"The Thousandfold Land is a vast World that has never been fully explored. The entire History of Mankind's occupation of the Land (a paltry thousand years) is but a moment, an eye-blink in the lifespan of the Land itself. Hundreds, thousands of Nations and Cultures have arisen in this time, cities and monuments built atop one another, until one needs only dig a few dozen feet before coming across the remains of some civilization or another. Most recently, our great Empire has come to dominate the Land, a powerful ever-expanding state ruled by a succession of Emperors. Following is a brief overview of those Nations and Places that are of interest:

The Empire of Vellus

Founded 1446 years after the Fall of the vaunted Northern Kingdoms, Vellus started off as a trading center on the coast of The Gibreus, an inland sea. After the ascendency of Xanus' Order of Lamplighters (having been born in Yaro, a nearby village) Vellus profited from the pilgrims and folk coming to settle near the Godkiller's birthplace. Quickly, Vellus became an economic giant, and sprawled across all three islands at the center of the Gibreus. In 1563 After the Fall, Polus Cata (last name meaning "of the land," a term given at the time to commoners in military service) Captain of the Vellusian Guard, marched on the capital and declared himself king. He scattered the merchant lords and somehow managed to cast out those magi they employed. The new king solidified his power in the city and surrounding areas, and he began to push his forces outward to claim new land. Over the course of Polus' life, his kingdom expanded to nearly double its size. The Imperial Capitol became a Bastion of Order, and even Xanus Himself spoke of its praises as a Bulwark against the Darkness. After living to an unprecedented 124 years, Polus left to his son what was now a growing Empire. Today, the Empire is a sprawling state stretching from the Eastern Wastes to the moors of Freidheim.

Freidheim

West of the Empire and beyond leagues of boggy moorlands is the territory claimed by the loose confederacy of clans that call themselves Freidmen. The land rises steeply after the moors, ascending nearly 3,000 feet into what the locals call the Oplunds. It is a place of harsh Weather and Savage Beasts, and the Men that live there must be Harsher still. The Freidmen clans wage endless War on each other, making alliances and founding blood feuds that last for decades. They are ruled by a king who must win his title in battle before he may be crowned. Little else is known of their Lands or Practices, other than that the King wears a Crown of Blood and their people routinely raid the Empire's outlying villages and towns.

Falda

Northeast of the Empire is Falda, nestled deep within the Keth Mora Mountains. Subsisting mainly on lumber and fur trading, they are not the richest of Nations, and aside from their relatively poor resources, an old treaty with the Empire keeps them safe from annexation. Long ago the Nation of Falda aided our fledgling Empire, and were granted Autonomy in exchange. Despite being the third largest Nation in the Land, Falda only boasts three major Cities, Pel-Oron, Pel-Tannon, and Arath-Nafur. Hundreds of villages dot the Countryside, each as heavily fortified as the cities, for in addition to lumber and furs the wilds of Falda are well known for its population of Monstrosities. Unlike the Empire, with its regular patrols and heavily armed Legions, Falda relies upon local militia and the City Huntsmen to protect the people.

Cestania

Cestania once dominated the land east of Falda and north of the Empire, keeping a mighty army and holding tight their borders against invaders. The Cestani's greatest resource were their iron rich mines, from whence they crafted their finest creation: the Cannon. Their Machines of war were greater than any others, until a Traitor betrayed their secrets to the Empire, and the Legions descended upon Cestania. Hundreds of thousands were killed in that War, and many more were made homeless refugees, forced to beg on the streets for even the meanest scraps. Nearly ten years later, and Cestania is a province of the Empire and the production of black powder weapons is securely in the hands of the Empire.

Eastern Wastes

The eastern Peninsula was once a lush Wilderness, and the tribes living there flush with their Bounty. But this was long ago. Now it is a rocky Wasteland, filled with dust and fitful eddies of wind. The oldest records claim the Land there was burned in ages past; by what is uncertain. It is dominated by rocky spires and winding canyons, blasted plains of glass and obsidian monoliths. Its only occupants are a handful of Primitive tribes and a single Imperial outpost.

The Ice Fields

North of the Wethan Wood and beyond the Stone Faces of Kholin, the world turns to ice. Long known as the haunt of giant Monsters, the ice fields are universally shunned. It was not always so, for even here there are remnants of Civilization: a toppled tower, a ruinous temple, all covered in sheets of ice and snow. It is unknown who, or what, once lived there.

The Outlying Lands

All things beyond the Empire are considered the Outlands, but generally it is a catchall term for those areas without a recognized ruler or Government. Mysteries abound in the Thousandfold Land, from the strange three eyed Argans, to the fearsome Painted Men of Fao. The greatest Sophists of the Imperial Collegium doubt the whole of the Land will ever be Understood, not that we would ever stop trying, of course."

Excerpt from A Compleat History of The Thousandfold Land

Braegan Marcus

High Sophist of the Imperial Collegium of Sophistry