Atrebla

Atrebla

Atrebla was a kingdom situated to the east of both Rislandia and the Wyranth Empire on the Areth continent, separated from them by the Oler Mountains. It shared a border with Rislandia along that mountain range. Atrebla appeared on the maps displayed in the war room, indicating its strategic relevance to Rislandian military planning.

Atrebla was described as much friendlier than the Wyranth, though outside of standard trade conducted through boats and caravans, the kingdom mostly kept to itself. Atrebla maintained permanent ambassadorial stations within Rislandia, reflecting a degree of formal diplomatic engagement with its western neighbor. Despite this diplomatic presence, Atrebla had a reputation for being stingy about deeper involvement in the affairs of neighboring nations.

Atrebla also held historical significance as the territory that bordered the extent of the Ancient Empire, whose boundary ended at what later became known as Atrebla.

The kingdom was ruled by King Eakin of Atrebla—more fully identified as King Eakin III of House Varland—and its capital city was Stonehaven. Atrebla was more than twice the size of Rislandia and did not have air travel available. Its discovery of an oil called Black Gold made it one of the wealthiest kingdoms on the continent, and it exported motors and goods across Areth. Traders from Atrebla were known to come to Rislandia City.

Description

Atrebla lay across the Oler Mountains from Rislandia, making the mountain range the natural boundary between the two nations. The kingdom was more than twice the size of Rislandia, and travel there could take a long time. It maintained standard trade relations with its neighbors through boats and caravans but was otherwise noted for keeping largely to itself. Matthias du Gearsmith was known to have contacts within Atrebla.

Atrebla did not have air travel available, distinguishing it from Rislandia in terms of technological development. Its northern countryside was troubled by goblins. Beyond these details, the kingdom was described as living a life of luxury, with a castle larger than the palace in Rislandia City. That castle contained a banquet hall, a conference room, an armory, a garden courtyard, a storeroom, and various corridors. Noble houses with their crests were displayed in the armory. Atreblan formal wear was described as velvet with ornate stitching, high collars, and silver buttons, and Atreblan guards wore blue uniforms.

Atrebla was also noted as a potential source of food or materials for both Rislandia and the Wyranth Empire, though the kingdom had historically been reluctant to commit to such involvement.

History

Origins and Rislandian Settlement

According to The Steam Knight, the first settlers of Rislandia had fled the area that later came to comprise the Atrebla Kingdom, establishing a historical connection between the two nations that predated their formal diplomatic relations.

Expedition and the Black Gold

The Fight for Rislandia

In The Fight for Rislandia, Atrebla was considered as a potential place of refuge for the Rislandian royal family should the Wyranth Empire advance on their mountainous retreat near Lake Avily. It was noted that the difficult terrain in that region would make it hard for Wyranth forces to approach without giving the royal family sufficient warning to flee into Atrebla. Zaira von Monocle considered Atrebla as a destination if the situation became dire, and Talyen von Cravat similarly noted she could board a ship and flee there if worst came to worst. It was also observed that an airship could reach Atrebla without needing to set down for some time.

The Iron Wedding

In The Iron Wedding, Atrebla's formal diplomatic presence within Rislandia was evident, as the kingdom maintained ambassadors with permanent stations there.

The Crystal Conspiracy

In The Crystal Conspiracy, Atrebla was identified as a potential source of food or materials for Rislandia and the Wyranth Empire amid ongoing difficulties. Queen Reina I expressed a desire to send a formal delegation to Atrebla—alongside Nyanzi—to request loans of food or materials. James Gentry was considered as a possible member of that delegation. It was noted, however, that Atrebla had been stingy about involvement in the past, suggesting that such a diplomatic mission would face challenges. Additionally, historical context was provided indicating that a vast ancient empire once had its border with what is now known as Atrebla, underscoring the kingdom's deep historical roots in the region.

The Steam Knight

In The Steam Knight, Atrebla played a direct diplomatic role in Rislandian affairs. King Malaky XVI had been considering a treaty that would involve an Atreblan prince marrying Queen Reina I. The arrangement was conceived such that the Atreblan prince—who was not heir to the Atreblan throne—would come to Rislandia and become Rislandian, rather than Reina going to Atrebla permanently. Reina herself did not wish to be taken to Atrebla.

Atrebla sent Ambassador Sheila McRose to negotiate with Rislandia on this matter. The negotiations ultimately failed, and McRose departed to the east guest wing with the Atreblan party before returning to Atrebla empty-handed. Traders from Atrebla were also noted as coming to Rislandia City during this period. The book also established that Atrebla's northern countryside was troubled by goblins.

Role in The Blood of Giants

Atrebla was referenced in The Blood of Giants as a neighboring kingdom visible on war room maps and noted as bordering Rislandia along the Oler Mountains. The Atreblan Kingdom's world expedition and its acquisition of Black Gold represented a significant event during King Malaky XVI's early reign, and the kingdom's interaction with Baron Theodore von Monocle provided him with a critical resource.

Role in The Fight for Rislandia

In The Fight for Rislandia, Atrebla functioned primarily as a strategic refuge option for the Rislandian royal family during the conflict with the Wyranth Empire. Its relative friendliness toward Rislandia and its accessibility by both sea and airship made it a viable escape destination. Matthias du Gearsmith's contacts within the kingdom may have further supported this option.

Role in The Iron Wedding

In The Iron Wedding, Atrebla's diplomatic relationship with Rislandia was underscored by the existence of permanent Atreblan ambassadorial stations within Rislandia. This formal presence indicated a more structured relationship between the two kingdoms than simple trade alone.

Role in The Crystal Conspiracy

In The Crystal Conspiracy, Atrebla emerged as a potential diplomatic target for Rislandia. Queen Reina I sought to send a delegation there to negotiate loans of food or materials, with James Gentry named as a possible participant. The kingdom's past reluctance to involve itself in regional affairs was acknowledged as an obstacle. The book also situated Atrebla within a broader historical context, noting that the territory had once marked the boundary of a vast ancient empire.

Role in The Steam Knight

In The Steam Knight, Atrebla featured prominently as a diplomatic actor. The kingdom was ruled by King Eakin of Atrebla and represented by Ambassador Sheila McRose, who traveled to Rislandia to negotiate a potential marriage treaty between an Atreblan prince and Queen Reina I. The negotiations failed, and McRose returned to Atrebla empty-handed. The book also established that Atrebla was more than twice the size of Rislandia, lacked air travel, and faced a goblin problem along its northern countryside. The historical note that Rislandia's first settlers had fled the area now comprising Atrebla was also revealed in this volume.

Relationships

• Wyranth Empire: Atrebla was situated to the east of the Wyranth Empire as well as Rislandia. The kingdom was considered a refuge precisely because of its distance and separation from Wyranth reach. In The Crystal Conspiracy, Atrebla was also identified as a potential source of food or materials for the Wyranth.

Spoiler: The Steam Knight 2Click to reveal

• Nyanzi: Atrebla was mentioned alongside Nyanzi as a destination for a potential Rislandian diplomatic delegation in The Crystal Conspiracy.
• The Ancient Empire: Atrebla's territory historically marked the border of a vast ancient empire, giving the kingdom deep historical significance in the region.
• Baron Theodore von Monocle: Theodore assisted an Atreblan noble in exchange for aether-fuel during the events of The Blood of Giants.
• Matthias du Gearsmith: Matthias was noted to have contacts within Atrebla.
• Zaira von Monocle: Zaira considered Atrebla as a potential place of refuge during the events of The Fight for Rislandia.
• Talyen von Cravat: Talyen similarly identified Atrebla as a destination she could flee to by ship if circumstances required it.

• House Varland: King Eakin III belonged to House Varland, the ruling house of Atrebla.

In the short stories

In Island of the Fae, Atrebla is at peace, wants no weapons, and has "one of the finest navies in the world". Its wealthiest province holds the Stanley Estates of Count Eberle, which Theodore calls bigger than King Malaky's palace. Atrebla controls aether fuel supplies that Rislandia needs for new airships.

On the world map

The official world map spells this nation Artrebla. Every text spells it Atrebla. On the map it is a large red region east of Rislandia and Lantern Bay, with a city dot on its north coast. Zarma lies to its north-east, Rescall to its east, and Perryton to its south. Its south-western end meets Nyanzi.

In A History of Rislandia

According to A History of Rislandia, Atrebla has a far deeper and more ancient history than the novels alone convey, tracing its origins to the earliest emergence of humanity on Areth and serving as the ancestral homeland of both Rislandia and the Wyranth Empire.

Ancient Origins and the Name "Central Landing"

According to A History of Rislandia, the region now known as Atrebla was originally called the Central Landing, and this older name persisted in scholarly usage alongside the later designation. The sourcebook also refers to it informally as "the Old World." Within the south of Atrebla lies a sub-region called Oler—identified in the bible as the place where humans first emerged in stone valleys and mountain caves, influenced by the earth essence of the divine being Terravon the Stone-Shaper. These early peoples developed cultures of mining, stonework, and endurance, and built cities carved directly into mountainsides from living rock. They worshipped Terravon under the name "the Great One"—a tradition the sourcebook identifies as a cultural memory preserved into the present day by the Church of the Great One. Atreblan monks are said to chant seven words each morning, which the bible identifies as fragments of the First Song. The faithful make pilgrimages to sacred mountain sites, and churches and monasteries are filled with stonework and stained glass.

The early inhabitants of the Central Landing occasionally encountered Giant colonies in the high peaks.

Relationship to the Orethan Dominion and the Shattered Empire

According to A History of Rislandia, Atrebla rose from the northwestern Stone Valleys of the former Orethan Dominion, preserving much of the old Orethan culture, and claims descent from that dominion. The sourcebook also states that Atrebla claims descent from the ancient Shattered Empire, which it says stretched from Atrebla in the north to Rescall in the south—and that all modern kingdoms make similar claims of descent from this ancient empire. This partially overlaps with but is more specific than the novel-based account on this page's reference to "a vast ancient empire" whose border ended at Atrebla.

The Exodus and the Founding of Rislandia and Wyranth

According to A History of Rislandia, Atrebla is the ancestral homeland of both Rislandia and the Wyranth Empire. Some five hundred years before the novels' present day, Jory Malaky led Atreblan refugees away from Atrebla due to civil conflict, eventually founding Rislandia. Separately, southern Atreblan refugees who rejected Rislandian rule went on to found the Wyranth city-states. The sourcebook further notes that rival Atreblan factions sent assassins to kill Jory Malaky after the exodus, indicating that the split was acrimonious. As a consequence of this shared origin, the sourcebook states that Rislandians still speak a dialect of Atreblan and share many traditions with the kingdom.

The sourcebook also notes that Aldric, First High Knight of the Crystal Spire, was a former Atreblan knight—providing an Atreblan connection to one of Rislandia's most important founding institutions.

Legal and Architectural Influence on Rislandia

According to A History of Rislandia, Atreblan influence on Rislandia extended beyond language and tradition. The Legal Code of Rislandia established by King Malaky I was based on old imperial principles and Atreblan traditions. Additionally, Rislandia City's Royal Palace incorporated Atreblan architectural principles—specifically arches, columns, and courtyards—reflecting the enduring cultural prestige of Atreblan stonework and design.

Diplomatic History with Rislandia

According to A History of Rislandia, formal diplomatic relations between Rislandia and Atrebla have a long history. Trade was conducted with Atrebla as early as the reign of King Malaky VI, and Rislandia established a permanent embassy in Atrebla in Year 205, also under Malaky VI—making this the earliest dateable diplomatic milestone between the two nations recorded in the sourcebook. During the Purge under Malaky VII, some exiled priests and monks fled to Atrebla, suggesting the kingdom offered at least passive refuge during that period of Rislandian religious persecution.

The sourcebook states that Atrebla has historically refused to intervene in Rislandian-Wyranth conflicts, maintaining neutrality—consistent with the novels' characterisation of Atrebla as stingy about deeper involvement, though the bible frames this explicitly as a policy of neutrality rather than mere reluctance.

Geography and Population

According to A History of Rislandia, Atrebla is located in northwestern Areth, bordering the Iberanth Peninsula via the Oler Mountains. The sourcebook gives Atrebla's population as approximately 500,000, with the capital Stonehaven holding an estimated population of approximately 80,000. The kingdom is described as a land of mountains, valleys, and highland plateaus, containing the Atreblan Highlands, Stone Valleys, Iron Mountains, and Great Quarries. Its climate is cooler than the Iberanth Peninsula, with harsh winters and mild summers.

Society and Culture

According to A History of Rislandia, Atreblan society is described as refined, conservative, and deeply rooted in history, with the sourcebook comparing it to 1800s France in its emphasis on art, philosophy, and social hierarchy. The social structure comprises the King, nobility, bourgeoisie, peasantry, and clergy. The nobility trace their lineage back centuries; the bourgeoisie are wealthy merchants, professionals, and intellectuals who gather in salons and cafés; the peasantry are farmers, craftsmen, and laborers; and the clergy are priests and monks who worship the Great One.

Atreblans are characterised by values of tradition, honor, craftsmanship, philosophy, and endurance. The kingdom produces stone cathedrals, sculptures, and monuments, and is home to renowned poets, novelists, and playwrights, as well as classical music, opera, and chamber orchestras. Atreblan stonework and metalwork are described as the finest in the world. Men wear tailored coats and cravats; women wear elaborate gowns with corsets and lace. Cuisine includes cheeses, wines, pastries, and sauces.

Primary industries include mining, metalworking, stone craftsmanship, and agriculture.

Military

According to A History of Rislandia, Atrebla's military includes the Atreblan Royal Army, knights who serve the king and uphold chivalric ideals, and mountain fortresses. The sourcebook notes that Atrebla's mountain strongholds make it difficult to invade.