Anedonia

Stretching across a pleasant environment of modest humidity, warm summers, and mild rainy winters, Anedonia is a federation of city-states that share the same cultural practices, holidays, and religious beliefs, though each city-state has different governing systems and economic strengths. The Anedonian islands are rocky but temperate, allowing pastoral culture to flourish alongside orchards of olives and citrus.

The Anedonian city-states operate independently of one another in most instances and have waged war on one another at various points throughout history. However, the whole of Anedonia has rallied together whenever they feel that their way of life faces existential threat, and when united in such fashion they are a tremendous force to be reckoned with. Even the mighty Empire of Roshallan has been unable to subjugate Anedonia due to the Anedonians’ fierce loyalty to their nation above the differences of their individual states.

Religious.

Anedonians primarily worship the Ashyidir and Stravon Conclaves of the Archfae and have spun elaborate mythologies around these deities. Although many of these

stories never actually occurred, the way that the deities are depicted in these stories is reasonably accurate. Each Anedonian city-state has one patron deity but pays homage to all deities out of these Conclaves.

Social.

Anedonian society revolves around free-market maritime traders. Many of Anedonia’s city-states are island nations, so in addition to pastoral and orchard cultivation, the city-states also thrive on a fishing industry. Anedonians are very hospitable to those from any other Anedonian city-state unless they are actively at war with that state. They are generally courteous but suspicious of foreigners.

Underworld.

It has not acquired great power yet, but a criminal empire has taken root in Anedonia and is working to extend its influence to every city-state. The criminal empire aims to unite the states into a formal nation with the crime lords as the new oligarchs.

City-States of Note

Anedonia’s three most prominent city-states are described in a little more detail below, but this is only three out of a couple dozen city-states that are part of the Anedonian federation.

Sethan. The most economically influential of Anedonia’s city-states, Sethan occupies a large island near Anedonia’s mainland coast. The Sethan Academy is the most prestigious in the world, drawing scholars from the whole world to teach their disciplines. Sethan is ruled using an elected senate. In times of crisis, the other city-states of Anedonia will rally behind Sethan as the effective capital of all the city-states.

Taspar. Taspar is the largest city-state on Anedonia’s mainland, and the closest to the Roshallani border. It is an autocratic city-state that trains its citizens to be soldiers from the time they are only four years old. This produces some of the toughest, most calloused soldiers in all Gathandia and has prevented Roshallan from gaining a foothold in Anedonia. While Taspar and Sethan have strenuous philosophical disagreements, they respect one another’s accomplishments and view each other as steadfast allies. Taspar’s King Lendonar has proven a mighty military commander and Roshallan has yet to make any headway on conquering Anedonia due to Lendonar’s efforts.

Terec. Terec has a much smaller population than Sethan and Taspar, and is far from the third most populous city- state. It is, however, the third most notable in terms of its contributions to Anedonian society. Situated on a large island deeper into the Inner Sea, Terec possesses deep mines rich in many minerals, including the mystical minerals known as Avadrium and Mithril. Terec’s deep mines have entire towns in their crossroads, but the still unexplored caverns beneath this island are riddled with all manner of dangerous beasts.

Quest Ideas

• Terec’s merchant leadership have asked the heroes to clear out some terrible beasts that lurk in the lower stretches of caverns that Terec wishes to begin mining.

• Sethan has attracted the interest of a scholar from Getar who wishes for the heroes to protect them in the journey across the Inner Sea.

• Taspar has come under threat from Roshallan, and they are looking for any competent soldiers to take up arms and help reclaim a tactically advantageous set of foothills.