NOVEL WEB Map of Sapiya
The Empire of Corsythia is a loose confederation of kingdoms and duchies that nominally bend the knee to the capital city (and province) of Corsythia. The Empire traces its roots back to the fallen empire of the Mwyrani. When that land was destroyed in the cataclysm known as the Shuddering, large groups of survivors migrated to the north. Their retreat was dangerous, as the fleeing remnant was constantly harried by hostile armies of Sidhe and dragons. It was only when a combined army of the refugees, Strythani, and elves defeated the Sidhe forces that they were able to settle the lands in peace, establishing the kingdoms that would later form the empire.
Over time, three confederations emerged. In the north was the Canton of Celestia, which had a close alliance with the elven city of Yammaqom. In the south, the Canton of Sicya carved out a domain from lands that had formerly belonged to the Fey, and in the center, the Canton of Corsythia was established. Caught in between two more powerful cantons, the kings of Corsythia relied on diplomacy and intrigue to preserve their independence, and their political savvy was eventually. rewarded.
After centuries of intermarriage, the kings of Corsythia inherited the Canton of Sicya when their dynasty died without an heir. Suddenly the dominant power in the region, the Corsythian kings applied pressure on Celestia, trying to force them into a union.
But Celestia had the support of the elves and was not so easily cowed. After decades of conflict, an agreement was finally forged: the two cantons would unite, but the region of Celestia would be afforded equal rank with Corsythia. From then on, the city of Corsythia was established as the southern capital and the city of Celestia as the northern capital. The newly crowned emperors were expected to spend split their time between the two cities.
The power of the emperors waxed and waned through the years. During much of the empire's history, the rulers were little more than figureheads, but in times of crisis, their power was often absolute. After the devastating civil war of the Desolyton, the independence of the regions never fully recovered. During the war, the emperors established the Barracks and the Guild, stationing permanent garrisons of imperial forces in most important cities.
The region of the empire that Jasper has been adventuring in can be seen in the colored section of the map below.
The kingdom of Sapiya has a rich and tumultuous history. To the west, it borders Stryn and Yelkala, the great bastions of cultist power during the Desolyton. The wealthy and much more populous kingdom of Stryn has always fostered ambitions to conquer Sapiya, but geography has been the great equalizer in their conflicts. While Stryn's elite cavalry forces have no rival on the flat farmlands and open savannas of their homeland, they have fared poorly in the dense jungles and cold mountains of Sapiya. Thus, despite being heavily outnumbered, the smaller region has mostly been able to retain its independence.
To the north lies lands belonging to the Canton of Celestia, the kingdoms of Hapiya and Merom. As may be guessed from the similarity in their names, Hapiya and Sapiya share a close connection. They were once a single kingdom until they were divided in an inheritance. Despite the split, Hapiya remains their closest ally against Stryn, and their navy dominates the inland sea. Merom is a quiet region whose allegiance lies with its northern neighbor, Hadīn.
To the east lies the Duchy of West Corsythia. Originally part of the crown lands, the Duchy eventually fell into the hands of a lesser house of the Imperial family. A small and weak territory, the Duchy poses no threat to Sapiya, and maintains generally amicable relations.
Finally, the Harei Miqlat (the mountains of refuge) lie in the south. The insular region is accessible only from a single pass in the south of Sapiya, near the city of Gis̆-Izum. Famously closed off from the rest of the empire, the pass is guarded by a formidable mountain fortress, and access to its central regions is zealously guarded.
While once a wealthy and cosmopolitan kingdom, Sapiya has been reduced to a shadow of its former glory. Many of the most important battles of the Desolyton were fought within its borders, and, during the war, control of the region passed back and forth between the sides. By the time the Empire finally declared victory, the population of the kingdom had been cut in half.
When the Fey wars broke out, Sapiya again found itself in the center of the conflict as the unlucky province was the northernmost point that the rampaging Fey forces reached. By the time imperial forces reclaimed the region, only the cities that had sanctums still survived. Since that time, the kingdom has never recovered. However, the region is currently safe from the Zalancthian invasion, and the population has begun to swell with refugees from the coastal lands.