Group RP The New World: Lands, Flora, Fauna and Other Things of Interest

[Angel of Mercy]

The Old World is a land inhabited in abundance by humans. There is one city of Dwarves deep in the mountains to the West, but dwarves are rarely seen these days. There are a few small clans of halflings scattered about. Humans dominate the land. There is very little magic in the realm, no magical creatures or beings of fantasy exist in these lands and are only spoken of in faery tales, folklore, and legends. There are a few magic users and clerics around, but they are very rare.

The three kingdoms that make up the coastal lands of the Old World (those kingdoms with interests in the New World) are from North to South, Devlin, Kalidor and Cianna. There has been a lasting peace between the kingdoms for over a generation, though recently the stewardship of the lands in the New World has created some minor tensions.

Devlin is ruled by King Calder Albreklund. The Kingdom of Devlin is a cold and harsh, grim land, and the people who dwell there are often equally so. And yet the land is prosperous, thanks to a King who knows the value of the many mines that dot the lands of his Kingdom. Iron, gold, silver and copper are all abundant. Most of the communities are built of the most abundant product available, stone. Also plentiful is timber, as the mountainous region is covered by forests of pine, spruce and firs.

Kalidor is ruled by King Valorum Beckett. Kalidor is the oldest of the kingdoms and it has always seemed as one of the more stable ones as well. The king is a well-liked and capable ruler. He is very much like his father, a good, ambitious man who cares deeply for the wellbeing of his people. The people of Kalidor prosper and are generally happy under his rule. The people of Kalidor are as varied as its lands, from grasslands to forests to hills and mountains.

Cianna is ruled by Queen Martina Beneventi. For the first time in human recorded history a kingdom is ruled by a queen, but ruler ship was not automatic. After her father died without a male heir there was much debate over who should rule, offers of marriage were made but the Princess was determined and head strong and before long she had convinced the kingdom's advisory council to make her queen, and she has not disappointed. Cianna covers a lot of varied terrain and ground, but her people remained united. The lands of Cianna are covered in agriculture rich grasslands in the central region, to the east are tropical lands and forested hills are to the west.

Khalifir is a desert nation made up of several loosely based City-States, with high mountain ranges on its western and eastern borders and a vast sandy desert sandwiched in between. The northern most parts of the nation have fertile agricultural lands, and to the south are what are considered uninhabitable badlands. While many would find these badlands hostile, some nomadic folk have adapted and have learned to flourish and prosper despite the harsh land they inhabit. The people are dark skinned and dark haired mostly. They are a strong and resilient people.

 

[Angel of Mercy]

The New World is quite different from the Old World in one major way: Magic is plentiful. In these lands magical creatures never before seen live and some creatures from legends and folklore exist as well. (Though thus far, none had knowingly been encountered). Normal flora and fauna are found in expected amounts though there are new species of animals and plants to be discovered. In addition to magical/fantasy creatures there are locations that radiate magic...

History: Thousands of years ago, long before the humans had become civilized an Empire of elves ruled over the New World. But then something happened that changed their fortunes. A great evil rose and defeated the elves, casting the lands in darkness. The elves almost became extinct. The few survivors fled into the wilderness and formed clans. They reverted to a more primitive, wilder society. By the time the humans discovered the New World several clans continue to strive, a far cry from the ancient civilization that had once ruled these lands. Orcs, having been created by the great evil that wrought destruction upon the elves, have formed many tribes and now live in the mountains and hills of the New World, forever at war with the elves. The Lands are dotted with the ruins of ancient elven communities and structures.

 

[humon]

Helatia - A loosely-defined geographic region southwest of Cianna. It consists of a narrow archipeligo stretching out from the coast, and part of a mountain range extending inland which curls around part of Cianna's south-western border. A real-world terrain analogue might be the region of Southeast Asia, from Burma to Malaysia. Culturally it is vaguely Greco-Italian, with bits of Hispanic thrown in.

Albace - A fortress island close to Cianna's coast which is only accessible to land travel by a causeway at low tide. It has a thriving trade port and a considerable navy for its small size. Centuries ago, it was conquered by a foreign sea empire, and used as a staging area to invade the continent. When that empire declined and collapsed, Albace became an independent city-state and has been strongly independent for centuries. A few thousand highly-disciplined soldiers guard the walls of the capital city, known as the White Eagles, and they are famous for turning back every attempt at invasion since gaining independence.

Sephra - A chain of long narrow islands extending south of Albace. Sephra has fertile soil for farming, and good shallow waters for fishing. It is also a popular vacation destination for wealthy Ciannans, due to its many pleasant beaches and game-rich forests. The royal family of Sephra have long been close friends with the rulers of Cianna, and they are strongly allied, although in reality Sephra is treated more like a proxy state, due to the vast military imbalance between the two countries.

Cizaine - A small rocky island on the tip of the archipeligo. It does not have much in the way of natural resources, but it has a very strategic location in that it can control sea trade between Cianna's ports and the more distant western lands of the old world. As a result, Cizaine has become rich of the taxation of trade. At one time Cizaine was a province of Cianna, but during a period of decline it broke away and became independent. Now the Prince of Cizaine manages a delicate balance of power between Cianna and his other trading partners, and often relies on mercenaries to tip this balance one way or another as it suits him.

The Sabyllines - A mountain range that forms part of Cianna's western border. Much of this range cannot be navigated by humans, and so it is only home to dwarves, or nobody at all, but the southern portion contains two human kingdoms that share a common culture with the Helatian islands.

Rinara - A long and sprawling country that connects with the coastline. It has been home to a distinct tribe of people since the bronze age. Due to the rugged terrain, it has been impossible for empires of history to maintain control over this region for any significant amount of time. Modern parallels are the Basque region of Spain, and to a lesser extent Afghanistan or Switzerland. Rinara's economy largely revolves around raising animals in the lush grassy valleys between the mountains, most commonly cattle and sheep.

Jekel - This is a small landlocked country embedded further into the Sabylline mountains, north of Rinara. They have an intense rivalry with the Rinarans, and border skirmishes are commonplace. Culturally, they are the most distinct from the other Helatian states, because of their isolation. Jekel is also the greatest exporter of gemstones and jewelry in the region, on account not just of their own mines, but also a trade route into dwarven lands that they tightly control.