Milave

Milave is a small kingdom in the Steadfast. It borders the Pytharon Empire to the east, Ancuan to the north, and Matheunis to the south.

Background
From Nomilla Eron, a Milavian noble:

''Once Milave was a region of the Pytharon Empire, when its red banners flew from every tower in the South. Now that name is given to a loose confederation of small noble states and even a few so-called republics. The latter, of course, are nothing more than backwater counties too wretched for any proper noble family to desire position, and where the merchant classes give the peasantry fool-headed ideas of ruling themselves.''

''The only thing that truly binds Milave together is fear of invasion by the empire. Milavians have few similarities, but a memory of the hard-won independence from Pytharon is one. Ostensibly, Milave is ruled by a council of representatives of disparate governments, clans, and factions who meet in the city of Orrila.''

''The nation will not last as a cohesive whole for long. The ruling council does little but bicker over petty matters while the nearby empire once again grows in military might. If war does come, Milave's loose union is likely to collapse, each state fighting for itself and no other - and thus we are all doomed.''

''One possible savior, however, is a noble warlord named Tarvesh. This charismatic young leader has the support of many Milavians, and his personal fighting force includes three flying numenera war machines, the likes of which have not been seen before in the region. I suspect that Tarvesh has clandestine support from the Amber Papacy, which hopes that he can unite Milave and keep the peace in the southern end of the Steadfast. Indeed, many hopes rest with that one man. We shall see if his broad shoulders can bear the burden.''

Most people of Milave are farmers who produce a variety of foodstuffs as well as an herb called ghianche, or sometimes just ganch. It fills many pipes throughout the region, and it's sometimes rolled into cigars as well. The herb is a mild relaxant, but when treated with certain chemicals, it can also be a powerful hallucinogen.

Ganch fields are difficult to maintain and require a large workforce. A few communities have repurposed a variety of numenera machines and devices to help in the labor, so it's not uncommon to see a massive construct or automaton harvesting fields of ganch leaves.

Cities
• Orrila

• Aian

Other Points of Interest
• Ossam's Traveling Menagerie and Soaring Circus

Recruitment:
Clandestine agents of the warlord Tarvesh seek recruits to work as spies and infiltrators or as soldiers. Either way, the recruiters are said to wear numenera artifacts on their foreheads that allow them to see into the minds of others, both to ensure that those they speak with tell the truth and to ascertain the talents of others, which aids in recruitment. Rumors say that these devices even allow them to implant a failsafe in the recruit's mind. Should they go on to betray their new warlord, the psychic imprint will destroy the mind from within. For truthful commitment, however, the recruiters are offering excellent pay, numenera support, and of course, a free, safe, and stable Milave.

The Roving Road:
Rumors speak of a well-lit path that appears only on very rare night or dark, mist-shrouded days.This road is paved in blocks of an unknown substance, and it's said to lead to a secret location that can't be accessed in any way other than by road. The road always appears in different locations throughout the land, and only for an hour or so at a time. Once you take the road, however, you go where it goes until you reach the end.

The Ice Pit:
A perfectly round, metal-edged pit of unknown depths can be found about 40 miles south of Aian. On even the warmest days, cold mist rises from it. Those who have attempted to reach the bottom claim that it simply gets colder and colder as one goes down. No one has ever reached the bottom and returned to tell the tale.

Dry Coral:
A field of coral-like growth extends throughout an expanse in the western portion of Milave. At night, patches of the coral glow with an unearthly light. As with beds of actual coral, unique and sometimes dangerous creatures dwell within and amid the formations.

Weeping Wanderer:
An ancient automaton wanders the roads of Milave, damaged and asking for help. However, the fluids it leaks are debilitating and hallucinogenic to humans.

The Minds of the Dead:
A pair of men living in a village in the eastern border of the land claim to have a device that reads the thoughts of the recently deceased. They say that if the dead are hooked to the device quickly enough, their consciousness is stored inside it, granting them "eternal life."

Miscellaneous
Stratharian war moths seem particularly attracted to ganch fields. Sometimes entire plots must be abandoned when swarms move in. One field currently has a cocoon so large that farmers speculate it will produce a war moth as big as a house.