by Esper the Bard•
Updated 6 months ago
The First Paradise
Demonym: Gildense
Geographical Position: Center-East
Relation to the Bazagonian Empire: Outside
Historical Inspiration: Anglo-Saxon (central Gildas); Celtic (west Gildas); French (east Gildas)
Gildas is a temperate island-nation of pastoral fields, green hills, and forests. Long ago, this realm was isolated and garden-like, with its peoples unified by the goddess Khara the Merry. After the construction of the Moor Tower, everything changed. Folk became divided, accusing each other of bringing down curses from the gods, and a great prophecy of doom began the diminishing age of Gildas.
Knights serve the wills of ambitious lords, some as chivalrous defenders, some as bloodthirsty thugs. Men and monsters, priests and witches, castles with their banners and caves with their dragons—all these and more can be found within this realm that has become a paradise in name only.
Internal Conflicts. There is a great deal of infighting and rivalries in Gildas, and while it is officially one kingdom, it is anything but unified. Throughout the course of its history, the nation evolved into three distinct yet interrelated cultures: Ardachan, Æthelund, and Sylvaleur. The territories of these cultures are in constant dispute, and lineages bleed over in many areas.
A number of migrations out of Gildas have occurred over the centuries. The first was when the Melysis (elves) from Gildas conquered a portion of Bazagon's main island. This is the first time ever that a foreign power gained a hold in Bazagon. They seeded the Splintwood and built the Palace of Mitra. This event brought about the close of the Age of Cataclysms and the opening of the Age of Conquest.
Other Gildense groups have migrated to Magneland, Nepurna, and Drekkengrim, and to a lesser extent, Bazagon, Gurenzhidi, and Hanura.
Gildas has a variety of environments, including coasts, plains, forests, hills, swamps, rivers, lakes, and many islands. There are no massive mountains in Gildas, nor any deserts. Winters are cold, and summers are very warm, though extreme temperatures are uncommon. Precipitation is common in all seasons.
Humans, dwarves, elves, and halflings generally keep to their own lands, though they sometimes intermingle and trade with others at border areas.
Human: Common
Dwarf: Uncommon
Elf: Common
Halfling: Uncommon
*Not a player-character option
Esper's Emporium of Esotericaᴱᴱᴱ
Monstrous Heroesᴹᴴ
Gauntlet Runnerᴳᴿ
Each GM’s region can have race restrictions.
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Arboreanᴹᴴ: Uncommon
Brindlecapᴹᴴ: Rare
Bugbear: Uncommon
Centaur: Rare
Dark Elf: Rare
Doppelganger/Changeling: Rare
Dragonᴹᴴ: Rare
Duergar: Rare
Ettercap*: Uncommon
Giant*: Rare
Gnome: Rare
Goblin: Common
Grimlock*: Very rare
Hagᴹᴴ: Uncommon
Half-elf: Uncommon (greater than in any other realm)
Half-orc: Rare (generally regarded as taboo)
Hobgoblin: Uncommon
Ichoriiteᴱᴱᴱ:Very rare
Kobold: Uncommon
Lycanthropeᴹᴴ: Rare
Merfolk*: Very rare
Nefarixᴹᴴ: Very rare
Ogreᴹᴴ: Uncommon
Orc: Uncommon
Ousiaᴹᴴ: Very rare
Paracosmaᴹᴴ: Very rare
Pixie*: Uncommon
Proteanᴹᴴ: Very rare
Satyr: Rare
Sprite*: Uncommon
Treefolk*: Uncommon
Trollᴹᴴ: Uncommon
Vampireᴹᴴ: Very rare
Vivilithᴹᴴ: Very rare
Yadiraᴹᴴ: Very rare
Pronunciation: AR-də-kahn
Meaning: High Place of the Oak
Location: West
Organization: Highly-structured monarchy
The leader of Ardachan is the King, whose seat is in the city of Crónan. By law of the realm, the King holds authority over all of Gildas. In actuality, each territory is rather independent, and it would require military force to truly compel the other two territories to obey any command that they did not agree with. After the King, the various Ardachan clan chiefs hold power in the regions of west Gildas.
Pronunciation: ETH-ol-und
Meaning: Noble Land
Location: Central
Organization: Frithbond, a compact between the various thanedoms
In central Gildas, the highest authority figure is the High Thane (currently Aldred Gildenhart), whose seat is in the city of Æthelburg. In effect, he operates like a king within Æthelund. Beneath him are the many thanes, baron-like governors who oversee their thanedoms, many of whom are great warriors in their own rights.
Pronunciation: sil-və-LOOR
Meaning: Forest of Valor
Location: East
Organization: City-states
Elves largely control east Gildas, and their titles of rank vary. For example, Anointed Lord is the highest title in Chateauclair, whereas in Isilmaris (Fleur River), the titles Ser-Magistral and Dame-Magistral connote arcane authority and highest status.
The term “elf lords” is a generalized reference for the highest echelons of authority in the Sylvaleur territory.
Religion is a subject of much contention in Gildas, with vehement opinions and faiths on all sides. The Gildense Pantheon, which should be a uniting factor, often is rife with disagreements and adversity. Khara the Merry is the patron goddess of Gildas, as she cultivated the First Paradise here, but there are many who hold contempt for her, resenting how she kept Gildas secluded during the Age of Catalcysms and how she did not prevent the accursed Moor Tower from being constructed.
Vera Via is not particularly common, though there are dedicated sects here and there. Enosi is quite rare, and Shrenthata is virtually nonexistent, despite multiple attempts by Gureni monks to introduce it. Mithralianism has not properly made its way to Gildas yet. As with most civilizations, the worship of archfiends and titans is taboo or even outlawed as a serious crime.
[more details coming in the future …]
[more details coming in the future …]
Type
Realm
