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Quell is one of the major powers within The Five Realms. It is a harsh country, with people used to hard work and military service. It is currently ruled by Lord Astor Harana following the previous ruler's, High Priestess Sol, disappearance. This change in rule has led to the end of the Quellian/Mironian War which raged for thousands of years, as well as many other large changes, many of which are strongly resisted by its people.

Contents:

Geography

Quell shares a land border with Ri'En to its north, Arimore to its west, and Mironia to its south. The country's land is prodominantly made up of unforgiving deserts and savannahs, with the Bezmadan mountain range to the east and the edge of the Kilnun mountain range to its west. The river Aver passes through Quell and is considered the life blood of the region, along with the river Krin, which flows down from the mountains, which joins it. Quell has a desert climate, characterised by scorching hot weather throughout the day and bitterly cold nights. Beasts and monsters native to desert and savannah habitats can be found in various places throughout Ri'En, with the presence of Purple Worms and Sandsharks being particularly infamous.

Major Cities

The Capital City of Toran is the largest city in Quell by a considerable margin, and is a hub for trade with the other cities and settlements throughout Quell. Other major cities include Ashwick, Tarawyn, and Hammith with other settlements being more akin to large towns or settlements.

Demographics

The vast majority of the population is made up of Humans, with the odd member of various other races scattered around Quell, having had to prove they had forsaken any magic they might have had and are devout to the god Opus. It is thought that a large number of Dwarves likely live in the Bezmadan mountains as they do in Ri'En, though they do not take part in Quellian society if so. As a result of Ri'En's persecution of Dragonborns in the past year, many were desperate enough to cross the border into Quell.

Life in Quell

Life in Quell has historically revolved around two things: worship of Opus, and the Quellian/Mironian War.Though Opus is purported to be dead, and the war is no more, the effects and hold that both had for thousands of years still shape every day life within Quell. Many refuse to believe that Opus is dead, and continue to worship him as they have their whole lives. As such, though magic is no longer outlawed in Quell following the end of the war, hatred and distrust of magic remains strong throughout Quell.

For many this hatred extends to Lord Astor Harana, blaming her for the plagues that ravaged Quell for much of a year as divine punishment for her blasphemy against Opus. Many feel that since Lord Astor Harana cannot be trusted to protect them from the evils of magic, they must protect themselves by whatever means they deem necessary. As such, and especially since all able-bodied Quellians were trained in military combat from the age of 14 until Lord Astor Harana's rule, it is still extremely dangerous to possess magic within Quell.

The harsh climate and the values instilled in them from their worship of Opus mean that Quellians are extremely hardworkers. They rise before dawn, praying to Opus, work until noon, pray and eat, then work until dusk, then pray and eat.

Governance

Quell is now ruled by Authoritarian leadership, with the position currently held by Lord Astor Harana. She is working to undo years of hatred of magic instilled in Quell by slowly reintroducing magic to the realm, as well as attempting to strengthen ties to the rest of the realms with the help of her advisors. Previously Quell was a theocracy ruled by the Order of the High Sun, and the transition has not been a smooth one with many opposing Lord Astor's rule.

Law

Quell is ruled primarily by its reigning autocrat, with a supporting counil of advisors.

With Lord Astor Harana's reign, many of the laws enforced by the Order of the High Sun, including magic being outlawed by pain of death and militarry conscription, have been revoked. The Inquisition which was tasked with seeking out magic users has also been disbanded.

History

It is thought that few people lived in Quell from the Beginning, with a few Leonin prides throughout the region. It is thought that Humans settled in Quell some time after the Beginning, with stories, told by the Order of the High Sun, suggesting a mass pilgramage/immigration from Arimore over the Kilnun mountain range, led by an ancient prophet of the god Opus.These humans have said to have initially settled along the rivers Aver and Krin, with the most determined and perhaps devout moving further into Quell, supported by oases but also heavily supplied by tireless merchants trekking back and forth between the riverbound cities and into the desert.

There is some evidence too that Quell was not always prodominantly a desert, and that originally it was a savvanah or perhaps even forested as its neighouring realms are. Though the climate was signficantly hotter and the land far less hospitable than in Ri'En or Mironia, the heat and inhospitability of the region is thought to have drastically increased since the beginning of the Quellian/Mironian War.

In 3215BA, the High Priestess of the God Opus and Leader of the Order of the High Sun declared that magic was a heresy and an abomination unto him. Those possessing magic in the region were forced to either renounce their magic and embrace the new teachings of Opus, or to be executed for their heresy. At this time the Inquisition was formed in order to enforce Opus's will. The neighbouring Kingdom of Mironia, who previously had had a good relationship and trade with Quell, were angered to hear that their traders and merchants too had been subjected to this rule. The relationship quickly broke down, devolving into what would become the Quellian/Mironian War, also known as the Border War, a war that would rage between these two powers for over three thousand years.

Quells hatred of magic only grew as a result of the war, with those who fought or got caught up in the conflict witness to the horrors of war heightened by the use of magic on the opposing side. They watched as their fellow countrymen were burned alive, eaten by acid, blasted apart with force, crippled by necromancy, twisted in transmutations, yet bolstered by powerful anti-magic and miracles of Opus, they stood strong against the use of magic. The longlasting effects of this war are as yet largely unknown and poorly understood, but thousands of years of powerful magic meeting powerful anti-magic has warped the area surrounding the border. Wild magic storms and areas of persistent anti-magic and those blighted by magic characterise the area, with abominations and strange phenomena not found anywhere else in The Five Realms.

On the 1st Soldus of Firewax 0AR, an attempt on Princess Kara's life was made by a Quellian. It is thought that they intended to prevent the alliance that was to be formed between Ri'En and Mironia through her marriage to the then Prince Alistair Sonnique of Mironia. Instead this resulted in further solidifying the alliance, with Ri'En declaring war on Quell in response.

Only a few months later, the war ended. The then High Priestess Sol was declared missing, assumed dead after apparently having tried (and briefly succeeded) in eradicating magic throughout The Five Realms. Exactly how and why the war ended is subject to much speculation and disagreement. Mironia credits an incursion led by the then Prince Alistair Sonnique into the heart of Quell, thwarting Quell's efforts to permanently eradicate magic. Ri'En claims that their involvement tipped the balance of the war, and that with High Priestess Sol's disappearance, Quell had no choice but to sign a peace treaty. Others credit the All-God Ævar with ending the war, given that his return coincided with the end of the war.

The rest of 0AR was characterised by plagues thought to have been divine wrath provoked by Lord Astor Harana's refusal to bend to Ævar and rejection of Opus's will as dictated by the Order of the High Sun, greatly hampering their efforts to reform Quell following the war. Though these plagues have subsided since the Assault on Heaven, Lord Astor Harana's efforts have been further hampered by the resolute belief that Opus is still alive and that magic is inherently evil.

Relations

Quell has a tentatively amicable relationship with most of the other Realms since Lord Astor Harana came into power. Its strongest relation is with Arimore, with substantial trade between the two powers, thanks largely in part to Lord Astor's time spent in Arimore as an Ambassador previously.

Though Lord Astor Harana is thought to have a good relationship with King Alistair Sonnique, and have established the first trade deal between the two realms in over three thousand years, tensions linger between the two countries as the memory of the war and its impact still very much remain. Though Quell has had no historical relationship with Visia, their relationship with Mironia is likely to extend to it since King Alistair Sonnique of Mironia conquered it.

Ri'En was once their closest ally and sole partner in trade until they joined the war against them. Now the war is over, the two lands have become amicable once more and trade re-established between the two though at much harsher rates for Quell than before.