The Republic of Sabbré

Historical Summary

A Brief History of Sabbré, by Yetalo Escrima, Daemedran Academy historical scholar

The massive Sabbran Republic occupies more land than any other single nation on Solitude. Though it is currently under Arvairian control, Sabbré has a long and complicated history as a major world power that stretches back thousands of years to the first wave of human immigrants to come to Solitude.  

The ancestors of the Sabbrans were the first humans to arrive in Solitude, coming through the eastern rift gate less than a year after it first opened. This first wave of humans included thousands of individuals from several different cultures. They spread quickly across the face of Solitude and also include the ancestors of the Televadi humans. The people who would eventually birth the Sabbrans established their country on the southern shores of the continent of Torin, an area rich in natural resources. They created a vibrant trade republic with many similarities to modern day Sabbré. It is said that their vast gardens, grand amphitheatres and towering monuments impressed even the gods. Natar in particular was said to spend much time among them, admiring their works and inspiring new ones in turn. Over the millennia leading to the Compact (see Yor Gambelson’s summary, The Compact of the Ascendant and its Implications) the fortunes of the country rose and fell, at some points falling to war against the demons or dragons, at others dominating the political atmosphere of Torin.  

After the gods agreed to the Compact and left the mortal world, many societies across Solitude underwent difficult times to say the least. As predicted, with the gods and their angels now residing solely in the heavens, demons went dormant in droves. However the dragons, kobolds, Televadi and – later on – the jur’ngans, saw their departure as an opportunity to expand and conquer. Though the elves largely held these threats in check, the humans, eyra, and lemerians, began turning to their own heroes. The Sabbran ancestors held in particularly high regard the philosopher-general Madius Kantorus, eventually elevating him to the position of king over the protests of their ruling senate. After he took power the philosopher-general led successful campaigns to expand his borders into dragon territory, nearly doubling the amount of land under his control. He named the sprawling new kingdom Sabbracius. Madius proved himself to be a strong ruler; he even placated the senate by allowing them to keep their positions and much of their power, but always in service to the king and his heirs. His dynasty proved short-lived however, as two-hundred years later the Reaving tore through the world. Since Sabbracius lay far from the center of the disaster, they had time to prepare before the worst of it reached them. Tens of thousands took to the relative safety of seas while others took refuge in magical shelters. The Sabbracians seemed comparatively well off, with their leaders and a fair number of citizens safe from harm. But then, the great ship carrying the royal family became separated from the rest of the fleet on the rough waters of the Bottomless Sea. No one knows what happened to the ship to this day, although most believe the senate (who had remained on land in a magical shelter) had them killed, and the ship sunk. This theory is supported by the fact that the senate members quickly took control of the surviving Sabbracians after the Reaving had ended, apparently even before news of the royal family’s demise reached land.

Thanks to their numbers and distance from the epicenter of the Reaving, the Sabbracians re-built and recovered faster than most of Solitude’s other major powers. The reborn republic was named Sabbré. However, under the rule of the senate, the nation began to take on a form different from what it had known in its history. The vast lands of Sabbré were divided into individually ruled provinces, each presided over by one of the seven senators. Slavery was instituted one a grand scale as the ruling class demanded the swift and inexpensive renewal of city walls and fortresses against the onslaughts of dragons and kobolds. Worship of certain gods – most notably Tanthik and Ageria – was discouraged.   Sabbré became the single most powerful nation on Solitude in short order, and held that title until the formation of the Arvairian Empire.

Now under Arvairian control, Sabbré has been forced to abolish slavery, allow equal worship of the Pantheon, and spread greater wealth to its lower classes. The Empire is powerful, but the power of the Sabbran senate has endured and continues to play a significant role on world politics.

The Sabbran City-States

Madra

Madra is the unofficial capital of Sabbré, a major center of trade, and the largest city on Solitude. Currently, it is ruled by Senator Cain Madra, the man widely regarded as the most influential of the Sabbran senators. Madra is a sprawling coastal city boasting the largest shipyard on the continent, and is also famous for its many architectural landmarks. The region also well known for its warm but stable climate; the local weather is said to be perfectly suited to human sensibilities.

Parthere

Parthere is the smallest of Sabbré’s city-states, but is nonetheless one of the richest. It is currently ruled by Senator August Parthere and is home to many of Sabbré’s richest individuals. Nestled on the shores of Lake Tiber, the city is guarded on three sides by high walls of magnificent red granite. The walls separate the opulent mansions and palaces within from the idyllic forest and farmland that surround it. Along the lakeshore is the Ripplerock Estate, a retreat which caters to the rich and powerful of Solitude. The estate features beautiful gardens, luxurious bath houses and gilded conference halls. 

Dorsa

Dorsa is a moderately sized city that lies on a large island of the same name off the southern coast of Sabbré. Dorsan territory includes most of the island in the eastern Coral Sea, including Dorsa itself. It is currently ruled by Senator Miles Dorsa and is home to a substantial fishing fleet as well as many olive plantations and vineyards. It is the Sabbran city most often visited by outsiders since it is not a long sail to Lumas, Arvair, Faidmiir or Akuul. As such, Dorsans are much more accustomed to trade and diplomacy with other nations than most of the other Sabbrans.

Nichia

Nichia lies in the rugged southeast of Sabbré and consists of some of the most mineral-rich land in the nation. It is currently ruled by Senator Envero Nichia and is also known to have the smallest population of the Sabbran city-states. Offsetting Nichia’s richness in metal ores is the fact that its lands encompass the harsh Ostean Wastes and the wild and largely undeveloped forests east of the Iron Range. Travelling and trading within these lands is difficult, relegating Nichia to the lower ranks of the Sabbran domains.

Arreza

Arreza is the western-most Sabbran city-state and, behind Dorsa, the one with which the nearby nations are most familiar. It is currently ruled by the venerable Tyrious Arreza and sits alongside the borders of three other nations. Much of Arreza’s history and reputation is defined by its conflict with its non-Sabbran neighbors. Arrezan land isn’t as resource-rich as the rest of Sabbré, and the people of Arreza have been known to prey on their neighbors – the nearby nation of Kantle in particular.

Setrono

Setrono is the northernmost and least powerful of the city-states. It is currently ruled by Senator Aguardius Setrono, the youngest of the senators and, some say, the most overworked. Much of his attention is focused towards enforcing his land’s long border with the Red Savannah – a border that the proud dragons and their underlings frequently violate. Setrono itself is a small but well-defended city that lies in the hill-country east of the Smouldering Fen. Its wide expanses of farmland export a great deal of food to several other city-states, most importantly, Nichia.

Comi

The far-flung lands controlled by the city-state of Comi are larger than that of any other Sabbran region. Its territory is so wide that it’s current Senator, Ceres Comi, must split her time between the city of Comi and its south-eastern sister-city of Riverwatch Keep. Most of Comi’s lands lie far from the bustling Sabbran interior, and are surrounded by wild lands and isolationist neighbors. This has led to its leaders and citizens being largely self-sufficient – they rarely give any thought to the affairs of the more populated west.