Prandia

Prandia is a continent and a country located in the eastern hemisphere of Gaera Main. Original creator is Blaze Yamato Spirit. Current government is a democratic republic. No official religion. Currency is the Prandian empire. Predominant race is human.

Culture

Government

Prandia is a democracy.

Everyone in a given province has the right to vote for whom they wish to be that province’s Lord or Lady after every eight-year period. Everyone in Prandia has the ability to vote for whom they wish to be the new King or Queen when the previous one dies.

The people of Prandia are allowed freedom of speech, to an extent. If it is clear that allowing it to continue could destroy the very balance of Prandia and possibly even cause such terrible things as civil wars, the ruling class reserves the right to suppress it. Indeed, sometimes even those of the lower social classes take it upon themselves to prevent such dangerous speech, not wanting to destroy the balance of which they have striven to maintain for so long.

Bodûn and Government: The Bodûn state is a theocracy, with the priesthood holding ultimate power. They are the Divine Teachers, the conduit between all Bodûn and their dark God, Thrakkgrash.

Royalty

For information regarding the current royal family, see the History section.

Civil Rights

Every Prandian has the right to:

• Be treated equally and without discrimination
• Free speech
• Vote for their Lord or Lady after eight years or when the previous one dies (or in special circumstances)
• Vote for their King or Queen after the previous one dies.*
• A fair trial

*What tends to happen in these circumstances is that 
any heir will be voted into the position, so long as
they haven’t done anything to discourage voters.

Law and Order

Kestrels

The Kestrels are Prandia’s answer to policemen. They are in fact part of the military, but all Kestrels are given special training in relation to crime, too. There is a Kestrel garrison in every Prandian city, and there are usually at least a score of Kestrels in a town, and one or two in a village.

The uniform of a member of the Kestrel’s consists of leather breeches, a padded leather jacke with a chain shirt on top, and a light brown wool cape – which is pinned at the left shoulder with a pin bearing the Kestrel’s symbol. It is not required that they wear the uniform while on duty though, as long as they wear the cape and pin so that they may be recognised. Obviously this is not required for undercover work.

Suspected criminals are taken into custody at the nearest Kestrel garrison until such time as a trial can take place. The Kestrels have the time until then to gather evidence to prove the suspect either guilty or innocent – as do other parties, though the Kestrel’s do not take interference too kindly.

Trials

Trials are presided over by a judge befitting the severity of the crime. More trivial crimes will be presided over by a higher ranking Kestrel, serious crimes will be presided over by an official appointed by the province’s Lord or Lady, and the most severe of crimes may even be presided over by the Lord or Lady themselves. During the trial, any evidence that can be found is put before an impassive jury taken from all classes of people, whom then decide whether the accused is innocent or guilty. If no evidence can be found, the jury will either rely on spoken word, or the judge may allow an appeal for time to gather more evidence.

Language

Two languages are used as “standard” ones by all the people of Prandia. High Prandian and common (or, technically speaking, “Low”) Prandian.

Low Prandian is the trading standard and used generally by almost every citizen. Rooted in the same language as Igalan common, communication is possible between the two peoples, though sometimes a challenge.

High Prandian is considered a more elegant, beautiful tongue, and is mainly used by mages and very occasionally nobility.

The races of Prandia retain their racial languages, but they are typically only used in the environment of family and friends, and at ceremonial instances.

Entertainment

Prandians enjoy entertainment, and in the varied land that is the continent of Prandia, this entertainment comes in many forms. From the works of Renno Dwaem, the famous playwright, to the popular card came, Dariaténa Elementia, to the even more popular sport Barrelball, Prandians enjoy them all.

Theatre

Theatres exist in most Prandian towns and cities, and there are many aspiring playwrights on the continent. The most famous of them all is Renno Dwaem, who appeared out of relative obscurity, taking Prandia by storm, and now writes plays to be performed in the Queen’s palace in Alessia. Being able to say they have seen a Dwaem production is an honour many Prandians desire.

Dariaténa Elementia

Dariaténa Elementia is High Prandian for “Element War”.

It is a simple card game that utilises two decks of 54 cards. More complex house rules have been developed for private use and in tournaments, but only the main rules and some simpler house rules are provided here.

Each deck is divided into five “families”, four of 13 cards, one of 2 cards.

The four families of 13 cards correspond to the elements of Earth, Air, Fire, and Water. The 2-card family represents an amalgamation of all four elements, Gaia.

The 13 card families are ranked from 1-13; the higher the rank of the card, the more powerful it is.

Both players shuffle their decks, and divide them into four piles, placing the cards face down.

At this point it should be noted that each player has a pool of 20 “health” points.

The game is played in rounds – each round both players simultaneously choose one of their four piles, and take the top card off that pile, turning it over.

Whoever has the lowest ranking card loses one of their health points.

There is one other factor that affects the outcome of the round, and that is the elements of the card.

The elements have the following properties:

• Air is strong against Water.
• Water is strong against Fire.
• Fire is strong against Earth.
• Earth is strong against Air.

The validity of these statements is not an issue. For the purposes of the game, all the above four statements are true, regardless of whether they are, in fact, truth.

If one player’s card is of an element strong against his opponent’s card (ie. Water > Fire), his card is counted as having a value 2 ranks above its own.

Example:

Dave’s card is a Water 3. Elizabeth’s card is a Fire 4. Dave’s card is strong against Elizabeth’s, and thus is considered a Water 5. Therefore, Dave wins the round, and Elizabeth loses a health point.

A Gaia card automatically beats an elemental card.

In the case of a tied round, neither player loses a health point, and the next round is begun.

The first person to lose all 20 health loses.

In the extremely rare instance of players running out of cards, their cards are simply reshuffled and they start over, maintaining the health they were left with before they ran out of cards.

House Rules

Common house rules are as follows:

• In the case of a tie, both players lose one health point.
• A strong card is considered as having a value 3 ranks above its own.
• A player may buy back one health point by discarding the top cards of all four of their piles. Using this house rule, the rules governing the running out of cards must be reconsidered.

They remain as they have already been stated, but if one player runs out of cards before his opponent, he automatically loses the game.

How to play Dariaténa Elementia with a standard deck of cards.

Each player’s deck consists of a pack of playing cards, including jokers.

• Diamonds = Air
• Hearts = Fire
• Clubs = Water
• Spades = Earth
• Jokers = Gaia

Aces represent rank 1 elemental cards, Jacks are rank 11 cards, Queens are rank 12 cards, and Kings rank 13 cards.

Barrelball

Originally a rural game, Barrelball is played on a 50 ft. by 50 ft. pitch with a round ball. Typically played with four players on a team –

• One Attacker
• One Defender
• One “Free Agent”
• One Coil

Exactly why the last position is called the coil is no longer known – the prevalent theory compares the player to a coiled snake, tensed to strike.

Two barrels are placed in opposing corners of the square, and the square is split diagonally by a chalk line. The defenders must stay in the half nearest to their barrels, and the attackers stay in the opposing half. Crossing the line results in a foul (See below). The free agent begins the game anywhere he chooses on the halfway line, and can move freely between the two halves of the pitch. A neutral referee also begins on the halfway line – at the start of the game he tosses the ball into the air, and from then on is free to move about the pitch. He may leave the boundaries of the pitch if he so wishes.

A point is scored every time the ball is placed or thrown into the opposing team’s barrel. “Own goals” are possible, and indeed teams are penalised for doing this – the opposing team gets two points, not one, for every own goal.

If the ball is thrown, dropped, or carried out of the square by one team, the other is awarded a throw-in from that point. Throw-ins are ALWAYS taken by the free agent, who may pass to any other player.

Tackles can consist of any method that isn’t being used with intent to harm the player being tackled. If the referee deems that a tackling player was intending to harm an opponent, he awards the opponent’s team a foul.

Fouls are awarded to a team if the opposing team’s attacker or defender cross the halfway line, or if a member of the opposing team tackles a member of that team with the intent to harm the player. The team can choose to be awarded one of three things:

• Possession of the ball, if they don’t already have it. The free agent is given the ball, regardless of where he is currently standing.
• Transfer of the ball from one player to another. Any player may be given the ball except for the coil.
• A free, unopposed shot at the opposing team’s barrel by whomever currently possesses the ball.

A team’s coil stands 15 ft. behind the opposing team’s barrel in a 5 ft. diameter chalk circle. A pass to the coil is the ONLY exception to the throw-in rule, assuming they catch the ball. Once in possession, the coil attempts to score. If they do, their team is awarded 5 points. If either or both of a coil’s feet leaves the confines of their circle, the opposing team is awarded a foul.

A typical game lasts half an hour.

Barrelball is gaining popularity throughout Prandia – it is rumoured that even the Prince enjoys a game.

A variation of Barrelball has been developed in Vardie. A pitch twice the size of a normal Barrelball pitch is split into quarters, and four teams play. Teams can score in any opposing team’s barrel, but only have a coil at the barrel opposite their own. Such games are high paced, frantic affairs, and usually require more than one referee. In these games, throw-ins and fouls are always awarded to the team directly opposing the offenders in the square.

Monetary System

Each Prandian province has its own unique coins, but four coins set the trading standard for the whole of Prandia, and they are collectively known as Prandian Empires. The Golden Empire is the most valuable coin. The full names for the coins are the Copper Realm, the Bronze Province, the Silver Kingdom, and the Golden Empire, though the names are generally just shortened to Coppers, Bronze pieces, Silver pieces, and Gold pieces.

120 coppers = 60 bronze pieces = 12 silver pieces = 1 gold piece

Bodûn and their Monetary System: Bodûn rarely use coinage, preferring to trade goods. Some will accept Prandian coinage, but it holds less value, being to the Bodûn merely a collection of pretty baubles.

Religion

On the whole, Prandians tend not to be religious. This is not to say that they are religiously intolerant – they acknowledge the existence of deities, but see no reason to worship them, on the basis that “if you don’t mess with the deities, then the deities won’t mess with you.”

There are religious Prandians, however – these are usually descendants of religious families that sailed with Alessia’s fleet to Prandia. They are a minority, but are no less respected for it.

The generally accepted story of creation in Prandia is that of the Ishtaran church. A large percentage of the religious Prandians belong to this church. Many rural communities have shrines to Mekk, Lord of the Earth and/or Sarahane, Water’s Lady.

Bodûn and Religion: The Bodûn society is structured so that the priests rule – and the priest worship the God Thrakkgrash, the patron deity of their people. He is evil and bloodthirsty, teaching that the Bodûn are the one true race and that all other peoples should be subjugated or destroyed.

Technology

When compared to most of Igala, Prandia is quite advanced, technology wise. Valth is the only exception to this – though Prandia has made more progress in the field of airship technology.

With the exception of airships, transportation methods in Prandia are similar to those elsewhere. Horses, chocobos, carts and wagons are all the order of the day. Native to Prandia are the phushba and other giant insects, that when trained can serve as excellent mounts.

Airships in Prandia vary – some of the older examples look very much like sailboats, but the technology used in all of them is similar. When constructing airships the component parts are enchanted for lightness, and powerful engines are installed which are capable of lifting the airship from the ground. Once in the air most airships rely primarily on sails for movement.

Piloting methods differ from vehicle to vehicle - some of the older craft require magical ability to control, the pilot sitting on a special “throne” to channel their magical energy. Most modern ships do not require magical talent to pilot, though a few have experimental combined controls. Regardless of piloting method, The sailboat variety of airship requires a crew alongside the pilot to manage the sails in order to reach speeds above their minimum.

The engines of an airship are powered by magical creations called fuel spheres. The method used to create these spheres is known to a select few Zerratian mages and is taught only to promising Zerratian students at the Academy of Light. The fuel spheres are an incredibly compact power source – when used judiciously and in a small airship a single fuel sphere can last several years. An airship with multiple engines requires a fuel sphere for each engine.

The Prandian military maintains a fleet of airships, and many smaller merchant ships travel across the skies. Some seek to exploit this by becoming air pirates, but these are few and far between because of the threat of military retaliation. Air pirate activity is more common in Western Prandia, away from Zerrat and the fleet.

Bodûn and Technology: Bodûn technology isn’t equal to that of the rest of Prandia, as in many ways they are a savage species. Their melee weapons are the equal of any Prandian one, as are ranged weapons, with the exception of firearms, which they do not know how to make. The Bodûn certainly don’t know how to build airships.

Magic

Magic also has its place in Prandia. Indeed, there are a few schools of magic on the continent, the premier institute being the Academy of Light. Here young potentials from across the continent come in hopes of being educated in the magical arts. Unfortunately, many are turned away – there are tuition fees. A potential student can apply for a scholarship, however, which means proving their talent in the field or fields of magic they wish to study. Many hopefuls have such a limited talent that there is nothing the Academy can teach them, and leave with nothing more than whatever advice can be given to them by the faculty.

Bodûn and Magic: Bodûn have a natural affinity for sorcery, and a large percentage of the population have at least some magical ability. Substantially less know anything more than a few very minor spells, however. Many of the Bodûn priesthood have access to sorcery as well as the magic granted to them by Thrakkgrash, their patron deity.

Magic and technology mix quite freely in Prandia – one example of this is airships, and yet another is the abundance of magically powered street lamps in the richer parts of many Prandian cities.

Geography

Location

Prandia is a large continent to the Southwest of Gaera, beyond the Ocean of T’naera. Previously, it was almost impossible to reach because of the Shattered Sea, a body of water where a violent magical storm constantly rages, sea monsters and natural hazards lurked, and the currents were treacherous. Very recently, however, an artifact washed up in Argovia that an unwitting Tenzenna Meyerson activated, and the artifact’s magic calmed the Shattered Sea.

The continent of Prandia is interesting from a geographical point of view. The main landmass is surrounded by what the natives call the “cliff wall”, a rock formation that surrounds Prandia apart from a single opening to the West, outside of which the Shattered Sea used to rage. Within the cliff wall is Merché Trosi, the Sea of Lost Light. This is a wall of water separating the outer cliff wall and the actual landmass of Prandia. To the North is a bridge shaped by nature, which spans the gulf between the two landmasses, allowing passage between the two.

The Sea of Lost Light’s depth has never been measured, though it is known to be incredibly so, despite its misleading nature. During the day, you can see its bed, leading many to believe it to be shallow. The resulting fables are where it derived its name.

Prandia’s climate is temperate, and sees a lot of rain over the course of a year. Therefore, droughts are rare: surrounded as it is by the sea, and with the hydrological cycle taking place all the time, Prandia tends to get a good soaking more often than not. Not that the natives have any cause to complain, of course. Isolated as they are, they need all the crops they can get, and are thankful for the rainfall. Another advantage of Prandia’s location is the outer cliff wall, which protects Prandia from some of the more destructive aspects of the elements. However, when a strong wind comes in from the west, there is always a chance of typhoons occurring, and the Western opening only serves to make the winds stronger. This is comparable to real life Bangladesh, though luckily a large percentage of Prandia is well above water level, meaning the typhoons are less severe when they strike.

The majority of Prandia is open plains and arable farmland, and a large percentage of the continent is forested, too. The centre of the continent is mainly mountainous, though it is here, nestled between the outstretched arms of two mountain ranges (The Black Mountains and the Prandian Mountains) lies the capital city, Alessia. The capital city was named after the founder and first Queen of the Prandian nation.

Prandia is split into eight provinces, each of which is the domain of one of the eight Lords. In the centre of Prandia, at the capital city of Alessia, the King or Queen of the entire continent make their home.

There is an island to the south of Prandia named Ilchiar, which the Prandians knew of but could never reach. Now that the Shattered Sea has calmed, an expedition has been sent to Ilchiar to discover what they can from the ruins there.

The Shattered Sea

The Shattered Sea was a body of water immediately west of Prandia, blocking the entrance of the outer cliff wall. It had its origins in magic – the scar of some ancient magical war. Aside from the violent magical storm that always raged there, other dangers in the form of great sea monsters and ghost ships plagued any that dared sail here.

The Provinces, Gharsh, and Ilchiar

The eight provinces are:

• Baarador, which consists of the stretch of coast directly opposite the opening in the barrier wall. Baarador has a booming fishing industry, as well as perfect soil for farming further inland, and provides both fish and crops for the continent.
  • Capital City: Balia.
    Current Lord: Lord Newman, a Half Elf merchant who owns businesses throughout western Prandia including a popular chain of restaurants (The Happy Lobster).
    Other Locations: Caleil; The Founder forts; Golden Lake

• Naadore, which is to the right of Baarador, along the North coast. It has very similar industries to Baarador, though the majority is in farming, rather than in fishing. To the norh of Naadore lies the natural bridge which spans the gap between the outer wall and the inner continent. The Naadorans are in charge of manning the watchtowers along the expanse of the outer wall, a duty they take very seriously and are proud of.
  • Capital City: Lerian
    Current Lord: Lord Falan, an ageing Human who retired from a senior position in the Prandian military recently, and still maintains close ties with the organisation.
    Other Locations: Bridgeport

• Zerrat, in the middle of which is an area of neutral land in which lies Alessia. Zerrat is in the center of Prandia, though its northern border is on the Sea of Lost Light. The majority of both the Prandian and Black mountain ranges can be found within Zerrat, as well as the sources of the Rivers Naei, Shee and Bane. The rest of the land in Zerrat is mainly arable farmland. The Zerratians are famous for their airship building industry.
  • Capital City: Venca.
    Current Lord: Lady Illithine, a High Elf with rumoured dragon heritage who is a leading figure in the field of airship design and who knows the secrets of the creation of fuel spheres.
    Other Locations: Eanion; The Prandian Mountains; The Black Mountains; Alessia

• Loredan, which lies on the Northeast coast. Loredan is a heavily forested land, and home of many of the elves of Prandia. The Loredanians are renowned horse-breeders, and their horses are unrivalled throughout Prandia. They are also masters at training other beasts of burden, pets, and even exotic creatures such as hippogriffs and pegasi. The people of Lordan also tend many orchards in addition to their small farming industry, and their fruit finds it way all over the continent.
  • Capital City: Risenell.
    Current Lord: Lord Starseeker, a Wood Elf who once worked in the Prandian government and has since retired to live comfortably off the profit made from his orchards.
    Other Locations: Merdith

• Bajöre, which lies on the Southeast coast, surrounding the realm of Gharsh. The Bajörans are given the task of watching the great wall, in case the Bodûn threat should ever rise again. In recent years they had become very lax in their task, but have now become vigilant once again as the Bodûn threaten the people of Prandia once again.
  • Capital City: Kael.
    Current Lord: Lady Ayane, a young but promising part-elf warrior who has replaced her father for the remainder of his term of office after the Queen herself stripped his title from him because of his negligence in defending the Wall.
    Other Locations: Port Bajore; Caernum; The Great Wall; The Black Mountains

• Vardie, which lies on the Southern coast, is the home of the Academy of Light, the continent of Prandia’s premier institute for the training of those whom are adept in the magical arts. The mages of the Academy command respect from all the people of the continent.
  • Capital City: Nissae.
    Current Lord: Lord Nermae, Archmage, an elderly but highly respected practitioner of magic who is known for his fairness.
    Other Locations: Nisoll; The Academy of Light

• Vaan, which lies on the Southwest coast, and whose people are the undisputed masters of all things to do with the sea. Prandia’s main fishing industry can be found here. Also, many of Prandia’s water mages hail from this province.
  • Capital City: Oriana.
    Current Lord: Lady Ellen, a middle-aged woman of middle class origin, who has talents in the field of water magic.
    Other Locations: Menarr; The Black Mountains

• Merill, which is the home of the continent’s main farming industry, as it is mainly arable farmland.
  • Capital City: Venael.
    Current Lord: Lord Baen, a young actor who received his position, much to his surprise, after winning the hearts of Merill when his troupe of performers toured there.
    Other Locations: The Prandian Mountains

Gharsh: There are actually nine realms within Prandia, the ninth (on the Southeast coast) is the small realm of Gharsh. This is the home of the Bodûn, a race which made their home here before the settlers came. The race as a whole is evil, made so by the perverted teachings of their dark God and his priesthood, and they wage a constant war against those they consider the “invaders”, even though the Prandians came in search of peace and the Bodûn were the aggressors.

Gharsh was left a wasteland after the wars with the Bodûn. It has recently been discovered that the Bodûn, once thought extinct, have survived, and now live in the expansive network of caverns underneath the continent, with their core under the Bone Mountains in Gharsh.

Ilchiar: An island south of the Prandian continent, Ilchiar was found and named by Prandians several years ago as a result of airship exploration. The island is heavily forested, mountainous, and covered with ruins, though – an airship couldn’t land there, so the Prandians could do nothing to examine the island. With the recent calming of the Shattered Sea, however, Ilchiar is suddenly at the forefront of the minds of many Prandian powers and intellectuals, and an officially sanctioned research team was sent there by boat soon after the calming, and recently arrived on the shores of Ilchiar.

The ruins on the island are ancient – clearly the remnants of some ancient civilisation. Some of the researching archaeologists also point to similarities between their findings and several known ruins and dig sites in Prandia.

The most interesting ruin of all, though, is a great, dome-roofed chamber, with giant arches facing outwards in all directions. This building is located within the heart of an extinct volcano. Within are nine curiously unweathered statues of men and women from this long forgotten era.

Researchers speculate that they are statues of important figures from the civilisation, but the group’s mage team insist that they are in fact the victims of a very powerful form of magic. None present have the power to undo this effect, and they comment that there must be a good reason for the imprisonment.

A map of ilchiar:

zeke.tzo.com/rpgww/rpstuff/images/maps/map_blazeyamatospirit_ilchiar.jpg

History

The Timeline

The Prandians arrived on the continent during the year 437 BT. This became known as the 1st Prandian Year, or PY 1. All the events in this guide are ordered by the Prandian Year in which they occurred, but the quick timeline version of events at the end of the guide also gives the equivalent as far as the rest of Gaera is concerned.

The Settling

Prandia’s original settlers were natives of Igala who wanted to make new and better lives for themselves. Coming from all races and all walks of life, they built a great fleet of ships with which they intended to cross the ocean of T’naera in search of a new land. The details of that crossing are long lost, though it is known that the journey was long and hard.

The leader of the settlers was a woman named Alessia, an archmage, an academic, and an idealist, or so the stories say. It was she who helped the fleet as a whole succeed in traversing the Shattered Sea, though the loss of some ships was inevitable.

Upon arriving on the Western shores of Prandia, at the place now known as Caleil, a night long vigil was held for those who had died in the crossing, before the settlers began to establish a foothold in this strange new territory.

They were by no means alone on the continent – already native to the land were dragons, their cousins the draken, beasts and animals of all kinds, and most peculiarly, giant insects. And there were also the Bodûn, an aggressive race that worshipped a bloodthirsty God, Thrakkgrash. This god’s teachings were that the Bodûn were the one true, pure race, and so they made war with the settlers.

The Settlers’ War

The Bodûn first attacked the settlers as they were establishing the port of Caleil in PY 1. The battles were only skirmishes then, but soon developed into full-scale conflicts. The settlers responded to the aggression by advancing further and further into the continent. Though some of the Bodûn had a talent for sorcery, and all were warriors they were no match for the well-disciplined soldiers they fought against, nor the mages arrayed against them. Under Alessia’s inspired and confident leadership, the Prandians gained ground quickly, pushing their opponents ever further back.

The Bodûn called the continent Bodoth, but Alessia deigned to rename it Prandia, reputedly after her great friend Prandan, who gave his life to protect some women and children in the original assault on Caleil.

By PY 3, the Prandians owned roughly half of the continent. The Bodûn fought on, but were always outclassed, and many withdrew to the core of their realm, Gharsh, to prepare to mount an organised defence with a strong army

During PYs 3 - 4, the Prandians built strongholds throughout their realm to fortify their position. The most notable of these were those buildings now known as the Founder forts, which surrounded the Prandian’s key realm of the time, which is now known as the province of Baarador. At that time, Caleil was also Prandia’s capital. Unable to root the Prandians from their strongholds, the Bodûn were finally forced to retreat entirely to Gharsh, the only realm they still maintained control over.

In PY 5, the stronghold built and named in Alessia’s honour, a fort in the middle of the Prandian mountains, became the centre of a city of the same name, which in turn became Pranndia’s new capital. From here, Alessia and her generals advisors governed the entire realm, and planned their war against the Bodûn threat, who still sallied forth from Gharsh intermittently to assault the nearby lands.

Stability in Prandia

During PYs 6 – 7, the eight Prandian provinces were established, with Alessia being part of no province, despite it’s location in the centre of Zerrat. In this way, representatives of the provinces were always equal and had no special rights or honours while in the capital. This divided Prandia into ten areas, including Alessia and the Bodûn realm of Gharsh.

A governemental hierarchy was established - Prandia was to be a democracy, and everyone in a province could vote for whom they wished to be that province’s Lord after every eight-year period. Everyone in Prandia would be entitled to vote for whom they wished to be the new Emperor or Empress when the old one passed away. Alessia became the first Prandian Empress.

Additionally, during these years the old Igalan coinage was finally phased out, and the Prandian currency still used to date was introduced.

The Great Wall

In PY 10, Alessia ordered the building of a wall that would enclose the realm of Gharsh. Despite attacks on the workers and the wall by the Bodûn, it was completed at the end of PY 12. It needed constant guarding and maintenance, which became the responsibility of Gharsh’s neigbouring province, Bajöre. PY 13 was the beginning of an era of peace in which Prandia grew prosperous. The intermittent attacks launched by the Bodûn on the wall were all quickly repelled.

The War Of Two Evils

Ever since the completion of the Great Wall, the Bodûn had been gathering their strength behind it in preparation to reclaim their lands. In PY 121, this assault was launched, coincidentally almost at the same time as a pirate fleet from the lands to the north made its way through the Shattered Sea to find the hidden continent. They quickly captured the port of Caleil and began expanding their influence over Baarador.

Threatened by enemies to both the East and West, the Prandians rallied under the King, an elf named Daranolór.

The united forces of Prandia first turned their attentions on the pirates to the West, waging a protracted and bitter against them. The port of Caleil was finally recaptured in PY 126, and the remainder of the pirate fleet retreated back into the Shattered Sea, never to be heard from again.

The defences left against the Bodûn to the East, meanwhile, were beginning to fall apart under the onslaught, and the Bodûn were raping and pillaging every settlement in the East.

Between PYs 126 and 130, the Bodûn were beaten back to the Great Wall in a bloody conflict in which the Prandians lost many lives.

The Battle At The Wall

In PY 130 Daranolór declared that any Bodûn found on Prandian soil must be exterminated, and their pestilence removed from his land. The great Elven king led his men in the Battle at the Wall, which took place at the Great Wall, left in ruin after the Bodûn’s escape, and saw the combined might of all of Prandia facing off against the savage warriors of Gharsh. The battle was terrible to behold, with neither side giving or asking any quarter. The screams and wails of the dying and the harsh cries of the living mingled in an unholy cacophony with the clash and ring of steel upon steel in the air, never ceasing for eight days of fierce battle. Fireballs flew from one end of the battlefield to the other, as the magically gifted tested their mettle alongside warriors and archers, whom sent arrows falling down on the enemy like a cloud of buzzing flies.

The Bodûn fought a fighting retreat across Gharsh, and Daranolór personally led the last rout of the Bodûn from the land, but the price for his victory was heavy. Both he and his two sons fell in the effort.

The Long Peace

During the years of PY 131 onwards, Prandia rebuilt and again grew prosperous in the long peace that followed.

The Academy

The first and foremost institute of magic in Prandia, the Academy of Light, was established in PY 250, and still thrives to this day.

The Zerratian Secret

In PY 1381, Zerratian graduates from the Academy of Light discovered the secret of fuel sphere creation. Alongside the technological knowledge that Zerrat was becoming known for, this development allowed the province to build machines and vehicles more powerful than standard equivalents, though very expensive, and so rare. Fuel spheres also provided the necessary energy for air flight, leading to the eventual development of the first Prandian airship in PY 1401.

Recent Years

Prandia’s current Queen is Alyssa Nehime, a high elf. She has been Queen for eighty three years, coming to power in PY 1668. In PY 1711, she was married to Rendal Kahleon, a human male, and out of this marriage she bore two children: the elder brother was named Amrahil and was born in PY 1726, and the younger Valentine, who was born in PY 1731.

Though he appreciated the lifestyle, Amrahil never really cared for the power his position afforded him. Contrarily to this, Valentine lusted after power and became bitter, knowing his brother to be the favourite to become King when their mother died. In PY 1745 He arranged for his father to be poisoned, and framed Amrahil for the murder. Amrahil was forced to flee with the help of friends who believed his innocence, taking a two-man airship and escaping by air.

With sorrow overcoming Queen Alyssa, Valentine was content simply to take on the mantle of power as she grieved. Soon, though, he became greedy for yet more power, and plotted with corrupt government and military officials. They orchestrated the return of the Bodûn to Prandia in PY 1749 to distract the continent while they opened a magical gate to the Chamber of Time. Even when this plot was discovered, Valentine managed to pull the wool over everyone’s eyes almost until it was too late, but was at last stopped by a group of unlikely heroes.

Found guilty of high treason, Valentine and his co-conspirators, including Lord General Grail, were executed, and PY 1750 became known as the Year of the Traitor Prince. Now doubts have arisen about Amrahil’s guilt of his father’s murder, and the people of Prandia await with baited breath to see if he will return.

The Current Year

By Prandian reckoning, the current year is PY 1754.
(Current year - 252).

BT/EP	PY	Event
437 BT	01	Prandia discovered by Alessia, leader of the settlers.
437 BT	01	Settlers resisted by the Bodûn. The settlers begin to gain ground.
435 BT	03	Prandians (as they have now taken to being called) own fully half of the continent of Prandia.
435-434 BT	03-04	Strongholds built to fortify the Prandians’ positions. The Bodûn are forced back to their ancestral homeland of Gharsh.
433 BT	05	One of the strongholds, Alessia, becomes the Prandian’s capital city.
432-431 BT	06-07	The eight provinces are established, and a hierarchy is established. Prandia is a democracy, and everyone in a province can vote for whom they wish to be that province’s Lord after every eight-year period. Everyone in Prandia has to vote for whom they wish to be the new Emperor or Empress when the old one dies.
428 BT	10	Alessia orders that a great wall be built between Prandia and Gharsh. Workers are constantly under attack from the Bodûn, and progress is slow.
426 BT	12	The great wall completed, and for the most part prevents the Bodûn threat from entering Prandia. Small incursions quickly repelled.
425 BT	13	An era of relative peace begins. Prandia becomes very prosperous.
317 BT	121	The Bodûn, whom have been gathering strength, launch an assault on Prandia, destroying the great wall in the process. At almost the same time, a pirate fleet from the lands to the nort discovers the hidden land. With enemies to both the East and West, Prandia’s forces rally under the banner of the current King, Daranolór.
312 BT	126	A long, bloody, and bitter war ensues. Hemmed in on both sides, the Prandian forces unite and set all of their forces against the pirates of the north. That threat is soon destroyed, though at the cost of many lives, and the Prandians turn their attention to the Bodûn, who are raping and pillaging every settlement in the East.
308 BT	130	Daranolór declares that any Bodûn found on Prandian soil must be exterminated, and their pestilence removed from his land. The great Elven king leads his men in the battle at the Great Wall, which saw the combined might of all of Prandia facing off against the savage warriors of Gharsh.
308 BT	130	Daranolór leads the last route of the Bodûn from the land, but the price for his victory is heavy. Both he and his two sons fall in the effort.
307 BT	131	In the wake of the destruction, Prandia once again begins to find its feet for another prosperous and peaceful period lasting many hundreds of years. The great wall is rebuilt, as Gharsh has become a harsh and barren land as a direct result of the magical duels fought there, no good for planting or grazing.
188 BT	250	Academy of Light founded.
943 EP	1381	Secret of Fuel Sphere creation is discovered.
963 EP	1401	First Airship developed.
1230 EP	1668	Alyssa Nehime becomes Queen.
1273 EP	1711	The Queen marries Rendal Kehleon.
1288 EP	1726	The King and Queen have their first son, Amrahil.
1293 EP	1731	The King and Queen have their second son, Valentine.
1307 EP	1745	Valentine poisons his father and frames his brother, who flees Prandia.
1311 EP	1749	Valentine allows the Bodûn back into Prandia, to distract the nation from his plot to uncover the Chamber of Time. His plot and treachery is uncovered, and he and his co-conspirators are executed.
1312 EP	1750	Becomes known as the Year of the Traitor Prince.
1316 EP	1754	Current Year

-- Blaze Yamato Spirit