Vacidonia

Vacidonia is a mountainous country, with countless hills and valleys. Much of it is forested. The forests are dense and overgrown with underbrush, home to bears and wolves, as well as worse things.

The country is the most rural of all the Clemencian kingdoms, having but one major city and few notable towns. The populace live in walled villages. Houses in Vacidonia tend to have sharply peaked roofs, their walls grown with moss, lichen and ivy..

Vacidonia bears the mark of being the primary battlefield between the Atrahasite and the Frankish race. For hundreds of years, under Cargan rule, and under the first and the second Clemencian dynasty, Vacidonia has been where the Haramesh advances have been repulsed. In periods, the land has been on Haramesh hands. Few realms have so many old battlefields, so many ruined settlements.

The nobles of Vacidonia are more independent than those of other Clemencian kingdoms. The flux of power in the kingdom has left them with a habit of self-government, and the lack of roads and other infrastructure has made it hard for the Grand Kings to enforce their supremacy. The Grand Kings have vacilliated between force and bribery in ensuring the noblemens' loyalty. Neither has been very effective, the Vacidonian noblemen are notorious turncoats, and tend to shift alligance between the Grand King and the Haramesh Padishah as a matter of convenience. The noblemen squabble among themselves for dominance, and noble houses rise and fall in prominence over single generations. Their petty wars often become intwined into the greater Clemencia-Haram conflict.

Vacidonians tend to be short and swarthy. Many have the slick black hair and the hooked noses of the Harameans. The stereotypical Vacidonian is surly and quiet, shifty and treacherous. Banditry is something of a national tradition, and tales abound of travellers who were killed by local bandits, or even by their hosts in inns or homes.

In addition to being an eternal battlefield and a hive of banditry, Vacidonia is rumoured to be home to ghosts, vampires, dragons and other foulness.

Migaluara is the capital of Vacedonia. Its importance to merchants is eclipsed by Orteruga, as its harbour is not very well protected from the ravages of storms, and the many sieges it has been under has left it bereft of wealth..

All in all, Vacidonia is not a good place to travel in, nor is there much reason to do so, for anybody who is not a soldier or mercenary. The country exports a bit of charcoal, and a number of medicinal herbs.