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Welcome to Alvirad, a medieval fantasy/war RP set on the continent of the same name. On the continent of Alvirad—a vast mass of land taking up most of Aundair’s western hemisphere—the humans of the four Kingdoms of Alvirad, once allied by treaty and tradition, now are vying for power and dominance of the continent. Alvirad is a land where even the forces of Heaven and Hell vie for supremacy. Now, as dark forces grow over Alvirad, war seems imminent between the four kingdoms. Can it be stopped, or will Alvirad soon be engulfed in the tides of war?

Lhazaar
Ruler: King Ambrose Kell
Capital: Byzan
Population: 1, 200,000 (Common Caste 80%, Nobility 20%)
Exports: Ships, trade goods, fish, mercenaries
Imports: Iron, Steel, Timber
Allies: Galifar, The Holy Empire
Antagonists: Vidal

The southernmost territory and the nation on the border of the White Sea and the Great Ocean, Lhazaar is easily the merchant marine capital of Alvirad. A highly populated area, many of the natural forests of Lhazaar have been cut down for shipping supplies, and much of the seacoast is littered with port towns, with some of the biggest being the capital Byzan, the town of Regalport, and the city of Amnir. Most of the citizens make their living off of the water in someway or other, whether they are the owners of shipyards or sailors or fishermen. Great sea barons and pirate lords may command legions of ships which lay his claim to wealth and power. Recently, the area has been dealing with a large pirate problem—many of the bandits have gotten bolder in recent months, and many of the seacoast villas have been burned and raided. This has lead to the handing down of the “Edict of Service”, a law passed by Ambrose Kell declaring that men between the ages of 18-24 are automatically being recruited into the Merchant Marine to bolster the number of defenders. This land is ruled by Ambrose Kell, one of the two remaining children of King Aidenn and commander of the largest fleet sailing the Great Ocean.

A majority of the continent's most skilled mercenaries come from Lhazaar, having been trained with the Lhazaarian Merchant Marine, which provides highly diversified training to the soldiers that guard its precious cargo ships in exchange for only one year required service.

Frequently worshiped Gods include Gairn, the God of Travel, and Aquain, Goddess of the Sea and Seafarers.


Vidal
Ruler: Regent Protector Alexandra Nightson
Capital: Baldur’s Keep
Population: Unknown (Estimated at 460,000) (Common Caste 88%, Nobility 12%)
Exports: Silver, Opium, Mages, Slaves
Imports: Tomes, Scrolls, Potions, Weaponry
Allies: Galifar
Antagonists: The Holy Empire, Lhazaar

The ruined land of Vidal is a treacherous place to live. There is one in every empire after all—the country where one goes when dirty work needs to be done or secrets need to be kept. To Alvirad, Vidal is that place. A mountainous nation of sinners and sorcerers, Vidal is home to underground markets, opium dens, and dark magicks. Those who emerge from this mountainous wasteland do so as strong warriors, many of them as spies or mages of skill who are sold to the highest bidder. Nestled in the Volgrant Mountain Range, the capital of Baldur’s Keep (named for the son of Aidenn who ruled in the nation’s halcyon days) is a well-guarded center of dark mages and clerics, and a center of commerce for the…unconventional crowd.

Though silver and opium are major exports, the real treasure of Vidal is in its mage children. Due to the destruction that destroyed Vidal and the low population compared to other nations, women of childbearing age (roughly between the ages of 16-40; the average woman has birthed at least 1 child by the age of eighteen) are expected to bear children, and thanks to the Regent Protector’s newly established “Obligations of Soldier and Citizen”, female children must be registered with the government and must have a minimum of four pregnancies during their childbearing years (which is quite easily fulfilled due to a high percentage of rapes occurring in Vidal), with the first occurring between 15-18. Expectant mothers are taken, without exception (read: under penalty of death) to birthing centers, where they are kept until they deliver. While held at the center, those carrying children with “Magick Potential” are cornered off, and their children are magically altered while still in the womb—hence the reason all Vidalan mages and soldiers have unnaturally green eyes and silver or black hair.

Mage children (those usually sent out of Vidal) are then evaluated for health—if found to be sickly, they are killed moments after birth. Both male and female (only 10% of females make it here, even with Magick Potential) mage children, or those destined to be soldiers, are not kept with their mothers—after birth, Mages are sent to the Academy of Sorcere, and at the age of 15 sent to either the Barracks for intensive war-mage training, or to the Nightson Institute, where students learn either advanced Necromancy or clerical Magick. Vidalan Necromancers are highly prized for their skills, though few nations would openly admit it. Soldier children are kept at the Armory until the age of 15, when they are either sent to the front lines, or sent to the allied nation of Galifar for advanced officer training. Those men who possess Magick Potential but fail at their tests are kept solely for the purpose of breeding.

Due to Vidal's heavy standing on magick, those with little or no magickal ability or potential are looked down upon. The most significant of these "lower classes" is the class of Black Knights. These are soldiers with little to no magickal abilities, and because of it have opted to lift sword and ax and shield. Their dire lack of fluency in the dark arts makes them prime targets for cruelty and harassment both privately and politically. These are the people that struggle the most through life in Vidal, and are quite often homeless or evicted due to their lowly status. To find one in a position of respect is rare and quite often short-lived. A single mistake could taint their careers for the rest of their natural-born lives.

Vidal is ruled in a totalitarian fashion by the Regent Protector Alexandra Nightson, the only heir to Lord Gwydion Nightson, who fought beside Kell in his efforts to unify the nations. A sadistic necromancer, Nightson is often reported to enjoy sampling fine wines while watching executions. Alex Nightson has no heirs, though some theorists believe that she is the mother of Darken Kell, the heir to the throne of Galifar.

Gods often worshiped include Deccan, God of Magic, and Rennais, Goddess of Death and Secrets


Galifar
Ruler: King Leander Kell
Capital: Pegasi
Population: 4,000,000 (Common Caste 80%, Nobility 20%)
Exports: Timber, copper
Imports: Arms and Armor
Allies: Vidal, Lhazaar
Antagonists: The Holy Empire

Above all other nations, Galifar embodies the warrior spirit. A heavily forested nation, Galifar is responsible for training some of the most brilliant soldiers in Alvirad. Having the largest army on the continent and an abundance of resources, Galifar is the most heavily populated of the five kingdoms. A militaristic society, mot facets of life revolve around the military. When children are born, they are evaluated by military healers—those found to be unhealthy are killed or sold as slaves to the Vidalans (one of the dark secrets of an otherwise gleaming empire). At five, around 50% of the children (both male and female) are taken to the Barracks, where they will spend the next ten years of their lives learning basic soldiering and skills. At fifteen, the recruits are then divided into one of several advanced academies for five years in order to learn further skills:

The Order of the Sword—This group takes all those intended to be foot soldiers, specifically swordsmen. In recent years, they have also taken on ax-wielders. Those who attend here are meant to be warriors, swordsmen, or barbarians.

The Order of the Shield—This is the order of the knighthood, from which knights and generals are trained. Taught the ways of mounted combat and use of the lance and sword, those who emerge from this academy do so as powerful warriors and platoon leaders. This prestigious school is often restricted in entrance—only the top 15% of each group of recruits is eligible for entrance. By the end of training, recruits will emerge as Knights.

The Order of the Pantheon—This group trains war clerics to use divine magic for the good of the empire. This is the smallest school, as very few people in Galifar are of Magick blood (hence the need to import mages from Vidal). By the end of training, recruits will be Clerics.

The Order of the Eagle’s Eye—This order trains the scouts and archers of the empire. Galifar is in possession of some of the most accurate archers in the world, and here they learn their skills. By the end of their training, recruits will emerge as Rangers or Snipers.

The Order of the Shadow—A school that Galifar actively denies the existence of, the Order of the Shadow takes only 5% of recruits and the criteria for admission is veiled in secrecy. Here, under the watchful eye of Vidalan mercenaries, recruits become Rogues and Assassins, the fabled killers of the empire.

From there, only 25% of candidates are chosen for further schooling at the Citadel, the officer’s school of Gailfar. Producing cream of the crop officers, other nations often send their officer recruits to Galifar for advanced training. (Side note: There are no mages in Galifar—all those in Galifar are imported mages from Vidal.) After training is completed, each Galifaran soldier is required to serve for five years, and is given monetary incentives to continue serving additional terms.

The kingdom is ruled by the Warrior King Leander Kell, the eldest son of Aidenn. A fair, just ruler, he does what is necessary to insure the safety of his nation and their way of life. However, he is getting old and sickly, and many of the noble court worry what will happen when his son Darken comes to power. Darken’s parentage has long been debated…is he truly the son of Leander and his queen? Or, is he truly what people claim—the son of Alex Nightson, and thus the heir to both kingdoms?

Recently, Galifar has been dealing with threats to their military dominance, led by The Holy Empire. Though they wish to avoid all-out war, many have noticed the tightening of the border between Galifar and The Holy Empire, and that more emphasis is being placed on producing children for the army, and the punishment on rape has been lessened and in some cases (usu. Involving noble-born males) pardoned completely. While they have not gone as far as Alexandra Nightson has, rumors of new laws tightening birth regulations and mandatory reproduction have slipped down the pipeline, and many Galifarans are simply gearing up for war and waiting for the hammer to fall.

The main God worshipped is Valen, the God of Valor and Strength-at-Arms.


The Holy Empire of the Light (The Holy Empire)
Ruler: Regent Emperor Caevat D'Argent
Capital: Merpenoth
Population: 3,600,000 (85% Common Caste, 15% Nobility)
Imports: Arms and Armor, Scrolls
Exports: Foodstuffs, Missionaries, Gold
Allies: Lhazaar
Antagonists: Galifar, Vidal

The Holy Empire is the most pious and rapidly-growing of the four kingdoms, despite Vidalan and Galifaran attempts to induce growth in their own kingdoms. A growing power, the Empire places great emphasis on the worship of its god, Solem, God of Light. Believing themselves the chosen of Solem, the citizens follow his teachings with fervor, insuring for themselves a place in the Heavens when the time finally comes. While no military or clerical service is required of the people, many choose that path, with most becoming white mages, paladins, or clerics of Solem. Clerics, paladins and mages are sent to study at Soulkeep, the army’s main stronghold and the center of commerce in the Empire. The most elite among them often receive a holy sign, the symbol of Solem (A silver sun with twin white swords crossed over it) and are inducted into the Order of the Twin Blades. This Order is responsible for peacekeeping, missionary work, and above all, the Arcane Inquisition. The Arcane Inquisition is the attempt to systematically eliminate all Non-White Mages and Necromancers in the Empire.

Once a rigid monarchy, since falling into the hands of Regent Caevat D’Argent, a religious fanatic, the empire is becoming more and more a theocracy allied with the Church of Solem, with little distinction between the bureaucracy and the church. Ruling in conjunction with Caevat is the eleven year-old Jaela Miron, who is supposedly the Speaker of Solem—though whom he expresses his holy orders. And recently, those orders have grown dark. Military expansion and the Arcane Inquisition have been demanded by their God, and thus the Empire prepares for war with Galifar and Vidal.

The official god of The Holy Empire of the Light is Solem, God of Light.

Byzan (bI'zan)—The capital of Lhazaar, crime is relatively low. This is due to the heavy presence and patrol of the Merchant Marine soldiers. While smaller than Regalport, its imports and exports are relatively similar in value: politics. When the most important and respected of nobles travel the high seas, they take vessels that anchor themselves at Byzan. Even the King of Lhazaar travels aboard ships from this city (and ONLY ships from this city). Still, Byzan is subject to the occasional pirating visit, just as all port cities are. Few, however, dare to challenge the might of the Merchant Marine ships, and those that do are most often brushed aside by the power of the royal fleets.

Regalport (ree' gul port)—The largest port in the country of Lhazaar, Regalport is the headquarters of the Merchant Marine and home to numerous fleets, bars, and general entertainment. Possessing a large underground entertainment and gambling district, Regalport attracts people from all over Alvirad. Pirates and the Thieves Guild maintain a heavy presence in the city, and as a result there is a lot of crime.

The Citadel—The great officers academy of Galifar, the Citadel is a military stronghold where the warrior code is law. A fine old complex with a great deal of history to it, the Citadel attracts numerous military leaders each year. Held annually at The Citadel is the Challenge of Kell, an international event which pits the finest warriors from each nation against each other in a contest of wits and strength.

Pegasi (Peg uh sI')—The capital of Galifar, this is where the few families of Galifaran nobility may be found. In addition, this is where the greatest armor- and weaponsmiths can be found. Order is easily kept here as respect is given to all productive members of society: so long as one produces goods and/or services, they are welcome. Due to its high level of order and care, the slums are an extremely small arm of the city, and those that live there do well to keep themselves hidden from plain sight. Those that live in the slums are most certainly those living off of illegal work and trade, but exist because they have yet to be caught.

Soulkeep—The religious center of The Holy Empire, Soulkeep sees numerous travelers each year, headed toward the grand Cathedral of Glass, the grandest and most prestigious church in the Empire, and the location of the Speaker of Solem. All members of the Order of the Twin Blades have their initiation ceremony there, during which they are branded with the symbol of Solem.

Baldur's Keep (bal' dur)—The capital of Vidal, it is heavily guarded both geographically and magically. It is built in a steady stacking formation: the buildings nearest the outer gate are smallest and steadily increase in size nearing the heart of the city. Ultimately, it is divided into three districts: Outer, Middle, and Central. The two inner walls are another safeguard against invasion and were constructed after the Battle of Vidal. Many of the people live poorly, and a large portion of the outer edge of the Keep could be considered "slummy." The more successful merchants and the noble families are located higher up the mountain, overlooking the lesser "rings" of the city. Not only does this from of construction display the steady increase in success and nobility, but provides the Vidalans with a capital that is much easier to defend from invaders. The Black Guard can be seen wandering its streets every so often, but never without purpose. Most often they are seen in pursuit of those caught committing acts against the law of Regent Protector Nightson: black market trading of weapons and slaves (that is, trades that do not involve the government), or conspiring to rebel.

The Dark Spire—The headquarters of the Archsages of Vidal, the Spire is where all of the research for the advancement of Black Magick takes place. From this place, all dark mages of Vidal receive their orders from the Regent Protector, the Lady Alexandra Nightson. And here, some of the foulest experiments known to mankind are conducted in hopes of purifying the mage bloodlines.

The Golden Court of Sacea (Suh kay' uh)—The former capital of Aidenn Kell’s kingdom, the Golden Court is still the linchpin of peace in Alvirad. Kept guarded by a special detachment of Vidalans, Galifarans, Lhazaarians, and citizens of the Empire, the Golden Court is where the four nations meet every three years to renew and amend the Treaty of Kell. The destruction of this building could easily send the four nations to war once more.