Norderia

Norderia's young age and small size has led to only a handful of settlements being established. Below are these settlements.

• Smithskeep: Nestled in an eastern valley, Smithskeep is the capital city of Norderia. It is also the only settlement in the Province large enough to be considered a city, yet it is one of the smallest in the entirety of the Empire. Smithskeep is characterized by the Culnor Keep, which is both the home for the Province's ruler and a large military barracks. The city surrounds the keep and is inhabited primarily by soldiers and their families. It's location also makes it well-fortified, allowing it to act as an excellent main base for any military operations in the Province.
• Scoutvale: Scoutvale is a small town found on the western side of Norderia. Initially settled by a group of military scouts, it sits at the base of the Skyfract Mountains and on the outer edge of the King's Grounds and serves as an additional military outpost. Over time, a sizeable town has grown around it. In the current day, the town has a small economy based around mining and logging that engages in some trade with local Kalvetian and Ursinefolk groups.
• Halfmont: Halfmont is a small town in northeastern Norderia, located right at the entrance to the Spineward Passes. Its location actually separates the Outlands from the rest of the Kingdom of Kalvete. Since the pass is the only navigable route through the mountains, Halfmont began to tax anyone traveling through the city. This led to many issues between Kalvete and the Empire, and the town was a primary factor in their past tensions. Recently, as relations between the two nations have improved, these taxes were quickly lifted and the military presence in the town reduced.

Norderia is quite the small Province, but it holds an environment quite different from the rest of the Empire.

Due to its location, Norderia is significantly colder than the rest of the Empire. Its terrain is dominated by taiga, with the dense forests forming the King's Grounds. The dense forest was once a personal hunting ground for a past king, although the animals within are much less abundant today. Surrounding the Province on almost all its sides are tall mountains, being those of the Skyfract Mountains and the Spine of the North. To its north, the Province slopes down into the open tundra of the Hjertlande in Kalvete. To the east, the Spineward Passes allow for a navigable route through the mountains. This puts Norderia in an interesting position, being at a confluence between a multitude of different regions.

Norderia lacks any major, named waterways, but this doesn't mean the Province is fully dry. A handful of smaller streams, creeks, and the occasional snowmelt flow northward into Kalvete. Small ponds can also be found dotting the landscape, primarily being ephemeral ones within the King's Grounds. The lack of major waterways, as well as the fact that many of them freeze during colder months, have been quite limiting in the settlement of the region.

While a majority of Norderia is wilderness, it holds some ruined places to explore. Many of these are old settlements of differing cultures, now sitting empty due to the conflicts of the region. The largest of these is Nordreach, which was a village in the Empire that was ransacked by raiders. Nordreach and many other small camps and villages lay decomposing throughout Norderia, physical remnants of the constantly changing authority.

Norderia as a Province does not see much in the way of profit, and its industries being insignificant in the scope of the Empire. In fact, Norderia's nature as a border expansion for the nation means it costs more money than it makes in return. Over time, the expenditures have grown increasingly higher levels as tensions with Kalvete continued to rise. In the wake of the recently improved relations, however, Norderia will not only cost less for the nation but potentially may no longer exist.

The current governing body of Norderia is listed below:

• The current ruler of Norderia is Sovereign Marcelius Arnault.
• The current Steward of Norderia is Morgan Gangrel.
• The current Priest of Norderia is Anna Deen.
• The current Marshal of Norderia is Jesse Leclerc.
• The current Treasurer of Norderia is Percy Marthus.
• The current Archmage of Norderia is Catherine Subain.