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The eldest druidic lore tells us that Vedian is derived from vaeda-i-an
which is thought to mean 'land with folded hands'. The remarkable scholar
DeFache proposes that this implies Vedian
was part of a truce agreement and was out of bounds to the competing factions.
Vedian is divided into duchies each with a ducal ruler under the theoretical
rule of the Crown Prince Madristin and the Druidic Council. The Druidic Council
grants full sovereignhood to the crown prince after five years of 'wise rule'.
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Geography
Towns and Cities
A small village built on the site of an ancient battle. Relics of the conflict
are ofter unearthed by the locals and sold to collectors in Tantagel.
'Archeology. Where failed philosophers are laid to rest.' -
Unattributed.
The village of Bannermane is home to many archeologists and historians, mainly
comprised of scholars who failed to transfer their thoughts into accepted
philosphy. Disgraced from there universitys they have turned their
talents to new types of learning. They are shunned and ridiculed by
the lore masters and serve only as an annoyance.
They make a living by selling items unearthed from the Battle of Bannermane.
The village itself holds only one hundred people as their is little
other commerce to sustain the living.
A medium sized seaport with a population around two and a half thousand.
Tantagel is an important port in the sense that it holds the only stretch
of sea that safely connects to the Uncharted Lands. The importance
in this, lies in the forests on the eastern shore. Vedian has been barren
to all wooded trees prior to even Monpellia's time. Only the ancient
texts speak of trees growing in Vedian. Subsequently there is great
wealth to be gained in farming these trees and bringing them back to Tantagel
on huge barges. The waters of the Straight of Reslin are bordered
by many huge rocks that hold back the Great Seas. It is still
a difficult and dangerous journey and only able seamen will make the journey.
Tantagel therefore tends to be populated by a particular type of person.
Often loners and thieves. Attacks upon barges returning from
the seaport are not uncommon and the noble of Gan-Taran resides on the very
outskirts of the town in an attepmt to distance himself from the troubles.
Prominence Bast'wa is a cowardly
noble and only seeks to ensure he recieves the duty from all commerce returning
from the Unchartered Lands. He invests nothing in either time or money
back into Tantagel itself. Only a minimal guard troop is paid for and
they are scarcly enough to ensure the town does not fall into anarchy. it
is oft said that 'Those who work in Tantagel are desperate, Those that journey
there are fools and those that are born their are unfortuate'.
Straights Of Reslin
Named after the first sailor who successful built a boat strong enough to
cross the waters and return, the Straights are guarded on both sides by huge
rock faces that climb upwards from the depths below. They are a full
two day voyage to get from one shore to the other and many ill made vessels
have fallen at its rocks.
The seas that surround the Vedian itself are impossible to navigate. No
sailor has ever returned from a voyage outside of the Straights of Reslin.
Waves the height of great towers crash all around the seas and tales of huge
serpents from the deep are rumoured. The only other land mass that
can be attempted by boat is the island that The Moot Of Factions was allegdly
held at on the south eastern coast. The sea is shielded by the surrouding
landmass here and so allows for a heavy boat to cross. It should be noted
that these lands are now off limits as ruled by the Druid Council.
The Uncharted Lands
Two days voyage from Vedian lies a huge landmass that little is known about.
The only living substance appears to be the forests that grow on its
eastern borders. Great Elm trees rise for almost a league from north
to south and west to the shore. The few that have wandered to the borders
of the forest have only seen an endless desert flowing beyond in all directions.
No recorded attepts to cross this abyss has been made in the texts.
The fishing village in which our party lives. The village is located on the
nothern shores of Asten Taran, approx. four leagues from Bannermane. It
has a population of 500 and is populated by commoners only. Its sole commerce
is fishing from the northern seas.
A huge mountainous region that fills the eastern part of Vedian. At
the base of the range lies the area of Coralis-taran and its capital Medwere,
the lake town. The mountain range is over ten leagues from west to
eastern point and hazardous for any but experienced climbers to cross. It
is said that the range is home to a small tribal people's, but few outside
the lake town have ever seen such evidence.
The capital town of the eastern duchy, Medwere is a thriving town based around
the huge lake that stretches a full league in breadth at the base of the
mountains. Medwere is host to a population of in excess of 7000 people
and the third largest town in Vedian. Its commerce is predominently
in furs and hides which are sheperded in the foothils of the range. Also
an exotic breed of fish only to be found within the Lake Medwere itself can
be purchased at market. The lead noble of Medwere is
Prominence Redrick. He
is a fair noble and treats the townsfolk well, his attitude to fair trade
and encouragement of distribution of wealth has made Medwere a popular town,
growing swiftly in the past few years.
The leading University of the eastern duchy is based at Medwere and houses
many lore scholars. Coralis University is a modern lore follower in
vedian terms, sticking to the essential principles of balance philosophy.
Its lead Lore Master is the learned
Coralis SanPollan Principle of Perennial
Philosophy. San Pollan is an up and coming Council member he
follows the ways of the high council and is often at odds with the noble
Redrick on matters of local policy.
The capital of Pluris-taran and the largest town in all Vedian. Home
to over 25000 inhabitants Vedtallen is a thriving gaggle of commerce. All
types of comodities are bought and sold in its famous market square. The
square is also a great attraction for visiting scholars as it hosts 'The
Pulpit'. A great circlet of stone at the centre of the market adorned
with a ornate marble stand. Scholars who have earned there first years
study may come to The Pulpit and begin to announce new philosphy to other
such lore visitors. No commoners are allowed to step foot within the
stone circle. It is written in the ancient texts that if a common man
where to stand atop the pedestal, the land would fail for a hundred years.
The Crown prince Madistrin of Vedian currently stands as the Towns noble.
Until he formerly takes up office of King he continues in his role
as Prominence Madistrin. He is a powerful man and is watched carefully
by the scholars at the Pluris University. The University is home to
the High Council as it is claimed to be the oldest standing university in
Vedian. (This is not entirely true, the Sanctuary of Bridges which stands
upon the original University of Bridges is technically the oldest university)
The Lore Master (and leader of the High Council) of Pluris University
is the revered Pluris Shel-Toro High Master
of the Balanced Lore. In excess of the usual common guard within
the town, a council run militia also numbers over 1000 to ensure the 'protection'
of the High Council, their barracks is located in the outer walls of the
university.
Located on the border of the Asten and Pluris duchies. The forests
have stood for as long as any can remember, even the encient texts speak
of their charred and unliving forms. For over a league from east to
west the forest is home of the dead trees. Fully grown great elms
that are scarred and black, bearing no leaf or life. In a world dedicated
to philosophy of science the forests are a bastion of fiction. More tales
and rumours surround the forest than any other area of Vedian. Small children
are told stories of its horror and grown men willl avoid walking near its
borders. Even the guards will not venture within its realm. It
is said that there is a point from both duchys where a man can see another
straight through the forest. But if a man enters then no view is possible
in fromt or behind. Scholars believe that it is not some witchcraft
that lived in the forest but rather a poisonous gas that emenates from the
dead bark. It is the gas thwey believe that affects men's minds when
they enter the forest. It should be noted that no scholar has entered
the forest to prove or deny this philosophy.
No histoy exists in text of how the trees became as they stand today but
few can deny it is connected to the barren nature of the rest of Vedian.
The main problem with the forests prescence is that travelling from
Pluris to Asten is impossible without entering Coralis or Gan from east or
west first. There is no crossing from north to central duchies without
travelling through the forest and few willl make that journey.
Social commentators believe that the split between Asten and Pluris is
represented by the forests themselves. Examples such as the dismissed
archeologists of Asten go someway to support this viewpoint.
The small viallage on the borders of the Lough-duchy and the Inpur Desert.
It is home to a small population of 200 and previously had little to
reccommend it to anyone. Recently though the merchant Haverman has
discovered mines under the borders of the land and began to unearth great
valuables. He has secretly recruited theives and curs from the Tantagel
seaport to hold the popluace in chains, forcing them to work the mines for
his personnel gain.
The name for the waters that are surrounded on three sides by the SE coast
of Vedian. The Bay is also home to Imanis Island. The protection
of the land allows the bay to be one of the few area that boats may sail
on. There are sailors at TanTagel that rumour one of the serpents
of the Great Seas, to live within the bay.
In these days few recall the true name of the island in the Vedian Bay,
on the SE coast. It is known now only as the Island Of The Moot
Of Factions to all but a few scholars. The island is in Vedian terms
quite a fertile land, with lusg greenery and tall bushes in quantity. It
is less than half a league across and with the exception of its historical
note, was until more recently of little interest. It has been officially
claimed by the council as out of the boundaries of common men to visit. A
few scholars were allowed to pass over the waters who were brave in heart
and stomach, to visit the ruins of the University of Bridges. In more
recent times much activity has surrounded the island. A decade ago
Defache decided that hs philosphy had moved futher away from the
University of Pluris and decided that he would have to start new way of
teachings. For this he felt a new university would be required and
sought the agreement of the council to develop on the Island as this was
not in control of any noble. The council denied his request and in
great anger and disappointment DeFache ignored their ruling and went ahead
with his vision. Any other member would not have survive the onslaught
of words that followed, but DeFache was no first year student to taunt and
frighten. He held his place on the council against all odds often debating
his teachings at 'The Pulpit' against other named dignitaries sent
by the council. Law in Vedian is not an absolute, it is defined by the strength
of philosophy and DeFache's was strong.
So the new building was errected at great personnel cost to DeFache, the
money was raised by selling a number of ancient writings he had been handed
down over the years to other Universitys. On only one point did DeFache
back down in an effort to withstand the full might of the High Council, the
new building was not labelled as a 'University'. In this way the council
could reaffirm to the other members that they had been successful in their
original denial of this project. Instead it was named 'Sanctuary
Of Bridges'.
The DeFache led 'University' is home to a around forty students who have
secretly followed the teachings of the charismatic Druid. Many of the
students came over from Pluris University after witnessing DeFache's perfomances
at The Pulpit. It is also rumoured that one of the students is in fact
a commoner, these reports are widely denied as idle speculation. The
Sanctuary is a well organised, peacful building. It has a formidable library
but missing some of the greater texts that DeFache had to sell in order to
afford the build. The building it self took over 100 barge trips and
the lives of 7 sailors just to move the raw materials onto the Island. The
gardens of the sanctuary are becoming quickly revered as the most beautiful
in Vedian. In the last year the young herbalist
Samuel Plutaran has left his native
home and journeyed to the island to take residence over the gardens. A
brilliant young talent, DeFache happily has installed him as his Master
Of Gardens. The boy is heralded from good stock, being the son
of the Plutarans who managed to grow the small sapling that sits in Vedtallen
square, the oinly living tree in Vedian.
Duchies
The north-western duchy of Vedian. Duchies are denoted by the 'taran' suffix
which is often omitted in common speech.
The central duchy of Vedian. The most populated duchy and traditionally the
seat of central power over Vedian. Pluris enjoys a great deal of trade and
relative safety from the hordes of the south or northern sea borne assaults.
Duchies are denoted by the 'taran' suffix which
is often omitted in common speech.
The eastern duchy of Vedian. A sparsely populated region and home to many
smugglers. Duchies are denoted by the 'taran' suffix which
is often omitted in common speech.
The western duchy of Vedian. Duchies are denoted by the 'taran' suffix which
is often omitted in common speech.
The southern duchy of Vedian. Duchies are denoted by the 'taran' suffix which
is often omitted in common speech.
Outside Vedian
South of Vedian lies the vast Inpur Desert. The desert is an unliving area,
it can not be crossed and few attempts have ever been made. The desert itself
ensures that most of the southern duchy is a desolate barrent area. Lough-taran
itself currently has no noble present. The last one dying without bearing
a firstborn son. The duchy is currently up for relocation to another
noble but no decision has yet been made and it is doubtful any nobles will
war to inherent this barren area with no source of commerce. While
not housing a major town it is inhabited by small pockets of self sustaining
villages and at its centre lies the University of Lough. The University
still has a thriving scholar base as it is seen as an area for great thinking
being so quietly populated. Many scholars in the past have moved away from
more homley duchies to move to the confine of the Lough. The lore master
of the Univesity is Rill Fortuna, an especailly
cerebal man who wants for little but time to think and write. He is
duty bound to stand in while no noble is present in the lands but sees this
an inconvienience to his studies. He has left most day to day business
down to the merchant Haverman Of Otenhof.
The baron has used the time to build up great wealth from ore mning
he has keep secret from the other nobles found near the borders of the desert.
He hopes to build up enough wealth to buy himself the Prominence of
the Lough.
Sociology and Politics
Druidic Council
The council is said to have been created out of a great war between factions.
It is said that the lands warred with one another for seventeen years
and a day until the lore master
MonPellia lured the
leaders into a moot. From that day the Druidic Council took over the
running of the lands and appointed itself holder of the lands faith for no
shorter time than five year and one day. If in that time a CrownPrince
was deemed worthy under the councils eyes, then he would be allowed Kingship.
The council has not appointed a kingship on a crownprince for two decades.
The council has grown greedy and began to worship false gods, following
old law written by the Saban monk's not seen in the world since the
Days Of Impurity.
Its pure members like DeFache have been isolated and serve the council
only in name. Other pure members have gone unaccounted for and rumours
have risen of their demise.
Many years prior to the Faction Wars, an order of Monks sprang up and quickly
spread throughout the lands. The writtings and teachings were a harsh
and impure following. Yet it seemed the Saban's were an addictive cult,
mastering great powers of mind control's and spirit summoning. It is
unsure, historically speaking why the Saban monks vanished as quickly from
the land as they came. These times though came to be known as the Days
of Impurity. The writings were ritualy burned but it seems something
from the age survived and now works its way into the Druidic Council.
The Battle Of Bannermane
The bloodiest hours of the Strangers War were at the fortress of Bannermane.
It is said that it was the most magnificent building to ever grace Vedian's
shores. A walled citadel garrisoned over a three thousand men at its peak.
Previously in the faction wars it was the last bastion of the Tanar Faction
long after all other defenses were lost by that group.
The building itself was crippled during it's recapture and it lapsed into
delapidation. Only recently has the site been rebuilt upon with a small village
named after it. The central bastion still remains.