Federation of Jörmun
Overview
The Almidar have found their stride once again after The Fall when their Archon descended from the Heavens to protect them. With her arrival the Almidar praised the Aimur and Gandur once again for the protector they had been bestowed. They spoke with their Archon and asked her about their magic that had been lost. She was receptive to their plight and asked that she be given some time to figure out a way that would be beneficial to the people. She knew that sharing her power to all of them in its complete blessing would be impossible and the Aimur would not allow it.
In a spark of ingenuity she came up with a solution that would change the lives of the Almidar forever and even in the modern day would make them one of the most powerful nations in Lendil. She knew that her power would never be able to be shared with everyone while she was alive. So, in a bid for mercy, she begged her father Baphomet, to take her life in exchange for the people of Jörmun may once again have their magic given to them for they feared what would happen should they be invaded again by Humanity or any outside threat. Baphomet so loved his daughter that he granted her wish and the wish of the entire nation, on one condition, that the magic given to the people of Almidar would lesser than anything an Archon would have or could give, but that it would be shared amongst all of the people.
Legend goes that the Archon agreed to these terms and so, her divine essence was scattered among all of the Almidar equally. The effect of this was that to this day, every single Almidar born has magical abilities innate to them, however, they are very weak and a far cry from anything developed by an Archon or those an Archon chooses to bless. These powers are also unaligned with any one elemental magic, as they were bestowed by the Archon of Arcane. Therefore, they are unpredictable in the best of times and can be disastrous in the worst of times. Though the people were given what they asked for, they were never going to reach their original heights. To focus this magic, often Almidar will translate it into the shape of a weapon during combat or for daily needs and some still will imbue this arcane energy directly into their swords, shields and spears to fight against the many Monsters that roam the countryside. This did have the effect of causing a scare the world over. After the war ended with the Fen’Ur other nations were wary of anyone who could command magic freely, even magic as mild as that used by the Almidar. This acted as a kind of shield for the people of Jörmun, guaranteeing that no one nation would dare try and invade their sovereign soil again, at least not without help from others.
Provinces and Regions
In The Federation of Jörmun the Almidar have control over 5 provinces, each containing a city ruled over by a Jarl. Each Jarl is not, and cannot be, a member of The House of Elders. Instead they are men and women whose sole purpose it is to protect their province, govern it and be obedient to their King and Queen. They have lenience ordained by their monarchs to govern as they see fit, however, they must follow the laws of the land and cannot make modifications unless a vote is held. Each of them is in control of their own Militia, a smaller band of warriors under their command to keep the peace within the Province. Each Jarl has an Under Jarl, their second in command who handles any affairs during their absence.
Within each of the Provinces there lies a capital city and many smaller villages and townships that answer to their Jarls. The Capital Province houses the King and Queen and the nation's capital city of Drangleic. The Capital Province is similarly named Drangmarch and is the most populous of the provinces within the borders of Jörmun as the capital city sits at the end of the RiverBrun where it meets the Bay of Florin, so named by the Almidar who first found it’s wondrous bounty. This bay acts as the home for the Port within Drangleic and has made the Almidar one of the richest peoples in Lendil. Here their main export is enchanted fabrics and linens as well as perfumes and Alchemical components. The Almidar who live in Drangleic itself have a high standard of living and one can often get lost in the night life of this massive city. In scope and size, Drangleic is the second largest city in Lendil only falling behind Ganzir, the capital city of their neighboring nation to the East.
The second Province to be covered is directly upriver of Drangleic and to the Northeast of Drangmarch. The Province of Galebrech is home to the city of Aeimar and its surrounding towns and small villages. The city sits in one of the most fertile river valleys in the area and due to this, is home to the primary agricultural industry of the Almidar. It is currently ruled over by Jarl Uldir Nurden, a staunch and proud man even among the Almidar. Being home to some of the most fertile land in The Federation also means hosting some of the highest number of Monsters in the wild plains and caves that are features primarily of the South and Eastern sides of this Province.
To the West of Galebrech lies the Province of Skalitz. A far cry from the verdant landscape of Galebrech and the urban beauty of Drangleic, Skalitz is mainly a province nestled within a mountainous terrain playing host to some of the most verdant forests in the area. The capital city of Skalitz lies on the Southern edge of the Great Lake Ponteer. Greshith, as it is called, is a fortress city of great proportions, as it is not only the guardians of all passage across the lake, but also the gateway to the East into the Badlands where the Klans of Kur reside. This has given rise to a warrior sub-culture and philosophy within the province itself as some of the most veteran soldiers The Federation has to offer reside in this Province. The fortress city of Greshith is most well known for its plentiful fishing industry and trade with the Felidar to the North as well as its extremely capable warriors. It is currently overseen by Jarl Miselda Gundir, a woman of sharp wit and even sharper blade; she does not take kindly to misconduct in her domain.
To the farthest East point of The Federation we come to the second largest Province, Breldir, home to its capital of Nidal. Nidal is a unique city within The Federation as this city and its entire Province were originally taken over by Humanity some years ago. Due to it changing hands multiple times, the culture here is much more mixed between the Almidar and Humans. Nidal sees an increased amount of over-land trade with Humanity compared to all of the other cities. While one would be mistaken for assuming this means there is less tension between the Elves and Humans here, it is more often that the cultural boundaries of each race run into one another often. This being a reminder of the many wars that have been fought over this area. The significance of this area comes from two of its most notable features. The first being that it is home to the Library of Nidal, a grand cathedral of a library that plays host to more scrolls, books and old texts, both mundane and magical, than any other library in the world. Secondly, the province of Breldir currently has one of two of The Federations largest Iron mines, thus making it a prime target for any would-be conquerors. Currently it is overseen by Jarl Bruno Ballin II.
Easily the largest province is the most northern of them all and home to The Crags, a mountain range at its northernmost border that has been well known to swallow up the unprepared as they attempt to sneak their way into or out of Koilos. This Province, Lambus and its capital city of Myllenus, are notable in that they are the cultural and religious capital of the Almidar. While the Almidar do not still follow the religious practices of the Solus Elves, most Elven kind consider Myllenus to be the origin point of their people. Here, in this city that lies within the Forest of Ur, is the Great Tree of Life, Yggdrasil. The Almidar believe that this tree is the origin point for all of the Elves in the world and that the Gandur and Aimur created them from the very bark of this enormous, golden behemoth. This is the hardest city to reach of any within Jörmun, as the surrounding forests are heavily populated with all manner of Beasts and Myths, making travel to this wonder of the world with any large groups, exceedingly difficult. The Almidar who live in these forests are more in tune with their ancestors and are much more wary of outsiders than the other cities. The Jarl here is as much a political and military position as it is a spiritual leader. The current leader is Jarl Orzu Falatuva, an Almidar of great religious reverence and a man who is known for his speeches and leading of prayers to any who will listen.
