Abelion

The nation of Abelion is situated on the Abel Peninsular, the easternmost point on the continent of Eriene. It has four major settlements surrounded by forests and farmland, and is inhabited by farmers, traders, nobility, and landowners. The region is famous for being home to the site at which Zaphiel discovered the Verbum Dei.

History
The region was first mapped by a human adventurer in 360 A.R.. In 362 A.R., the same adventurer discovered the Verbum Dei buried deep beneath the peninsula

Abelion was initially an outpost of Northsage, colonised by the Ash family, a branch of the Vor family, in an attempt to seize more land during the skirmishes with the Altman family. It was formally colonised in 500-510 by sea-faring merchants who used the peninsula as a point of rest during voyages up and down the eastern Eriene coast. A small settlement eventually became Havenleaf, the nation’s capital. Over the next century, travellers, merchants, and landowners eventually established other settlements, and the peninsula was recognised as a settled region of Aedavar.

Abelion remained a vassal of Northsage until 658 A.R., when King Arndal of Northsage gave the region greater autonomy. Successive monarchs devolved more powers to Abelion, and in 790 A.R. it was declared to be an independent nation.

The Abelion Peninsula was destroyed in a devastating calamity in 898 A.R. when the Verbum Dei was rediscovered by the adventuring company known as KIMMMFI. Roughly 6.3 thousand people died when the Verbum Dei was removed from its protected location under the school causing an earthquake strong enough to collapse the entire Peninsula into the sea. The earthquake happened so fast that a full evacuation was not possible but one of the members of KIMMMFI, Mortimer Krauss, Was able to save the students and teachers of the Verbum Dei School.

Government & Politics
Whilst a vassal state, Abelion was ruled by a Governor appointed by the monarch of Northsage. The Governor’s role was primarily administrative, with oversight of the region’s trade and commerce. Judicial authority resided in the judiciary of Northsage. The Governor was designated much like an ambassador, with new governors being appointed at regular intervals throughout a monarch’s reign.

In 658 A.R., when the region was grated greater autonomy, a Country Council was formed. The Governor was then appointed from among the Councillors, who themselves were either elected by residents of the four settlements or held hereditary councillorships as landowners. This model of government persisted after Abelion was declared an independent nation in 790 A.R..

Even after Abelion became autonomous, and later independent, the Ash family still exercised a great deal of influence in government. Many of the landowners were relatives of the Ash family, and usually acted according to the will of the family’s head.

As of 897 A.R., the country is governed by the Country Council, with a Governor, and sixteen Councillors (two from each settlement, and eight hereditary landowners).

Notable People
Sazo Hain. Hain is the present Governor of Abelion, having served as a councillor from Ashbury for six years before being elected governor in 895 A.R. with the support of the elected delegates of the Council. All bar one of the land owners opposed his election, disagreeing with his policies of greater land oversight by the Council.

Geography
The peninsula is mostly flat, though the coastline is lower than the land at the centre. It has three large woodlands, the Brierwood, the Burnham Wood, and the Oakwood. It has one stream, the Burnham Stream, and one lake, the Brierlake.

Notable Locations
Settlements. There are four settlements spread across the nation: Havenleaf, the capital, on the east coast; Ashbury, a village on the south coast; Oakenford, a port on the north coast; and Briercrest, a village in the west of the peninsula. The remainder of the land is divided up into farms, estates, and small hamlets.

Trade & Commerce
Abelion is considered to be a wealthy nation for its size, though much of that wealth is tied up in the hereditary landowners who control much of the countryside. Crops and livestock from the farmlands are traded, usually via sea, with other nations. The peninsular remains a resting point for ships journeying up and down the eastern coast of Eriene, resulting in a sizeable proportion of the nation’s economy built around sea trade.