Gardens Of Meynon

Gardens of Meynon
“First Love of Aleria; we are home. For those who do not, we are your ever pacific enemy.” - vow of the Praetor.

Capital: Paxia
Settlements: Feydolm (4,000), Paxia (11,000), Rhenhold (5,000)
Ruler: Praetor Aresta Meynon
Government: Theocratic Republic
Races: Anumus, Elf, Gnome, Human, Oakling, Xax, Xeph
Faiths: Aleria, Lyvalia, Neria, Paletius, Yolana
Resources: Agriculture, wine
Languages: Common, Elven, Gnomish, Sylvan, Terran, Xeph
Border Conditions: Restricted (full porphyrite border)

History
The Gardens of Meynon are the result of the devotion and love of a goddess, and that devotion is returned by the people she smiles upon. In The Divine Record of Gerana it is written that the goddess Aleria felt the pull of the Calling, but such was her devotion to her followers that she could not bear to leave them behind, and thus she brought the land of Enon to Porphyra with her.

The Record further claims that the goddess was once a mortal, that she gave of herself selflessly to save those she loved, and that the sheer primal outpouring of emotion of those saved gave birth to Aleria’s ascension. This land was the land of Enon – her divine birthright—and forever linked to the goddess.

Origins aside, the land of Enon was a land of farms and vineyards, long rolling pastures and meticulously tended orchards. There were also the Wilds, those areas of the land left to the will of nature, for they offered their own bounty. What Enon lacked was soldiers. There
were no war colleges, no marshaling grounds; the only violence seen was that of hunting, and even then never for sport, and never more than the land could sustain.

So when the warbands of the NewGod Wars approached from Enor, threatening to trod the cultivated fields of Enon under elementalist boot, the people of the land huddled in prayer, beseeching their goddess to come to their aid once again. From their number a boy, no more than twelve, stood up. While those around him prayed, Mey ran, not in fear, but in haste to call the land itself to defend against the hordes that would defile the tranquil sanctity of his home. Some say his feet grew the wings of the Meadowlark, that his stride was swifter than the deer, that Mey ran day and night, through rain and sleet, to sing his own Calling to the land. And the land answered. Great trees, oak, ash, elm, yew, maple and willow rose to defend the land. Some claim that even the grapevines and ivy sprang to life to throttle the giants, genies and zendiqi riders that sought to invade. Then came the beasts of the Wild. Striking together they drove
away any that would spoil the land, and each time, Mey was there to lead the defenders. So, the land of Enon was spared.

After the threat of the NewGod Wars had passed, Mey felt the pull of the land. He had not slept or nourished himself, for there was never time, and the need of the land was first. So he sought to rest and found himself in a small glade, now called the Heart of Meynon. There he lay down beside a pool of spring water, and the tales say a young woman cradled the boy in her arms, singing softly to him until the last of his breath escaped his exhausted mortal form.

From that day on, the land of Enon was known as the Gardens of Meynon, and it is said that if one journeys to the Heart today, a stone the size of a young boy rests beside a small pool, and if one is quiet and listens with an open heart, they will hear the soft song of a Meadowlark on the breeze.

Current Events
Today the Gardens of Meynon are still a thriving agricultural mecca. Vast farms, vineyards and orchards dominate the landscape. Though towns are numerous, they are sprawling ordeals of hedgerows and gardens, and each holds a preserve in its heart that is mindful of the Wild. As the turbulence of the NewGod Wars faded into memories, the land and its people began to welcome outsiders with open arms, establishing places of learning and respites of peace—for the mind is but one more grove to tend. The newest immigrants are the xax who fled the Birdman Mountains during the NewGod Wars. Their inherent flexibility and memories of conflict
make them valuable both in the fields and in defense of the Gardens.

Chief among the laws of the land is that of peace. Violence is a federal crime that has but one sentence: the offender is stripped of all possessions and banished into the heart of the Wild, a stark contrast to the peace of the Garden. Should they survive a full year, their transgression is forgiven, as the parolee is reborn. It is worth noting that it is rare for any to survive, and those few that have, none have transgressed a second time.

The legend of the ‘Land rising up’ to defend them during the Wars is a pleasant myth, but most scholars quietly assert some inherent presence of beings such as treants, shambling mounds, and assassin vines, with some degree of collective sentience had a lot to do with it. This is a forbidden topic in the arenas, and tantamount to heresy within the theocracy. There are also more conventional defenses; hedgerows, levees, and border dams to be released in case of invasion.

Politically, the Gardens of Meynon are a theocratic senate. Lack of devotion to a deity is not well tolerated here, and likely to result in the Meynon custom of Shunning. Conflicts are often settled in the Arena of Debate, the national pastime and obsession. As academic institutions have grown in the Garden, the art of peaceful resolution is on the rise. In the communities along the Rhenguld River Basin, children who show aptitude of mind are trained in the Sagia, a school that focuses on the art of discourse and debate.

Settlements
The major settlements of the Gardens of Meynon are:

Feydolm is a small town in comparison to the plazas of Blix or the turreted sprawls of the Middlelands, it rests near the Heart of Meynon. Though it lacks the typical preserve, it borders the largest stretch of Wild in the land, and its people are slightly wilder as a
result.

Paxia is port to the realm, largest city, and capital. It is home to the Senate and the largest of the Arenas of Debate, and Seat of the Praetor of Meynon, the political leader of the Garden. Note that when a new Praetor is chosen, they take the surname of Meynon as a symbol of office.

The ancient town of Rhenhold is home to the largest of the Sagia and sits at the mouth of the Rhenguld Basin, a large, deep lake. Rhenhold is very conservative and religious, hosting large cathedrals to Aleria and Paletius, and lesser shrines to Neria, Yolana, and even Lyvalia in her role as a keen administrator.

Intrigues

  • A blight has laid ruin to a town in the west of Meynon, causing death and disease among people, animals and plants. If an outside source is causing the outbreak, noble adventurers could help solve the problem.
  • Surges of violent behavior have been reported in one of the smaller communities- what is causing it, and will it spread?
  • An ancient species of bird native to the Garden have begun to vanish, but are appearing in the markets of neighboring realms. The claims of their special properties seem to have no merit- but the poachers hunting them do not seem to care.
  • The weird race of the xesa have been appearing in the fringe-lands of the Wild, agitating for the freedom of cultivated plants… The clever beings have even infiltrated the Senate! It is necessary to find their leader and talk sense to him- er, it, and avoid their possibly deadly plant allies.

OPEN GAME LICENSE Version 1.0a - All text is Open Game Content.