Editing Alia:Geography (section)

=Prolia=

Prolia is a loose association of humans and half orcs that pay 
tribute to the Giants of Estvald.  They are fishermen and 
coastal raiders as well as farmers and swineherds.

Prolia was once a unified knigdom.  There are ruins of guard towers
along the border to the northern forest, where once Prolian soldiers
kept the goblinoid raids from the north out of the country.  

Prolia as a country is in a bad shape.  The unified rulership of the past 
has degenrated into a collection of independant towns with very little 
co-operation between them.  Prolia is threatened by conquest from 
the south from Rhode, and by tribes of Hobgoblins to the north, 
all the while paying crippling tribute to the capracious hill 
giants of Estvald.  The northern-most towns are on the verge 
of collapse.  Each town and village struggles to survive to 
feed itself and to satisfy the Hill Giants.

Prolia exists mostly because the giants are uninterested in the
flatlands near the coast and like the tribute without having to
administer the area.  Prolia is in danger of being overrun by
the goblinoids of the northern forest, who would like better 
access to the southlands, but lack the organization to mass in 
numbers sufficient to take all of Prolia and who also do not 
wish to upset the giants.  Rumors of a great hobgoblin leader 
who has been dealing with the giants for the right to take 
prolia persist, but so far only the northernmost town of Prolia, 
Prauld, has fallen, the goblins did not stay to occupy the area, 
but retreated to the forest.

[[Image:Prolia_cmp.jpg]]

==The People of Prolia==

===Society===

There are three classes of people in Prolia.  The nobility which are the Jarls and the families of the Jarls.  The regular citizens of Prolia who do the bulk of the labour. There are also a small number of slaves.  Slavery is accepted and practial in Prolia.  Criminals are typically slain or put into slavery.  Captured enemies or people captured in coastal raiding are also made to be slaves.  Males slaves are castrated, (human, half orc, or elvish) females are often taken as wives.  Children from these mixed unions of slaves are integrated into Prolian society.  Because of this practise, there are no second generation slaves in Prolia, and their numbers are quite small.

===Law===

In times past there was a King, and the King's Law put restraints on the powers of the Jarls. In present times, Jarls are the rulers of all they see.  Their word is law and all justice comes from the judgement of the Jarl.  Where two Jarls meet there is either diplomacy or there is war.

===Race===

Humans and Half-Orcs are the most common races of Prolia, although there are small numbers of half elves and elves, some full blooded Orcs, and a very small number of half ogres and half giants.  Race has no bearing on social status within Prolia, although family history is very important.  Usually only the paternal line is considered.  Being the son of a Jarl is prestigious whereas being the son of the Jarl's sister has little meaning.

===Warriors and Heroes===

Prolia does not have a standing army or a tradition of knighthood, however it does have a tradition of heroic warriors and users of magic, and has great respect for those who take up the sword or the staff.  The Jarls of the towns follow a warrior tradition where their children are trained in the arts of war.  The Jarls friends and companions during their younger years are accepted as their sworn protectors, heros and fellow armsmen.  The number of sworn warriors that a Jarl has is usually around 50 men.

Life is hard in Prolia, and in rural areas, about 1 in 40 of the population are capable warriors or have class levels in a heroic class.  These are free men who fight for themselves, for their villages or for glory. A call to arms by a Jarl or a renowned hero may gather between 10 and 80 percent of the region's population of warrior-heroes and between 0 and 10% of commoners.

Given the population of the region of about 330 thousand, there are about 8200 warrior-heroes, and during a time of conflict Prolia could muster 6500 of them and as many as 33000 commoners.  Given the current political situation in the country and the lack of instracture to support and feed such and army, it is unlikely that Prolia could actually put together such a force or if it did, feed them form more than a few days.

==The Five Towns==

There are five major towns which comprise Prolia.  Each town is trade center for the region around it, with a small assortment of services.  Most of the population of Prolia live in small villages and hamlets of between 100 and 400 people that are within 30 miles of one of the towns.  Areas further than 30 miles from any of the five towns are unpopulated wilderness.

===Prauld (pop 1700, rural 60k)===

Prauld was a lumber and fishing town before it fell to goblinoid 
raids recently.  The survivors of the attacks have retreated 
south and have set up a refugee camp a days travel inland 
from its nearest neighbor, Beryl.  The townsfolk of Prauld 
have not been welcomed Beryl.  

The town leader, Jarl Jorgen, was felled in battle defending 
the town, and is currently dying in a sick bed in the camp.  
Jorgen's son, Giordi, is the de-facto leader of the Prauld 
refugees.  He's a bit of a hothead, but the Prauld citizens, 
so far have managed to support themselves without conflict 
with Beryl by hunting to the far north.

===Beryl (pop 2500, rural 80k)===

Beryl is led by Jarl Hastel.  Beryl factions have those who 
think they should use the Prauld refugees to defend the city 
from the hobgoblins, those who think they should leave the 
Prauld refugees to themselves, and those who think they 
should join with Prauld to attack the hobgoblins.  Jarl 
Hastel is in the last faction, but does not have support 
from key powers in the city.  In particular his brother 
Hagel, is a long time pirate raider, who thinks the 
misfortune of Beryl's enemies is to the betterment of Beryl.

Beryl is primarily a fishing village, with some income from coastal 
raiding, and herding of goats and pigs.

===Derros (Pop 3200, rural 30k)===

Derros is a mining town.  The ground is too poor for any 
appreciable farming or herding, the coast near Derros 
is to rough for a proper port for fishing.  Iron mined 
here is smelted into bars, plates and ingots at the 
foundry and then shipped by wagon to shinar.  The 
primary focus of the town is the production refining 
and transport of ore, and is seen by many as an 
extension of the town of Shinar.

Derros is led by two Jarls.  Jarl Marrum claims responsibility 
for the northern half of the town and the iron mines.  
Jarl Ioda claims the southern half of the town, the foundry 
and for the transportation of iron.  

===Shinar (pop 8600, rural 80k)===

Shinar is the largest town of Prolia, with a population 
nearing ten thousand.  Shinar is primarily a fishing 
town, with some light agriculture and light manufacturing.  
Most weapons, armor and tools made in Prolia are from 
Shinar.  They have good relations with all the other 
towns of Prolia.  Shinar's Jarl Yutsen, is a keen 
businessman with a reputation for coming out ahead 
in all his dealings.

===Belrane (pop 4400, rural 90k)===

Belrane is the southernmost town of Prolia.  Primarily 
farmers and herders.  The town of Belrane is the least 
defensible town of Prolia, with many farmsteads spread out 
a fair distance away from the city walls.  Belrane does 
send out regular patrols to scout the countryside for 
incursions from the south.  Jarl Wellus, is paranoid 
about invasion from the Rhode, even though there are 
many miles of wilderness between Belrane and the nearest 
Rhode outpost.

==Letgar==

The pirate island city of [[Alia:Letgar|Letgar]] lies off the coast of Prolia.  Letgar is not part of prolia proper, does not participate in the politics of the mainland, but was once part of the prolian kingdom.

==Yuri's Doom==

The ruined city of Jarlsberg was once the southernmost city of Prolia, and the longer ago was the capital.  The (single) Jarl ruled the country from this ancient location.  Prolia now has six Jarls each ruling a small portion of Prolia and each having a claim on the throne.  Yuir's Doom is the swamp that was created in 515 OY, by Yuri in defense of Prolia against Rhodes' invasion and is still a major impediment in the Empire's conquest of the area.

==Tribute to Estvald==

The hills above Estvald are inhabited by Hill Giants and by Ogres who claim 
tribute from all the towns.  Each fall, a band of Hill Giants and Ogres will 
come down from the hills to the gates of each town and demand payment of 
tribute.  The giants take the tribute and name their demands for tribute 
of the following fall.  Typical demands include forged weapons, food and 
spirits, and gold or treasure.  Failure to meet the demands brings about 
an immediate attack on the town.

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