Estilan is the western-central province of Tora Danya. It’s named after its founder, Terence Estilan, a wealthy patrician who rose to power at the opening of the SA by protecting the region’s inhabitants.

 

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-GEOGRAPHY-

 

Landscape

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Estilan’s chief attributes include a long, curving bay along the western coast, and The Nethermarshes. The Nethermarshes are an extensive network of estuaries that run along the coast and eventually become inland swamp. Further north, the region benefits from a long stretch of fertile land on either side of the Casabel River. The massive Anderoth Forest butts up against the lower reaches of the province; the western and northwestern edges of the forest are recognized as Estilan’s property.

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Boundaries of the province have been debated, but as of 1561 TA, the northern end lies just south of the Carmine Mountains and the southernmost point lies at Greythorn Plain. Arinnley borders to the east. In the past, Lake Lessa has been a part of Estilan, but it was eventually declared the property of Arinnley.

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Major Settlements

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Estanmore is the capital city, a massive community that spans both sides of the Casabel River and features expansive outskirts. Other cities of note include Westshore, a port near the Carmine Mountains, and Middledown, a town near the Arinnley border known for its relative peace and quiet.

 

-HISTORY-

 

Formation

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Estilan has been one of the more fortunate areas of Tora Danya, mostly due to crafty leadership.

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At the end of the FA, Terence Estilan owned a vast plantation along the western bank of the Casabel River. One of the richest non-royal citizens, he was cunning and diplomatic. He knew which hands should receive money, and how often, and he was famous for throwing the most spectacular galas. He remained neutral in all affairs, and by all accounts, he was a loyal husband and doting father.

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When Ladinia collapsed and the land fell into conflict, Terence vowed to maintain his neutrality, no matter how many bribes it took to mollify the hostile forces at play. It worked surprisingly well. Citizens of the region began to see him as a “safe spot” in the conflict, and over the next few decades many locals uprooted and moved to his plantation. Camps and shanty towns sprang up around the manor, many filled with desperate people offering to farm his land and fish the river in return for protection. Terence, too kind-hearted to turn them away, accepted their contributions and allowed them to stay. He also began to train fighters and hire mercenaries, until his personal guard became a small army. He used this army to garrison the borders of his land and protect the citizens within.

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By the time Terence passed away, his vast plantation had become a small town. Terence’s sons were no less crafty than he was, and when they faced threats of war from Arinnley, who sought to capture the Nethermarshes and the river lands for their own use, they secured a tentative promise of peace in return for tribute and continued neutrality from Estilan.

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By 250 SA, the Estilan family’s town had become the bustling city of Estanmore, wealthy and well-protected, and a trail of newcomers looking to settle its outskirts was still growing. At this time, several of the other sovereign regions had developed into superpowers, all seeking to control the landmass for different purposes. Terence’s great-great-grandson, Wexler, noting how weak he was compared to these giants, struck before their shadows became too long. He sent envoys to every independent region, offering money, goods, and much-needed resources in return for peace. In redistributing wealth and resources, he jumpstarted the wider economy of the land. With help from Wexler’s diplomats, other regions began to discuss the possibilities of trade without Estilan as a middleman, and channels that had been shut since the final days of Ladinia began to reopen.

 

Tora Danya

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For six-hundred bloody war-torn years, Estilan was trusted as a neutral power and lived in relative peace. Once Shuro declared its intent to dominate the landmass at any cost, Estilan was forced to break faith with them and ally itself with Bowen and her allies. The region begrudgingly went to war, but when King Edgar the Great of Bowen announced his plan to reunite the land and bring peace, Estilan was the second nation, after Oceanward, to follow him.

 

Politics

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The Estilan family ruled throughout the SA, but sadly, war and plague took most of them near the end. By the time Edgar the Great was ready to form Tora Danya, the one remaining member of the youngest generation, a daughter named Miriam, had married into the Frasier family of Oceanward. When she was declared the only remaining heir to the Estilans, the Frasiers relocated to Estanmore so Miriam could take her place as the rightful ruler. Being politically tied to Oceanward, the Estilan-Frasiers were quick to ally with Edgar, and rightfully earned a higher rank in his nobility.

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While modern Estilan is no more of a military presence than it was in the SA, their power and influence are just as considerable.

As of 1561 TA, Cecil Frasier, the Earl of Estanmore, administers the province.

 

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-ECONOMY-

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Early settlers of the FA saw the Nethermarshes as an annoyance and merely avoided them. Eventually, the Ladinian Monarchy planned to drain as much of the marsh as possible, but they were stopped by the local aristocracy, who had discovered the natural boons of the swamps and estuaries. Appreciation grew, and the wetlands were recognized for resources not readily available in other regions. The land’s medical community, always dependent on herbal remedies, saw a special boom in their resources, as new cures were discovered within the wetlands. Thanks to the marshes, and the incredibly fertile river lands to the north, the region was always healthy, and the economy collected an excess of unique products to ship out, giving them great wealth.

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In the TA, Estilan is the richest province in Tora Danya, and its capital city is the second most populous behind Nedo, the royal city. The region’s trade goods are many, including wood, ore, produce, fish, peat, herbs, spices, fur, and exotic birds and reptiles from the Nethermarshes. The marches also produce fantastic tea leaves.

All manner of employment is available in Estilan, from military to artisan to banking, from logging to herb-gathering to medicine. Farms unfold up and down the length of the province, and new towns regularly spring up searching for masons and builders.

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-DEMOGRAPHY AND CULTURE-

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For a smaller region (much is taken up by the marshes), Estilan holds 5,000,000 citizens, most settled around the booming river lands in the north, and quite a few manning the marshes and the Anderoth Forest in the south.

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By the time of Tora Danya’s rise, Estanmore had grown into one of the largest and wealthiest cities on the landmass, spanning both banks of the Casabel River. In 1561 TA, its greater domain tallied over 220,000 citizens. Estanmore is regarded as an exciting place where one can find anything, but it has been criticized for its share of decadence and dark-dealings, and the city is said to have a disturbing underbelly. Still, enough care is taken with resource and restoration that the region has been growing for thousands of years, and the citizens, while a tad overcrowded in some places, are generally happy.

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Several poets and researchers have dedicated themselves to unearthing the darker elements of Estanmore. Carlee Coren (1132-1217 TA), a famous Tora Danyan poet known for his controversial and highly sexualized stories, claims to have received the inspiration for his work entirely from his time in Estanmore.  

 

Religion

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While Estilan harbors a wealth of devotees from various provinces, it remains a largely secular region. Impressive shrines to various gods are scattered around Estanmore, and festivals are common, but the population is not especially pious. Outside of the city, it’s more common to find hard-working peasants paying homage to the nature gods of the Konalira.