Welcome to Axora
The World of Axora
Aldenia
Aldenia is the temperate continent in the northwest. It's supposedly the cradle of civilisation, where the first people were created and then spread across the world during the Age of Discovery.
It was also the seat for the devastating The Cataclysm War. Whilst the world felt the effects, the core of the war happened in Aldenia and it is a continent that still bears the scars of that conflict.
Still, the evil Council of Nine were defeated nearly six hundred years now and Aldenia has returned to prosperity. Though, with such a long period of peace, paranoia for something to upset it grows...
Drassau
Unlike the other continents, Drassau is not one landmass. Drassau is a collection of islands situated almost directly at the centre of the four continents situated around it, Aldenia to its north-west, Mysandros to its north-east with Suriima and Thrabad to the south-west and south-east respectively.
Drassau's political structure is notoriously fluid with ownership of the various islands changing hands on a relatively (by historical standards) quick turnaround. With much of its lands being coastal, the people of Drassau are the most natural of seafarers.
Suriima
The mostly tropical continent sits far south of Aldenia. Hot, humid jungles spread across its lands. Its major landmass is shared by two nations, the Couvalon Kingdom in the north and the Quitapha Dynasty in the south. The border between being the mysterious and sinister Phantasma Jungle, making passage across a dangerous trek. Much like in Aldenia, Couvalon is controlled by a monarchy and is a mix of cultures for all that have settled there. However, in the south, the secretive Jungle Elves are ruled over by their Empress.
Essidon
The frozen wasteland of Essidon resides at the northern tip of the world. An almost symmetrical landmass split down the middle by permanently snow-capped mountains into two nations.
Mysandros
The largest continent is split into three territories. Maressea in the west is arid and dry, known for its especially deity-centric culture and the finest of wines. The Kingdom of Gonde lies in the northeast, though it is a cold and largely frigid tundra. Hantau in the south-east, however, is hot and rainy and the primary source of the most expensive metal in the world - platinum. The island nation of Nyamene, the home of the catlike Feldeni, sits off the southern coast. Mysandros is a continent of varied climates and varied people alike.
Thrabad
Thrabad is mostly dry and arid. The sand dunes of the north are controlled by the Khena Empire. The nation of Djakoro is sandwiched between the lands belonging to Khena and the fractured country of Mazvinga in the south. Mazvinga is embroiled in a centuries-old civil war. If it wasn't protected by a vast mountain range, Mazvinga may have had to worry about Djakoro having ideas of taking it over. Though, Djakoro faces a constant threat of the land-hungry Khenans from their ever-receding northern border.
The People of Axora
The Four
Dwarves
In the tale of creation, three gods created three species. Toar, the god of strength, created the Dwarves to work the lands.Elves
Ispilla, the goddess of magic, created the elves to study the arcane, the natural and the divine.Gnomes
The Gnomes are said to have been created by Nona, the goddess of knowledge. Imbued with boundless curiosity to learn and invent, they were charged to understand and develop the world around them.Humans
According to legend there was a Primordial uprising, during which Vulkarna, goddess of fire, along with with two of her Primordial counterparts - Essina and Tidur - tried to become the prime deities. The uprising cost many Dwarven, Elven and Gnomish lives before it was over. The gods, upon realising their creations have been blessed with long lifespans, decided there needed to be a fourth. Humans were born out of this agreement. With shorter lifespans, their population growth vastly outnumbered the other races. Humans had far more impetus to try and do more with their shorter lives.Other Sentient Species
Altara
Altarans are said to be the result of combining humans and giantkin. Mostly human in appearance, they do however stand generally one or two feet taller than the pure humans.Dracara
Much like Altarans are half-giants, Dracarans are half-dragons. Possibly a result of dragons taking on bipedal appearances and their following relationships, Dracarans keep mostly themselves in secluded cities around the world.Orcs
The origin of Orcs is much debated since their is no apparent obvious connections to other species. The prevailing theory is that Orcs are Dwarven versions of Altarans. Though, Orcs do have the shortest lifespans of all the major species.Outside Influence
Solara
Solarans are individual who have celestial blood coursing through their veins. Physically, there are no differences in appearance to whichever race they are also from. Solarans can be of any species.Nixara
Nixarans share the exact same situation as Solaran, physically they do not different to the shared species they come from and can also be from any species. However, as Solaran have celestial blood, Nixarans have devils' blood.The Ages of Axora
Including the current age (Post Cataclysm), there are 3 defined ages that preceded it along with 2 ages with unknown time spans. Prior to the Age of Discovery (10000BCE - 5000BCE), there was the Age of the Primordial and the Age of Darkness. These are presumed from the scraps of documents that survived a great purge that directly preceded the Age of Discovery and the myths they pertain to. The Age of the Primordial is said to be the first age, when the world was created and shaped and includes the Primordial Uprising of Vulkarna. The Age of Darkness is when Athar and Zarene's supposed relationship began and inadvertently caused unspeakable horror from the borderline of life and death to seep into the world. Following the Age of Discovery, came the Age of Conflict. This was not one conflict, but rather a period of three millennia that is defined by hostility. This age ended with The Ten Year Winter, after which most grudges were put aside in order to survive as a whole. Thus began the Age of Harmony. 2000 years of relative peace, compared to what came before, concluded with The Cataclysm War.
Comments