Introduction to Emicara

The world of Emicara is one that has existed in one form or another since it began as a Fallout-themed political board game on an internet subforum. Originally termed the Sunshine Wasteland, it began taking on a life of its own, and some remnants of the Fallout inspired past still remain in the world that now exists. Thanks to WorldAnvil, the history of Emicara is becoming more standardized and developed, creating cohesion between the concepts and entities that have been presented. The world that has been formed bears very little resemblance to what it once was, while sharing some history. This article is a quick guide to the world as it is, litter with links to important elements of the backstory. The Cosmology in Emicara is a short article to understand the foundations of the world and planes, and Magic in Emicara helps to lay out the workings of magic. For understanding dates and months, consult the Common Calendar of Emicara. 

History of Emicara

Over one thousand years ago, Emicara was only a small part of a vast human empire, stretching across nearly the whole of the known world. The other races either had not yet been brought into existence or remained hidden and isolated in the face of oppression. This empire had enemies throughout the wider world, well across the Endless Ocean. War came to the entire world, and this empire was slowly yet surely brought to its knees as its centers of culture and trade were brought into ruin. Every possible weapon was unleashed upon the empire’s enemies, forever and irrevocably changing the world, and not for the better. A cataclysm was unleashed and the empire toppled, and is now only referred to in stories and histories as the Nameless Empire, as it had so very nearly brought an end to all life.
Through the quirks of fate and geography, the region that became known as Emicara was able to rebuild itself, though only in a shadow of its former glory under the Nameless Empire. Families merged to create clans, clans formed tribes, and tribes formed nations. As nations returned to the world, so did war and conflict. Eight centuries ago, the nation of Jakonia set out to conquer the known world, all of Emicara. They crushed city state and nation alike, unifying their peninsula, and pushing further inland and into the Apps Mountains. Their advance was slow but efficient, building new roads and infrastructure and spreading an organized religion and system of government for the first time since the Empire’s fall.
Two hundred years ago, at long last, Jakonia sought to conquer the rest of the Shin Empire, which had long been their enemies since the start of the Jakonian Empire. They were met by the combined armies of the Shin Empire and the Sypi Confederacy. In a clash of tens of thousands on the frozen Conecuh Lake in the dead of winter, the Jakonian army was shattered and destroyed, leaving them routed and their ambitions of expansion at an end. The best of Jakonia were killed that day, causing a quick decline of an empire that had lasted for centuries.
Today, the Jakonian Empire is a relic of the past, holding onto its dying few independent holdings upon their home peninsula. Successor states across the region jockey for position as new skills of magic and technology seem to be driving a new era of adventure and expansion. The insurmountable obstacles, geographic and monstrous alike, of the past no longer seem as harsh of a barrier. The ambitious, individual and national, now drive forward new growth, in a rising age of exploration and conquest.

Race in Emicara

Some races are significantly more common and excepted than others. These races make up the majority of nations and states that exist in Emicara. Others simply are too far away from their homeland to appear beyond rarely, and others still are the last remnants of ancient races, struggling to maintain themselves against the centuries. The first category below consists of races that are commonly scene in nations, and would not evoke too much comment in the streets if seen, depending on the nation.
Humans are the majority race throughout all of Emicara. All major kingdoms and nations are ruled by humans, except for the glaring exception of the Kingdom of Populres. Human cultures and traditions vary nation to nation, and even sometimes from city to city. Half-elves and Half-Orcs are not as uncommon due to overall proliferation of humans across the land. They are tolerated within most human communities, but often looked down upon as tainted by their mixed birth. Half-orcs are typically shunned by the orcs as well, viewed as weak or otherwise diminishing the purity of the tribe. Elves have outright hatred towards those of mixed blood, typically exiling them into wider human society rather than care for them. Halfbreeds can advance in either society, however, and are used to doing what needs to be done to fit in.
Dwarves are divided into two groups in Emicara, hill dwarves and mountain dwarves. The hill dwarves are what many refer to as those who live in the Civilized Lands in the southeast, out of the kingdom of Kiralyno. Mountain dwarves hail from a number of small and isolated mountain kingdoms throughout the Apps, but recent disasters, both military and otherwise, have led to a large amount of immigration into the western human kingdom of Alsona. An exception exists in the recently founded kingdom of Valtkos Wingo.
There are two types of Elves in Emicara. The high elves are the ones who have integrated into human society, holding onto the same customs and frequently involved in trade and finance. They have long and strong family ties in most human kingdoms which allow them to conduct business on a continental scale with their extended families. They have developed great wealth, which gives them high standing throughout the majority of human nations. The forest elves on the other hand, reside exclusively in the Tenashi Kingdom, and have refused to give up the old ways of the Feywild.
Halflings are indigenous to an area called The Villages deep within the heartland of the Jakonian Empire. They are peaceful and isolated, and welcome among the humans, more than other races. Halflings are mostly known to all other kingdoms as merchants and purveyors of fine goods. Halfling caravans are the most trusted when it comes to the shipping of valuables across the continent to friends or family in other lands.
Half-Giants hail from the distant west and north, and are typically allies or willing agents for the giant lords who rule those lands. They are known as brutal task masters and warriors, and the ones who deal with problems in spaces too small for a regular giant to enter. Some despise this life working for the giants, and so they are occasionally seen in the Sypi Confederacy, making new lives among the humans.
Snallygasters are a mysterious race that exists in the shadows of the Mersan Union, with a reputation for underhandedness and steadfast loyalty to their leaders. They are popular to use as agents and assassins among the crime lords of the Union’s larger cities. They are known as thieves and tinkerers, and have a constant rivalry with gnomes in the Apps mountains, and a hatred of the small beings that runs ancient and deep.
Lizardfolk are still seen as monsters by some people in Emicara. Despite this, they have no presence in the monstrous kingdom of Populres, due to the colder weather and climate. Most instead live within isolated tribal communities in the bayou south of Losana or in the Eternal Glades. A very large population of them have also formed a significant community in the Free City of Riveraineville, becoming an integral part of the local economy. They are occasionally seen in Losana as traders or adventurers, and will sometimes raid or help ships that run aground on Losana’s soggy coast.
Catfolk are not native to the soil of Emicara, hailing instead from a distant land far to the east. Most Emicarans outside of the Bahami Federation will go their entire lives without ever seeing one. They are kept as slaves by the Bahamis, forced to perform most manual labor and unskilled tasks for the mukarribs of the islands.
Dragonkin, Demonkin, Goblins, and Orcs live nearly exclusively in the Kingdom of Populres. Their monstrous heritages and appearances make them virtually unwelcome in the Civilized Lands and the Shin Empire, frequently arrested as spies unless with ample paperwork proving their legitimacy. Large communities have grown to exist of all four races in Populres, and they have formed their own independent subcultures within the “monster kingdom.” Orcs and goblins are actually somewhat more trusted among the other nations than dragonkin or demonkin, due to the presence of tribes in the Sypi Confederacy, where they have proven their value to human society in the west. Other "barbarian" tribes of the two races also exist in Jorgan Badlands and Apps Mountains.
Kobolds live in the Apps Mountains and exist in an assortment of tribes, and unlike other "monstrous" races, have refused to integrated into other nations. Like the feared orc and goblin raiders, the kobolds frequently strike at human, dwarf, or gnome homesteads and settlements. Unlike the other raider tribes however, the aggression of the kobolds is dependent on the proximity of nearby dragons, who they worship as gods. They frequently seek out and steal treasures that they hope will win them favors from powerful dragons.
Nanoots are the most numerous inhabitants of southern Emeralia, a continent far to the east of Emicara. Although they exist in seven known tribes in the region, they are so far unheard of in Emicara itself, beyond a handful of stowaways and adventurers who have found passage on ships returning to Emicara. Possessing a primitive tribal culture, lacking in sophistication or technology, most nanoot tribes labor under the dominion of more powerful creatures.
Gnomes are almost mythical among the humans of Emicara. They are a highly reclusive race, keeping concealed within their burrows except for rare cases of trade or dire peril. Forest gnomes are believed to live throughout all of the woods of Emicara, and are the more reclusive of the two subspecies. Mountain gnomes, however, are more open with human society, trading gadgets and other unusual products whenever they leave their homes deep within the Apps.
Sunborn have only recently been seen in the furthest western parts of Emicara, or on the occasional trade ship from the western coast of the Circle Sea. They hail from the distant City of Light, far beyond the Giant Lands, and are viewed with trepidation by the most devout of the Church of the One Sun. They are very tight lipped about their homeland, and are only known in Emicara as adventurers. Those who leave their homeland are frequently deprived of their memories of the realm they are from, in order to prevent knowledge of the City of Lights spreading to other kingdoms.
Automatons are the creations of the Nameless Empire. Once mass produced by the millions, they were created to serve the humans of the Nameless Empire at the height of prosperity and greatness. Forged from nearly unlimited power sources and the finest metals available to the ancients, these beings were intelligent servitors with only limited capacity for free thought and action. Today the automatons that survive have begun to evolve their own capacity for free thought and exploration, migrating throughout the world.
The Formless are creations of an ancient artifact of the Nameless Empire. In their true forms they are nothing but nearly shapeless humanoid blobs. They are able to adjust their forms to appear to be any other race or being, and often use their methods for infiltration and spycraft. The vast majority of Formless are believed to reside in the Kingdom of Forard, but their numbers are unknown as they seamlessly blend into the human population.

Nations of Emicara

The nations of Emicara are divided into five regions consisting of several nations, united by similar cultures and shared histories. Although each of these locations has at one point fallen under the sway or shadow of the Jakonian Empire, today most of them are fully independent. These regions include the Frontier Realms, the Shin Empire, the Civilized Lands, the Eastern Nations, and the Bahami Federation. 

The Frontier Realms

The Frontier Realms includes the nations of the Sypi Confederacy, Alsona, the Free City of Riveraineville, Losana, the Lewite Tribe, Valtkos Wingo, the Tenashi Kingdom, and Highveldt. The Sypi Confederacy consists of quasi-independent tribes and towns. The capital of Wofslar, while the Confederacy’s only city on par with the great cities of the Civilized Lands, is a massive melting pot of all of the unique tribes and cultures that exist within the Confederacy. The Kingdom of Alsona rests along the frontiers of the Deadlands, stretching from the Efacharistos River in the west to the Apps Mountains in the east. The Alsonans place great emphasis upon the arts and music in particular as cornerstones of their culture. The Kingdom of Losana seeks to qualify itself as a member of the Civilized Lands, but constantly falls just short of such recognition. It has too much baggage with constant rebellion and unrest among its citizens and member states.
Riveraineville and the Lewite Tribe are smaller states among the Frontier Realms, and have managed recently through force of arms to obtain their independence. Riveraineville keeps its recognition and position through wealth and skilled agents across the Circle Sea, trading and developing ties, while competing with Augustin and Capcora for connections and wealth. The Lewite Tribe, on the other hand, escaped the wrath of the Wicka at the recent conclusion of the Sypi Civil War, and have gone into nation state building for themselves, being the only surviving tribe in the region to follow the teachings of the One Sun. Highveldt, on the other hand, exists solely with the support of the Kingdom of Alsona, acting as a buffer against the barbaric tribes of the northlands.
The Tenashi Kingdom and Valtkos Wingo are nearly unique among the nations of Emicara, as they were created to be a single-race nation to protect members of that race. The Tenashi are the forest elves who escaped the collapse of the Feywild and the wrath of the pogroms and wars with the humans. Only recently having emerged into the limelight, they are the only independent elf state. Valtkos Wingo, on the other hand, was formed from rebellion against the humans of Alsona, and has been created by mountain dwarf refugees as a throwback to the creation of mountain dwarf kingdoms of old in the Apps Mountains, translocated to the west.

The Shin Empire

The Shin Empire is a nation built throughout the Apps Mountains, in large cities carved into the stone of the mountain. They have waged a constant war with the dwarven kingdoms built under the mountains, for control of the mountain roads and depths. The Shin cities bear some resemblance to the dwarven ones in structure, perhaps even surpassing them in utility and defensiveness. The Shin are an extraordinarily wealthy and technologically advanced people, but isolated from other lands, maintaining a strict bureaucracy to keep track of who comes in or out, and keeping a massive vault of records of all of its visitors and denizens. over the past forty years, all entry and exit into and out of the Shin Empire has been closed, leaving many to wonder what is going on behind their extensive defenses.

The Civilized Lands

Bamard is a small kingdom sandwiched between four larger powers: the Shin Empire, Mersan Union, Forard, and the Sypi Confederacy. Conquered and liberated multiple times by multiple powers, the kingdom has a had a rough history of poverty and oppression. Forard is the sister kingdom to Bamard, and is a nation stretched out along much of the north coast of the Circle Sea. It is known as a heavily mercantile state, and Forardian trading ships are known all around the Circle Sea.
With the Jakonian Empire in decline, the ancient and hidden noble house of Columba led a popular uprising one hundred years ago that brought about a restoration of their throne. Today Columba has mustered a powerful army and stands well prepared for further conflict. They are a rising nation on the peninsula, but face constant raids from Badlands orcs to the north and potential enemies on all sides.
Jakonia was for a time the most powerful empire in the known world, having conquered all of the Civilized Lands and even parts of the Bahami Emirates and Shin Empire. Their expansion was finally stopped when a coalition united and defeated them at the Battle of Conecuh Lake, famously fought on the frozen waters in the dead of winter. In the two hundred years since that battle, Jakonia has been slowly deteriorating from its days of glory.
The Kingdom of Orrland is a small kingdom between Jakonia and Columba, barely maintaining its independence from each. Now its small but not insignificant army and economy seem poised to throw the balance of power on the Jakonian Peninsula towards either of its neighbors, should it choose to align with one. It has acted as a place of neutrality in recent disputes, but increased turmoil in Jakonia could soon force Orrland to take more assertive action. 
Nestled up against the Badlands and the anarchy within, the Free City of Augustin has so far been known for overseas trade with Recfrere and Populres, trading along the coast. Their merchants are known for exploration and innovation, and some have even claimed to have set up trading posts in the Deadlands, telling wild tales of the lands of the north. Free City of Capcora  has a similar history though one not as pronounced as its rival in Augustin. They have struggled since a recent paranormal event known as the Warp of Seven in 1037 AF caused strange time and space fluctuations in their home nation. They have been struggling to find ways to restore their damaged economy and society ever since.
Valtkos Kiralyno is the oldest surviving free kingdom of dwarves in the whole of Emicara. A tiny kingdom, most of it exists underground, but they maintain control of the surface to protect themselves and their trade routes. They are known to be very insular and hostile to interlopers, occasionally launching patrols into the badlands to catch bandits or other threats to stability in their lands. The dwarves are known to be the finest soldiers and warriors south of the Badlands and they were prized as the shock troops of the Jakonian Empire at its height.

The Eastern Nations

The Mersan Union considers themselves to be the heirs of the Nameless Empire, and their Presiders claim to be able to trace their lineage to the old emperors. Built partially within the Apps, they have also a strong relationship with several dwarven towns and cities, which have become slowly integrated into the rest of the kingdom, making dwarves almost as common as humans in the northern reaches of the Union.
The Kingdom of Recfrere lays on the north side of the feared sands of the Badlands, and has a long history of antagonism and warfare with the Mersan Union. The border between the two realms has frequently shifted as cities and towns exchanged hands countless times in innumerable conflicts. The northern provinces of Recfrere have instead been on the frontline of similar conflicts with the monsters of the Kingdom of Populres, and thus have a very different identity to the rest of the nation.
Populres is a place feared by the human kingdoms of the Civilized Lands. It is a kingdom built on strength and fear, and has no set laws or church that dominates over the rest. The Church of the One Sun has never dared to set up a mission in this region, while powerful trade companies and warlords dominate over their own personal fiefs. Those treated as monsters in the Civilized Lands will find a haven here, but humans, elves, halflings, and dwarves will have no quarter among the vicious creatures that make Populres their home, and will quickly find themselves made a slave.

The Bahami Federation

The Bahami Federation exists over a series of islands within the Endless Ocean to the east of the Jakonian Peninsula. There exist hundreds of small islands, each considered its own kingdom with its own laws and lords. The Mukarribs all occasionally wage war upon each other, seeking glory and fortune through raiding and plunder. Some even strike out at the Jakonian coast, as the Jakonian navy has grown weak in recent years, with the Bahami corsairs becoming feared among many traders. All eventually pay homage to the ruler of Aljana, reigning with the greatest fleet and army within the Bahami Isles.

Faith in Emicara

The Church of the One Sun is the largest religious body in Emicara. This is the state religion of the Jakonian Empire and possesses significant influence there and throughout all of the Civilized Lands. They believe in a single all-powerful God, taking the form of the sun, who sacrificed a portion of his divinity to preserve Emicara from the destruction of the rest of the Nameless Empire. The Monastic Brotherhood and the Fellowship of the Palm are two holy orders within the Church that enforce its will across the territories where they reign supreme.
In Recfrere and the Mersan Union, both of these states follow their own monotheistic tradition, following the Church of Keshush. They have a similar background to the Church of the One Sun, believing that Keshush provided protection against the destruction of the Nameless Empire, rather than the sun itself giving up a portion of divinity. They break with the Church of the One Sun embracing diversity and a freedom of action in faith, focusing more upon the saints that have served the plans of the Sun, rather than the Sun itself.
Throughout Emicara, there are multiple pantheons that are worshipped and followed by the lands inhabitants. Each one is geographically tied to a region or culture, and are consistently attacked by followers of the One Sun. The monotheists have engaged in aggressive campaigns of conversion against the polytheists, to the point where they now only hold major political sway in the Sypi Confederacy, Alsona, and Populres. These pantheons include the Aesir Pantheon, the Populres Pantheon, the Wicka Pantheon, the Dwarf Pantheon, The King's Host and the Losana Pantheon.  
In the Shin Empire and the Bahami Federation religion has taken different turns, instead of relying upon distant gods sitting in the heavens. The Shin rely on a worship of ancestors and still living nobles to express their faith in a practice widely known as Shinism. The Bahamis on the other hand, have a varied practice of worship, paying tribute and prayer to the djinni that live upon their islands. Djinn Worship is rewarded by direct protection of the islands from the devastating effects of the region's hurricanes that can, uncontested, sink entire islands and destroy fleets. 
Lastly, Naturalism is one that exists primarily among the forest elves and gnomes, and other beings of the forests. This faith believes in the full consciousness of the planet as being a singular, non-sentient living creature that shares with all of those upon it. The planet thus must be treated with respect and support to provide for everyone, and occasionally the creatures must be culled in order to maintain its life as well as the lives of the inhabitants. Very few humans or other races follow this doctrine, and the constant use of resources by most civilizations has occasionally led to brutal conflict between Naturalists and other religions.