Oloi is a nation in the south-eastern part of the Three Rivers. As with Nae to the south, it is one of the few actual nations in the world. However, its character is markedly different to its southern neighbour.
Oloi (adjective/genitive: Oloii) occupies a high basin formed by the surrounding mountain ranges. It measures 1200 miles across and 1000 miles north to south at its widest. It is bordered on the south by the River Coutea and Nae, on the east by The Chain, on the north by the wild lands of Rhoba and on the west by Mialta. As mentioned, Oloi is encircled on all sides by mountain ranges, with the land rising sharply north of the Coutea.
On the west, there is a steep and narrow escarpment leading down to Mialta to the port of Arstelope. This town is practically inaccessible in any other way by land.
The high plateau of Oloi is a dark land of fog, thick forests, windy green fields and small tarns. In fact, Oloi is (in)famous for its mists and sunny days are very rare. There are no mountain passes leading north or east out of Oloi, and the passes that lead into Nae are guarded vigilantly by both nations.
The capital is Vatarchi, a walled town of 50000 folk in the far central east of the nation, nigh to The Chain.
Oloi’s history is lost in the murk, like most places on Fels. The Oloii believe they have always inhabited their high, foggy land and that they did not spring from elsewhere. They believe the Collision to be a Nain myth. For as long as anyone can remember, Oloi has been led by a Chieftain, who holds the same powers as any other king or lord, but additionally has his or her population in transcendent thrall. Respect toward the Chieftain is universal and no criticism or even idle speculation of the leader is tolerated.
The Chieftain is aided by several wizard advisers and a pervasive network of informants who report all activity. The current Chieftain is Quana of the House of Yssusois.
The Oloii genuinely believe their land always was, and always will be, and view external theories and ideas on their country’s origin as slander and stories laden with envy.
The reality is that Oloi was settled by the predecessors of the Nain early after the Collision. Powerful magic was used to lift the mountains surrounding the country and isolate it from the world. An aftereffect of this was to turn the land into the misty, dreary realm it is today.
The Oloii are a slender, pale people renowned for their light blue to yellow eyes and silvery-blond hair. They are also renowned for their surliness toward foreigners and overall dim dispositions. The average Oloii is a reflection of the grim land they dwell in. Due to the national propensity towards the worship of Ydrys, they are furtive, reticent and know how to hold their secrets and counsel well.
However, through necessity they need to maintain contact with the outside world. They tolerate the Nain traders that come within their borders on the proviso they don’t wander or ask too many questions. Other folk are treated with great suspicion at the borders, and to trespass on Oloii land without their let is to suffer a fate worse than death.
Oloi is guarded by their famed automatons. These are metal behemoths twenty feet tall, humanoid in shape, created by a process both secret and dire. They are powered by the animus of malefactors, rendered bereft of will and self-awareness by a dark process known only to a few. The automatons, which number in the low hundreds, enforce the Chieftain’s will by spewing streams of fire and acid at any enemy, finishing off the task by trampling over them.
Logically, the automatons and the process used to create them has drawn the attention of the powerful throughout the land, and many has been the expedition to ferret out their secrets, but to date, these attempts have ended in failure, and the spies usually become automatons themselves.
The Chieftain is an absolute monarch and his or her word is law. They appoint mayors and burgomasters to do his or her will in towns and cities.