Esshar

The Kingdom of Esshar is a land to the far east of Sheng, separated by the Restless Ocean, a stormy, tumultuous sea that's still heavily under the influence of the fading peace barriers. There are no references to Esshar in the ancient texts of the divine wars: the continent was uninhabited until the early third century, after the Dread-demon Mordred the Perfect and its legions destroyed the country of Astya. The High Angel Malziel and his aides managed to intervene near the end of the devastation, relocating many thousand refugees to this new land, and it has long since established itself as a leading superpower in the world's affairs.

Foundings

The Kingdom of Esshar was founded by refugees near the end of the second century, and its people have an eventful history that spans all the way back to the beginnings of the world. The empire of Astya was where it started, the first great civilization during the Mythical Era, roughly five millennia ago to date. This was a time when magic was in full bloom, and many of the more proficient magi were demigods in their own right, able to perform what by today’s standards would be considered miracles.

There were two in particular that, despite the heightened flow of magic of the time, still stood out among the rest. Amalia Elaide and Mihail Petrakis. They both held the rank of Archmagi, the highest honor the empire would award someone with… And while held in similar esteem by the people of Astya, they walked very different paths; Amalia’s interests were in the natural world, the animals in the forest and the spirits. Mihail’s was the past and future, but never the present, a disciple of the timestream.

Amalia’s interests would eventually turn from wildlife and towards creation. She used the fear of men as fuel for power, pulling their nightmares out of sleep like the clouds pull water from the ocean and turn it into rain. She called them demons, her own special kind of creature, a new breed of beast - far more predatory, deadly, and intelligent than any other. The council of lords that ran the empire saw this as a great advancement, and at the command of Amalia, the demons conquered many countries, helping to expand the reaches of Astya. Eventually, however, the witch set her sights on complete dominion, wanting total control of the empire rather than sharing it with the council, but her ambitions were directly thwarted by Mihail Petrakis, exposing her hidden agenda.

This led to the Civil War of the Astyan Empire. The first great war. Many provinces sided with Amalia over the empire, admiring her ruthlessness and power, or just considering her the safer bet. While a valiant fight was put up, the armies of the witch were eventually destroyed. She was said to perish in battle, though some sources claim she survived in some form or another. Her sister, Miya, also continued to live in secrecy among the Astyans. Peace returned to Eternia, for a time.

It wasn’t until many centuries later did the witch have her revenge, in the form of a demon. One of her own creations, one of the first to rise. Over the years, Mordred had ascended to the highest form possible within the demon evolutionary chain and moved to wreak havoc on Astya, decimating its cities, devouring its people. The demon was a mountain of moving flesh, and it destroyed the country completely, land and all. Just twenty thousand Astyans were rescued by the High Angel Malztiel after the elder Archmagi, Mihail, called out in distress, his voice reaching across the spirit realm and toward the heavens. What was left of the peoples of Astya were taken to a new land, the Continent of Mu: To the far east of the world, across the Restless Ocean. It’s there they start over, led by the Petrakis bloodline, after being welcomed by the natives of the land - the people of Magnolia in particular - and given self-governorship of a small province on the western coast.

Over a millennia and a half has passed since then, and the new Kingdom, Esshar, is the most prominent power in the region.

Key Locations

Numerous towns and villages populate the mountainous greenlands of Esshar, with a total population of 24,000,000.

The Imperial City of Osrona

The jewel of the kingdom - the Imperial City is the spotlight of Esshar, with the nobility and military all operating from within. Life as a citizen there is fairly kind compared to harsher nations, the people are able to live freely and help shape the laws of the land, and shortages in food are rare unless there's a famine. Despite this, it is a large city that has its problems, with the trap of crime and poverty leading to slums, where no person is safe, not even the law.

Structure

Esshar is a constitutional monarchy, ruled by the Petrakis family. Parliament is made up of citizens that are granted peerage, and they draft and debate laws that are proposed to the reigning monarch to sign or veto. The noble houses manage their allocated districts directly, such as providing missions to the guilds.

The Three Great Noble Houses are Pelleaux, Grimmore, and Astor.

Factions

Some of the main organizations that act in support of the kingdom and are directly funded by them, as a public service, are as of follows.

Order of The First Light

The military is headed by the prestigious Order of The First Light. Guilds might also provide additional aid, groups of magi who come together and often complete quests issued by citizens in need or the government directly.

They are the elite knights of Esshar's military force. Members of the First Light may act as soldiers, as well as everyday law enforcers. Their banner is the constellation of Leonaus, gold stars alight set on a backdrop of midnight blue.

Ranks

• Lightbringer: There are exactly three Lightbringers, and they head the military. A Lightbringer is a knight that's unparalleled in battle skill and accomplishments, sometimes to a legendary standard.
• Radiant: The Radiants are the generals of the Order - they oversee large-scale operations, often commanding multiple legions.
• Paladin: At the level of Paladin, a knight is expected to be one of the finest combatants in the country, serving the Order as a commander.
• Exarch Knight: An Exarch Knight leads a team of magi, acting as a mentor and a leader.
• Knight: Completing their training as an Initate, the Knight has been inducted into the Order and is an official member.
• Cadet: A knight-in-training, a magi. It usually takes around three years before an Initiate graduates into knighthood. This induction phase may also occur as a programme in the academy.
• Soldier: A non-magi serving the military, or alternatively, a guild member that's not an official member but has volunteered. There are no more than 10,000 core members in the Order of the First Light, but there are roughly 80,000 soldiers that make up various less prestigious groups.