Council Of Wands

Originally founded by gnomes, the Council of Wands has since expanded thanks to a combination of magical might and mercantile prowess. The Council of Wands, while primarily composed of gnomish, human, and elven populations, this is mostly because of convenience of resident populations rather than prejudice. In truth, the Council of Wands is the home to a wide variety of different races, being extremely open and accepting of all peoples. The nation was built on the guiding principles of the pursuit of knowledge and wealth combined, and this healthy controlled capitalism has served the nation well, with sufficient regulation. While the Council of Wands actually has a very small standing army, going by population proportions, its government has a standing call to all spellcasters within its borders to assist in the defense of the nation and its holdings (with appropriate recompense after the fact, of course), and also hires excellent elite mercenary units when given sufficient time and need. Thus, invaders into the Council of Wands are more likely to be peppered by a wall of magic missiles than by one of arrows. As for the politics of the Council of Wands, all political appointments are filled by mages, no matter how trivial. The ability to use magic is a requirement of any government office, though mages who are less adept, or less skilled at playing the power games of the Council, are often assigned less desirable duties, such as sewer manager of Nemminus. The most powerful and rich mages in the nation, meanwhile, are tested for their suitability, and the thirteen most suitable are selected to form the Council of Wands, the governing body of the nation (see Nemminus, below).

Major Races: Gnome; Human; Elf.

Government: Plutocratic Magocracy.

Nation Alignment: Neutral Good.

Major Cities
Nemminus: Called "The Witch City" by many, often in a derogatory fashion, Nemminus is set on the southern side of Silver Mirror Lake, halfway between the lake and the ocean to the south along the eastern branch of the Dragon Rivers. As a natural ending and starting point for trade barges, Nemminus started as a trade town, and soon swelled into the capitol of the Council of Wands, and the seat of the council after which the nation is named. The rulers of the nation are chosen on the basis of their magical power as well as their wealth and influence, which is decided through a series of rigorous tests and a full audit by the accountants of Council Bank, the largest and most trustworthy banking system in the world. The thirteen that these accountants deem the most powerful, both in magical as well as temporal matters, are then assigned positions on the Council of Wands, and given the duty of running the nation as well as they do their own affairs. Only mages who want a position in politics apply through the accountants of the Council Bank, and the competition can get quite fierce at times, leading to all manner of political intrigue. Nemminus itself is a teeming city, large, crowded, and bustling with all manner of trade and commerce. Magical goods are easily obtainable in this city, and with the help of the First Council Bank, almost any amount of money can be handled by local merchants, making this an ideal place for adventurers wishing to sell and stock up on equipment gained in their travels. Additionally, Nemminus has an extensive sewer system which almost always seems to suffer from various problems, usually caused by magical experimentation gone awry, and requiring almost constant cleanup work.

Paulton: A thriving fishing and logging community, Paulton is a home for druids who work hard to keep the balance between the needs of the nation and the needs of the wilds. They also work hard to keep the Great Green from retaliating against the loggers who harvest its trees, a job that takes constant attention.

Montheim: A well-defended hamlet in the foothills on the eastern side of Havensmont, Montheim was founded by the descendants of the Defenders of Haven, many generations back. The defenders met a massive force of human barbarians from the Rimevast, who had come over after an especially bad winter had frozen enough of the sea that their hordes could come swarming over in waves. Setting up their defense in a fortress based inside of Havensmont itself, carved into the solid rock with help from Granite Mountain dwarves, the Defenders of Haven lured the barbarians into the fortress, and then slammed the great iron doors on its outside shut, sealing both raiders and Defenders inside forever, where they are said to continue battling each other as deathless and undead, forever. The people of Montheim take this story of courage to heart, and train regularly until they have become experts in mountain guerrilla fighting, and all children that are able to walk are taught well in these arts of warfare using their terrain, especially the difficult task of firing a crossbow from skis. Besides this, the people of Montheim are also skilled crafters, and are noted for producing numerous toys with gears and springs, including surprisingly accurate clocks.

Haven: In the southern lee of the mountain Havensmont, Haven is set near the western branch of the Dragon Rivers, and acts as a point of tradeover for caravans wishing to reach the eastern branch of the Dragon Rivers, which leads to Nemminus, rather than go all the way to Sorrowmarsh. Otherwise a simple farming community on the far northwestern border of the Council of Wands, almost outside of its authority, Haven makes for a pleasant place where merchants and mercenaries can relax for a few days while they prepare for the next leg of their journeys.

Riverswitch: The major port city of the Council of Wands, at the wash where the eastern branch of the Dragon Rivers empties into the ocean, Riverswitch is one of the major points of connection between the Council of Wands and the other continents of Therafim, when magical means are not employed.