GeoWulf
Banned, somehow.
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Join date : 2009-02-13
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 | Subject: Aeria Map + Lore  Tue Feb 17, 2009 2:05 pm | |
|  Lore: - Quote :
- The Ahdsurian Isles are the native lands of the Álfar, or Elves, the Eldest Race; Te'clis is the largest and oldest elven city, supposedly pre-dating Imperia by thousands of years. The Álfar have, historically, been one of, if not the most, influential peoples of all time, having made great advancements in every field, including architecture, technology, and the mystical arts. They forged one of the greatest civilizations to ever exist while most species were still in a fledgling, tribal state, and gifted many societies with knowledge enough to create their own societies. The Elven Pantheon is still the most recognized list of deities, and many scholars place Elven folklore as the oldest and most accurate history of the early world. Though they have suffered a great decline since the legendary God Wars, the ten tribes of Ahdsur have been united once again as the Concordic Dominion. The Álfar are remarkably long lived, lasting on average half a thousand years, and have a great deal of magical potency.
- Ara'ki is a remote island-continent shrouded in mystery and legend. Long renowned as a land of untold riches and wonder, it has been the target of uncountable failed expedition and treasure hunts. Ruins dot the island, built by peoples long-lost to history. The island is surrounded by tremendously dangerous magical storms, which ensure the island's isolation.
- Sarkun is the Great Jungle, a vast and mysterious Southern Continent and home to the Slitherzerikai, or the Lizardmen. Hostile and foreboding, the Jungle hides many secrets. The mysterious Slitherzerikai worship strange Gods, and construct vast temple cities that rise above the Jungle, the greatest of which is Sur'kas.
- Tirnan is a peninsula protruding from the deep jungle of inner Sarkun, dotted by fortified, reclusive city-states ruled by the exiled Mage-Clans of Sida. Designed as magocracies, magical prowess is directly linked to social status.
- To the east lies the Great Sidan Desert, a brutal, merciless expanse marked by ancient cities of white marble, the greatest of which is Nasii. Formerly the home to the serpentine Naga, it is now home to a largely human population. Nations flourish in the comparatively fertile south, ruled by Sultans, the greatest of which is the Sultanate of Nasii, followed by the Sultanate of Tora and the Sultanate of Rajul. The north is barren and vast, inhabited only by hardy desert folk in scattered communities. The largest religion in Sida is, by far, the worship of the deity Aten, God of Purity, Flame, and the Sun. Centuries before the Desert experienced a golden age, with all the peoples united under a Caliphate, a religious nation of vast size. Legend speaks of mysterious lands beyond the Sidan Desert, though few make the perilous journey and live to speak of it.
- Near Nasii is the Black Pyramid, a vast and ancient black pyramid-shaped rock that some believe is the channeling point that allows magical influence on the world.
- The Dvergar, or 'Dwarves', are the reclusive race of master craftsmen, armorers, and engineers that live in great cities of stone and machinery deep under the Khadrins. Rarely seen beyond their 'Karaks', they have been stereotyped as burly, stout, obscene men. The Dvergar are actually a sub-race of the Elves, and appear as such. The Dvergar are infamous for their technological prowess, far surpassing the efforts of any other people in the known world. The Dvergar make extensive use of mechanical constructs, both humanoid and otherwise, for a wide-array of tasks, ranging from cleanliness to waging war. Dvergar craftsmanship is far beyond the skill of any other race; so-called Dvergan armor renders the wearer nearly invincible to normal arms, and makes use of their mysterious technological advances, making the wearer stronger and the armor feel far lighter. The Dvergar are known to have escaped the deep-earth cataclysm that devastated the Daefar, through unknown means.
- Aekhan, the Legendary "Market of the World", is the nexus of the "Golden Triangle", a trade route connecting Tirnan, Narvik, and Nasii.
- Haria is the newly christened homeland of the agile, clever catfolk known as the Kazuth. Carved out of the former Occitanian Tiefwald following a devastating slave rebellion and civil war, Haria is defended by the Kazuth's highly skilled marksmen and skirmishers. Sidan for 'freedom', Haria acts as a beacon for the downtrodden and discriminated Kazuth, thousands of which remain slaves. Every year, thousands of Kazuth flock to the fledgling nation, where Kazuth-blood grants instant citizenship. The Kazuth of Haria primarily worship Selas, Goddess of the Moon and Patron Deity of Felines.
- Occitan is a landmass of multiple cultures. Host to six nations formed after a largely violent collapse of the Holy Occitanian Empire over fifty years ago, the men of Occitan pride themselves in retaining their cultural tradition of old, disregarding the worship of the Gods for the pride in purity and worship of distinguished, cultural heroes known as the Saints. After the dissolution of the Empire, the region is ruled by power-thirsty Governors and their personal armies. Skilled warriors and tacticians, their prowess in combat is well-known and feared, as is their substantial technological prowess. Though not as numerous or united as their neighbours in the southern provinces, the strict discipline of the collective Occitanian folk still stands as an inspiration to those who would seek it.
- Cramiche, ancient fortress city and gateway to the east, is now the capital of the once unparalleled Talibarian Empire, brought low by the devastation wrought by Shar, Goddess of Night and Secret. With a new line of Emperors crowned, control of the southeastern province of Narvik, and control of the Mideastern trade routes, the Empire still exerts a considerable amount of influence upon the civilized world. Cramiche is regarded as, perhaps, the oldest city in the world, predating even Tec'lis by thousands of years. Most of the Empire worships the God Tyr, but through the false ideology of the Prophet, what the rest of the Tyric world calls the Usurper Heresy.
- Narvik and the southeastern province are some of the last Imperially controlled lands in the world, though they were not always as such. 700 years previous, the land was home to powerful mages known as Mind-Sculpters, crafters of the Dreamsleeve, a powerful psychic network connecting the minds thousands of people, allowing a progressive culture of shared brilliance. Known as the Abesquillians, they were driven out and conquered by the first Emperor of Talibar, Tiberius Maylarn. The influence of the Abesquillians, however, has not vanished, with mysterious powers making designs upon the land. With the decline of the Empire, Narvik is the new home to the Archivists of Light, taking residence quite easily in the ancient city of high magic.
- Seljuk, the so-called mid-eastern province, is an arid land of heavy Sidan influence, once a part of the Sidan Caliphate and later an independent Sultanate with Cramiche as it's capital, it was conquered in the Imperial Golden Age and reduced to a province of Talibar. With the decline of Talibar, the land has experienced a great revitalization. The far-eastern city of Ulamahad breaks away from the Empire, becoming the site of a renewed Sultanate of Seljuk. The Sultanate has begun a campaign to retake the lands still held by the Empire, with aid from the Sultanate of Nasii.
- Mount Voruk and the mountains north of Sida make up Kar'Rasa, homeland of the Drakeîn, or Dragonborn, humanoid kin of the mythical dragons of Aeria's past. Long-lived warriors with armor-like skin and magical breath, they live high atop their mountain sanctuaries and in the caves beneath. Instead of the traditional Pantheon, the Dragonborn worship the Dragons as Ancestor-Gods. The Drakeîn are split into clans, named for the Dragons that sired them, and possess unique traits passed down from these Dragon-Gods, such as the ability of flight.
- Far below the surface of Aeria is the Underdark, dwelling place of many monstrous, dangerous creatures including the Daefar, or Dark Elves. The fallen twelfth tribe of Ahdsur, they are Elves who have rejected their connection to the Light and embraced the Shadow instead, through their Spider-Queen God, Lloth, Mistress of Plots and Deceit, whom they believe is an aspect of Shar. The Daefar culture is one marked by ceaseless internal strife and political machinating; the Daefar are, at any one time, embroiled in countless interconnecting plots of varying scope but of Byzantine complexity. Following The Great War, the Daefar were forced to the surface as a people for the first time in centuries, escaping a great cataclysm that consumed the Underdark. They have since spread across Sarkun, just below the surface, recovering in power. They have only recently begun to inhabit the darkest depths again, all of their great, deep-earth cities destroyed in the cataclysm.
- The Tymafar, or Wild Elves, are the inhabitants of the lushly forested land of Estivon, dubbed Nuihadhas in the Álfar tongue. Once the land of magnificent cities of white stone, the greatest Province of the Álfar Empire, the devastation wrought by the God Wars has driven the native populace to a tribal state. Living amongst the ruins and upon the Great Oaks, these Wild Elves live apart from the civilized world, consumed by great revelry and worship of the Vaettir, spirits of nature. Though these Elves are largely peaceful, the forest is a labyrinthine, enrapturing place, filled with many strange creatures who seek to lead travelers to their deaths. When threatened, invaders find themselves at war with the forest itself, and the suddenly carnivorous, bestial Tymafar. Little is known about a mysterious gold-clad figure that haunts the forest, though many dub him a protector God; the Tymafar themselves refuse to speak of him to outsiders.
- The Élefar, or Half-Elves, are the kin of both the Álfar and Men. Though Élefar can result from any union between Man and Elf, the greatest concentration of Half-Elves can be found in the northern land of Brython. A frigid, forested land, the people there are the result of a long union between the Elves of Ahdsur and the hardy men of the Deep Wastes. Once a province of the Álfar Empire, the people of Brython belong to a unique union of cultures, demonstrated among architecture, religion, and philosophy. Brython is home to a wide variety of religions, including Vaettir worship, Tyricism, and Álfar Theosophy. The Élefar live longer than normal blooded men, and possess a greater rate of magical potency.
- The Wastes are an unparalleled expanse of land, seemingly endless, breathtaking in it's natural beauty. Last refuge to the Dragons, long-fallen firstborn of Aeria's past, it is a land that hearkens back to the early dawn. The land ranges from fertile and pleasant to frigid and inhospitable. The Near-Wastes, or the so-called land of Aryll, is home to scattered, ancient villages and fortified enclaves, built to house the formidable Crime-Lords of the Exchange. The Deep-Wastes, or Gale, is a frigid expanse, home only to a hardy race of men who worship primarily Vaettir. In recent times the Wastes have also become the dominion of the Archfiend Ossus, of Blight and Blood. Little is known of the struggle against the Blightlord, save that he was imprisoned upon his throne by a group of adventurers nearly 200 years ago. Despite this, Blightcasters and other monstrous creatures are a constant threat to the Wastes and, by extension, the world; it is said that a war has been fought to contain the influence of the Blight since his imprisonment.
- Talibar, the so-called Western Heartland, is the former seat of Imperial Power before the decline of the Talibarian Empire. As the former seat of power, it is a multi-racial land, composed of mostly men, but also a smattering of every other race. The Heartland was devastated during the Great War, and suffered further chaos following the decline of the Empire, as Noble powers wrestled for control. In the midst of the chaos a new nation arose, forged from divine miracle upon the ashes of Imperia; Sanctimonia. In the centuries since the Great War, Sanctimonia has risen to be the dominant power in the Heartland, ousting both the noble powers and the invading Occitanian Empire. Those few clever noble lords quickly supplicated themselves before the Kingdom, and survive now as companies, producing various wares for purchase by the people of Talibar. The Heartland primarily worships the deity Tyr, though with it's multi-racial character, it is also home to numerous other churches and cults.
- Kerodil, the Western Isle as it's come to be known, is a relatively small, isolated continent out west beyond even the Ahdsurian Isles. Its isolation has been its defining trait, shaping its culture and history for the (supposed) thousands of years it's existed. Oddly, Kerodil is inhabited entirely by humans, a fact which remains unchanged, as racism and isolationism run rampant throughout the isle. Valen, also known as the Free Kingdom, lies all but beaten by the Inferian Empire. A shadow of its former glory, Valen's downfall was brought about by its shunning of both magical and technological advances, which Inferia embraced wholeheartedly. Tension is still high between the two nations, and yet another conflict may be brewing, though with Durender in ruins, there may be no hope for Valen's continued existence.
Last edited by GeoWulf on Thu Mar 26, 2009 9:30 pm; edited 4 times in total | |
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