Oarn

Once a fragment of a great and long-dead empire, the Sunstone Plateau now hosts its own resplendent, sovereign kingdom: Oarn.
Oarn is a land of intense natural beauty, dry and rugged at times, lush and verdant at others. Situated between the southern wastes of the Frontier and the northern reaches of Tuwellios, it sits across the high table of land, alone and unattainable by nearly any terrestrial army. Oarn controls the only land route between the Midlands and the South, and they guard the passage fiercely.
The land, the stone, itself is infused with magic, leading to its flora and fauna both to develop to vast size and in curious ways. The Greatwoods are perhaps most emblematic of this, vast tree-organisms whose roots stretch the land over, and whose branches are large enough to support entire villages.
Oarnish culture is defined by three primary factors:

• Fervent adherence to the principles of Ai Yan, the Ascendant One.
• Veneration of those whose bloodlines are entwined with the power of the Sunstone.
• Strong distrust of outsiders, and intense pride in their own way of life.

The Ascendant One

Most Oarnish follow the Yanic faith. It is said that Ai Yan, the Ascendant One once incarnated in human form after being challenged by a rival to divest herself of divinity. She led a life of ceaseless self-refinement, eventually reclaiming her divine mantle by sheer force of her mortal will. She sired three children, each of whom embody one path to self-refinement.
None alone hold a candle to their mother, but each has something to teach a prospective pathstrider. Akh Tor to embody Trial, Lei Fon to embody Toil, and Kel Met to embody Revel. The old Gerric cycle of living features two additional paths, those of Penance and Rest, but those duties are split between the three siblings.
Those who stride the paths seek liberation and self-betterment at all times. Artistic passion, martial prowess, emotional openness. Freedom to choose your own path towards ascendance, towards a perfected mortal experience. All are considered equal and worthy of pursuit. A great cultural paradox existed for many years in the form of their thrall-taking, many goliaths taken from the far north and forced to labor building their grand cities and digging their vast quarries. Liberation was one of their most sacred virtues, yet they took slaves and forced a path where none was wanted? This was finally, painfully, corrected some 40 years prior. 

By Virtue of Strength:

Oarn is led by its Typhon. The title of Typhon changes hands when the current Typhon is defeated in ritual combat (though this is usually considered impossible) or when the Typhon elects a successor and abdicates. A Typhon should embody the values of Oarn: passionate, powerful, and talented. Beloved of the sun and stone is they who take up the mantle. A Typhon should be the most capable warrior, the most passionate artisan, and the most fearsome soul in all Oarn, a pathstrider embodying all aspects of the Ascendant One.
Other parts of Oarn's government include:

• First Will: Those sworn to carry out the Typhon's will, his staff of generals, advisors, councilors, and heads of state. As they speak with the Typhon's voice, they are entrusted to carry out his will in mundane matters of governance.
• Lawbringers: Peacekeeping force who take to the lands to find cases to hear.
• Almsgivers: Religious arm of the government. Enforce Yanic dogma and facilitate pathstrider's journeys.

Stones Roar, Lands Awaken!

Some of the regions of Oarn are as follow:

Seffir:

Rugged mesas and jagged canyons characterize Seffir. Cities carved into the stone and sprawling across the mesas take up residence in the bones of Oarn's distant past, when it was but one of many thrall-nations to a powerful empire. Vast murals and frescos can be seen upon the canyon walls, and dangers lurk within the deep and numerous caves pockmarking the cliffs.

Alupom Cresecnt: 

Fertile plains and wetlands stretch across Oarn's central region. A number of Greatwoods dot the landscape, many hosting towns at their feet or in their boughs. The river Alupon traces its way through this region, and tightly controlled seasonal flooding sometimes turns hills into islands and valleys into lakes for months out of the year. More than three quarters of Oarn's foods are grown here and the herds of Zebes make for fine hunting as they roam the landscape.
Occasionally, this region will produce virulent strains of powerful creatures

Zaliber:

Mountain-shrine dedicated to Ai Yan, and the tomb of her mortal incarnation. An immensely holy place to Yanic devotees. This is where the Ritual of Entwining takes place whenever a new bloodline is tied to the land. Various temples and fortresses line the path to the top of the mountain, the path itself being closely maintained by skilled stone shapers to create an evocative and challenging pilgrimage route. Those who walk the path to Zaliber's peak will witness the very best of Oarn's geomantic arts.

Luminous Path:

Capital of Oarn. A rich and beautifully crafted coastal city that sits at the foot of the path to Zaliber. Here is the Typhon's palace, the great houses of the Entwined, and the head temples to Lei Fon, Kel Met, and Akh Tor.

Demographics
Humans: Compose monarchy and ruling class. Native to the Sunbright peninsula before it was displaced during the Scourging. Primary beneficiaries of the Sunstone magics. Dwarves: Originally came to the region to quarry the stone, which is suffused by ancient magic. Despite years of effort, they failed to make the stone retain these properties upon leaving the plateau. Many of the expeditionary force decided to stay, choosing to ply their talents to build the great and beautiful cities, palaces, and places of learning. They do not aspire to claim places among the ruling class, instead content with study of the nation's many unique features, and the applications of them.
Goliaths: In an ancient age, kings of Oarn enslaved goliaths in the far northern tundras and brought them back to Sunstone, putting them to work as laborers to build their great works. After a certain king abolished slavery, goliaths came to take on honorable positions in Oarn, though they have yet to claim a place in the ruling class. Despite multiple generations since they were considered their masters, goliaths maintain a distrust of dwarves. Goliaths naturally embody many of the qualities valued in Oarn, and have adapted quickly to become excelling members of society. In modern times, there are even candidates for Typhon among Goliaths.

Type

Plateau