Home of the once great Alvian Empire, Aldegan is a land replete with history, culture, and greatness in past, present, and future. The nation is comprised of three large islands, all united under the rule of a royal line who traces their lineage back to the region's first conqueror and the founding Emperor of what would eventually become the most dominant political power The Sphere has ever known. Throughout Thera and elsewhere on The Sphere, traces of Aldegan's imprint can be found on everything from language to food. These echoes trace their origin to a bygone era of conquests and colonizations, when the sun never set upon the Alvian Empire. Even though its days of widespread political control are long passed, modern Aldegan is still a land of great ambition, wealth, and intrigue where heroes are born every day.

GEOGRAPHY OF THE ALVIAN ISLES

The kingdom of Aldegan is made up of a series of large and small islands. The largest of these islands is named Arnost and serves as the historical and cultural heartland of Aldegan. Here lies not only the capital, but the largest and most important cities, cultural sites, and centers of learning. Arnost is divided into four regions; the central lowlands of Avonshire where the largest and most ancient cities can be found, the western floodplains of Camheed where centers for magical learning abound, the central hills and farmlands of Wesfoal, and the northern swamps and scattered islands of Tanin.

To the west of Arnost lies Oscades. Formerly a rival kingdom to the nascent empire forming on Arnost, Oscades eventually joined Aldegan through strategic military victories and cunning political guile to become its most stalwart ally. The southernmost region of Oscades is called Dunwolde and it is here that most of the population lives within the ancient cities seated among the hills and plains. The northern highlands of Oscades are known as The Wealde, a treacherous frontier region rich with mineral resources.

Aldegan is comprised of three main islands: Arnost, Oscades, and Gaellige.

Finally, at the farflung northern end of the kingdom lies Gaellige, a region long contested between its native inhabitants and the conquering Alvians from the south. While the emerald southern plains of Corin remain firmly loyal to Aldegan, the northern highlands of Aen Twylch remain fiercely independent and resentful of Alvian rule. Though far from being a contested territory, the air here is thick with political strife and rebel groups regularly cropping up to oppose the king.

On the whole, Aldegan is a cold and rainy region. It's geographical location makes it vulnerable to regular storms, but also offers an abundance of rain that pool into lakes and rivers, watering the islands into a lush, green countryside teeming with life. Aldegan is cold for most of the year, warming somewhat during the late spring and summer. As a result, people tend to wear several layers of thick clothing for most of the year. Winters in Aldegan are particularly harsh, especially for the poor and those living in the countryside. Its chilly climate paired with an abundance of regular rainfall makes many days in year rather gloomy and discourages long journeys by foot.

Regions

click on the images below for more information on each region

Ancient and wild, Aen Twylch was long a sacred land held by the Nothic peoples of old. Full of elemental spirits and the ghosts of a troubled past, Aen Twylch resents the stagnant and heavy-handed rule of the king in a land which has never belonged to anyone, save those with the will to tame her. In the deep woods and long shadows of the mountains, a rebellion grows; a movement which will soon engulf all of Aldegan.

Heartland of the Alvian Empire, Avonshire is a lowland region of fertile plains, crystal lakes, and towering cities. Old fortresses line the shores, watching the seas for enemies. Castles dot the countryside, bastions against the ever-present threat of chaos. Merchants, travelers, kings, and commoners alike are all drawn to the din of the cities, strongholds where history is alive and culture thrums like a heartbeat in the streets.

Known to many as the Riverlands, Camheed is a region where the rains are heavy and ceaseless and rivers drain into vast swamps and marshland. The bustling cities of Camheed are famed for their universities. While science and the arts engender new ideas in each generation of graduates, here too the mystical arts are taught in cloistered halls and in secret circles, practiced in dim candlelight under a steady haze of rain.

A rural, pastoral land of rolling emerald hills and fertile valleys, Corin is a scarcely-tamed land inhabited by a fierce and passionate people. Its placid coast gives way to rising hills and broken valleys as the gentle countryside rises in elevation to become wild highlands. It is said that buried beneath the beauteous green hills of Corin are the skeletons of a violent history and the specters of an uncertain future.

Once a mighty kingdom in its own right, Dunwolde was subjected to Alvian rule through military conquest and careful political maneuvering. Scattered castles and fortress towns dot the rugged countryside as great pillars of earth rise to touch the heavens. Many of Dunwolde's towns are built right into the side of great hills and mountains, fortified against any attack, safe within the heart of the earth.

Gateway to the east, Tanin is a lowland marsh which descends into uneven coasts and broken islands on its way to the sea. A great many port cities line the coasts, securing Arnost's connection to Oscades and Gaellige by sea. The clever engineers of Tanin have even built a system of dikes and levies to manage the flow of water throughout the region. Great bridges over seas and difficult terrain connect the cities and islands of Tanin.

The highlands of Oscades are rocky and treacherous, a hard land full of hard people. Very little can grow and live in such a region, but the riches of The Wealde are not in farms and livestock, but in mines and industry. Long known as The Forge of Aldegan, the mines of The Wealde produce rare and exquisite metals while its smiths are famed for the skill and craftsmanship with which they create the finest weapons and armor in Aldegan.

Located in the center of Arnost, Wesfoal is full of fertile farmland, historic sites, and cities bustling with trade between the upper and lower regions of the nation. The region is characterized by its vast green plains and the rugged hills which act as a natural barrier between the northern and southern ends of the island. As the breadbasket of Aldegan, much of the nation is fed on the wheat, cheese, and livestock raised here.

Through conquest and colonization, Aldegan established the greatest empire that Thera has ever known.

AN Abbreviated HISTORY of Aldegan

Ages ago, Aldegan was home to the Nothic people, a race of Humans who settled the land and lived among its Spirits. Though many modern histories demonize the Noth, there is little historic evidence to show they were anything other than a peaceful indigenous folk pushed to the brink by invaders from across the sea; a group of sea-faring raiders that would slowly establish themselves in the southern region of Avonshire and grow to become the mighty Alvian Empire.

The Alvian Empire's rise to power was meteoric. Perhaps it was because of their tactical brilliance, the abundant resources of their homeland, or simply their abundant willpower and ability to out-compete rivals on every level, but the Alvian Empire became a force that could not be stopped.

After securing power within the Alvian Isles, Aldegan spread its influence across Europa, conquering lands as far as Odain and into Ishtar. Even much of the vast and dangerous Eastmarch fell under Alvian control over the course of this period. Colonies of hopeful settlers, zealous missionaries, and enterprising traders established outposts in far-flung corners of the world where cities grew and flourished. During the height of its power, there truly was no corner of Thera that did not feel the touch of Aldegan's economic, military, and political might.

For generations did the Empire reign supreme throughout Europa. However, the first cracks in their foundation began to show as madness and corruption ran rampant through the ranks of the nobility. Taxation, heavy-handed law enforcement, religious factions, and resources spread all too thin through the breadth of a massive empire saw to the collapse of the Alvian Empire as civil war tore the nation apart. Cardinia and Espina both declared themselves independent nations and broke away from Alvian control. Without a foothold on the continent, the Empire's sway over its far-off colonies waned. Today, only the islands of Aldegan remain a part the Empire's once-great holdings.

LAW & ORDER

Aldegan is a recently reformed Constitutional Monarchy with the king (or, as in current circumstances, the queen) ruling as final authority over matters of state. A body of both appointed and elected representatives (The Gentry) is responsible for drafting and voting on new legislation while a system of courts and judges (The Magistry) is responsible for interpretting and enforcing the law. A member of The Gentry is called a Lord and a member of The Magistry is called a Magistrate. While the powers of the ruling monarch are vast, The Gentry and The Magistry serve as a both a means to distribute the weight of governance across many capable shoulders and to serve as a check against the power of a single ruler.

The Alvian Parliament Building in Bethnia, better known as Covington Hall, where The Gentry meet to write and vote on new laws.

The monarch has the authority to introduce or veto any legislation, though a majority vote from the House of Lords can override the king's edict (something that has happened only once in Aldegan's history). While the king cannot appoint any new Lords or Magistrates to serve in The Gentry or Magistry, positions can be inherited and passed on to heirs in the same family. Thus, titles and positions long held by nobility are carefully guarded and passed down to new heirs. Under the current law, only male heirs may inherit a position in The Gentry or Magistry, though women may attain such a position through election.

When one breaks the law in Aldegan, a Lawman will arrest the offending party and place them in jail until the local Magistrate is able to investigate the details of the case. This can take some time depending on how many Magistrates have been elected to rule on the law within a locality and how busy they all are. Once the Magistrate has reviewed the details of the case, the accused will be brought to court (with or without a legal advisor called a Counselor, depending on whether or not they can afford one) to plead their case before the Magistrate. The Magistrate and the Counselor (or the accused if there is no Counselor) have finished arguing their positions and weighing the evidence, the Magistrate decides whether or not any laws were broken and if so, what the punishment for the accused shall be.

​In some instances, a convicted person can appeal their case to another Magistrate who, if they are willing, reviews the details of the case and can challenge the ruling of the original Magistrate's verdict. In a particularly controversial case, more and more Magistrates may weigh in on the issue at hand until the ruling is escalated all the way up to The Magistry, where a body of nine Supreme Magistrates decides the final outcome of the case.

The army of Aldegan is one of the foremost fighting forces in all of Thera.

Foreign Relations & Military

Aldegan has a long-standing rivalry with two other great Europan nations, dating back to the civil war which tore the Alvian Empire apart and saw to the founding of the "rogue states" (according to many Alvian purists) of Cardinia and Espina. Aldegan has waged war against both of these nations for nearly a century now, both openly and in the shadows. Likewise, Cardinia and Espina reciprocate in animosity towards Aldegan, their spies and saboteurs working to undermine the country's stability when their troops aren't openly marching to storm Alvian shores. There is little hope for lasting peace any time soon as these three countries war and compete with one another, each claiming to be the true remnant and heir to the Alvian Empire.

To fight its wars and defend its shores, Aldegan maintains an impressive military force. Though a far cry from the world-dominating force it once controlled at the height of the Empire's power, Aldegan commands a powerful force that few other nations (save its Europan rivals) could hope to reckon with. A series of sea-side fortresses protects the shores of Avonshire and Dunwolde while garrisons of troops patrol the roads between major cities to keep the peace. Of particular note is Aldegan's navy, which wields not only fleets of warships, but a secret network of pirates and privateers who raid the ships of Aldegan's enemies under a black banner and the protection of the crown (provided they don't get greedy and start sacking Alvian ships). ​

For all its military might, economic prosperity, and political influence, Aldegan is far from the world-conquering force it once was. Its far-flung colonies either fell for lack of resources or declared their own independence once the Empire could no longer extend its reach beyond the shores of Europa. While Aldegan still weighs in as a powerful geop0litical force, its days of conquest are long behind it. Thus, the formidable military of the island nation primarily serves as a deterrent against its former subjects in Cardinia and Espina and a peace-keeping force within its own borders.

THE PEOPLE OF ALDEGAN

Aldegan was founded by Humans (specifically, Atlans), who remain the most prominent people group within the isles. Other non-human races who call Aldegan home are Elves (mostly in Gaellige), Dwarves (in Oscades), and Halflings (throughout Avonshire, particularly Wesfoal). Yet even with the presence of other races throughout Aldegan, the nation is primarily a home to the human race, not only to Atlans, Noth, and Argyans, but every human ethnicity (in varying numbers), many of which are the descendents of slaves, traders, or travelers who settled in Aldegan at some point between the Alvian Empire's rise and fall. 

In fact, humanity's presence in Aldegan is so strong that there is a great deal of unspoken prejudice against non-humans. While only the most brash and abbrasive individuals would ever insult or discriminate against a non-human outright, most Alvians are reluctant to offer anything more than basic courtesy, concluding any business with a non-human as quickly and transactionally as possible. There are almost no non-human Lords or Magistrates, and those who manage to attain such an office rarely ascend higher than the lower ranks. In the rural country, non-humans may face worse bigotry as peasants run inside or shield their children at the approach the gaze of such "unnatural" folk. Farms and businesses run by non-humans are likely to face avoidance at best, theft and vandalism at worse with few Magistrates willing to offer a non-human justice for crimes against them.

The people of Aldegan are typically fair of skin and hard-minded, able to outlast any storm through stubborness alone.

Though all but the most rural of folk speak Common, Avantosh is the official language of Aldegan. A fair few people also speak Caldonic and Borelle, especially those who often travel to the other great nations of Europa. In the older and more wild parts of Aldegan (such as Corin and Aen Twylch), most people speak Dietche and even older dialects inherited from their Nothic ancestors. Doing so not only connects these folk to their proud heritage, but sends a very clear signal to Alvians from the mainland who visit that rugged realm to the north: this is our land.

The religion of Avantism was established in the early days of the Alvian Empire, and though it has undergone many schisms and theological permutations through the years, it remains the dominant religion throughout Aldegan and indeed, most of Europa. While the majority of Alvians would not consider themselves devout followers of the faith, most make a token effort to attend religious services, especially when times are hard and uncertainty is on the horizon. Unbeknownst to many Alvians, their most beloved traditions and most celebrated holidays are religious in origin, with sacred meanings behind many of the symbols and traditions of the culture. Thus, by simply participating in culture, the average Alvian is more of a disciple in the Avantist faith than they even realize.

Throughout most of the country, the people of Aldegan have a basic education and are literate. In fact, reading is a favorite past-time throughout the country. This is thanks in part to reformations in the Avantist Church which insisted upon regular reading of the holy scriptures as a means of growing in one's faith. To this end, missionaries roamed the countryside teaching young and old alike how to read and giving away copies of Aventist holy texts to everyone who wanted one. Aldegan is also home to a number of prestigious universities. These bastions of learning have produced a number of famous scientists, writers, scholars, and magicians over the years and elevated the reputation of Aldegan as a land of forward-thinking intellectualism.

When all is said and done, Aldegan is a land of former and future greatness, populated by a strong and willful people who love life, learning, and holding to the rich history that has brought them this far. Though the nation may seem a bit cold and insular to outsiders accustomed to a more openhearted way of life, there is a deep well of thought and feeling beneath the hard exterior, just like the cloudy skies of Aldegan hide a brilliant azure expanse behind a wall of dour gloom.