Selcaria was once a diocese of the Irillian Empire in the Anicetus prefecture. If was comprised of the Demetri, Thebai, and Kastéllo provinces. Eight months before the elven army sacked Arapis and crossed the Caragan Sea the magistrates of each of these provinces rebelled against Irill and declared themselves independent nations. Irill was hard-pressed and could send no legions to pacify the region.

After the war Irill and the new rulers of Selcaria signed the Treaty of Valia in which Irill set aside all claims against their former territory, opened trade routes, and set teh Black River as the boundary between the nations. There are still people inside Irill who want to reclaim their former territory as well as people in Selcaria that wish to once again be part of Irill, but they represent a small and every shrinking minority.

Selcaria was created during the early years of the Second Irillian Empire. Three legions (II Coranni, III Leppapi, V Domonii) marched around the southern shore of the Caragan Sea, conquering the people that lived there. During this time they constructed a grand road that stretched from the Irillian Senate to what is now called Valparia. Along this road they built a string of fortified strongholds from which their soldiers could sally.

Because a Irillian soldier serving in the legion would be given newly conquered land instead of pay, as the legion moved westward the land they conquered was populated by retired soldiers and their families. When the native population was sufficiently pacified prefect Anicetus named his cousin Agostino as governor of the Selcarian diocese. Agostino was a petty tyrant and within five years the populace was openly rioting.

Anicetus, furious that Agostino could not keep the roads open enough for supplies to reach his legions, quartered the V Domonii legion and stationed them in and around Valparia to protect his northern border against the elves. The II Coranni was to continue the attack to the west until they reached the sea. The III Leppapi was turned over to Agostino to pacify Selcaria. Agostino divided the legion into its cohorts and had them man strongholds along the road. The riots continued to grow in strength, so he broke up each cohort into their century and divided them among the larger villages - except for the prima cohort which maintained the stronghold. When the Legatus' protested they were jailed for insubordination and replaced by people allied with the Agostino.

The rioters continued to grow stronger each week and the diocese would have descended into full civil war except for two things. The first was the attack by the elves that sacked the port city of Arapis which gave the elves uncontested access to the Caragan Sea. The second was that most of the the V Domonii had abandoned Valparia after word reached them that Legatus Nevio was jailed by Agostino and awaiting trial for treason.

After fighting their way through scattered centuries of the III Leppapi they reached Tourniki and freed Nevio. While some of the III Leppapi centuries sided with the Agostino, the majority of them rallied to Nevio's camp. It took almost three years, but they where able to trap Agostino's army and destroy it. With the Governor dead and the elves besieging the Imperial Senate, the magistrates of each of the Selcarian provinces declared themselves independent and no longer answerable to the Senate. The Senate could not little to stop them from leaving as the elves had already established control over one city on the eastern bank of the Caragan Sea.

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There is no single government that could rule over the Providence of Selcaria. Instead someone can hold as much land as they control through economic or force of arms. Because many of peasants came from the Irillian Empire they modeled their new government from what they had before.

<A name=“Geo”><H1>Geography</H1></A> <P>If Selcaria were a single nation, then it would be the one of the largest nations in

the Realms south of the Iron Mountains. The three largest kingdoms each rule over roughly
4,000 mi², which is less that a tenth the size of the Dakarian kingdom; however, when
considering the amount of area claimed when the Irillians founded Selcaria, over 75,000
mi&sup2;, it is actually larger than the Kingdom of Dakar.</P>

<P>The land of Selcaria is gentle rolling hills and winding valleys. Through these

valleys flow hundreds of small rivers that feed into either the Black or Magius Rivers.
These rivers then feed the marshlands and swamps in the south before emptying into
the sea. These wetlands make the land very fertile, with enough excess to sell in
the markets of those towns along the trade road.</P>

<P>The trees in the northern lands of Selcaria that border the Caragan Sea are mostly

scattered forests of temperate hardwoods. Near the southern shore their is more of an
even mix between temperate and tropical trees. While the southern forest is nowhere near
as think as the xxxx continent, it is more difficult terrain that the north.</P>

<H3>Caragan Sea</H3> <P>This inner sea is bordered by all three of the Irillian military holdings in Selcaria.

It is both a constant source of food and commerse.</P>

<H3>Black River</H3> <P>This large river exits the southern tip of the Caragan Sea and winds it way among

the hills of eastern Selcaris. It is about 3,400 feet (~.65 miles) across just before
entering the Dread Forest with its deepest channel being only 15 feet. It eventually
enters the Dread Forest, where it takes on an unnaturally slow pace allowing the thick
growth of algae and weeds. It empties into the Southern Sea near the city of
Haven.</P>

<P>Aside from the part of the river that passes through the Dread Forest, the Black

River is very important to the surrounding states. It provides a plentiful
stock of fish, inexpensive barge travel, and created many large oxbow lakes as it
winds its way through the flood plains near the waterfront communities.</P>

<H3>Magius River</H3> <P>The other major river that flows through Selcaria is nothing like the Black River to

the east. The river is less that a quarter-mile at its widest point and often narrows
down to less that a few hundred feet. Because it wanders through the valleys in a
mostly north to southwest direction the actual river is over 1,500 miles long.</P>

<H3>Dread Forest</H3> <P>This dense forest straddles the Black River for several miles before it empties into

the Southern Sea. Comprised of twisted hardwood trees intermingling with those
already dead, and several that nobody has been able to identify — the sheer number
of trees in most areas means that no sunlight every touches the forest floor. While this has
eliminated any scrub from hindering passage, the number of trees and thorny branches make
getting off the few paths nearly impossible.</P>

<P>The forest itself seems to welcome no strangers, and it calls nobody a friend. There are

some people in the nearby towns that claim they have been into the forest and lived, but
most of these are charlatans. The entire forest is bane to any form of magic practiced and
most clerics find it impossible to commune with their diety within its confines. Most people
that come close to the forest are overcome by a unnatural sense that something dreadfully evil
lives at the heart of this forest.</P>

<H3>Stoneshead</H3> <P>This extremely large head appears as a cross between the shoag and a human. It

appears to have been carved from a single rock as there are no mortar lines or
breaks indicating multiple pieces. The face is buried to its neck; although
many excavations of the surrounding land have revealed no body beneath the head.
The head is looking mostly northeast, with its eyes slightly tilted towards the
heavens. Most local legends believe it was created by the Ancients —
although its meaning is unknown.</P>

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<A name=“Gov”><H1>Government</H1></A> <P>Selcaria is a land of many rulers that hold their land from their neighbors through

military strength. Any ruler that cannot defend their land will soon find that land
belongs to their neighbor. To keep agressive neighbors at bay many rulers have been
forced to become a vassel to a larger kingdom. However, alliances and fealty are
slippery concepts where freedom only comes from strength of arms.</P>

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<A name=“Cul”><H1>Culture</H1></A> <P>With so much land open to claim by someone with enough strength to pacify the

natives and keep their neighbors at bay — Selcaria is a land of warrior-kings,
closed conclaves, native tribes, and in some cases feifdoms of one of the other great
kingdoms. Barons have often switched allegiances and the Code is Chivalry is rarely
held true by most of the knights of the realm.</P>

<P>This has led to most kingdoms within Selcaria to become little more that a patchwork

of temporary alliances based upon strength and wealth. Because this land is a mixing
pot of clashing cultures it is more often considered a powder keg that frequently
explodes into war.</P>

<P>This atmosphere of shifting alliances and weak bounds of fealty mean that more than

one landowner has returned from a successful campaign against their neighbor and found
their manor house currently occupied by their now rebellious villagers.</P>

<H3>Language</H3> <P>The most common language found in Selcaria is Irillian; however this does not make it

the language used by most of the commoners. Most commoners have mixed Tradestongue
with Irillian and a smattering of Dakarian slang. There are even a few elven, dwarven,
and Xianese words that have become commonplace.</P>

<H3>Populace</H3> <P>The three largest kingdoms were created by Irillian soldiers, most of the people

within Selcaria still consider themselves Irillians even though their lords swear no
fealty to the Irillian Senate. The smaller kingdoms associate themselves with their
current lords or native heritage. Only in the oldest towns and villages are people
beginning to see themselves as Selcarian.</P>

<P>A majority of the population in Selcaria are human or Irillian descent. The rest are

a polygot of Dakarians, Dwarves, Elves, and Hashan. The difficult, and often
dangerous, frontier kingdoms have forced each village to the conclusion that its
survival rests only on its own strength.</P>

<H3>Religion</H3> <P>There is no single religion that has firmly established itself as the religion of

Selcaria. Instead, there are practioners from just about any religion found in the
Realms somewhere within its borders. That said, Irrishites comprised the largest
religion in Selcaria with arounf thirty-five percent of the people claiming to
be followers.</P>

<H3>Magic</H3> <P>Most of the new academies have been built in the territories controlled by Selcaria

While they are usually given lands far from any of the cities, a small number are actually
within sight of a major city — and two have been built within their walls.</P>

<P>When the Irillian Empire was in its waning days, Imperial commands become brutal and

harsh. However, the people had little choice but to obey or face the cruel whip of their
guards. However, as the magicians were losing their status in Dakar many traveled far to
the south to create their own academies. Many of these magicians settled within Selcaria
and assisted the people in overthrowing the more corrupt Irillian governors.</P>

<P>The most wide spread academies are located in the western and southern lands, with the

eastern governors still harboring resentment over the magician’s role in overthrowing the
Irillian Empire’s hold over the entire land. While it is not true to say that a magician
enjoys a high status within Selcaria, they are free to practice their
craft and take on new apprentices.</P>

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<A name=“Econ”><H1>Economy</H1></A> <P>Most of Selcaria have their economy centered on the trade of raw and manufactured goods.

This can range from ore and steel to grain and flour or anything in-between. There is a
large network of roads built for the Irillian military that are now used to maintain their
explosive trade growth.</P>

<P>Unlike the Dakarians and Xian, the Irillians built their major roads from cut flagstones,

this is a great advantage when moving heavy wheeled carts. Even the side roads are made from
hard-packed earth with crushed rock laid on top, which is still superior to wheeled travel
compared to the packed dirt roads of their neighbors.</P>

<P>Selcaria have opened up their ports to all honest, and some dishonest, merchants regardless

of their nationality. However, those that are citizens of the city often pay far less in
taxes, making it more profitable for a foreign merchant to sell his goods in their markets
than ship them. Even this tax still makes it far less expensive for a Dakarian merchant to
sail their goods from Celinus to the southern port cities than sell their goods in Irill.</P>

<H3>Orchards</H3> <P>The warm climate and many rivers support some of the finest orchards anywhere in the Realms.

Most towns have large vineyards driving a growing competition between a noble's wine production.
Locally produced olive oil and fresh fruits make a noble's table setting seem lavish compared
to richer lands far to the north.</P>

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<A name=“Mil”><H1>Military</H1></A> <P>The sovereignty of each kingdom rests completely upon its military's ability to conquer

new lands and stop others from taking their lands. Because of this when seen as a whole,
Selcaria has one of the largest armies in the Western Realms, comprised mostly of mercenaries
and yeomen with a long tradition of arms.</P>

<P>However, its fractured alliances and fealty ensure that most of the rulers would never send

their soldiers to war to defend another king's holdings without benefit for themselves. Even
the few kingdoms that have signed alliances of mutual defense have been known to turn on each
other if it meant their own holdings would increase.</P>

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<A name=“Nei”><H1>Neighbors</H1></A>

<h4>Beldin Wilds</h4> <P>Beldin Wilds is a mix of elven and human culture that is unique in the world. The

people live simple lives, denying anything not created by their own blend of
magic and craftsmanship. Many of their creations have been purchased by the
surrounding Free States; however, the people of Beldin Wilds have refused to
make anything that could be used for war.</P>

<P>The community of Beldin Wilds purchases very little from Selcaria, but this

is because they purchase very little from anybody. Still, there are several
Free States that has earned their respect and they trade freely with them.</P>

<h4>Corvis</h4> <P>Once called the &quot;City of Knowledge&quot;, this city is located deep in the

heart of the largest salt marsh in the southern territories of Selcaria. When this
Academy of Magicians was still open there was a thriving trade between the
academy and those Free States it bordered. Most of the goods came through their
port, since land caravans had to be guided by a member of the academy or they
would fall prey to the many dangers.</P>

<P>When the ArchLich Lannoth conquered this city all trade stopped immediately. It is

assumed that any of Selcaria citizens inside the city when it was
conquered were killed, or worse. While Lannoth has not made any attacks against
Selcaria, it is only a matter of time.</P>

<h4><a href=“m_nations_Chrysalis.htm”>Chrysalis</a></h4> <P>Not really a direct neighbor, but there is a large amount of trade and military

alliances between these two nations. Selcaria have a great deal of rare
materials that Chrysalis desperately needs to survive. In return, Chrysalis
trades a great deal of alchemical creations that can actually survive outside
their boundaries.</P>

<P>Most of the healers and alchemists learned their trade in Crysalon. It is in their

magic-infused ground that plants, unlike found elsewhere in the world, grow in abundance.
Most have very strong magical properties. However, anyone that works in Chrysalis can only
stay a few years before they become attached to the power of the land. This does not
seem to be a problem for those born in Chrysalis .</P>

<h4>Dolmar Protectorate</h4> <P>This strip of land completely separates Selcaria from Xian; since it was

created from land won by Selcaria in their brief war with Xian the
people living on this land maintain very friendly ties with Selcaria.
The Protectorate has little agriculture or trade goods, instead they trade
their skill at arms for the food and goods they need. In fact, their skills
with war are the only thing the Protectorate has to trade.</P>

<P>Under the laws that created the Protectorate, any citizen of Selcaria can

emigrate to the Protectorate provided they have something to contribute to
guarding the Xianese border. The Protectorate may sell their soldiers as
mercenaries or provide training only to member-states of Selcaria. So, while they
do have military and economic ties they are completely controlled by Selcaria.</P>

<h4><a href=“m_nations_Irill.htm”>Irillian Empire</a></h4> <P>Many of the nation-states of Selcaria are still ruled by the governors that were

granted their lands by the old Irillian Empire. This means that many of the
ruling class still have family ties to the ruling class of Irill. These bonds
cannot be broken as easily as the fall of the Irillian Empire.</P>

<P>Selcaria is Irill’s largest trading partner, and vice versa. The amount of

trade caravans and ships that travel between these two nations surpass even
when the Irillian crown controlled both areas. In recent years, both nations
have agreed to lower their respected tariffs, thereby further increasing their
trade. While some of Selcaria disliked this idea, it was overwhelming

voted in approval at Rathkar.</P>

<P>In addition, both nations have large mutual defense treaties and often stage mock

battles and raids between their troops. While some broad economic treaties can
be voted on at Rathkar, the close military ties between Irill and some of the
cities is up to the individual rulers. This has lead to many objections being
raised about widening military ties to Irill.</P>

<h4><a href=“m_nations_ThreeKingdoms.htm”>Three Kingdoms</a></h4> <P>As the eastern cities call Irill their most influential-trading partner, so does the

western cities hail the Three Kingdoms. Like Selcaria, people of the
Three Kingdoms came to fight the Xianese, and similarly they found a better area and settled
after the war.</P>

<P>These two nations have strong economic and military ties, with many of the military

treaties also including Ellendar and their mutual defense against the Xian. It
is a simple matter of fact that Irill and the Three Kingdoms are both peddling
their influence with various local governors to gain some upper hand on the
other. This typically works to the benefit of Selcaria.</P>

<!– OLD MATERIAL –>

<H3>Land</H3>

<H3>Major Cities</H3>

<h4>Haven</h4> <P>Haven is a city at the point of troubles. It sits on the coast of the Southern Sea,

with the Dread Forest to the west and Corvis to the east. The only way to reach
the city is by boat along the coastline or down a very narrow trade road
between these two dire locations. This trade road is so narrow that both the
salt marshes of Corvis and the Dread Forest can be seen from the road.</P>

<P>Haven itself is a fairly large seaport, offering the most easterly port within the

Free States. This makes it home to all manner or people: travelers, pirates,
merchantmen, sailors, and a few priests that worship the sea-gods. The harbor
is naturally very deep, allowing even the large Xianese dromands to pull right
up to the dock. A large outer reef provides a natural seawall, making Haven the
last stop for many ships during the winter season.</P>

<h4>Last Call</h4> <P>This aptly named shipping port along the Black River has grown into a large

destination for any ship that works the Caragan Sea. This city is the last port
before the Black River enters the Dread Forest. The few captains that have
plied the waters farther south, and still maintain their sanity, can all be
found in this towns many taverns and guild houses.</P>

<P>Most merchants unload their wares, and then take one of the many trade roads to the

cities that border the Southern Sea. Although this adds a great deal of expense
and time to any merchant goods, only a fool would risk passing through the
Dread Forest by barge or caravan.</P>

<h4>Rathkar</h4> <P>This &quot;city&quot; is actually just a very large library and a few businesses

that were built to support the scholarly monks that work there. Built upon a stone
outcropping that overlooks a large meadow, the old city consisted of a large
central gallery surrounded by ten smaller libraries. Each building was built from
solid granite and had an extensive tunnel network for additional book storage.
A large stone wall blocked the only approachable entrance; although the door
was rarely closed.</P>

<P>When this city became the council chambers, entire networks of business sprang up

overnight. The councilmen wished for more lavish quarters than those used by
the monks — so a great palace was built surrounding the entire library
structure. The only part of the old city that is still visible is the tall
central gallery, which remains the highest point as far as the eye can see. The
"buildings-within-buildings" design was maintained throughout the palace,
giving the entire building the look of a lavish dwarven stronghold.</P>

<h4>Starsfall</h4> <P>This rather large city sits in a natural crater formed by a star that fell from the

heavens, in the eastern hills. Surrounded by a huge black granite wall,
punctuated by four large towers at each cardinal point. Each tower is dedicated
to one of the four guardians of the heavens and their five followers. Aside
from many religious pilgrims that travel to the city, Starsfall exports large
quantities of some of the rarest ores found upon Miranda.</P>

<P>Aside from all the other unique aspects of this city — the strangest may be the

inclusion of a large magician’s academy in the heart of the town. If a line
were drawn from each tower towards the city center, it would intersect at the
large central tower of the academy. The academy itself only allows others unto
the ground on invitation only; although they do operate a few shops in the
market district to sell trinkets to the city’s visitors.</P>

<H3>Rulers</H3>

<P>Most of the titles are a throwback to the old Irillian Empire, who occupied the land during its peak immigration. Each city is ruled by the local governor, who is either directly elected to the position or holds the title through heritage — it depends on the unique laws of each city. However, there are many cities that do not follow this model as powerful guides, military leaders, councils, trade unions, or even village elders’ rule some cities.</P>

<P>Regardless of local rule, each city is only allowed a single representative to the council at Rathkar, whose voice speaks, in direct weight to the land they control. Some have complained this gives too much control to the richest cities that control the majority of the land — but these cities counter they take a greater risk since their borders are far from their central rule.</P>