Antiva
Antiva expanded to become a nation in -30 Ancient. Now, it is known for its fertile lands and thriving coastal trade, and it shows signs of being a bastion of commerce and culture in years to come. The kingdom’s people are recognized for their cleverness and hospitality, balancing maritime wealth with precarious political alliances. While Antiva’s armies remain small, the nation commands respect through its sea power and the natural bounty of its fields and orchards.
Environment
Antiva’s long coastline benefits from mild, temperate weather. The land near the coast is lush, supporting vineyards, olive groves, orange orchards, and wide expanses of farmland. This agricultural richness supplies a steady flow of grain, fruit, and wine that Antiva trades with neighboring regions, sometimes even with Tevinter interests.
Seasonal rains blow in from the warm seas, ensuring the fields remain fertile most of the year. Winters here are mild and damp rather than harsh and cold. Farther inland, rolling hills and scattered forests grow increasingly hot and arid in the summer months, though not to a degree that prevents settlement or farming. Antivan farmers expertly manage irrigation and often rely on small rivers for water during the driest times of the year.
In many ways, Antiva’s coasts are its lifeblood. It is dotted with small harbors, fishing villages, and budding trade centers. Pirates do prowl the waters on occasion, but most threats come from overland powers looking to seize Antiva’s coastal wealth or from opportunistic raiders preying on merchant ships.
Culture & Society
Antivans pride themselves on etiquette, hospitality, and wit. They are well‐spoken, warm hosts, and known to dress in fine, colorful fabrics where coin allows. Public conversation often revolves around the latest trade gossip, rumors of Tevinter politics, and glimpses of future opportunities.
Music, dance, and storytelling flourish in Antivan communities, reflecting a deep cultural appreciation for the arts. Traveling minstrels find an eager audience in Antiva’s taverns and noble halls, and elaborate festivals mark the seasonal harvests and key religious celebrations.
Family and clan ties are particularly strong. Many rural communities are governed by matriarchs or patriarchs whose authority rests on local customs rather than written law. These families coordinate farmland, share irrigation responsibilities, and work collectively to defend their interests in the face of external threats.
Politics
Antiva is formally ruled by a monarchy, though the crown’s true power depends on the loyalties of wealthy merchant families and minor nobles. Shipping and trade deals are vital, with families jockeying for exclusive rights to certain routes or goods. Alliances shift frequently, and mild public decorum masks a world of private deals and whispered negotiations.
Open warfare is rare. Neither the monarchy nor the nobles can muster a large standing army capable of challenging major rivals. Instead, Antiva relies on defensive treaties with Tevinter forces or other neighboring powers—though these alliances can be one‐sided, with Antivans forced to pay heavy tributes or provide safe harbors to outside fleets. When conflict does arise, it is typically short and localized, settled by discrete skirmishes rather than full‐scale battles.
Because land power is comparatively weak, maritime affairs dominate. Antivans boast a modest but skilled navy capable of fending off small raiding parties. Pirates who plague merchant vessels do so at their own risk. Discreet agreements with certain pirate crews also serve as a buffer: paying them off or hiring them to harass rival shipping.
Culture Skills
Antiva is a resilient maritime kingdom whose people combine warmth of spirit with savvy cunning
Standard Skills (+5): Athletics, Dance, Deceit, Influence, Perception, Stealth, Swim
Professional Skills: Acrobatics, Art, Courtesy, Culture, Disguise, Literacy
Requirements: Dwarf, Elf, Human
In the rest of the civilized world, it is common belief that Antiva has no king. I assure you, gentle readers, that this is untrue. The line of kings in Antiva has remained unbroken for two and a half thousand years—it is simply that nobody pays any attention to them whatsoever.
The Antivan Crows
A rising power in the young nation of Antiva, this house traces their origins to acting as an arm an order of Andraste Cultists near Treviso. Together, they cultivated deadly herbs within their abbey gardens and used them to assassinate a despotic duke.
It has only been five years since then, but the Crows’ reputation for lethal precision and mastery of exotic poisons has grown greatly. Their influence is becoming near unrivaled within Antiva, hinting towards an establishment far before their mingling with those cultists. An establishment date kept hidden, kept secret, as many Crow related things are.
Experts of intrigue, of politics, of trade, and of power. Noble houses within Antiva, merchants, and even particularly disliked foreign leaders tread carefully, aware that crossing an Antivan is risking the silent wrath of these deadly artists. E
ach Crow is meticulously trained in stealth, deception, and murder, their identities concealed behind masks of courtesy and grace. To summon the Crows is to seal a bargain in blood, one delivered swiftly, silently, and without remorse.
