Nations of the World
Nations of the World
The world of Despair Labyrinth, known to Elynsorians as Arkeia,
is home to many different nations, each with its own history, culture,
and language. Some of them are long gone, others have endured
throughout the millenia, and a few are fairly young kingdoms, having
emerged only as of the past hundred years or so.
For the purposes of consistency, all entries will be written in the language of Elynsor.
There are two primary continents on which the most well-known countries are located: Esceria, better known as the Western Continent, and Aloase, the Eastern Continent.
Western Continent
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ELYNSOR
The Kingdom of Elynsor is a relatively young nation, but
prosperous and quite powerful even in its infancy. Its religious
bodies are strongly affiliated with the inner workings of its
government. Elynsor is also notable for its powerful military,
as well as numerous advancements in warfare, education,
spellcraft, and language. The basic government and social
structure in Elynsor, like that of many Western societies, is
modeled after the system of ancient Cerynsia, with several
modifications. Geographically, Elynsor is known for its sprawling
plains, treacherous mountain ranges and lush forests, boasting
a generally temperate climate.
GREM
The Republic of Grem is located in a snowy region called
the Kulds, in the northernmost parts of the world. Its
citizens are known for being outspoken, frugal, and adept
at using fire magic. The Fire Mages of Grem are known for
their skill in conjuring flame and employ it for practical purposes,
such as staying warm during the harsh winters of the Kulds.
It is effective enough that the Royal Magic Academy of Elynsor's
curriculum regarding fire magic is primarily derived from Gremic
sources. In this culture, the ability to generate fire can make
all the difference between life and death, so all citizens of the
Republic are at least competent in its use. In fact, they treat
the conjuration of fire as a coming of age ritual. Those who fail are
effectively still treated as minors, deemed unable to survive by
themselves in the wild.
GREYBOURNE
The Greybourne Republic, formerly a vast empire whose
decline came after a devastating loss to the Kingdom of
Elynsor, is a nation primarily built upon the Irren Deserts to
the south. It is known as 'Grisalesca' by its inhabitants.
The people of Greybourne are known to be hedonistic, charming,
and somewhat self-serving, at least by those of Elynsor, their
neighbors to the north. They were best known for their open
worship of Tzern, who they believed to be a god of fertility,
pleasure, and wine. Temples to Tzern were often the home of
ritual orgies and tributes to bodily pleasure--practices looked
down upon by Elynsorians and the more conservative members
of other kingdoms. However, open worship of the deity was
banned after peace with Elynsor was established. This country
is something of a home to various expatriates and foreigners looking
for a good time, and is generally known by worshippers of Erion
as the 'Nation of Sin'. However, during its time as an empire,
Greybourne was well-known for its superb military might. Nowadays,
the nation is but a shadow of what it used to be, thriving mainly on
the sex / slave market and tourism to sustain its economy.
BREVNIA
Brevnia is a kingdom located just east of Elynsor, past the
Faust Mountain Range. Its people are known for their
tidiness and punctuality. Originally part of the Kingdom of
Elynsor, they established their own territories amongst the
mountains and forests of Esceria's eastern side, maintaining
their independence through skilled use of the pike and
crossbow as well as careful use of the terrain. Despite this,
they remain a relatively neutral nation and manage to
maintain good relations with Elynsor, Grem, and Greybourne
alike.
HAVENPORT
The famous port city of Havenport, located just east of
Brevnia on the western coast of Esceria, is home to trade
fleets from all over the world. Known for its thriving
fishing industry as well as for being home to some of the
Western world's most hospitable and luxurious inns,
Havenport is also one of the most culturally diverse
cities. Its population is mostly Elynsorian, Brevnian,
and Deunic, but there are also small communities of
Talean, Gremic, and Honrainese represented in certain
districts. Despite its welcoming appearance, however,
Havenport also has a darker side, which can be seen in
the gang activities that often occur in certain areas.
XALI
A proud and fierce people, the warriors of Xali are best
known for their raw athleticism and martial skill. The high
altitudes of their native lands are said to contribute to
nearly superhuman levels of strength and endurance.
Xalinese are typically characterized by their tanned skin,
powerful frames, and of course, their indomitable fighting
spirit. Both men and women of the Xali tribe take up arms
when necessary and do not hesitate to fight to the death.
A popular quote regarding the Xalinese people goes as
follows: 'If one says they are not afraid of death, they
are either lying or from Xali.'
Once having inhabited the Saryan Mountains, they are
widely considered extinct nowadays. Only a very small
portion of Elynsor's population as of the 10th century
carry the blood of Xali within them.
CERYNSIA
Cerynsia, sometimes referred to as the Last Great Empire,
was believed by many to be the cornerstone of Western
civilization. It was responsible for countless advancements
in various fields, including warfare, philosophy, theatre,
mathematics, language, and politics. The basic structure
of Cerynsic government also served as the blueprint for
the social structures of kingdoms like Elynsor and its
surrounding territories.
Ancient Cerynsia boasted warriors that were unparalleled
in close combat. Some of the greatest heroes from fables
in the Western countries were actually based off of the
exploits of Cerynsic soldiers, who honed their skills from
years of conflict with the Deunic. These troops were also
said to have waged war against the dark lord of the Void
himself, Tzern, and his countless minions.
Unfortunately, the fall of this empire would be rather swift
despite its long period of expansion, due to the untimely
assassination of its last ruler, Claudius Savernus III, and
the chaos that ensued afterwards.
However, though Cerynsia is long gone, its spirit lives on
in the Kingdom of Elynsor, as well as several other nations
in the Western hemisphere.
VERNIA
Vernia was an ancient civilization that thrived in the dense
rainforests of Nule. Its people were known for their love
of prophecy, as well as their numerous contributions to art,
poetry, and spellcraft of the Earth element. Additionally,
the written language developed by the Vernish people is
thought to be one of the oldest among known glyphic systems.
As opposed to being an empire united under one ruler,
Vernia was actually comprised of multiple sovereign states,
only possessing common attributes in terms of art, written
language, and culture.
Nearly every member of Vernish society was well-versed
in some form of art, primarily sculpture and clay work.
Ancient Vernish pottery is considered to be very valuable,
considering its relative rarity after the civilization's decline.
Eastern Continent
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DEUN
Deun is a desert nation, settled in the oases of the
far-reaching Couran Desert. It has a long and proud
history, once being the largest empire ever known.
Their century-long campaign against Cerynsia is still
written about to this day, and brought about much
tragedy. However, with that also came the exchange
of technologies and ideas between the two civilizations.
The invention of roads and the chariot can be attributed
to the Deunic people, who are known for being tough and
adaptable. A select few are skilled at magics involving the
element of Water, and as such often find themselves
relegated to positions of extreme importance in Deunic
government; control of this invaluable resource provides
one with dominion over many living in the arid Couran
Desert.
AYON
The nation of Ayon, located just south of Honrai, also
has roots dating back to ancient times. Unlike most
civilizations, there is no evidence of a kingdom or empire
in this area. Oral tradition illustrates that each province
had its own ruler, of which the families under his or her
reign would take their last names from. Using this system,
one could easily identify what part of Ayon a resident
hails from by hearing their full name.
Based in the Ayona Valley, the people of this country have
thrived with the help of a complex system of rivers, which
they employ for transportation and agriculture, amongst
other things.
The people of Ayon are known for their exploits in civil
engineering, culinary arts, music, dance, and spellcraft
in multiple elements.
Ayon's mages are not aligned with one particular element
as a nation; their chosen mastery is dependent on the
province from which they hail.
This is due in part to Ayon's status as a preferred
stronghold of powerful mages during the Age of Magic.
ULRALIA
Located in the northern regions of the Eastern Continent,
the steppes of Ulralia have been home to several nomadic
empires over its history, most of which conquered the area,
often having invaded deep into the territories of Honrai
and Deun.
They accomplished such conquests via the use of extremely
skilled mounted archers. Ulralian tribal culture tends to
revolve around the companionship of horses, many of which
roam the steppes freely even today.
HONRAI
The Empire of Honrai is a vast nation, easily three times
the size of Elynsor, located at the other end of the world.
Perhaps one of the oldest civilizations in existence, Honrai
is known for its contributions to mathematics, science,
astronomy, military tactics, politics, and a wide range of
other fields. Its inhabitants, known to Elynsorians as
'Honrainese', are believed to be hard-working but clever
people.
Honrai is home to several famous schools of martial arts,
such as the Heaven and Earth Dojo, a hall bearing some
of the most skilled monks in the world, whose physical
attributes are unmatched due to years of rigorous training.
Rivaling them, however, is the School of Five Elemental
Harmonies, an academy of assassins who manipulate
existing quantities of 'fire', 'stone', 'wood', 'air', and 'water'
to their advantage in combat.
Others
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TALEA
The Island Nations of Talea are located in the Third Sea,
west of Elynsor. They are home to an indigenous people
of varied cultural influence, though the primary differences
in language are minor ones. As a result, the various
tongues used on each island are simply dialects of one
base language, Talean. The natives of this archipelago
are known for being easygoing, family-oriented, and
friendly for the most part. Mages in this country are
strongly inclined towards the element of Wind, often being
employed on fishing and trade ships to invoke favorable
winds. The wind mages of Talea are also employed en
masse to counter the harmful effects of tropical storms.
In addition, Talean women in particular are known for
being some of the most charming and beautiful in the
world. The Mutiny on the HMS Quarry was a famous
incident in which foreign sailors, taken by the charms
of the native girls on Talea, decided to stage a mutiny
against their commanding officer for the sake of staying
on the islands and enjoying the beautiful scenery and
carefree lifestyle.
Unfortunately, the reputation of Talean girls has attracted
the attention of slave traders, who see them as a prime
target for exploitation on an international scale.