Ta'Veren Alliance

The realm of Ta'Veren is an alliance between five major city states, each powerful and important to the other three. The desolate wastes of this blasted landscape make these lands nearly uninhabitable, let alone productive. This leaves the cities the only places one can survive, save for the wandering tribes of savages called the Ishkal that spot the wastes.

Structure

The city states of the Ta'Veren Alliance are divided up by each walled city. Each has a different governments and leadership structure. The only laws they share are: 1. All people are free 2. All people may own land 3. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens

Culture

Vereni thrive in a hostile environment not meant for civilization. The cities, Tal'Verrar and Inan especially, are exceptions, bastions of civility in an otherwise deadly wasteland. These two city states were built as testiments to perseverance, thumbing your nose at conventional wisdom and bending the world to your will rather than the other way around.

Assets

The Ta'Veren Alliance has 5 powerful city states, each having their own jobs to do in support of one another. The northern cities of Lashain and Ervar have a variety of trade syndicates and merchant lords. These specialize in trade between the Westlands and those east of the Deathlands.
For its part, the midland city of Tal Verrar has a powerful navy that protects their eastern shore and trades with far off lands.
The southern most city of Inan is a way station for trade between the northern and southern continent. Dealing with the Shades of Shaidar Haran, bringing valuable goods to and from the Burning Sands of the south.

History

The Day of Ashen Skies had many repercussions, but one of them was environmental. The impact on the southern continent ruptured the continental plates were split. This sent lava boiling up through the land bridge's crust, creating multiple new volcanos that erupted for more than 10 years. This laid waste to formerly fertile plains of the landbridge, leaving all in ruin and covered in cooled lava and ash.   It took more than a century before adventurers began pillaging the lost lands for treasures, and what they found were two abandoned cities that were nearly untouched by time. These adventurers were industrious and they formed larger mercenary companies and retook these cities, rebuilding them. The docks were finished first, allowing for trade to begin. Cities were repopulated and rebuilt, trade routes to the south were established. These made the city states wealthy and influential as the goods flowing from north and south had to pass through, whether it is by land or by sea.
This partnership was called the Ta'Veren Alliance and eventually they even convinced 3 more city states to join, creating a near monopoly on the trade been northern and southern continents.

Demography and Population

The people of the cities are diverse with a majority being human. Gnomes and Minotaurs also make up portions of the population. In the blasted wastelands, the tribes are made up of mostly Tieflings, many with dusty grey or black skin.

Military

Ta'Veren's military is largely defensive and has not been sent to field or tested in any serious way. This is changing the last few years as the Alliance has began mobilizing and training a standing army with the establishing and expansion of the Tai'Shar Empire.
The current standing army are called the Swordsworn and they are starting to gather in numbers in the city of Lashain. Most are either mercenaries signed on to make money in the coming fight or refugees from former residents of the Five Brothers looking for revenge.

Technological Level

Fairly average for the time.

Religion

While not an overly religious place, the Gods are worshiped and respected. Among the Ashlanders, Brune is especially revered.

Laws

The only laws shared among the
1. All people are free
2. All people may own land
3. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens

Agriculture & Industry

Not much can grow in the Ashlands with one exception: Ash Yams. These large starchy vegetables are a good ration for those that live in the wastes between the cities and grow well within the poor soil of the Ashlands. They are bright grey in color and weirdly orange when cooked or boiled down. They make excellent stews along with any form of protein. As such, many farmers grow huge fields of them since no one cares about land rights between the cities and there is more than enough to go around to the few who brave the wilds.

Trade & Transport

Trade is immensely important to the Alliance. Tal Verrar is the largest port city on the Iron Sea and the unofficial capital of the region, allowing for huge numbers of ships and vessels to come and go, buying and selling goods collected by all 5 city states.

Infrastructure

There roads around and within the two northern cities, remnants of the old days, but only 1 road that goes north and south along the arrid wastes of the Blastlands. Its called the Old Way and it is ancient, dating back thousands of years, perhaps all the way back to before the Long Night. It is made from indestructable blocks of elderglass, but the ground beneath them has shifted and moved over the millenia to the point that the road is askew in some places.

Whatever comes, face it on your feet

Founding Date

183 AA

Type

Political, Confederation

Alternative Names

The Ashlands, the Bridge

Demonym

Vereni

Government System

Oligarchy

Power Structure

Confederation

Economic System

Mixed economy

Gazetteer

The five official cities of Lashain, Ervar, Tal Verrar, Inan and Halsin are the major settlements. There are a half dozen smaller ones, but they are all near the major cities and they all serve important functions for their neighboring city.

Currency

The major currency for Ta'Veren is the Solari, or silver. Gold is worth almost nothing in Ta'Veren, but silver is needed to the point that its worth the same as a gold piece. Gold is worth about as much as a silver elsewhere, and a copper is worth the same as other countries. For the most part, gold is mined, smelted and exported.

Legislative Body

The Council of Ta'Veren, from which the alliance gained their name, consists of the leaders of each cities. Since the alliance, they've all taken the title of Duke/Dutchess. These 5 leaders meet in Tal Verrar once a year unless more meetings are necessary. Reports are read, politics discussed, issues addressed, then the leaders return to their homes to rule for another year.

Neighboring Nations

• Adar
• Tai'Shar Empire