In the land of Tolria, there resides six ancient noble houses owned by the high elven race. These houses are at constant turmoil with one another over the land, which is imbued with a surplus of magic. Each controls their surrounding lands and have very different cultures to their names. These estates include the Drestars, the Noremads, the Maritons, the Wrhythres’, the Opretons, and the Faloque.
The Drestar are the northernmost house, making their home within the valleys beneath the Balar Mountains which divides the land of Tolria from the Northern Wastes. They are a mercantile people who have built an empire based around trade with the other nations. As such, they have easily become the most powerful and secure house among the six, as no other estate risks losing their lucrative deals within the trade capital of Tolria; Regyrn, The City Made of Gold. Many generations ago, Drestar was not called Drestar, but instead Balar. It was the only estate not ran by elves, instead being owned by the dwarves who made the northern mounatins their home. However, the entire land was lost in a card game by the Dwarven king, Darruk Balar, to an elven gambler named Xerseine Drestar I. It's been claimed by the dwarves that this game was rigged or cheated, or even that their lands were stolen by the elves, but as of yet nothing has come of their claims. In fairness, in recent years the northern dwarves have been awarded much more autonomy from the house, but are still often monitored in case of a sense of rebellion. This estate is the youngest of the six houses, however it is arguable that it is the most powerful of them all. Drestar is the most populous and richest estate, and second largest in land size, only behind their western neighbors, the Opreton.
The Opreton to the west are a violent and staunch people, who live their life in search of conquest on the battlefield. They reside within rocky highlands, with very little in the way of natural resources. This has led to a culture of antagonism and glory-seeking, as Opreton warriors claim victories for their Chiefland. Within this land, magic has been outlawed, with the use of such abilities resulting in being hunted down and slain by the Chieftain's Magi-Hunters and Magi-Slayers, respectively. They also engage in alternatives to gold within their land, allowing body parts to be bartered with the same legality as normal tender. All of these factors have led to those outside of Opreton to see them as nothing but mindless savages, but in reality they are a proud people with a drive to prove themselves as worthy to their homeland. Sadly, however, perhaps the most savage action they partake in is a thriving slave economy, where many who fail in the arenas are taken and sold to be forceful servants, if they are not already. Many of these captures are taken away from their homes and families, and most are sent to their southern neighbors, the Whythres.
The House of Whythres is an oddity amongst the rest of the continent, as it is the only house which is not ran solely by a single ruler. Instead, it is divided into many smaller estates, who all collectively together make up the United Lordships of Whythres. Each Lord controls their surrounding lands as they see fit, and they swear fealty only to the High Lord, a title which holds more weight as a cultural icon rather than a diplomatic title. Within this land, demons and devils run rampant, both in a metaphorical and literal sense. This land is home to an extensive cave system which snakes its way down all the way into the Deepdwell, where devils reside, curious and hungry. Meanwhile, above ground, many of the elven estates of Whythres heavily engage in the practice of slavery, whether for plowing fields, acting as unpaid servants, or even tending to their shops and restaurants which can be found in the estate-cities, which are exactly what it sounds like. These slaves often wear magic collars as well, which dampen their emotions to be more open to persuasion. A truly horrifying and sickening system, which has gained much public scrutiny by the other houses. Whythres is divided into three very distinct ecosystems: The Crownwatch to the west, the Plowlands in the center, and the Infernal Sands to the east, which is an expansive and deadly desert which divides Whythres by land from their neighbors: The Opreton, Faloque, and Mariton.
The Faloque are a sadly desperate house, who have fallen from their previous glory generations ago. Once they ruled nearly the whole of the continent of Tolria, from the rugged western highlands to the southern marshes. The Faloque Empire ruled with strength and power, quelling any upsets and eliminating voices that spoke against its sovereignty. It was both mighty and terrible. However, over time the stagnant armies of Faloque began to falter, as many different cultures began to rebel in stronger numbers. As Faloque's empire crumbled, it is said the last of the emperors flung himself from the peak of the castle of Skyspear to the stone road below. Nowadays, the flat central plains of Tolria is used most as a staging ground for the other, larger forces of the continent to battle upon. A land once full of power, reduced to nothing but someone else's battleground. As such, much of its people are displaced and impoverished, struggling to find ways to live day by day. Many decide to flee Faloque entirely, heading to more prosperous nations such as Drestar or Mariton, who welcome such refugees more openly than the other houses.
The Mariton are obsessed with understanding the world as it could be, curious as to the secrets it may be holding. The house is home to an organization called the Third Shield Society, which heads many aspects of the estate, but are most well known for the Third Shield College, which is the home of many an aspiring scholar. Both in magic and in science, Mariton excels, oftentimes blending the two together to push them both to their theoretical extremes. As such, their culture is one of advancement, always focused on the next big invention which may revolutionize the world. Many of Mariton's inhabitants have upgraded their physical bodies with the advent of technology, and there are even great strides made to create fully autonomous beings of metal and electricity, the likes of which have never been seen before in this world. However, oftentimes their pursuit of ingenuity leads them down dark paths, requiring engaging in sacrilegious acts in order to get the job done. Along with that, outside city walls the house's lands can be quite dangerous to the ill-prepared, as many bandits and thugs wander the roadways of the wetlands of Mariton in search of some coin and perhaps scrap that a foolish architect might mistake for valuable artifacts.
Lastly, the Noremad are the most reclusive and mysterious of all the six houses. They largely keep to themselves and tend not to involve themselves in house drama. Within their borders, they practice the magic of the land, however often to the land's detriment. Long ago, the first Druid-King of Noremad travelled into the Diani Ocean and discovered lands known as the Isles of Druno. There, he discovered plants and animals he had never seen before and became enamored by its beauty. He decided he would return back home to Tolria and spread the joy of this discovery to his people and the land. So, using ancient magic and a powerful artifact, he began to teraform the natural land of the Northeast into a jungle. He passed down his methods to many, and over time the land of Noremad has been transformed completely from what was once a forest haven into an artificial rainforest, with thousands of druids all maintaining it around the clock. This has drastically shifted the climate of the entire continent, and possibly the world, as more and more moisture is needed in order to maintain such a large elf-made ecosystem. Noremad is also very bureaucratic land, however, as they are staunch believers in order and law, a remnant of their culture left over from before the first Druid-King. As such, the land is a strange mix of both wild nature and ordered society which coexist to create a corrupt land, both in habitat and culture, with gilding vines hiding its true nature.
Currently, the 6 houses live in a tenuous peace, with many treaties and pacts made between the estates. However, the tense nature of estate relations could come crumbling apart at any moment, and all it would take is one wrong step to destroy the peace and cause yet another war of the houses.
