Rival Gates's Blog, page 80

Nations of Lavacia: Goblin Nations

In the northwest corner of the known world of Lavacia are the Goblin Nations. It is the geographical version of a prison with the Endless Mountains making up the eastern and southern borders and barren wasteland to the north and west. The world has gone through several Dark Ages when the goblins controlled all the lands. No one is sure how many Dark Ages there have been because all written history is destroyed during them by marauding goblins. During the Dark Ages all innovation stops and society is reduced to its most rudimentary form. Currency disappears and people barter for goods. Eventually someone pulls the different races and peoples of the world together and fights off the goblin menace. Many times that person has been the Master of the Red Sapphire. Because the goblins are so vast in their numbers and so easily repopulate, the best that can ever be accomplished is to cut down the threat and settle on borders. So long as the people of the world unite, they can fend off the hordes. Once the free people turn their attention elsewhere, however, the goblins replenish their ranks and plan their next move. Dark Ages would be much more frequent except that the only people the goblins like fighting more than the people of Lavacia are themselves. There are eight goblin clans. After the last Dark Age seven of them were pushed into the Goblin Nations where they were easily checked. The clan farthest to the south was forced bit by bit back into the Southern Marshes by the armies of Valia. The land in the Nations is poor for agriculture and nearly devoid of natural resources. As a result, the clans make war on each other for what scraps are to be had. The largest clan is the Kangons. Their numbers are greater than all the other clans combined. Alas, they are the least organized and possess the fewest weapons. Famine runs wild and kills more than war. The Mandrean Empire needed soldiers that were obedient to fill their devastated legions after the War of the Unclaimed Territory. A deal was struck to purchase goblins in exchange for food and weapons. While the Kangons were pleased with the bounty and those sold had a better life, the clan no longer had the warriors needed to defeat the other goblins. While they are better fed, they are no closer to victory than before. Meanwhile the Mandreans have moved on to new conquests with their replenished forces. While the Marsh Goblins make raids and occasional invasions into Valia, the rest of the goblins are too busy fighting each other to be little more than a nuisance to their neighbors. Lately, however, the Kangons have sent lesser quality soldiers to the Mandreans before stopping the practice completely. Clearly they have plans and need only wait until their numbers are sufficient. The question is, will they attack the other clans or will they start another Dark Age.

Nations of Lavacia: Romadon

We next move from the Mandrean Empire to the object of its desire: Romadon. It stretches from the east/west segment of the Endless Mountains in the north to the edge of the wastelands to the Deep South. The eastern border starts with the Silver River dividing it from the Mandreans on down through the Great Western Forest of the Unclaimed Territory. The western border is barren rock on which no vegetation can grow. Romadon is more ethnically diverse than any country except for Sartan. Unlike Linvin’s home, however, the different races live together instead of separating into distinct counties. There are some elves and the highest concentration of gnomes outside their homeland. Many dwarves call Romadon home. They are the life blood of the booming manufacturing centers in the country. The vast majority of the populous is still human. Being such a long country, Romadon is blessed with different climates. In the north it is cooler and perfect for grain farming. The center of the country holds the capital and is a perfect environment for hard fruit trees. The south is hot and dry but still sustains orchards of citrus fruit. Throughout the country are generous deposits of coal and vital minerals. Knowing the Mandrean ambitions toward their nation they have developed a solid defensive strategy. From the Silver River it would take weeks for an army to cross the Gap of Romadon where the long corridor of fertile plains lies. Guard towers are set along the border and in a grid back along the plain to light beacons if an attack has begun. Then the invaders are allowed to penetrate deep into the gap until their supply lines become stretched. At that point the armies of Romadon strike from the front and from secret tunnels under the soil in order to attack from behind. The results have been devastating to the Mandreans who have lost army after army with few survivors to explain what happened. Though Romadon does not possess an army as big as the Mandreans, they are still numerous and well trained. They rely heavily on cavalry due to the extreme length of their nation. Their segment of the Endless Mountains provides a wonderful natural barrier against the Goblin Nations to the north. There are only three passes through the mountains. Romadon has walled them off and built what are said to be impregnable fortresses to reinforce them. All of this planning and prosperity started over a hundred years ago. A young man came to be king of what was a loosely knit subsistence society. He set about reforming the nation and solving her problems. It is said that he never aged and continued his work at a frantic pace until Romadon was a world class power. Then he married and his queen died during the birth of their only child; Princess Mirianna. From then on, the king was a broken man and a shadow of his former greatness. He also began to age. No one knows the circumstances, but the people of Romadon hold him in great esteem and do not wish to see an end to his reign. Desert nomads raid southern towns with increasingly brazen attacks and many soldiers are stationed in the south. The trade route through the wasteland is still the safest of all possibilities even with the constant threat of robbers. They send caravans to and through Sartan and into the nations of the east. Romadon is proud but alone. Fortunately for them, the nation is in good hands.

Nations of Lavacia: Mandrean Empire

Moving north up the center of the continent of the known world of Lavacia, we come to the Mandrean Empire. Its southern border is the Silver River emptying into the great Sorrowful Sea which drains into the Mystic River. In the north it ends in the arctic region at the border of the Realm of the Ice Giants. After its latest conquests the eastern border is the edge of the Great Eastern Sea. In the west the Endless Mountains run like a backbone down the continent separating the Empire from the impoverished and militant Goblin Nations. The mountains, however, take a western turn and run between Romadon and the Nations. There is a great gap between the mountains and the northern edge of the Great Eastern Forest in the Unclaimed Territory (see yesterday’s blog). It is a vast plain with a small section belonging to the Mandreans and the rest belonging to Romadon. Only the fast flowing Silver River with its steep walled gorge separates the two nations. Long have the Mandreans coveted the plain, much as they desire the Unclaimed Territory. Many attacks have been launched by the Mandreans into Romadon but all have failed miserably. Still the Mandreans continue to mass troops on the border while Romadon leaves their side of the gorge nearly undefended. The Mandrean Empire has few trade partners but is luckily self-sufficient in nearly every way. In the north they have a wealth of mineral resources ranging from high grade iron ore to gold. Their newly won lands along the Mystic River offer vast stands of good timber and serviceable farm land. To the south along the Sorrowful Sea is the heart of the Mandrean’s agriculture. A rich sandy loam is ideal for grapes and other fruits. Slightly north of there is a vast region of corn and other grains. The Mandreans started their empire as a small kingdom among hundreds after the last Dark Age. With ambitious rulers they set upon one credo. Every Mandrean Emperor must expand their territory. Their current ruler, Lord Mandrean the 13th, has already secured his legacy but wants more land. He is obsessed with defeating Romadon. He rules from his capital of Marinhalk near the center of the old country. The strength of the Mandreans has always been her armies. After the War of the Unclaimed Territory, however, they purchased goblin warriors from the starving Goblin Nations for food stuffs. Now the Mandrean Legions are essentially thousands of goblin infantry with a few human officers. They have been so successful over the years thanks to a vast network of roads throughout the empire allowing troops to move quickly from one battlefield to the next. Other than the goblin soldiers, there is little diversity in the empire. Most of its inhabitants are human. The Mandreans possess the most powerful standing military in the world. It is only a matter of time before they use it again.

Nations of Lavacia: The Unclaimed Territory

Though it is not a nation, the Unclaimed Territory has certainly had a profound effect on the countries in Lavacia. Before their lone pursuit of money, the Kingdom of Sartan had a militaristic King who boldly laid claim to the land to his north, on that side of Thornhaven Forest. He had good reason. The land he coveted was a vast prairie of long grasses and untilled soil. It stretched from Thornhaven in the south to the edges of the Sorrowful Sea (a great fresh water lake) and Silver River in the north. Dense mixed deciduous forests bookended the east and west of the prairie. Since no one had made a rightful claim to the land, the forests were simply called the Great Eastern Forest and the Great Western Forest. Herd animals roamed unafraid in the free land. The soil was rich and could prove to be a bread basket capable of feeding the world if managed properly. There was also a financial reason to want the land. Being centrally located trade between Romadon in the west and the counties of the east often travelled through the territory to save time. The owner of that land could tax such trade and make vast sums of money. Those reasons also made Lord Mandrean the 12th desire the land. The Mandrean Empire was the largest nation in the world and always sought to increase his holdings. It stretched from the Sorrowful Sea to the Realm of the Ice Giants in the arctic. The territory offered him an excellent opportunity to expand. He laid claim to the land as well. Negotiations broke down as both sides felt their military to be superior and war soon followed. It dragged on for years with the tide of battle going both ways. The Mandreans finally summoned all their forces together and pushed the Sartanians back to the edge of Thornhaven where the entire militia of Sartan had gathered to spring a trap. In what became known as the Tree Line Stand the Mandreans marched into the snare, losing the bulk of their forces. Sartan too had almost no men left. Entire generations on both sides were wiped out leaving the old and the young with a few crippled men in between. Mysteriously both the King of Sartan and Lord Mandrean the 12th died soon after the battle. Both sides sued for peace but they had to save face. It was decided that neither of them would have the territory and it would exist as a buffer between the nations. No soldiers would be allowed into the region and it would remain untamed. The agreement was beneficial to both sides. The Mandreans had time to refill the ranks of their army with goblins purchased as slaves from the Goblin Nations (another blog). Without law in the territory the trade routes all shifted to Sartan as no one wanted to go through the Mandrean Empire. Sartan turned its eye to the money they were making and vowed never again to go to war. Though they missed out on the monetary gains, Sartan’s stance could not have made the Mandreans happier.

Nations of Lavacia: Sartan

There are several small kingdoms in the world of Lavacia. It is the larger ones where the bulk of the series takes place. I will be detailing them in these next few blogs. It seems only fitting that I begin with the land of Linvin’s birth; Sartan. The nation has a wonderful sub-tropical environment. It is the most divided nation in the world. Sartan is separated along ethnic boundaries into three distinct counties. Running from east to west there is the Human County which holds the capital of Fraylic in its southern section. Moving west we find the Elven County with the growing towns of Missandor located along a major crossroad and Varns in the far north just south of Thornhaven Forest. Lastly, farther west is the Dwarven County. The towns there are less distinguished as the dwarves are spread evenly throughout the province. All three counties are roughly the same size on the map though the population is concentrated in the Human County. The entire country is bordered to the north by Thornhaven while the southern edge stops at impassible jungles and desolate wasteland. Sartan is a nation of people obsessed with money and its trappings. With the country centered on the map, lavish trade routes bring taxes and goods to their people. As a result of the prosperity, Sartan has become the foremost center of banking in the world, holding notes from nearly every nation at one bank or another. It was not always so. When Linvin was a child, some trade went through Sartan but much more went through the land to the north of Thornhaven called the Unclaimed Territory. That will be a topic for another blog. After Linvin was sent away a war erupted over lordship of those lands between Sartan and the Mandrean Empire far to the north. After a bloody struggle they ended it in a draw. Those of the men of military age in Sartan had been decimated by the war. That left the old and the young. Neither group had any more stomach for war and decided to concentrate on monetary pursuits and pacifism. As a result, Sartan with its constitutional monarchy, elected politicians to the Assembly who would keep Sartan out of future wars at any cost. One must be careful as that cost can climb very high.

Nations of Lavacia: Sartan

There are several small kingdoms in the world of Lavacia. It is the larger ones where the bulk of the series takes place. I will be detailing them in these next few blogs. It seems only fitting that I begin with the land of Linvin’s birth; Sartan. The nation has a wonderful sub-tropical environment. It is the most divided nation in the world. Sartan is separated along ethnic boundaries into three distinct counties. Running from east to west there is the Human County which holds the capital of Fraylic in its southern section. Moving west we find the Elven County with the growing towns of Missandor located along a major crossroad and Varns in the far north just south of Thornhaven Forest. Lastly, farther west is the Dwarven County. The towns there are less distinguished as the dwarves are spread evenly throughout the province. All three counties are roughly the same size on the map though the population is concentrated in the Human County. The entire country is bordered to the north by Thornhaven while the southern edge stops at impassible jungles and desolate wasteland. Sartan is a nation of people obsessed with money and its trappings. With the country centered on the map, lavish trade routes bring taxes and goods to their people. As a result of the prosperity, Sartan has become the foremost center of banking in the world, holding notes from nearly every nation at one bank or another. It was not always so. When Linvin was a child, some trade went through Sartan but much more went through the land to the north of Thornhaven called the Unclaimed Territory. That will be a topic for another blog. After Linvin was sent away a war erupted over lordship of those lands between Sartan and the Mandrean Empire far to the north. After a bloody struggle they ended it in a draw. Those of the men of military age in Sartan had been decimated by the war. That left the old and the young. Neither group had any more stomach for war and decided to concentrate on monetary pursuits and pacifism. As a result, Sartan with its constitutional monarchy, elected politicians to the Assembly who would keep Sartan out of future wars at any cost. One must be careful as that cost can climb very high.

Meet the Characters: Jelena Grithinshield

Jelena Grithinshield never quite fit in anywhere. The mother of Linvin and the wife of Dirk grew up as the oldest of 3 children in an impoverished elven family in the town of Varns, in the Elven County of Sartan. Her younger siblings were Caritha and Anvar. Jelena was a simple, honest woman who was not physically dominant or breathtaking but had a subtle charm. Try as she might, she could never please her parents. None of the suitors they brought to court her were at all interesting. Though she was proud of her heritage, she did not share her family’s hatred of Humans. Anvar openly liked Humans just as much as Elves. When he could no longer handle the backlash from his parents, he left to make his way in Fraylic, the Capitol of Sartan and the Human County. For a while Jelena stayed in Varns but she grew tired of the parental disdain for her. Finally she followed her brother to Fraylic. Once there Jelena met up with Anvar who introduced her to his best friend, Dirk Grithinshield. He was handsome and charming. At last she met someone who was not so caught up in ethnicity. For Dirk’s part, he found her simple goodness a refreshing change from the people always trying to get the better of him in business. He finally had met a woman with whom he could let his guard down and be himself. Dirk would see her extensively in between business trips and finally decided to make her the person he would come home to each night. Thus, the two were married. The Greenliths (Jelena’s family) all refused to attend the wedding. Over time Dirk’s business grew at an exponential rate. He was even named First Citizen by the King. Jelena suddenly found herself yearning for the spotlight to shine just slightly in her direction. Dirk was aware of this but had a problem. Most of Fraylic Society looked down their noses at Jelena because of her simple ways and elven background. Not being a man to stand for any insult to his wife, Dirk took action. He bought the finest mansion in town and hired instructors to teach Jelena the way of the bluebloods. His next step was to not do business with anyone who disrespected his wife. He possessed the economic clout to make it a painful point to the aristocracy. Finally, Dirk made the mansion the center for society functions in Fraylic. Even the King would occasionally attend. A requirement of attendance was the bringing of gifts and praise to the lady of the house, Jelena. Parties were held every month and sometimes more often. Jelena was finally accepted somewhere, so long as Dirk was around.

Meet the Characters: Dirk Grithinshield

Dirk Grithinshield has the distinguished honor of being mentioned throughout “Quest for the Red Sapphire” but is barely in the book. He is the father of Linvin Grithinshield (the main character) and draws a long shadow. Dirk is Human and is married to an elf; Jelena. An imposing figure, he stands roughly six foot four and is remarkably muscular. Those are not anywhere near Dirk’s greatest gifts, however. He is one of those rare people you meet in life who is simply impossible to dislike. Race, sex and age make no difference as Dirk is a charismatic person of impeccable character. With a good head for numbers and business he starts his own merchant store on little more than a handshake. He then travels the ethnically segmented Kingdom of Sartan and makes arrangements with suppliers of goods that are rare in his city of Fraylic. His store stocks the best Elven and Dwarven merchandise. Dirk’s gift with people combined with the exotic stock make business flourish. Affluence soon follows and his family moves to the aristocratic part of town in an effort to guarantee their safety and also give Jelena the place in Society she secretly longs to have.
Dirk’s world changed after a trading expedition where he procured an important item. He soon realized that his 12 year old son, Linvin, was destined to be the master of the Red Sapphire. The immensely powerful stone was said to be the most powerful magic a mortal could possess. Dirk knew Linvin would need training if he was to make the most of the opportunity when it was presented. Thus, Dirk adamantly forced Linvin to be sent to Valia in order to train with Sedemihcra, against Jelena’s wishes to keep him home and let him follow in his father’s footsteps. There were different pieces to the puzzle that would complete to bring the Red Sapphire to Linvin. Dirk was determined to obtain all the pieces and then send for his son to return home. Fate may have desired to have Linvin win the stone, but it had other plans for Dirk…

Meet the Characters: Bander Greenlith

Bander Greenlith is the polar opposite of his fraternal twin brother Rander in nearly every way. Being tall for an elf and ruggedly built he is imposing physically. Few elves stand a chance in a melee with him. As mighty as his brawn is, his wit is just as lacking. He is slow to pick up on conversation and in general can be confused easily. As a result of this shortcoming he decided at a young age that Rander was the smart one and it was probably wise to follow his lead. (Rander likely told him so) The result is that the manipulative Rander stirred up many a hornet’s nest and had his brother to back him up and save his skin.
Bander is actually a good natured person. He hates Linvin because Rander told him to do so. In truth there are only two things Bander deeply has feelings about: family and food. Bander loves to eat and anything that gets in the way of his consumption is a major problem to be overcome. He is friends with everyone that his brother has not told him to dislike. In all, he is a big loveable fellow who just doesn’t think quickly. If, however, facts are presented to him slowly in a logical manner, Bander does have his own opinions and feels quite strongly about them. Rander knows his brother better than anyone and is aware of that fact. It is for that reason that Rander rarely gives explanations for his orders to Bander. The less Bander is forced to think, the more he agrees with Rander. It was Rander’s influence that caused the fights the twins had with Linvin as children. With the two reaching the age of young adults, Bander now begins to wonder about his brother’s commands. An independent streak is nearing the surface. Rander sees it and works constantly to suppress it.

Meet the Characters: Rander Greenlith

Rander Greenlith is Linvin’s cousin by way of his Aunt Caritha. He was not blessed with many physical gifts. He is short, even for an elf. Rander is not strong or brave or noble. Instead, he is the voice behind the scenes, always playing mind games and pulling strings of those surrounding. No one is more influenced by Rander’s manipulative ways than his fraternal twin Bander. Rander hates all things Human. He dislikes their county, their dominance, their affluence and most of all, his cousin Linvin Grithinshield who is half human and thereby tainted. At every family get together Rander picked fights with Linvin and counted on his brother to back him up. They had terrible brawls and all were left bruised and bloody. Before long, Dirk Grithinshield had seen enough and refused to take his wife and son to the Greenliths for social gatherings. Rander was pleased with the arrangement and used it to further distance the Grithinshields from his family.
Rander’s father died in the War of the Unclaimed Territory and was mostly raised by his mother. Caritha had seen the war as a Human affair that had claimed her husband and was likeminded with Rander on most things. When Linvin comes calling for the twins to go on his quest, Rander refuses and the others follow suit. Then Linvin appeals to their greed and Rander shows his true colors. At least at the start of the book, all Rander cares about is what is best for him. He will trample anyone who stands in the way of that goal. He is a selfish, greedy, racist individual who secretly longs for all that Linvin possesses. His jealousy appears throughout the book and leads to great conflict. The diminutive elf will have to change his ways before Linvin’s temper becomes too much to control if he is to be any help on the quest.