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| Nosferatia is a frozen, forbidding land in the northeast of Precopia. It is wedged hard against the Stone Anvil Mountains in the south and east and against the Straits of Eboracum and the Northreach Sea in the west. Nosferatia stretches into the largely uncharted wastes of the Frostmarch in the north, far above the Icebreak, or Arctic Circle. Nosferatians are terribly critical of the other humans in Precopia as well as the other races. They scoff at Eboracans, whom they see as frighteningly weak because of their greed. They dislike and fear Aralynians, the only race in the known world that somehow withstood and resisted the power of Drakmoor. Among Aralynians, they particularly hate the sea-prowling Certanans, who have raided and pillaged Nosferatian coastal settlements in the north for over a millenium and a half, and continue to be a terror and a scourge to the North. Natives of Nosferatia constitute their own racial group, the first of three human groups in Precopia. Nosferatians have pale, near-white skin, light hair, and blue or black eyes. They are stereotyped as quiet and secretive, even conspiratorial. Nosferatians are loyal only to those that have proven themselves to be strong and capable leaders, whom they follow fiercely. One such leader is Drakmoor, who emerged as a power and a threat during the later years of the Old Kingdom of Aralynia, nearly 1,500 years ago. Not much remains in the way of historical record from this period, but this is when Drakmoor is believed to have laid his first plans for the conquest of Precopia. Why he chose to attack Aralynia first is still unknown for certain. All that is known is that his invasion failed for a number of reasons (see upcoming Military and Political History section). He himself, according to legend, fought with King Nonegal of Aralynia and slew him. Drakmoor was apparently badly wounded in the fight, and retreated with the remnants of his invasion force to Nosferatia. Within the last several decades, Drakmoor has once again been active. He declared himself Emperor in 1345, nearly twelve years ago. Nosferatia has since expanded under his leadership, recently annexing or conquering lands adjacent to the Stone Anvil Mountains to the south and to the Eboracan colony of Centersea. All of Precopia fears the diplomatic and political consequences of this act, as it may once again give Drakmoor the opportunity to plunge the continent into war against his dark rule. Experts and Historians are not optimistic about where war against Drakmoor may lead this time. |
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