Gazeteer of Aorlis

in The Realms of Aorlis Fantasy Setting

by Scott A. Story

Aorlis is pronounced A-OAR-lis, its adjective is Aorlisian and its demonym is Aorlisian. Aorlis is a large land found in the southwest corner of the Kainded continent. Its climate is temperate, and it is wealthy in agriculture, animal resources, and mineral wealth.

Aorlis is an empire, being a collection of stable states under a powerful hereditary emperor. Its technology level ranges from Dark Age in the north, through medieval, to Renaissance level in the south. Aorlis shares a common language, Aenglik, with many local tongues and dialects spoken as well, but Old Karmithian is spoken in churches and courts. It shares a common religion, the Faith, with pockets of thinly veiled Paganism throughout the north, and assorted heretical offshoots in liminal areas.

The High Kingdom of the Highlands, made of wild Caindos, forested Eofwin, and chivalric Noelred!
... Arlium

The Unaffiliated Countries of dark Alusia, musical Baelric, savage Draas, wealthy Kaldur, and chivalrous Karlionne!
... Independent

The High Kingdom of the West, which includes arboreal Blackvale, aggressive Burlam, wicked Eldris, northerly Orlois, and dour Thalium!
... Marcelle

The Mountainous High Kingdom made up of reclusive Allyn and glorious Gwyfned!
... Myddum

The Old, Southern High Kingdom composed of bountiful Hempton, dark Hexton, and holy Kaidlorr!
... Rhonce

World Codex

Links!

Medieval World Building

Scott’s Zazzle

Scott’s Spoonflower

Flashpoints
Aorlis is dynamic and an expanding nation, but that cloaks a truth—the empire is in disarray, there is a crisis in leadership, and ambitious nobles are waiting to expand their own power and dreams of glory.
The Holy Karmithian Empire is the giant of the international block, and it would very much like to reclaim the old Karmithian Empire, which included Aorlis. Even now, their strategos actively build invasion plans. Their power, wealth, and technology all overshadow that of Aorlis.

The Kirthic Empire already controls a vast region of the planet, the continent of Yurod, and they actively desire to add Aorlis and the Holy Karmithian Empire to their domain. They are a historical juggernaut, inexorable, and merciless.

Technology has poised Aorlis for the next age, but advances always include serious upheaval.

The advent of movable type printing, which makes the wide dissemination of knowledge possible, spreading ideas exponentially faster. It will no longer be possible to keep the lid on radical thought and challenges to the old system.

Classical learning, the vast philosophy, history, and invention of the classical world, has been rediscovered. These ideas are seductive and powerful.

Gunpowder and firearms are in their infancy. Firearms are still limited to crude mortars and leather-barreled cannon, but the genie is out of the proverbial bottle.

Attrition has diminished the empire, and grand misadventure on a monumental scale has lost considerable territory, such as Narbelle, Trimontre, Greythorne, Parse, St Claudes, Bhergdollian, Norward, Eubrac, and other regions that have gained independence, or been absorbed into other countries, or simply fallen away.

There are two deep cabals that work behind the scene, the Ashen Twilight, and the Crimson Cabal. While these factions’ roles are difficult to decipher, the Ashen Twilight appears aimed at tearing down the status quo, and the Crimson Cabal at preserving this.