The Humans of Ulvad

Humanity

Those who claim to understand the inner machinations of the human mind are foolish or unlearned. We are enigmatic creatures to the other souls that inhabit this world. With determination and skill, we've created tools in which to record history and prose as I do now, yet we also attempt to smother ideas that interfere with our personal beliefs. We are unified, yet unmistakably divided in heart and head.
Seeking to protect ourselves, we traversed Rejomensc long before it even bore a name to escape the unforgiving frozen hell that was Harushka. Beyond the top of the world was a low-lying land green with life. We took to calling this land Ulvad. It is derived from Ulod, meaning home, and Vadat, meaning fertile. Even as we began to settle, we argued between one another: feuding over who would take the land that was hardly ours to begin with. In the passing centuries, countries sprouted about the land, each with its own culture and beliefs.

"Ignorance begets hatred. This is the way in which humanity has stifled its own growth."

- Florens Patrice, 371 PGS

Carovige & Dracondale

The kingdom of the Sarpean coast, Carovige has had a stranger history than some of its neighboring nations. The kingdom was founded by its namesake, Sfan Carovige, after defeating "The Sleeping Lord" that now lay in a permanent rest beneath the gulf. The nation itself has been known for strangely strict isolationist policies put in place by the last ruling family, the Krovnakov Dynasty. Many historians believe that the isolation of Carovige was a strategic move as the Ardelites at the time were busy ravaging their neighbors because of conflicts over territory and faith. For this reason, Carovige has seen little war. Carovige is a kingdom that encourages learning, priding itself on the fact that nearly a quarter of its population can read and write.

"And woe upon those who believe that we oust the Krovnakov line with light hearts..."

- Lacramiora Sutik, 394 PGS 

The people have a sizable following dedicated to Sfan Carovige that wanes all the time. Ever since the Krovnakov Dynasty was forcefully removed, (see here) the nobility has made many efforts to forward efforts in education, military, and infrastructure, that were once ignored by the seemingly careless royal family. The Lord Regent, Sebastion Rostan, rules a fair throne within the Krovnakov Palace. Rostan appears to many as being the opposite of his predecessors and yet he seemingly passes any and all issues off to his parliament who are quite thorough and fair, looking out for the interests of the people. The parliament was previously composed of military and community leaders. Now, in part of the sheer size of Carovige, it is mostly composed of high-status nobles who aim to fill their coffers at the expense of the people. The citizenry is not completely ignorant to this, but they would rather be robbed by anyone by the Krovnakov's after decades of neglect.
Dracondale is a land that is far from safe. With lingering fae creatures, invading heibtrots (hobgoblins), and a great dragon harassing the people of Parad, many stay within the city's walls for safety. Parad is the only standing city left in Dracondale and it happens to be a territory of the Kingdom of Carovige. The people here are accustomed to conflict, as their ancestors fought to defend this place when it was first established nearly two centuries ago (see here).
The humans of the Sarpean coast are an average group. The average height is a few inches below six feet. What they lack in size and strength, they make up for with wit and intellect, as even the poorest pauper can become educated. Hair and skin color in Carovige vary greatly from pitch-black to blonde and dark umber to pale white. Eye colors, too, vary greatly. Most of the populous have brown eyes, but many have blue, green, and hazel. The Sarpean sea is home to a lot of fishermen and most citizens know a thing or two about sailing. Despite Carovige being decades ahead of its neighboring nations, it still holds esoteric and ignorant policies toward non-human races. Squats and Olish (Dwarves) are seen as second-class citizens by most and make up less than 2% of the population.

Halden & The Ardelites

As stated, Ulvad was not ours to begin with. This land that we happened upon well over a millennium ago was ripe with many different walks of life. Aggressively, we began to tarnish the land by felling forests and slaying creatures of the fae. The futile attempts made by the Vraji, who once outnumbered humanity, were met with destruction. The man that would go on to create the city (and now country) of Halden, Umdin Gle, lead campaigns to wrestle Ulvad free of its former inhabitants. Ultimately, Gle was overwhelmingly successful. Halden was free of the hags that lingered about the plains and the nymphs that lured men to their doom.
As the rest of humanity stood by and witnessed the end of the Vraji, Gle used this momentum to found Halden east of the Forests of Eia. His faith in Aedil, their God, was enough to create a civilization all on its own. Those that would come to settle in Halden were skeptical of Gle's Ardelic Order, causing a schism. Some truly believed that the Ardelites were nothing more than warmongers that thirsted for bloodshed; the very thing that they sought to destroy. It would take centuries before the Ardelites stopped their crusades into Rejomensc, Zafriste, and Sulaste and returned home. Because of the Ardelites past of aggression towards Halden's neighbors, (see here), Zafriste and Sulaste hold uneasy peace with their zealous neighbor.
In recent years, King Iolaen has visited Carovige only to find that the seaside nation was decades ahead of Halden in every aspect: medicine, technology, fashion, etc. After returning home, he arranged a meeting with the Church of Aedil to bring forward a new era in Halden's history: the "Arenasta". The Church has subtly pushed back against the King's decrees and attempts to do away with what he thinks to be dilapidated. Despite Iolaen having supreme power and a throne greater than any other in Ulvad, he has left his keep on occasion with the objective of cutting beards from men's faces, as he believed that beards were a sign that Halden was lagging behind the rest of Ulvad. Ever the patron, Iolaen has spilled his coffers to invite Carovigian artists and philosophers to join his inner circle. With their help, he has slowly began renovating what was once regarded as the "royal keep" into the "Iovelian Palace".
The average citizen that dwells in Halden in the modern day is faithful to Aedil and the Church. They are descendants of a heartier race of soldiers and warriors like their Zafristian counterparts. What they lack in knowledge, they make up for in faith, loyalty, and brawn. Those from Halden are, on average, at or over six feet in height. Hair colors vary from blonde to brown. Skin can vary from olive to fair. The average eye colors are brown and blue. Men tend to grow beards as a sign of masculinity and strength. In recent years, however, the King, Reged Iolaen, has been making sweeping attempts to bring Halden into the "modern age" forcing a beard tax upon those who wish to continue wearing their beard.

Sulaste

Zafriste

For centuries, many different royal families controlled Zafriste and the lands surrounding it. Zafriste means "Land of Fertile Soil" and it has certainly lived up to its name. Many different noble families would take up the title of King and Queen: the Crețucans, the Vlanadreas, and the Magsignardens were the most noteworthy. Each royal family promised something new and exciting for Zafriste. In the 9th century (Age of Ulod), the Vlanadreas would host extravagant balls and parties all for artists and inventors while the Crețucans in the 2nd century (Post Great Storm) pleased the people with formal talks of peace with Halden. The Magsignardens, in the early 4th century, drew borders with their neighboring nations in an effort to prevent further conflicts. These borders, however, were all but shattered because of mistrust with the new Archbishop of Halden. Any hope of lasting peace between the nations was forever scorned after the Palt Violet's assassination of the royal family which would later set the stage for a military coup.
Zafriste's neighbors always thought long and hard before engaging in conflict with the land of wheat and barley, knowing well that a large amount of food would stop flowing into the country. The only nation that could afford such a loss was Halden with their somewhat comparable farmland. Due to disagreements over land and faith, Halden and Zafriste have long been adversaries. Sulaste has held somewhat uneasy relations with the warmongering nations but has seen its share of non-military conflict in the past. Carovige, a nation isolated, has seemingly been the only true ally to Zafriste in spite of their aggressive nature. Very few conflicts have ever come to a head between the nations. Most notably the Saffron Wars (see here): an ongoing battle for territory between the two nation's nobles. Both the war council and the Lord Regent have denounced this conflict to no avail.
Zafriste is the only kingdom in Ulvad that has completely done away with its monarchal traditions. In year 341, a group known as the Palt Violet violently overthrew Zafriste by assassinating the royal family, the Magsignarden (Mog-Sin-Yar-Den), in a series of coordinated attacks. The public was greatly divided over the coup that inevitably ended in the military ceasing control of Zafriste. In the past decade, under the control of the military commander Leod Borinan, Zafriste has hunted down and executed those who hold even the most remote of relationships with the Palt Violet. Whether or not this was done to prevent another coup or as a show of strength, the civilians stood silent as the military council began to leech into all aspects of their life. The war council is currently headed by four officials: Efan Matrie, commander of the nation's guard; Halette Stavulpe, the commander of the military; Mari Nulemeau, the richest woman in Zafriste who is noted for being the current face of the council; and Petre Zemfor, a merchant that handles the nation's tariffs and taxes. 
The people of Zafriste tend to be of shorter stature. Most men and women are well below six feet in height. Regardless, the Zafristi are known for their cunning and speed in battle. Skin colors tend to be olive to dark umber. Hair is usually curly, thick, and dark in color. The most common eye colors are brown and hazel. Zafriste is home to a vast plateau of farmland and marshes with an oppressive military council strictly watching over what they can. As such, many Zafristi tend to be farmers or soldiers. Zafriste is not unlike its neighbors in anti-human policies. While non-humans are not banned, there are laws that prevent them from living within city walls. As such, many become farmers or create their own small communities that refuse to pay taxes because of sheer lack of representation. Despite the unfairness, they make up nearly 9% of the population.