Kingdom of Arsavela

Oldest of Malkora's kingdoms, a sanctuary for the faithkept slowly losing its light

Within my kingdom of autumn, I lie on soft grasses and sun myself on rocky outcrops. Every day I gaze outside of my home and I just feel so happy! Look, mom, the sun is shining again! And it's only kind of windy today.
Will I be able to keep smiling at these things forever? It can be so hard to pull myself away from work, and it only seems to be getting even harder each and every day that goes by. Maybe.. I can ask mom to fly kites with me today.

— Journal entry from the child of a Northlands farmer

The Kingdom of Arsavela is a group of regions in Northeastern Nefyran, making up a large portion of the continent's far eastern reaches. Claiming the title of the oldest kindgom in all of Malkora, these lands are dominated by rolling fields and scattered farmsteads, overseen by their shared capitol, Aurel.

Stable Land, Stable Reign

Temperate lands of fruitful springs, lush summers, golden autumns, and liveable winters are the mark of Arsavela. Never seeming to see any drastic change, Arsavela's landscape has remained as it has been for millennia. This stability fostered a strong foundation for the development of its kingdom, a foundation not offered to any other population of Malkora throughout the world's known history.

by Strixxline via Midjourney

The fortunate circumstance of sharing borders with two regions whose populations much prefer keeping to themselves has allowed this kingdom to prosper without fear of foreign threats, except those which may approach by sea — which have likewise been uncommon and negligible threats.

Arsavela has known little conflict since the birth of its kingdom, with its happily secluded neighboring regions, paired with the grand mountain range which separates the lot of them from any westward threats.
Though the aforementioned factors have done well to keep the region(s) safe, they have only contributed to Arsavela's sheltered nature.

Untouched by Magic

In a wide world brimming with magic of all forms, Arsavela is notably devoid of magical influence. This quality, one of exceptional rarity in Malkora, has produced a broad populace within the kingdom to which magic is entirely unknown.
Though knowledge of such things inevitably reaches its largest cities and settlements through occasional exposure, be it through travelers with magical affinity or encounters with strange entities, magic as a whole may be seen as an alien concept to many throughout the kingdom's less visited regions.

Devoted to the Home

The people throughout Arsavela lead simple lives, and these simple lives are often incredibly busy. With a large population base of agricultural workers and laborers, the contribution of a constant and steady stream of attentive work is all but expected from all who reside within the kingdom.
Travel is rare for all but the privileged few who reside in larger cities such as the kingdom's capitol of Aurel, with the exception of those who take pilgrimages to the temples of the Church of Dawn, located in the neighboring Uris Braena. This journey is not known to be a dangerous one, but takes an exceptionally large commitment of time — time that most of Arsavela's humble laypeople cannot afford to spare.

Faith in Arsavela

Within Arsavela and its neighboring regions, the Eastwind Pantheon is the primary focus of faith. This pantheon, local to Northern Nefyran, presents gods which make common patrons to those of an adventurer's spirit, a trait which many Savelan people tirelessly work to preserve, despite the sense of duty which binds them to their homes.
As with most regions in Malkora, the Pantheon of the New Age is commonly worshiped in varying degrees, with a primary focus falling on the New Dawn and, more recently, Atreimus, the Purifier.

by Strixxline

With the ever-growing influence of the Alabaster Hand, the number of Atreiman grows within Arsavela's population. Symbols of Atreimus appear to be more common with each passing moon, appearing on the faces of buildings and at the gates of settlements throughout the kingdom.

Fields of rolling green and tilled lands offer bountiful harvests, but for how much longer?

Map of Arsavela by Strixxline

Continent

Northern Nefyran

Bordering

Uris Braena
Hearthwood

Emergences

None

Primary Leadership

The Alabaster Hand

Faiths

Pantheon of the New Age
The New Dawn
Atreimus, the Purifier
Eastwind Pantheon ^{(Regional Pantheon)}

Demonym

Savelan

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Sudden Upheaval

Though Arsavela's geography had long proven itself incredibly stable, the stability of its kingdom had taken a severe blow with the violent deposition of its long-reigning monarchy.
The hearts of Arsavela's people yet remain in deep conflict as horrific charges of blasphemy and treason incriminate their once-beloved late queen, and give credibility to those who would cut her down along with her line.

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Familial Claim

Though the kingdom as a whole is governed by the primary power occupying Aurel, individual regions within Arsavela are governed by influential families who occupied their lands for generations, in some cases beyond counting.
These families are fiercely protective of their territories, and the majority of Arsavela's conflicts first arose as heated spats between these families as they stepped on one another's toes.

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by Strixxline via Midjourney

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by Strixxline via Midjourney

The Lands of Arsavela

The Kingdom of Arsavela is comprised of four individual regions. Many Savelan people, when prompted, may suggest that there are only three, but those who do not reside within Aurel will often forget that the capitol city identifies itself and its immediate surroundings as a nation all its own.

Brineveil Forest: The Road of Pilgrimage

Between the kingdom's heart and the border of Uris Braena is the Brineveil Forest, so named for the saltwater carried upon the breeze from the northern shores of Arsavela. These northern shores are known for their unusually high concentration of sea salt caked upon the shores, and for extensive salt crystal formations revealed by low tides.
The road which passes through this forest draws a clear path between the two primary destinations of Aurel and Fiffan and is relatively well-maintained, as both the Savelan and Urisian kingdoms welcome one another's custom.

Savelan Northlands: The Lands of Harvest

Agriculture is a staple of Arsavela's culture and primary industry, and it is in the Savelan Northlands where the majority of this hard work is achieved. Home to the majority of Arsavela's most influential families, the constant fight for continued high standing has led to many intense rivalries.
The agricultural industry of Arsavela is limited to this region's south and southeast, an impressive swathe of land known as the Harvest Belt, while much of the Northlands proper is less welcoming to such industry and is reserved only for hunting and foraging.

Melocazh Barrens: The Sun-Scorched Reaches

The object of many a southern Northlands farmer's concerns, the Melocazh Barrens is an arid and harsh region, desert-like in its nature. As one makes their way from the region's north, drying grasslands make way for progressively rockier, sandier barrens as one draws farther and farther south, until the landscape is swallowed by dunes of sand.
All but the residents of the Northlands will refute claims of this desert landscape creeping ever northward. It is common to hear of settlements lamenting that they have found sand on their windowsills, but these complaints have been heard for a very long time, and are now frequently brushed off as paranoia.