Dragon Cultures
Dragon cultures exist in the northern and northeastern kingdoms of Thontreas.
Dragons rarely involve themselves in the affairs of those they consider lesser species, allowing them a high degree of autonomy and self-governance. Nearly all dragons require regular tributes from the local citizenry in exchange for protection against demon incursions, though the amounts and frequency vary widely between kingdoms and even regions within a kingdom.
The species that live in dragon cultures include
humans, halflings, dwarves, elves, mallards, and wolfkin. While all six species live throughout the kingdoms and are represented in every major settlement, some cities have higher populations of certain species. For example,
Baylan, the capital city, is 30% elvish, 20% human, 15% dwarven, 15% halfling and 10% each mallard and wolfkin;
Aboluff, on the opposite side of Kore Wȳn, is 45% human, 25% mallard, 12% elvish, with the remaining 18% made up of dwarves, halflings, and wolfkin.
Baylan is the home to the Imperial Crown and is considered the capital city;
Ceresthor and
Casus Rey are monarchies ruled by an archduchess and archduke, respectively;
Aboluff is a democracy that elects a new governor every two years. Each kingdom features a strong social safety net and three pronounced socioeconomic classes: the laboring class, the professional class, and the aristocratic class. The kingdoms have a very low poverty rate, all around 5%. The dragon cultures pride themselves on their egalitarian natures and tolerance for difference.
Aboluff,
Ceresthor, and
Casus Rey are known as the Three Sisters or just the Sisters. In ancient times, the three were united as a single kingdom but the queen, upon her passing, decreed that the land should be split into three parts, each one inherited by one of her three daughters. These three kingdoms are more similar to each other in terms of culture and language than they are to other kingdoms of Kore Wyn. Humans are the majority species in these kingdoms, though Ceresthor has a high wolfkin population and Casus Rey has nearly as many elves as humans.
Demon Cultures
Demon cultures dominate the southern portion of Thontreas. Unlike dragons, demons rule over their domains with an iron fist. They make up the entirety of the ruling class in their territories and are known for their ages-long blood feuds between noble families and civil wars between demon-controlled kingdoms. Demons have unchecked ambitions and frequently try to claim land from the dragon cultures to satiate their desire for control and power. Every century or so, the demon kings band together long enough to mount a sustained attack on Kore Wȳn.
Demon cultures have four rigid social castes:
demons that control all the wealth and power;
orcs who are expected to serve their demon lords as a servant class;
goblins who answer to both demons and orcs as their masters; and then the
slave caste made up of all the other species. Those in the slave caste have no rights and are treated as property by their demon lords and orc overseers. Goblins have the freedom to roam but are forbidden from owning property or amassing significant wealth. For this reason, some goblins defect to dragon cultures in order to improve their lot in life. Orcs operate as a management class for demons and are able to own property, run businesses, and offer their services for hire. Some orcs also defect to dragon cultures to seek a better life.
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