General: Located in the western area of Girlada, the small realm of Brelan is bordered by Dholen Sûr to the northeast, and Triston/Vanyar to the south. The province is hemmed in by the Grent Mountians, with only a dozen passes which allow entry in the summer, dropping to only 5 which are usable year round.
The interior of Brelan is a mix of rolling hills and flat plains, which coupled with the damp conditions make Brelan excellent farmland. The Hook of Brelan is almost entirely covered in forest. Brelan Bay lies near the center of the province and flows out, past the Hook into the sea.
The major crops are wheat, a hardy form of rice known as Comalla, tobacco and tea are grown in the foothills. Hardy goats and sheep are farmed in the foothills, with herds of cows raised on the plains.
The symbol of Brelan is a white boar, on a black background.
Major Features: Grent Moutains - This range of mountains almost encircles Brelan, providing a defensible position in days past, though it still serves this purpose on the northern ranges, protecting Brelan from the dangers of Dholen Sûr.
Brelan Bay - This fresh water lake is found near the center of the province, with the province capital built on its banks. It flows into the sea, past the Hook of Brelan.
The Hook - The Hook of Brelan is the name given to the northern bank of the river which flows from Brelan Bay to the sea. It is heavily forested and home to Brelan's best archers.
Major Cities: Bergast – The only major city in the province, Bergast sits on the northern bank of Brelan Bay and is a hive of trade and commerce. Merchants grow fat on profits and ships full of goods fill the docks. The central square is dominated by a vast warehouse, which allows ships to dock right beside the market and the tall clock tower where the most influential merchants and citizens form the Breish council.
Hookton – A small port town on the Hook coast, cut off from the landward side via the dense forests of the Hook.
Ulcaster – Ulcaster is a fortified town in the South East of Brelan, and guards the widest pass into the country. It has a large Garrison of 13,000 professional soldiers. The other 20,000 are spread among the forts guarding the passes.
General: Despite it's small size, Brelan's rich farm land means it is able to maintain a fairly high population of around 2.5 million. This is largely made up of Humans, though the close proximity to Dholen Sûr and such a strong guild presence has attracted tens of thousands of Dwarves who have chosen to live on the surface.
General: Breish society is divided between town folk and those who live in the rural regions. Most of the towns folk are merchants and traders who ply their goods all over the world.
The rural folk tend to be farmers or fishermen, or on the Hook Foresters and hunters. Generally rural folk are taller and more hardy.
Given the relatively small population, gender makes very little difference to the people of Brelan, though this is far more pronounced in the rural regions. .
Language: The common tongue is most commonly used, though Dwarves and Tharsian are not uncommon in the market places and docks. In more rural areas, Old Breish is still spoken by some, but the number of speakers dwindles each year.
Economy: Brelan has a booming economy. It's high number of merchants, both Human and Dwarven trade and deal in any number of goods and services. It's damp climate means it is able to grow far more food that it needs to feed it's own citizens and on bumper years, the province has been known to export 68% of it's total crop.
Religion: Brelan still worships the same gods they worshiped when their history began.
Skyr - Goddess of the Forge and Night Sky.
Lesbian. Sister of Hakkon - The God of the Sun/Day. Fell out over a woman (Moon Goddess Selene) they both wanted and now pursue each other. Black eyes and long raven hair, slender but strong and well built from her time in the Forge..
Her symbol is a anvil.
Hakkon - God of the Day and Desire.
Brother of Skyr. Persues his sister across the sky in a golden chariot, after Selene chose her instead of him. Long blonde hair, tall and muscluar. Very handsome and clean shaven.
His symbol is a Golden wheel.
Selene - Goddess of the Moon and Knowledge.
Bisexual. Courted by two siblings, she eventually chose Skyr, and now lives in the Night Sky. Though she still has feelings for Hakkon, so she sometimes appears during the day. She is still indecisive and fey, torn between her two loves. Hence the waxing and waning of the moon. Pale skin and grey eyes, her hair is silvery grey.
Her symbol is a crescent moon.
Bronte - God of Storms and Chaos. Oldest and most senior of the Gods. Stern and father like, but not unkind without reason. Older looking with white hair and a thick white beard, but no wrinkles. Brother of Norta and Baal. His symbol is a bolt of lightning.
Norta - God of Fire and Travelers. Brother of Bronte and Baal. Close friend of Skyr. Easy going and relaxed. Bald head and thick black beard. Well built. His symbol is a lantern.
Freyja - Goddess of Death and Prophecy. Keeps to herself, wandering the quiet places of the world mostly. Pale skin and pitch black hair. Her symbol is a raven.
Camulus - God of War and Oaths. Handsome and well built. Red hair. His symbol is a spear.
Orion - God of Earth, Harvets and Hunting. Quite beautiful, with bronzed skin, short, curly medium brown hair, and eyes the color of forest moss. He is very tall and slightly plump. His symbol is a wheat sheaf.
Tethys - Goddess of the Sea and Sleep. Swift tempered and quick to change. Somewhat plain, with tanned skin, long, wavy bright white hair, and eyes the color of storm clouds. She is average height and somewhat muscular, and rarely laughs. She usually wears scant clothing, dyed silver. Her symbol is a fish.
Baal - Goddess of Healers and Sexual fertility. Second oldest of the Gods. Sister to Norta and Bronte. Full figured and kind. Her symbol is a pair of intertwined snakes.
Magic: Most citizens of the province have little knowledge of magic, though some of the more rural areas still hide healers and witches.
Historical: In the past Brelan was divided up between many different factions, with wars common and bloody. Around 1,700 years ago the factions were unified, though academics are still divided over the precise reason this unification occurred.
Current: Currently most important decisions in the Province, which do not affect those living beyond its borders, are reached by a council of prominent merchants and citizens. The current representative for Brelan on the High Council is a woman of some 70 years, known throughout Brelan by the nickname ‘Old Mother’.
Organization: Despite its small army, Brelan has a large militia program, with every adult between 18 and 30 required to drill and practice with their weapons at least once a fortnight, unless they are looking after a child under 5 or an elderly relative. The weapons in question are generally provided by the town, or the militia members themselves, leading to a wide array of weapons and techniques.
Especially prized are the hunters and foresters of the Hook, who can demand a high price for their ability to draw the huge war bows with apparent ease, despite a draw weight of over 220lbs. Mercenary companies of Breish archers can be found as far afield as the Empire, or Tharsis.
Troops: Brelan's professional troops fight dismounted and use pole arms and heavy chainmail. They're often supported by archers.
Militia members from the cities are often armed with pikes and spears, whereas those from the rural areas are more often armed and armored with whatever is handy, or in the old clan way, with a wide wooden shield and spear, with a sword or ax as back up.
Tactics: Brelan's solid infantry and archers, as well as the provinces geography lead themselves well to defensive actions. Typically the heavy Billmen will hold the center, with Archers and militia troops on the flanks.