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Map of Merliad

Western Felinio, historically, has been a land of many small nations. The Merliad Military Confederation, although it holds more territory than any nation in the history of the continent, is of relatively recent origins, having been founded in 273 PO as a direct result of the Woodsman War. While it's name brings to mind marching soldiers and military tyranny, it is by Drak standards, a relatively loosely held confederation, with foreign and military affairs handled by the government in Felifur, but with local matters generally handled in traditional ways by traditional local governments, pretty much as they existed hundreds of years ago.

CALIOZ, the northernmost region bordering Qitlan, has been predominantly populated by humans for over 1,000 years. Culturally, the population was much like Qitlan's predominantly feline peoples, but with a particularly independent streak that has led them to be somewhat separated from other nearby nations. Most of the population lives on the coast, and in mountain valleys as far south as the Geslos Pass, the wide break in the mountain range 100 miles north of the city of Geslos. The plains of Calioz that lie between the deserts of Qitlan and the heavy farming regions to the south, are somewhat arid, and farming there is poor, and at a subsistence level. Small, widely separated villages on these plains tend to be very self-sufficient, and reject visitors, wishing to be generally left alone. It was in Calioz that the feared Woodman Movement was founded, with its leaders arriving as refugees from the northwestern forests of the Empire. After nearly 100 years of human-elven disputes and outright wars, over 300 rebel leaders were expelled en-masse in 2354 PK.

The CENTRAL PLAINS, a highly fertile farming region that extends about 2000 miles from the Calioz Plains to nearly the mountain rangers in the south, and from Felafoxe west to the Merlias Wood. 70% of the food produced on Felinio is grown on the Central Plains. For centuries, the people of this region have organized themselves into clans that serve as large extended families that can include as many as 10,000 individuals with traceable, though distant, blood ties. After centuries of life in a perpetually well-nourished, hard-working world, the average size of Central Clansmen, both male and female, can exceed other individuals of comparable race by as much as 18 inches. In general, the Central Clans are friendly, and have been deeply involved in trade with all comers. The Clans have amassed great wealth, but that wealth stays in the hands of the Clan leadership, to be used for the benefit of all within that Clan. Most Clansmen live in rural areas, and leave the running of their few larger cities to immigrants.

GESLOS is a somewhat backward, feudal society controlling the coast and deep valleys of the mountain range that stretches from Geslos west almost to Felifur. Most valleys are cut off from other parts of the continent, and in certain particularly inaccessible places, strangers may not be seen for decades. The population of each valley is under the control of a Duke, however most of the royal figures spend their lives in Geslos, leaving the actual governance to local mayors, who see to it that taxes are paid. Dwarves, elves, half-elves, and humans make up most of the population here. Because of the difficult access in this area, it was the least affected by the Woodsman Wars.

FELIFUR is the capitol region of the Confederation, and is ruled directly by the Supreme Commandant of the Confederation. The territory consists of the western and southern coastal band, and the band of land south of the Geslos Mountain range to the edge of the Merlias Wood. The population of this region traditionally had been outward-looking, and took its livelihood and character from the sea. This, however, changed radically after the Woodsman War that leveled virtually all towns and villages in this region, and severely damaged the three large cities of Felifur, Trogan, and Olvaax. While most of it has been rebuilt, ruins dot the landscape, though most have been stripped of all value or recognizability. The war killed over 200,000 persons in this region, and the survivors willingly accepted the military leadership that lives on today. This region is about equally populated by humans and felines, with a large population of urbanized elves and half-elves in the cities.

The MERLIAS WOOD is the densest forest in all of Drak. It is approximately 2400 x 1600 miles in size, and is believed to be only lightly populated, although there is no reliable estimate of that population. Elves and half-elves make up the bulk of the known population, with humans, felines, and orcs making up the rest. Maps do not exist except for some areas within 10-20 miles from the edge. The Confederation maintains a number of highly secret military installations, most located on the western side of the wood between Trogan and Lake Merlias. It was in this area that the infamous Breedkill Project was carried out beginning in 250 PO. To this day, Felinachoj present an ever-present danger to adventuresome folk who attempt to penetrate this region. Contacts with the leadership of this region occur only when special councils are called by that leadership, usually in Trogan. This happens about every 3 or 4 years, and usually involves complaints of too many outsiders trespassing on Merlias land.

The MOUNTAINS OF MIRAL are the smaller mountain region on the northwest of Laralikor. Like many mountain regions on Drak, it is predominantly populated by dwarves. Miralian dwarves, who tend to be a bit taller than their counterparts elsewhere, are not as bound to ancient traditions. Miral has many well-marked passages and passes that require little effort to negotiate, and visitors are welcomed in this somewhat modern dwarven society. This is also one of the few regions on Drak where traditional underground dwellings and tunnels have been opened up for use and viewing by non-dwarves and visitors. Among more traditional dwarves, the Mountains of Miral are often disdained as a "tourist trap". Dangers are minimal, and with the exception of fairly frequent theft, travelers have little to fear. One event in Miralian history causes some shame. The population of Felinachoj in Miral was never great, and by comparison with other regions, they were not as violent, wishing only to be left alone with their families in the high mountain valleys. The Miralians, in 410 PO, after the pretext of an attack on a visiting Empire dignitary, launched a 10-year extermination campaign against the Felinachoj, killing hundreds, and causing hundreds more to flee east into the deepest mountains of Tworn. No Felinachoj have been sighted in Miral since 435 PO. Miralians also make up a substantial part of the population in Nodi and Laralikor.

The MOUNTAINS OF TWORN, located to the east of the Mountains of Miral, are less dense than Miral, but higher and less accessible. More traditional in culture and religion than the population of their neighboring mountain region, Tworn also boasts an unusual twist to their dwarven-led society. Although virtually all their population lives a traditionally dwarven lifestyle, that population has a significant non-dwarven element, mostly elven, human, and half-elf, but other races exist there in smaller numbers. A rather large, though somewhat isolated population of vespers live in one very high mountain area. Felinachoj do exist throughout Tworn, but contacts with others are rare, and usually non-violent, although thievery has been reported. There is a particularly dense, virtually impassable cluster of mountains in the southwestern corner of Tworn that is populated only by Felinachoj and a few religious and educators who choose to live among them. There is a substantial trade between Tworn and the dwarves in the relatively nearby mountain ranges of the Empire. It is believed that underground tunnels connect the two regions, and that substantial smuggling occurs through these tunnels, particularly through the open port at Laralikor.

LARALIKOR, controlling the hilly, heavily wooded lands south of Tworn and Miral, and its coastline, is a pleasant, maritime-oriented society. The climate is relatively warm for its latitude, due to a constant warm current that flows from the west toward Catclaw. This current, which runs counter to most other ocean currents, and sweeps down the west coast of the continent from Calioz Bay. With it come a very fruitful bounty of sea creatures that forms the basis for the Laralikor economy. The coastline along this region is dotted with hundreds of tiny fishing villages. Officials in Laralikor are elected by the citizens, and are notorious for turning a blind eye on the extensive smuggling that takes place here, much of it instigated by the Sepdomoj. The city, itself, is a free port and you can purchase pretty much anything you desire with no local taxation. The city does have a "monetary arrangement" with the Confederation which finds this source of goods to be very convenient in unsettled times.

The Merliad Military Confederation was born as a result of the Woodsman War. In 92 PO, the Woodsman movement was founded in the city of Calioz. A well-armed, rather violent group, they soon reached the size where they took over the Calioz government.Over the next 170 years, the Woodsman Empire, as they called themselves, spread slowly east and south, by word of mouth as well as physically, then turning to the west advanced on Felifur. Throughout this migration, conversion and invasion, they avoided coastal areas, concentrating on the rural Central Plains. As they progressed, non-humans in their path were killed, run off, or enslaved, one of the only know instances of slavery on Felinio.

During this period, the movement also gained a foothold in the Merlias wood, then, expecting little resistance from Felifur, the Woodsmen attacked the city in 262. The notably feline population at the time put up an unbelievable fight which lasted two years, and virtually leveled the city. The Woodsmen eventually did take nominal control there, but it was an uneasy control harassed constantly by an active, violent underground that organized itself in the northern part of the Wood with elven assistance.

At the same time, Woodsman forces moved southeast from Calioz and attacked Felafoxe in 270. This was a mistake, and they found themselves facing well-trained Empire warriors who dissuaded them from continuing in that direction. Those forces then moved southwest, taking and holding Nodi in 272.

In 273, representatives of the various governments under attack met in Olvaax, and the Merliad Military Confederation was officially born by the Treaty of Olvaax. It would be many years before the new nation had forces strong enough to hold their own against the Woodsmen, however.

The turning point in the war came 4 years later when a Woodsmen Army advanced on Laralikor, having bypassed the Mountains of Miral and Tworn. The famed Paladin Arvax Estergrave, commander of an unusually skilled mercenary army of archers, held the city, then beat back the attackers to a point between the two mountain ranges where they found themselves encircled by a well-trained, fierce dwarven army. In a single month of battle over 100,000 casualties resulted, 75% of which were Woodsmen.

The victorious forces combined and moved northward, leaving thousands of Woodsman bodies in their wake. By 278, they had retaken Nodi, and forced the Woodsmen movement to retreat into the Merlias Wood (which they called the Sunset Forest) and to their sypathetic areas in the northern part of the central plains. They found sanctuary in Merlias for only a short period, during which elven forays inflicted still more casualties on the now decimated forces, the Woodsmen decided to make a stand at Felifur, with their backs to the sea. Naval forces arrived soon after from Calioz Bay, and Felifur was turned into an impregnable fortress.

In 283, warriors under the command of General Rogar Sim made their way up the coast from Trogan, which had been retaken two years before. They joined with the forces under Estergrave, and after a battle that lasted 11 months, and cost another 100,000 lives, the Woodsmen were routed, with survivors escaping by sea. Estergrave was killed during the latter stages of the battle, and at the retaking of the capitol city, General Sim was declared Supreme Commandant of the Confederation, a post he held until his assassination in 295.

With the death of Estergrave and the retaking of Felifur, the decision was made to stop the war, leaving the Woodsmen in control of much of the Central Plains, but it was determined that it would be impossible to root them out of the largely rural area. The killing of Sim at the hands of official Woodsman assassins, however, changed the strategy overnight. Massing a huge force, the Confederation cut a wide swath through the plains, and in 299, attacked Calioz, which was occupied with little or no resistance by the defeated Woodsmen.

Nearly all the surviving Woodsman leadership was summarily executed, and all lands and property were confiscated from any person who had a connection with the Woodsman regime or fought in their army. This included several of the Central Clans who to this day remain landless outlaws, preying upon villages and towns. To this day, while official Woodsman resistance does not exist, pockets of unofficial Woodsman raiders have been involved in hit and run attacks in far-flung areas throughout the continent. These raiders are primarily racist terrorists who attack and kill non-humans almost at random, then fade back into the forests or hills. There is a rumor that a former Woodsman General established a troop of soldiers that lives on, deep in the "Sunset Forest", now staffed by descendants of the long dead warriors. It is said that the descendants are insane, and have joined forces with Felinachoj to kill anyone entering the forest. This has now reached the status of a story that parents tell their children to keep them from wandering off.