Vodari (voh-dah-ree)

Vodari is a world primarily covered in water, with the only habitable area for land-dwelling mortals being an archipelago in the shape of a ring around the eternal storm of Vesi's Rage.
This is not a coincidence; hundreds of years ago, Vodari was home to an enormous continent, Varanu. Its exact nature is lost to the cataclysm that destroyed it and the ensuing dark age, but scholars believe it to have been a land home to many powerful human kingdoms and empires.
What exactly spurred the events that followed is shrouded in the veil of history, but the event itself is documented well: The Godwar. The destruction wrought is a testament to the power and folly of these ancient empires, with the influence of the gods on either side only inflaming the chaos.
In the end, the entirety of Varanu was obliterated, save the furthest reaches of it. What we know as Vodari is simply all that remains of that ancient continent--a shattered ring of islands.
However, while countless people died in that tragic war, life was not snuffed out. The elves retreated to the highest trees, and the dwarves had already withdrawn to deal with their own affairs. Ships and sailors fled the sinking continent, making their way across the seas to the few remaining land masses.
Times were hard for these early survivors, as little had survived and few had much to go around. Petty tyrants and nomadic reavers plagued the seas and islands. However, Tero's light shone on a few.
The southern islands grew into successful fishing and farming communities. They constructed homes, walls, castles, and ports. The elves re-established their lost kingdoms and slowly returned to their traditions and ways of life.
Over five centuries, the southern islands had grown into seafaring nations that sent hundreds of ships out into the world. Magic and technology began to be rediscovered, and historic events were once again recorded in detail. Much had been lost, but there was still hope and the drive to move forwards.
Over the next 50 years, there was a burst of discovery and rediscovery in alchemy, magic, metallurgy, shipbuilding, and navigation. Ships could travel further from land and across longer distances. Black powder was rediscovered, allowing firearms and cannons to forever change naval warfare. Farming techniques increased yields and reduced labor, allowing the population to explode.
With new islands being discovered, powerful weapons, and enough people to settle them, the rush to colonize began. Explorers from every nation sailed for profit, knowledge, duty, fame, honor, and faith. Each discovered island introduced new resources and knowledge. The dwarves were rediscovered, and trade was opened with them once again. The forest realms of the Silvari elves opened, allowing more direct contact between them and the Southern Nations. Barbarian tribes conquered their neighbors in the northern realms.
As trade and colonization increased, competition was inevitable. By the mid 7th century After Godwar (AG), a series of skirmishes over settlement of colonies and control of trade routes erupted into full-scale war. Alliances were made and broken between the elves of Silvari, the five southern nations, and the dwarves of Thirn and Morndirn. Every nation was at war with at least one former ally. Trade disputes and embargos stalled trade, colonies rebelled, and widespread smuggling and piracy emerged. Colonies were invaded, ports were bombarded, and massive navies clashed. Decades of war had taken a heavy toll on the navies and economies of all the nations and provided no clear winner. A restless peace was established and Silvari, the southern nations, Thirn, and Morndirn all began to rebuild.
With no appetite for another expensive war, nations looked to alternatives to protect their interests and punish their enemies. Spies and privateers had been used during the wars, and both remained popular ways to engage rival nations and avoid outright war. Privateering proved lucrative for both the privateers and the governments. Privateers received charters from their nation to raid the colonies and ships of rival nations to recoup losses incurred during the war. As entire fleets of privateers started to hunt the seas, the line between privateer and pirate was blurred. Some kept to a code, while others were no better than the reavers who plagued the seas after the cataclysm.
In 687 AG, the theocracy of Taevara declared war on all pirates, including chartered privateers. Bowing to pressure from Taevara and wanting to avoid a new war, the other nations ended or limited their use of privateers. This left thousands of privateers from across the seas without work and labeled as pirates, to be hanged if caught.

The World Today

It is now the year 696 AG and the nations of Vodari have enjoyed nearly a decade of tense peace. At any time, a simple trade dispute or privateering raid could tip the scales and result in renewed war. Every port city is home to diplomats, spies, and assassins of rival nations. While the nations are at peace, relations between them are far from friendly.
Most civilized people of Vodari fare worse than before the wars. Guilds run the technocracy of Xoleni, seeking profit above all else. In Zavros, the royal line has all but ended and criminal syndicates dominate the island. Taevara has become a strict theocracy under the Archpriest’s control. In Arushi, the nobility live in decadence, but commoners face disease and starvation. Ruthless merchant families govern Veraci, with a queen only in name. The pirate isles are barely held together by the Pirate Queen, and its raiders are a major challenge to shipping. The majority of the colonies have been in disarray since the wars, with most in some form of open revolt, under martial law, or abandoned to face raiders and monsters alone. After decades of fighting wars above and below the surface, the people of Morndirn now face losing to the enemy below, or a mass exodus. The Silvari elves came out of the war relatively unscathed, but continue to live under the rigid rule of their king.
Traveling Vodari’s seas is as dangerous and exciting as ever. The Knights of Taevara hunt the seas for pirates, privateers, or anyone else they consider an enemy. Explorers from every corner of Vodari search for uncharted islands and the knowledge and wealth they provide. Pirates, raiders, and a select few privateers can be found hunting ships in any sea and even the most routine voyage is under threat from sea monster attack or nature’s wrath.

Type

Plane of Existence

Included Locations

• Marradi Archipelago
• The Colonies
• The Forest Realm
• The Southern Nations