Capasia: The Fading Lion

Capasian Renaissance

Less than a century ago, the Great Kingdom of Capasia dominated the continent of Avornea.  The monarchs of the Trothnar line, descended from the legendary Queen Alea Capas, controlled a vast tract of territory stretching from the Sea of Storms to the Blackwater.  Even beyond its borders, Capasia had a strong influence on surrounding nations and even the far reaches of the continent through its diplomats and merchants.

The relative peace and stability offered by the Great Kingdom allowed for a golden age known as the Capasian Renaissance.  The kingdom’s nobles sponsored universities and great libraries throughout the Heartlands that allowed for the a focus on arts and scholarship not seen since the eladrin ruled the continent.  Merchant ships and caravans under the protection of Capasia traversed the continent and opened trade routes long considered too dangerous for use.  The result of these policies was that the kingdom’s cities became bright beacons of civilization in an otherwise dark world.

Sudden Collapse

With the assassination of King Ivan Trothnar II forty years ago, that golden age came to a violent end.  Capasia had been engaged in several wars with its southern rival Kaldeshan that had emptied the kingdom’s coffers and raised tensions between various noble factions within the kingdom.  King Ivan’s sudden death allowed those political conflicts to erupt into civil war as nobles refused to swear fealty to the king’s young widow Queen Ara.  Today, Capasia controls less than a quarter of its former territory and is ruled by a regent in the absence of an heir to the Trothnar legacy.

Current Threats

The nation of Aldun, created when much of western Capasia seceded following King Ivan’s death, is generally considered Capasia’s greatest rival.  The two nations have fought two wars in the years since their bloody separation, and tensions along the border formed by the Audorne River remain high.

A more savage threat looms over eastern Capasia in the form of the troll king Farbalnog.  Guided by a trio of witches, the troll is determined to carve out a kingdom through conquest.  Currently the danger of Farbalnog and his followers is constrained to the the marshes known as the Irathane Lowlands, but the Royal Wardens are bolstering nearby towns with mercenaries just in case the trolls begin to mount attacks deeper into Capasia.

Finally, the most dire threat to Capasia actually comes from within its own ruling class.  The loyalty of the various lords and ladies was severely shaken by the kingdom’s collapse and today each minor noble seems to be more focused on their own power than the survival of the kingdom.  Several nobles recently broke away from the kingdom to form the small independent nation of Idornea, and their example has many more considering whether they would be better off on their own.