Know Your Place: The Isles of Aebron

The Isles of Aebron lie in a temperature region of our world's northern hemisphere (1). By far the largest island is Aebron itself, with many smaller islands ranged around its coastline, most particularly to the northwest. The Isles are divided into five countries kept from constant war mostly by the mountain ranges that cross the mainland.

The countries of the Isles of Aebron in different colours

ABEVORN

The largest and most important country is Abevorn, which is currently ruled over by King Horvus. Its capital, the Royal City, is also the largest city of the Isles, with a population estimated at over two hundred thousand men, woman, children, elves, dwarves and other undesirables. The Royal City is also home to the fine publication you are presently reading.

BELGREN

The second largest country is Belgren, whose green and pleasant lands harbour a people desperately jealous of their neighbours to the north, labouring under a state church riven with agents of the Dark Lord (2). Barely more than ten years have passed since the Arch-Paladin of Rolkmere sent his crusaders marching across the border and the wounds of that war are still raw on both sides.

OLVERYM

Olverym claims to have been forged in dragons' fire, but those fires have long since died and gone cold. The dragons are all but vanished and the men who remain are trapped by antediluvian traditions, fighting and arguing amongst themselves while their once great nation fades into obscurity (3).

CAEWAL

Caewal is a country of magic and marshland to the southwest of Aebron. If you stay clear of the bogs, harpies and treacherous coastline, Caewal is unarguably a beautiful place. However, this is only because the Witch-Queens of Caewal enforce draconian laws that punish the slightest transgression and enforce curfews that keep their populace inside their homes and off that immaculate grass (4).

CAEFRO

The last of the five countries is Caefro, up in the very north. It's known mainly for various types of rock and being generally inhospitable. Great lakes cut through the landscape and much of the nation's trade comes from hunting the monsters that reside within their murky depths, then selling the meat and oils to their neighbours to the south. A long history of enmity with Abevorn came to an end when the Dark Lord invaded and the traditional foes joined forces to defeat him. Yet that defeat came at a cost - a swathe of land was left corrupt and teeming with foul creatures, an area now known as the Mordant Blight.

Footnotes

(1) While the consensus view of the scholarly community is that we live on a giant globe, the Herald recognises that this is just a theory and other theories, such as the world being flat or doughnut-shaped or a boil on the tongue of an Elder God are all equally valid.

(2) The Belgren ambassador raised a formal complaint about this description, which was dismissed by Abevorn's Foreign Minister.

(3) The Olverym ambassador raised a formal complaint about this description, which was also dismissed by Abevorn's Foreign Minister.

(4) The Caewal ambassador considered this a fair assessment.

By Bobo Melf