The Country of Astalia found itself in a unique position. The County’s Queen, Queen Tiana passed due to illness, leaving King Harold without a wife, and no male heir to the throne. Instead the royal family had four daughters. In a time where tensions throughout the continent of Sahas were becoming strained, war was inevitable if nothing was done. As well as the encroaching threat of the Empire of Gilthan. The King of Astalia decided, much to his daughter’s disdain, to send out an invitation to the rulers of the four of the nations still free of The Empire’s grasp, all who happened to have eligible sons. Each would be allowed to send a son to pick one of the Princesses as his bride, in an attempt to create alliances between the other nations. All four nations accepted this proposal.
The ruler of the Gilthan Empire had been slowly consuming the Nations of Sahas. He was a power hungry man who wished to take control of the continent. The empire had already consumed several countries in the few decades since it started. It’s advancement was alarming to say the least. Rumors spread that the leader was a powerful Wizard, one on par with many of the Master Mages if not stronger. The fear of the threat drove the other Nations to push for this alliance faster than they may have done otherwise. With the news that the remaining powerhouse of the country are about to form marital alliances, will this ruler target Astalia, or will he wait to crush the forming alliance when they least expect it. Only time will tell.
Races
Humans- The majority of the continent is populated by humans. They are an adaptable race that can live just about anywhere. The humans of Sahas come in all shapes and sizes and there are many half humans amongst the societies. Humans are generally the farmers, ranchers, and fishermen of the continent. Spread across the most amount of land they have access to the most amount of resources.
Dwarves- The mountains of Sahas house the largest populations of dwarves. A hearty race used to the tough environment they live in. They specialize in the mining of various materials as well as smithing. Dwarven made weapons and armor are highly sought after across the entire continent.
Elves- The Elven race is the second most numerous of the races within Sahas. These elegant beings are known for their affinity for magic. Elves have an easier time learning the art of magic and are said to be the originators of it. Though Magic is most common among Elves there are still few magic users within the various Elven communities. It seems the art of magic is reserved for Elven leaders and court wizards.
Orcs- The Orcs of Sahas are said to predate the humans who settled on the continent. These intimidating figures are stereotyped to be big dumb brutes, only good at causing blood shed. In actuality the Orcs are surprisingly versatile in their skills with a rich culture. Though most of their disputes are settled with rather bloody fights, blood is not shed senselessly. They can be rather territorial, cautious of outsiders due to the history of being pushed from their original homelands. Most of the surviving Orc tribes reside in the almost inhabitable desert of the country. They specialize in the domestication and breeding of unique creatures located in the region. Most races avoid the Orcish tribes however if one were to interact with a group they are more than willing to trade in goods and services. Strong in nature they can be hired as bodyguards for traveling merchants, or as muscle for various construction through the continent.
Magic
Magic does exist within Sahas but very few individuals are capable of learning how to use this ancient art. Even those capable of learning it take decades to master it. There are few Wizards within the continent and each only takes on one apprentice through their lifetime. Elves have a vast majority of the populations of Wizards but humans, dwarves, and even orcs each have individuals who perform their own versions of magic. Human and Elven magic users are referred to as Wizards or Mages, their magic focuses more on using magic as a form of science, requiring a magical focus as well as specific incantations for each spell. The Master Mages or Wizards can sometimes forgo the use of incantations, but this skill is few and far between. Orcish and Dwarven magic users are known as Shamans. Their magic is focused more on drawing power from the nature around them. For this reason their healing, and fortune telling magic is far more prominent and effective than those of the Elves and Humans. Much like other forms of magic Shamans also require some sort of magical focus though theirs seem to be more easily acquired than others. Usually consisting of a heavily engraved or ornamented stick. Shaman magic also requires various chants rather than incantations which can vary greatly from one Shaman to another.
