Saerwald

Sarweald is a large village that sits on the estuary of the River of Fire. While the river name itself seems to be not such a friendly name, that is because it was named by the Aurion overlords that Sarweald once served tributary under before the Great Destruction. Sarweald is primarily human, but all are welcome in the blooming mercantile city-state. Bustling crowds, smells ranging from pleasant cooking of stalls to.. very unpleasant drainage systems. Many adventurers roam to Sarweald in search for the latest rumors and information regarding the world around them. Sarweald is ruled by a republic of oligarchs. There are four different ruling families in Sarweald; that being the human Radast & Coenland families, the Dwarven Himdrek family, and the half elven Gryffidth family. When the current 'leader' dies, a new one is elected throughout the four families from the wealthy nobles and merchants of Sarweald. The current ruler is known as Lord-Protector Corvo Faltest Radast, more shortly known as Corvo. Sarweald was founded centuries ago while Drakonspyre was a fledgling nation. Growing on the life giving river estuary, and establishing itself at the forefront of mercantile prowess Sarweald prospered. Valuable trade goods came down from the river from the open volcano and the nearby enchanted woods, and from the lands of the lucient to the north. For decades, they ruled as a Kingdom lead by a central family, and they lived in peace. Yet everything changed with the attack from the Drakonspyre empire. They rose to power at an alarming rate, and while they lacked an industrial and economic powerhouse, they made up for it in dragons and literal firepower. The Young Emperor threatened the city with utter destruction should they fail to comply with tribute and goods for the growing dominion. Sarweald called their bluff, knowing the importance of their city and the sense of independence it housed.

Sarweald sallied outwards, hiring nearby mercenaries and anything they could to support their force. Yet, their army, and their King were wiped out in dragonfire southwards of Sarweald. Legends say that is how the mushroom forest formed, the fungus developing on the thousands of corpses that were turned to ash in the fields. Immediately afterwards, Sarweald vouched for surrender, but the draconic empire new nothing but greed and power. They pushed for higher demands, again threatening even more loss of life should they fail to comply. Sarweald bent, and was forced to show monetary tribute and trade with the blossoming empire. When the Great Destruction happened though, Sarweald was free to declare independence. The empire, nearly wiped out by this event, was in no position to try to bring them under again, especially with their colonies on the eastern continent abandoned and reclaimed by nature. Sarweald was blanketed in ash from the Great Destruction; yet what was the collapse of an Empire for one, the people of Sarweald celebrated the day of the eruption, seeing the ash as a symbol of the Empire reduced to such, and the sign of their freedom and autonomy once again. The Kingdom was destroyed in favor for a republic, and Sarweald underwent a series of changes that allowed it to return to its former glory once again, accompanied by various companies such as the more renowned Company of the Mare, a centaur band that is known for their extreme shock cavalry and impact that they embody heart and soul.

The World of Aethius • The Multiverse of Aethier