|
| |
(The following document was copied from the Royal Library of
Evendarr April 603 E.R.)
A Short Treatise on Neridia
The Sovereign Kingdom of Neridia was founded just over
3000 years ago by King Nerid Valerton the First and in the ensuing 3000 years
the Neridian people and the eight noble families which guide them have made
great strides in magic and diplomacy.
Neridia is a nation of seven Grand Duchies and two protectorates. Each
Grand Duchy is ruled by one of the original eight noble families of Neridia,
Bainbridge, Clairborne, DeVane, Hartwell, Morindell, Valerton, and Versante and
the eighth Grand Duchy has become a protectorate, the District of Winterthorne,
when the Winterthorne family was convicted of treason against the Crown and
crimes against the people of Neridia and stripped of all titles hundreds of
years ago. The last protectorate is Deep Incanus, which was once a
separate Dwarven nation in the mountains and caverns along Neridia’s
South-Eastern border and now is part of Neridia.
Neridia has made it its goal to establish diplomatic communication with those
nations around it and those nations scattered across Avalon and even across the
entire world of Tyrra. To do this Neridia established the City of
Neridia’s Gate within the District of Winterthorne, at the entranceway to the
Kingdom where diplomats from all over the world can gather and discuss important
issues of politics and trade. They have created the Gate, a magical device
to allow rapid transit across the world, and have built a network of Gates all
linked to the Master Gate in Neridia to encourage travel and commerce.
Several times a year travelers from all across Tyrra join in celebrations and
feasts hosted by Neridia and the Lady Mayor of Neridia’s Gate, Dame Leilah
Clairborne. During these gatherings merchants from around the Kingdom
travel to Neridia’s Gate to sell their wares and many are the fine weapons and
jewels sold at the auction held during the feast. Games of skills and
martial prowess are frequently held, and the performances of bards and minstrels
highly sought and well paid for, often the Guildmistress of the Bardic Collegium
can be seen looking for new talent. And of course when adventurers gather
so do those who need to hire them and often employment can be found through the
Neridian Adventurers Guild at gatherings.
Despite all this Neridia is a place of danger, intrigue, and mystery. They
are at war with their neighbor to the West, The Varykite Confederation, and
frequently they are attacked by their forces. The leader of the Varykites,
Varyk the Undying has ruled them for hundreds, perhaps thousands of years and
appears to be nothing more than a powerful human but he is shrouded in mystery.
The Varykites conquered the Elven Nation of Echor Goroth which once was a
beautiful country to Neridia’s South but is now just desolate, undead infested
swamp. No gathering goes by without the Crown putting out a call to
adventurers to aid them in some military mission to take back lost land or make
headway against the hated Varykites.
But the mundane danger of the Varykites is not all there is to beware of in
Neridia. Though it is still fairly safe within the walls of the city,
there is an infestation of Giant Rats and Undead Rats and Rat Scavengers and
fierce rat-ogre hybrid creatures. They are led by a creature called the
Rat King, a powerful Undead Rat Scavenger who, along with his two sons, the Rat
Paws, have killed many adventurers.
The magical forces of the Dread Ones have been also been unleashed on the land
and they have summoned extraplanar monsters and released powerful and deadly
creatures on the citizenry. They recently forced their way into the city
and permanently killed the last King, Justin Clairborne the Fifth. The new
King, Daniel Versante the First, has sworn vengeance and is pursuing war on all
fronts. The once well-respected noble seems nearly insane with thoughts of
revenge and many worry for his stability. Even in this there is division
as the long-lost daughter of the former King, Princess Melina Clairborne, has
returned and made claim to her birthright and intends to make her case for the
Crown of Neridia to sit upon her head.
And behind it all a great evil has been freed. Long imprisoned within the
former elven lands and only recently released by the Dread Ones. All the dangers
and enemies of Neridia seem allied to this dark creature known as Finamarth who
is now held as the most dangerous enemy ever seen in the long history of
Neridia.
Whether adventure, intrigue, politics, the mercantile arts, the crafts of bards
and minstrels, or the secrets of magic draw you, Neridia is a place where you
will find what you seek.
More
information on Neridia
|
