Sacrono

History
Sacrono was the first of the realms to join Isernia, and unlike the others, did so mostly voluntarily. The origins of Sacrono lie in the worship of Abadar, and the Priestess of Abadar installed the theocratic regime that originally established rule over these lands. When the Isernian Emperor and the Priestess met for diplomatic talks, they reached an agreement: The Emperor would convert to the worship of Abadar, and in turn, Sacrono would become a loyal subject territory. Over time, the people of Sacrono have come to adopt the Isernian language and much of its culture, just as the Isernians adopted the faith of Sacrono. Their relationship is close enough so that Sacrono is sometimes referred to as Little Isernia.

Current Times
The majority of the Sacronans live on the shores of the large lake known as the Sweat of Abadar’s Toil (simply referred to as “Toil” by most people) which is relatively fertile. The rest of the realm is rather rugged and sparsely inhabited, and the total population of Sacrono is rather low. Aside from the usual occupations required to maintain civilization, Sacrono educates an extremely large clergy. At adulthood, most Sacronans are expected to venture on a pilgrimage lasting several years to bring the faith of Abadar to the furthest reaches of Isernia. This activity is frequently dangerous, and many don’t return, but this sacrifice is expected of the faithful. As a result, those who do return tend to be of a hardy sort, and Sacronans are known for their unwavering force of will and severity. They see life as an opportunity to serve Abadar above all else.

Politics
Sacrono remains ruled by the Priestess. When the current Priestess dies, a young girl who was born at the time of her death is looked for. After a series of secret rituals, it is determined who shall be the new Priestess, and she is taken in by the church and groomed for her role. The current Priestess is still quite young, in her early 20’s, and said to be ambitious and determined to spread the faith of Abadar by any means. This has led her to declare that the Island known as the Birthplace of Gods should once again fall under their control, after the Secari successfully made it theirs some centuries ago. The two realms are now openly hostile towards one another, as both place a high degree of religious importance on owning the island and claiming the ruins upon it especially for themselves.

Sacrono has a poor relationship with the Elves and Dwarves in particular, as these have shown precisely no interest in the worship of Abadar. The Dwarves abandoned a hold in the Sacronan mountains when they got tired of being pestered, while the Elves defend their forest from any Sacronan preachers by force of weapons, if necessary.