Maps and World Loredump

I created these maps and notes as my own way of keeping track of the world. I figured I may as well share them. Border lines look like shit but they give the idea. You don't need to know any of this, hopefully my writing will give a good idea of what, where and its significance but I'm posting this because I know I always appreciate it when a book has maps. This is a spoiler free brief summary of each power in the world.

The Known World (Terra)

The Northern Continent (Ardua)

The Southern Continent (Sindur)

The Golden Empire

The Orc Frontier (Setting of the early story)

Nations

Northern Continent

The Golden Empire

* Ruling race: West Arduan Humans

* Major races: Humans, Hobbits

* Minor races: Surface Dwarves, Gnomes

Greatest and most powerful empire in the known world. Slowly stagnating but still a strong sense of civic pride. Founded 956 years ago, the last expansion was 252 years ago.

Krazkhuraz, Krazmariz, Krazbak, Krazsic, Ghargol, Brozbor, Zorundar & Thruzk

* Ruling race: Dwarves

* Major races: Dwarves

Last remaining holdouts of the Dwarozzok Empire. The rest of their continent spanning empire has fallen piece by piece to constantly splintering goblin states over thousands of years. All dwarves who remain underground dream of the day their former glory will be restored.

Centaur Khanate

* Ruling race: Centaurs

* Major races: Centaurs, Humans, Minotaurs

* Minor races: Elves, Gnomes, Giants

Recently unified into one empire. The centaurs have long raided their neighbours but now seek conquest. Many fall or pay tribute to the Khagan, the Golden Empire in the west and the Kingdom of Yu in the east, supported by Val Bisrith are the only forces holding back the tide that threatens to sweep the continent.

Yu

* Ruling race: East Arduan Humans

* Major races: Humans, Elves, Half-Elves

* Minor races: Gnomes, Minotaurs, Surface Dwarves

Yu are a kingdom between worlds. Their presence to the elven realms and their constant need to be defensive against the centaurs have created a strange culture. Their culture, once very human, now seems completely elven to their western brethren. Their focus on martial persuits sets them apart from elves however. The take the beauty and percision of elven culture and twist it into discipline and war as an artform.

Val Basrith

* Ruling race: Elves (Common)

* Major races: Elves, Humans

* Minor races: Gnomes

Val Basrith is the greatest and most open of the elven kingdoms. They are cooperative with outsiders, willing to trade, offer support and ally with other powers. Still, non-elves within their empire, will still feel the more subtle effects of elven supremacy.

Val Elwin

* Ruling race: Wood Elves

* Major races: Wood Elves

* Minor races: Fairies, Satyrs, Forest Gnomes

Val Elwin is the most insular of the elven kingdoms. Very few leave their forest home and very few outsiders enter. They're deeply spiritual and protective of their home. Still, anyone who can befriend a wood elf will have a friend for life.

Val Mis

* Ruling race: Sea Elves

* Major races: Sea Elves

* Minor races: Merfolk

Val Mis are a nation dedicated to the sea. It is their home as much as their islands. No nation has a stronger navy or a greater understanding of water based magics. Often use piracy to exert their dominance over the sea.

Val Oule

* Ruling race: Snow Elves

* Major races: Snow Elves, Humans

* Minor races: Giants

Val Oule is a brutal but not sadistic nation. To them, **** is seen with cold disregard and suffering with indifference. They hold strong racial purity ideals and any 'contamination' of pure blood is punished harshly. They believe their queen is a goddess-in-making and perform great sacrifices to empower her. They possess very strong magics and place no limits on its morality.

Vallia

* Ruling race: High Elves

* Major races: High Elves

Vallia are a nation who see themselves above all others. They hold deeply supremacist ideals. They value complete purity in mind, body and blood. They believe that elves are divine in origin and, while the others tained their blood, mind or body in various ways, they remain pure and, if they can perfect their purity, they will be able to ascend back to their divine place. One of the few places to have no restrictions on brother-sister or parent-child ****.

Bis Mora

* Ruling race: Drow (Dark Elves)

* Major races: Drow

* Minor races: Humans, Elves, Goblins, Dwarves (All as slaves and significantly outnumber their Drow overlords.)

Bis Mora is the matriarchal nation of the Drow, ruled by the high priestess. They are a constant threat to the dwarf holdout of Zorundar. They place high value in ambition, treachery and self-centered behavior. Their power structure is a ladder in which the strong must constantly climb through wits or bloodshed and the weak are crushed. Hated by all.

Southern Continent

Araq

* Ruling race: Harpies

* Major races: Harpies, Humans

* Minor races: Merfolk

Araq is a matriarchal society. Harpies are an entirely female race who rely on males of other races to reproduce. To stop their raids on neighbouring powers, they negotiated a treaty by which their island could be used as a trading hub between the Golden Empire and the Rayadin City States and in return, the humans who chose to live there agreed to be breeding bulls for the harpies.

Rayadin City States

* Ruling race: Sindurian Humans

* Major races: Humans

The Rayadin City States are a loose alliance of cities. They stand together against foreign agression but otherwise compete relentlessly with each other. Each city has different policies, culture and morality but one thing connects them and it's their belief in trade as a tool to exert power.

Eternal Kingdom

* Ruling race: Sindurian Humans

* Major races: Humans

* Minor races: Sphinxes, Tabaxi

An ancient human civilization. Their records stretch back further than any other human civilization. They hold that the great river their kingdom is formed around brings rebirth, carrying deceased souls to the gods and ushering in new souls for those yet to be born. This eventually lead to a schism millenia ago. The southern half of the kingdom tried to claim these souls for power, creating the necromantic arts and corrupting the southlands. Dead still roam the south and it is claimed the necromancers are still there, now as liches, gathering strength.

Bithrah

* Ruling race: Tabaxi

* Major races: Tabaxi

* Minor races: Humans

Bithrah is a nation of philosophical catmen. They live as comfortably in the plains of the north as they do in the jungles of the south. Their leader is their elected 'Enlightened' who serves more as a teacher, mediator and guide than a leader. To call them a nation is a stretch, they are communal on a personal level but have little in terms of leadership. They value peace above all but, when threatened, prove to be an annoying and relentless opponent.

Assisha

* Ruling race: Naga

* Major race: Naga

Few have visited the island of Assisha and returned. Very little is known of its mysterious snake people, other than they are dangerous and territorial. The few reports that survive say the Naga inhabitants are cannibalistic and violent but cunning.

Tribal Collections

Orcs

Orcs live in small tribes, the largest of which barely number in the 100s of population. They are seen by all to be dumb brutes capable of nothing but ****. Among their forest also live ogres who live solitary lives and are respected and feared by the orcs.

Giants

Giants prefer to remain distant from other races. Their personalities vary as greatly as humans. Some are kind and gentle, others cruel and harsh. They value their clans highly and are utterly loyal to their clans. To be exiled is a fate worse than ****. Giants are on average around 12' tall, making them by far the largest and individually most dangerous sapient race.

Kobolds

Cunning, cowardly and impulsive make the Kobolds a race looked on with mockery, disdain or confusion. The small lizardfolk claim to be descended from dragons and worship them like gods. If any kobold meets a dragon and somehow survives, they will serve it blindly and obediently. They do have the capacity to form greater power structures but their relatively short lives and difficulty agreeing without existing leadership mean that the sudden **** of a leader often shatters their society.

Gnolls

Hyena folk, slavers, demon worshippers, the scourge of Sindur. They love fighting, raiding and performing sacrifices to dark powers. Hated by all. They are fully at home in their semi-nomadic life in the Sindurian desert and one of the only races to thrive there. Little is known of them in the Golden Empire other than their reputation.