The Cities of the Marenica Sea
The shores of the Marenica Sea, also called the Great Green Sea, are home to the various Illorian peoples as well as Halflings, Geallians, Werhenlanders, and Phanicians. Its coast is one of the most commercially important and politically fractured regions of western Omniluxia.
Historical Background¶
The Marenican coast was deeply shaped by the Zani Empire, the later Razani Empire, and the spread of Helluvianism. Illorian cities won freedom from the Razani in 912 LC, but the region's independence has usually been brief, conditional, or divided by rival powers.
The sea's value comes from the Marenican Sea Trade. Whoever controls its ports can move goods, faith, soldiers, and diplomatic influence between Illorian cities, Werhenlander kingdoms, Halfling communities, Geallian lands, and the pagan interior beyond the coast.
The Powers¶
Several powers now compete for influence:
- A young mercantile republic thrives from its large cities and famous Acropolis, rivaled by a poorer but more warlike neighbor.
- The ancient cities of the Aollans are free again, with great Ioninna perhaps the last major bastion of true Illorian tradition.
- The Shannah leads the Helluvian faith from his realm, trying to turn religious prestige into political authority and spread Helluvianism to pagan lands beyond the sea.
- The last communities of Old Believers cling to ancestral traditions at the fringes of the Illorian world.
Werhenlander Pressure¶
Incoming Werhenlander kingdoms seek expansion by force. Having driven the northern Pollians to near-extinction, they now march against the divided Ullydian states of Yr-Marrenica, the heartland of the Illorian peoples.
This pressure makes the Marenica Sea more than a trade zone. It is a frontier where Illorian revival, Helluvian authority, Werhenlander conquest, and older local traditions all collide.
See also: Illorians, Helluvianism, Werhenlanders, Razani Empire, and Geallian.