Demercius

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Demercius is a country east of the metropolis Fallow, across the Demercian Gulf. Previously characterized as a placid magocracy, the nation has evolved greatly from the Age of Veralith from the once complacent family of ruling arcanists to the shadowy, yet appealing, organization known as the Demercian Council.

Demercius is an intensely arcane oriented nation; where other countries employ technology and manpower, Demercius conjures spells and summon minions to do their work.

This is facilitated by the amount of magical academies and the merit vested into each of them. The Staffhaven Academy of Alchemy and Arcane Arts is often used as an example of top tier institutions of magical study. Demercius has a central city near the western border of the country called Staffhaven. This is the capital of the nation and one most frequented by tourists and adventurers alike. The city’s landscape is characterized by tall and thin towers that concave inwards and peak at the top with electric blue spheres.

Eastern Demercius is characterized by untamed wilds with only designated and cleared trade roads to cross the country side with. Some villages and hamlets have managed to sprout and flourish, but many attempts at civilizing the eastern lands have failed due to the sheer barbarity of what lies inside. The northeastern part of the country seems to change suddenly from lush forests to barren deserts, which serves as a strait of land between Demercius and the Desert of A Thousand Curses. The three cities that exist on this uncursed strait are vastly different from the modern arcane cities to the west.

Anjar, Bayt Ras, and Khurasan are the desert cities of Demercius, conquered in times past. Since then, the desert cities have integrated and have become Demercian themselves. Their cities are designated by spherical buildings and great walls that protect them from the raging sandstorms from the Desert of A Thousand Curses to the north. The desert Demercians (or as they refer to themselves, the Mahjur) are often more technologically minded than arcanely.

For example, sharpshooters and gunslinging rangers are often given a test at the age of 16 (the coming of age). The select few that perform the best are given the utmost honor of leaving home and tending to and protecting the lost city of Al’Verdican, deep within the Desert of A Thousand Curses.

History

Demercius has always existed, in one form or another, throughout the spectrum of time. The Royal Magocracy, a family of archmagi that rose up and formally founded the nation as an arcane society, ruled the land for approximately 2000 years, expanding the border’s beyond the western coastlands and establishing a social norm of constant magical help in every endeavor.

After the Dark Lord Veralith was ressurected from the tower in the Inland Sea, Demercius was also swallowed by the oncoming shadow. Through the panic of the situation, an organization rose, seeking to bend the shadow to their own uses to overthrow Veralith and his shadow cult. The Royal Magocracy officially opposed such shadow magic and the nation was thrown into a state of civil war, the shadowbenders fighting with the Royal Magocracy. Ten years passed and the shadowbenders would end the war by assassinating the entire Royal family. The nation would survive the onslaught of Veralithian forces by using their own power against them.

After the Old Heroes of Fallow had prevailed against Veralith, the shadowbenders ceased their use of shadow magic and officially created the Council, a representative government that promised to rebuild Demercius to the way it was before the attack by Veralith and his shadow cult.

The Council adopted a primarily nationalist agenda, promoting an atmosphere of pro-Demercian economics, often speaking out against Fallow and their seeming superiority in almost every aspect. They built new outposts on the western coastline and along the edges of the swamp that disconnected the two nations, maintaining a constant military presence on their borders.

The tensions that built up between the two would escalate in an offensive invasion against the Demercian mainland, plowing through the defenses on the coastline and finally arriving at the capital Staffhaven, where the Demercian forces were crushed by the Dawn Patrol, while the rest of the country was being ummelled by the forces of the Defected Underclock and their Machine Queen, Shibboleth. In less than a week, Fallow had overwhelmed Demercius and captured their capital, formally announcing the occupation of Demercian lands and settlements the next day.

The Fallonian Demercius was largely unchanged to the smaller villages and hamlets. Staffhaven, however, became much like Fallow itself with mandatory curfews and the Dawn Patrol marching through the streets. This occupation lasted for only a month, the war ending shortly after the activation of the Artisan.

Fallow still occupies Demercius, but only in as a reconstruction entity, overseeing the rebuilding of Staffhaven along with the now Zookish Underclock. Now the old Magocracy and the Council try to outdo each other for the posistion of leading party of Demercius, trying to persuade the people to their side, anxious to put Demercius back on track for a golden age.

Cities and Settlements

Staffhaven

The capital city of Demercius, situated off the western coast of the nation, has been standing since the Royal Magocracy first rose. It is a beacon of scholarly knowledge that attracts an international crowd of wizards, alchemists, and intellectuals. The Staffhaven Academy of Alchemy and Arcana sits on a slight elevation, a cluster of about five buildings with a large courtyard in the middle of the campus, allowing students to wander and experiment (as it would be unsafe to experiment inside the dorms). It’s frequented not only by students and faculty but also by arcane users across the world. Across town, the ruins of the Royal Palace stands as a testament to the old order of the magocracy. The ruins have since been rebuilt to harbor the Council and its organizations. The old Palace has been split into three different buildings, each serving a different purpose. A large strip of markets run up and down the major trade roads with merchants manning the booths and carts night and day.

Portica

A port town west of Staffhaven along the coast, it serves as Demercius's prime trading facility, filtering the trade from the sea and delivering it to Staffhaven. It's also a prominent fishing town.

Creekside

Out of all the attempts to try and make it through the western wilderness, Creekside Village stands to be the most successful. A harbor for seasoned adventurers (since the town government is more concerned with other things), mercenaries from all around seek Creekside as a testing grounds for their abilities. Anjar, Bayt Ras, and Khurasan: The desert cities of Demercius, they exist on an uncursed strait in between the mainland of Demercius and the Desert of A Thousand Curses. They specialize in technological devices and wonderous items, such as the iconic flying carpet. Their governments are heavily involved in Staffhaven politics, often sending ambassadors to represent their ideals in the country's council.

The “Expeditions”

Demercius often sends out Expeditions to different regions of the world, outfitted with the latest instruments of study, a collection of wizard intellectuals, and more often than not, a group of martially minded bodyguards to secure their safety. It is considered an absolute honor to be a part of these if you were a student of the Academy at Staffhaven.

Government

Before the Age of Veralith, Demercius was headed by the Royal Magocracy, a family of archmagi. A majorly human family (with the odd half-elf heir here and there), the Royal Magocracy was concerned with the stability of Demercius’s infrastructure and the expansion of borders beyond the western coast. Establishing the Academy in Staffhaven, the Magocracy employed wizards of all sorts to assist them, from the infamous Demercian Spellguard to archetypical Demercian magi.

The eastern wilderness was wrought with horrors of every strand. Whereas in normal wilds where a band of mediocre adventurers could stomp in and take out whatever it was that was causing trouble, attacks on the wilderness would often amount to organized seiges, units and units of men and magi laying waste. The coarseness of this area hindered the Magocracy from expanding too much east. The occasional expedition would lead to a hamlet or village being established, but further expansion was put on indefinite hold.

After the campaign into the east had failed, the Magocracy focused on fortifying what part of the country they had captured, including Staffhaven. This lead to a golden age for Demercius.

The golden age would fade long before Veralith launched his campaign against the world. Demercius was attacked and the Magocracy was killed in the ensuing civil war. From then on, the organization known simply as the “Council” would take over. The Council established a representative government, where Demercius was divided into regions and politicians were elected by their respective region to represent them in Staffhaven.