Nihellad

Nihellad is perhaps the most ancient state on the continent. The ancestral home of Elves and other fey races, peoples with oral histories stretching back far further than the written word. They organise themselves beneath ancient city-states, each with distinct cultural and artistic styles. Yet it was these ancient lands that were first brought into the empire (beyond Oenetria's borders) by Empress Flavia, around the year 300 SI. It is said that Flavia had oratory skills near unparalleled in history, skills which many in Nihellad value above all else.

Nihellad since became the guiding force for much of the social structure and hierarchy of the empire, especially as relates to religious and political matters (the Nihellad distain for the millitary is notorious). And it continues to hold sway over many of the higher echelons of society to this day.

Type

Geopolitical, State

Before they were united under the imperial banner, Nihellad and Nazva were staunch rivals, with border skirmishes and cultural disputes often breaking out over their shared border, the river Deva.
The most famous of these disputes is recounted in the Kobzar ballad, The Devyabytyvy.