Map of Southwest Aelia
(Yes I made this in MS Paint... no I am not an artist... ??)
If by some miracle I ever make some money from writing I'll commission this map to be done.
This is the most relevant section to the story (outside of Firstlanding):
Countries
The kingdom as it is today is the second iteration. The first Kingdom of Hylesse fell ~700 years prior to the start of the story with the present kingdom having been refounded ~400 years ago. The kingdom was founded by Hagen Eildon, a King of the Roylands along with the new ruler of the Montire, a powerful elven archmage named Rysian Alythereon, who is living well beyond his years. The Kingdom is divided into four regions with the Roylands being ruled by the crown. Despite calling itself a Kingdom, Empire is a more apt term to describe Hylesse.
Tracing themselves back to the firstlanding of the Borrosi settlers on Aelia, Primar has faced a long history of warfare. Currently ruled by Duke Alfred Rolocher, a plain and unremarkable man by appearance he finds himself a shrewd strategist and plotter. He wishes to make a name for himself in the history books and revive the Kingdom of Primar.
The most densely populated region of the kingdom and home to the second largest city on the continent the Roylands’ a natural seat for power and culture. The region is ruled by the crown, held by King Gareth Eildon. Who has grown sickly following an attempted assassination attempt.
For hundreds of years the Haenor family has been the rulers of this region. Though, the death of Armin Haenor several years prior has ended their line. Wesher is currently ruled by their steward. Having proven herself an authority figure Lady Gwendolyn Sewal sees this now as an opportunity to cement her rule as the future queen of Wesher.
A mountainous and landlocked region to the south of the Austire Mountains, ruled by the Alythereon family. To the Alythereons the Eildons may wear the crown, but this second iteration of the Hylessian Kingdom has always been of their design. For the last few centuries Archmage Rysian Alythereon has served both as the head of the family and Archmage of Hylesse. His grandson Lord Ornhardt Alythereon has served as the protector of the Montires.
The Xaturian Empire claims a long and storied history. They consider themselves the rightful heirs of the Great Notian Empire, the greatest mortal country to have existed, with their Empress claiming to have the blood of three Severance gods: Emyzer, Corlyn, and Helinia. A militaristic nation, their empire sits in the heart of the continent often causing them to be in some manner of conflict. The Kingdom of Hylesse opposes them as their largest rivals.
An empire barely held together by tradition. The Oshon Empire comprises a handful of principalities: Velshraine, Helmsvaldr, Vaserstra, Horw, Riesenwick, Luftstraden, and Keltenstraden. With the crown sitting in the Kingdom of Aunkein. As followers of the Mortal Gods, Oshon was originally established as a military alliance to defend against increasing aggression from Severance worshipers to the south. Aunkein as the most powerful region was named head of the alliance and over time the allied Kingdoms became Principalities under Aukein. However, as time passed and the purpose of the alliance faded, the Princes of Oshon grew more powerful and the strength of Aukein failed. Infighting has grown more rampant to the point it’s better to think of Oshon as a loose alliance of eight different kingdoms than an united empire.
Ruled by Prince Ainswalde Wulfric. The young, and often hotheaded, prince is considered to be a master of the battlefield. His individual strength alone was how he managed to gain the throne in a coup d'état the Lenz family who ruled prior. He's seen his holding expand northward having recently captured the city of Eskerk from the Principality of Helmsvaldr. He has his eyes set to continue to expand Velshraine in the east towards Olzen, to the south to reclaim Wasserstradt and Brauernhof, or even to the west to show the weakness of Aunkein.
For a long time the goblins of Aelia have been hunted. The Kingdom of Olzen considers itself as the last bastion of Goblin kind on the continent. One of the most militaristic nations, behind Xaturia, Olzen has adapted some horrific practices of eugenics when it comes to goblins' evolution paths. Though, practice has tarnished their image among the other nearby powers, causing them to be something of a pariah state.
Religion
(From the perspective of a follower of the Severance Gods)
Founding Myth
In the beginning there was nothing, until the Primordial Gods made a world in which to set foot in. They named the world Asilyth, then they made the suns, stars, and moon in the sky. Finally, the Primordials made the First Gods to inherit the barren world. Once they had done this, the Primordials vanished. Leaving Asilyth in the care of the First.
For years the First Gods wandered the expanse of dirt, water, and stone. Cursing their existence and vowing vengeance against the Primordials that left them there. The First began to scheme and discovered they too had the power of creation. The First knew that the Primordials were more powerful than they were, but surely if they could create more of them, more gods like them, then they would have a chance to usurp the Primordials.
The First Gods worked to create divinity, but they failed, making Mortal life instead. They made plants and animals. They made elementals and monsters. Eventually, they made the mortal races in their image. Yet, what the first gods hadn’t realized when they created the mortal races was that they created an existence with experiences unlike any other seen in Asilyth. The world knew not how to handle the imperfect aspects of mortals. Aspects such as life and death, renewal and decay, vice and virtue, and more. Thus, as a byproduct of Mortals existing a new race of god was created, the Mortal Gods.
Like the Mortals they governed over, the Mortal Gods were imperfect beings. Unlike their predecessors, the Mortal Gods were bound to their domain. They could not create like the Primordials or the First Gods, only govern that which they were responsible for. Thus, their existence would forever be tied to the existence of Mortals.
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The First Gods grew ecstatic and more ambitious from the creation of the Mortal Gods. Some of the First labored to create stronger monsters and mortal races, such as the dragons, devils, demons, greater spirits, archfey, and other such creatures. The rest, however, grew illtempered at their shortcomings. Ambition led many to turn to savage brutality and barbarism.
Infighting broke out among the ranks of the First Gods. The weakest among them were used as fuel and sacrifices for a great ritual. Their goal was simple: to create a god powerful enough to shape the fabric of reality like the Primordials could. They succeeded. The First Gods created Magnum, the Great One. This ended the Era of Creation and harkened in the First True Era.
Magnum feared that his existence and the First Gods’ destructive ambition would imperil the world. He alone was not powerful enough to stand against the Primordials. Instead he grew fearful that the First Gods would soon turn their savage ambitions towards all of Mortality, using us as fuel for their rituals. He needed a bulwark to stand against them.
At first Magnum knew not how best to build this bulwark, that was until he witnessed the strength and perseverance of Mortals to survive in spite of the dangers their creators put them in. He witnessed Strolph, a Mortal who persevered through impossible odds. A Mortal who proved to him that Mortals were capable and worthy of divinity. Magnum severed himself, and divine power, into seven portions bestowing them to seven worthy Mortals. These Mortals became the final race of god: the Severance Gods.
The First Gods grew enraged that Magnum betrayed them. The world in their eyes was a failure that needed to be purged. So they began to destroy it in what’s come to be known as the Age of Ruin. The Mortal Gods and the Severance Gods joined in defense of Mortals. The war was fierce and left deep scars on Asilyth. Great deserts, and other regions so inhospitable that only monsters could survive, began to form. The Gods’ war raged for centuries until, suddenly, it ended.
The Primordials returned and sealed all the Gods from the mortal realms. As punishment for their crimes and attempted betrayal, the Primordials stripped the First Gods of their names. Forcing them forevermore to only be referred to with monikers and titles. Thus, the First Gods became known as the Unnamed Gods. After settling things, the Primordials once again left.
We now live in the Second True Era, the first era without the gods immediately present in the world. There will come a day when this Era ends and the Primordial’s seal breaks. Our faith and our prayers strengthen the Severance Gods so that, when that fateful day comes and the seal breaks, the Severance Gods may save and deliver us from the treacherous Unnamed Gods, who will attempt to resume their destruction of Mortality. Already their most vile creations: dragons, devils, and demons, seek to steal our souls away from us. Despite what they’ve done, there are still wicked Mortals among us who believe the Unnamed Gods’ lies and worship them to this day. These are our enemies that must be purged.
- Bishop Leon d’Acron of Firstlanding, Head Priest of Strolph, on the origins of Asilyth
Pantheons and Severance God background
Not formally worshiped by anyone and little is known about them. What is known is that they created the world and the Unnamed Gods before leaving. The Primordial Gods later returned during the Age of Ruin when the Unnamed Gods fought against an alliance of Severance and Mortal Gods. On their return they stripped the Unnamed gods of their names and banished all other gods from the mortal realm. (With some exceptions for the Mortal Gods to do their duties)
Sometimes referred to as the First Gods, they were created by the Primordials to inherit the barren world they made. However, they abused this responsibility. They are the gods who created all life and the mortal races in an attempt to create divinity that could rival the Primordials. Eventually in their pursuits, they created a god named Magnum who severed himself off into seven parts and bestowed those parts to worthy mortals who became the Severance Gods.
Were created as a byproduct of the creation of Mortals. They exist to govern the unique aspects of mortality not found within the divine. Aspects such as life, death, renewal, and decay.
A group of seven mortals who ascended to divinity. In their lives they all achieved great feats that made them worthy of divinity. Fought with the Mortal Gods against the Unnamed Gods during the Age of Ruin for the protection of Mortality.
The first of the Severance Gods to ascend.
Often Used to Represent: Masculine virtue, Justice, and Heroism.
Often depicted as: Human, Dwarf, Elf, or Beastfolk.
Abbreviated Backstory:
Strolph was tricked and ensnared into a pact with Mavalian the Blightbearer, an agent of The Witherer, the Mortal God of Decay. After Mavalian’s blight began to spread, Strolph fought against Mavalian while his very body was decayed. Mavalian, being an archfey, was unable to be easily killed, so Strolph split his soul into two, sealing them and Mavalian’s body away. Strolph then met and completed Magnum’s trials, still while cursed to forever decay, earning his spot among the divine.
Ascended around the time of Emyzer and Corlyn.
Often Used to Represent: Feminine virtue, Faith, and Rulership.
Often Depicted As: Human, Elven, or Halfling.
Abbreviated Backstory:
As a child Helinia swore an oath to Akar, the Mortal God of Recovery, and Maeren, the Mortal Goddess of Life, to always root out those wishing to do unjust harm. As a princess of the Kingdom of Notia, Helinia oversaw the Kingdom’s growth into the most powerful and advanced mortal civilization, the Empire of Notia. While in charge she fought great wars against the wicked lich-king Morsius, who threatened to purge the entire continent of Deoterita of life, creating a realm of undeath. Helinia is known as the great light in the darkness.
Ascended around the time of Helinia and Corlyn.
Often Used to Represent: Wizardry, Innovation, and Emancipation.
Often Depicted As: Human, Elven, Gnome, or Beastfolk.
Abbreviated Backstory:
Lived as a slave under a cursed race of dwarves alongside Corlyn. Emyzer wasn’t blessed with the sorcerous talents of Corlyn. Instead he had to make his own magic. Thus, to lead a rebellion against the Dwarves, Emyzer invented wizardry. The rebellion would have succeeded, if the Unnamed God who made the cursed dwarves had not intervened on their behalf. After becoming a god himself, Emyzer slew the cursed dwarves God.
Ascended around the time of Emyzer and Helinia.
Often Used to Represent: Magic, Freedom, and Humility.
Often Depicted As: Human, Elf, or Beastfolk.
Abbreviated Backstory:
Lived as a slave under a cursed race of dwarves alongside Emyzer. Where Emyzer started a rebellion, Corlyn delivered the weak, ill, sick, or other slaves unable to join the rebellion to safety. Though the journey was treacherous, with many monsters and great dragons attacking, Corlyn succeeded in bringing her people to safety. Founding a city known today as Corlia. It is said that she possessed so much magic that when she ascended it depleted the entire area of magic to this day. Creating Corlia’s great anti-magic barrier.
Ascended around the time of Orn.
Often Used to Represent: Spirits, Truth, and Honesty.
Often Depicted As: Human, Mer, Beastkin, or Beastfolk.
Abbreviated Backstory:
When her family was falsely executed Aurenmis started down the path of vengeance. She worked in the shadows to uncover and expose mass corruption plaguing a great empire.
Ascended around the time of Aurenmis.
Often Used to Represent: Hunting, Nature, and Balance.
Often Depicted As: Human, Elf, Beastkin, or Beastfolk.
Abbreviated Backstory:
Orn grew up in a small hunting village that was later destroyed by monsters. Since that day Orn tirelessly hunted some of the most powerful and destructive monsters on the continent of Aestra. Saving countless lives.
The last of the Severance Gods.
Often Used to Represent: Debauchery, Scheming, and Trickery.
Depicted as either a Dragonkin or a Dragon.
Abbreviated Backstory:
Stultvultan was born a prince of a great draconic empire. At this time many knew and felt the presences of the other Severance Gods. Thus, many believed with his natural talents Stultvultan would join their ranks. After being told countless times his path to divinity was assured, Stultvultan decided to challenge that fate. He abandoned his royal and divine birthright to live a debaucherous life. However, when the hells unified and a horde of devils threatened to take over the world, Stultvultan tricked the devils into betraying one another, and breaking their control of the demons. Endless strife in the hells continues to this day.
Many believe though that the latter part about the hells was made up and instead Stultvultan conned Magnum into giving him a piece of divinity.