The Sauscon People

The Sauscons are a varied group of humans originally from many tribes who shared cultural and familial ties.  The tribes migrated West over the course of 500 years culminating 200 years ago.  This brought them into conflict with the Sydonian Empire which extended from the Tuscan peninsula (where the city of Sidon is) to the North Sea.  Over the course of the migration the Sauscons alternately settled peacefully with the local population, intermixing, or fought with the Sidonian Legions.  Over time time the pressures from the East (humanoids in Kolia) forced greater conflict and the Empire began to withdraw.  The last dramatic withdrawal was 320 years ago when the Emperor commanded the Black Legion to safeguard the retreating army at all costs.  The Legion was decimated in the battle, but the Sauscon leaders were impressed and offered them amnesty and a home in honor of their bravery.  Today the Black Legion remains the premier fighting force in Ivalis, a mercenary army with a presence in every kingdom.  The Sauscons created their own fiefdoms in the Northwestern territories, but with two exceptions were unable to coalesce around a single ruler. 

The first exception was in the Far West, the territory bounded on the North by the North Sea and on the West by the Ocean.  That area was unified under the rule of Philip the Red, a knight with an extraordinary bright red-orange hair, and his descendants have ruled the Rousset Kingdom since.  The other exception was the short-lived reign of Eyk Wolfgar, who unified the Sauscons in the last war against Kolia which ended 100 years ago.  He died without known heir and the highest rank any Sauscon noble has been able to claim and retain since is Grand Duke.

The area of Eyk's reign is now fragmented into multiple principalities ruled by Dukes, Counts, Barons and one Grand Duke.  Only the last dares claim the title "of Sauscony".  The Grand Duchy of Sauscony is on the North Sea coast, bordering Rousset on the West, Capelnegra on the South and the other Sauscon fiefdoms to the East.  Currently ruled by the Grand Duchess Annuschka, the Grand Duchy is the largest of the Sauscon successor states and several Barons pay fealty to the Grand Duchy.  Among the other states the County of Rozalia is the farthest East and protects the mountain passes between Ivalis and Kolia.

A Note on Titles:  Within Sauscon lands the titles of Duke, Count, Viscount, Baron, Baronet and Knight are used.  Dukes, Counts and Barons hold their title directly from the King while Viscounts and Baronets hold their title indirectly through another Noble (a Count, Duke or (rarely) Baron).
This message was last edited by the GM at 17:41, Mon 20 Feb 2023.

The Sidonian Empire

The Empire is almost 2000 years old by the time we start the campaign.  It started as a Republic and about 1000 years ago was 'converted' into an Empire.  However, by tradition the emperor uses the title First Citizen and the throne is not automatically inheritable.  The Sidonian Senate must confirm the new First Citizen.  In practice, the emperors secure confirmation for their chosen successor before dying or otherwise passing on the throne.  The Empire is large covering almost all of the coast line of the Middle Sea, connecting East, West and South.  The Tuscan Peninsula sits in the center of the sea jutting South from Ivalis proper, and Sidon is in the center of the peninsula.  The Koine peninsula and archipelago is to the east, conquered by the Republic long ago, and now a vital and integral part of the Empire.  On the Bopar Strait sits the Eastern capitol of the Empire, Ilion, and the First Citizen moves his court between there and Sidon irregularly, rarely staying in either city for less than six months.

The North coast of the Southern continent is a fertile land and the bread basket of the Empire.  The peoples there vary from West to East with several conquered and absorbed tribes, kingdoms and cultures.  In the far east of this region is Ptomile, an ancient kingdom and declining power that is subject to Sidon.  They are famous for their ancient pyramids and other monolithic ruins.  Ilion protects the Bopar Strait into the Inland Sea, and the trade moving through the Straits is very lucrative.  The souther coast of the Inland sea is Sidonian territory, the northern is part of Kolia.

The Sidonians worship the One God Deus, Creator of All.  His clerics usually focus on one aspect of His Almighty power in the form of their chosen domain.

During the Imperial Retreat from Ivalis when the Black Legion was abandoned, the First Citizen granted limited autonomy to the northern region of the Tuscan Pennsula, establishing the formal northern border of the Empire at the mountains of the north.  The region including the northern slopes of the mountains is now called Capelnegra, a client kingdom of the Empire whose ruler is a Duke enfeoffed to the First Citizen.
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:45, Sun 20 Nov 2022.

Religion

Among humans there are three broad religious practices.  The first is the ancient Druidic religion taught to the younger races by the elves.  This is a nature religion that believes in the living land, spirits and ecology.  In the far eastern kingdom of Wa the religion evolved into the Shinto animist practice.  The Second is the various pantheons of gods worshiped by different peoples and cultures.  The Ptomile, Koine, Parthen, and others in the North are the most common.  The third is the Sidonian Church of the Almighty One, Deus the Creator.

The Sidonians believe Deus is the only true God and all others are but an aspect of Deus.  As such, they are not particularly aggressive in either their proselytizing or persecution, tolerating what they see as the mistaken belief among less cultured peoples that what are aspects of the One are different beings.  The other religions do not always  appreciate the patronizing attitude of Sidonian priests.

The Sidonian Church is headquartered in Sidon where the Pontificus Maximus oversees the church hierarchy.

The League of Mercantile Cities

A loose alliance of free cities generally on the coasts of Ivalis who band together for commercial and military cooperation.  The Black Legion is contracted to defend all of the members cities except Le Sangre, a pirate haven or 'Free Port.'  The largest of the League cities is Anchorhead on the North Sea coast of the Grand Duchy of Sauscony.  Le Sangre is West of Anchorhead on the North Sea Coast of the Kingdom of Rousset.

General geography

Ivalis is defined by mountains and seas.  The Spine of Ivalis mountains end in the west as smallish peaks and foothills on the southern border of Rousset with Tarraconensis.  Moving east the mountains rise rapidly though largely stay close to the coast, broadening Northwards and a bit south at the Tuscan Peninsula.  Most of Capelnegra is mountainous and the area north of there and south of the Grand Duchy of Sauscony is considered virtually impassable.  There are two known paths which terminate close to each other in Capelnegra, where the Black Legion made its stand.  The paths are maintained, and tolled, by the dwarves of the central range.

East of this the mountains split into Northern and Southern spurs which curve away before rejoining at the eastern edge of Ivalis.  The norhtern spur reaches the North Sea some hundred miles or so East of Anchorhead and the foot hills and slopes are in and surrounded by the Ravenwood Forest.  The southern spur curves to the Inland Sea where they join the East Wall, the long north-south range of mountains defining the eastern border of Ivalis and separating it from Kolia.  In between are fertile, if hilly, valleys home to many peoples, the easternmost realm nestled in there being the County of Rozalia.

In the North, the aptly named North Sea is bounded by Rousset, The Grand Duchy, the Danelaw (Norse/Swedish/Finnish kingdoms), and the White Islands which includes the Kingdom of Albion (England).  In the West, is the Great Ocean; Rousset's western boarder is the coast there, and south of Rousset is the peninsula of Tarraconensis.  The southern tip of Tarraconensis ends in the Straits of Neptune, a Sidonian settlement that controls entry into the Middle Sea from the Ocean. Opposite the Sidonian settlement is the Southern Continent, the entire northern cost of which is part of the Sidonian Empire.  Along the Middle Sea Coast, the East coast of Tarraconenis and the Southern Coast of Rousset are held by those two kingdoms; Capelnegra has a city on each West and East side of the Tuscan peninsula on the Middle Sea Coast, and the rest of the coastlines around the middle sea, including the Koine peninsula, are held by the Sidonian Empire.

One great river runs along the Norhtern slopes of the Spine of Ivalis mountains, its delta is at Anchorhead, though a branch continues West into Rousset, the capitol of which is on an island on the same river.  The Western branch empties into the Great Ocean.  Another branch turns South and empties into Lake Sauscon South of Anchorhead.  The river has many tributaries coming down from the mountains making the northern slopes and lands very fertile and green.  In the south many other small rivers and streams come down from the mountains also.

Kolian Empire

Beyond the Eastern Mountains, sometimes called "The Mountains of Shadow" lies the Kolian Empire.  Not much is known in the western kingdoms about Kolia, except that they are evil and expansionist.  The men of Kolia are tainted in some way with ashen grey skin, dark hair and eyes, and chiseled features (strong jaw and cheekbones).  They are known to wear manicured beards often in double points, as part of a goatee.  The women are almost never seen.  Humanoid tribes are known in the Mountains of Shadow: goblins and their meaner, better organized cousins the hobgoblins; orcs and bugbears; and ogres and hill giants are all known to come down, through or under the mountains from time to time.  It is said that Kolia is a place of never-ending steppes on which roam tribes of gnolls as well, though the Emperor (a personage regarding which no depravity he is rumored to enjoy) lives in a city East of the mountains.

The Kolian Empire last invaded Ivalis over a hundred years ago and the Eyk Wolfgar, last king of the Sauscons, was killed in the final battle that repelled the forces of evil.  The County of Rozalia now guards the mountain passes.  Little is known of the religion of Kolia, some say the emperor commands worship and forbids any competing gods.

Money in Ivalis

The standard coinage on the continent is the silver coin, one of which is equal to a D&D5e gold piece.  There are several mints, the imperial coins, the Sauscon coins and the Rousset coins being the most common.  Gold coins are more rare and used for larger transactions.  A peasant con live a subsistence life on one gold coin a month, though it is close to a starvation diet.  Bronze shillings (D&D silver piece) and copper pennies are also in circulation.

You can use D&D notation on the character sheet and for book keeping, this is just for flavor.

Gold Coins:  Sol d'Or (Rousset), Solar (Sauscon), Solidus (Sidon)
Silver Coins  Rous (Rousset), Crown (Sauscon), sesterces (Sidon), drachma (Koine)
Bronze Coins: douzain (Rousset), Sword (Sauscon), signatum (Sidon)
Copper Coins: jeton (Rousset), Penny (Sauscon), denarius (Sidon)

The Free City of Anchorhead, locations

Anchorhead is a 'civilized' city.  The city is run by a council of Guild Masters who are largely concerned with their own profits and the peace necessary to reap them in.  If the city as an organization has an alignment it would be Lawful Neutral.  Most of the time residents and visitors carry weapons no larger than a dirk, dagger, and perhaps a short bow if the person is a hunter.  The Legionnaires carry pole-arms, sword and dagger and are the most heavily armed and armored people in the city, though they are charged only with the city's defense against invasion or siege, not with peacekeeping.  Aside from them, the only armor in sight is leather.  Peace is kept by the Guild Guard, mercenaries hired by the Guild Masters for that purpose.  Suspects are arrested and thrown in the stockade to await a hearing with a magistrate.  There is no right to a speedy trial, habeus corpus, confront witnesses, or any other modern sense of fairness or civil rights.

In international affairs, Anchorhead is a member of the League of Mercantile Cities, a loose alliance of free cities generally on the coasts of Ivalis who band together for commercial and military cooperation.  The Black Legion is contracted to defend all of the members cities except Le Sangre, a pirate haven or 'Free Port.'  Anchorhead is the largest of the League cities and sits on the North Sea coast of the Grand Duchy of Sauscony.  Le Sangre is West of Anchorhead on the North Sea coast of the Kingdom of Rousset.

The Market is mostly movable stalls on carts or wagons on an open square that has a well and is surrounded by other buildings.  The largest of those are the Citadel (South end), the Guild Hall (part of the West side) and a traveler's inn (center of the North side).  The rest of the buildings are some of the main guild trades, two-story structures with a shop and workspace on the bottom and living quarters above.

The Citadel is a fortress that takes up the entire Southern point of the Old City of Anchorhead, the central island.  It is very large, capable of housing a large portion of the city's population if needed and manned by four cohorts of the Black Legion.  The towers watch the landward side, South, East and West, and the battlements have balistae and catapults.

The Port of Anchorhead is the entire North end of the Old City island.  The island is widest at this point and the entire sea frontage is piers, docks and slips for ships of every size.  On the land facing the port are several merchant warehouses two taverns and an inn, all facing the piers with an avenue between them.  The two taverns are the Blood & Shot and the Sea Serpent; the inn is the aptly named the Sailor's Rest.

The Church of Deus is the third largest building in the Old City, sitting two blocks east of the Market between it and the East Wall/Gate.  Sidonian churches tend towards domed rotunda for altar placement, usually with a colonnaded front and detailed friezes on pediments. [Very much in the style of The Pantheon in real-world Rome.]
This message was last edited by the GM at 22:23, Wed 22 Feb 2023.

Gathering some notes on Magic in Ivalis here.

In Ivalis magic is neither easy nor casual (despite what the rules permit.)  Magic is fading in the world.  In ancient times there were colleges or academies of magic, not anymore.  Now wizards are often lone figures with an apprentice or two, though they are still sought after and respected.  Magic items are not bought and sold in stores.  The fading of magic is one of the themes, something that perhaps goes hand in hand with modernity.  Elves are likewise very rare now, wood elves being the only type seen regularly.  There are legends of a hidden kingdom of elves.

Magic with a verbal component does not require yelling or loudly proclaiming the words, but it is a very deliberate process.  The hand gestures (somatic components) are precise to invoke the powers, with words spoken in specific tones and timed with the gestures to work together invoking the power.  It is a pretty obvious process/activity, moreso to one who is trained of course, when someone is trying to cast a spell.  The specific spell can even be determined, which is why Counterspell works.

Languages

Human/Cultural with Earth parallels in parenthesis

Sidonian (Latin):  Sidonian Peninsula and Empire-wide as a common tongue
Sauscon (Germanic):  The common language on the continent, multiple dialects among Sauscons
Rousset (French):  The language of the Kingdom of Rousset, has Sidonian, Sauscon and Elvish influence
Tyrolian (North Italy):  Capelnegra, influences from Sidonian and Sauscon
?? (Iberian Peninsula): Tarraconensis
?? (England):  Albion
Koine (Greek):  Elliniki, influenced by Elvish, itself influenced other languages in the region
Kolian (Slavic-Magyar):  Spoken throughout the Empire as a common tongue, native to the humans of that realm


Non-Human Languages

Elvish:  Root Elvish is the language that influenced all languages spoken by humans and demi-humans on Ivalis, except for Dwarvish.  Now divided into several dailaects that are regional.
Dwarvish:  another early language and though some elvish-derived words entered into Ivalian Dwrvish, it is a unique language with more in common with other Subterranean languages.
Halfling:  a language derived from Koine, Elvish and Dwarvish, with many unique words of an unknown origin.  Many regional variations also incorporate Sauscon or other local languages, the halflings are always adapting and modifying their language.
Gnomish:  A unique language that seems to derive from Sylvan, Elvish and some Dwarvish influence, particularly the Rock gnomes who live underground.