Brevity shall be my modus operandi; I am often accused of being too wordy or too detailed. This is mostly for my own reference and to probe interest in any of the topics.
Primary thread (http://thecbg.org/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?68717.0)
Really big map (http://img90.imageshack.us/img90/12/ornaeaandnorthbethracop.png)
Key terms
Xurask Mountains- Mountain region between Ketta and Azran; location of five Iron Kingdoms
Dekarran Peninula: southern peninsula of mainland Ornaea containing Dekarra, Al-Asuul, etc.
Shansho: Eastern ethnic group, primarily mountain-dwelling
Nations
Al-Asuul: Dekarran Peninsula homeland of warring tribes including prominent Al-Achmadi merchants
Aloria: Crazy Shansho death-obsessed culture, satellite state of Azran
Angoth: Pious people long for republican tradition as they suffer under tyrannical rule
Anklaas: a bunch of fishing tribes
Arona: It's hot, it's dry, but most of all it's democracy
Arvia: King Demarkus is a cool dude who just likes violence
Aurus: Traditionally persecuted Adivi finally have homeland
Azan: leader Azan-Ku makes Aurus leaders look relatively sane
Azran: Huge empire, very wealthy, penchant for dynastic feuds and spice trade warfare
Bainland: fun-loving republic under Vestinite hegemony
Borenheim: ruler calls himself God-King, dresses like turtle
Cazura: these guys really pissed off the Kettans
Centinia: rich Kettan colonists conquered worthless lands, decided they liked the ocean view
Cynath: Director Stapho Tellen leads a strict dictatorial republic in ambiguous direction
Dekarra: Warring tribes produce continent's best mercenaries, worst public speakers
Delphia: Volcanoes and caves make prophetic visions a gas
Dergardt: These guys really love pottery & parliament
Eladria: Mage-king seeks more power, land, wives
Enthoria: Worst living standard in world leads to tough-hearted warlords and surprising choices of pets
Ergoth: OBEDIENCE IS NOT OPTIONAL
Gola: Self-styled "king of vines" only ruler found in thick Golian jungles
Gontrio: Populist monarchy and vast gold mines make for happy subjects
Holithar: "War is like fishing, we even take net"
Ikrit: Entirely unsure about whether they hate Dekarrans or Qan more
Incorrra: Confederation of city-states eyed by Kettans for future expansion
Irydia: Greedy monarchy with a wealth of precious jewels
Ixigo: Only nation in the world ruled by children
Kes: Dead people aren't always dead, sometimes they are Kesali mimics
Kettan Empire: Big army, big navy, big ego
Koloth: Every morning ruler makes love to granite statue, nobody seems to be bothered
Lurena: "Nobody's looking, just light up the alqo"-only known home of mystical alqo flower
Luria: Nobody ever said being a wealthy republic was easy
Midar: Something about idols and human sacrifice (but it's ok, they get better)
Montagne: King Bahni claims mountainous region, is met with shrugs and indifference
Myrith: Corruption isn't tolerated in the king's halls (someone is paid off to say that straight-faced)
Nafar: Supreme Leader Nafar-Kui leads Glorious Alliance to profit and peace
Nuran: I, well, I don't, I guess, maybe, I should uh consult my ministers? -King of Nuran
Olstenus: You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes you'll probably get shot
Pan: They hate Wu quite a bit
Qan Dynasty: Nomadic riders turned savvy tacticians, at war with petulant enemies for "stealing land," "attempted genocide," et al
Salador: THE GREAT SALADOR WELCOMES YOU AND HOPES YOU WILL TAKE HIM WITH YOU
Sallus: Strict caste system with impeccable sense of fashion
Seska: Sundials considered important cultural icon, dental hygiene considered unimportant
Sevriarde: Only Iron Kingdom to be founded by four-armed mutant
Sizan: Smallest population of any nation, everyone is pretty much related
Sorcere: Mystic warlords fight over talismans of minor magical power
Symetrus: A King and a Queen rule bilaterally and equally, but are not married or related
Tajik: Best mathematicians in the world, worst bowmen
Taijun Caliphate: You can have your religious interpretation and temporal rulership all at once!
Tantus: Large coniferous forest features entire tribe of pine cone-armored warriors
Tebalthra: It is said that the Tebalthrans have been under centuries of mind-warping influence...
Tiber: We mustn't think that feudalism is constricted to one continent
Timet: Mask-wearing shamans provide laughs, irrefutable natural law
Torath: Misandrist rulers leave men as second-class citizens, virtually slaves
Torra: Neglected offshoot of Arvian diaspora, ancestral home of hero Ivan Pentaal
Tremor Islands: Earthquakes make life interesting
Umbayan Dynasty: Conquering former Candria was easy, ruling it much more difficult
Uru-Telek: About as close to an anarachial horde of axe-wielding berserkers you'll find
Venica War: Civil war!
Vestin: 3 kingdoms for the price of 1, though political unrest is at an all-time high
Viskona: Rebellious state governed by General Zhao Chi-Sum, distinctive in cuisine
Vultheim: Farmlands ruled by dragon and his disciples
Vungarr: World's densest deciduous forest
West Cazura: Puppet regime of Ketta, ironically home of ancient puppeteering tradition
Wu: They hate the Pan quite a bit
Wuxen: Worship "The Heaven Emerald," giant glowing meteorite
Zalinth: Zalinth River Delta is home to culturally important poets, musicians, and world-class warriors
Zantora: Personal playground for world's most dangerous entity, the Aduntamagos
Zola: Only place in the world where monotheism is both predominant and permitted
Next time I'll do religion
This is quite brilliant.
Looking forward to more.
Rather inspires to do something similar - my own setting tends towards verbosity.
Both funny AND intriguing. And a clever idea. Now I almost have to drop by the real thread to find out something about some of these places :)
EDIT: Tebalthra isn't on; Not populated?
Quote from: Cataclysmic CrowBoth funny AND intriguing. And a clever idea. Now I almost have to drop by the real thread to find out something about some of these places :)
EDIT: Tebalthra isn't on; Not populated?
Omissions are due to oversight, not unimportance
Also, the actual thread (threads, really) don't have a wealth of information on most topics that aren't Kettan, so any bits that caught your eye can be further written about at request
hmm, let's see. I'll make a list.
Azan: How Crazy?
Azran: spice trade sounds cool. Just thought I'd mention it.
Enthoria: Are we talking giant predators for pets?
Ergoth: When written in Capitals it sounds like more than the run-of-the-mill dictatorship?
Ixigo: how exactly does that work?
Kes: Kesali mimics - dead or just disturbing?
Koloth: I'd be bothered. Is he just bloody crazy and people are afraid to interfere? Or is everybody crazy?
Midar: do the sacrifices get better or just the midarians?
Olstenus: Anarchy-ish?
Qan: Baseless accusations or mild exaggerations?
Salador: Religious-ish?
Sevriarde: four-armed... mutant? Do tell.
Sorcere: Example item?
Tajik: How did the arrow thing ever come up and how did they make their mark as mighty mathematicians?
Timet: I'd like some more on that.
Zantora: What the hell is the Aduntamagos??
Quote from: Cataclysmic Crowhmm, let's see. I'll make a list.
Azan: How Crazy?
"When Azan-Ku rebelled against the Church of the Seven Fortunes, he was considered a nuisance. When he declared sovereignty over the small village of Aka, the courts of the Azran Emperor were filled with laughter. But when he bested the second most powerful military in the world for seventeen years of grueling warfare, the laughter died. It is easy to see why the people of the Azan worship their leader, even under the looming specter of Azrani reprisal."
Azan-Ku is a delusional despot who possesses the power of a
sophomancer. Sophomancers are people from all walks of life who spontaneously develop extraordinary divine powers, often driving them insane or developing the belief that they are gods themselves. Although it is largely unknown if the gifts of the sophomancers are from specific gods or if they occur randomly, the religious and irreligious alike have been afflicted by the condition.
QuoteAzran: spice trade sounds cool. Just thought I'd mention it.
Enthoria: Are we talking giant predators for pets?[/quote]Ergoth: When written in Capitals it sounds like more than the run-of-the-mill dictatorship?[/quote]Ixigo: how exactly does that work?[/quote]Kes: Kesali mimics - dead or just disturbing?[/quote]Koloth: I'd be bothered. Is he just bloody crazy and people are afraid to interfere? Or is everybody crazy?[/quote]Midar: do the sacrifices get better or just the midarians?[/quote]Olstenus: Anarchy-ish?[/quote]Qan: Baseless accusations or mild exaggerations?[/quote]Salador: Religious-ish?[/quote]Sevriarde: four-armed... mutant? Do tell.[/quote]Sorcere: Example item?[/quote]Tajik: How did the arrow thing ever come up and how did they make their mark as mighty mathematicians?[/quote]Timet: I'd like some more on that.[/quote]Zantora: What the hell is the Aduntamagos??[/quote]
Name: Zantorus
Titles: Athanasios Aduntamagos, Xiant Aurus the Undying, Master of Death, Catallan Bone-Lord, Tyrant-mage, Shornhelm, Talios Wyrm-Eye
Longevity: 3,562 years
Master: None
Disciplines: Adunatamageia, chronomageia, phantasmageia, necromageia
Description: The longest-lived arcanist and the most powerful mage in the history of the Tare. Zantorus is unique among his colleagues in his mastery and continued use of the Impossible Magic of the Dethinian Age, a form that permits him unparalleled manipulation of the physical and metaphysical realms. Despite his great power, he is bound by the Rune Shackles to the realm of Zantorra, and his spells have no effect outside its borders. He is a Wyrmslayer, and is the only known arcanist to graft a draconic body part to his own; his left eye was taken from the slain Kathaxinidel.
I'd so do campaigns in Sorcere to retrieve minor items like that :D
Who put the Rune Shackles on Zantorus then?
Why is Salador a boring place?
Does Kes have a death cult?
Generally some pretty good ideas. Good diversity.
Dude, no questions yet, but this is an awesome piece of reference material. Definitely going to have to make something like this for my own devices (actually, I did start a note page to keep track of names of things that I come up with).
Quote from: Cataclysmic CrowI'd so do campaigns in Sorcere to retrieve minor items like that :D
Who put the Rune Shackles on Zantorus then?
The Arcane Century, at its inception. And the gods. It was kind of a joint effort.
The Arcane Century is the group composed of all 100 arcanists in the world, after the rules of magic were rewritten. It's kind of a long story, but I plan on talking about the four major eras of early Red Valor history sometime soon: that of the Omen-Shah ("demon kings" who tried and failed to enforce the will of the divine on mankind), the Serpent Kings (an era where the divine created spirits of natural power, dragons, who similarly rebelled and proved ineffective), the Aephali (wizard-kings of four ancient adjoining empires), and Zantorus, during the era of his rule known as the Arcane Revival. I would have to tie it all in with the pre-history, found here (http://thecbg.org/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?61355)
QuoteWhy is Salador a boring place?
Does Kes have a death cult?[/quote]Generally some pretty good ideas. Good diversity.[/quote]
Thanks!
Good idea ED!