The 7 States

Soliria, simply referred to as the "Capital", was the home of the Capital City, as well as Soln. This is where the Royal Ulrisian Family resided, as well as a large majority of Ulrisin's noble class. It was characterized by its large, lush forests and a backdrop of stunning mountains. 

Soliria was one of the most diverse of the states. It had a bustling economy of trade and luxury, seeing contact travelers both for work and tourism. It featured many notable landmarks such as some of Ulrisin's finest magic schools, statues of former rulers, the Ulrisian Palace, and many more. It was also home to Soln, known as "the Gates of the Empire", as it was the Empire's foremost trading hub. It had sprawling docks and a thriving nightlife back in the day.

Now the state sits almost entirely abandoned, and the capital city has been reduced to rubble in the wake of the Heart of War. The only known inhabitants are stuck in Soln due to its corruption. Most don't even dare to speak about it, for fear of superstition regarding the evil that supposedly still lurks there. 

Ayahuiche is a land defined by its dramatic geography and extreme climate. The eastern highlands are characterized by steep, towering mountains that are among the tallest in the empire, where cold, humid conditions generate heavy rainfall and sustain the numerous rivers that flow through the region. These rivers are crucial, not only for Ayahuiche but also for neighboring states that rely on them for water. The western part of Ayahuiche transitions into a semi-arid savannah, with a rugged coastline that is sparsely populated due to its rocky nature and treacherous waters.

Ayahuiche is a diarchy, with Pachaqui, its primary mountain capital, dominating politically and economically over Ampachi, the northwestern capital of its savannah territories. During the civil war, its monarchs maintained allegiance with Prince Eckhart and the royal family of Ulrisin, but were unable to offer large-scale support due to its lack of useful strategic resources and manpower. The encroachment of the Heart of War has led to Ayahuiche becoming increasingly insular, with its people abandoning the lowlands and retreating higher into the mountains. The influx of refugees has strained resources and heightened internal tensions.

Mamar lives in constant aggression and ruin following the birth of the miasma. Many argue that the land is governed by a few groups of nameless survivors who have gone to great lengths to create refugee camps- big or small. Other travelers argue that the remnants of the once prosperous state live in anarchy, most of the survivors quietly confirming the same.

Before the spread and decay of its land, Mamar was a prosperous state with many beautiful forests that thrived in its humid and warm weather. Many of the larger cities and Mamar’s capital, Zamoira, focused on pursuing knowledge. Mamar operated under a democracy in the past but simply exists now– a hollow shell.

Though much of Mamar’s history and people have been claimed by the Heart of War, Mamar once had an impressive militia that strived to protect its bigger cities. Mamar is most known for its exports, colorful architecture, and culture, as well as its pursuit of knowledge. Ezra Healwick, the third heir to the throne, hailed from this state and rallied popular support from his hometown in pursuit of his birthright.

Daisos is a temperate and flat plains land with sparse forest. The capital, Kadapadia, was the most populated city in Daisos with almost 90% of the population having lived there. The other 10% of the small state was mostly spread out in small farming communities and towns of close-knit communities. These small communities, once a year, would send a small team of representatives to Kadapadia to pass legislation in their congress (mostly about land and water rights, and what areas could start growing a new crop to maintain soil integrity).

While the state of Daisos is one of the smallest in the Ulrisin Empire, it provided almost the entire empire's vegetation and crops. While  Daisos was a neutral party in the civil war, they supplied crops almost exclusively to those who were on the Eardwin side of the civil war. During the civil war, there were small skirmishes with their eastern neighbor, combat on Daisos land was almost non-existent and the state itself was largely unaffected by the war.

However, the Heart of War affected only two swathes of land; the southern miasma flooded a scant few villages and farms and claimed few lives, the northern miasma on the other hand claimed half of  Kadapadia almost overnight. The loss of life in Kadapadia was immense and was unfortunately on the week of Daisos’ yearly congress, resulting in the loss of many village leaders and family heads.

Having always advocated for peace, Bourleme is split into three separate territories with varied climates and has remained relatively unaffected by the cataclysm. Despite this, they extend help to their neighbors and have kept their borders open to usher people in and out of the dangerous wilderness.

Temporarily forming a new government following the loss of Ecthelion– the Coastal House leader– Bourleme continues relatively mundane day-to-day, still actively engaging in alchemical progress in Calotte Ronflante, and forest preservation in d’Aubersir. However, these activities have pivoted towards combating the fallout from the Heart of War’s birth in unique ways.

Despite the local economy taking a dip with the loss of tourists, the state as a whole remains colorful and locals do their best to keep traditions alive. Fashion designers from this state have become innovative hive minds on ways to improve designs with the wearer’s safety in mind.

Vermut is a heavily forested area with a large, imposing, and impassable mountain range to its west. While mostly temperate, as you head west the temperature drops as you rise in elevation, getting closer to the mountains, with the furthest reaches of the western mountains being blanked in snow year-round. Vermut has three large cities; Norfluss in the northern river basin is built into the side of the Krikgen mountains, Gefruss in the southern river basin the city built into a huge pit surrounded by giant and ancient redwoods, and its capital Tifaldaruss is a large and imposing stone city that is covered in ice and snow and houses a large university within its walls. The state of Vermut has a mayoral system in its major cities that appoints their own councils to help govern the cities they run and meet for a bi-monthly senate to discuss the affairs of the state.

Within Vermut there are 3 major schools: Norfluss houses the Argens Bard College, Gefruss has the Lunar Society of Archivists and Scholars, and the city of Tilfaldaruss has the Vermut Mage College. Vermut is known for its large and well-respected schools, its taiga and snowy landscapes, its vast and large mountain ranges. Its people are known as being either hardy, almost Viking-like people, or as highly educated and snooty. This dichotomy is widespread across the empire, but in reality, the majority of people are just slightly more educated than the average Ulrisin citizen who just happens to dress in furs.

During the civil war the state fought on behalf of Eardwin and supplied many mages and bards to the battlefields. The state itself having a large burst of innovation in warfare, weaponry, and a variety of sciences during the civil war. When the Heart of War appeared and began to spread, it swallowed the city of Norfluss over the course of a day, leaving many displaced. The northern miasma has since thinned and is now passable, but reclaiming the city has been hard and is as of now, thought to be impossible and best left to groups of volunteers and looters.

Bordering Solira, Yueshui is a coastal state split into three parts after the birth of the Heart of War. Reflecting this split, Yueshui has infamously been divided on who to support regarding the civil war. Local governments have risen from the ashes of the primary government, continuing to compartmentalize ideals.

Facing devastating food loss, people begin to filter in and out of the state while trying to adjust to life with the Heart of War. Locals suspect Yueshui will formally split years into the future as more people immigrate and emigrate. For those who remain, life continues with most worries being directed towards food supply. It’s said that local governments and Yueshui farmers are working together to try and innovate old farming practices, with some progress being made on this front.