Basilean Hegemony is ruled over by the Basileans and has five different provinces.
Geography
There are many other provinces, lesser in size, but some great in power. The number of these smaller provinces depends very much on the Basilean’s recent military successes. They include scores of islands, some overseas territories and various successor states that have been conquered. Some are of great vintage, although acquisitions among the bickering principalities of the west rarely last long
The five main provinces are:
Solios
Solios is the heartland of the Hegemon, birthplace of the ancient Basilean civilisation. It is within Solios that the capital, The Golden Horn, is to be found. Solios occupies much of the north and east of the area. Its northernmost reaches extend far beyond Basilea proper, its east defined by the Low Sea of Suan. Solios’ furthest border is a line of grim forts at the edge of the Abyssal Dwarf lands of Tragar. In truth this is a military frontier: nothing lives within two hundred miles of the forts, the land is too hard and the threat of invasion too great, and yet the Basileans still proclaim it to be theirs.
Spartha
Spartha occupies the lower portion of the western peninsula. In olden times, Spartha was Solios’ greatest rival and to this day it is renowned for its skilled warriors. The attitude of these people is well known across the world, for they are laconic in the extreme. This attribute is something others find highly amusing or extremely offensive, depending on their own cultural sensibilities: there is little ground in between.
Cortia
Cortia is the last of the peninsular provinces, centred on the ancient city of the same name, it is famed for its horsemen. Cortia lies to the north of Spartha, and is somewhat smaller than its southern cousins in the Hegemony.
Nova Primovantor
Nova Primvator is one of the two larger provinces. Nova Primovantor occupies the north and east of the Primovantian peninsular. The province represents the last of Basilea’s many attempts to reconquer what remains of the old province of Primovantor, that which once encompassed all the Damar Mountains, with Primovantor at its centre. Nova Primovantor is large, but surrounded on three sides by antagonistic successor states.
Novo Ardoviki
Founded on the Ardovikian plain where the Primovantian provinces of Vestra- and Ostra-Ardovikia once stood, before they were ground to nothing under Winter’s glaciers. Established only a hundred years ago, Novo Ardoviki is a clear challenge to the Young Kingdoms that have sprung up on the plain – the Basileans see this as their territory, and mean to keep it. Novo Ardovikio is in a tenuous position, it is linked by a short frontier to the north of Nova Primovantor, and otherwise surrounded by hostile states to the north, west, and southwest, and bordered to the east by the forest of Galahir, home of the unpredictable goddess – The Green Lady.
History
The Fall of Primovantor
The Grand Republic of Primovantor was the greatest civilisation not only of Man, but in all of Pannithor’s long history, covering a third of the known world dominating Elvenholme and the mightiest dwarf Holds in size, power and opulence. A full on united beniton of nations with an elected senate and headed by a High Consul, a beacon of hope against the relentless chill of Winter’s Age of Ice, the last era of the God War. The Celestians were friends to the learned scholars of Primovantor.
Even after nearly a thousand years the feats of magic and art are yet to match the previous republic.
Elves taught the Primovantians who in turn learned from them, the lands expanded by conquering them, but they were treated equally and were willing to serve and protect the Primovantor.
The High Consul initiated the ending of Winter, not seeing the fate that would unfold for their own land. By this time the God War had split the Celestians and ravaged the lands. Winter's War killed the Republic grinding the provinces north of the Dragon's Teeth to clay, the rich southlands drowned by the sea, what remained was Basliea with the twin cities of Primantor and the Golden Horn.
The Birth of Basilea
After the God War, the Winter's War floods, the Dwarves buggered off back underground, the Elves fragmented and scattered, the men were left to fight the creatures of the Abyss, marauding orcs and goblins, and even the savage men of the steppes, alone. Teetering near extinction Humanity survived because it refused to die.
The broken remains of the Celestians, the Shining Ones rarely showed an interest.
Hegemon Bolisean’s armies were exhausted, surrounded and cut off by a far larger orc horde, a fresh charge of orcs pounding towards him, and his blade shattered.
Bolisean cried out to the Gods a final plea for his men to be saved. The Shining Ones strangely heard and The spirit of Domivar himself – the son of Mescator appeared before Bolisean, Asking for a Blood Oath, Bolisean instantly provided it. Suddenly with a thundercrack the rain stopped, blinding light flooded the battlefeild and when it receeded thousands of Elohi flew down and destroyed the Orcs.
The pact had been made in blood, the realm of Basilea was born, Bolisean becoming the first Hegemon of this new empire of men.
The last shining bastion of humanity, the centre of man’s power and learning, and the upholder of the traditions of Primovantor, in whose shadow it persists, this is Basilea.
Basilea Today
The most powerful of all the kingdoms of Men. Basilea insists that it is the only true protector of Primovantor’s legacy.
Worshiping the Shining Ones is a part of life in Basilea with a plethora of temples and churches and lives spent devoted to prayer.
The Hegemon of Basilea is king and high priest both and is said to have a divine connection to the Shining Ones, and end forth the Elhoi from the mountain of Kolosu.
But as with all powerful states there is a sinister side, free thinking is not tolerated, "witch trials" still persist with the innocent and guilty being condemned to death by mass drowning in the Cleansing Pools.
The People of Basilea
Pious, conceited and arrogant the Basileans have every right to be they have the gods watching over them and Elhoi fighting with them.
The Golden Horn is full of churches, and the faith holds great temporal power. For nine hundred years they have been under the guardianship of the Shining Ones, so it is ingrained into their religion. As a key position for trade routes it has become rich and powerful. Smaller than the old Primovantor, Basilea is one of the wealthiest nation states in all of Mantica, if not the whole of Pannithor
The Armies of Basilea
The Basileans worship the Shining Ones, and large numbers of paladins, warrior monks and battle nuns are found in their armies. The angelic Elohi fly above the hosts of Basilea.
With the wealth means armour and great weapons even for the footsoldiers. Large vast armies are bolstered either on foot and on horse back by the elite Paladins, the fanatical sisterhood. Second only to the dwarven builds are their war machines.
After the flooding of the Abyss and the destruction of the Brotherhood, Basilea courted the remaining Exemplars forming the Order of the Brotherhood faction on the boarder with Tragar, with their pennants flying high over the towers of St. Victor Dupont.
 This wiki is not an official Mantic Games publication. |