Empire of Crieste
Ruler: His Divine Eminence, The Rampaging Lion, Immortal Emperor of Crieste
Population: 3,209,000
Resources: Silver, Foodstuffs, Tradegoods, Livestock
Capital: Archbridge/Kassantia
Other Settlements: Axebury, Blihai, Carnelloe, Dhavosin, Dundraville, The Graves, Halder's Gap, High Cross, Sainfoin, Silverton, Sparport, Soulgrave (contested), Tarrasine, Vaquerea, Vernaut, Wicheath
Geographic Locations: Archen River, Black Ore Hills, Blackbriar Wood, Dundra Lake, Great Swamp, Mosswood, Sylvan Downs, The Fangs, The Wrecker, Wanderwood
Sites of Adventure:
The Empire of Crieste once dominated the North. Its vast holdings, built atop the moss-covered ruins of the Nimorian Empire, have themselves fallen into ruin; once again fierce monsters roam the wild, travel between the towns and cities is seldom undertaken without escort, and sellswords and warcasters are in great demand.
The reach of Crieste once extended from the Mirdar Forest, east to Hoarfrost Bay, and south past the golden sands of the Ghetrian Desert. But with the disappearance of Emperor Oststad, the empire passed into the Interregnum: three hundred years of internal feuding that culminated in the secession of the Southern Province. Other kingdoms and principalities were quick to follow, eagerly making their bids for freedom. Hoping to stem the tide of seceding states, the lordbarons displayed a rare moment of consensus and elected a seven-year-old boy to sit upon the Dragonskull Throne. Now ten years of age, the Child-Emperor rules according to the dictates of his vizier, Lady Mortianna, who ensures that the child remains “untroubled” by the onus of empire. The child will assume full powers upon his fifteenth birthday, but until that day it is Mortianna and her coterie of power-hungry barons who direct decadent Crieste.
Crieste is celebrated for the honor and nobility of its knights, and no knighthood captures the spirit of galantry better than the Order of the Sable March. Stories of the knights defending mountain passes against the press of giants, single-handedly defeating hordes of demons, and sacrificing their lives for the common man are almost too improbable to be true, but this doesn’t stop the younger squires from striving to emulate the tales. Many squires die in the pursuit of impossible ideals, but those who survive go on to become legendary warriors without peer.
The Knights of the Sable March can be recognized by their coat of arms: a black background pierced by three silver stars. The background signifies the darkness that threatens humanity and Crieste; the stars signify the three tenets of the order: honor, duty and courage. The Knights of the Sable March are quartered in the fortress known as the Citadel, in the city of Archbridge, but can be seen regularly patrolling the farthest reaches of the empire and its neighbors, fighting injustice and carrying out secret missions on behalf of Captain Sentri and the throne.
Even more secretive than their armored brothers are the wizards and sorcerers belonging to the shadowy cabal known as the Ordo Arcana. Rumor holds that the spellcasters meet on every full moon, wearing elaborate masks to conceal their identities. The aims of the Ordo Arcana, and the reasons for their intense secrecy, remain unknown, but a masked sorceress has been spotted leaving a clandestine meeting with Captain Sentri on more
than one occasion. It comes as no surprise that that the Ordo Arcana makes its headquarters in the magic-laden city of Kassantia, but seekers would do well to inquire discreetly before attempting to enter the tower known as the Howling Fane.
Despite the chaos of the Interregnum and the greed of its lord-barons, the Criestine Empire retains much of its former greatness. Until the secession of the Southern Province, all trade passing through the Lirean Sea had to stop at a Crieste port, filling the empire’s coffers to bursting.
Crieste maintains strong ties with the Steel Overlord (see Holdfast of the Steel Overlord) and benefits greatly from trade with its dwarf allies. Relations with the Fae Lords are much cooler; during the Interregnum, northern kingdoms aggressively expanded their domains, sparking conflicts between human foresters and elven scouts.
Abroad, the empire’s colonies continue to offer their annual tribute, and none dare to challenge the Imperial Navy. At present, both the Empire of Crieste and the Southern
Province lay claim to the Dragonskull Throne of Kassantia, and the scions of both nations aver to be the true Son of Heaven. So long as the two emperors fight for the same throne, the empire’s outlying kingdoms will continue to exercise their independence, growing
stronger with each passing season. Within one hundred years, the mightiest human empire the world has ever known may be nothing but a memory.
The empire recognizes nearly a thousand settlements, ranging from small hamlets to the greatest cities of the north.
Back to Gazetteer
