Dragon Heresy Worldbuilding – The not-so-central land of Morevel

Earlier today I noted on G+ that I was slogging through some worldbuilding. I’m fleshing out the realms and areas that appear on the map of the continent on which Dragon Heresy takes place (I’d post an image, but the maps aren’t done yet, and so technically I don’t own them).

Morevel is a realm in the bottom-left-hand corner of the map. It really doesn’t play much of a part in the conception and execution of the game’s main area, which is a pseudo-sandbox north of the Norse/Viking-inspired country of Torengar. 

Still, it was on the map, and so I need to at least give prospective GMs something.

I decided to base the culture and history after that of Macedonean Greece, right after Alexander brought the region under his control, but before he launched his ridiculously successful campaign that ended deep into India.

This provided me with all sorts of goodness. A rich, prosperous country, but until recently, not a player due to internal strife. A 4,000-year history, with plenty of time to develop a local cultural identity, but also time for the political geography to change massively, several times. 

As I got writing, it got more interesting. I definitely will keep this in mind in case the project is successful enough to spawn follow-on works as either “wouldn’t it be fun” or stretch goals as part of a crowd-funding effort. Morevel’s neighbor to the immediate west, Inthriki, will be based on Kamakura-era Japan. Two rival lines to the throne, a not-so-stable military dictatorship, samurai, feudal systems, something like twelve different buddhist sects, and of course, there have to be ninja. There are always ninja. But that’s the rest of the night.

For now, I give you Morevel, in draft form. I suspect I may edit the hell out of this, since at this point in the draft, it’s mostly about getting thoughts on paper, rather than “yes, yes, publish this now.”

For the record: yes, Alidrus is Sparta.

MOREVEL

Land Area: 217,000 square miles.

Morevel lies directly to the west of Brousha and continental Barakthel, separated by 150-200 miles of the Neveri grasslands. It is a principally human-occupied realm, and is comprised of a significant continental land mass, as well as a vast archipelago sheltered inside a vast bay.

BRIEF HISTORY

The realm of Morevel is old, and came into existence around 1945 AS, in the last third of the three-millenium long dragon wars. It does not, however, owe its existence to the wars and their aftermath, as do the coastal cities bordering the Reithur Sea. 

The peoples which now comprise the lands of Morevel formed city-states and small kingdoms and domains, a pattern that exists to this day. The large archipelago that forms the heart of Morevel gave rise to a substantial naval expertise, which has also been developed and maintained as the realm matured.

After 500 years of exsiting as hundreds, if not thousands, of micro-domains, Soryuchis of Morevel began a period of expansion and conquest that would last for perhaps 200-300 years, expanding the small domain of Morevel into a country roughly the size of Brousha – about 60,000 square miles. Other areas formed similiarly-sized realms, either following Soryuchis’ example of conquest, or as a defensive alliance. Eventually, six large domains would form: Morevel, Dodeusis, Eretanes, and Cythmna were the largest, each of 30,000 to 60,000 square miles. Kepeira was the smallest at 12,000 square miles, and Alidrus was the final kingdom, at roughy 25,000. These six kingdoms existed as sometime allies, sometime enemies until the time of the Great Alliance. 

The daughter and the widow-king of Morevel had chance to meet with the son and the Queen of Alidrus. In was was surely a sordid affair, Orinon, Queen of Alidrus and Gunsus, widow-King of Morevel, and their children – Tytor of Alidrus and Iaira of Morevel both met, fell for each other, and plotted and executed the murder of the former prince-consort of Alidrus (who was apparently so beloved history does not record hs name). These countries were not geographical neighbors, nor had there been a long history of friendly relations between them. The death of the prince-consort was expected by those not involved to plunge the two nations into war. Instead, upon returning back to their respective countries, they mounted a dual-invasion of the next-largest and most powerful realm, Dodeusis. When the armies of Morevel and Alidrus met in the middle of Dodeusis, having subdued the country in a shockingly violent and successful campaign, the two couples married right there on the battlefield. 

They turned their eyes to the rest of the realms. Cythmna simply surrendered, having seen the violence of the recent campaign first hand. Kepeira and Eritanes did not give in, and did not fall immediately, but fall they did, with the last battle that unified the six realms under one ruler ocuring in 3006 AS, under the strategic command of Iaira, Queen of Morevel.
Since then, the realm grew unified, fractured into dozens to hundreds of component states around 4200 AS, was re-unified as the Republic of Dodeusis, broke apart again in 4440 AS, was reunified for the third time as the Autocracy of Alidrus in 4751, only to immediately break apart again upon the death of the Autarch in 4802, this time back to the six original realms that had been unified into Morevel in the first place.

Modern Morevel

In 5558, the King of Morevel watched the Neveri clans gather. Fearing the worst, he tried to rally his countrymen to mount a defense, only to find that the massed clans were directed at Torengar rather than the city-states. Vowing that they would never be that vulnerable, he and his heirs made plans to once again re-unify the realms under the banner of Morevel. Through a combination of hard fighting and hard negotiations, the country was consolidated again under Arcestus and Hypalia of Morevel, in 5772 AS – five years before Krail II made his proclaimation opening Tanalor to conquest.

PEOPLE AND SOCIETY

The realm of Morevel has been a single nation and comprised of a multitude of domains and city states over the roughly 4,000 years of its history. Nonetheless, mostly the peoples surrounding the Gulf of Otheoi (the body of water around which Morevel lies). It is realm that values education, literature, valor, and skill.

The population of Morevel is estimated to be between 7-8 million people, who are distributed relatively evenly throughout the six provinces of Morevel. Cities can be much larger than those found in the coastal realms, with the capitol of Morevel estimated to contain over 100,000 citizens, and several other cities being home to 50,000 people or more. 

Growing up in Morevel

A newborn in Morevel will be unnamed for the first ten days of life. If the child is sickly or weak, in most provinces clerical or magical aid will be brought in to assist. In Alidrus, it was – thousands of years ago – traditional to leave a sickly or deformed child to die of exposure; some from that provice will still follow that tradition. Others will give the child to the clergy to be adopted by others. Some, of course, will simply bring the mages, doctors, or clerical assistance that is common in every other province.

If the child survives that time, will be welcomed into the world with as glorious a feast and party as the parents and their family can afford to put on. A special dance is performed, with the mother, father, and the new child passed between them as they move through the four points of the compass, symbolizing the life-journey the newborn will take.

The child is educated at home until roughly age six, at which point they will be educated in mathematics, literature, debate, military skills, and generally be given as complete a physical, mental, and magical eduction as can be afforded, and as the talents of the child allow.

Again, Alidrus is a bit different – the child goes away to what is effectively a military academy until age 16, drilled under harsher conditions of discipline and physicality, but trained in substantially the same skills.

At 16, the child comes of age as an adult, and may marry, own property, and serve in a line of battle – in fact every year, each polity will send 1/40 of its adults to serve in the military for a two-year minimum term (service past two years is voluntary). This practice, called eikostos, keeps roughly 5% of the adult population of Morevel under arms at any given time.
At the age of 30, the citizen of Morevel is allowed to be appointed or engage in politics and serve as a government official should they wish to do so, and they are of the land-owner class.

Hierarchy in Morevel

Power in Morevel is mostly driven by wealth, and the noble familes are those with the largest resources. The nobles by definition are the landowners, but the lands and power is not hereditary, and it can be won and lost, bought and sold, as the fortunes of the land change.

Slaves. The lowest level of Morevelian is the slave. While those captured in warfare might become slaves if they’re foreigners or if the victorious commander has a personal grudge against his foe, that is not usual. The most common reason to become a slave is debt slavery. Where a citizen can no longer afford to pay land-rent on property, he can enter into a period of indentured slavery in exchange for funds. It is always possible to buy a slave’s contract, and the prices/terms are well established.

Citizens. The next level up are those who work or craft or serve in the military, but do not own their own lands. They are wage-makers, artisans, and soldiers, but as they do not control their own fortunes through land ownership, they are lower on the social pyramid.

Land-owners. Those who own real estate are at the highest level of Morevelian society. There are, of course, huge variations in how much land might be owned, and large estate holders could be almost comically wealthy. But to own land is to largely have the potential to be debt-free, or to receive revenues from others who work the land. One must also own land to hold political office or military command.

Military elite. A curious twist on the Morevelian culture was instituted by Arcestus and Hypalia – land owners who were also domain rulers must serve as heavy cavalry in the Morevelian army, or alternately provide and crew a ship in the navy. They must serve personally, not by proxy, for at least six months of the year when not on campaign, and if on campaign, until the campaign is over. Regents, spouses, and stewards rule in their stead while away. In this way, Arcestus and Hypalia keep the nobility busy, far from their homes and power base, and in constant mortal peril.

GOVERNMENT

Ultimately, the government is a military dictatorship under Arcestus and Hypalia, at least for the moment. They wield total power.

There is a senate of 500 advisors comprised of wealthy landowners and influential philosophers (who are also wealthy landowners), each of whom represents roughly a medium-sized city (15,000 people) and it’s surrounds. The provide advice, policy options, and intelligence from networks that they are encouraged to develop as part of the position in order to run the realm.

They are also responsible for the collection of taxes, with each senator responsible for the collection of roughly 20,000 gp per month of taxation revenue – or more – that flow to the treasury of Morevel.

ECONOMY

The economy of Morevel is based on the blessing of the land, whose average productivity rivals the best of that of Torengar, and the best of which produce an amazing bounty. Of highest value are crops that cannot be easily grown well in the more-northern climate of Torengar, such as olives, nuts, figs, and truly wonderful wines. They also have access to what amounts to a 125,000 square mile sheltered fishery on the continental shelf: the Gulf of Otheoi. 

The Morevelians also possess large access to limestone rocks, from which they have developed a remarkable variety of products, up to and including a pumice-reinforced lime cement, which is used both as a construction material and trade goods.

The natural metals of the area tend strongly to copper and alloys – iron is available but less plentiful, and so one finds bronze and brass in heavy use throughout the realm.

COMMUNICATIONS AND TRANSPORTATION

There have been many different styles of communication in the 4,000-year history of morevel, but the predominant ones have been through physical and mystical messengers. The recently-ended period of chaos and internal war that have led to the re-unification of the country under the banner of Morevel led to the breaking up of some of the established communication networks as strategic goals in the war. Arcestus and Hypalia have made the re-esablishment of these networks under trusted operations a high priority.

MILITARY

Though in recent history it has been used mostly against other Morevelians, the military of Morevel is large, sophisticated, and extremely well trained. 

Morevel maintains a standing army of professional fighters, and maintains discipline in the country through a two-layered system which is in effect a military dictatorship. The high-ranking nobles of nearly every domain must either command or ride as heavy cavalry with the King’s army. The peasantry is required to provide a continual portion of the population in service to the military, a personal levy called the eikostos (the “twentieth”). As such, it is estimated that there may be as many as a third of a million people under arms in Morevel.
Nobles and peasants alike are never stationed close to the lands where they were born.

Land Forces

Morevel maintains a powerful combined arms force and employs them in well-drilled maneuver. Such troops include:

• Units of heavy cavalry, armed with bronze or steel breastplates and greaves, and each with a shortsword as a backup weapon. Their primary armament is a 12’ double-ended lance (treat as a pike).
• Light cavalry in the form of horse archers armed with hide or scale armor and a shortbow, or with several javelins and a shortsword. These troops make darting hit-and-run attacks against opposing forces.
• A phalanx of heavy infantry, each with a long pike usually used in two hands, a shield (used by those at the forefront of a formation), breastplate and greaves, and a shortsword.
• Shock infantry with breastplate and greaves, a short spear, shortsword, and shield.
• Light infantry, usually unarmored, carrying a light shield, several javelins, and a shortsword.

One notable feature of the armies of Morevel is that Hypalia has forbidden the use of wheeled transport when the armies are on the march, and limited servants amongs the troops to no more than one in ten. This significantly increases the speed of march and nimbleness of the armies of Morevel in recent times; several battles in recent history were won just because Arcestus’ army showed up days earlier than his foes’ thought they might.

Naval Forces

With well over 1,000 islands scattered through a central bay, and over 1,000 miles of coastline mostly enclosing a relatively narrow gulf, maintaining military power in Morevel has also meant maintaining a strong naval force as well.

The principal – and nearly omnipresent – vessel of the Morevelian military is the trireme. These large ships are built to a pattern, and tend to be about 120’ long, 20’ wide, and weigh about 40 tons. It has three banks of oars, 170 oars at one man per oar, and a total compliment of 200 souls. It had one large mast, and another small one in the front of the ship. Best continuous speed is about 10’ normal speed with half the oarsmen rowing, and sprinting under full power at 40’ per turn.

RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHER NATIONS

Up until recently, the only nation that has been in regular contact with Morevel from the coastal realms has been Brousha, who trade across the Neveri steppes.

Morevel does have limited contact with Inthriki, though less than the map of Etera might suggest. Significant topographical barriers separate what would otherwise appear to be neighboring countries. Fennu and Shenho lakes are large and be quite turbulent, though there are two cities neighboring each other and trade and commerce occurs there. To the south of Shenho is a significant mountain range that extends south to the ocean, making the limited border along the lakes the primary point of contact.