have been brought into and mixed around in their military lifestyle, so much that it can be hard to distinguish and tell them apart. Gods of the forest has ended up heralding war treats as the men needed it.

Magic: In the mountains, but there is no reason or motivation to go into the mountains. The people of Kadus go there only for military fortifications and ambush points and only when really needed.

Social: Ebri, the region in the middle where the land flows with honey and milk. Farmers, homesteaders and generally a friendly bunch of people. Centuries of peace and security within the Union has softened these once hard people.

Geography: The heartland is dominated by vast old forests that dominate the region. To the East the forests fade away to rolling plains before the land meets the sea in the regions of Falgarth, Seidan and Elcon Claims. To the west the mighty Undabhur Spires rises, this is also where the Capital of Ebri and the Union Kelgarath is located.

Military: Extensive military forces, mostly horsemen, archers, light infantry and weaponry are trained as part of their consciption, most are on the border to the Elexian empire along with the rest of the Unions forces.

Trade: Almost exclusively within the Union and mostly landborne. They do have regular maritime trade with the Dutchess of Loca trading farm produce for leatherwok and furs.

Religion: Very little. Local forest based religion mostly druadic, no major religion.

Magic: The magical creatures that once inhabited the great forest are all either dead or retracted into the Undabhur Spires. No one goes looking in the mountains, no one local at least.

Social: Not at all unfriendly but not particularly interested either, like most folks that live of the forest there is something forthcoming yet elusive about them. Historically they have been far worse, but once they joined the union, met other tribes and clans and the feeling of relative security, the union provided, they lived up pretty dramatically. As a fairly recent thing in history they have begun to build major cities, a behaviour quite unlike them. They are like everything else in Ardensis an evolving society.

Geography: In the south lies a small independant region called Elgath Territory bordering the Elysian rapids the Albans generally don't go near either. To the west the land rises into the mighty mountains called Undabhur Spires, responsible for the sheltered weather that favours both Alba and Ebri. But neither the Albans nor the Ebrians are mountain folks and have no joy other than shelter from the Spires in the west. The mainland is covered with enormous deciduous trees, rich wild wildlife and forest resources. To the East Alba borders the Dutchess Of Loca and the coastline to the Sea of Amas.

Military: Extensive military forces, mostly horsemen, archers, light infantry and weaponry, most are on the border to the Elexian empire along with the rest of the Unions forces. A few held locally in two garrisons to fend against southern invaders.

Trade: Mostly inside the union with Kadus and Ebri. Traders from Rhy'ady cross the Elysian Rapids and set up trade stations and facilitate trade indirectly between Alba and Rhay'ady. Although Alba has a fairly long coastline there are no maritime trade routes to the outside. The Alban are not sailors.

Religion: Sacred groves are scattered all over the great forest of Alba and they take their faith quite seriously, they appear to follow religions based on druidic practices. There seems to be some inspiration and overlap with Rhay'adyan forest religions, which is odd seeing how much the Albans fear them.The groves are watched and defended and anyone messing with them or disrespected them in any way, may see an altogether different side of the Albans.

Magic: The magical creatures that once inhabited the great forest are all either dead or retracted into the Undabhur Spires. No one goes looking in the mountains, no one local at least.