Resta

Resta, Mortanis' Heartland to the East, is known throughout the continent as the Chosen Land. With Heron to its north, Tanis to its west, Galeon to its south, and only the various Midanian islands to its east, Restan citizens consider their lands to be the center of the known world. This, combined with their abundant access to gold and the majority of the world's most valuable metals and minerals, a ratio of arable farmland that rivals Galeon, and its frequent staging of historical events of theological significance, has contributed to Resta's moniker, the Chosen Land. This combination of rich resources and a rich history of divine intervention instills its denizens with a strong sense of significance that brings them to the forefront of theological and philosophical debate.

Resta's story begins in the very beginning of the First Age, when the first human tribes drew breath on the eastern shore of Mortanis. As mortal civilization began to form, it did not take long for its path to develop several branches. This ultimately led humanity to spread through Mortanis to the North and South and settle the lands of Eris and Pyris, or modern day Galeon and Heron. Those who remained in the Eastland did so because they couldn't abide the respective partisans that had driven their people so far apart. The people of the Eastland continued to lived as the first tribes did without much organization until tragedy split them apart in the 51st year of the First Age. Back then, barbarians and pyromancers of the long-defunct Brokamac clan had forcibly taken over most of a large section of the region, ending at the Pledge River. 

Those south of the river took a hard line against allowing the tyranny of the Brokamac spread any further. This led the remaining Eastland tribes to unite into a powerful resistance that fought tooth and nail to hold the Pledge's southern banks at all costs. They formed a city-state close to the Pledge which was dubbed Necros, so as to promise death to any Pyrisian who crosses the river. However, this fierce resistance did nothing to help the villagers trapped to the north. So, when the first arcanists wielded the power that would allow them to repel their oppressors from their land ten years later, the survivors would form a city-state of their own close to Necros. This city was known as Coronos, a name which symbolized their timeless endurance and boundless pride. While this victory pushed Pyris' border all the way back to the mountains, the people of Coronos couldn't reconcile the sense of betrayal they felt towards the people of Necros for abandoning them. They remained a separate state for over the entirety of the First Age, claiming ownership of the entire Eastland region north of the Pledge.

The people of Necros and Coronos enjoyed a cordial relationship despite this fractured trust since they still otherwise shared the same values. In both cities, they differed from the people of Eris and Pyris by prizing the unity of humanity over its excellence. While the rest of the world fought with each other in the War of the Gods, the two peoples of the Eastland determinedly avoided any participation in any hostilities. But this didn't keep them safe from harm. During the war's peak, a plague known as the Curse of Suffering swept through the Pledge River, infecting the people of both cities with a sinister pathogen that caused a strong and persistent depression and unbearable physical pain. The plague took a powerful toll on the populations of both civilizations that caused the people of Coronos to rethink their priorities. 

Left in a weakened state after the plague had run its course, the prince regent of Coronos proposed a union of the two countries through marriage by its respective leaders. This was done as a matter of pragmatism, with the people of both countries overwhelmingly believing that reuniting with their former Eastland brethren and forming a stronger nation was necessary to protect their non-involvement in the great war. But by the time their efforts to consolidate were complete, the war was over. Thus, the people of the Eastland found itself the lone superpower in a ruined world. With destiny perceived to be on their side, they chose the ancient Fadalian language word for destiny as the name of their new nation, Resta.

Theocratic monarchy has always been the rule of law to the people of Resta, whose traditions are considered beyond reproach in their culture. Foreigners observing this attitude from the outside have come to call this phenomenon Restacentrism, a seemingly in-built assumption by all Restans of their inherent favor by the Gods. While the people of Resta generally feel no ill will towards anyone, they have unfortunately cultivated an image of privilege and arrogance that provokes the ire of most of the international community. Nowhere is this disdain more pronounced than in Midania, whose undead leaders frequently denounce Resta for the kingdom's unfair treatment of those its society consider to be less than perfect. 

While Midania is the only country whose leadership openly condemns Restan culture, sympathies toward Resta aren't much stronger in the rest of the world. In Heron, Resta is considered to be a pit of decadence, elitism, and laziness while, in Galeon, Resta is seen as overly hierarchical, narrow-minded and distasteful for its self-centered culture. Only in Tanis are general sympathies towards Resta neutral, since their experiences with its people are infrequent and usually positive. 

Despite this, most official relations with Resta are friendly since, while its people remain oblivious to the inherent arrogance of their culture, they are especially generous in trade and their dispersal of magical research. This is especially evident in the existence of the Goodwill Company, a military organization that consolidates the skills of various Royal Army, Spellwarrior, and Templar soldiers into a combat unit with the sole purpose of lending military strength to foreign countries. Their services are rarely requested and always offered preemptively. While this further contributes to common perception of Restan arrogance, the Goodwill company has managed to consistently justify its existence since its foundation in 3E2.

As the only country with a foreign occupation and a population-culling plague in its history, the people of Resta has taken a unique path into the modern era of the Third Age. Intentionally isolated from the affairs of the rest of the world, their culture can be seen as ignorant and self-centered, but they are a people with generally kind hearts whose strongest motivation is reminding the world of its conscience. While their approach to doing so is usually seen as condescending and sometimes hypocritical, no one can truthfully claim that a Restan is stingy with their good fortune.

Society

The Festival of Autumn- A holiday that Resta shares with Galeon, in which intellectual pursuits are glorified in celebration of the positive effects of science on yearly agricultural harvests.

The Festival of Winter- A holiday that Resta shares with Midania, in which people are encouraged to reflect on their emotions and release them in a healthy way before winter comes to isolate them.

The Oculus Program- Excepts from The Restan Star, a news publication, celebrating a technological milestone for Resta.

Armed Forces of Resta- A brief overview of the four military orders under the control of the Restan crown.

Locations

Iris Isle- A small island located close to Galean waters but which is legally part of Resta. Iris Isle is significant to the pilgrims Resta because it contains a holy place known as the Bishop's Pinnacle.

Shaville- A once-idyllic village that has fallen into oblivion thanks to the wide influence of demonic corruption.

Stories

Death Touch- The current flagship tale of Comalan. When the Goddess of Death makes an attempt to sow fear and violence among all mortals, a group of Restan champions must come together to stop her.

The Magister's Rage- The memoirs of Gyanda Maloran, whose dreams of becoming a spellwarrior were disrupted by the unfortunate presence of a violent spirit.