Sasciania

"The waves whisper of freedom, but the banners of the empire silence them." — A Halfling Elder, in secret council
Sasciana is not one nation, but many, a vast collection of island-states scattered across the warm, sapphire waters of the Sunfire Sea. Once a land of independent maritime cultures, fearless sailors, and master shipbuilders, the archipelago has, in recent years, fallen under Athesian dominion. Though the halfling clans that call these islands home have been permitted a degree of self-governance, their freedom is a fragile illusion, overshadowed by the iron will of the Empire.
The land itself is as varied as it is beautiful, boasting towering volcanic peaks, dense, uncharted jungles, and pristine beaches of crystal-clear waters. The tropical winds carry the scent of spice and salt, and beneath the waves lie hidden reefs and forgotten shipwrecks, remnants of a people who once commanded the seas without restraint.
But now, the imperial banners fly high, and with them comes a shadow that lengthens with each passing year.

The Athesian Occupation: Chains Hidden in Silk

"They did not take our land by fire and blood. They took it by gold, by promises, by the slow, steady tightening of the noose." — Captain Rylia Swiftwake
The conquest of Sasciana was not won through open war, but through a campaign of subtlety, deception, and overwhelming might.

• The empire first came as "traders" and "allies", their envoys offering prosperity, protection, and shared knowledge.
• When cooperation was not enough, legions arrived upon the shores, their tower shields gleaming in the sun, their demands made clear.
• A few islands resisted—they were burned. The rest surrendered before they could suffer the same fate.

Today, General Lysanthir, a ruthless elven commander, oversees the entirety of Sasciana, though the day-to-day rule is left to Imperial-appointed governors, each controlling their own island.
The halflings are permitted a degree of independence—their own traditions, their own leaders, their own laws, so long as they bend the knee to the empire. They are allowed to sail, to build, to trade—but never to rise.
And looming over them all is the Thellion Directive—the quiet genocide written in ink instead of blood.

The Thellion Directive: The Death Sentence in Disguise

"They do not need to slaughter us. They need only wait." — Halfling Scholar Orwyn Tidecaller
Unlike the brutality imposed upon other conquered peoples, the halflings of Sasciana face a different fate—a slow, calculated erasure. The Thellion Directive, an imperial decree issued by the Concilium itself, forbids halflings from procreation under the guise of "maintaining balance" within the empire.

• No halfling may bear or raise a child.
• Any halfling infant born is taken, their fate unknown.
• Without war, without open slaughter, the empire ensures the halflings will eventually disappear.

The elves do not want Sasciana for its people—they want it for its secrets.

• The halflings are among the greatest shipbuilders in Nerrothel, their knowledge passed down through generations of sailors, craftsmen, and navigators.
• As the empire absorbs their skills, refining and mastering them, the need for the halflings diminishes.
• And once the last halfling fades into dust, the Athesian fleets will sail stronger than ever, built upon the bones of a people long forgotten.

The Islands of Sasciana: Jewels of the Sunfire Sea

Sasciana is not one land but many, each island unique in its culture, geography, and struggles beneath imperial rule.

Isle of Kalaro (The Heart of the Archipelago)

• Once the seat of the Grand Halfling Council, now the home of General Lysanthir’s grand citadel.
• The largest naval docks in Sasciana, where halfling artisans and shipwrights work under the watchful eye of elven overseers.
• A city of silk-draped markets, spice-laden air, and whispering dissent—where resistance hides in plain sight.

Tiravel Atoll (The Sinking Isles)

• A chain of small, ever-shifting islands, some of which disappear beneath the tides for weeks at a time.
• Home to the Stormcallers, an ancient order of halfling navigators who once charted the hidden paths of the sea—now enslaved as imperial wayfinders.

Mount Vaethir (The Living Volcano)

• A towering, fire-breathing peak, constantly threatening to awaken.
• The halflings once worshiped the spirit of the volcano, leaving offerings to appease its wrath—now the elves mine its obsidian depths, disregarding the old warnings.
• Rumors persist of something stirring beneath the molten rock, something that should never have been disturbed.

The Whispering Groves (The Forbidden Jungle)

• A dense, tangled expanse of towering trees and ancient ruins, untouched by both time and conquest.
• Halflings claim the jungle is alive, watching, waiting—imperial expeditions sent to clear it have never returned.
• Some believe it is the last sanctuary of the free halflings, those who have vanished from history to escape imperial rule.

The Halfling Resistance: The Dying Flame That Refuses to Die

"The sea will take us before we let them take everything."
Though the empire tightens its grip, the halflings are not as broken as they seem. Beneath the veneer of obedience, a resistance brews, one that does not fight with legions or sieges, but with the very sea itself.

• Smuggler Fleets – Ships that vanish into the storm, carrying runaways, stolen imperial cargo, and whispers of rebellion.
• The Ghost Tide – A rumored armada of halfling warships, hidden somewhere in the archipelago, waiting for the day the empire falters.
• The Veiled Council – A secretive network of halfling leaders, working in shadows to undermine imperial rule without sparking outright extermination.

The halflings are outnumbered, outmatched, and doomed. But the empire underestimates the patience of those who know the sea.
For the tide always returns.

The Slow Death of a People

Sasciana is a land of beauty, wisdom, and resilience, now bound in golden chains that tighten by the year.

• The empire does not need wars to break them—it needs only time.
• The Thellion Directive ensures that, one day, the halflings will be no more, and Sasciana will be remembered only as an imperial possession, never as a home.

But the sea does not forget. And neither do the halflings.

Type

Geopolitical, Province