The world is a mighty big place. People in Akia are, generally, not all that educated about it. If there is a question about something that you feel your character would know during the session, feel free to pull me aside and ask. I'll either answer or tell you that you wouldn't know that. This page will go through some basics of the situation that most people would know.
GEOGRAPHY: The Empire of Threforfar is a landlocked Empire roughly in the center of a large continent. To the north lie the wilds of Gofin. Beyond the wilds are the Knights of Colum. The Westworld Mountains border the Empire to the west and are said to have magical, mystical lands beyond their impassable peaks. To the southwest lies the Kingdom of Isoc and directly south are the Yohsits Free States. All along the eastern border of Threforfar is the larger Tiscotian Empire.
Threforfar itself is massed towards it center. Flagaton Pol, Salabelle, and Joymont are three huge cities that all are near each other in the geographical center of the Empire. Stories are told of the wonders of these cities. They are the center of culture. Around them, and to the east, a lush plains with fertile farmland that drifts toward Tiscot, slowly drying out to rolling hills and desert. The entire southern third of the Empire is covered by the huge Foxhole Forest, which stretches all the way from the Westworld Mountains and Isoc, along the lush plains of Yohsits, and into the Sleigh Mountains, before tumbling down into the Tiscotian Desert. The northwest portion of the Empire is dominated by the inland Blue Sea, which is surrounded by the Flattop Mountains to the north and the Grey Mountains to the south. The Great Forest stretches north from the Blue Sea and up into Gofin. This is the home of the elves. The Great River divides the north central and northeast parts of the Empire into north and far north. The Pine Tree Forest lounges up from the northern banks of the Great River into Gofin. The Northern Woods stretch down from the river and slowly fade into the eastern plains of the Empire.
Government: In the capital of Flagaton Pol, at the base of the Imperial Tower, lies the Senate Building. It is here that the ruling council, now renamed the Senate, rules the Empire. This council of 47 is, at present, the sole governing body of the Empire of Threforfar. Some of the officials are elected. Other chairs are passdown from father to son of the old nobility. At present, three women and one elf also sit as members of the Senate. It is a federal government, but the local wealth and military do hold good degrees of power in various regions, the further you get from the center of the Empire.
Climate: Threforfar is a mild climate. Most of the Empire gets enough rainful to support vibrant vegetation, and then some, save for the far eastern reaches. Extreme heat is rare, but the humidity in most of the Empire in the summer months more than makes up for it. The temperment of winters vary, but the further north, or higher in altitude one is, the more likely it is that they will be extremely harsh. Despite the generally temperate climate for the country as a hole, specific regional patterns associated with temperature, frequency of sunshine, humidity and percipitation exist.
People: Almost 90% of the population of the Empire of Threforfar is human. They can be found in almost any region in towns and villages or on farms. Small cultural differences might be found from town to town, but it is a pretty uniform culture. Near Tiscot, the people tend to have darker skin and hair as mating between the border towns of the two Empires is common. The second most populous group are the halflings, more commonly known as little people. Most of them live in small farming communities in the west central part of the Empire. They generally live in neighborhoods in human towns or small villages that consist of them primarily, though a few have migrated to the cities. A distant cousin of the halfings are the gnomes. They are few and far between, having only a couple of small settlements of their own. They rarely mingle with the other citizens of the Empire, save for the little people. Living in the Great Forest, are the High Elves. The elvin race is the third most populous race of the Empire. Some tension exists between them and the human majority, so, for the most part, they stay separate. The Black Elves, a distant cousin to the High Elves, reside in the Sleigh Mountains for to the southeast. A few smaller tribes are said to exist in the Foxhole Forest and other parts of the Empire, but they are not counted as citizens of Threforfar. The Dwarven race is nearly extinct from the Empire of Threforfar. Once second only to humans in population, war and disease has left these people with an uncertain future. Recent years have seen a slight increase in their numbers. They're known as expert craftsmen and still have settlements in the Flattop Mountains, Grey Mountains, Farian Ridge, and Sleigh Mountains. There are slight racial differences from tribe to tribe.
Religion: Unlike most of its neighbors, Threforfar has no formal church officially associated with the state. Generally, people follow the Highlord, a diety with three seemings. He is the Man, the Dragon, and the God. Fundamentalist groups dot the Empire, pushing the extreme values of the religion on other groups. Worship and the interpretation of what/who the Highlord is varies from region to region. While the last Emperor supposedly ruled by divine right and much of the country's rich history is tied in with the deeds of the Highlord, organized followers claim nothing to do with the Senate, though invididual Senators may be devote followers. Much of the Highlord's worship is done in the privacy of homes with small altars where family members ask for the diety's favor. A traditional holy symbol is a triangle. Most believe that, matching with his three incarnations, the Highlord will come to Threforfar three times. The first time, which has already occurred in ancient history according to the believers, he came as a Dragon and formed the Empire. The second coming, which most beleivers say occured nearly 200 years ago, he came as a Man and sat on the throne as the Emperor of Threforfar, leading the Empire through a golden age, preparing the faithful for when he returns. When the Highlord comes again, it will be as a God. He will set the Empire right and make Threforfar the promised land he originally set out to do as the Dragon. Some take the Highlord stories literally while others believe they are merely symbolism so people can understand some greater power that exists. Other, less widely spread, religions exist within the Empire. Many easterners follow faithfully the Tiscotian Pantheon of Gods. It is a web of related dieties who each have their own sphere of influence. Most prominent among them is Tiscot, the mighty Sun God. The misunderstood and often feared worship of Kasuudic Spirits is practiced in the less civilized corners of the Empire. It is a system of sacrificing gifts to the spirits in return for favors. Most of the Dwarves have a system of ancestor worship where the family strives to improve upon the deeds of their sires. There are other, less organized, belief systems. Many people view it as a smorgasbord, for lack of a better term. They take what they want and leave the rest.
Economy: All things flow toward the center, then back out again. All around the Empire of Threforfar, the countryside is dotted by small farming and mining communities. The goods from these outlying places generally flow toward the center of the Empire. There, in the cities, exist factories and skill laborers. Their goods work their way back out, filtering back down through the populace. Various regions have their own specialties. Trade is also conducted with most of the Empire's neighbors at various levels.
HISTORY
Ancient History/Myth (as believed by most of the population): When the land was wild, there existed various small packets of civilization throughout the lands of Threforfar. The elves and gnomes lived in the forests. The elves had many different subraces that each grew in a different way. They are the most ancient of the peoples. The gnomes learned much of their wisdom and existed with the elves peacefully. They learned the ways of the forest spirits and magics. The humans and halflings settled in the plains and soft, rolling hills. They learned how to farm. The dwarves lived in caved deep under the mountains and learned the crafts. There were only small leaders who fought between the races and among the races. It was a land of much uncertainty. Then, the DragonPeople came. Some say they were dragons who had the ability to change into the forms of man. Others say that they were human warriors from the north who wore shields with the symbol of a dragon. They were raiders and conquerors who migrated southward across the Empire. It is speculated that their root is shared with those who have now settled in Colum. What is the truth is lost. It is the story that is imporant. These conquerors claimed leadership of various tribes and soon three of them emerged as Lords, each controlling sections of what is known today as Threforfar. The Ice Queen Morwen ruled the north and west. King Estola rose in the south and west. King Joymont's kingdom grew in the east. The three kingdoms, Morwen, Estola, and Joymont, battled each other as the DragonPeople turned against each other, each seeking dominance over the region. Legends tell us that these kingdoms struggled for centuries until one finally rose up. This Dragon was known as Morinskar. With his army, he swept through the three kingdoms, forcing their surrender until they united under him. He declared himself Highlord over all the other Lords and founded what is roughly Threforfar. Some say he ruled for a thousand years as Emperor over the three kingdoms and other lessor lords. Others claim that his son and his son and his son passed the name down through the centuries. It was Threforfar's Age of Glory. A road system, uniting all the Empire, was built to every corner of Morinskar's control. The Imperial Tower was built in the very center of the land and the city Flagaton Pol grew up around it. It is in these times that the wonders of Threforfar were built. However, after a thousand years, it all came to a close. War raged with the Tiscotian Empire. It is said that the Tiscotian Gods themselves took the field of battle against the Dragons and the Highlord. The Gods and the Highlord fled to the heavens while the Dragons were slain. Chaos settled over Threforfar. Some Lords claimed independence. Others elected a new Emperor. For a few hundred years, things deteriorated and the science and magic of the DragonPeople was lost. The Empire, however, managed to hold on and soon reached some level of prosperity forming into a dual branched government with the Emperor on one side and the noble houses on the other.
Middle History: This time was much more documented. The Empire stabilized and records were kept. The government functioned as something of a republic with the noble houses electing an Emperor. An official calender was made. Affairs were formalized. During the previous dark times, most of the non-human races didn't recover as well as the humans from the various wars and became small players in the political arena. The Empire of Threforfar slowly formed into what it is today. The Rangers came into being as well as an Imperial army, not to mention several noble houses having their own forces. There were occasional border skirmishes with the Tiscotian Empire and Nyrgil raids from the north, but it was an otherwise peaceful time. Over 863 years of Imperial rule went by. Gains in territory were made and lost. Power shifted from one noble house to another like the ebb and flow of a tide. In 863 the Emperor died without an obvious successor. He was murdered. Some claim by an Isoc. Others claim by a demon. The noble houses lined up against each other and civil war brewed. The central government, without a head, tried to hold things together. Isoc united with several of the Lords and made a military bid to take over the Empire. Tiscot took the oppurtunity to advance its borders against Threforfar as well. A man stepped forward who claimed to be the second coming of the Highlord. He claimed the position of Emperor. Those who were religious claim he was brought back to Threforfar by the White Dancer, who's exploits are documented by Phinneous Toogle. Some of the noble houses remained neutral. Some, backed by Isoc, claimed an Emperor of their own. Others followed the Highlord. For ten years, vicious civil war raged across Threforfar. In the end, the Highlord (as he called himself) was victorious. The Empire of Threforfar was reformed.
Modern History: The Golden Age of Threforfar settled upon the Empire. The Emperor, in a bold political move, banished the noble houses. To ease their unrest, many of the nobles were given seats on the Council, which later became named the Senate. Other seats were given by appointment of the Emperor, yet a few more were open to general election by the land owners from various regions. Culture and art flourished during this time. The first year of his rule was named 1 2C. The first year of the Highlord's Second Coming. He ruled for 63 years. The Empire expanded to new territory. Yohsits joined the Empire in exchange for seats on the Senate floor. War continued with Isoc until they surrendered in 14 2C. They were granted a seat in 34 2C. Large portions of Gofin were claimed and protected as Imperial holdings. In 61 2C, the Emperor did something radical. He declared that, upon his death, the Senate would be the sole governing body of Threforfar. A constitution was drafted that would be in place for a hundred years until it was either extended or a new one designed. Some seats in the Senate would remain hereditary. Others by election. If there wasn't an obvious heir to a inherited seat, it would go up for public election in the region the noble house used to be from. Things went rough at first. The Isoc Revolution began in 98 2C and lasted for five years before they finally managed to fight off the Imperial army and declare themselves, once again, an independent kingdom. Infighting in the Senate led to the withdrawal Yohsits in 113 2C, when they formed their own free states. Things were shakey, but the Senate managed to last the hundred years of Imperial Mandate. Some wanted a new Emperor. Some wanted to continue the rule of the Senate. Others desired a return to the rule of the noble houses. It was decided that the Imperial Mandate would be extended for 20 years. That brings events to the year 183 2C and the beginning of our story.