Corvinia

The Island kingdoms of Corvinia are places of great wonder. After overcomes the initial trepidation that the island presents upon first siting its shores, its strange beauty strikes you. The early morning mists that rise from the grassy hills and fields, blanket all that is in view. Suddenly, as though a torch was touched to oil, the mist will seem to burst into golden light at the first touch of the suns rays, lending the island an air of mystery and strange beauty.

The small island is divided among three cultures, the first one of which I encountered call themselves the Koraki. These were the people of the island that found themselves occupied most directly by the invading Dryads. So it is that they have taken most readily to the culture and ways of their overlords during the Third era of the Imperialis Dryadalis. Thus in their primary city of Gaerwen, their way of building and life is familiar to our own in the South in the Pleiades, though noticeably more rustic, with far more timber used in construction than stone or marble. The style however, was similar enough.

Their political system seems to consist on a king, a council of five barons, called the Syngor, and their knights who pledge to their respective barons, or directly to the king. Below them are the craftsmen and freedmen who form the base of society.

Such a system would hardly be something that a citizen of the Republic would have any objection to, though perhaps not wish for himself were it perhaps for the parallel and unofficial branch of the political apparatus, the Pyrgos Magos. This is the tower of magicians that are made up of those Dryads who remain, as well as those of their offspring that retain magical abilities. This body forms as the religious and scholarly branch of society, as well as guardians of the culture, serving as priestesses in what seems to be a closely related form of pagan worship as practiced by the Dryads in Morea. For those of my readers who are unfamiliar with these deities I shall list them briefly:

Athana: Goddess of magic, revered for her wisdom and mastery of the arcane arts.

Aremos: God of war, worshipped by soldiers and strategists.

Technitis: God of knowledge and invention, patron of inventors, scientists, and philosophers.

Iadour: God of nature, worshipped by farmers, hunters, and those who live close to the land.

Custodia: Goddess of protection and civilization, revered by rulers and city planners.

As for the military makeup of this kingdom seems to be a simple matter. A levy of the plebians can be summoned in times of war, which shall be equipped according to the means of their lord, with bows, spears and other such weaponry, sorely lacking in quality in comparison to the mighty legionary infantry that stand firm and disciplined in the service of the Republic, but nonetheless they are brave and eager in their duty by all accounts. The knights form the backbone of the military arm of this force. Their ways and ideals are worth a chapter of their own, but for now their military place is enough. Whether they fight on horseback or on foot they are fierce and powerfully armed with great swords or axes grasped in two hands, or powerful lances. Furthermore, their armour is near impervious to missile or melee weapons. A Koraki knight is 3 times the worth of a legionary, but they lack the coordination in large groups where the legions of the Republic excel far beyond what this people can field. These forces are supplemented at times by the mages of the Pyrgos Magos, though it is at their own discretion, and the king cannot command their fealty in this matter.

Overall the Koraki people offer a fascinating insight into Dryad imperial influence on the outer edges of civilization while also leaving much to see about the original way of life enjoyed by the people prior to the fall of the First Empire.