Territories

Northern Veluna

The northern continent is shared by two powerful nations: the Ryne Monarchy in the west and the Maraq Dominion in the east. Both nations are expansionist and human-led; taken together, they are the result of steady consolidation of smaller territories and factions over several generations. Observers wonder when, not if, the two nations will eventually clash and what will be left of the northern continent after such a war transpires. Perhaps fortunately, the nations do not share a border. Between Ryne and Maraq lay the Evermoors--wild country, growing smaller every year with the encroachment of each nation. Within the Evermoors, doomed but independent settlements carve out an existence, doing their best to ignore the finite nature of that independence.

Ryne Monarchy

    • Ryne has existed for hundreds of years, harkening back to the days when Northern Veluna consisted of two dozen would-be kingdoms. Unlike those, Ryne has endured. Through warfare, diplomacy, and patience, Ryne has collected or conquered many smaller kingdoms, growing their own borders.
    • Ryne is a monarchy, but one that prioritizes name over gender. The bloodline of the original monarchs is still observed, but has diversified considerably over the years. The Ryne Monarchy does not prioritize marrying royalty or nobility outside the ruling line, but also does not marry for love. Instead, the Hall of Dynastic Records tracks the bloodlines of those within the monarchy and, when a child of the monarchy comes of age, makes recommendations to the ruling monarch for marriage. Most often, these recommendations are followed, but there have been rogue kings and queens in the past, and there have also been diplomatic arrangements to bring a new land into the fold. Regardless of gender, when a person marries into the royal line, their name is forever changed. They adopt the Ryne family name and are assigned a new first name, as per tradition. Commoners are offered more freedom and self-selection of family, but they must apply for marriage to the Hall of Dynastic Records and receive approval before progressing further.
    • The capital city, home to the palace of the ruling monarchs, is Oxstetten. Somewhat centralized, at over 25000, Oxstetten is the most populated and well-defended city in the monarchy. Oxstetten is also home to Hyvier’s College, a monarchy-funded university for arcane and alchemical study, as well as the mechanically- and metaphysically- inclined.
    • Another well-liked and highly-traveled city is Kleibaue, on the southwestern coast, near where the land bridge between the two continents was washed away by the waves of Aard’s Fall. A port city, it is highly metropolitan, home to around 5000 souls, and its strength is its mercantilism. Kleibaue is a newer and smaller city, having formed only fifty years ago, but it continues to grow and prosper.
    • The territory controlled by the Ryne Monarchy is primarily human, but they accept other races without pause. Some elves, in fact, have married into the ruling family in the past, but are required to abdicate their permission when their human spouse passes. The population, overall, is intermixed, with three out of every five persons human.
    • The primary language is Common, but certain ceremonies and groups cling to Rynian, a formalized and traditional language. Most who live within the monarchy pick up Rynian phrases here and there, and those of a more scholarly persuasion become fluent.

Maraq Dominion

    • The Maraq Dominion is not as old as the Ryne Monarchy, but in military and expansionist power, they are certainly equals. Established roughly one hundred years prior to Aard’s Fall, the Dominion was the joining of two eastern powers--the Mavellian Ascendancy and Raq, a military and naval state on the eastern coast. Most historians see the triggering event for the joining as the assassination of Lucian Mavellian by, many assume, Raq operatives. The Ascendancy was a mageocracy, one ruled by the deranged but powerful Mavellian family. The common folk of the Ascendancy celebrated the end of the line and welcomed the Raq armies with open arms. The remaining cadre of mages were less-hospitable, but diplomacy prevailed, eventually, and they agreed to an alliance, which holds to this day as the Maraq Dominion.
    • Like the Ryne Monarchy, the Dominion expands little by little, every year, into the Evermoors. Skirmishes between the two powers have taken place on the moorish grounds as they battle for villages and ancient arcane sites, but never outright war. Most observers feel that major conflict is inevitable, and one nation will consume the other. Or, worst yet, the war will fracture both nations, leaving the northern continent in chaos.
    • With 15000 people, the city of Mysq remains the capital of the Dominion, in the mountains to the northeast of the continent, south of the polar isthmus. The Dominion mandates that all citizens serve at least two years in the military or supplement that service with another state-approved function. Mysq is home to the Emperor’s Hall, where the reigning emperor or empress sits. The Dominion hasn’t the same population as the Ryne, but historians speculate that the more difficult terrain and colder climate has produced a heartier, stronger, and more resolute people.
    • On the southern side of the Dominion, along the Gulf of Esteraue, rests Dusselev, the Dominion’s primary port city and former capital of the Mavellian Ascendancy, renamed after the joining. At 20000, Dusselev is larger in population than Mysq, but not more powerful. Remnants of the mageocracy linger, however, with the simply-named Ascendancy--the chief training ground for the magically-inclined populous of the Dominion.
    • While humans make up seventy percent of the Dominion’s populace, the Emperor recognizes the industrious talents of the dwarves, the wisdom of the elves, and the insidious curiosity of gnomes and is keen to bring them into the fold, whenever such settlements are discovered in the Evermoors. Regardless of race, Dominion will always accept those who might contribute something new to, or strengthen, the empire.
    • The Maraq Dominion largely speaks Common, but the ruling powers and the emperor also speak High Dominion. This is not a language taught to commoners, but learned only by those groomed for command, governance, or diplomacy. It is also not a language spoken in public. Should this occur, the speaker’s arrest will quickly follow.

The Evermoors

    • The Evermoors is the common name given to the expanse of land that sits between the Ryne Monarchy and the Maraq Dominion. Part wilderness, part independent villages, the Evermoors has no centralized people or government. The descendants of failed kingdoms, frontiersmen and women from the dominant powers of the continent, criminals avoiding capture, or the original inhabitants of the land remain here. Some know that their time independent of the Monarchy or the Dominion will come to an end one day, while others live in denial.
    • Beneath the Bones of Veluna--a small mountain range on the northern side of the Evermoors--dwells Tul Dubaz, a kingdom of mountain dwarves who care little for the outside world.
    • The Iron Weald extends southward from the Bones of Veluna. The weald is a dense and dark forest, rarely explored, but said to be home to elves, gnomes, and more dangerous folk.
    • Along the southern coast, anchored to the shores of the Gulf of Esteraue, is Frein, a small city of 4000 people who try, as best they can, to navigate the gulf, avoid the major powers, and put together lucrative trade deals.

Southern Veluna

The southern continent is described most often by northern Velunans as untamed. Its peoples, environments, and climates are wilder, arguably harsher, than its northern counterparts. The western half of the southern continent is hilly, jagged, and mountainous terrain rich in ores, and it is populated by two groups. First is the Inetakka, or The Running Hills--a nomadic society of warriors who eschew long term settlements in favor of mobility. Sister to these folk are the enigmatic Inabata, or The Glowing Shades--slavers with covered bodies and glowing eyes who live in the shadows cast by the western terrain. Scattered and spread across the jungles and wetlands to the east are the Tua’Dii Mii'Vaal Tribes. The number of tribes are unknown, even to the Tua’Dii and Mii'Vaal peoples, and their behavior and tolerance of outsiders varies considerably. Within these jungles and marshes lies Poroveluna, or Where Veluna Avoided--uninhabited and untraveled by those who care for their lives. Just off the coast of Southern Veluna lies Yre’s Wound and its reclusive inhabitants, the Tenders. Exceedingly rare is it to see one of their kind in the greater world.

Tua'Dii, or The Peoples of the Bush and Mii'Val, or The Peoples of the Bog

    • They live as scattered tribes, perhaps with independent names, within the Jungles of the Tua’Dii and in Mii’val, a vast run of wetlands in the southern continent.
    • Like all who know better, they avoid Poroveluna, and they are the only peoples who make consistent contact with the Tenders of Yre’s Wound.
    • Some tribes trade with outsiders, whereas others stay hidden, wary of the Inetakka and the Inabata. Those who leave the bush learn common, but all tribes share the language of the Tua’Dii.
    • Many Tua’Dii trade at the northern port city of Jupinel and with the peaceful frontiers folk in Mii’val.

The Inetakka, or The Running Hills

    • A nomadic civilization with warrior-like tendencies. Their moral alignments are as diverse as any other population, although many outsiders consider their raiding and pillaging to be evil. Those with a keener understanding know that the Inetakka do not demonize or torture the villages and settlements they raid, and see the practice simply as their way of life, as a lion might hunt an antelope.
    • The Inetakka have internal factions led by warlords. Clashes between factions and warlords occur as frequently as raids on outsider settlements, often resulting in the death of one warlord and the consolidation of power beneath the survivor. Boldness, strength, and certitude are prized traits to the Inetakka, with warlords holding high quantities of all.
    • A sibling people to the Inabata. The Inetakka never, ever clash with the Inabata. Some observers suggest, quietly, that it is from fear of an ancient superstition. Some warlords appease the Inabata by providing them slaves in exchange for whatever mystical powers the Inabata possess.

The Inabata, or The Glowing Shades

    • Although they, like their Inetakka brothers, are nomadic, they frequently visit the independent coastal city Aboola to ferry their trade to other lands.
    • They wrap and hood themselves so as to allow only their glowing eyes to be seen. A common joke across all of Veluna goes as such: “What lies beneath an Inabata’s wraps? Only shadow.”
    • Children are never seen amongst the contingents of Inabata that visit Aboola.

Poroveluna, or Where Veluna Avoided

    • An unexplored expanse of violent terrain in the eastern half of the continent, mostly within the jungles of the Tua’Dii.
    • All those who know better follow the lead of Veluna. All those who do not are never heard from again.

Tenders of Yre’s Wound

    • An extremely reclusive people both before and after Aard’s Fall.
    • What transpires on the island is unknown to all but the Tua’Dii tribes that that Tenders most regularly contact and trust.
    • Those who visit the island without express invitation are never heard or seen again. Those who do receive invitation know well enough not to share the Tenders’ secrets.

Tears of Kouakoua

Even before Aard’s Fall and the destructive waves that followed, the archipelago west of Veluna was known as the Tears of Kouakoua. Perhaps the ancient name, said to derive from an elemental ally of Veluna, foreshadowed the tragedy that would befall the island nation. Comprised now of eighteen islands, half its number before Aard’s Fall, the nation nonetheless persists. It is in its people’s nature to endure hardships--the tempests that swirl from western waters and bombard the islands, the volcanic wrath of long-forgotten gods buried beneath the atolls, the sea beasts that rise from Obyn’s Trench to consume Kouakoua ships. Kouakoua’s former capital, Nosi, lies beneath the waves, but foolhardy adventurers and the desperate still brave the deep, seeking treasure or the drowned and trapped souls of loved ones. The new capital, Pwea, was once the fourth largest island in the chain, but is now the biggest. Soufa’s Fangs, with their tall and piercing volcanoes, survived Aard’s Fall. The twin islands are smaller now, but Soufa grows them each year as lava pours into the ocean. Fisherman and pirates, water speakers and windrunners, the people of Kouakoua are friendly and often boisterous. They are loud and merry in large groups, quiet and reflective in solitude or pairs. A theocracy, Kouakoua is led by a conclave of druids and shamans who make their home on the capital island of Pwea.

Pwea

    • Capital island with one central city housing about 17000. Smaller satellite villages scattered about the island, none with more than a few hundred people.

Soufa’s Fangs

    • A pair of islands only a couple miles apart. They are the southernmost islands with more volcanic activity than others. Each island holds a series of interconnected villages and there is regular and daily travel from one island to the other. Population approximately 5000.

Nosi

    • Sunken island near the western edge of the archipelago. No monument or geographical landmark remains above water. Superstition, by some, believe that the drowned souls of Nosi still live within the city.
    • Over 30000 lives were estimated lost here when the waves came. Two-thirds of that number came from Nosi.

Obyn’s Trench

    • To the west of Kouakoua, before the Far Waters, lies the deepest and most foul stretch of ocean. The ecology within the trench is monstrous, enormous, and angry, said to swallow unwary ships whole.


Opparu

Opparu is an eastern archipelago more colloquially referred to as the Isles of the Six Clans. Each clan functions independently of the others, laying domestic claim to one of the six islands in the archipelago. Outright war never happens between the clans, who function primarily as separate states within a federation. While there is shared governance, power is not equal across the clans. A system of honor, known locally and traditionally as Yuun, determines each clan’s relative weight and influence across the federation. How, exactly, a clan earns or loses honor, is a more difficult question to answer. Locals seem to think the question itself, in fact, is a shameful thing to ask, and even more shameful to answer. The most respected individual from the most honorable clan holds the title of Heishu, or Premiere, and is effectively considered the leader of Opparu in the same function as the King of Ryne or the Emperor of Maraq. Currently, the Clan of the Waxing Moon holds the most honorable position and the Clan of Fallen Suns occupies the lowest tier. The furthest of the Lands of Veluna from Aard, Opparu suffered the least from the waves, but were not unscathed.

Won, Clan of the Waxing Moon

    • The easternmost island in the archipelago is named Won, shaped as a crescent moon. Over the centuries, as navigators and cartographers explored the Awagata Sea and developed maps, the island’s moon shape became apparent. Strangely, the Clan of the Waxing Moon predates these advances, leaving some to wonder if this was coincidence or if there was some greater fate at work.
    • Primary industry is deep sea whaling and oceanic monster hunting. Crews of ships head east of the Awagata Sea and into the Endless Depths for their quarry, with endeavors lasting from one waxing crescent moon until the other--roughly four weeks time. Return of these voyages are a triumphant and celebratory time for the people on Won, but one in three departures never return. Even during these tragedies, the Clan of the Waxing Moon celebrates, albeit more soberly and reverently.

Sassa, Clan of Salt and Sea

    • The southernmost island, Sassa’s primary trade is the refinement of salt and oceanic herbs. They farm the shoals of Awagata for such goods, using the former to aid in the presentation and flavoring of foods, and the latter in the development of medicinals and alchemy. As such, many on Sassa have become expert alchemists, chefs, and herbalists.
    • As the closest of the Opparu islands to Southern Veluna, the Clan of Salt and Sea has made some diplomatic and mercantile connections with certain Tua’Dii tribes who frequent the eastern shores.

Dor, Clan of the Desolate Orchard

    • Although all of the six clans are adept navigators and sailors, not every clan focuses so heavily on exploration of, and collection within, the Awagata Sea. The Clan of the Desolate Orchard is the primary example of this, focusing its trade on farming and agriculture.
    • Dor is the largest of the six islands, and has the gentlest and most fertile landscape, allowing for great fields, groves, and orchards.
    • As with all industries and all clans, Dor trades freely and peacefully with other islands.

Isall, Clan of the Icy Squall

    • Isall is the northernmost island, closest to the Maraq Dominion’s northeastern isthmus.
    • Primary trade is hunting seals and other game along the glaciers that float within Kussev’s Chill or the White Sea, competing frequently with the Dominion’s navy.
    • Bold captains might poach along the Maraq’s isthmus. Seals, walruses, and other coastal creatures can be found there as well. While it is a shorter sail to the Maraq shores than the northern seas, the risk of awaking the Dominion’s wrath is considerable.

Coi, Clan of Coral and Fish

    • Like the Clan of the Waxing Moon, the Clan of Coral and Fish gather from the Awagata Sea. Where they differ, however, is in how far east they are willing to tread. Coi is a centralized island, and its people keep to the known waters of Awagata for their fishing and for their farming of crustaceans and other reef inhabitants.
    • A secondary trade for Coi is the refinement of pearls and the development of jewelry. A recent development, some within the clans expect the Coi to extend their trade to the main lands of Veluna, increasing their revenue and status.

Fusen, Clan of the Fallen Suns

    • Of all the Isles of the Six Clans, only Fusen rests atop an active volcano. The westernmost island is nearly as large as Dor, but its landscape too volatile for reliable farming.
    • The peoples of Fusen are constantly alert for eruption and tend to live only along the beaches, never inland, allowing for swift escape.
    • The bloodlines of Fusen are rich in sorcery, and most inhabitants return this gift to the land by monitoring the volcano and protecting those without the gift. Fusen Sorcerers also work as mercenaries for Isall and Won should the need arise.
    • Many describe the population as being the most innately powerful of the clans, but the burden of the Fusen volcano serves as a natural balance. Throughout dormant periods, the Clan of the Fallen Suns gathers great Yuun, but that dormancy never stays for too long. Whenever the island grows active, the clan must forego its federational duties in order to secure domestic safety, and for that they must dutily forfeit their power.