Eprus
General
Eprus is the youngest human kingdom in Farlis and can be found west of Terios and south of Mervidel. It is also part of the Eastern Alliance. Before Eprus was created there were only several smaller states in that region of which some were vassal states of Mervidel. During a war between Mervidel and the Arendor States the smaller state of Enor banded together with the other human states and attacked the south of Mervidel. Because they did not want to fight on two fronts Mervidel decided to break its bond with the vassal states. After that war the state of Enor held most territory in the region. The country Eprus was formed after the marriage between the king of Enor and the only princess of Frindhir. Not shortly after the union between these countries the other remaining states in the region pledged their allegiance when another war with Mervidel was brewing.Government
Eprus is currently ruled by queen Serafina Ronelia, who only recently came to power. She was the only child of king Dorian Ronelia who died shortly before the most recent war. Since she was only 12 years old at the time most of her rule was supervised by a regent. Before the siege on Atmer the regent left the capital leaving Serafina on her own. Despite her young age she managed to prevent the Magi Covenant from entering the city. Now that the war has ended many prominent families in Eprus are vying for her hand in marriage.Demography and Population
The majority of the country is Human but in compared to the total population Humans are less represented than other Human dominated countries. Eprus is also home to the largest number of Half-Elves on the continent which makes them the second largest group in the country. Besides these group the country is also home to several Dwarven and Dark Elf settlements. These groups are however less widespread and mostly centered around the city Dovan and the western border, especially the mountain settlements. Closer to the border with Kevarim Dragonborn are more common as well.
High Elves are present in Eprus but in very small number and severely disliked by most of the Human population.
Territories
In comparison to its neighbors Eprus has a drier environment consisting mainly out of shrubs and sparse trees. There is only one large river in Eprus, the Dagor, around which most settlements in Eprus are located. Other settlements further away from the river are often connected by aqueducts starting from the main river or higher up sources.
The northern part of consist mostly out of dry rocky hills. However closer towards the Mervidel border the land becomes more fertile due to the frequent rainfalls coming from the north and the Aler river.
Along the western border the primary vegetation is savanna that eventually leads towards the Volker Desert. This region is currently not very populated with often only the occasional village or farm near small creeks. It is however filled with ruins of which most date from the Ancient Era. Dry riverbeds in the area suggest that the region was once more fertile.
The southern part of the country is rather pleasant closer towards the sea. Eprus has however only a small portion of coastline within its borders since most coastline along that part of Farlis either belongs to Terios or Varena. In the Elhir Peaks themselves life is a bit more dangerous since the mountains have never been fully colonized and are filled with savage Goblinoid, Orc, Dragonborn and Human tribes.
Cities
The capital Atmer is located in the center of the country along the Dagor which flows through it. Atmer is built upon several hills surrounding the river and both banks are connected by several bridges. The river is large enough in the city to allow medium sized ships to sail towards the city. As a protection against raiders a large chain was constructed further along the river that connects with two fortresses. Further along the river two cities can be found. Dovan lies south of Atmer. The hills near it are filled with gems and ores that are often mined by the large dwarven population in the city. At the end of the river one can find Kalon, the largest harbor city of the country. Kalon is rather different from the rest of the country since it has been added later to Eprus territories. The aquisition of this city also marked the end of Varena invasions towards Eprus. The western mountains edges are home to several Dwarven and Dark Elf cities. Of these Durandim and Therona are the largest. These cities or mostly known for their creation of weapons and jewelry with the riches that are found in the Elhir Peaks. Originally these cities did not belong to Eprus but orc tribes raiding in the mountains forced the cities to work with Eprus. The north-western part of Eprus is rather harsh and not many cities can be found here. Some settlements do exists however aided by either aqueducts or access to underground water deposits. The largest city in the region, Arvea, was an important stop for travelers going to Aldhir. However during the recent war the aqueduct that formed the major water supply of the city, was mostly destroyed. This forced many citizens to leave and go on a perilous journey, during which most were easy targets for the Magi Covenant army. Today the city is mostly empty with only few citizens remaining. In the north several fortresses can be found along the border with Mervidel some of which are currently in dire need of repair after the war. There is only one large city here called Baval, which was the capital of one of the original states from which Eprus was formed. Today it has however lost much of its previous glory and the city now mostly relies on the production of food in the region.Technological Level
On a scientific level Eprus is the least developed Human country. This has been mainly due to wars that have often been waged upon it's soil which shifted any research more to military applications. They are however the first that managed to craft improved steel and superior weapons and are also the inventors of the trebuchet. In contrast to the other Human countries, Eprus is also more magic focused. Many of it's fortresses are equipped with magical projectile launchers and recently they have also created detonation devices that can deal elemental damage.
Foreign Relations
About 82 years ago an agreement between Terios, Varena and Eprus was established called the Eastern Alliance. This cooperation was deemed necessary after centuries of infighting between the countries which ultimately gave them a weakened position against their northern and western neighbors. Since the start of the alliance all of the countries have flourished in trade and stability.
Eprus was the worst off in the 1239 AE war during which it was invaded by the Magi Covenant. The capital of Atmer has suffered greatly and many towns along the western border have been attacked or abandoned. Evidently the sentiment towards Mervidel and High Elves in general is rather hateful.
Education
Renewed education is not a very high priority in Eprus since the only real institutions of higher learning are maintained by the Keepers. If people in Eprus want to get educated in the sciences they often travel to Terios to get an education there. Nobody is required to get any education but still all of the wealthy families ensure that their children get a basic education. This is often done by private tutors. After basic education many of the wealthy families have their children attend the Keepers University in the capital Atmer or one of the many military academies. The poorer layers of the populations can get educated as well in the public schools but there is no requirement to attend.
The most important type of education in Eprus is given at the military academies. Students here not only receive military knowledge but engineering, geography and politics courses as well. Only graduates from these schools are considered for higher ranking positions in the military. Graduates from the military academies sometimes become high ranking administrators as well. Beside these types of education students can attend the Averenium, which teaches them about the arcane arts.
Maps
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Eprus
Type
Geopolitical, Kingdom
Government System
Monarchy, Absolute
Power Structure
Feudal state
Economic System
Palace economy
Currency
The currency of Eprus is called the Vandor. The lowest Vandor coin is made of copper and equals 1 Vandor. The other copper pieces are 5, 50 and 500. The next tier are the golden coins worth 3000 and 12000 respectively. The last tier of coins that are used is made of platinum and has a value 60000 but this coin is less usedother coins . A Tetrae golden coin from Terios is worth about 6000 Vandor.
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