Callen
“The history of Ere is written on the very land of Callen. The ancient strongholds of the old warlords are the letters, the hills, worked by the people for hundred of years, the spaces, and the grey barren Ashed Lands, an ominous, final period.” – Jothan Blackkard, Gazetteer

Geography
Callen is a rugged, temperate land or rolling hills, open plains and rocky coastline. Chordin borders it to the north, Te’ran does the same to the south. The Emaru river and Lake Nivia separate Callen from Vini Tresolm. The greatest threats to Callen lie on the eastern shore, north of Lake Nivia in the form of the bleak Ashed Lands and on the southwestern border with the nation of Calderia.

History
When the Vishnari Empire finally collapsed, many of the peoples that had fled west to escape the hailene onslaught found themselves on the steps of Spinar only to find that the Vishnari capital no longer held sway outside its immediate sphere of influence.

Knowing that it was only a matter of time before hundreds of would be lords would attempt to grasp the former reigns of power on the mainland, the people of the region and the refugees met to discuss their options. From these meetings, an accord was reached; the region around Spinar – from the Rame and To’Rizen mountains to the Green Sister River would form a sovereign nation. The refugees would live freely on the land, in effect becoming roving defenders against the inevitable challenges of Callen’s borders. In exchange, the native Calleni would reserve the right to call on the refugees for aid whenever it was needed.

In this way, Callen became one of the first nations formed after the Hailene War. In the years that followed, several attempts to secede or annex portions of the new state were quickly quelled by sheer force of arms. Only a zealous Denaiian sect that ever required complete exile from Callen. They were banished to the far less fertile lands west of the To’Rizen as punishment for inciting riots in Spinar.

This nation became the fanatical nation of Calderia, which would eventually embroil Callen, Te’ran and Rizen in the violent and treacherous Western Wars.

Culture
Callenis are a proud and individualistic people, concerned more for their families and immediate communities than nationalism, though they all recognize that the fate of Callen is a fate they share and so serve their country willingly.

Thus, Callen has a strong military tradition with a warrior’s code of honor that is instilled in children from birth. Personal honor is part of this code and a Calleni is expected to guard his honor with his or her life, never hesitating to challenge a transgressor to a non-lethal duel if need be. Major slights may require a duel to the death.

Many Calleni communities are nomadic, following game animals across the landscape to earn their coin. The variable path of these herds makes tribal warfare frequent, increasing the value of martially capable individuals a hundred fold (the Calleni Warrior code strictly forbids the use of magic in tribal warfare).

Callenis understand an accept most non-combat forms of magic, but tend to scoff as a culture at offensive spells such as fireball and cone of cold as ‘cowardly’. They are not, however, opposed to enhancing spells such as bull’s strength.

The Calleni Warrior Code
Shortly after Callen became a nation, it was already readily apparent that there needed to be a uniform set of strictures concerning duels and battles in order to maintain some semblance of peace in a kingdom of warriors. Thus was the Warrior Code instituted.

The actual code is several pages; outlining the rules for different kinds of duels, the conventions for treatment of prisoners of war and the conduct of soldiers. Any Calleni with any formal martial training is able to quote select passages from the Warrior Code from memory.

Industry
Callen holds sway over a great many trade goods, thanks to the strategic position that made it the ideal spot for establishing the first demi-human nation. Iron from the Rame Range, fish from Lake Nivia, wheat, grain and hides from the plains all add coin to Callen’s coffers.

Magic items aren’t as free flowing in Callen as in other nations, but skill and ability enhancers are still readily available, as are magical weapons. Alchemy and engineering, both highly respected in Callen had experienced a renaissance in the south of Callen, where the spirit beast threat is greater. Alchemical items and firearms are found here in the greatest quantities. Southern Callen is, in fact, the number one source in the world for masterwork firearms.

Government
Each individual village has its own system of local government, ranging from councils of elders or tribal shaman, to pure democracies. Regardless of governmental system, they all control the land they live and farm on, but have sworn allegiance to the Great Lord of the city of Spinar (currently Agor Henit (Male human Combatant 15))

Because of this fluid nature to politics in Callen, border disputes, often involving force of arms, are frequent, particularly along the western coast were even fewer roads and cities exist to define boundaries. To add to complications, many communities in the west and in the southern mountains are nomadic while others, particularly transplant communities of hailene and minotaurs are trying to carve out permanent settlements, resulting in many battles over land. Most such battles are fought with a level of honor and civility and those who do not fight with such grace may face repercussions from their other neighbors.

Frustrating everything are the abundant spirit beasts roaming the plains and mountains, some lead by greater beasts that attack any and all settlements within their self proclaimed territory on a regular basis.

Despite lives that are tinted by constant conflict with neighbors, Callenis are easily united by the Great Lord’s call from Spinar to the defense of one another, particularly against raiders from Calderia and Mon Sulus Kime.

Organizations and Individuals of Note
The Great Temple of Dey
One of the Temples of Seven that give the City of Temples its name, the Deyic temple now resembles a minor keep rather than a church. High black marble walls mostly obscure the central plaza and the four separate outbuildings that flank the temple itself.

Here, the Deyic black market thrives, protected from the eyes of the city watch. Where in other places they must skulk in back alleys, the merchants here hawk their illegal wares openly on the plaza to any who pass into the plaza.

On the edge of the plaza stands the Inn of the Grey Hand, the finest inn consecrated by the Goddess of Duty. Here, the devout can find clean, safe beds to sleep in and a quality tavern where they can meet and find work.

The temple itself is given over to a number of apartments that serve as long term quarters for agents of the church and many, many confessionals and meeting rooms. Intuitive Lilith Windpiercer (Female hailene Intuitive 10/Cleric 5) serves both as mistress of the temple and the high priestess of all Deyic clerics. In secret, she also runs a spy network known as the Skulk of Dey, which keeps tabs on the activities of the Church of the Threefold Moon as well as any other endeavors that attract Dey’s attention.

It is rumored that the goddess incarnate walks the halls of this temple on occasion – in the guise of a halfling, a child, or a young woman. None of this is confirmed, but if it is, Dey would be one of only two gods thought to walk the world and speak directly with their followers – Pandemos being the other.

The Hessan Cathedral
Hessa of the Goodly Morn’s central cathedral is her temple in Spinar, another of the Temples of Seven. While there are numerous sects with varying tenets and beliefs; the great cathedral only caters to the core beliefs central to Hessan worship; namely the need for healers, both magical and mundane.

To this end, the great cathedral is a clearing house for all types of medical knowledge on Ere. Masters of every healing art come from far and wide to impart the fruits of their study and practice upon one another and the willing students of Hessa’s teaching. Everything from alchemical concoctions, surgical technique and the relatively new study of pathology can be found alongside more traditional first aide and magical healing practices here.

So too can one find patients who have traveled from as far as Minde Forme to allow themselves to be medical test subjects in the hopes that their maladies can be corrected. The cathedral makes its money by renting space to practitioners to operate in, making it the largest hospice on Ere.

Actual religious ceremonies at the cathedral are actually quite rare these days, usually only during holy days. The religious arm of the Hessan church is left to the myriad smaller temples throughout Spinar, each of which are exclusive to an individual sect.

Namano’jin School of Swordsmanship
Callen is a land of warriors, protected and nurtured by a strict code of honor among those who favor force of arms to subterfuge or magic. It should come as no surprise that it is home to some of the most prestigious martial arts schools on the continent.

While there are many such schools, each with fine traditions that span hundreds of years, the Namano’jin School of Swordsmanship stands head and shoulders above all the rest. Every year, hundreds seek entrance, but only six are chosen to learn the ancient way of the sword taught by Master Thorn-burgh Haruula (Female minotaur combatant 18) and her apprentice-masters.

Graduates of the Namano’jin School are counted among the best combatants favoring bladed weapons – including the exotic kari’dakai; said to be the highest sword a person can master. Namano’jin Sword-masters are awarded magical weapons of their choice (+3 total enhancement bonus) along with their title if they can best the current Master of the school in single combat.

Major Settlements
Spinar, City of Temples (Large City 155,000)
The one time capitol of the continent spanning Vishnari government, Spinar is still a powerful and prosperous city. Its moniker, city of temples, comes from the Temples of Seven, seven huge temples to the Greater Pantheon, situated in a ring around the central portions of the city. Prior to the Ashing of the Green, these temples floated above the city, but they crashed to earth on that faithful day.

Sprawling out on the plain, Spinar (its name ancient for Web of Life) is known for its monthly tournaments and its many training schools and martial arts dojos. Pilgrims from all over Ere come to Spinar to visit its temples or to seek training.

Spinar’s architecture is unique to Ere now, its broad, flat buildings, none higher than five stories, having been originally build prior to the advances in mystic architecture that make the towers of Chordin or Te’ran possible.

It is not uncommon to witness sparring matches or even real fights for honor in the streets. The guards are under a standing order to allow fair fights to continue where ever they occur.

Bri-sean (City 50,000)
Viewed by many as Spinar’s moral opposite, Bri-sean is a large city on the northern edge of Lake Nivia with its own northern border less than five miles from the horrid Ashed Lands. Founded shortly after the Ashing of the Green, Bri-sean was originally an outpost to defend the fishing villages around Lake Nivia from the roving monsters from the Ashed Lands. But Bri-sean quickly grew into a stopping point for both expeditions into the Ashed Lands and a major stronghold of organized criminal endeavors.

Once, some thirty eight years ago, Agor Henit, the Warlord of Callen sent in a force of soldiers to attempt to restore law and order to Bri-sean, but they were repelled.

Today, Bri-sean is a large, heavily fortified city, built upward into a massive ziggurat instead of outward to the point where some buildings are actually sinking into the soft earth. People clamor all over the city, taking ladders or ramps from one tier of the city to the other. In some places, people have even dug back into the sunken sections of the city to set up shop in the cramped city.

It is run by a constantly changing number of rival crime families who each control a ‘layer’ of the city. Order, as it exists in Bri-sean is maintained by thugs hired by these families.

Locations of Note
Lake Nivia
Lake Nivia is the major body of water in the west, part of the Emaru River. A ring of fishing villages ring it on all sides except where the river feeds it, forming two small cities on either shore. Lake Nivia is the largest source of freshwater fishing on Ere and is a key route from Chordin to Novrom.

Lake Nivia is also home to a huge sea serpent called Ellora, who has, after centuries of being fed chum by fishermen, become quite tame. Ellora is quite docile, but her propensity to ‘play’ with small ships makes her a hazard to small craft all the same.

Encounters
As is typical, minor spirit beasts, including spirit eagles, wolves, and big cats range throughout Callen. Additionally, flights of griffons and hippogriffs live in the mountainous regions and dire animals wander the woods. Occasionally, hydra, grey renders, packs of feral shadow mastiffs and deinonychus, or swarms of shocker lizards are encountered in the forested regions of the Rame Mountains.

In the north, where Callen meets the Ashed Lands, monstrous insects, nightshades, bulettes, and many varieties of aberration cross into Callen from time to time, marauding across the countryside before put down.

Harpies and gnolls make up the bulk of the savage races that live on the fringes of Calleni society. Occasionally, a flight of harpies will raid a settlement for supplies or in revenge for the despoiling of sacred ground. The gnolls stake out modest territories in wooded areas and defend them brutally. The rare Calderian raiding party may also be found in the southern part of the region.