Amokolia Proper
Amokolia Proper comprises the heartland of the Amokolian nation and is the home isles of the country that has come to stretch across Benacia and into far away Leng. The entire region is comprised of two islands, the larger island of Amokolia, and the smaller island of New London, both being situated in Dragon’s Bay.
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Anun Capital District
The heart and soul of Amokolia, Anun has grown from a backwater war camp to a sprawling metropolitan area 667 square miles in size. The Berserker warlord known as the Juggernaut founded Anun without any formal name and as a slave camp. However, as time went on and the Juggernaut’s berserkers settled around the camp, a village haphazardly grew. The Juggernaut refused to give the camp a name, fearing that doing so would cause his enemies to find him. So it came to pass that the village acquired the name “Anun”, which simply meant “no name”. After the demise of the Juggernaut and the rise of his heirs and the Kingdom of Amok, Anun took on a more formal appearance. Streets were paved, a castle-fortress was constructed, and the harbor became a major shipping port. This marked the transition of Anun from camp to city, and as Amokolia grew so did the metropolis. Today Anun bears little resemblance to its former self, only the Juggernaut’s Palace and Berserker Fort remain. Everything else has been replaced with modern asphalt roads, skyscrapers and high-rise buildings, factories and industrial yards. As Anun became a commercial center, the suburban population pushed further into the extremities, so that the outskirts of the city are now filled with the remaining local farms and many residential developments.
Parisia District
A travelling theatre group that had grown tired of censorship in Anun founded the city of Parisia. With little tolerance for the arts during the berserker dynasties, many such groups fled to the west where the lands were wilder, free of persecution. Parisia was established as a stronghold of artistic freedom and soon flourished without the imposition of direct authority from Anun. By the time Anun discovered the errant colony, Parisia had grown to foster a collection of hamlets in the northeast, and the capital was forced to accede and allow them artistic freedom (so long as Anun wasn’t subjected to opera). To this day Parisia and the district it encompasses are considered the epicenter of Amokolian arts. The often-booked Parisia Stadium has become one of the most popular venues north of Shirekeep.
Fardia District
The district of Fardia came about as a result of the founding of Fort Fardia, the main line of defense established against Shireroth’s holdout enclave known as The Aptan. The Aptan, also known as The Aft, was the rump remnants of the original Bjorngarden population on Amokolia. For many years the Juggernaut led raids against the Aptan in order to capture slaves, and in retaliation the Bjorngarders led raids into Amokolia. Lord Fardan was one of the Juggernaut’s top commanders, and was placed in charge of the western reaches. Upon arriving at the main encampment in the west, Fardan’s first command was to order the construction of a massive fortress that would anchor Amokolia’s power in the west, and dwarf any attacks by the Bjorngarders. Fardan’s Fort, or Fort Fardia as it came to be popularized, was the result of this order. The fortress became Fardan’s life work and obsession. Using the backs of many slaves, Fardan had blocks of granite quarried and carted in, had massive trees felled for timber, and set to work building a great castle on a high ground. Fardan lived to see his great fortress completed, but not much longer, as the construction took twenty-eight years. It did, however, serve to repulse all further attacks by Bjorngard, and brought an abrupt end to back-and-forth sparring. Fort Fardia grew to be the main military center of Amokolia – a title it retains to this day – and the growth of the district came about as a result of military families settling and expanding in the region.
Capadia District
Capadia is the largest district land-wise and encompasses the eastern end of Amokolia. It is also the district with the highest population of Elw. The easternmost end of Capadia is commonly referred to as Dragonshead, an old reference to the islands ancient name of Drakkenoya (Dragon’s Island). Capadia is also home to Lake Regina, Amokolia’s largest freshwater lake that is surrounded by spas and water enthusiasts. Port Beaumont and Luthersville are the two largest cities, shipping and industrial mega centers respectively. Oddly enough, the district capital remains in the small town of Capa City, which was built as a geographic center to ease administration but never really took off as originally envisioned. While the district’s roots lie within the ancient berserker culture and the subsequent Amok culture, these have been displaced by the arrival of the Elw from mainland Benacia. With Amokolia’s inclusion in Shireroth and later the Elwynnese Union, Elw were able to move to the region unhindered. They quickly subsumed the local culture and replaced it with an Elw-Amokolian hybrid that remains dominant to this day. Although fiercely loyal to Anun, the region has experienced a tenseness of affairs in recent years due to the clash of cultures in Greater Mishalan. Tensions have eased greatly though thanks to the successful conclusion of various democratic initiatives.
New London District
The only district geographically separated from the rest of Amokolia Proper, New London began its life as East Fardia. Primarily known for its vineyards, New London retains a bucolic and rural atmosphere. Originally occupied solely by farmers and vintners, the island served as the main exporter of wine to all of Amokolia, including mainland Benacia. Recently however it has become very popular as a tourist destination, especially for those seeking to escape the city life of Anun. Many hotels and resorts have taken over old farmland, and the small towns have begun to alter their business practices to accommodate tourism. Yet for the most part the iconic vineyards remain unchanged, which in good part is a key attraction to the tourists.