The Tilean City-States

Tilea stretches from the Appucini Mountains in the east to the Abasko Mountains in the west, curving around the Tilean sea and bordered by the Irrana Mountains in the north. The Apucinis shelter the Tileans from the lawless areas known as the Border Princes, or that is how the Tileans see it, at least. But the forest and the foothills are dangerous, harbouring many predatory beasts, not all of natural or earthly origin. There are Goblins, and brigands are a constant threat, maintaining strongholds high in the mountain valleys. Few Tileans would willingly travel into these areas, and few of those who do ever return. The inland states are mostly agricultural, growing crops and raising goat and sheep herds or grazing cattle. To the west, the Abasko Mountains reach right down to the sea, offering little room for settlement other than small fishing villages and a few goat-herding settlements high up in one of the hidden valleys.

In the northwest lies the foul Blighted Marshes, a lifeless area of shallow pools covered by a great swirling mist of foul gases and fed by innumerable stinking streams. The Marshes form countless miles of fetid, sluggish pools in which indescribable things slime and slither, it is a lightless land of mist and foul vapour, so repellent that humans avoid the area. The Marshes are home to pestilence and countless disease-carrying insects, but also to the arch-servants of Chaos, the Skaven, whose great monument to decay, the city of Skavenblight, stands crumbling amongst the stinking mire. The few that dare breath the city's name insist that it is but an evil legend.

Tilean Chronology

Politics

Tilea is divided into numerous states, each under the leadership of a city or major town. Most of the important states le upon the coast, and are great maritime powers. They often battle the Arabeans and Estalians for control of the High Seas, seizing merchant convoys and lone traders. Although there is great rivalry between the individual states, there is also a measure of mutual respect, a recognition of a common heritage that ensures that most of their warlike energies are directed against common enemies. The inland states are much smaller and often subservient to the coastal states.

The People

They are dark-skinned, and have black, glossy hair. In the safety of their own borders, they pour scorn on the Estalian claim of being the first civilized humans in the Old World, but think twice before arguing the point with a native of that land.

Language

The Tileans speak a ditinct, lilting dialect of Old Worlder, which outsiders sometimes mistake for Estalian; nothing is guaranteed to annoy a Tilean more.

Cities

The most powerful of the Tilean cities are Luccini, built near an ancient ruined Elven seaport; Miragliano, built on islands with canals instead of streets; Remas, home of the Old World's greatest fisherman; Sartosa, City of Pirates; and Tobaro, City of Sirens.

Map of Tilea

The Prince, by Niccolo Machiavelli