Work in Progress
This article is still a work in progress and changes are bound to happen.
”What is Sworn on Coin Binds All.”
Fleeing for the Great Terror
In their old homeland far to the North, the Four founding Families once lived under a single realm. It was a land hardened by cold winds and long winters. Stability, despite being somewhat imperfect, had allowed towns and trade to flourish.
Then the signs began. First came the disappearances: border villages going silent overnight, livestock found drained and twisted into shapes that defied nature. Then came the collapse of memory: entire towns waking with no recollection of the previous week, unable to remember loved ones who had simply… ceased to exist. Scholars suspected a corruption of the mind, while priests whispered of a darkness that could feed on thought itself.
Whatever darkness had taken root was spreading, and no one knew how far it would reach. That was a sign for Four Founding Families to flee the country they once owned.
Gathering their ships, their wealth, and those loyal to them, the Founding Families decided to turn southward. They left their familiar coastlines, sailing away from the Great Terror and towards lands that were less familiar to them.
The Long Journey South
The journey that followed lasted for years.
The merchant families survived as they always had: through trade. As their fleets sailed along distant coasts, they encountered countless other nations. In some places they sold their goods and traded knowledge; in others they remained long enough to rebuild their strength before continuing their journey.
It is through this journey that the Founding Families learned about the land beyond what they had once known. While their fleets grew larger, stronger and better than ever before, they hadn’t permanently settled yet.
Some lands they came across were already ruled by crowns that demanded loyalty the families were unwilling to give. The Founding Families yearned for owning their own country once again.
So they continued their voyage…
A Port without a Crown
Eventually, the wandering fleets discovered the new land, wrapped in mist and dominated by towering cliffs. It was a place with small, poor and corrupt villages. Here, the Founding Families anchored their ships and set about the task of rebuilding.
The Families were aware of what had led to the downfall of their previous land: crowns that were constantly at war with one another. Thus, they pledged to avoid repeating that mistake. Rather than establishing a monarchy, they created the Free City of Weltheas.
The city started as a temporary port made up of salvaged ships. However, hope and necessity quickly transformed it into something much more significant. Each of the Four Families took on the responsibility for a different aspect of the city’s survival.
United, they established the Council, a governing body defined by its sense of duty. In Weltheas, no one claimed a crown. They formed a Charter, which became the dominant constitution for the newly formed nation. The Charter now is the foundation of their settlement, guiding every decision as they began the immense work of carving a city out of the wild coastline..
Fifteen Years Later
Fifteen years have passed since the ships first anchored along the shores of what is now called Weltheas.
What first began as mere settlements had now turned into growing, prosperous cities. Weltheas had continued their ever-lasting journey of trading with others. Now, ships arrived from distant lands, drawn by the reputation of the Free City of Weltheas and the trade brought by the Founding Families.
For the Founders, memories and disgust of the Terror still lingered, at least for those that survived. They unanimously decided never to talk about it again. Thus, the younger generations, usually those born in the new land, did not have much knowledge about the Great Terror.