Shadradoth

In the subtropical hills of Thunderhead Vale, Shadradoth has a storied and chaotic history. It seceded from Valstrom long ago after a bloody civil war. The king regent, who was an advisor to the recently deceased king, refused to abdicate when the king’s eldest daughter came of age and made her claim to the throne. The ensuing war split the nation apart, with Princess Shadra leading the region that eventually became Shadradoth.

Shadradoth upheld the heirship of Queen Shadra for several generations thereafter. However, the kingdom crumbled again when Shadra’s descendent, King Thunharad, did not sire an heir or pronounce any of his cousins next in line. Anyone who could claim relations to King Thunharad claimed that they were the heir apparent. The ensuing war devastated the country, and to this day Shadradoth still has not recovered.

Academic.

Shadradoth has many schools in its larger towns, most of which were established when Shadradoth was still part of Valstrom. However, few of these institutions are still staffed in any meaningful way.

Aristocratic and Political.

The Shadradothan governmental system is a complete disaster. Half of the nation runs itself like a feudal system, but there is no central uniting authority. Many merchants and some whole towns or small regions instead govern themselves through democratic elections and consensus votes. The result is a mishmash of half-baked political theories that do not work on their own, let alone when interacting with one another.

Mercantile and Trade.

Individual settlements often trade with one another within Shadradoth. Those on the border near another nation will also trade with their neighbors, but any form of organized international trade is nonexistent due to Shadradoth’s dysfunctional government.

Militant.

While the political process by which settlements run themselves vary widely among Shadradothan towns, each town has a militia that can be rallied by whatever political force leads that town. In this respect, the Shadradothan military is very feudal in its structure, lacking any nationalized model.

Religious.

Some Shadradothans share religious beliefs with the Valstromians. They worship the Celestial Council and believe that the good or evil actions of an individual will be blessed or punished by the Council. Other Shadradothans believe that the Exiles should be venerated and see their own nation as exiled in a sense, as Shadra should have been the rightful queen of Valstrom.

Social.

Shadradoth’s population is angry and distrusting. They cannot agree with one another on politics, religion, or basic cultural practices. This is less pronounced within individual settlements, where folk may overlook perceived slights in their neighbors’ behavior. On a national scale, however, many towns and regions despise one another.

Underworld.

Given the chaos inherent in Shadradoth’s culture and politics, crime syndicates flourish. Notable syndicates include the Twice Strikes, the Hoods, and the Galepiercers. These syndicates operate widely in both Shadradoth and Valstrom.

The Twice Strikes get their name from their earned reputation of robbing a place twice: first nonviolently burgling it and getting a lay of the land, and second by brutally attacking any who try to defend the place. The Hoods are beloved by the peasantry as they rob from the rich and give their richest to the poor. Finally, the Galepiercers are so named for the elementals that they summon to cause chaos, which they use to draw attention from their illicit activity.

Thunharan

Formerly the capital city of Shadradoth, Thunharan is now a smoking ruin. After the tremendous civil war that ravaged Shadradoth, there is no central authority around which all regions can unite.

Points of Interest

Cloudpiercers. The Cloudpiercer Range’s tallest mountains overshadow Shadradoth. One of the mountains is so enormous that nobody has ever seen its peak. It always disappears above the clouds, or is so tall that the slight haze of the atmosphere obscures its magnificent heights. Although foolish adventurers have tried to climb it, none have even come remotely close to seeing its peak.

Thundervale River. In the bend of the Thundervale River, the Shadradothans have discovered a wondrous point of power. The river strikes a cliff and flows up the face of it like an upside-down waterfall. It then continues on its flow southward towards Sozein.

As Valstrom’s sovereign territory begins on the other half of the river, Shadradoth and Valstrom have agreed to construct a neutral city at the base of the waterfall so that they can experience its wonder together. Explorers have found that the waterfall also contains a portal to the Everwilds.

Quest Ideas

• Boiling discontent washes through Shadharoth as multiple nobles and democratically elected officials each claim that they should oversee the entire nation. The heroes might get involved to make a power play themselves or to back a contender whose views they find commendable.

• A noble who claims to be the direct descendent of Shadra asks the heroes to guard them as they travel to the Great Cloudpierce, where they believe they can procure evidence verifying their claim.

• Valstrom has conquered the city that they have historically shared with Shadradoth at the base of the waterfall. Nobles and diplomats ask the heroes to negotiate with both word and sword to reclaim the Shadradothans’ right to occupy the city.