Gokrenxia: A Primer

Rahyeel stood at the base of the algae-covered steps, staring up at the crumbling ruins. His breaths came deep and slowly. The wind off the ocean brushed past his face, carrying with it the scent of salt. The lengths of his unbound brown hair and earth-toned cloak flapped behind him as the white noise of the waves rhythmically rapped against the shore. It was hard to believe once upon a time this had been a place of power. A place of peace. A place of life. A place of beauty. A place where his people had once commanded every corner of the known world. But that was before the War, in the time called the First Age.
He chuckled. It was not so long ago as it sounded; not to the Elves - the remnants of the Empire. He was certain greedy scavengers and treasure hunters had long-since picked over anything of value, but the pull of ancient magics was still strong in this place. It called to him, waiting to be unlocked. He had but to find the key.

A Kingdom: In Ruins

After nearly a millennium of rule under the oppressive thumb of the haughty Elves, the enslaved races united under the grand ideal of freedom. Eight years of bitter fighting decimated the once great Empire. Lacking the strength to hold sway over the land, even the Elves' coveted and powerful magics could not keep them from losing control of nearly everything they once claimed as their own.

The 1st Age Ends by dream by WOMBO

A People: Searching for Identity

The great Elven Lords of the Empire have retreated to the paltry lands granted them at the Signing of the Thee'nor Accord. Overcrowding and scarcity of resources breed anger, crime, and discontent. Along with their former allies such as the Dwarven and Human peoples, collectively referred to as the Myndikin, they strive to define who they are outside the lines of life in the Empire.

Meanwhile, the rebellious animal-like races, broadly called the Kynekin, struggle to maintain control of their newly founded kingdom of Vath'azen. Their "grand ideal" has already begun to show signs of fracturing, as the Vyrian peoples break away to form their own kingdom of Sanysgal, the Ja'nakh horse tribes lay claim to the Zuul’Hy Freelands, and a Mahnkii tribe declares the "stolen" Dwarven stronghold of Kurzniert as a "Freehold," not connected to the greater Vath peoples.

A Land: Divided

Three human generations have passed since the Great War. Much of the land has been carved into smaller Kingdoms amongst the "lesser" races. The numbers of those beyond the long-lived Elves who remember first-hand the atrocities of that Great War dwindle. Ideological differences, territorial, and resource disputes have driven wedges between once staunch allies.
Now, a tense peace teeters on the razor's edge of a knife. An escalating cold war between the greatest kingdoms continuously threatens the careful balance of power. In courts across the land, diplomats from every corner of the world wage a war of words for the hearts and minds of the people, while well-placed spies and well-trained armed forces engage in proxy wars attempting to tip the balance of power in their kingdom's favor, all in the name of "the greater good."
What follows are but a few of the major powers in Gokrenxia.

Remnants of the Empire

Battered but unbroken the Elves retreated to their Northeastern coastlines and began reforging their lands in the shadow of the almighty Empire. A new seat of Elven power has been declared in Al'jymoor. Along with its two vice-Kingdoms, Shavomyr and Lysandre, the Elves wait patiently; rebuilding their forces, biding their time, and sowing the seeds of discord at every turn. True to their natures, they are exceedingly confident their story has countless chapters yet to be written.

Kingdom of the Kynekin

The hard won kingdom of Vath'azen, pried from the hands of the Empire at great cost. But where once the animal races rallied together with a single voice, the loss of an imminent threat and a common enemy has allowed deep divides to creep in. Will the fledgling Kingdom survive its own internal pressures? Or will the grandchildren of the Great War be their own undoing?

Kungaroun

From the Stormbreak Mountains on the West to the shores of the Khazwa Sea on the East stretches the ancestral Kingdom of the twelve Great Dwarven Houses. Together, they wield immense collective power and influence over trade, commerce, and crime, but internal politics and disagreements about the path ahead have kept them from reaching their full potential. The Northernmost House, Zunoch, still burns with anger at the annexation of their lands by a faction of Kynekin at the end of the War and will stop at nothing to see it returned.

The Rise of Humans

Without the controlling hand of Imperial rule, Humans have embraced the opportunity to seize control of their own destiny. Setting an eye toward the future, they charge optimistically into the unknown, filled with the hope that through hard work and dedication, tomorrow can be a better day for all.

Nominated for Best Newcomer at the 2024 Worldbuilding Awards

Pronunciation

gō′-krən-shē-ŭ

Magic

Magic is a force of nature, ebbing and flowing through the world in unseen rivers much the same as the wind. The Empire tightly controlled access the secrets of harnessing this power; one more means of exerting control and ensuring their authority. Myndikin allies of the Elves were occasionally taught the ways of magic, but under strictly controlled circumstances. The Kynekin, who were largely treated as a slave caste, were never allowed to learn magic. To do so and be discovered meant death for both the student and the teacher.
Since the end of the Great War though, the Elves have lost their singular hold on this power. Treasure hunters scour the ruins of ancient Elven cities for highly coveted books of lore, certain to fetch a hefty price from students of the arcane. New and previously hidden branches of study and styles of magic have begun to emerge across the land, a fact the Imperials consider detestable.
But like any force of nature, magic can be chaotic and unpredictable. It is not to be wielded lightly.

Faith

While there are no omnipotent or omniscient "gods" taking a direct hand in the happenings of the land, faith is no stranger to Gokrenxia. From another realm, of which very little is known, powerful beings referred to as Celestials touch the minds, dreams, and hearts of the people. Their motives and drives are as complex and varied as the clouds in the sky.

Welcome to Gokrenxia!