Troaca
| Continent: | Anubia |
| Government: | Feudal monarchy; client state of the Estrellan Empire |
| Ruler Authority: | King Eamon Briarvale |
| Capitol: | Dunbrae |
| Major Families: | House Briarvale, House Thornmere, House Calderock, and House Fenross |
| Prominent Clans: | |
| Core Magic: | Earth Magic |
| Primary Exports: | Premium scotch, agricultural goods, and livestock |
Troaca is a non-industrialized island nation in Anubia and a client state of the Estrellan Empire. Comprising two main islands, it is a feudal monarchy ruled by King Eamon Briarvale from the capital of Dunbrae. Its rugged coastlines, sweeping green hills, and pastoral countryside support communities of farmers, fishermen, clansmen, and master distillers.
Troaca preserves a deeply rooted feudal hierarchy and is celebrated for its agriculture and premium scotch, serving as the primary source of luxury spirits for the imperial elite. Its predominantly human population maintains traditions of clan loyalty, oral storytelling, music, and spiritual stewardship of the land. Earth Magic is the nation's primary magical tradition.
Government and Nobility
Troaca is governed as a traditional feudal monarchy, though it ultimately answers to the supreme authority of the Estrellan Empire.
The Crown
King Eamon Briarvale oversees domestic affairs and acts as Troaca's principal representative to the Estrellan imperial court. A loyal imperial vassal, he is regarded as a steadfast keeper of the kingdom's traditions and land. His royal seat is Dunbrae.
The Feudal Nobility
The land is divided into extensive agrarian territories administered by lords, counts, and barons. These nobles oversee the peasant workforce, manage regional distilleries, and collect tithes for both the local crown and the empire.
Troaca's prominent noble houses are Briarvale, Thornmere, Calderock, and Fenross.
| House | Heraldic emblem | Motto |
|---|---|---|
| House Briarvale | A golden oak branch on a green field | Land, Crown, People |
| House Thornmere | A golden circular emblem surrounded by thorns on a red field | Strength Through Endurance |
| House Calderock | Pale mountain peaks on a blue field | Stone Steadfast Always |
| House Fenross | A pale long-legged bird among reeds on a brown field | Rivers Replenish All Things |
Geography and Economy
Troaca is distinguished by its maritime isolation, pastoral landscape, and lack of heavy industry. Traditional land management preserves the natural resources on which its agriculture and distilling depend. Its countryside resembles that of pre-industrial Ireland, with stone-built settlements, cultivated fields, and rugged coastal terrain.
The Twin Islands
The country spans two large, neighboring islands. Their terrain includes misty highlands, fertile valleys, green hills, peat bogs, and steep stone cliffs. The absence of heavy industrial machinery has preserved the purity of the islands' freshwater and other natural resources.
The relationship between the islands and their shared identity is expressed in the phrase:
Twin Islands. One People. Enduring Roots.
Dunbrae
Dunbrae is the capital of Troaca and the seat of King Eamon Briarvale. A stone-built hill city of towers and terraces, it brings together the kingdom's crown, land, and maritime life. Bridges, waterfront buildings, and elevated fortifications define its appearance.
Agriculture and Fishing
Agriculture, livestock husbandry, and fishing sustain much of the population. Rural communities work the land, raise livestock, and follow the changing seasons. Agricultural goods and livestock are major exports alongside the kingdom's premium spirits.
The Scotch Export Monopoly
The backbone of the Troacan economy is the production of high-grade, premium scotch. Using the twin islands' natural peat bogs and pure freshwater streams, Troacan distillers have mastered a multi-century aging process. Their craft combines carefully preserved resources with expertise passed down through generations.
Troacan scotch is coveted across Ensla, particularly among the high society of the Estrellan Empire. Troaca serves as the primary supplier of luxury spirits to the imperial elite.
Heavy industrialization would damage the water tables and peat composition required for production. The Estrellan Empire therefore actively enforces Troaca's non-industrial status, preserving the islands as an agricultural and distilling resource. The continuation of ancestral practices reflects both local tradition and imperial economic policy.
Culture and Society
Troaca's population is primarily human. Society follows a generational pace shaped by the seasons and the land, with farmers, fishermen, clansmen, and master distillers forming the core of community life.
Clan loyalty, oral storytelling, and traditional music preserve communal identity and history. Stories and songs shared around the hearth connect generations, while agricultural work and seasonal gatherings sustain the relationship between families and their homeland.
The population's spiritual connection to the land and native elemental forces can bring Troacans into cultural conflict with the more technologically oriented outlook of visiting imperial merchants.
Stewardship of the Land
Reverence for the earth is central to Troacan culture. The land is regarded as something to tend and preserve, a responsibility expressed through farming, magical practice, and inherited custom.
A common saying in Troaca expresses this outlook:
We are of stone and soil,
of wind and water.
The land is not ours to own,
but to tend, and in tending,
we belong.
Another expression associated with the nation is:
Stone, soil, sea and story — Troaca endures.
Earth Magic
Earth Magic is Troaca's primary magical tradition and reflects its people's spiritual bond with the living earth. Earth mages shape the land, raise stone walls and terraces, and bless the soil.
Its practice supports cultivation and construction while emphasizing harmony between people and their surroundings. Magic and traditional land management are closely connected within Troacan life.
