Kapesh

The Human Kingdom. Known for its resilience, arcane knowledge, and deep seated religious culture. The Kingdom is under the reign of the Galliard Crown, and most of its people follow the Church of Three Fires. Kapesh has fought many a battle against both of its neighboring kingdom, and faced the dangers of Zol more fully than most other places. It has stood the test of time and has the scars to prove it.

• Archaic - The Oldest City
• Viscera - The City that Never Sleeps
• Stigmata - The City of Three Fires
• Little Triumph - The Small City
• Kierketholl - The Grand Capital
• Riverbridge - The Island City

The Wilds of Kapesh consist of strange expanses, and dangerous forests that spill over from The Witchlands. While unsafe, Kapesh contains natural beauties and wonders unlike that of any other region.

Deep valleys holding winding rivers, flora and fauna that thrive in its mist covered wilds, and open landscapes marred by magical warfare that left hauntingly elegant scars.

Its climate is largely temperate allowing for cultivation of many crops, so long as the farms can survive the lurking threats outside the city walls.

Known for its old ways, magic, and grit. Kapesh is ruled by King Galliard from its capital, Kierketholl. Kapesh is the oldest kingdom in Zol, as it was founded shortly after The Undoing. The Humans were scorned by the elves, dwarves, and gods. This made lives for the people of Kapesh more difficult at first, but quickly gave humans a reason to unify at a much faster rate than any other faction in all of Zol. Humans are known for their stubbornness and resilience in the face of resistance.

Kapesh’s borders once included what is now the The Free Cities of Alderun. When Kapesh first rose to power, all Off-Human races within its borders were heavily oppressed and many were forced to live as slaves. This was changed by The Alderian Rebellion. A civil war in which Kapesh lost its southern region to what is now known as The Free Cities of Alderun.

There is lots of superstition that regards humans as cursed, this belief is furthered by the problems that Kapesh has faced over the course of its existence. A kingdom located in a considerably inhospitable region filled with monsters, as well as a frankly volatile population. It has faced unique and isolated plagues and famine at various times through out its history.

They are also known for waging war in the past against Gethsemane multiple times. Known as The Triumvirate Battles, the conflicts never amounted to much other than unnecessary deaths. The only territory that has ever changed hands in this exchange was Ile Sterza and the city of Riverbridge.

Kapesh is home to many practitioners of Arcana, most notably at The Kybis Assembly. Little fact is written on what exactly occurs there. On its surface it is a scholarly place of magic. The rumor mill however, spins stories of arcanists who tamper with the dark unknown forces of Zol.

Kapesh is primarily inhabited by Humans, but in modern day there are smatterings of diversity here and there. The most diverse city is ironically the capital Kierketholl. This is largely due to the fact anyone can slip away into the dense city to find a safe corner of their own to reside in.

Those who live out in the wilds are either sturdy bandits, or natives to The Witchlands who care not for the borders of civilization.

Monsters and thieves make straying from the roads of Kapesh dangerous for all who cannot hold their own.

The Kingdom is ruled by the Galliard Crown. The Galliard Crown was brought to power when The Crown Titans were discovered. The Crown Titans are a strange, but powerful phenomena. They are a legion of 5 individuals who have been bestowed a power that allows them to assume a massive, and uniquely powerful forms. These powers are bestowed by a single individual called The Crux. No one knows what gives The Crux such power, but many attribute it to a divine source. It is understood that the powers that The Crux posses are passed down through bloodlines. Only one Gallan exists at a time.

The Galliard bloodline are the keepers of this power. When this was discovered, the Galliard bloodline was quickly married into noble families. Their power and cunning brought them to the status of the most powerful family in all of Kapesh, and the rulers soon after.

The kingdom’s economy favors only the wealthy. Many low born work hard days for little coin, while the nobility accumulate wealth.

These systems are upheld by the Kapeshian Laws. Which protects its citizens and bolsters the wealthy with social devices like slave labor.

Kapesh is not known for being particularly artistic itself, but it one of the largest consumers of imported arts. The art and culture that does exist largely consists of literature and religious art.

The culture of Kapesh revolves mostly around the concept of Religion (specifically the Church of Three Fires) and propaganda for the crown.

The kingdom’s education and magic is almost exclusively associated with The Kybis Assembly and its archives. There is private tutelage that occurs on a small scale, and the occasional new institution that crops up here and there. If these new institutions gain any traction they are usually absorbed by the assembly, or dissolve after a short while.

The political climate of Kapesh is not considered a pleasant one, but it is very constant. There is bad history with both of its neighbors, and its people are fairly xenophobic. In modern day it has resolved to a sort of reluctant amicability, and commercial trade is conducted.

Within the kingdom itself, the lowborn are constantly doing everything they can to scrape by. The vast majority blame the crown but many are convinced it is the fault of outsiders. Regardless of the actual cause, most are completely without agency and forced to do whatever they can to get by while those favored by the crown live in luxury.

The Kingdom has a very sizable military for its population. This is achieved through military propaganda and required service during times of war. Kapesh is not a kind kingdom, but is very effective. It has an average military in port at Riverbridge. Its troops are also supplemented by mages from The Kybis Assembly.

Kapesh borders the kingdoms of:

• The Free Cities of Alderun
• Gethsemane

It also borders the wilds of:

• The Fetterpeak Mountains
• Demodemacht
• Stormwall
• The Witchlands
• The Narrow Sea
• The Archsea