Svimohzish

An Outsider’s View

“To the traveler, Svimohzia harbors more dangers than worth, but it is an exotic and historical place. It is the home of ancient civilizations untouched by hands of time, and the oldest human empires on Tellene. It houses religious sects that are found nowhere else in the world, unique tribal societies, and people that have seen the rise and fall of entire civilizations. It also holds a beautiful wilderness at its heart – a beautiful, dangerous wilderness with the nature of a jungle beast.

There are a variety of reasons for travelers to come here – they might be looking to strike it rich, they might be looking for a quiet, tropical paradise, or they might seek to profit from the civil war. You see, the lands of Svimohzia are varied and diverse, ranging from dense jungle to open plains to ancient, luxurious cities, and the nations are not always on the best of terms.”

An Insider’s View

“We Svimohz know that we live at the very heart of all civilization. We know that, at its’ heart out homeland must be given the respect it deserves. Wilderness is not the only place that danger exists, for even the most civilized nation is dangerous to the unwary.

The nation of Meznamish is known for having once ruled most of this land, but now owns only a small portion. The Meznams still see themselves as being the leaders and most powerful of Svimohz, but they understand that they only lead culturally, not politically. Thought they have a noticeable flair for the dramatic, they are a peaceable people, but their crumbled empire and long history have earned them enemies along the way.

Ahznomahn is a rich place, run by the wealth of many of its citizens. People travel there to make money or to be seen with money. Trade is brisk, as are the merchants. Taxes may not seem outrageous at first, but that is only because the people coming or going want to be seen as having lots of money. The Ahznoms are known for being polite, but slightly greedy, especially when dealing with someone they consider inferior.

Our Kingdom of Ozhvinmishis the largest of the nations in all of Shimohzia, and we are almost as diverse as the entire continent. Our kingdom is large, with many untamed lands, as well as pockets of brigands and bandits. Fortunately, we also have the largest armed force on all of Svimohzia. However, we are not expansionistic, and our army is usually occupied with the bandits and other minor evils within our borders.

The central nation of our isle is the Kingdom of Zazahni, once a part of Meznamish. Now, it is a poor kingdom with few natural resources, and constantly warring with itself and those on its borders. You want proof of their warlike tendencies? What if I told you that the two largest exports of this kingdom are poison and mercenaries?

Oh, three other area of particular note are the Vohven Jungle, the Awhom Forest, and the Kingdom of Ul-Rarg, a hobgoblin nation with a society that tends to violent rule. They contain beauty and blood, riches and death, great opportunity and high risk. They are rumored to contain every imaginable danger, from ancient civilizations to powerful artifacts that have been abandoned for millennia. To enter is almost certain death, but to succeed and survive is to become rich beyond your wildest dreams…”

Source Notes: KoK Player's Primer