Campolea, Western Province of the Empire
Geography
Campolea is the westernmost province of the Kaelic Empire that remains loyal to Council of Five and the empire. It sits on Reddale's eastern border. It is mostly populated by Men and Elves, though as a longtime member of the cosmopolitan Empire people of almost every race can be found dwelling there.
Within Campolea there once were 5 great cities, now only 4 remain: Eathshar, Baldshar, Verast and Honordain. The city of Amnist in the north was destroyed in the Dwarven Wars. The ruins are held to be accursed, and none dwell within many days' ride of there now. There are numerous smaller settlements, farms and villages scattered about the rolling hills of Campolea.
The larger forests tend to contain Elvish villages, whereas the grasslands are where most of the human settlements can be found. Most of the Elvish villages can be reached easily by horse, for the roads are well maintained through forests where Elves dwell, and the Elves keep their woods free of banditry. But there is one Elvish village one should best avoid, if not specifically invited: This is the Sacred Town of Ainuinaith. Ai-Eye-Nu-in-Ai-th. The Elves don't take kindly to those who mispronounce it, so if your tongue be unsteady in your mouth, call it "High Elvenhome" and they'll know what you mean. No roads lead to the Ainuinaith, and few non-Elves have ever beheld the holy Naithwater that High Elvenhome rests besides. It believed by many Elves that the Naithwater marks the gate from which their race once long ago entered the Mortal Realms from the Feywild. Such amongst them as do believe will make a pilgrimage to bathe in Naithwater at least once in their life. All others are strongly encouraged to leave that entire forest in peace.
Ecosystem
Campolea is comprised of massive rolling grasslands, spotted with deep dark forests.
History
Before the Empire's founding, Campolea consisted of five city-states all independent of, and in competition with, each other. These cities were mostly the domain of Men, with some Gnomes who had migrated across the Western River into the area. Unlike the city-states of the Republic in the West, these five never combined together into a larger union for their common good. As the city-states grew, what was once a mighty forest was slowly cut back, hacked and burned away to form the farmland and cattle farms of today. During this time, conflict arose between Elves of the forest and Men of the cities for control of the land. It was then that the Empire from the East swept in.
It was Kael II, Scion of Kael the Great who came upon the City States with fire and sword, and they all one by one were forced to submit to Imperial overlordship. In these early days, the Empire called this region The Western Marches, but it was called Cam Polea in the old Elvish tongue. Kael II was wise, after the manner of his father, and swore allegience with the Elves of Campolea, pledging Imperial protection over Ainuinaith. Having allied himself with the weaker faction, Kael II smashed the Great Cities and brought them into the Empire, and thus gained control over the entire region. Now, these many centuries later, Campolea has largely forgotten the wars that brought her into the Empire. The ancient conflicts of Forest and City are but old tales, seldom spoken. All here are now Imperial Citizens, and few have any desire to be anything else.
Having subdued Campolea, Kael II turned his attention upon the Republic. But here, he met a foe strong and unified, and his progress was blocked. In the tenth year of his reign, an arrow took Kael II's life as he stood to battle upon the fields of what is now known as Reddale. His younger brother, who served under him as a general then rose to be Kylen I, the Second Scion of Kael. And it while it was Kael II was the one who had founded the fortress of Sanctuary, to be a place for troops to rest and renew themselves before returning to battle, now Kylen I who withdrew to Sanctuary, and fortified it further. And he wrought from the older fortress now a new city, that it should stand eternal watch on his western border. But Kylen I left Campolea, and returned to Kenningdown, and prepared his forces for conquest elsewhere, having no heart to further assault the Republic.
Campolea avoided most of the ill effects of the Dwarven Wars: only one city was destroyed. This "luck" was due mostly to the fact that the grasslands were not as weathy as places further East, and so the Dwarves didn't focus on it as much. And though there are mountains north of Campolea, the same range as lies north of Erbain, yet there are no mighty Dwarven Realms in that part of the world. Also, it may be that the nature of the destruction of Amnist may have frightened even the most battlehardy Dwarven armies away.
In the fifty years since the fall of the Scions, while the Viziers fought and intrigued against each other over the broken bones of what had been a greater power, the people of Reddale decided to forsake the Empire, and declared themselves free. The Viziers in their cities further East were largely distracted fighting amongst themselves, and did not interfere. Eventually, though the Vizier wars wound down, as Erbain, Nevrast, Peredur and Halniir congealed from the old provinces of the Empire into their states. And Campolea was united under the banner of one Vizier, now: Eodred of Eathshar.
Eodred, victorious over the other Great Cities of Compolea, now turned his attention upon Reddale, seeking to renew his overlordship over all of Campolea. But he found to his chagrin that while strove with the other Viziers of Baldshar, Verast, Honordain and Amnist, eight mighty wizards had taken up abode in Sanctuary. And these eight did not themselves rule over the city, caring not for the day-to-day administrivia that such a dreary job must entail. But by the same token they would permit for other power sway over them either, and they would not submit to the Empire. So Eodred was obliged to send his armies against Sanctuary.
But Sanctuary did not fall. Indeed on the eve of battle, even as the men of the city tried to organize themselves into some semblence of fighting force, and stood upon their walls and watched the enemy come, did now the wizards put forth their power. Sweeping on the wings of storm and flame, great Dragons flew out of the North, and annihilated the Campolean forces. Of the seven thousand Imperial soldiers sent to take the city, it is said only some few hundred returned to Verast, and hence to their homes. But with the invaders destroyed, the dragons returned northwards, and have not been seen in Campolea ever since. And this is a strange thing, that these mighty Dragons would come at the behest of any, even a wizard. Or that having shown their power, did not in turn wreck the city that summoned them to fight, if summoned they were. How or why this came to be, the wizards will not say. And none who have been brave enough to ask them has returned from their towers to tell the tale.
And so Reddale stands alone to this day. It is still "protected" by the eight wizards, who in their turn will not govern the city they dwell in. And year by year Sanctuary slips slowly into ruin. For lawless folk of all stripe, hearing in both the Republic and in the Empire of a land where there are no overlords, travelled to Sanctuary. And now the City's name turned to irony, as it is the thieves of the world who have Sanctuary there, not soldiers. Chaos, not order. Many who dwell in Sanctuary still consider themselves Imperial citizens, and many in the Empire (and the Republic) still think of Sanctuary as part of Imperial territory, but no one has tried to test issue ever again. Eothane, son of Eodred focuses his attentions on keeping the four Great Cities that remain under his control, and vies with Kallos Fairmantle and Olvain Foamfollower for greater influence over all the central and southern realms.
Tourism
Ancient highways run between the 5 cities of Campolea, and lesser roads still connect even the least settlements in that open land. For this reason there is much travel within this province. One ancient highway even leads through Reddale to the gates of Sanctuary, though the highway is ill-maintained the closer one gets to that wretched tow
Within the Great cities one can find many fine and fair folk, bustling shops, and food and drink to please the eye and palate. Outside the cities, most of the larger villages will have a few inns for the weary traveller to rest in, but unless you are passionate about weather, crops, or husbandry, you are unlikely to find much to satisfy a tourist's desires. The rural folk of Campolea enjoy their simple lives, and prefer if visitors don't disturb them too much.
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