Contents
Location
Novis lies east of Paladia, across the river that separates the city-state from the mainland territories beyond. The country includes extensive lowlands used for agriculture, particularly sheep farming, alongside more developed regions connected to the monarchy and its court.
Description
Novis is a monarchy with long-established traditions and ceremonial life. The country is known for its grand spring parades held in celebration of Tellus, the earth goddess, reflecting a strong cultural emphasis on fertility, land, and continuity.
Economically, Novis is an agricultural exporter. Its lowland regions support farming and pastoral livelihoods, forming a contrast to Paladia’s industrial and alchemy-driven economy. While the country possesses alchemists, it does not share Paladia’s institutionalized dominance of alchemical science.
Relevance
Novis maintains age-old political and familial ties to the Holdfast line. Luc Holdfast’s mother is a distant cousin of the Novis queen, establishing a dynastic connection between the two states. Despite this relationship, Novis is unlikely to ever acknowledge the authority of the Guild Assembly.
During the war, Novis provides limited support to Paladia, including smuggled aid. As the conflict escalates and casualties increase, the country signals a diminishing willingness to supply resources or accept Paladian evacuees, reflecting growing reluctance to remain entangled in Paladia’s collapse.
Novis’s position is further defined by regional tensions. While historically aligned with the Holdfasts, its actions are shaped by caution—particularly in contrast to Hevgoss to the west, whose repeated interventions in neighboring states serve as an implicit warning of the risks of external involvement.
