Where mercy is weakness, and strength stains white
Overview and Identity
Kezia is a harsh and haunted kingdom carved into the rocky southern shore of the continent of Cathall. Though its people are of the Race of Man, they are often spoken of in the same breath as the Races of the Dark, a paradox of bloodline and belief. Of all human nations in Mernac, none are so closely aligned with Barak and The Fathers as the Kezians. Whether this shift came by necessity, ambition, or long-standing bitterness, the result is a nation hardened by suffering and ruled by superstition, force, and ritualized brutality.
Kezia is not a land for the meek. Scarred by centuries of warfare, famine, and infighting, its people are fiercely independent and suspicious of all outsiders. Their traditions are grim, their loyalty narrow, and their ambitions edged in steel. It is a country whose very soil remembers slaughter, where the wind over its rocky deserts still carries the cries of the fallen.
Though medium in size, Kezia holds immense strategic value: its cliffs deter naval assault, its mountains confuse invasion, and its coastal proximity enables piracy and control of southern sea trade. Yet it is this very defensibility that made Kezia such a prize—and such a cursed land.
“A Kezian does not ask why the sky is dry or the gods are silent. He sharpens his blade and teaches his sons not to weep.”
— Said to be carved on a cliff face near the ruins of Hammel’s slaughter
Geography and Landscape
Kezia’s terrain is as unforgiving as its people. The land is composed primarily of arid rocky desert, jagged canyons, and coastal cliffs of bedrock that plummet directly into the roaring sea. Fertile ground is nearly nonexistent. The few vegetated pockets, mainly surrounding the capital of Borgan, are rare oases fed by spring-fed crevices or ancient, fractured riverbeds. Most of the countryside is bleached stone, sand, and wind-burnt emptiness.
The climate is dry year-round, with occasional coastal fogs and salt-laced storms, but very little rainfall. What water there is comes from sparse natural springs and underground aquifers, most of which are closely guarded or fought over. Freshwater conflicts are frequent, and entire family lines have been wiped out in disputes over a single well.
To the north and west lie cave-riddled mountains, their natural defenses long used to repel invaders or hide rebel factions. The southern shorelines are jagged and treacherous, riddled with natural caves and pirate coves. Only a few accessible beaches exist, and even these are dangerous due to strong tides and jagged undersea rocks.
The native fauna is sparse and hardy: pygmy mountain goats are the primary livestock, valued for both meat and milk. These goats are small, fierce, and capable of scaling cliffs that no human could survive. Kezians revere them as near-sacred for their utility and tenacity. Other notable wildlife includes venomous sandcrawlers, bone vultures, and the rare ghost fox, a creature believed to be touched by the spirits of the massacred Azemen.
The land itself feels haunted, and for good reason. The ghosts of the Azemen, murdered en masse by the invading Race of Man, are said to linger in every canyon. Many claim to hear weeping in the wind or see shadows with golden eyes watching from cliff ledges at dusk.
Cities and Settlements
Due to the inhospitable terrain, Kezia boasts few large cities. Most of the population lives in fortified hamlets, cliffside holds, or walled villages that cling to water sources or trade routes. Settlements tend to be squat, stone-built, and defensive in design, more like outposts than towns. White paint or dust-coating is common on buildings as well as on faces.
Borgan (Capital City)
Borgan is Kezia’s capital and largest settlement, located at the country’s only major inland basin with regular freshwater runoff. Built upon the bones of Hammel Iros’s great betrayal, it is a city of blood and shadow, where every public square bears some mark of violence or legacy of conquest.
The city is surrounded by three concentric walls, each older and more cracked than the last, and its streets wind upward toward the Thirteen Thrones, the central keep said to be built atop the place where Hammel burned the warlords’ bodies. The royal palace is not opulent; it is a blackened stone fortress draped in ash banners and lit by braziers that never go out.
Borgan is a place where execution is theater, faith is transaction, and loyalty is survival.
Vashmir
Vashmir is a cliff-hung port settlement where most sea trade and smuggling occurs. Its markets are filled with salt-cured meat, dried fish, volcanic glass, and the bones of sea creatures turned into tools or charms. Vashmir is notorious for its mask market, where white-painted visages are traded, blessed, or cursed, depending on the buyer.
Kelbar’s Vein
One of the only fertile valleys in Kezia, this narrow gorge is protected by a militia of farmers who function more like a localized army. Outsiders are not welcome, and even royalty must negotiate to receive supplies. The people here are said to have retained more of the old ways of the Azemen, though they would never admit it.
Government and Rule
Kezia is ruled by the House of Iros, a bloodline forged in treachery and maintained through ritual paranoia. Since the days of Hammel Iros, each ruler of Kezia has adopted the title of King, regardless of gender or method of ascension. The Iros line claims divine inspiration not from The Mothers, but from The Fathers, particularly from Barak and Bu, whom they regard as primal forces of sovereignty and strength.
Leadership is hereditary in principle, but assassination, usurpation, and curse-driven succession are common. The legend of Jaida Iros, Hammel’s son who slew his father, has cast a shadow across every king since. It is believed, by both noble and commoner, that an Iros monarch can only be killed by one with two different-colored eyes. To guard against this, all citizens are required to paint or bleach their faces white, making eye color immediately visible.
This law is enforced with cruelty. Anyone caught concealing their true eye color is accused of “masking the mark” and may be executed on suspicion of treason or attempted regicide.
The throne is supported by an elite governing class known as the Wane Circle, a council of priests, generals, and spies whose members are unknown even to each other. Each wears an identical white mask and signs decrees in blood, never voice. It is said that one of the Wane Circle is always watching the King… and one is always planning their replacement.
Kezians obey their leaders out of fear and pride. Loyalty is rarely given freely, but once earned, it is fierce and unshakable. To betray the crown is to die. To protect it is to live in constant paranoia.
Culture and Daily Life
Kezian culture is defined by scarcity, suspicion, and severity. Life in Kezia is difficult by design—shaped not only by a barren landscape but also by centuries of warfare, famine, and blood-soaked law. As a result, the people have developed traditions that outsiders often call barbaric, but which Kezians view as necessary for survival.
All Kezians whiten their faces, either with lime dust, bone ash, or clay-based paint. This is more than tradition—it is law. The practice began as a royal edict to expose heterochromatic eyes (after the assassination of Hammel Iros), but over time it became a mark of Kezian identity. Many also tattoo their bodies with bold symbols: warding glyphs, family crests, or “ghost marks” to confuse Azemen spirits.
Daily dress is practical and militaristic. Long robes or tunics dyed in muted desert tones are paired with leather belts, hooded scarves, and face wrappings. Most wear hard, toe-less sandals or goat-hide boots, and some carry curved daggers as both utility and declaration of adulthood.
Social structure is rigid: at the top stands the King and the Wane Circle. Beneath them are blood-favored nobility (those with royal lineage or ancestral military service), followed by clan leaders, and finally, the Dustborn—laborers, herders, and raiders who live by the edge of the sword. Slavery is unofficially practiced, often disguised as “oath-servitude” or “water-debt.”
Family is sacred, yet volatile. Betrayal within households is not uncommon, and children are taught from a young age that strength is more valuable than affection. Honor comes from surviving one’s hardships, not from virtue.
Magic and Religion
Magic in Kezia is a dangerous and tightly bound force, often feared more than revered. The country’s relationship to Ga is pragmatic: it is a tool of war, a curse of vengeance, or a pact with older, darker things. Few public institutions teach magic, and most spellcasters are either battle-trained or self-taught in secrecy.
The only official magical institution is the Sanctum of Pale Flame, located beneath the capital. Its priests are said to study “burned scriptures” written in ash and blood—texts that speak not of The Mothers, but of The Fathers and their unholy fire. Initiates must blindfold themselves for thirteen days before seeing the sacred flame. Those who flinch are cast into the desert.
Religiously, Kezia is deeply aligned with The Fathers. Though the Race of Man was created by Siberlee, the Kezians believe she abandoned them after the conquest of the Azemen. In her absence, they turned to Barak for strength, Bu for cunning, and even Malor for ruthless order. Shrines to The Mothers exist but are often neglected or vandalized.
The Azemen dead—both literal and spiritual—are also central to Kezian belief. It is widely accepted that their spirits haunt the land. Special funeral dances, offerings of goat blood, and masks painted with black tears are used to keep these spirits at bay. Children are taught to whisper apologies when walking over stone ruins.
Military and Defenses
Kezia is a nation forged by war, and its military is both feared and admired. Rather than relying on a standing army, Kezia draws from a vast and brutalized population of warrior-clans, many of whom live in militarized villages that are activated by signal pyres or horn-summons.
The King’s Fangs are the elite military order sworn directly to the Iros throne. Clad in bone-plated armor and wielding curved, obsidian-edged glaives, they are trained from youth in siege warfare, interrogation, and psychological warfare. Their white masks are blank except for a single red teardrop painted beneath one eye.
Border forts are built into cliff faces and mountain caverns, often camouflaged from view. These outposts serve as both training grounds and prison-labor camps. Kezian siege weapons are known for innovative cruelty, including tar-laced “sun burners” and venom gas made from desert scorpions.
Naval strength is modest but lethal. The coastal cliff fleets are fast, narrow raiding vessels designed for short-distance ambush, often attacking from hidden sea caves. Many Kezian “fishermen” are trained sailors in disguise.
Every adult Kezian is expected to fight if summoned. A rite known as the First Severance requires each adolescent to wound a living foe in battle to be considered an adult. Those who fail or flee are cast out, branded as “Featherbacks.”
Legends and History
Kezia’s recorded history begins in blood and betrayal, and its myths are darker still.
The Fall of the Azemen
Long before the Race of Man claimed Kezia, it was the first homeland of the Azemen, a primal race placed there by Bu himself. Stronger, faster, and more in tune with nature than any man, the Azemen dominated the region. But in the 4th century, human warbands from the east arrived in massive numbers. Though the Azemen fought valiantly, they were eventually overwhelmed. Many were slain, others enslaved, and the rest driven underground or into exile.
To this day, Azemen spirits are said to rise from the sands at night, seeking revenge. Some say the White Eye Plague, a rare affliction that causes blindness in one eye, is the work of Azemen curses.
The Rise of Hammel Iros
Known as the Father of Kezia, Hammel Iros united the land by trickery and slaughter. He invited the great clan leaders to Borgan under the banner of peace, then murdered their wives and children as they slept. For thirteen days, he tortured each warlord until none remained who could contest him. His rule was short-lived, as he was slain by his own son, Jaida, who had heterochromatic eyes.
Since then, all Kezian rulers have feared the “Eye of Betrayal”, and all citizens are forced to reveal their eyes through the White Face Law.
Kragle’s Carvings
In the mid 2600s, Kragle Iros, descendant of Hammel, rose to power and led the Races of the Dark in a coordinated attempt to conquer all of Mernac. His campaign swept through much of Cathall and Brangrin before it was halted. Kragle vanished shortly after the Battle of Stonevale, and many believe he was taken by the Undead Azemen. Some whisper he still lives, cloaked in shadow, building his strength beneath the Hollowed Coast.
Relevance and Intrigue
Kezia remains a kingdom feared more than respected. While it does not hold vast land or wealth, its military ferocity, strategic position, and mystic brutality ensure it is never ignored. Trade with Kezia is rare but valued: smoked meats, obsidian weapons, and relics carved from storm-bone fetch high prices elsewhere.
Neighboring kingdoms tread carefully, and many border disputes with Solaris and Gilmore continue to simmer. Kezian raids on foreign caravans are often disavowed as “rogue clan action,” though few believe it.
Politically, the Wane Circle grows bolder. Some suspect the current King, Dovik Iros, a paranoid recluse, hasn’t been seen in over a year. Rumors spread that a puppet ruler now wears the Ash Crown, or worse, that Barak has taken the throne in spirit.
For adventurers and seekers of forbidden lore, Kezia offers danger, mystery, and legacy. The Spine of Hammel, the soul-marked ruins of the Azemen, and the Palace of White Fire are but a few of its whispered landmarks.
“Come to Kezia if you want to know what men become when gods turn their backs.”
— Moksun sea proverb