The Principalities of Glantri

Ruler:: A council of Wizard-Princes
Government:: Magocracy
Capital:: Glantri City
Languages:: Thyatian (common), Alphatian (Fleamish dialect), Elvish (Belcadiz and Erewan dialects), Traladaran (in Boldavia), Averoignian, Ethengarian

Rumors, Lore and Places of Interest:

The Great School of Magic is heralded as the finest wizard college on the continent (although some other schools would disagree).
Glantri City has few streets; traveling across town is usually done via gondolas on the city's network of canals.
Numerous wizards have towers and lairs throughout the countryside.

History:

Several centuries ago, humans calling themselves Flaemish settled the region now known as Glantri, and built the city of Braejr. About 300 years ago, as foreign settlers began coming to the area in large numbers, frictions between the Flaemish and the settlers escalated gradually. Finally, the frictions exploded into war.

During this time, an Alphatian wizard and warlord named Halzunthram arrived and sided with the coalition of settlers, preventing the fragile coalition from being destroyed. The region was divided into three provinces, ruled over by a council. Halzunthram executed a coup and took control of that council.

Infuriated, the elven and human settlers sided with the Flaems in revolt against the Alphatian wizard. This went on to become the Forty Years War. During this time a plague struck the region, afflicting almost half the population. The pestilence was blamed on newly-arrived dwarven settlers, who were systematically hunted down and expelled from the area.

During one of the dwarf-hunts, Lord Alexander Glantri ambushed Halzunthram, and the Forty Years War was over. The city of Braejr was renamed Glantri City in Lord Alexander's honor. The Republic of Glantri was formed.

In the year 858 AC, a parliamentary session called the Light of Rad reserved the right to rule for wizards only, and granted the rulers the hereditary title of Prince. Outraged, the established nobility revolted but were crushed within a year. The Wizard-Princes have ruled unchallenged to this day.

Notes from the Dungeon Master:

There is a sampling of European cultures present in the different Principalities of Glantri, such as Spanish, Italian, German and French. This is a great place to be a wizard or sorceror, and a very bad place to be a cleric or a dwarf. The practice of clerical magic is punishable by death, and as for dwarves, no one has forgotten the plague.

For more information see GAZ 3: The Principalities of Glantri and Glantri: Kingdom of Magic.