The Yosset Kingdom
General
Alignment: LN
Government Type:Oligarchy
Prominanant Deities: Moradin, St. Cuthbert, Wee jas, Surtur
Magic Identity: Red
Primary Coinage: Realm Coins
Secondary Coinage: Precious Gems
Motto: Order through Strength
Sonis, Metropolis of Cogs
The main capital of the Yosset kingdom is the city of Sonis. A sprawling metropolis that sits within the burning tops mountain range. This city is often called by those that live beyond its borders as "the metropolis of cogs". This is because most aspects of a citizen's life are dictated by a highly complex bureaucratic caste system. Each citizen has very limited options in terms of where they can live and what sort of work they are allowed to engage in. Thus, every citizen is little more than a cog that exists in a greater machine. Anyone wishing to leave this system realistically only has two options. They can either purchase passage out of the city and seek their fortune in the "wilds" beyond. Or they can join the militia. Criminals that are repeat offenders have only the second option.
The Fire Militia
In the early days, Yosset built downwards, as most dwarven settlements do. Preferring to use the exhausted mines as places to build homes, shops, and government buildings. While new mines were dug that went deeper. It is for this reason that they discovered that the magical field produced by
The Realm Guardians only extended 20 miles or so below the mountains where they lived. Beyond those limits, horrible creatures dwelled. Creatures that could not breach the magical barrier. But so much of dwarven society was built upon mining precious gems and metals from the ground that they looked for a solution. it was then that their wizards discovered that planar travel was not blocked beyond the magical barrier. So, they began creating portals into the elemental plane of earth so that they could continue to mine as before. But the denizens in that plane did not appreciate what they saw as theft. So the dwarves were forced to send soldiers to protect the miners. This was an incredibly dangerous endeavor such that the difference between miner and soldier became non-existent and so the Fire Militia was formed.
The Fire Militia is an active military unit that regularly travels deep underground to specially-made chambers that allow portions of the elemental plane of earth to be brought into the prime material plane. These sections are then purged of anything living and are mined for precious metals and gems. The leftover material then gets sent back. Sometimes portals will open from the plane of earth and creatures seeking retribution will arrive. The Fire Militia is tasked with repelling such attacks.
The life expectancy of a soldier of the Fire Militia is quite low which is why debtors and criminals make up the bulk of its ranks. Anyone joining the militia by choice tend to fair better as they are allowed to promote beyond the front lines.
The Contract of the Scale
It is said that when the kingdom was first establishing itself, a dragon of considerable power lived amongst them. This dragon despised evil in all its forms and would execute citizens it found committing crimes. While the people appreciated the dragon's reasoning they felt that the methodology was extreme and so they struck a deal with the dragon. The dragon would agree to not enter their borders if they agreed to deal with the evildoers themselves. For this reason, law after law was written in order to stamp out evil and to ensure that each citizen that was accused of crimes could be tried in a way that was fair and consistent. The dragon would return from time to time to ensure that the bargain was being kept. The dragon would inevitably find a reason to enter the city in order to eliminate "evil". So, more laws were written to ensure that that form of evil would no longer flourish. Over time the dragon visited less frequently and some of the dragon's visits began to result in no bloodshed at all as it couldn't find anyone that it deemed as "evil".
It is for this reason that laws are strictly enforced and anyone found guilty of a crime is either kicked out of the city (the thought being that the dragon will inevitably eat them) or they are enlisted in the fire militia which is essentially a death sentence. After all, some citizens who are in power are afraid that if the dragon comes to "check-up" on them they will be found wanting. So, it's best to make sure that the dragon has no reason to visit in the first place.
The Drumcana Expanse
A vast underground lake exists beneath Sonis known as the Drumcana Expanse. Not long after the dwarves started using planar magic to pilfer wealth from the elemental plane of earth the water portal incident occurred. No one is sure who was responsible for the sabotage but when the earthbringers finished their rituals instead of opening portals to the elemental plane of earth they opened portals to the elemental plane of water. By the time they were able to close the portals, the damage had been done. The tunnels were not only flooded but creatures had come in from the other side as well. Most notably a village of sea elves were brought over. Not only were the elves not upset about this but they claimed that the dwarves were the answer to their prayers. It seems their village had suffered numerous raids and that their sea king had abandoned them to their fate. The sea elves took over the submerged tunnels making them their new homes. Pledging their allegiance to Sonis, the city greatly benefited from having a renewable supply of freshwater fish. As a result sea elves can now be found both in the expanse and the city proper having integrated with the population. Though most still choose to live within the expanse where their needs are more readily met.
The Water Militia
As sea elves began to integrate into the city proper tales of their former homeland began to reach the ears of those with the money and means to make things happen. These stories included tales of vast wealth that could be obtained from the elemental plane of water. As a result the Water Militia formed. On the surface this is touted as just a water version of the Fire Militia and that really it's nothing you should concern yourself with. The reality is that indivduals that join the water militia are trained not only as soldiers but as spies and theives. While riches are to be had in the elemtnal plane of water they are often guarded by powerful individuals. So water militia are trained in the art of subfuge and stealth. Instead of vast chambers that bring portions of the plane of water to the prime material plane, small portals to the plane of water are created within magicaly protected rooms and small raiding parties are sent through. While the ranks of the water militia are filled with criminals, the ones that are accepted are those that have skills that are better suited for raiding an infiltration instead of the brute laborers often found in the fire militia. Those that join the water militia by choice are given special privliage and training often becoming squad leaders of the groups that travel through the portals.
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