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Amersia - Kingdom of the Maruto


A large kingdom that dominates the Maruto River as it brushes through the central region of the Hundred Kingdoms, narrowly avoiding the Wyld in its path, Amersia is both the name of the Kingdom and its greatest City. Ruled by the benevolent but firm hand of the City-Father Jodun, this river kingdom is rich and has enjoyed a long steady (if not exactly peaceful) history since the City-Father took command some 200 years ago. Foremost of the Gods' desires is to keep traffic on the Maruto flowing easily and cheaply, making Amersia the foremost trade-city in the Central Hundred Kingdoms and a friend of the Guild. This relationship flows both ways, with the trade organization shoring up the God's kingdom where it can, as it is well aware that its interests are served admirably such. Without this stabilizing interest, trade further upriver would be considerably less profitable!

The Kingdom itself consists largely of three interdependent city, the largest of which is Amersia itself, resting on the river and serving as a mecca of trade. The smaller city of Briar is located further upriver, a center of craft and artisan-work where the Maruto brushes past the Briarthorn Woods. The last of the three cities, Cho-Holuth, is located inland and serves as the center of the Kingdoms' military might. Each city is ruled over by its own God, with Jodun overseeing both Amersia and the Kingdom as a whole. The Artisan-God Woodwhisper keeps a distant eye on his city of Briar, spending most of his time engaged in various crafting projects, while the Spearmaiden incessantly trains the Kingdom's armies from Cho-Holuth.

The Kingdom also includes a number of smaller villages, most of which engage in farming to feed the peoples of the three great Cities of the Gods, while others mine the rich minerals in the hills or engage in other specialized tasks. The most important of these small villages is Paradia, situated on an inland trade route, which many suspect is preparing to become the Kingdom's Fourth City.

The Gods of Amersia

Jodun, an Ambitious City-Father, first claimed control over Amersia and its small Kingdom 200 years ago following a bitter war that destroyed most of the cities farmlands and left it on the edge of famine. Since that time the God has kept his city strong, growing it into a regional power in the area, protecting it from the numerous threats that exist in the shadows of the Second Age. Well beloved by his people, the City-Father is a distant god but one who keeps a firm hand on the rudder of his Kingdom. Jodun personally attends every diplomatic mission, and is constantly seen in his court tending to the matters of state. Indeed, unlike most Kings, the God of Amersia seems to have no real desire to do anything except tend to his holdings -- and pursue his courtship of the Spearmaiden.

the Spearmaiden, a fierce Warrior-Goddess, joined the Kingdom of Amersia some 175 years ago when she was approached by the God Jodun with an offer to rule over her city and attach its fate to his kingdom. Just as importantly, in her mind, he also offered her the opportunity to act as the patron to the kingdom's armies. The Spearmaiden took control of Cho-Holuth quite easily, and forged from it the core of one of the strongest and most disciplined armies in the Hundred Kingdoms. Nor does this strong army, which trains almost constantly, sit idle for she constantly throws it into the regions various wars and battles. She is quite aware of Jodun's interest in her, but for her own part, finds him rather boring. War is all that burns her blood, and she'll not wed any bureaucrat.

Woodwhisper, an Artisan, earned the position of 'patron of Briar' after Jodun had already incorporated the city into his kingdom simply because he was the most suitable god for the position. He doesn't really pay much attention to matters of state or even running his city, instead focusing all of his time on his innumerable tasks. The results of which are that Briar's craftsmen occasionally find themselves impressed into the service of his gods, and the city occasionally produces true wonders and is sprinkled with examples of divine craftsmanship. Woodwhisper is only scarcely aware of Jodun, but works with the Spearmaiden now and again to produce weapons of war.

Peoplf Of Note

  • Salia Spearbride, the fiercest of the Warrior Women of Cho-Holuth, is usually at the head of any engagement between the armies of her kingdom and its many enemies (and those that its goddess asks her to attack, which largely amounts to the same thing in her mind). A Master of the Spear, beloved by her Goddess, Salia bears numerous blessings and is said to be all but invincible on the field of battle!

Local Rumors

  • While the Spearmaiden would never consider Jodun a fitting mate in normal circumstances, recently she has begun to act differently to his advances. She actually pays attention to him when he visits her city, accepts most of his gifts with somewhat forced smiles, and has even kissed him on the cheek in view of the People. While many rejoice at this turn of events, more educated Savants wonder at what has caused this change of heart.
  • An entire town on the periphery of the Kingdom was scourged from Creation, burnt to ashes in what is generally believed to be a slaughter, after which the armies of the Spearmaiden liberally salted the earth. The exact cause of this turn of events is unknown, except that they occurred several months after the town was visited by a dark figure calling himself the Twice-Kissed Prophet.

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