• County[1] of Alto Vassara[2] (Upper Vassara)
  
  Capital: Alsiva (782)
  Population: 32,510
  
  Alto Vassara is a hilly region compared to most of Sespech, and largely unpopulated except for the northwestern shore of the Nagawater and the banks of the Vassara river. Its settlement dates from a more recent time than that of the surrounding regions, but some families claim to have dwelled here since before the Rotting War, coming from Ormpetarr or upriver from Nimpeth. In addition to the rougher terrain, the presence of monstruous creatures in the nearby Winterwood has stalled civilization in this region for a long time, but now the land is mostly safe from incursions. Alto Vassara was in recent times a domain of the ruling family of Sespech, the Wiverfangs. They still own the land, despite having lost the crown to Aldorn Thuragar in 1364 DR. Count Worton Wiverfang, brother of the last king, has died in the past year and the succession of Alto Vassara is disputed by his late son's twins. The resulting imbroglio, in addition to suspected links of the Wiverfangs to the nation of Chondath, have prompted the crown to take direct control over much of the domain, an unpopular move for many in the Sespechian nobility. The county is ruled from the castle village of Alsiva, located a dozen miles inland from the Nagawater, set amid sheep and goat grazing ground.
  

• March of Arran
  
  Capital: Isjela (3,354)
  Population: 69,870
  
  The March of Arran is strategically important to the kingdom of Sespech, for here the 200 years old and 1500 feet long Emerald bridge crosses the lower Arran river connecting the kingdom to Chondath. The lands surrounding the course of the river are briny marshes and fertile floodplains where extensive agriculture has been practiced for centuries. As a result, the march has a relatively large population, even though there are few towns of note. Tar pits and alluvial tin deposits can be found on the lowlands as well, being partly explored by locals. The most notable structure in the march besides the Emerald bridge is Fort Arran, recently built by the crown to protect the realm from the threat from Chondath. Around a thousand royal troops, popularly called the "Purple Feathers", are stationed in Fort Arran at all times. These professional soldiers form the bulk of the nascent Sespechian royal army, and their presence here reassures Marquis Emil Hethemm, a staunch supporter of the regime of Ormpetarr.

• County of Bavia
  
  Capital: Bavia (1,237)
  Population: 22,200
  
  The county of Bavia is dominated by the wild plains of the Serpents' Holding, though the land slopes upwards in the northwest, breaking into a valley near the Wintercloak river. Settlement is extremely sparse except for the shore of the Nagawater, and the western boundary of the county is not well defined. The small town of Bavia, the largest community in the region, serves as Count Iveon Blorhen's seat of government. His home is a small keep overlooking the village, known as Taneion's Keep. A few miles from the town along the coast is the oldest structure in the county, a castle known as the Tower of Bavia, its central keep built in the tenth century DR. The keep was soon abandoned for unknown reasons and then reclaimed and expanded by the Blorhen family in 1298 DR. Located in an island in the Nagawater which connects to the mainland in periods of drought, the castle has extensive dungeons, which have given it notoriety as a prison. Though it has been permanently inhabited by humans for the last few centuries, Bavia has only been brought into Sespechian rule in 1321 DR. It has remained one of the most fiercely independent domains in the realm, though it holds little political or military might.
  

• County of Elbulder
  
  Capital: Elbulder (12,701)
  Population: 125,730
  
  The county of Elbulder has the shape of a triangle which sides are the Arran river to the south, its tributary, the Daudarth river to the north and the Chondalwood to the east. The county is mostly fertile plains, rising subtly as one approaches the forest. Settlement in the region dates from the sixth century DR, when the village of Elbulder was established on the banks of the Arran and profited from lumbering in the nearby woods. Gradually the forest started to recede, but the resistance of the wild elves of Nikerymath and the founding of the Emerald Enclave in the eighth century greatly diminished the extent of logging operations. The community of Elbulder, now a large town, survived both the loss of most of the lumber business and the horrors of the Rotting War to become a city in the kingdom of Sespech. Today there is still some logging in the eastern parts of the domain, but the economy has diversified to include agriculture, cattle and sheep raising, weaving and tanning, among other activities. Elbulder is also the best and safest place in Sespech to look for arcane implements and resources, mainly due to the influence of the city's mayor, Gavilon Jostins. The ruler of the county, Countess Élue Veshpir has some reservations about the mayor, but does not dare to be too outspoken about it due to her rival's previous affiliations with the king. An interesting site in the county are the Saltos das Criptas (Cryptfalls), a series of old stonework burial grounds of unknown origin that rest besides waterfalls in the Daudarth river. Tales abound of creatures living in the half-collapsed tunnels and prowling the woodlands at night: restless ghosts, a Malarite cult or a cadre of vampires with wilderness habits, depending on who tells the story.

• County of Flanco Oriental (Eastflank)
  
  Population: 39,950
  
  This region of Sespech is covered with hills and woodlands near the Chondalwood, and flatter around the lower and upper Arran. This region was first settled by loggers and hunters in the sixth century DR, but those settlements did not last long against the creatures of the forest. Later, in the tenth century, a new wave of colonists came, and now the higher plains in the east are populated largely by cattle ranchers and horse breeders, while the northern reaches are to this day mostly devoid of people and retaken by the Chondalwood. In the central region of the county, many standing stones can be found, giving glimpses of an ancient past. Some who have tried to make sense of the monolithic structures believe they may hold a clue to the elven city of Rucien-Xan, but most sages believe they have been erected either by primitive human peoples or the wood giants, also called voadkyn. Flanco Oriental is also the site of a holy place for Eldath's church, the Grutas da Serenidade (Grottoes of Serenity), a complex of caves and natural water pools which have sheltered early members of the church and are said to be blessed by the goddess. The lower depths of the caves have not been fully explored, and some suppose they may connect to the Underdark. If that is the case, the place may need to be guarded against despoiling from below. The ruler of Flanco Oriental is Countess Yessra Valta, an aging and complacent woman who doesn't appreciate ruling, and leaves most matters of state to her court.

• March of Mimph
  
  Capital: Mimph (27,518)
  Population: 179,630
  
  This northernmost region of Sespech also contains the largest stretch of maritime coast in the kingdom by far. Sandy beaches span the coastline from the Arran Bay to the Bay of Nimpeth, and the coastal plain forms most of the landscape, only broken by low forested hills as one goes south. The old walled city of Mimph, first founded in 92 DR, serves as the main port, its traffic second only to Ormpetarr in the kingdom. The city is known for its artistic and traditional glass-making, and its many furnaces that produce weapons, armour and cannon. The lowlands are densely settled, with several important towns and numerous smaller villages. An ancient and well-travelled road leaves from Mimph to the city of Nimpeth in the west, but only ox trails connect the march with the rest of Sespech. Marquise Saermina Chivellt has resumed plans to build a road between Mimph and Isjela, but the project has a shortage of funds due to most of the march's treasury being diverted to the construction of warships, in accordance to directives issued by the crown and agreed upon by the Marquise after the War of Liberation in 1364 DR. Mimph's 28 warships of various sizes form the bulk of the Sespechian navy, and attempt to patrol the waters of the Vilhon Reach against depredations caused by pirates and Chondathian corsairs. A recent earthquake has caused minor damage to the city of Mimph and its environs, but the collapse of a hillside by the sea has also revealed a ruined section of an ancient city, probably of Jhaamdathan origin.

• March of Monte da Vigia (Watchmount)
  
  Capital: Fulsdon (1,452)
  Population: 23,920
  
  Like many regions of southern Sespech, the march of Monte da Vigia was first inhabited by nomads of Shaarian stock. The first permanent settlements, however, were built here during the eighth century DR by the people of Elbulder, who by this time were in the process of extending the Old Road and their domains far to the southeast, around the Chondalwood and in the direction of the city of Torsch. After the Rotting War, however, their lands never extended further away than the fords of Nagaford and Roaringford, but many people from the Shaar have come to live in their lands. The march's name comes from a prominent hill south of the Arran river which used to have a tower from where the militia of Elbulder could discern enemies coming from the south or the west. Now the main settlement in the march, Fulsdon, is located much further south. It is traditionally the seat of the marquis, but this title is currently held by King Aldorn Thuragar himself, who is a native of Monte da Vigia and widely acclaimed by its people. East of Fulsdon, near the Chondalwood, there is a site called the Hulangar, where thermal vents and hot springs, often with strange colours, are very commonplace. Few people come to the area, however, since there have been sightings of nagas in the Hulangar ever since it was discovered by humans.
  

• March of Nagaflow
  
  Capital: Travessia de Ior (Ior's Crossing) (896)
  Population: 4,930
  
  The march of Nagaflow consists primarily of plains, which are more fertile in the south and west and drier in the north and east. There are a few elevations and woodlands in certain regions, as well as a swamp in the Nagaflow delta, where he town of Travessia de Ior is located. In the largely unexplored wilderness, there is believed to be a deposit of copper, as well as a salt plain thought to be a dried lake bed and known as the Salares de Thorsten (Thorsten's Saltpans). Nagaflow is the newest large domain to be created in the kingdom of Sespech, and the least populous. In fact, this new march is currently a crown domain, usurped from the control of Marquis Falz Krivand of Via Įurea in Nightal, 1374 DR. The crown claimed the marquis was allowing the region to be overtaken by the city-state of Innarlith, ever since the completion of Nagaflow Keep by the Innarlans in 1361 DR. The recent news that speak of something stirring in the wilderness have done nothing to help. Most people agree, however, that the crown's motives are twofold: firstly, Falz Krivand is reviled by many in the court for being a remnant of the old Chondathian-led regime, despite having supported Thuragar's war, and secondly, the crown is attempting to secure the northern banks of the Nagaflow so that the northern terminus of the Innarlan Canal, which is being built for the last decade and suffered a recent setback, will sit on Sespechian territory. To appease the nobles who feel the king has been concentrating too much power, however, the crown has promised to grant the lands and the title of marquis to whoever is able to pacify the Nagaflow and bring it into Sespechian rule definitively. The act has caused mixed feelings, but several hopefuls have journeyed to the march with the intention of becoming the new marquis. These include one of the sons of Count Laius Greylander of Terra Alta, Bastian Greylander, and a mysterious moon-elven lady named Sanae Silmedil.
  

• County of Ormpetarr
  
  Capital: Ormpetarr (55,037)
  Population: 233,180
  
  The county of Ormpetarr is actually a crown domain. In theory, King Aldorn Thuragar also holds the title of Count, but the distinction is usually forgotten in practice. The main features of the county are the farmlands of the northern coast of the Nagawater, where extensive grain fields, orchards, olive groves and vegetable gardens fill the landscape except for the odd town or forested hill, and the ancient city of Ormpetarr, capital of Sespech and by far the largest city in the kingdom, rivaling Shining Arrabar in size. The city of Ormpetarr may be the oldest continually inhabited settlement in the Vilhon Reach, as the records indicate it was an outpost of the Twelve Cities of the Sword that survived the fall and was subjugated by the nation of Chondath in 205 DR. People who dig basements and sewers in the Old City District often come into contact with the daily utensils of the times of old, and once in a while with even more interesting artifacts and buried chambers. In more recent centuries, a wave of colonists of Shaarian descent arrived from the south and intermingled somewhat with the Chondathians. King Aldorn Thuragar and his court reside here, in Castle Thindath, a large fortress in the capital with a grand courtyard, which serves as a military post, palatial residence, gathering spot for festivals and place for court sessions. Those in the royal army who are not stationed in Fort Arran are usually found here, but the king also maintains a town guard, under the auspices of mayor Sivas Cordierr, and a provincial militia from where most recruits of the royal army are taken.

• County of Passo Virraj (Virrajford)
  
  Capital: Passo Virraj (Virrajford) (2,771)
  Population: 26,670
  
  The county of Passo Virraj is named for the important ford which crosses the Arran river in the south of the county. Chondathian settlement in this region dates from the fourth century DR, but conflict with Shaarian nomads limited their expansion south. The Rotting War in 902 DR caused a further decline in population, though in recent centuries, a new wave of Chondathian colonists and Shaarians who abandoned their nomadic lifestyle have been settling here. Around the ford itself the small town of Passo Virraj has grown, prospering from the trade that passes along the Virraj Trail, a cattle trail which is the major overland link between east and west Sespech. The county is made mostly of low-lying plains in the north that slope up until one finds himself in the Golden Plains. Low canyons follow the banks of the Arran north of the ford. Most of the country is dedicated to cattle and horse ranching, as in a large part of rural Sespech, but recently the innovation of smokepowder brought about the production of saltpeter from biological waste, now relatively widespread in the region. Saltpeter made here is shipped to Ormpetarr and Mimph, where alchemists create the smokepowder. Little love is lost between the ambitious Countess Kemneera Rudith and the king, as she feels the county of Passo Virraj was too poor a prize for her house's intervention during the War of Liberation. Still, she is determined to see her lands flourish, and actively promotes settlement in the county, instructing her vassals to do the same in their domains.
  

• March of Prados de Ouro (Golden Prairies)
  
  Capital: Vila Marsegot (Marsegot Town) (1,088)
  Population: 11,590
  
  Prados de Ouro is the most sparsely populated of the larger domains of Sespech, save perhaps for the new March of Nagaflow. Here the Golden Plains extend over the entire region between the Nagaflow and Arran rivers. The plains consist of a fertile outer ring replete with the characteristic golden grasses that give them their name, and a semi-arid region in the center with sparser vegetation. Permanent human settlements in the march date from the twelfth century DR, though cattle herders used the area for pasture in much earlier times. The largest town is Vila Marsegot, born of an agglomeration of ranches and named for the famous pioneer Corrhen Marsegot who in the last century is said to have killed dozens of centaurs and outlaws. Marquis Oder Naufel, one of the two remaining marquises from the time of the last dynasty, makes his home there. Two tribes of centaurs, numbering anywhere from a few hundreds to a few thousands live in the plains of the march and resist human expansion. Recently one of the tribes has destroyed a dam meant to provide a new settlement with water, and now threatens to kill the settlers if they don't retreat from their lands. Curiously, quality steel weapons have been found with these centaurs, a departure from their usual primitive weaponry. A reclusive tribe of human nomads of Shaarian stock and adopted Calishite culture called the Talu-min also makes the Golden Plains their home, and apparently has some sort of treaty with the centaurs.

• County of Seis Estāncias (Six Estates)
  
  Population: 83,720
  
  This domain was one of the first regions of Sespech to be settled by Chondathians in the second century DR. With the Nikerymath having receded in the most part to the east of the Arran river, grassy plains were open for agriculture and the raising of cattle and horses. Centuries after the first settlers arrived, most of the land was owned by six Chondathian families which kept manorial estates there, giving the region its present name. Only two of those estates still remain in some form, the rest having been abandoned during the Rotting War or in later years. One of them, a large walled villa in the north of the domain, now serves as home to Count Flenvar Whitemane, the lord of Seis Estāncias. The other, called Estāncia dos Oito Ventos (The Eight Winds Estate) is now owned by merchants who have turned the main building into an inn. Today the county has a sizable population, including a significant Shaarian minority. Besides the traditional cattle and horse breeding, the county also boasts two small salt mines and one important silver mine, known as Minas dos Rochedos (Mines of the Crags). The silver mine has been taken over three years ago by a blue dragon named Serysshontal, who has been charging Lord Whitemane a protection fee so that his subjects can continue working the mine.

• County of Terra Alta (Highlands)
  
  Population: 41,510
  
  The highlands of Terra Alta are the highest elevations in Sespech, although they are no higher than 2000 feet. The terrain is hilly near the Chondalwood, where much wool is produced, and flatter in the south, the domain of cattle ranchers and farmers. The county was settled in the sixth century DR, around the same time as Elbulder was founded, the Old Road was established and loggers started clearing the Chondalwood. Today, no major logging operations take place in Terra Alta, as every initiative in the past century has been met with deadly tricks and some overt attacks by satyrs and other kinds of fey, which have terrorized the population. Count Laius Greylander, a stern man who rules with an iron fist, wishes to change that state of affairs, and is paying mercenaries to root out the fey from their lairs. This policy is bound to attract unwanted attention from the Emerald Enclave, however, and maybe even the xenophobic wild elves. The count holds nothing but contempt for both groups, so he is proceeding with his plans.

• March of Vale Vassara (Vassaradale)
  
  Population: 55,940
  
  The March of Vale Vassara is one of the richest regions of Sespech, after the highly urbanized coasts of the Reach and the northern Nagawater. The valley has been populated by over a thousand years by settlers from the cities of Mimph and Nimpeth, and the border between the march and the principality of Nimpeth has changed often across the centuries. The Vassara river winds through low rolling hills dotted with vines tended by the local farmers. Most Sespechian wine is made here, but it rarely sees the foreign markets, as it has been eclipsed in quality and fame by the Nimpethian varieties. The county has a few castles and small towns of some importance, as well as a salt mine and a marble quarry. Slave labour was used more extensively here than in most of the kingdom until the king made the practice unlawful in the whole of Sespech in 1370 DR. This has angered local landowners including Marquis Divaro Riquav.
  

• March of Via Įurea (Golden Way)
  
  Capital: Paragem do Trevo (Crossroads Stop) (1,577)
  Population: 24,640
  
  The march of Via Įurea straddles the Golden Road from the neighborhood of Ormpetarr to the Nagaflow river. Most of the march is covered by the tall grasses of the Golden Plains. Settlements in this area were few and far between until the completion of the Golden Road in 1288 DR, and today still the population is sparse, except for a narrow strip along the road, and mostly comprised of Shaarians. Marquis Falz Krivand rules the march from his walled compound in the town of Paragem do Trevo, located in the point where the Serpent's Way branches from the Golden Road. The economy consists primarily of cattle raising and horse breeding. The horse breeds of Via Įurea are considered to be the best in Sespech, and the marquis' son, Lord Meric Krivand, has taken much interest in them. A good number of gnolls live in the march, sometimes raiding small caravans and attacking lone travellers. Recently, however, these gnolls have become even more aggressive, having pillaged and burned a village near Paragem do Trevo. Some people speculate that they have been driven away from their homes in the interior and in the lands now known as the march of Nagaflow. The crossing of the Nagaflow in the south is done by boat, and due to the threat of the nagas they only stay on the river for the time needed to make the crossing. Baron Moros Zolfass of Arsh contemplates building a bridge on the site, but he would need much outside support for such an undertaking, as the river is over 500 feet wide and the nagas might not be pleased.
  

• Dominion of Arrabar
  
  Capital: Arrabar (61,012)
  Population: 669,710
  
  The Dominion of Arrabar is practically the same as the stretch of coast known as the Shining Coast, plus a small interior which is in great part being swallowed by the Chondalwood, leaving many ruins thick with undergrowth on its southern border. A few farmsteads and strongholds such as Sarketh Castle have been reclaimed in recent years, however, and stand watch over the Savage Wood. In the southwest, the Dominion of Arrabar ends at the Arran river, which marks the border with the Kingdom of Sespech. The river margins are frequently patrolled by Chondathian militia, and small keeps are garrisoned by mercenaries in more troubled times such as now. The city of Arrabar itself most famous and most important in the nation, and being founded in 50 DR, is also arguably the second oldest after Iljak, though Samra disputes this claim. Arrabar is at the terminus of both the Golden Road and the Emerald Corridor, and its port is extremely busy with commerce. The city is divided into five districts, the central one being the Government District, the skyline of which is dominated by the Generon, the resplendent palace of the Lord of Arrabar, Eles Wianar. The city is the main home of the greatest number of noble houses of all the cities of Chondath[4], and their haughty scions and large private armies are constantly seen on the streets. Arrabar is also home to the Academia Vilhonus, once a bardic college, and now an active, albeit decadent, center of sagely pursuits. Outside Arrabar, many towns dot the landscape, notably Thelgauble, Arkhelar and Mlietar alond the Emerald Corridor, and the ruined and plagued city of Mussum in the shore over one hundred and fifty kilometres east of Arrabar. The countryside near the shore is crisscrossed by lesser roads and dotted with villages, farms, olive groves and spice plantations taking almost all available land, except for a ring surrounding Mussum. The coast is also exploited for the production of sea salt. The woodlands near the Chondalwood are much more sparsely populated, but there are logging operations active, despite the dangers, and some outposts that have grown into villages in their own right. In the spirit of a new Chondathian resurgence, Lord Eles Wianar has been attempting to find the cause behind the plague that afflicts Mussum, to resettle those rich lands abandoned so long ago. He may need all the help he can find, both from Chondath and from abroad.

• Duchy of Hlath
  
  Capital: Hlath (23,969)
  Population: 471,280
  
  The Duchy of Hlath spans almost the whole region known as the Fields of Nun, including the Nun river valley up to two hundred kilometres upriver from the Nun delta, plus the Straitshores and the Nunwood up to the slopes of the Akanapeaks, including some territory north of the woods, which is also claimed by the Free City of Reth. Alone among Chondath's subdivisions, the Duchy of Hlath retains the old feudal naming conventions, mostly due to the fact that the noble House Shennelm of Nun has been in power in here since those old times, and likes to cling to its special status. From 1342 DR, when it engaged Iljak in an all-out war, to 1369 DR, the Duchy of Hlath was on the verge of formally declaring its independence from Chondath, and Duke Darvis Shennelm often gave inflammatory speeches against Eles Wianar and the other Lords. During that time, Chondathian influence rarely extended beyond the town of Nun. In the wake of the 1369 DR war with Airspur, however, Hlath bowed to Chondathian demands in order to retain its territory and avoid defeat at the hands of the Chessentans, and the whole Duchy is under Chondathian, that is, Arrabaran, control, though it is more tenuous here than in the rest of the country. Hlath itself is a moderately prosperous walled city which explores lumber and other resources from the Nunwood and the bounties of the Vilhon Reach. Most of the farmland is in the Fields of Nun, and is not as fertile or populated as the rest of Chondath, though settlements in the Nun valley are expanding. The Malander valley near the Chondalwood was annexed in 1372 DR as Duke Darvis offered the robber baron previously self-styled "Crowned Lord" Faelae Windthrarn the title of Marquis of Malander, as well as some additional land and the promise of protection against creatures of the Savage Wood. The Duchy's expansion is threatened, however, by the increases in appearance of highly organized packs of leucrotta, who often terrorize and even slaughter whole hamlets in the countryside. In addition, the ages old trade war between Hlath and Iljak continues to this day, and even skirmishes between mercenary groups hired by those cities are not uncommon. The Lord of Hlath rarely sees eye to eye with his Iljakian counterpart on anything, though his domains' granaries depend heavily on produce from the west. The Duke frequently employs pirates from the Pirate Isles to harass his enemies' vessels, an activity now essentially restricted to Reth's shipping.
  

• Dominion of Iljak
  
  Capital: Iljak (17,432)
  Population: 302,900
  
  The Dominion of Iljak is a relatively small expanse of land covering the western side of the Emerald Triangle. However, due to the extraordinary quality of the earth in the promontory, efficient farming techniques and optimal distribution of land, it is one of the breadbaskets of Chondath, and even more densely settled than the Shining Coast. Just about anything that can grow in the warm Vilhon climate is cultivated here, particularly grains, fruit, olives, and some spices. Fish catches are also plentiful, and salt is collected from the coast. The land is long rumoured to be blessed by Chauntea or some other nature power, which brings the Earthmother more worship here than in most of the nation. The bulk of Iljakians, especially the ones resident in the city proper, dismiss that as legend, however. Iljak is ruled by Potentate Anton Yinoran in a widely accepted autocracy. The worst offence usually hurled at the Potentate (in his eyes) is that he is a willing puppet of Eles Wianar, and that Iljak lacks any actual self-reliance. The Lord publicly ignores such comments, but they hold more truth than he would like to acknowledge. The city of Iljak, with its newly completed walls, is a strong and busy port, and generally regarded by sages as the oldest city in Chondath, with the first document identifying it as such dating from 20 DR. The city is also the site of the largest temple in Chondath, the House of the Guardian, a place of worship dedicated to Helm and competently led by Revered Watcher Tonorak Winthrax, who has growing spiritual and secular influence over the people of the nation. All the while, Iljak is waging a trade war with Hlath that goes on for centuries. The most important episode of this war in recent history was in 1342 DR, when Iljak was torched by mercenaries under Hlathian pay. Anton Yinoran still wishes the Duke to answer for that atrocity, but conflict these days is of a more limited fashion, including sporadic skirmishes in the Fields of Nun and piracy sponsored by both cities. The Arrabaran-led war on Sespech has also meant that Iljakians and Hlathians have to tolerate each other for the time being. Corsairs under Iljakian service are less than happy with the state of affairs, though, as they have been forbidden to attack Hlathian vessels and ordered to board any ship headed for or coming from Mimph instead. The catch is that those vessels are few and far between, and usually travel in convoys escorted by the powerful fleet of Mimph, making them tough, paltry prizes compared to Hlathian merchant galleys and cogs.
  

• Republic of Samra
  
  Capital: Samra (11,360)
  Population: 226,930
  
  The Republic of Samra sits on the eastern part of the Emerald Triangle, opposite to Iljak. The land is similarly fertile, though the amount of arable land in Samra is considerably smaller, with the eastern coast consisting of jagged cliffs giving way to the Fields of Nun as one walks away from the sea. This has meant that the Republic has traditionally turned to the Vilhon Reach as well as the land for feeding its citizens, and as such, the fishing fleet of Samra is remarkably large for its population. Samra is ruled by officials elected by popular vote. Although any able man or woman over the age of twenty-five can run for an office, the elected ones are usually respected elders from the city and outlying villages. These officials, in turn, elect a Lord Mayor every ten years, who acts as the Republic's head of state. Currently the office is held by Lord Mayor Malil Entwine. The people of Samra are peaceful as far as Chondathians go, and view the war between Iljak and Hlath as a waste of life, time and resources. They refuse to play any part on their conflicts, and frown on Shamph and Arrabar for their indifferent, and sometimes even warmongering behaviours. That pacifistic stance of the Republic does not extend, necessarily, to Chondath's other neighbours, however. In past centuries, the city of Samra was actually nothing more than a town of a few thousand, and for that reason, the Republic of Samra was often branded "the weak man of Chondath". In the past century, though, shrewd negotiation from the part of the Samran Chamber of Commerce has resulted in booming prosperity for the port, much to the chagrin of the Iljakians and other coastal city-states. From 1300 DR the population of the city of Samra has more than tripled, and it can now proudly consider itself a city in the same league as its fellow members of the Confederacy. The Republic of Samra can no longer be dismissed in Chondathian affairs, as the Lord Mayor is keenly aware. Unfortunately for him, so are his political enemies in and outside Samra.
  

• Republic of Shamph
  
  Capital: Shamph (32,685)
  Population: 312,060
  
  The Republic of Shamph is located inland from the Emerald Triangle, and benefits from little of its rich soil. Still, the Republic territory is far larger than that of the other cities of the triangle combined, with a comparable population, which lends to a considerable agricultural surplus, especially of grain. The reestablishment of settlements in the Fringes in the last decades has led to a huge increase in the lumber trade, and also to a burgeoning wine market. The ruins of Timindar and Orbech are under revitalization, and though there have been clashes with satyrs, voadkyn, pixies and wild elves, as well as veiled threats from the Emerald Enclave, the Republic is prospering from the initiative. Shamph also has the only significant precious metal deposit in Chondath, a few dozen kilometres southwest of the city proper. It is a silver mine, which is wholly owned by the State and used to mint coins and pay governmental costs. The Republic is ruled indirectly by the Chamber of Electors, nine elected officials who themselves elect thirty senators to deal with legislation and a Consul to act as head of state every ten years. It is a very similar system to that of Samra, except for the fact that the position of elector is lifelong, and due to a weighted vote system, replacements are almost guaranteed to come from wealthy or noble families. The current head of state is Consul Tian Redown, and he and his administration are keen on preserving Shamph's reputation as a law-abiding trading haven. One of his most pressing concerns in the last few years is the robber baron known as "High Battle Baron" Murtrim Tarphin, who seized the then ruined keep of Curtym in the Fringes between Timindar and Orbech and refuses to acknowledge the authority of the Republic and, by extension, of the Confederation of Chondath, over his personal fief. He has been attracting settlers to his lands and sponsoring bandits to raid caravans and intimidate pioneers who are loyal to the Republic. Murtrim has proven difficult to neutralize, especially with the war in Sespech going on, and if someone could convince the Chamber and the Consul that they could drive him out by force of arms or eliminate him in another fashion, they would probably gain some bargaining power with them. Shamph is ostensibly neutral in the war between Iljak and Hlath, but in reality it profits by offering services to both sides, and allowing mercenaries to pass in either direction through their territory. Agents from Shamph are even known for playing their rivals against one another to the benefit of the Republic.
  

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Originally posted by Dalor Darden

In fact Sespech does require all Free Men to serve in the military for six years. However, at the end of this time, many of these men leave to seek coin elsewhere as they have become accustomed to fighting and do not want to return to a life as farmers or what have you.

If Sespech needs to USE mercenaries, it is probably from surrounding areas to be used against those same areas. The Crusaders used native mercenaries to help defend the Holy Land...it is within reason to think that light cavalry or light infantry might be hired from areas of the Lake of Steam or Border Kingdoms to supplement Sespech's individual nobles at need.

Peasants might only be conscripted in the most dire of circumstances, and would in fact be of very poor quality. So in times of urgency, this brings again into use the foreign mercenaries on the borders of Sespech...dead mercenaries don't have to be paid; but dead farmers don't work fields!

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Originally posted by Mapolq

I take the -9845 DR mention of Chessenta in the Sharksbane Wall entry as geographic help - it's like saying Stonehenge was built in Britain, even though there was no such thing as "Britain" at the time it was built.

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Originally posted by Mapolq

The Jhaamdathians were already around by -5800 DR, and that means they're not likely to be Imaskari escapees, so I go with autochtonous peoples. However, I like your idea of the Dathites (though I prefer to go with Chessentans, it should become clear why). As I see it (and this is pure speculation), the Dathites (Chessentans) were Minoans and other early southern european peoples, taken from Earth by the Imaskari roughly at the same time as the people from Egypt and Mesopotamia, on the 2nd millenium BC or so (Yes, I'm a fan of the Stargate hypothesis as well). Now, by that time, the Jhaamdathians already had a flourishing civilization in what would become the Vilhon, and usually marked the end of Imaskari/Imaskari survivor expansion westwards. Now, when the Imaskar Empire fell, you had a few groups of people who had been their slaves: the Mulan (Egyptians) founded Mulhorand, and the Untheric and Chessentans founded Unther. Now, Chessentans might have been second class citizens on the Untheric empire, and settled mostly in the border with Jhaamdath (today's Chessenta), often trying to break free from the Empire. They succeeded around the time of the fall of Jhaamdath, establishing the First Chessentan Empire (Icelander speculates about it here: First Chessentan Empire). At that time, they expanded westwards (and also overseas to the Wizards' Reach), occupying the power vacuum left by fallen Jhaamdath. Somehow, though, their imperial designs were not very successful, and by the early 1st millenium DR Chessenta was reincorporated by Unther, only to break free again around 700 DR, and Jhaamdathian survivors were able to build independent cities on the shores of the Vilhon.

So, during the millenia in which Chessentans and Jhaamdathans shared a border, and the few centuries when old Jhaamdath was under Chessentan rule, I suppose the two ethnic groups may have intermingled. Sometimes I also try to fit in a few gods that are very Greek-like by saying they were brought by the Chessentans when the Godswall fell, but changed significatively. So Lathander could be Apollo, who eventually made his way into the Talfiric and Faerūnian Pantheons. Similarly, Sune might be Aphrodite, and Tyche would be, well, Tyche (though I'm not very familiar with these goddesses' histories in the Realms).

So modern Chondathians would actually be of mixed Chessentan and Jhaamdathian ancestry, most of the time. But as Sespech is concerned, I say the earliest colonization effort started at the 2nd century DR, by people who already called themselves Chondathians or something like that. Before that, it was Nikerymath, an elven land.

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Originally posted by Mapolq

I'm not Steven Schend, of course, but I hope I managed to tie most of the stuff together.

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