Xenex

Overview

Once a part of Malfastar, Xenex is the second least populated country in Plimia. Devastated by decades of war with Malfastar, Xenex has struggled to exist as a nation for as long as it has survived. After Malfastar was taken over by the White Star Conclave, years of magical purges began. Anyone who practiced magic was killed alongside all elves and fey. The fleeing people went south and were able to erect massive magical wards to give themselves some time. As a rule, the White Star Conclave refuses to use magic itself, and this gave the refugees time to build meager settlements before the coming war. Many people were shuttled through underground tunnels into the southern half of Malfastar, but many more never made the trip.

Eventually, the wards fell, and the wars began. The humans of Malfastar were vicious and driven by obsessive dogma. For them, exterminating magical life ensured their place in heaven. For their enemy, fighting was all they could do to live to the next day. After years of brutal warfare, an envoy was sent to the neighboring countries of Everglen and Empiredon for help from the refugee nation. Empiredon didn't like getting involved in other wars and tried to distance itself from it all. Everglen, sympathetic to the refugees because of Malfastar's imperialism into their own borders, decided to send help. In a secret operation that is still seen as terrorism by the government of Malfastar today, Everglen sent agents into the White Star Conclave. These agents covertly sowed chaos and crippled the command structure of the military while Everglen's military snuck into what would soon become Xenex and helped them build proper defenses and cities.

The agents were apprehended and killed by the White Star Conclave, but their mission was complete; the nation of Xenex was born with the aid of Everglen. Battles still rage on the border of Malfastar and Xenex from time to time, but the battlefields themselves have become too dangerous to fight in. Magic storms linger from decades of warfare, and undead outnumber the living in the forgotten muddy trenches.

Even with its own government, Xenex has struggled. They can only receive trade through the water, and their boats risk destruction from the Malfastar navy. Empiredon has become increasingly isolationist and refuses to help any of its neighbors, and Everglen is struggling with plague and ramped up aggressions from Kengrim. Interestingly, the Mark didn't seem to affect Xenex in the same way it did other nations. The people didn't begin infighting, there was no collapse of society. The dead rose in the hundreds on the border of Malfastar, and the magic storms became worse, but day-to-day life stayed the same inland. As a result, Xenex has become a hotspot for Mark researchers.

Geography

Xenex was once covered in gentle forests, calm rivers, small hills, and countless natural cave systems. After the purges and the wars, much of the land has been warped. The gentle forests have been burned, and the ones that remain are twisted with rogue magic. The rivers are now home to pelagic abberations, the hills cut into trenches and defensive bunkers. Xenex's caves have gained fame as homes for the most vile monsters in the world, and many a monster hunter has died trying to find fame and fortune in those caves.

Even farther inland, Xenex is affected by the decades-old magic that once protected it. Sunlight often comes down in varying shades, and sometimes, the land is blanketed in the darkness of night for weeks at a time. Magical scars dot the landscape, and glowing craters and magical storms are a common sight. Crops struggle to grow, and it isn't a surprise when the pumpkin patches awaken and begin attacking the farmers.

Demography and Population

All sorts of people can be found in Xenex, and it has become a bastion for those wronged by their governments. Though founded by elves and fey, Xenex's population is now one of the most diverse in the world. Magic of all kinds is allowed in the country within reason, so it has indirectly become a home for rogue wizards wanting to experiment with dangerous magic. Access to the country is very limited, but most refugees are given safe passage through the swamplands of Empiredon or on Everglen's trade ships.

Xenex has a very low population, and there are few settlements. Though few, their hearts are the strongest in the world as they continue to ward off random attacks from the White Star Conclave and the monsters born of the magical wars.

Territories

Xenex is the smallest country in Plimia. Much of their territory is uninhabitable due to the magic scars and unpredictable weather patterns. Xenex has no dreams of conquest; survival is all they can manage. They pose no imperial threat to their neighbors and simply wish to be left alone.

Technological Level

Xenex has limited resources, but like Larevin Island, their society is advanced in certain areas thanks to their control over magic. Unfortunately, they lack the crystals and mana stones of Larevin and Empiredon so their cities don't boast the same airships or teleporters. Still, they have managed to edge out a semi-normal life in the cities, and people enjoy decent education and the comforts of basic magical technology.

For any young person in Xenex though, the dream is to leave. Attend school at the Wizard's Tower of Everglen or at one of the many universities of Larevin Island. Still, there are plenty of people who want to stay in the country and build it up to be a respected nation of Plimia. There has been a recent push to get an official flag and state crest.

Government Structure

All people living in Xenex have a say in who gets elected. A small group of people is elected every four years and acts as a parliament. The parliament must make important leadership decisions that can be overturned and adjusted by the people. In times of crisis, the parliament does hold more power than the people, so that they can make executive calls.

Major Cities

• Yu (Capital, far in the southeast corner)
• Humbert (Central northern city, acts as the first line of defense for a deep invasion)
• Talados (Named after the Talados crystal of Larevin Island)
• Spring Lake (First city founded by Everlgen's military--old capital before it was moved due to proximity to Malfastar)

Xenex's capital, Yu

Capital

Yu

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Government Structure

Democracy

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Neighboring Nations

• Malfastar
• Empiredon

A monster-ridden border town of Xenex and Malfastar

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A magically frozen fort on a battlefield