Mistland and the Serpent's Teeth make up the continent south of Miraboria. The Serpent's Teeth are the Pirate Isles, Eor and the Southern Isles. 

 

Nations of Mistland

 

Comaria: 15,750,000 population. 350,000 square miles. This monarchy is an old one, by Mistlander standards. The kingdom has fought several border wars with Hadraith to the north, and with the Grey kingdom to the south. They are wary of pushing further into the mountains, having been badly beaten back by the dwarves 150 years ago. Unfortunately, the dwarven kingdom has since fallen, leaving isolated clans and halls but little more.
Comaria has many jungle plantations along the northern coast and into the mountain valleys, where tobacco, cotton, rice, coffee, cocoa, corn and sugar cane are grown. Some cattle, sheep and hogs are also raised. Silver, gold, coal and emeralds are mined. Platinum, iron and salt are also mined in localized or lesser amounts. In coastal waters off the isthmus are pearls and shrimp. There is considerable dispute over rights to these resources between Comaria and Daintallia. Comaria’s population is mostly human, with some half-elves and a few dwarves. A small number of half-orcs are tolerated, and a few hobyts live in coastal areas.

Comaria’s capital is called Shevarr the Shining. It sits high in a long mountain valley on the Shevarr river. This ancient city is heavily walled at the center, but only about 1/3 of the city is within those walls. The walled portion of the city is solid stone, as are all the buildings within. This si the wealthy district. At north end is the royal palace. Here Queen Ameshela rules. Ameshela has been queen for the last forty years, since she was about 12. Her father, King Atandro was famed for his strong leadership and cleverness, but Ameshela is known for her beauty, her pride and her coldness. She rules well, but with an iron hand. All know that to disobey the laws of the kingdom is to risk death.

 

Comaria is also famed for its 3 knightly orders - they are all dedicated to the service of the Queen and Country, and members are highly respected, both by the nobility and the common folk. 

Notes: 945,000 urban 151,000 is Shevarr the Shining, 78,000, then 54,000, then 31,000; 28,000; 10 more cities in the 25,000 size range, then 10 cities in the up to 20,000 range, then abut 15 towns in the up to 12,000 range, then 21 towns in the 1,000 to 2,000 size range, with 131,000  villages under 1000 size dotting the countryside.

Daintallia: 12,000,000 pop. This thinly settled mercantile kingdom is poor in comparison to its northern neighbor. Unfortunately it lacks arable land, and must try to rely on the sea for both food and profit. Their most valued resource is the Canal that runs east to west through their central lake, allowing shipping to flow up and down the West and East coasts. Daintalia’s chief crops are tropical hardwoods (mahogany), corn, bananas, coffee, cattle, cocoa, hemp, shrimp, tuna, turtles and pearls. Mineral resources are limited, but include gold, silver, lead, copper and zinc. Daintalia’s population is mostly human with a small percentage of hobyts and half-elves. Elves and dwarves may visit Daintallia on occasion but few reside there. They frequently find themselves at war with Comaria due to border and fishing water disputes, and with the Pirate Isles due to piracy and raiding. 

 

Disputed Isles and Dragon's Isle: these islands are intermittently claimed by Raskell, Eor and Hadraith, but also by the Koalinth and by other seadwellers. Dragon's Isle is reputed to be the original home of Duranda, St Justin's companion silver dragon. However, Duranda left the island many decades ago; some stories say that when St. Justin died (in 2475) Duranda returned with him to Dragon's Isle, yet in the roughly 150 years since then, he has never been seen or heard from. Others say that the island was abandoned by Duranda, and has since become the lair of a sea dragon. Reputedly, this powerful and reclusive creature sinks every ship that draws near the island, but then who is sharing these stories? 

Eor 2,240,000 pop (both islands) These two large islands (Frescal and Retono) are a monarchy of sorts. There are six noble families in Eor, and each decade one is elected to be the ruling family for the decade. The senior member of that family takes the title of King or Queen. In truth, the "nation" is actually a conglomerate of city-states, each ruled by one of the Six Counts or Countesses. Eor struggles constantly with the reputation of being in league with the Pirate Isles. In fact, this is sometimes true, sometimes not, depending on who is currently the elected King. Politics in Eor are a dangerous and constantly shifting game which all the nobility are forced to play, else they find themselves victims instead.  Major crops are sugarcane, coffee, cocoa, rice, snapper and hogs. Mineral resources include gold, salt, nickel and copper. Most Eorans are master fishermen and sailors. In the most recent decades, Eor has allied at least some of the time with Hadraith and Daintallia against Comaria, Raskell and Telomar. Together with the Southern Isles and the Pirate Isles, they form the Serpent's Teeth region.

Grey Kingdom: 21,000,000 pop. Elven and Half-Elven, somewhat reclusive. Their ruler is known as the Moon King. Known for having strong borders and not allowing entry to very many. Lots of shipping up the West Coast - famed for their high-quality, fast, light ships. Not fond of Comaria, which is intrusive and often violent, with border disputes being frequent. 

Hadraith: 17,500,000 pop Hadraith is a monarchy in all but name. It calls itself a principality, harking back to the days when Haven, Daintallia, Comaria and Hadraith were all part of the Kingdom of the Hills, some three to four hundred years earlier.
Like its neighbors, Hadraith’s significant crops include cattle, hogs, goats, sugarcane, coffee, corn, and bananas. Pearls are significant off the coast. There are large petroleum and natural gas deposits. Some coal and salt are mined. Water power is a significant resource. Hadraith’s population is about 1/3 dwarven, the rest mostly human with a small but significant population of hobyts. Some half-elves and elves dwell in isolated communities, but are not common. Hadraith often has border disputes with Comaria. Between 2590 and around 2600, a civil war in Hadraith known as the War of Crowns occurred. In 2599 the war was settled when King Imhirad was crowned. His rival (who many claim was a puppet of Comaria's) was captured, thrown into prison, and never seen again. In 2600 and the following decades, war between Hadraith and their neighbors has become much more open; their navies have fought many skirmishes, and both sides in the conflict (Hadraith and Daintallia are allies, with Haven and Eor often forming temporary alliances with them).  

Haven: 14,400,000 population. This free duchy suffered little with the collapse of the Second Empire. It boasts a degree of self-sufficiency remarkable in the face of the amount of trade that flows through the Free City of Haven. At one time much of the land area was tropical rainforest, but centuries of intensive farming have changed much of it to farmland. The Haveners are generally excellent land-managers and have kept the land fertile and productive over many generations. Major crops include cattle, cocoa, coffee, mahogany, shrimp, shellfish, mackerel and salt. Haven has remained mostly neutral in the recent political/naval disputes, but finds itself siding more naturally with Hadraith and Eor than Comaria and the Southern Isles. 

 

Miran: while not "of Mistland", this nation is a large trading-partner. It is a slave-holding state, and often allies with Raskell, Telomar and the Southern Isles. 

Pirate Isles: 175,000 population. This small collection of islands has been hanging on to independence for the last two hundred years. Located north of the Southern Isles, and east-south-east of Miran, they have been fought over, settled and resettled by each of these nations, and by Eor at various times. They retain their independence only because they are small, not tremendously valuable, and because the residents are experts at using both sea and jungle to their advantage. Also, their independence provides a cushion between the three other nations. Most of the folk who dwell in these islands are hardy and independent, and keeping their freedom is a high priority to them. Almost all make their living from the sea; some are fishermen, others pirates or raiders, and almost all are shipbreakers, falling on wrecks and flotsam with eager enthusiasm. There is no single government for these islands, and no single organized defense or military, but each island will come to the aid of their neighbors, and they are always ready to defend each other from seaborn threats, whether ship or creature. Freeport is by far the largest and best known city in the Pirate Isles, located on the island of A'Val. Larger cities: Acusa, Freeport , Guadabraz, Robres, Sanles and Villaescusa. Together with Eor and the Southern Isles, they form the Serpent's Teeth region.

Raskell: 20,000,000 population. A small but vibrant sea-trading nation. Slavery is common here. 

Southern Isles: 2,250,000 population The Southern Isles broke free of Eor some hundred fifty years ago. They are now an independent monarchy. The Southern Islanders have some of Eor’s piratical reputation, but in the last fifty years or so their tyrant-wizard-kings have become so adamantly anti-pirate that they have become less well known for that problem. Instead, they are known for their extremely militant stance and tendency to seize whatever strikes their eye, in the name of ending smuggling and law-breaking.  The largest southern isle is known as Granma, and the smaller one to the south is Azul Island. The Southern Isles are also strongly isolationist, and prefer to keep non-natives out of most of their territory. It is legal only for non-Southern Isle ships to land in one city on Azul Island, and two on Granma. The Southern Isles are frequently at war or verging on war with Eor, Hadraith and Daintallia, and even sometimes Haven. Their most natural allies are Comaria and Raskell. Southern is a slave-holding nation. Together with Eor and the Pirate Isles, they form the Serpent's Teeth region.

Telomar: 20,000,000 population. An Oligarchy of spell-casters. Often allied with Southern Isles and Raskell, their nearest neighbors. Their nation experienced a revolutionary war in an attempt to replace the oligarchy some 15 or so years ago. While it failed, many of the oligarchs were replaced, and entire "noble" families were displaced. This is a slave-holding state. 

Vanhark: 32,000,000 population: the southernmost kingdom of Mistland, and one of the largest. To the east is deep ocean, to the west, deep rainforest. To the north, the kingdom of Telomar, and south are both more jungle and hobgoblin lands. Vanhark must be forever on its guard from the dangers of invasion, pirate raids, storms and mysterious dangers from the dark jungles. The capitol city,

The people of Vanhark are a tall, strong race, mostly fair-skinned and light haired, with blue, grey and green eyes. The population is about 65% human, 20% elvish, 10% half-elf, and 5% mixed other, including most commonly hobbyt and szathair. Dwarves and half-orcs are very uncommon in this kingdom. The people of Vanhark pride themselves on being strong and physical, with military strength a priority. However, they are not known to be a particularly hot-headed or aggressive people. They favor the gods Kehret and Nelora, Haldar and Beara, Annik and Owynder.

 

Vanhark is well-known for its political independence and refusal to be dragged into the naval warfare with the other nations of Mistland. On occasion it will be forced to defend its right to access trade routes, but does so without regard to who attacks whom elsewhere. Their major trade partners are Telomar on their northern border and Greenvale to the far north. They have the ability to sail east of the Island nations of Eor and the Pirate Isles, thus avoiding much of the internal conflict the other Mistlander nations undergo.

 

Kingdom Alliances as of 2630 in Mistland:

Kingdom	Daintall	Eor	Hadraith	Grey Kingdom	Haven	Miran	Pirate Isles*	Raskell	Southern	Telomar	Vanhark
Comaria	Strong Enemies	Weak Enemies	Strong Enemies	Enemies	Neutral	Weak Allies	Weak Enemies	Allies	Weak Allies	Allies	Weak Enemies
Daintall	x	Weak Allies	Allies	Allies	Neutral	Neutral	Enemies	Neutral	Enemies	Weak Enemies	Neutral
Eor	x	x	Allies	Neutral	Neutral	Weak Enemies	Neutral	Enemies	War	Neutral	Neutral
Hadraith	x	x	x	Weak Allies	Weak Allies	Weak Enemies	Weak Enemies	Weak Enemies	Enemies	Weak Enemies	Neutral
Grey Kingdom	x	x	x	x	Neutral	Neutral	Neutral	Neutral	Neutral	Neutral	Neutral
Haven	x	x	x	x	x	Weak Enemies	Neutral	Neutral	Weak Enemies	Neutral	Neutral
Miran	x	x	x	x	x	x	Strong Enemies	Neutral	Weak Enemies	Weak Allies	Weak Enemies
Pirate Isles	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	Weak Enemies	Enemies		Weak Enemies
Raskell	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	Allies	Weak Allies	Neutral
Southern Isles	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	Weak Allies	Neutral
Telomar	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	Weak allies
Vanhark	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x

 

 

 

History of Mistland (as extracted from the History of Vishteer)

 

1 to 800	First Miraborian Empire, time of the Cloud Kingdom. This was a time of great wizards, powerful magic and world-spanning travel. Most has been forgotten, and only a few names linger in the tales of bards.
602 to?	War of the Cloud Lands. Empire of Valossa, and the piece of the continent which once spanned the region from present-day Miran, across the whole of the Southern Isles, Eor and down to Hadraith is destroyed, sunk beneath the waves forever.
750 to 800	Age of the Rock Plague, loss of the First Empire; overland route to Narbada sealed. Sea route lost soon after. Great white dragon Angkarasce lives and amasses his hoard. He dies in the 1,200's. Dwarves retreated from their ancient halls deep into the earth; many giants died, and the giantish empires of the north collapsed. Many forget they ever existed.
800-1400's	First Empire lies in ruins; humanoids rule most of the land; demi-human races struggle to survive. Gradually small kingdoms become ascendant, mostly on the east coast.
1,000	Shalehun arises on Mistland
1,453	Shaleshun falls to dust
1490's	Miraboria under one rule, 2nd empire thriving and growing. Shalani appear in Mistland
1580's	Mistland has become part of 2nd Empire
1680's	Southern Isles reclaimed for Miraborian Empire
1800's	2nd Empire has reached its pinnacle and begins to cross into unrecognized internal decline. The Szathair are created in this era, and the Catfolk are first seen, coming from western lands.
1803	St. Crotofiros born in Mistland. The future city of Freeport is founded on the island of A'Val, as a hidden fishing village on a defensible natural harbor.
1900's	2nd Empire has surpassed its pinnacle and the internal decline has become noticeable to many.
1931	St. Crotofiros dies after leading a raid on Miraborian slavers
1992	withdrawal of Miraborian troops from Mistland complete
2060	Azassarah, the Red Saint, arrives from somewhere far away, at the invite of Emperor Herudiband, seeking to defeat Lord Saral, who has become a thorn in the Emperor's side, refusing to acknowledge Imperial authority.
2070	The Red Saint declares victory over Lord Saral's forces and invades the Dragon's Delve. Therein, he builds a prison to hold many of Saral's wicked followers.
2219	St. Ellemarha's defeat of the orc army on Miraboria
2220	St. Ellemarha is martyred by the church
2300's	The Serpent's Teeth - those Isles known as the Pirate Isles, Southern Isles and Eor, are once again becoming important to the local region, as what will eventually become the Free City of Freeport becomes a magnet for buccaneers. Southern and Eor are more neutral trade nations than the Pirate Isles, which foster a sense of freedom from restraint.
2324	King Aelor dies or enters a magical sleep, King Elfearic slain
2342	St Gwydion the Savior unites men and elves, founds the Grey Kingdom
2345	Leefric returns to claim throne of the Golden Sword kings
2374	King Leefric dies, younger son succeeds
2376	St Throgar of Arreth born
2385	Princes of Vanhark succeed to the Golden Sword throne
2400	Captains Drac and Francisco lead Freeports pirates against the fleets of the Southern Isles, the kingdoms which eventually will become Miran, and even some Hadraithan and Daintali vessels. With their victory, they declare themselves Sea Lords of Freeport.
2410	Civil War in Freeport; Drac betrays Francisco and declares himself sole Sea Lord. He rules for another 30 years, and builds a solid, if small, independent nation.
2410	St Throgar the Dragonslayer dies
2412	Twin Black Dragons Voaraghamanthar and Waervaerendor born, flee northward, enter Miraboria some hundred years later. They seek immortality
2440	Drac dies in Freeport, is succeeded by Captain Cromey, initiating a 100 year period of prosperity
2472	Freeport's Council enlarged to 12 members, but Sea Lord appoints them at his leisure.
2475	St Justin of Dragon'sisle dies
2490's	Thieves' Guild develops in Freeport; Council becomes corrupt and does nothing. Civil war in Eor erupts as the Counts of the Southern Isles fight for who will control that group of islands.
2499	Sea Lord Marquetta takes power. Southern Isles break away from Eor, forming their own kingdom. The first Wizard-Tyrant Varetto becomes the ruler, beginning a line that has not broken by the present day.
2500	Back Alley War in Freeport - 3 years in which Sea Lord Marquetta battles to defeat the Thieves' Guild, and wins.
2504	Jenkin Hammer erects the first Weather Tower on A'Val
2507	Year of Three Sea Lords
2508	Hammer Finishes Weather Towers. Disappears months later.
2534	Freeport-Mirani War begins (note: for more details, check Miran's History)
2542	Battle of Burning Torches
2543	Early in the year, Freeport- Mirani war ends with Freeport Victorious. Then, later in the year Captain Drac, Sea Lord of Freeport, dies and passes his title on to his successor, thus establishing the Captain's Council as the Sea Lord's tool, and allowing Freeport to remain a stable polity. For the next hundred years, Freeport grows and thrives.
2578	Marten Drac becomes Sea Lord, nearly bankrupts Freeport; he institues succession law.
2590-99	The War of Crowns - a civil war- was fought in Hadraith. Many claim that the losing candidate was a puppet of Comaria; since the War of Crowns ended, general battles across Mistland have increased.
2593	Anton Drac succeeds Marten and repairs much of the damage but does not repeal succession law.
2597	Drac allows wizard's guild to build in Freeport for the first time
2600-2620's	Political tensions in Mistland between Hadraith, Raskell, Telomar,  and even Vanhark and Daintalia have erupted into warfare between the nations; their navies fight on the High Seas, and soon even Southern and Eor are pulled in. DM's note: be sure to use this conflict in the histories of those countries!
2619	In the Pirate Isles, Anton Drac is assassinated, Milton Drac becomes Sea Lord. He withdraws military aid from Southern and Eor.
2620	Construction begins on Lighthouse of Drac
2629	Severe Hurricane hits Freeport; merfolk vanish and their village is seen to be abandoned.
2630	Freeport Campaign begins (note that this is 27 years behind the current Greenvale/World calendar. It will need updating.)

Long after the time of the Slaying, there arose an empire on Miraboria. It was led by powerful wizardly rulers and survived more than 800 years. Man-history dates from the supposed founding of this empire, called the First Miraborian. At its height, all of Miraboria, Mistland and Narbada were claimed as part of its domain. Even the legendary Cloudlands were ruled by the First Empire. But the Cloudlands were not populated by humans, but rather the races of dragons, cloud giants, and other beings who preferred to dwell in the sky. These races resented being ruled by earthbound men. Eventually Civil War broke out, and the Cloudlands were destroyed. The blow to the Empire was great, and must have contributed to the Empire's later collapse.

 

When the Empire collapsed after its 800 year sway, chaos ruled (the collapse took approximately 200 years, dating from the fall of the cloudlands until the end of the Rock Plague). The fall of the Empire could be held up to many factors, but one of the most critical was the mass dying of the Giants. In those days they were a civilized race, and many lived within the Empire. They lived mainly in the Thaaluni mountains between Narbada and 'Boria; others dwelled in the far southern reaches of Mistland, in lesser numbers.  When the 'Rock Plague' struck, it killed more than half the giantish people. Most survivors retreated from Narbada and Miraboria, abandoning their ancient homes in the Thaaluni mountains, and migrating into Mistland's mountains ranges where the plague was not so severe. Those giants in Miraboria became barbarous fragments of a once-great people. Dwarves too were affected by the 'Rock Plague', though to a lesser degree. Where the "Rock Plague" originated, no one could say for certain, but some blamed the terrible magics that were used during the war with the Cloudlands a hundred fifty years earlier. With the decimation of the dwarves, and the near-total elimination of giants, the Miraborian Empire could not withstand assaults from without or rebellions from within. The empire died slowly but surely. Eventually deep-folk, goblins and their kin came back in strength from deep below the Thaaluni mountains and the empire, already fragmenting, was overwhelmed.

 

After the fall of the first Empire, the passes to Narbada slipped from the ken of men in the East. The Thaaluni mountains were rendered impassable, held by orcs and goblins in the thousands. The magics which controlled the great channel across the central isthmus (in what is now Daintallia) failed, and the sea routes were abandoned. In the 400 years of chaos that followed, Narbada's existence slid into legend and rumor.

 

On Mistland, however, after about 200 years, the city of Shalehun, once merely a provincial capital (in the region now known as the Free City of Haven), became the new center of leadership for a lesser Empire. It rose to control Mistland, and Southern Isle, which were once part of the Mirabori Empire. 400 years passed (until about year 1,400). The people of Shalehun became arrogant, particularly their ruling Mages. Finally they began to disdain the very gods, deeming them petty and powerless. The gods cursed Shalehun, and fifty years later (year 1453), the city was dust. Magic became greatly feared in Mistland, the work of evil. Another hundred years passed (year 1550) in turmoil.

 

The Southern Islands were nearly abandoned, and became wild. Mistland sunk back into near barbarity. This time it was on Miraboria, the ancient heart of Empire, that civilization began to rebuild. During the time of the Shalan Empire, Miraboria had been a land without leadership, torn into tiny fragments of civilization struggling to survive among growing threats of goblinkind, petty warlords seeking power, and the remnants of Imperial warfare.

 

But in the year 1463, Khur Habbal began his conquest. A petty king and warlord, he claimed to be descended from previous rulers of the First Miraborian Empire. He declared himself Emperor and, aided by St. Stephen the destroyer, began to conquer the continent. Within 30 years, Miraboria was nominally under one rule. However, the grasslands of the west and the Thaaluni mountains beyond them stopped his westward expansion. He was never able to conquer the orcish tribes who dwelled there. During the first empire, demi-humans had lived alongside men. However, in the days of the second Empire, things were far more humanocentric. The area now called Avenvole, always an elven strongholt, became their only dwelling place within the Empire's bounds. It was possibly during this time that many of the magics which make it so unusual were created. Men were refused entry, and legends of its faery nature spread wide. Hobytlan survived by living in small communities and 'blending in' with the human population. Dwarves retreated underground or high into the mountains. Contact with the great dwarven kingdom in the Canyons of the far west was forbidden. Koruzd was established as a dwarven refuge at this time. Other races survived by stealth and cunning. In Mistland non-humans fared better, and lived more openly.

 

Under Habbal's sons the empire spread south. By 1580 Mistland was part of the Empire. Haven, a small city centrally located on the Dorlan River, was settled and grew rapidly. Another 100 years saw Southern Isle reclaimed. 300 years passed in near peace as the Second Mirabori Empire grew settled, then old (St Luana 1750-1806). It was in this time period that mages of the second empire first created the race known as Szathair. They were bred from a mixture of human and kobold, among other creatures. At first the szathair were bred as slaves, then as soldiers in the Empire's never-ending wars of conquest and the suppression of rebellions. Many Szathair came to live in the warm, welcome lands of northern Mistland, and still dwell there today.

 

The Second Miraborian Empire grew, then reached its limits. Economic and social stagnation set in. Three hundred years of essentially peaceful Imperial rule passed. By the year 1931, the Empire had again begun to collapse (St Crotofiros 1803-1931). Orcs from the Opel and Thaaluni mountains began raiding Mistland and Miraboria. Over the course of nearly 60 years Mirabori Emperors slowly withdrew their troops from Mistland, to support their foundering home rule. Mistland was left to its own fate. By 1992 civil unrest and massive problems with its own evils had caused complete withdrawal of Imperial troops from Mistland and the Southern Isles, and even from the western flanks of the Empire.

 

In Mistland 300 years passed in turmoil. Various Kingdoms rose and fell. Times became very hard. The details of the past became confused. Many people came to believe that the Shalan Empire's fall had caused their current desperate state. Magic, feared for centuries, eventually became completely forbidden. The church of Elanora especially came to be a major foe of all things magical. At this time the Shalani folk were first noted in historical chronicles. Some scholars now believe that these nomadic, sorcerous people may have their origins in the fall of the Shalan Empire. Indeed, perhaps they are direct descendants of the proud and secretive ruling clan of that era, but how they survived un-noticed between 1453 and 1900 is unclear.

 

In the year 2219 orc raiders from the (Opel?) Mountains descended on the Havenplain. The cleric Ellemarha of Elanora, also a proscribed magic user, led a small band of priests and warriors against them. She nearly single handedly defeated more than 150 orcs, and her troop stopped an army of over 1,000. She died in 2220 at the hands of the church, who twisted her acts to evil and distorted events to reflect their hatred of magic. They refused to accept her sainthood until 2531, over 300 years later. She became known as St Ellemarha the Martyr. For that 300 year period the church of Elanora was severely fractured in Mistland, and there were several factions of the order, some who opposed and some who supported Ellemarha's sainthood. The people of Mistland were gradually won over by the gradual occurrences of miracles at the hands of her followers. Acceptance of magic began to resurge.

 

In the years between 1992 and 2324 the R'kassan Horseplains of Vanhark, the Saffrin forests of what is now Telomar and other lands came under the rule of the Golden Sword Kings. In the north of Mistland the Kings of the Hills ruled. Southern Isle was ruled by the Kings of Eor, and in the deep western jungles of Mistland a tiny elvish land called Mirkheim was established.

 

In 2324 disaster struck. Aelor, king of the Hills, was struck down by magic and laid to rest in Evflen Aelor, 'the tomb of Aelor' , and in the same year the King of the Golden Sword, Elfearic, was also slain. Aelor had no son, and was thus succeeded by a distant cousin, the Duke of Haven. King Elfearic, however, had an infant son, Leefric. Leefric returned home from Southern in 2345 where he had been raised (his mother was a Princess of the Southern Isles folk). With the help of Lord Godwin he regained his throne from usurping nobles. He claimed only those lands now part of Vanhark, along the eastern edge of Mistland. In 2374, some 29 years later, Leefric died. By treachery his younger son rather than his elder followed him on the throne. Within 10 years the line of the Golden Kings failed, and the rule passed to the present Kings of Vanhark.

 

In 2342, before Leefric regained his throne, another great event occurred. Orcs from the Opel Mountains descended into Mirkheim. They at once wiped out a small village. Fleeing from the village was a youthful priest of Kehret named Gwydion. He sought out a temple to Kehret and as the orcs advanced on the unsuspecting cities of Mirkheim and Murile, began to recruit an army of elves and men. This unusual alliance defeated the orcs resoundingly, and the Grey Kingdom was formed. It is ruled equally by two humans, two elves and a half elf, each with the title of Prince. The human princes are still descendants of St Gwydion the Savior.

 

In 2376 Throgar, a priest of Aragh, was born, somewhere in Mistland's northern reaches. Before he died in 2410 he slew 5 good dragons, including Induhira the Silver, mate of Duranda, a vastly old and powerful being. For this act in particular, Throgar was Sainted. He is called St Throgar the Dragonslayer, and good dragons are ever his and Aragh's foes.

 

Most recently, Justin, a priest of Elanora was sainted, as he became the companion of Duranda. They performed many acts of Valor, in Elanora's name and as revenge for the death of Induhira. In 2475 Justin died and became St Justin of Dragonsisle.

 

When the last Hill-King, Aelor, died in 2324 (or as legend sometimes hints, was trapped in magical sleep), his kingdom dissolved into three fragments, which have formed the present-day Free Duchy of Haven, the nation of Hadraith, and the Kingdom of Daintali.

 

The Havenite faction centered on Aelor's cousin, his closest male kinsman, the Duke of Haven. He claimed rulership under that title. Reasons for claiming this title rather than that of King hint at Aelor's possible 'undeath'.

 

The Daintali faction centered on his queen and daughter. His wife, a princess of Eor (part of Southern Isle), claimed her daughter as Queen of the Hills, but political realities reduced her to claiming the cities of Daintall and T'balu, plus the lands between.

 

Finally, Hadraith, long a semi-independent country, ruled by Hadraith Hammerfist as warlord, declared itself separate. He became Lord Hadraith I. Each ruler of Hadraith has traditionally sworn allegiance to "the King of the Hills, may he arise in our hour of need". Aelor's legendary sleep is commonly known here, used as a motif in many folk tales and legends.