Overview
The Kingdom of Pallavia is a predominantly human kingdom in the southwest of its continent. It has citizens of all the major races living in over a dozen cities, with numerous towns and villages dotting the land. Before the invasion, Pallavia had a thriving sea trade out of its southern port cities. Pallavian metalwork, grains, and processed leather are respected throughout the continent.
Map
This map is typical of the maps that are most widely available in Pallavia. Its distances are mostly correct, but fine details are left out and the position of cities and natural features are more symbolic than precise.
You can see a larger map to view the details: Larger map of Pallavia
Geography
Main article: Geography
Pallavia has coastlines to the south and west along with a substantial mountain range to the north. It’s split north to south by the Dove river and the Ganhigh mountain range. Its northern neighbor, Terel, lies across the Cholesny mountains. Bocham, to the east, has no natural border line with Pallavia, leading the two countries to argue incessantly over who owns the eastern hills.
Demographics
Main article: Demographics
Humans in Pallavia are the most common race. Dwarves and Elves from various clans are next, followed by Gnomes and Halflings in equal measure. Human half-breeds with the other major races are also fairly common.
Orcs are somewhat rare in Pallavia, as they are everywhere on the continent. They have always refused to settle in place and instead travel incessantly. They are looked down upon by Pallavians, but are given a cautious welcome in most towns.
Culture
Main article: Culture
Pallavia’s culture is strongly split by class. Upper-class arts and society are exemplified by Thalis, with its painters and sculptors. Lower-class culture centers around dance and theater. Music is everywhere and roving bards provide entertainment in rough pubs and classy soirees alike.
Languages
Main article: Languages
Each country has its own language: Pallavian, Bochanese, etc. Pretty much everyone also speaks Common, a crude pidgeon language that allows simple conversations between people from anywhere in the world.
Academics and nobles learn Draconic, a much more sophisticated language. Unlike Common, Draconic can convey deep nuance, allowing its speakers to engage in all manner of high-brow conversations.
Racial languages like Elven and Dwarven are holdovers from ancient times, but are still widely spoken. It’s seen as cliquish behavior to speak them in public.
Sylvan is a rare langauge used by the nature-tied fae. Witches sometimes learn Sylvan to communicate with those entities, but otherwise very few non-fae speak it.
Nuvop’uak is a new language in Pallavia, used by the invading Nu’hol beasts. Its sounds are sometimes gutteral and often broken up by hard stops, even in the middle of a single word. There are very few non-beasts who currently know its words and grammar, but many academies are rushing to translate its spoken and written forms.
Government
Main article: Government
Pallavia is ruled by a king, currently King Edward II. The royal palace is in the city of Thalis. The rest of the country is divided into ten baronies, each ruled by a noble family that has received a barony title from the king. Thalis itself is tehnically the seat of the Thalis-on-Dove barony, which is traditionally ruled directly by the king.
The king holds court with the barons twice every year. At court, new laws are debated and enacted, old laws are stricken, and grievances between barons are settled by the king.
Back home, barons are entitled to govern their lands as they see fit, enacting whatever laws they desire so long as they do not conflict with the King’s Law. Law enforcement is likewise left to the individual barons.
Baronies
Each barony is briefly summarized below, including the king’s own administrative zone.
- Thalis-on-Dove
- Central area ruled directly by the king. Seat is Thalis, the capitol.
- Mazzerland
- Large eastern barony full of towns fortified against the next incursion from Bocham. Seat is Vinderberg.
- Wilkshire
- Small, poor barony to the southeast bordering the fens. Seat is Kennebrook.
- Maramir
- Large southern barony with rich farmland and lucrative trade routes. Seat is Hewcourt.
- Liguria
- Smaller barony to the southwest, butting against the Ganhigh mountain range. Controls the lesser mountain pass. Seat is Ellesmere.
- Strandagland
- Large, poor barony to the west and south of the Ganhigh range. Arid climate limits its people to fishing and trading. Seat is Royston.
- Caresia
- Wealthy barony west of Thalis and east of Strandagland, abutting the Ganhigh mountains. Controls the great mountain pass. Seat is Great Dunmow.
- Tewdentia
- Mountainous Barony to the northwest, nestled where the Ganhigh and Cholesny mountains meet. Seat is Vestberg.
- New Rocland
- Small, poor barony the far northwest past the Ganhigh range. Relies on fishing and boatbuilding. Seat is Ramsgate.
- Geatland
- Wealthy barony to the north, littered with old dwarven settlements. Seat is Daj Kapi.
- Derreysdown
- Smaller barony to the northeast. Seat is Derreysville.
Justice
In most baronies, cases of wrongdoing are brought before the nearest judge for resolution. The judge hears statements from all parties, receives any evidence, and then makes their judgement. Judgements can be appealed to a royal magistrate, who examines how the original case was handled and hears any new evidence. Their decision can then be appealed to the king, who may or may not grant an audience to resolve the case. The king’s decision is final.
Most conflicts are settled without a judge getting involved, either because the nearest judge is too far away or the parties figured out reparations on their own. Churches often get involved at this stage, offering advice and arbitration.
Politics
The politics of Pallavia play out in feuds and rivalries between its noble families. Each baron maintains his rule through a system of alliances and cutthroat deals with his peers. The king’s family has ruled for a few generations, but King Edward I faces constant pressure from his barons and must work carefully to maintain their allegiance.
Economy
Main article: Economy
Pallavia officially uses coins for all transactions. Unofficially, barter is extremely common in villages and between friends.
| Coin | Value | Example use |
|---|---|---|
| Copper | 1c | one gallon of ale |
| Silver | 10c | plain dagger |
| Gold | 10s / 100c | 1lb of veal |
| Crown | 100g / 1000s | two full sets of plate armor |
For large purchases and transfers, nobles will use notes of credit instead of coins. They rely on a mutual understanding of honor to prevent theft. For wealthy citizens outside the nobility, a money holder exists in the capitol which can issue notes of credit for its clients. It won’t work with anyone who has less than 1000g in assets.
The buying power of coins in Pallavia is much higher than is assumed in the core rulebook, making costs substantially lower. The main article has some guidelines to help estimate market prices, but barter, circumstances, and location can change local prices dramatically.
Travel
Main article: Travel
Merchants, nobles, and many others travel frequently through Pallavia. They use different methods depending on their cargo and needs, as well as how quickly they need to arrive at their destination.
| Mode | Speed | Daily Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Walking | 3mph | 20-24 miles on flat roads, 8-10 miles in rough terrain |
| Wagon | 2mph | 16 miles on good roads |
| Horseback | 4mph | 30-32 miles on roads, 40-50 with good horse and experienced rider |
| Barge | 2mph | 20 miles |
These distance estimates assume 8 hours of actual travel during a day, with the remaining daylight taken up by breaks and meals.
Jobs
Main article: Jobs
Since Pallavia is an agricultural country, the most common job to find is that of the farmer. Fields and orchards can be found in every barony and are usually tended by the same families for generations.
After farming, other sorts of labor are most common. Loggers, miners, porters, buidlers, and so on are concentrated in Pallavia’s many towns.
More specialized trades, like tailors and smiths, are taught via apprenticeship. Since those positions usually go to other members of the teacher’s guild, it can be hard to break into those professions.
Various arts are also taught through apprenticeships, but are often more open to newcomers who show talent. There are some popular stories throughout Pallavia of farm kids catching the eye of a master artist and making a better life for themselves.
Scholarly pursuits are expensive, whether pursued through personal study or an academy education. Gaining actual employment in such fields is also hard, outside of tutoring noble children.
One common fact of all professions in Pallavia is that they are egalitarian as far as gender is concerned. Men and women are accepted and encouraged equally in whatever job they have. Race, on the other hand, is a constant source of friction and prejudice.
Laws
Main article: Laws
The laws of Pallavia come in two forms: the King’s Law, which applies to the entire country, and the barony laws, which apply only within a particular barony. Technically a third category exists: church law, applying to the adherants of a particular religion. When laws conflict, King’s Law takes precedence over everything else.
The King’s Law covers torts, contracts, inheritance, and other common matters. Most low-level offenses are punished by a fine, labor, or public shaming. Serious offenses are punished with public shaming, large fines, indentured servitude, banishment, or death.
Barony law covers similar matters to King’s Law, but only within a particular barony. Things like additional taxes, worker protections, etc. typically fall within barony law.
Rules concerning moral behavior are left to church law. Most churches have a few priests who visit troubled worshippers to rehabilitate them in these matters. To that end, drinking, smoking, prostitution, and most other vices are perfectly legal outside of church law. They face some strong social stigma, but their purveyors are not punished for their trade.
Guilds
Guilds exist for every artisan profession: blacksmiths, tinsmiths, wood carvers, book binders, etc. Membership implies a certain level of skill and quality. Belonging to a guild makes it easier to get a good price when trading goods to traveling merchants. Membership also makes it easier to find contract work.
All members pay a certain amount of dues each month to support the guild’s activities. These are typically collected within a town or region and stay within that area. The funds are used as a sort of collective purse for purchasing large amounts of raw materials at good prices. The guild will also use the funds to pay a stipend to members who are sick, injured, or otherwise unable to work for a time.
Guild Masters are those members who have created a masterwork piece and presented it to the existing masters within their guild. If their skill is judged worthy, they can become a Master. The monthly dues for a Master are higher than for a member, but Masters are able to get very lucrative contract work throughout the kingdom. It’s the ultimate professional country club.
Guilds are present in cities, towns, and the largest villages, but are less common in any smaller settlement. There isn’t much need for a guild when there’s one blacksmith for 20 miles.
Religion
Main article: Religion
Pallavia is host to many religions. Temples, churches, circles, and other places of worship are common in towns and villages wherever there are enough worshippers to justify it. The crown does not subsidize any religions, so the groups must raise funds on their own.
The church of Seredozhia is the official church of the realm, with the king and his court as parishioners. Indeed, King Edward II is blessed by Seredozhia to bring about miracles in her name.
Most religions whose adherents do good works are sanctioned to practice in public. Members of non-sanctioned religions must worship in secret or face mild punishment. The penalty for practicing a non-sanctioned religion is tyipcally a small fine, but egregious or repeat offenses can eventually lead to banishment.
A few religions are completely banned and their worship is prohibited under pain of death or banishment. Most such banned religions are outright evil, preach sedition against Pallavia, or participated in an act of treason at some point in the past.
Sedition and treason are both high crimes in the King’s Law, carrying the sentence of death or, at the king’s sole discretion, banishment. Sedition involves conduct or language inciting rebellion against the authority of the state. Treason is more serious and involves actively waging war against the state, or giving aid to its enemies.
Blessed Ones
Most clerics, priests, and other religious figures are unable to cast spells. Those few who can do magic through their god’s power are said to be Blessed Ones. Each god tends to favor different sorts of people and different roles for their blessed priests.
Education
Education in Pallavia is minimal, at best. Peasants are almost entirely uneducated. Villages rarely have the resources to support a private school, so the people living there are lucky to know a few letters, addition, and subtraction. Literacy, therefore, is quite rare.
Towns typically have a few private schools and tutors, for those who can afford them. These teach literacy and arithmetic to children and adults for a fee. Tutors often teach beyond these basics, as long as their client wants to pay them. Geometry, trigonometry, geography, horticulture, and even elementary alchemy can be learned this way. Draconic – the language of high academia – is rarely taught outside of noble families, but tutors for it can sometimes be found in a town.
Practical crafts, including most applied alchemy, are taught through an apprenticeship system. Guild Masters are especially sought, but all craftsmen are expected to take on apprentices. These people serve as assistants to their master and in return are taught the details of the trade.
Cities have a number of private schools and tutors which offer advanced learning. There is usually enough of an academic population for Draconic to be widely taught.
Colleges
Cities have a good chance of hosting a college of philosophy, where the rich can learn advanced subjects. The capitol, Thalis, has the College of Balie Row, where anyone with money and an aptitude for arcane magics can study those arts. Non-matriculated wizards typically learn under the apprentice system, as do witches and holy ones. Some magic users forego tutelage and explore their powers on their own. It seems to work fine for them.
Upon graduation, matriculated members of a college gain a number of benefits. Their membership in the college gives them the right to travel unhindered throughout the kingdom, meaning they can often skip tolls and avoid lengthy extortion schemes. This also usually lets them pass through Pallavia’s borders into Bocham and Terel. In exchange, graduates are expected to enrich their college’s collection of knowledge as well as its coffers. Other members of the college are likely to do extra favors for their fellow alumni.
Technology
The technology of Pallavia is roughly equivalent to 14th century Europe. Mills are operated by chained oxen or water wheels, smiths use their arms or triphammers – powered the same as mills – and craftwork is done with hand tools.
Military technology maps to a similar time period. Sturdy stone castles are besieged by trabuchets and battering rams, while organized units of pikemen face off against fast cavalry armed with sword and lance.
Medicine
Main article: Medicine
Medical technology is rudimentary, but surprisingly effective even without magic. Honey and alcohol are commonly used to treat open wounds, and setting broken bones is a common task for members of the Royal Medicum. Germ theory, however, has not been developed, and there are many competing ideas for how diseases spread.
Magic
Magic users are a relatively common and accepted part of society. Arcane wizards are renowned scholars and many villages rely heavily on their local witch for healing and advice. Blessed clerics who can summon miracles are likewise highly prized by their faith.
Due to their exceptional nature, magic users tend to end up living in the big cities of Pallavia, like Thalis and the barony capitols. Peasants living outside of those cities may never meet more than a single magic user in their lifetimes. The exception to this rule is witches, who are rarely found anywhere besides rural towns and villages.
Magical Creations
Magical creations are very rare in Pallavia and its world. Potions and scrolls are expensive to create and the latter require magical expertise in order to be used effectively. As such, casters will rarely share their potions and oils with anyone but their closest family and friends.
Enchanted items are even more rare. To make an enchantment last past the spell’s natural duration, the caster must invest a part of their power into the spell as they anchor it to a person, place, or object. Even then, the enchantment will die with its caster. A permanently enchanted item requires its creator to irrevocably lessen their own power. Elderly blessed clerics will sometimes spend their last years bestowing their god’s blessings into relics for their church, believing it best that their power remain with the faithful in some fashion. The few enchanted items that outlive their creators are typically passed down through a religion’s clergy or through the family of the creator.
Military
Pallavia has no standing army and precious few professional soldiers. Instead, its citizens are recruited into armies when the need arises. Noble families are the focal points of this organization, with a family’s power coming in part from how many fighters they can raise when called upon.
To allow such an army to form, all freemen having goods worth 15 gold must own a mail shirt, helmet, and spear or weapon of choice, or be able to show proficiency with equivalent magics.
In addition to the occasional army, noble families are expected to outfit and maintain a personal retinue of guards. These professional soldiers are then sent to train peasants in the noble’s land. Barons are especially fond of keeping a large armed retinue so as to better enforce their laws.
When war comes, any peasants in the conflict zone are expected to defend themselves as best they can while the local baron raises an army. After the conflict is over, all of the armies are disbanded and the soldiers go back to their professions. Though dangerous, soldier work pays very well compared to most occupations, so volunteers are usually easy to find.
Magic is used extensively by all military forces. Healing, defense, and offense are all magically enhanced. For large operations, entire units of magic users are organized to more effectively wield Pallavia’s mystical might. In smaller battles, individual casters may be attached to certain units, or to the commander in order to assist with logistics.
Defense
Sturdy walls and pallisades are effective against most threats outside of an organized army. Even with magic users present, a manned castle can keep conventional forces at bay while defending casters battle their counterparts with spells. This has made walled cities and castles a common sight around Pallavia. To break them, armies rely on traditional siege engines, from rolling towers to trabuchets, ballistas, and battering rams.
History
Domestically, Pallavia has had a single continuous government for only about 100 years. It was united by King Darius Bissett in 963 after an uprising against the previous monarch, King Aadam Hidelgar. Hidelgar and his family were exiled, and King Darius stripped all titles except Baron from the nobility. His son King Matthew succeeded Darius in 1003 upon his father’s death in the Landover War against Bocham.
Not 13 years later, King Matthew abruptly changed his faith from Marcusis to Seredozhia, and banished his former church from Pallavia. This began the Marcusis Heresy, a minor civil war during which all worshippers of Marcusis were slain, chased into Bocham, or driven underground. This action created yet another rift between Pallavia and Bocham.
In 1033, King Matthew passed peacefully and was succeeded by his son Edward, who still reigns in Pallavia.