Provinces of Eseret
Geography
The provinces of Esert lay on and beyond the eastern shores of the Inner Sea and extend to the level of the Himnas Mountains in the east, then north and south a thousand miles. From Furgond and Gamunz at the edge of the Dwarf holds of the Fae Commonwealth in the south, to Retha and Enlintyr in the north at the edge of the Olia Frontiers. (see the Orange areas on the map above) The land has several mountain ranges, deep forests, plains, cold desert, wetlands and swamps. The mountains extend hundreds of miles and house monsters, ruins, bandits, demons and evil necromancers and blood mages or other practitioners of black magics hiding from the Empire.
Natural Resources
Eseret has the largest collection of Arcane Crystal mines. They also have significant amount of trackless wilds full of monsters, demon age crypts, actual demons, lost forts, bandits, yokai, Titans and other hazards in the extensive mountain areas. The forests are rich and the land productive. The people are to Imperial outlook, a bit quirky. Particularly the tradition of Esereti Walkabout and their disdain for the institution of slavery which clearly offers many advantages and comforts.
History
In the Taurien Classical Period, approximately 5325 years ago ( Taurien History) the region was wilds with scattered human, bahku, ghenid and other monsters, Minotaur and even Centaur tribes a few settlements and many cities of Fae. Slightly before this is reckoned to be the time of The Lost Cities (
) The various tribes and settlements formed along species lines with the hundred wars over about 200 years. Many tribes of humans also dispersed elsewhere around the region.
The wars settled rough boundaries and areas of control for the civilized peoples and drove the monsters into the deeper forests and mountains, except where powerful entities ruled. By about 2300 T, a variety of small kingdoms scattered the region and started seeing increased trade and development of the Bronze age. Somewhere around 2700 there arose a human who claimed descent from a Dragon parent and wielded the Dragon Magics. This human began conquering and unifying Fae and human kingdoms and his heirs continued for the next 200 years, forming the Dragon Kingdom of Esert. Humans and Fae traded with the Taurien states and the Damamila while forming a mixed culture of humans and fae. The Centaurs and Minotaurs fell back away from the sea and to the core Taurien dominion. At this time the Taurien also faced increasing conflict with the Damamila Titans and focused on their southern border.
The third century of the Dragon Kingdom saw it under a High King (the Yellow Dragon, sometimes called the Golden Dragon) with sections distributed to the five lesser heirs. This division seeded disorder and conflict as the family sections grew distant in the next few generations. The Five Dragons eventually started warring and wiped out the High Yellow Dragon line. The next few centuries saw several dynasties known as the Metal Dragons, rise and fall as High Kings, and changes in the the divisions of the lands.
The Shadow Period ( 3800 to 5010 T) saw emergence of demons, a wave of Siderrteal invasion and major bursts from the Fracture realms that broke the empires and kingdoms of the Classical period. The Dragons of Eseret passed into myth and legend. The Damamila Priestkings became Necromancers in the late Classical period of 3700 T and the Kingdom and culture fractured and collapsed by 4000. Many Titans fled the DeadLords while being hunted by the minions of the Priestkings. They became nomadic peoples depending on raiding and banditry, slowly losing their skills and civilization. The Deadlords also raided and attacked human, fae and Taurien seeking captives to feed their Necromantic and blood magics. The Taurien also fragmented into factions and city states. The dwarves had retreated to fortified underground holds and perfected their arts and alliance with maker spirits and avatars of true forms in the Astral. This led them to Iron and steel.
Various Metal Dragons rose over the Shadow Period and held sway for a generation or two in scattered kingdoms. It was not until Iron working became widely known that things started to change. Hermetic Magic was created (some say discovered). 5000 to 5500 T. saw the defeat and overthrow of the various demonic and sidereal resurgence, including the rebellion of the Torga peoples on the islands of Kuan against the Fae and Overlord rulers. In Eseret the nobles who recalled or were aligned to the various Dragon High Kings or held memory of the Five Dragons settled into clans with the Dragons as their patrons calling on ancient legend of better times. The dragon worship began. The new clans started driving out monsters and reclaiming territories. The Five great clans regained Kingdoms and drew together under their exclusive rule and battled for dominion over the scattered Metal Clans.
Over the next few centuries the Esereti Kingdoms had periods of stability and war as they battled for port cities and access to resources and trade. The clans formed alliances and committed betrayals so that by 5900 T. most of Esert was divided into partitions when a clan conclave was created to unite the separate clans. Torga traders had begun to arrive and backed this or that faction. The metal clans, supported and funded by Torga agents, pushed for increased influence in the Clan congress. The metals had small holds across much of the region with the Metal kingdoms in south central Eseret. The Reds became enraged and conquered several Metal clans locally and swept from the north east into central Metallic territory. The others lobbied for support from the other color clans, Green copied the Reds and conquered nearby Metal kingdoms while the Black and Blue sided with the Metals. White, on the NW coast and buffered by Blue, suggested the Congress have a Principle speaker who would broker peace between the Clans, supported by Black and Blue and the remaining independent Metal Clans. The Reds saw this as an attempt to place White as High Kings and convinced Green to join them in war. The Torga lent them money for their build up. Red and Green swept over the Metallic region, pushed Blue back and pressed in Black's eastern borders. White was unaffected mostly- aside from influx of refugees from Blue and Metal territories.
The War greatly weakened the Reds and Greens and the Metallic Clans that they had held in ransoms and as prisoners to force assistance. Black, White and Blue emerged victorious with Torga backing in 6310 T (Imperial 567) and a region of trade settlements on the coast between black and white territories was given over to the Torga, and the others were held as tributaries. Several Metal Clans and the former Metalic region were given to Torga oversight and ransoms as reward for aid to the winners. Over the next several centuries Torga supported consolidation of power between the Whites and the Black, and encouraged Blue infiltration into the former Red lands while offering reconciliation to the Green. They finally offered full support to Green domination against White, Black and Blue support of the Dwarven rebellion in 731 Imperial, and sent navy and legions to Eseret. Here the Black saw the shape of things and switched to supporting the Torga. While Green pushed out from the east, Torga forces moved from the central Metal region - while giving free passage to Green forces. They also went out from the coastal enclave region and north from the southern shores. Red also pushed west against Blue and the expanded White territories. Torga turned on their Green allies in 734 I, and sided with Black Houses that accepted Torga dominion, or conquered the weakened Black Esereti clans on the near shore of the Inner Sea. The 5th Yellow Jade Emperor (736 I-833 I) settled the Coastal Frontier over nearly 80 years of rule and slowly crept eastward to the central region of Metal Dragon lands held since 568 I. The 6th and 7th Yellow Jade Emperors started conquest pushing east, offering favored status to those who capitulated and crushing and heavily taxing those who resisted. The Imperial lands unified from coast to middle Esert by 1000 I. Over the past centuries they have spread their conquest to the frontier provinces and redistributed lands and estates, or supported new settlements under the Empire.
The current situation is that the main coastal provinces are under Imperial Torga control. Each Noble of Greater or lesser house is ruler of their lands under Torga imperial support and obligation. Most White, Black, Blue and many Metallics are under Imperial Torga Dominion. Many children of Noble houses travel to the Shards and the Holy Isle of Kuan to attend Imperial Academies and houses are expected to keep members of status for the Imperial court ( as representatives and hostages of the Emperor). Open war is prohibited but small conflicts, rebellion and banditry are supported by Houses to battle, distract and keep each other occupied. Troops also hunt monsters and threats from the mountains. The Frontier is mostly settled as the Provinces, under Imperial control. Many houses of Red and Green in the north and east claim independence or rebellion against the empire, and Imperial forces are frequently active. Monsters roam more freely and settlements are less frequent and heavier fortified. Outside to the south are the Taurien. Lord Juibok, in the far East has conquered several houses and banded others to his banner as The Iron Dragon and presents an organized force against the Torga. The Iron Dragon seeks to restore an empire of the Dragon houses with a House of Lords providing advice, consent and drafting laws for the Iron Dragon. The Shiji Dominance in the North and east, is a Red ruled conclave of sovereign kings making a court of the Dragons. The south east frontier is ruled by the Green Dragon kings Piyi and Liu. Small "beggar kingdoms" are spread across the far east before reaching Taurien lands. Northeast are Moon People and more independent Dragon houses.
The wars settled rough boundaries and areas of control for the civilized peoples and drove the monsters into the deeper forests and mountains, except where powerful entities ruled. By about 2300 T, a variety of small kingdoms scattered the region and started seeing increased trade and development of the Bronze age. Somewhere around 2700 there arose a human who claimed descent from a Dragon parent and wielded the Dragon Magics. This human began conquering and unifying Fae and human kingdoms and his heirs continued for the next 200 years, forming the Dragon Kingdom of Esert. Humans and Fae traded with the Taurien states and the Damamila while forming a mixed culture of humans and fae. The Centaurs and Minotaurs fell back away from the sea and to the core Taurien dominion. At this time the Taurien also faced increasing conflict with the Damamila Titans and focused on their southern border.
The third century of the Dragon Kingdom saw it under a High King (the Yellow Dragon, sometimes called the Golden Dragon) with sections distributed to the five lesser heirs. This division seeded disorder and conflict as the family sections grew distant in the next few generations. The Five Dragons eventually started warring and wiped out the High Yellow Dragon line. The next few centuries saw several dynasties known as the Metal Dragons, rise and fall as High Kings, and changes in the the divisions of the lands.
The Shadow Period ( 3800 to 5010 T) saw emergence of demons, a wave of Siderrteal invasion and major bursts from the Fracture realms that broke the empires and kingdoms of the Classical period. The Dragons of Eseret passed into myth and legend. The Damamila Priestkings became Necromancers in the late Classical period of 3700 T and the Kingdom and culture fractured and collapsed by 4000. Many Titans fled the DeadLords while being hunted by the minions of the Priestkings. They became nomadic peoples depending on raiding and banditry, slowly losing their skills and civilization. The Deadlords also raided and attacked human, fae and Taurien seeking captives to feed their Necromantic and blood magics. The Taurien also fragmented into factions and city states. The dwarves had retreated to fortified underground holds and perfected their arts and alliance with maker spirits and avatars of true forms in the Astral. This led them to Iron and steel.
Various Metal Dragons rose over the Shadow Period and held sway for a generation or two in scattered kingdoms. It was not until Iron working became widely known that things started to change. Hermetic Magic was created (some say discovered). 5000 to 5500 T. saw the defeat and overthrow of the various demonic and sidereal resurgence, including the rebellion of the Torga peoples on the islands of Kuan against the Fae and Overlord rulers. In Eseret the nobles who recalled or were aligned to the various Dragon High Kings or held memory of the Five Dragons settled into clans with the Dragons as their patrons calling on ancient legend of better times. The dragon worship began. The new clans started driving out monsters and reclaiming territories. The Five great clans regained Kingdoms and drew together under their exclusive rule and battled for dominion over the scattered Metal Clans.
Over the next few centuries the Esereti Kingdoms had periods of stability and war as they battled for port cities and access to resources and trade. The clans formed alliances and committed betrayals so that by 5900 T. most of Esert was divided into partitions when a clan conclave was created to unite the separate clans. Torga traders had begun to arrive and backed this or that faction. The metal clans, supported and funded by Torga agents, pushed for increased influence in the Clan congress. The metals had small holds across much of the region with the Metal kingdoms in south central Eseret. The Reds became enraged and conquered several Metal clans locally and swept from the north east into central Metallic territory. The others lobbied for support from the other color clans, Green copied the Reds and conquered nearby Metal kingdoms while the Black and Blue sided with the Metals. White, on the NW coast and buffered by Blue, suggested the Congress have a Principle speaker who would broker peace between the Clans, supported by Black and Blue and the remaining independent Metal Clans. The Reds saw this as an attempt to place White as High Kings and convinced Green to join them in war. The Torga lent them money for their build up. Red and Green swept over the Metallic region, pushed Blue back and pressed in Black's eastern borders. White was unaffected mostly- aside from influx of refugees from Blue and Metal territories.
The War greatly weakened the Reds and Greens and the Metallic Clans that they had held in ransoms and as prisoners to force assistance. Black, White and Blue emerged victorious with Torga backing in 6310 T (Imperial 567) and a region of trade settlements on the coast between black and white territories was given over to the Torga, and the others were held as tributaries. Several Metal Clans and the former Metalic region were given to Torga oversight and ransoms as reward for aid to the winners. Over the next several centuries Torga supported consolidation of power between the Whites and the Black, and encouraged Blue infiltration into the former Red lands while offering reconciliation to the Green. They finally offered full support to Green domination against White, Black and Blue support of the Dwarven rebellion in 731 Imperial, and sent navy and legions to Eseret. Here the Black saw the shape of things and switched to supporting the Torga. While Green pushed out from the east, Torga forces moved from the central Metal region - while giving free passage to Green forces. They also went out from the coastal enclave region and north from the southern shores. Red also pushed west against Blue and the expanded White territories. Torga turned on their Green allies in 734 I, and sided with Black Houses that accepted Torga dominion, or conquered the weakened Black Esereti clans on the near shore of the Inner Sea. The 5th Yellow Jade Emperor (736 I-833 I) settled the Coastal Frontier over nearly 80 years of rule and slowly crept eastward to the central region of Metal Dragon lands held since 568 I. The 6th and 7th Yellow Jade Emperors started conquest pushing east, offering favored status to those who capitulated and crushing and heavily taxing those who resisted. The Imperial lands unified from coast to middle Esert by 1000 I. Over the past centuries they have spread their conquest to the frontier provinces and redistributed lands and estates, or supported new settlements under the Empire.
The current situation is that the main coastal provinces are under Imperial Torga control. Each Noble of Greater or lesser house is ruler of their lands under Torga imperial support and obligation. Most White, Black, Blue and many Metallics are under Imperial Torga Dominion. Many children of Noble houses travel to the Shards and the Holy Isle of Kuan to attend Imperial Academies and houses are expected to keep members of status for the Imperial court ( as representatives and hostages of the Emperor). Open war is prohibited but small conflicts, rebellion and banditry are supported by Houses to battle, distract and keep each other occupied. Troops also hunt monsters and threats from the mountains. The Frontier is mostly settled as the Provinces, under Imperial control. Many houses of Red and Green in the north and east claim independence or rebellion against the empire, and Imperial forces are frequently active. Monsters roam more freely and settlements are less frequent and heavier fortified. Outside to the south are the Taurien. Lord Juibok, in the far East has conquered several houses and banded others to his banner as The Iron Dragon and presents an organized force against the Torga. The Iron Dragon seeks to restore an empire of the Dragon houses with a House of Lords providing advice, consent and drafting laws for the Iron Dragon. The Shiji Dominance in the North and east, is a Red ruled conclave of sovereign kings making a court of the Dragons. The south east frontier is ruled by the Green Dragon kings Piyi and Liu. Small "beggar kingdoms" are spread across the far east before reaching Taurien lands. Northeast are Moon People and more independent Dragon houses.
Esereti have a great fondness and regard for artifacts and antiquities. Ancestral histories, heirloom items and antiques are things that convey respectability and status, the older - the more revered. Items will be displayed to be appreciated and recognized, and used to show status and also honor to guests.
The Esereti Provinces in the modern age:
Wow you know so much about the history of this place! It was really interesting to read. I was a bit confused whether or not we were still talking about humans towards the end or if they were dragon clans?
It is the Humans who are the Dragon Clans. The family crests and emblems are flowers under the greater Dragon clan icon by color.
The Torga People are the humans of the Core islands who are the Imperials. Xenophobic and scornful of others. They drove the Fae out of the Core and then to the southern lands that became the Fae Commonwealth.
Thank you for the explanation! :D