New Sotosa (pronounced soh-TOE-zah) is a far-flung rump state of the once much larger Dominion of Viridia, located at the easternmost former extent of the empire. Separated for the last six hundred years, the region has since formed its own identity, though still with dreams of rejoining (or forming) a resurgent Dominion.
Geography, flora, and fauna
New Sotosa is located in the foothills of the southern Zakros Range, almost nestled against the mountains. The region is somewhat dry and arid, though seasonal snowmelt from the mountains provides enough water for agriculture. New Sotosa is broadly similar climatically to the Arrajan Wilds, though with slightly cooler temperatures.
Much of New Sotosa is covered by forests. When the Third Expeditionary Legion first arrived in the area, some soldiers thought it looked vaguely similar to the lands around their homes in Thadria's Sotosa Woods - though the resemblance is only surface level, the name has stuck.
The magical and powerful dragon horse is a creature found in New Sotosa and few other places. Highly intelligent and morally driven, these horses sometimes aid Sotosans if their motives are good.
Zomoks, a strange kind of plant dragon, dwell in the forests of New Sotosa. Unlike most other dragons, zomoks are not particularly predisposed to any belief or motivation, instead preferring to be left to their woodland dens. Nonetheless, they are generally avoided in New Sotosa lest their grounds are inadvertently encroached upon.
History
During the reign for the Viridian monarch Turan IV, also known as the Sun King, Viridian legions were sent far and wide. First among Turan's goals was the incorporation of the cities of Ishtar into his empire, bringing both the northern and eastern coasts of the Chaska Sea under Viridian control. Through continuous military campaigns lasting from Y9355* to his death in Y9402*, Turan was able to accomplish precisely this objective.
These new additions to the empire were never stable or well-incorporated, however. The logistics of maintaining over half of the Viridian military thousands of miles from Ilirnas proved impossible to resolve, not helped by an unfriendly populace. The people of Ishtar greatly resented the distant new rulers imposed upon them, and had begun to organize unified councils to resist better than their disparate city armies had been able to. By Y9410*, the situation had become obvious to Viridia. Queen Orania, Turan's daughter and successor, ordered the withdrawal of the legions to the border of Viridia before her father's campaigns.
One legion remained behind, however. The Third Expeditionary Legion had pushed past Ishtaran lands, into the sparsely populated hills north of the Arrajan Wilds. When the orders came to return home, the legion refused. They had already accomplished so much, their commanders argued, buildings towns and fortresses and subduing magical creatures. To leave, they said, would be to abandon the Viridians who had already settled there. And so the Legion stayed, naming their territory New Sotosa.
The Legion continues to maintain that they are Viridian soldiers and citizens, merely temporarily removed from the empire. They profess a willingness to rejoin the Dominion, as long as Viridia welcomes them back and recognizes their contributions over the centuries. It is well understood by both Sotosan and Viridian leadership, however, that this is unlikely to ever happen - Viridia's long, slow decline has made it improbable they will ever have the strength to reunite their former territories, especially not one so far removed.
Demographics
The inhabitants of New Sotosa are descended from two distinct populations: the legionaries and their auxiliaries, and those that were already living in the area prior to Viridian arrival. Though the two groups have mixed to a large degree in the ensuing centuries, many Sotosans still claim a proud heritage - some as the original inhabitants of the hills and forests, and others as the children of those strong enough to become legionaries.
Humans, orcs, half-orcs, ratfolk, dwarves, half-elves, and goblins are all common in New Sotosa. They are joined by a smaller populations of rougarou who migrated south from the Urra Highlands decades ago.
The kobolds who live deep within the Zakros Range occasionally emerge into the towns of New Sotosa, sometimes to trade and sometimes with less friendly intentions.
Culture
Religion
The people of New Sotosa primarily worship the gods of the common pantheon. Iomedae and Kurgess are quite popular, in large part due to the number of devotees to these gods within the legions. Torag is likewise widely worshiped, especially by dwarven Sotosans. The church of Nethys has a large following in New Sotosa as well, with a grand temple in Ravendel.
Though cultists of Urgathoa have long had a small presence in the area, more recently they have grown far stronger and more bold. Undead have begun rising in significant numbers across the region, very obviously the work of the Urgathoans. For the last decade the Legion has spent much time and effort in hunting and neutralizing these cultists, but without great success so far.
Languages
Thadrian, Ishtaran, Telan, Common, and racial languages are all widely spoken in New Sotosa. It is typical that inhabitants of the region are fluent in at least two languages, but knowledge of more is not unusual.
Magic
Recently the Legion has begun sending knowledgeable mages to study the anti-magic fields that hang over the Arrajan Wilds, in hopes of learning about how they function and ultimately how they might be disabled. Small yet fortified encampments have been built south of New Sotosa along the Arenae and Potasomin rivers to serve as bases of operation for these mages, though they have yet to make any major breakthrough.
A high proportion of Sotosans are born with innate magical abilities, and many refine their talents to become sorcerers.
Architecture and urbanization
Most towns in New Sotosa are built in the enduring wood and stone styles that have long been popular in Viridia.
Rather than quarry new stone, to construct their fortresses the Legion reused the cryptstone of the ancient ruins that are common in New Sotosa. While some more superstitious types have claimed this can only bring ill, the fortresses have stood strong for centuries, the claims of doom and consequences having not come to pass. Yet.
Government
Since its founding hundreds of years ago, the government of New Sotosa has been inseparable from its military. The commanders of the Third Expeditionary Legion still govern the towns and fortresses of the nation under perpetual martial law, though the military has changed significantly since its arrival in the region. New recruits are still trained to the same high standards, but most soldiers are given the mundane role of guarding towards from wild animals.
Once meritocratic leadership has become hereditary, with officer positions passing down to children or relatives. The generalship of the Legion, and rule over New Sotosa with it, has been held by multiple families in the hundreds of years of separation from Viridia. The current ruler of New Sotosa is General Scipio Eras, who took the role in Y9974* at the age of 25 upon his mother's retirement. He displays little interest in the mundane details of governance, letting his subordinates make decisions for themselves - some have begun whispering of plans to overthrow Eras and install a new, more competent general.
Economy
The Legion supports itself by levying taxes on the citizens of New Sotosa. These generally do not take the form of money but rather food, resources, and labor. Sotosan merchants regularly trade with the Ishtaran cities to the west and the Wildlanders to the south, though the nation is broadly self-sufficient.
Relations
New Sotosa and the nearby cities in Ishtar maintain cordial relations with each other, though the Sotosan leadership still views Ishtar as rightful Viridian territory.