Northern Territories

The Northern Territories are the lands of Yllspyre, Devlan, and Erimate that managed to survive the Demon War.

Frostrun Heights
After most of the northern lands of Yllspyre were vaporized in the magical explosion, the surviving Yllspyri people, led by Princess Zelena, fled south, to the farthest reaches of their nation's border. They stopped atop gigantic, monstrous cliffs of ice that had been raised by the distortion of nature from the cataclysmic attacks, and it was upon those cliffs of ice that the stranded, lost Yllspyri people waged their own front against the demons. Years of hard, strenuous fighting combined with a dwindling hope only kept lit by their princess, Zelena Svanhildur, nearly drained the Yllspyri of their will to go on, but they kept fighting, and eventually helped clear the north of demonic power.

However, much like most of the people in the northern territories, the Yllspyri were left alone and unaided to rebuild after the Demon War was ended. Embittered, but refusing to give into despair, the proud northerners adopted radical new magical techniques and forcibly bound demons to their will. They rebuilt, stronger and more unified than they had been in the past, and used the impressive cliffs to their advantage, creating massive, magically-enforced defenses along the cliff edges. By adhering to a strict policy of near-isolationism, keeping a close eye on the few who entered their territory, and by using their demonic slaves to bolster their ranks, the Yllspyri were able to survive.

Recently, however, raiders from the Centerlands have been breaking through the southern borders with alarming success, even managing to completely destroy one settlement. This has caused the various 'Kings' and 'Queens' of the Heights' settlements to tighten their own defenses, even going so far as to forcibly remove foreigners from their lands. In the tower-cities of the Heights, the ensalved throngs of gargoyles and mogalls are at their element, ever watchful against any and all intruders.

Important Areas
Rals Yllspyre: Among the largest of the Yllspyri city-states, Rals Yllyspyre also boasts of House Ryalov's (loudly contested) royal line. It is very much like other cities in the Heights, a fair-sized community guarded on high by a large ice tower surrounded by trained gargoyle swarms. Travelers from west are encouraged to visit the nearby mountain pass, the site of the Svanhildur ancestral tomb, also known for the shrine dedicated to Saint Zelena. Rals Yllspyre has a strong magical tradition, fielding bone-armored mages that break through their enemy's ranks in a barrage of spells.

Loronsteel: Loronsteel was founded by a dissenting political faction of old Yllpsyre, a self-proclaimed rival of the Ryalov house. Their rivalry still seethes up to this day, as the war-forged state commands a powerful presence across Frostrun Heights, their hopes set to topple their longtime foe. Loronsteel maintains good trade relations with their neighbors in mountainous Sk'harrah, granting them an abundant supply of ore in comparison to other states in the region. This has been used to temper their ice tower with steel defense points, and forge powerful weapons and armor to match the magic of their counterparts further north.

Yngvildr: Named after a famous hero in the Demon Wars, Yngvildr was once a part of Rals Yllspyre before a souring of relations prompted independence from the mother state. The small city is based on the coast, and sustains itself through fishing as well as the plunder of demon nests in land and sea. The harsh, bitter sea has bred harsher men, and there are no better seafarers alive on the northernlands. Yngvildr's ice tower is fashioned more as a lighthouse rather than a royal palace, using a powerful beam of magic light to guide their ships even at the darkest days.

The Centerlands
When the Devlan royal palace was burned to the ground by demons and their cult supporters, James Sromsvoski and a small group of his generals and advisors were forced to flee to the east, cutting through demon forces until they found refuge in Erimate. Though the people there were still poor and had little defenses against the demons, they housed the kindly Emperor and soon formed an army under his command. They fought sparsely, employing guerrilla tactics against the demons until Marcellus' rallying cry to fight resounded across the world. Backed with years of studying and fighting the demons, and the courage and hope represented by the vast Marcellus army storming through the demons in the south, the aged James Sromsvoski and his mixed army charged west and reclaimed the royal palace.

When it became obvious that neither Marcellus nor the Alacia-Arad'uuni state in the south were going to lend aid, the followers of Sromsvoski, who had died in the reclamation of the palace, moved quickly to prepare themselves. They enslaved the brutish demons that had been defending the palace, putting them to work in helping to raise cities and dig trenches. A begrudging deal with the Yllspyri controlling the plentiful waters allowed them to direct rivers throughout their war-torn lands, while massive stone barriers were erected in the southwest, to keep the still-frenzied demons and bandits from breaking through. Sufficiently defended,and with the Alacia-Arad'uuni state occupied with their own affairs, the centerlanders were free to raise many settlements throughout their slowly-restoring land.

Without the unifying leadership of Sromsvoski, however, the Erimateans that fought under him eventually broke away back to the tribes of old. In the years while the land still recovered, the Centerlander tribes turned to hunting wild demons for sustenance, and even initated raids beyond the Araducia borders for food, gold, and slaves. Recently, some of the efforts to restore the land have borne fruit, with workable soil being found in nearly a third of the territory. Farming is an eagerly encouraged profession, with farmers quickly becoming rich men thanks to the demand for their crops and livestock. The practice of raiding still persists, of course, with the dire mauthdoog the feared mounts of the Centerlander raiders.

Important areas
Sromiskar: The Free City, built on what was once known as the Ogre Grounds. It was constructed after the Demon Wars by a peaceful man among Stromvoski's descendants, who had set upon his sights on the greatest mead hall in all of Skylessia. Even though such a dream was a trying effort for the man and the heirs that followed him, this mead hall somehow grew into a thriving community, to the point that even the warring clans of the Centerlands have recognized it as neutral ground for their squabbles. Sromiskar is a medium-sized city with a collection of buildings out of wood and animal skin, surrounded by large fields of barley. It is protected by a circular stone wall, as well as hired guards composed of the various clans surrounding the city.

Bael Grounds: The Bael Grounds is a large swath of forest and mountain along the border of the Strongholds, although the clans there consider themselves divorced to the ones that surround Sromiskar. This is the most settled area in the Centerlands, made up of tiny, scattered settlements within and outside the forests. There is a sense of uneasy peace amongst the clans that live here, with only isolated squabbles for land as the worst of things. The forests teem with all sorts of wild game, particularly of the dangerous Bael spider. Bael hide is valued for its toughness while the eggs are considered a delicacy in some circles, making them popular trade goods to outsiders.

Sea Shade Grounds: The Sea Shade Grounds makes a portion of the northern coast, going further south until Sromiskar and the Mauthedoog Grounds. Though the coast offers subsistence for fishing and the western river is home to several farming communities, the clans in this area still spend more time breeding demon livestock for food. St. Fiske, patron of Harvest and Earth, is particularly revered in these areas for that reason. The clans here are a bit more territorial compared to the Bael Grounds, though they have also learned to band themselves into larger tribes for protection. There are currently three major tribes in these grounds, caught in a seemingly endless land struggle against one another.

Mauthedoog Grounds: The Mauthedoog Grounds is a long stretch of rolling, open plains larger than the other hunting grounds combined. As the name may imply, this region is iconic for its mauthedoog population, and is what most outsiders believe are what all of the northernlands are like. The clans in this area are entirely nomadic, pitching only temporary camps as leading their animal herds throughout the plains to feed on greener pastures. Conflicts among other clans for grasslands is frequent, and becomes more volatile every day. The nomad clans ride on horses and mauthedoogs to quickly cross the vast plains, and revere St. Toriya for safe travel and the protection of their animals.

Siren Grounds: The Siren Grounds essentially serve as the borders between Frostrun Heights and the rest of the Centerlands. This area was said to have bred Siren nests during the Demon Wars, though for some reason or another, those demons were driven away since, as did the rest of the wild game. The devastation of Wars is felt the worst here; clans that have migrated here (often by force) make due by tilling the barely arable land for crops. The desperate clans otherwise only have themselves to rely on, launching attacks at supply caravans or even nearby settlements in Frostrun Heights and Sk'harrah. These raids succeed most often than they don't, thanks to lightning-quick guerrilla tactics.

The Strongholds
When James Sromsvoski claimed the Emperor's throne of Devlan, he was not able to fully control all of his late father's lands. Nearly half of Devlan was plunged into chaos, unbound by laws and ruled through fear and power, and continued to be as such when the demonic invasion blanketed the land. Shockingly, it was the chaos-ruled masses of the lost territories that held out best against the demons, leading dangerous charges against their forces with no regard towards their own lives. Haphazardly formed parties of fighters and suicidal demon haters continuously formed, barraging the demons with a relentless assault. By the time the Marcellus Army reached their lands, countless humans had died, but even more continued to fight, even joining up with the army to push the demons back.

After the war ended, things did little to improve. Left to their own to rebuild, the various warmongers and warlords turned on each other like ravenous wolves. The ruined shells of former Devlan strongholds became the focal points of these war hordes, prominent enough that they became the namesakes of this region. Ogres and cyclops became valued demons in the realm, their girth and strength made them living siege weapons. From the den of chaos, three warlords managed to rise to the top, forcing the others to obey their commands. Utilizing the power of ancient magic, the warlords were able to extend their lifespans, causing many of the masses to fearfully regard them as immortals. For years upon years, the three warlords managed to keep the masses in line, ruling over them with fear and power as their weapons.

Ten years ago, however, the rising star of the Wilds, Delaney the Brutal, and Immortal Ianthe suddenly launched an assault on the three warlords. The three were completely destroyed and their control over the lands diminished, while the hungry Delaney and Ianthe claimed much of their lands after the conquest. Currently, dying remnants of the old ways are trying to band the others together, but the rise and fall of such groups is like a river. Just as one group forms, another is destroyed and the cycle repeats, locking the land in a circle of self-destruction.

Important Areas
New Armad: An ancient Devlan fortress named for the old capital, which has since been destroyed and fallen into Claudio's lands. New Armad is under the rule of the Cabal, a dangerous cadre of warlords that seek to drive back the bandits of the Wilds for good and conquer the Northernlands. It is also the home of the Stromvoski cult, dedicated to Makalov Stromvoski and the glory days of facist Devlan. The city is as fortified as Stronghold cities go, a multi-tiered fortress manned in every level by scores of cultist warriors and cyclops.

Kerchaj Port: A fortified coastal port dedicated to St. Alzabez, protector of the Seas. When this fortress was reclaimed after the Demon Wars, its warlord chose to focus not on conquest, but instead on profit. It is considered to be the smugglers' haven of the north, where contraband usually restricted in the western nations are freely traded among the port's many merchants. No matter their status, all outsiders are welcome to Kerchaj, so long as they follow the strict laws within her walls. As of late, pirates from the Wilds have harassed the northern shipping routes with alarming frequency, pressing the city into a bit of a peril. It's uncertain whether the current warlord will manage to combat this threat, or remain locked tight within the stronghold's impenetrable walls.

St. James' Bastion: Once one of the few remaining beacons of hope during the invasion of demons, now St. James' Bastion rings with the roars and screeches of demonic creatures. The Weeping Venom bandits, shunned by even most of the Stronghold for their blasphemous ways, occupy the keep, breeding more and more twisted versions of their demon hordes to bolster their ranks. Due to the keep's prime location and relatively undamaged weapons and defences, the Weeping Venom bandits have safely kept all manner of forces from invading the Strongholds from the south, be they Delaney's brutes, the Acid Shaihk's manaketes, or even the awesome might of a living dragon.

Government
Though each area operates under different laws and traditions, what remains the same for each is the stressed focus on survival of the fittest. Faced at all sides with dangers, from bandits to the west, Araducia's constant squabbles leaking in from the south and the raiders scattered through the Territories, the Northern people have banded together in order to survive. Various 'tribes' litter the north, all led by an elected leader and all bound by the city of Meidhol's alluring promise of peace. The enslavement of demonic forces to bolster their ranks has brought the Northern Territories only scorn from the civilized southern nations, but when under constant attack from numerous sources, the Northern people have found it easy to dismiss the complaints of their neighbors, especially if it means living another day.