Lore

There are 3 nations fighting for control of the continent of Stoneholm which lies between the Midlandic mainland and the Ismirean territory of Nordheim.

The Ismirs

The People and the Land

The Ismirs are tough honorable clan warriors from the frozen mountains and fjords of Nordheim. Ismirs are forged by war. Ismirs are a race of great brawn and colossal appearance. This feature let them survive in the harsh, ungrateful tundra of Nordheim. All men have long, bushy beards, often braided. Almost all Ismirs have fair or red hair.

In Ismirean culture, chants play an important role – not only for entertainment and passing down stories of their great heroes, but they also help brave warriors completely focus on combat before battles.

Tough terrains give birth to tough men – and that is what Ismirs are, with their faces worn by cold. They love to fight and live off of dispatching plundering sorties. They treat brave warriors and skilled smiths with great respect, they also glory in scars earned in battles. There is no place for philosophical talk in the land of eternal winter – all that matters is strength of arms and courage of the heart.

It is impossible to call Ismirs dishonorable. Word given is worth more than life, however they do not harbour a grudge against anyone – an Ismir drinking himself into a stupor with someone he has recently beaten up after an argument is pretty common.

It is also a nation famous for its hospitality. A tired traveler can always expect a place to rest his head at night, a warm broth to gain strength and a jug of beer to brighten his mind.

Amongst Ismirs there are great sailors, excellent smiths and brave sellswords, fearless of death either in combat or in the sea.

The Military

Their enormous axes brutally break through enemy shields and colossal swords rip enemies in half. Before battle, Ismirs don perfectly crafted armor and helmets. They also often war-paint their faces. An Ismirean warband consists mostly of infantry. It is hard to talk about tactics and elaborate formations when it comes to Ismirs, however these northern warriors can efficiently defend themselves behind a solid wall of shields. But they are more likely to attack suddenly, engaging the enemy with a chant on their lips.

Ismirs are famous for their fearless hearts – and that is why the Midlandic Logrean royal guard consists only of Ismirean mercenaries. They serve kings, and take part in crusades against Azebs where they earned their reputation of being unstoppable.

Politics

For years, Midlandic sailors would pray to Geliand whenever they saw the terrifying dragonboats under the Ismirean flag on the horizon. Ismirs and Midlanders signed peace a peace deal in the city of Nerval when the Azebs and Sangmar increased raids on both the Ismirs and Midlanders. The peace deal remains to this day, although it is a tense and strained peace with frequent border skirmishes. Ismirs now claim the northern coasts of Midland, where they formed the dukedom of Styrborg, with its capital of Styrhala, formally a vassal state of Logres. But, the dukedom maintains a high level of independence, choosing sides in countless arguments and affairs. Both Midlanders and Ismirs have settled there, Ismirs seeking their fortunes in a warmer climate, and Midlanders seeking to avoid the internal wars and political feuds that plague their kingdom.

The Midlanders

Midland culture is a mix of feudalism and patriarchy. According to Geliand, the Great Lord’s will since the beginning of time, dictates that a Pontiff rules over the spirit, and a monarch is responsible for the polity and other formal duties. Midland was divided long ago into two separate realms : western – Logres, and eastern – Wenedia, both ruled by independent, feuding kings.

Times of peaceful and fruitful reigns across Midland are interlaced with bloody internal wars and rebellions stoked up by demagogues and pagans, praising the evil Chort. The wealthy barons, dukes, and knights constantly scheme and strive for more privileges and power. This keeps Midland on the edge of war with itself, not to mention the Ismirs to the north and the Sangmar to the south. Although Midland has great forests, fertile fields and a wealth of mineral deposits, constant combat and greed leave the masses struggling to provide for themselves.

Classes in the feudal system are highly restricted, but such dark and disturbing times are conducive for reaching for glory and wealth.

The People

Midlanders are mostly stalwart and well-built. It is rare for them to reach over six feet high. Most men have bushy beards or moustaches, but almost all of them shave their head to match the current military fashion.

Midlanders’ are guided by the concept of honor and their pride is renowned. They glory in fencing as well as archery and horse riding. They are also proud of the fact that their greatest clans’ history reaches back to times of Hillead – an ancient kingdom, where Geliand - the King of Men and the Son of Forefather was born.

Their pride often has became their curse – for it pushed righteous men to fratricidal wars, fights over power and rebellions against current king. On the other hand, it sometimes lead them to achieve impossible deeds that bards chant songs about until this very day. Midlanders are a proud and headstrong people not likely to listen to advice unless it comes from the heavens.

Midlanders rise prayers to the Forefather and his son, Geliand, begging for protection over them against Chort’s beasts.

The military

On the battlefield, it is no oddity seeing a rich Midlandic baron wearing a full plate armor with fine sallet on his head, surrounded by his entourage dressed in light brigands and shiny caps. However, most knights and warriors charge into the fight wearing chainmail with a nasal helmet, armed with a sword and a shield. The Midlandic Kingdom’s architecture has only one purpose – defense. That is why Midlanders reinforce city walls and put up immense stone fortresses to resist pagan raids.

The Lands

Midland was once a united land, but today is comprised of two provinces separated by a mountain range - Logres in the west and Wenedia in the east - due to the feud between King Robert and his brother Bolest. The larger and more wealthy province is Logres. The Robertingians are the young dynasty of Robert's sons and daughters that rule over Logres, and they have been vying for control over all of Midland. This has led to forming a union with Wenedia. Although Wenedia has its own king, it pays liege homage to Logres, and Wenedia is obligated to aid Logres in crusades and defenses. Because Wenedia spends a huge portion of its funds and resources on Logrean wars and exploits at the demand of the Robertingians, Wenedia is the economically weaker partner, and as a result, has little bargaining power.

Midland’s northern neighbor is Styrborg – a dukedom belonging to Ismirs who arrived to the coasts of Midland from their homeland – Nordheim. The border, which touches both Logres and Wenedia, is rife with conflict.

In the south, lay the dukedoms of Dukla and Posava, covered in rocky mountains, green hills and snowy peaks. After ages of affairs and intrigues, they joined Midland, only for those lands to be taken by Azebs on the terms of the Infamous Truce.

Politics

Since securing an uneasy semi-peace with the Ismirs, Midland's current goal is to defeat the Azebs from south and pagan followers of Chort who crop up amongst the Midlandic population causing strife and cultural clashes. Though the war has gone on for ages now, and both sides constantly raid each other, there is still no certain victor in this conflict. Currently, the nations maintain a fragile armistice, called the Disgraceful Truce. According to the Truce, the Azebs are to keep all the lands they conquered. But the greatest and most disgraceful fact is the loss of Lordly Bay – Midland’s holy city, which was reduced to ashes after a year long siege. Additionally, Midland lost the Dukla and Posava dukedoms which separate the Midlandic Kingdom from Azebia, and they lost Pilgrim’s Rock as well – the very last refuge to the Forefather’s children. The treaty, however, was a necessity – armies of Logres and Wenedia were scattered, decimated, almost perished, and the king of Wenedia – Karloman III got severely wounded on the battlefield.

Since the infamous Walter’s Erasure, when the royal Midlandic forces were ordered to slay every Ismir living in the city of Tenebrok, relations between Midland and Styrborg became tense as well. Even the wise reign of Olvin II the Saint brought no effect – Ismirs, driven with lust for revenge, are constantly biting and scratching Logrean and Wenedian borders, weakening the kingdoms already devastated by wars against the Azebs.

Errata

The greatest oddity of Midland are the Sword Altars – ancient temples built in places where Geliand’s swords fell down from the sky to serve and aid Forefather’s champions. It has been said that the end of time came, emissaries of the King of Men shall reach for the holy arms and march to the final battle.

However, some of the wealthiest Midlanders now build such temples on their own, putting their own weapons inside and inventing stories to increase their standing in the eyes of both men and those in the immortal heavenly theatre.

The Sangmar

The People

The Sangmar nation is made up of two distinct peoples: The Sangmar and the Azebs. Sangmarians are mainly dark-haired and bright-eyed with a tan complexion. Unlike other cultures, they often shave their faces smooth, considering beards a symbol of savagery. Even though the Sangmarians and Azebs are united under the same banner, they don't accept children born from mixed relationships. They respect their brothers as effective and good warriors. They adhere the principle of chastity of the nation.

For ages, the Sangmar empire has been home to the greatest masters in various arts – the culture mixing allowed to exchange experience, and ideas by both crafters, and artists. The Sangmar Empire is a place where even a bricklayer strives for perfection, and a skilled cook is as highly valued as a royal sculptor – for each profession has been mastered to become a form of art. The Emperor has an undivided power, and he's treated like a god who has been annointed to lead the Empire to rule over the rest of the world. The memory of fallen heroes is surrounded by an unique cult. Their blood and sacrifice have been devoted to the service of the empire.

But perhaps biggest value for those citizens of the South is Knowledge. This is a place where there are so many inventions and the architecture is as beautiful as functional. Their customs, and manners has grown to the rank of legends. They say that in Baalhammon, the poorest folk eat on plates, not on a loaves of bread.

Sangmarians are defensive of their high culture. Ismirean and Midlandic habits are widely despised here and their outlooks are treated as a sign of backwardness.

The Lands

The most magnificent and beautiful Sangmarian city is Baalhammon - the last stronghold of science and high culture which used to be the oasis of the Sanmgarian Empire.

The climate in the south is warm, and the land is fertile, rocky and sandy. The inhabitants have few struggles providing themselves with a variety of food. It’s also a land of grass steppes, hot desert sands, and humid forests full of unique and exotic animals.

The Military

The current Sangmarian army is based on traditional legions - columns of well ordered infantry soldiers. Due to years of improvements and development, their current units are more modern and use more advanced tactics. Because of the discipline of their soldiers, the Empire has a powerful and well-trained professional army and it keeps order in the provinces subordinate to the beloved Emperor. Everyone, from scouts to praetorians, is a soldier devoted to the cause, and his armour shines brightly in the sun of the Empire like a precious jewel.

The imperial smithies are famous for their elegant weapons, sophisticated helms, and richly decorated pauldrons. Only there can a simple sword can amaze the wielder with its perfect balance and grace.

Politics

The Empire’s history is written in blood and gold. The Empire's ceaseless conquests, which subjugated the even the Midlandic tribes, was stopped in its tracks on the Ismirs' lands. The inflexibility of the warriors from the cold North aroused such respect among the Sangmarian armies that they took them to be the bodyguards of the Emperor.

In one battle against the Midlanders, Hadrian the emperor made a heroic maneuver, and it became history. He forced the Midlanders to retreat, but lost most of his units. Hadrian died of his wounds on the journey home, and his Ismirean bodyguards were blamed. The cost of Hadrian's expedition was too high even for Sangmarians, and then their capital was attacked by vengeful Ismirs. But pride didn't allow them to lay down their weapons. They arose united, ready to rise from that defeat.