Glaciana

The Kingdom of Glaciana is a country in the north-east of Venecivia. It borders the Irricoln Sea to the west. The closest point to Glaciana in mainland Venecivia is the Ralmian town of Driftwood Port.

Glaciana has a polar climate, with freezing cold winters and cool summers. It is cold and dry throughout the year, and there is little variation between seasons.

The capital of Glaciana is Calwith, one of the most densely populated cities in Venecivia. It has a reputation for being cramped and disease-ridden for its impoverished citizens, and most wealthy families live outside the city borders. The rest of the population lives in small towns and villages around the rest of the country, each of which is governed by a Mayor.

The sorcerers of Glaciana no longer exist, as they were wiped out in 4375 EM (0 AP). Before this event, they possessed the ability to produce and manipulate ice, and a few were even Seers who received occasional fleeting visions of the future.

Glaciana is fairly wealthy, with common jobs including mediks and teachers. Many lower-class Glacianans will make items such as clothing or woodwork from home and then sell them to their local communities for profit.

System of Government
Glaciana is an absolute monarchy, wherein supreme authority is retained by a single ruler. The country is currently ruled, as of 638 AP, by King Egbert IV, who resides in Milton Palace on the outskirts of Calwith. His heir is the Crown Prince Egbert, and he also has one daughter, Princess Cerelia.

Major Historical Events
The most notable event in Glacianan history is the Purge of 4375 EM (0 AP). The Purge began in 4368 EM (7 BP) when King Lambert III ordered the persecution of all sorcerers within his country. This was due to the Glacianan religion’s belief that the sorcerers had stolen their magical abilities from the Spirits that the Glacianans worshipped. Lambert’s army set out across Glaciana, laying waste to sorcerer settlements wherever they found them. By 4370 EM (5 BP), the only sorcerer village left was Skyend. Located across the Glacianan Mountains, the village had stood strong for several years, and many sorcerers had fled to it when they heard the King was coming for them. Afraid to send his troops on the journey, Lambert refused to deal with the problem until 4372 EM (3 BP), when he sent his army across the mountains to seize control of the village. Skyend was inhabited by the King’s soldiers for 3 years, in which the sorcerer villagers were used as a work force and eventually killed off as they began to rebel. The last recorded Glacianan sorcerer was reported dead in November 4375 EM (0 AP).

Since the Purge, the village of Skyend has remained untouched, a relic of history. However, talks are currently taking place between the King and a young nobleman by the name of Oswald Mannering to re-open the village for Glacianan humans.

The Purge had many consequences for the Glacianan people. They considered it a great victory, which inspired them to seek control in sorcerer-led countries on the continent, ultimately leading to their conquest of Olmaria in 4719 EM (see below). Additionally, Glacianans changed their dating system from EM (emmano magici, meaning “since the emergence of magic”), which is still used in mainland Venecivia today, to BP and AP (before Purge and after Purge).  The lack of ice sorcerers also disrupted the magical balance in Venecivia, and, due to this, sorcerers are unable to use their powers outside of their home country to this day.

Another major historical event for Glaciana was their invasion of Olmaria in 4719 EM (344 AP). At the time, Olmaria was ruled by the young and inexperienced sorcerers King Finnean and Queen Riona. The Glacianan king, Oscar I, had his sights set on conquering the country, and now seemed a good time. With their special weapons designed to repel magical energy, Oscar’s soldiers defeated the Olmarians with ease, and both Finnean and Riona were killed. Oscar appointed his second child, Prince Leofric, Supreme Governor of Olmaria.

But in 4936 EM (561 AP), the Olmarians had had enough. A rebellion led by sorcerers Thora Ambrogio, Randolf Gryffon and Osmond Arrowood succeeded in driving the Glacianans out of Olmaria. The Ambrogio, Gryffon and Arrowood families are, to this day, the ruling Highborn families of Olmaria. Due to the Olmarian Conquest and Revolution, tensions between Olmaria and Glaciana are still high.

Religion
Glaciana is an incredibly religious country. Most of its people worship Spirits, invisible deities that appear only to the worthy. Glacianan humans believe that the sorcerers gained their powers by stealing them from these Spirits, which led to their persecution between 4368 EM and 4375 EM. Contrastingly, the Glacianan ice sorcerers, much like their counterparts in Ralmia, Olmaria and Kaleristo, believed they were blessed with their magical abilities. Singing hymns to the spirits is mandatory in all Glacianan primary schools, and almost the entire population is religious.

Crime and Punishment
In Glaciana, the most atrocious of crimes is heresy, which is punishable by death. Other crimes with capital punishment include murder, treason and suspected sorcery. Most other crimes, including theft and assault, will result in imprisonment.

Foreign Relations
Due to their persecution of sorcerers, Glaciana has a very poor relationship with all other countries in Venecivia. Sorcerer-led countries Ralmia and Kaleristo do not communicate or trade at all with Glaciana, and tensions are even higher with Olmaria thanks to King Oscar’s conquest of it 300 years ago. Insulaea trades very minimally with Glaciana, as they condemn the monarchy’s oppression of sorcerers. Due to this, the Glacianans trade mostly with countries on the neighbouring continent of Haibia.