Efen

Area	7912 km2
Population	72700
Dominant Race	human
Dominant Culture	Shwazen
Dominant Religion	Ebronism
Realm	Schap
Capital	Pedenhaunin
Ruled by	Kylares

Efen is a war-torn province in the south of Schap, bordering Fonticia. Its population used to be over 100,000 souls, but decades of warfare and raids have reduced it by over a third and thrown large parts of the region into poverty. Entire villages are deserted or burnt and many of the roads are in disrepair.

There is also an eastern part to Efen, along the coast, which is much less affected by the war except for the fact that a higher than usual percentage of its peasants are drafted for the frontlines. East Efen also provides a bigger part of the tax income, given the poverty of the southern areas and the fact that sometimes the tax collectors become caught up in raids or otherwise go missing there.

Efen has a rich fauna and flora, with wild forests of various types and about a third of grassland. The Aughaupbach, Wachetbury and Laufin rivers flow through the province and the ground is fertile and flat in the east, hilly in the west. Wild sheep roam the hills and wild horses the grasslands. The weather is relatively mild for the location, comparable to central Vericum even though it is already much more north.

The historical seat of the Kylares family, Lord Protector Edwardus Kylares is the current head of the house and ruler of Efen.

Politically and religiously, however, the province has been torn apart over the decades. The border between Schap and Fonticia is anything but fixed and moves a little almost every year. This also leads to both the Ebronism and the Seogism religion being present in Efen, and its lords must conduct a constant dance between the political-religious wishes of the leaders in distant Marzellin and the practical realities in their towns and villages. Ebronism by far dominates, but somewhere between 15% and 25% of the people in Efen follow the Seogism faith more or less openly, depending on where the border runs this year.

It should be noted that a long time ago, Efen was part of Fonticia. It was one of the first conquests of the newly formed Schap and its southwards expansion and was taken partially in 206 BV and entirely in 187 BV.

Points of Interest

Ruins of Kotera

The Torn Road is also located within Efen.

Settlements

	Settlement type	Population	Ruled by
Busobu	town	1,500
Magnema	town	1,100
Pedenhaunin	city	10,200	Kylares
Perconia	town	400
Shonau	town	800