Marrachian fort

Just a small picture of a Maracchian fort guarding the river alongside the border.

It is a harsh job to be a border guard as giants have a tendency to not care about borders. They try to cross the river where it is shallow and in turn the guards fight them back with arrows and ballistas. It is a harsh fight, and many do not survive. Still it is a meager price as opposed to the damage a giant can do if it manages to cross the border.

There is a small village off screen which supports the fort with food and supplies. Their thoughts about the soldiers might vary, but they are always grateful when a giant is killed.

The country of Marrachia

 Marrachia was originally a much smaller country, but during the last centuries it expanded its borders to the east and to the west where it met little resistance and quickly annexed the areas. Though the leaders of Marrachia have little control over the northwestern place, they still own it in the name.



 The country harbors a rather harsh hatred against magic anyone who uses magic. Though it hasn't been attacked by a wizard in a long time, it was totally devastated by magic users in a war a long time ago.

The survivors of said war survived thanks to inherent magic resistance and ability to spot magic. Fast forwarded today it means that there are very few magic users within the country, but very many who are able to fight against it.

The country is not at war against the Jawhanian empire, but there has been hostilities between them and they don't like eachother very much at the border.

At the northeast they do their best to protect the border against the constant onslaught of wild giants who constantly try to invade and tear their villages apart.




The country is divided into 6 different counties whereas each is controlled by a general. Each one has some responsibility of protecting the border against insurgents and invaders.

 The rule of the country is actually divided by the three upper generals who each have their base in the capitol. (the light green, teal and light blue counties.) They are the heads of the Red Cloaks which is a organization that is bent on hunting down any magic users as they see magic users as rather evil. The reasons may vary among the generals, but the result is the same.

Jawhanian Empire

The Jawhanian empire is the country that has the biggest populace of all the countries in this world. The flat landscape allows the people to grow big crops of wheat and other things that can feed them. The long shore lines also allow for a lot of fishing and trade as well.


It has trade with the surrounding countries, though the mountains and desert to the north makes a natural border towards Marrachia whereas the border to the south is blocked mostly by the mountains there. There is little contact with the elves to the east, though there are some garrisons posted alongside the border.

The capitol is placed in the middle of the country, bordering two rivers on each side.


The country is ruled by the divine emperor Jawhan and the High king. (Basically, no one sees the emperor and the High Kings acts in his stead. Kinda like how the German-Roman Emperor was chosen by god, except here it is the high king who is chosen by the victor of the Wizard wars.)

The mountains to the north is said to be populated by angels. Though generally treated as divine, they are in fact descendants of Midas creations.

The country is divided up into various counties whereas each is ruled by a governor.

Forest kingdom of Linara

The forest kingdom of Linara 

The kingdom is in fact ruled by a queen who rules over an rather forested piece of land. The coast is inhabited by humans whereas the rest of the country is filled with elves.

The elves and humans are on good relationsships whereas the elves frequently visit the human villages to trade wood for necessities. 

1. The rocks: The elves tend to trade with ore that they find in the mountains. They also trade with miners who come from Ceneria.
2. The ships: These are known to trade good quality lumber for shipbuilding.
3. The sun: Fairly optimistic elves who trade pretty much anything. They use the river to sail to the human town.
4. The Thorns: Skeptical to human intervention due to border trifles with Jawhanian empire. They train more soldiers than the other counties.
5. The eye: The seat of the elven government. The country is ruled by Linara and a council of 5 elder dryads.

Each county is ruled by a dryad whereas they hold control from the huge trees.

Ceneria

Ceneria is a rather green country with many rivers used for farming. It has some mines and features often trade between it and the neighbouring countries.

It has no overarching government, instead relying on a wizard council that each rules over their own little piece of the land.

There is often some minor clashes between the various counties, though it never escalates into fullscale war as it is only the might of the country joined together that can push back any invaders from the outside.

The original ruler of the country was a powerful elementalist and thus it is believed that she is to thank for the general acceptance of magic within the country. It is common to use magic and it is believed that everyone can use at least sme little bit of magic.(light a spark, lit a candle etc)

The Twisted Isles

The Twisted Isles is a collection of smaller isles situated around a rather big volcanic one. The seas around these isles are violent and filled with reefs and sunken ships. A few villages have settled on these isles and try their best to live off the land. It is not easy and sometimes one can find abandoned villages upon some of the isles whereas the inhabitants had to leave due to little food.


Within the main isle there are a few notable things. First of all the rather huge city surrounding the dormant volcano. The city is the capitol of the isles and is seen as having tall walls and towers that no human could ever hope to climb. (Not all of the city is whole though, there are some ruined parts as well, though they are trying to rebuild it.)

The second place of population on the isle is the harbor town where all the ships gather. The merchants gather up their wares and then travel into the city to sell their stuff.


About the population:
The inhabitants of the villages and harbor town are human. The majority of the city population is something completely else however. That something else can be described as demonic in nature. It should be noted that even though the capitol is filled with demons, it is quite a civil population. These demons are not giantious in size, but range from the size from imp to taller horned ones.


The most infamous part of the city is the Black Market.
Whereas one would trade normal things in other parts of the city, the black market is the place where one can buy and sell anything and everything. This ranges from ones voice to ones soul for the sake of talents or very powerful magic.
This includes, but it is not limited to:
The color of one’s eyes, the texture of one’s skin, the ability to whistle etc.

Each trade in the black market is done by signing a contract by both participants in the trade.
It should be noted that one is able to buy and sell slaves at the market, though there is a slight catch. Demons only acknowledge the ownership of a slave when the slave itself has written its name on a contract on ownership. If not, well, no trade.




The main trade items of the city:
The currencies are: Copper, Silver, gold coins and souls.
Exports: Sulphur, mercury, enchantment scrolls, curses, volcanic rocks and souvenirs.
Imports: Food (though demons doesn’t necessarily need to eat food, they do appreciate the taste), slaves (might be used for food).

Trade partners: Though the city can trade with anyone, their most favoured partners seems to be Thardevaal, Ceneria and Unduara.

Politics:
No one defies the king, though there are trade guilds fighting in-between themselves to gain a more suitable position within the town.

Background:
The king is in fact Garkah the Unholy though during the wizard wars he was fused to his throne and has been unable to move from it since. That doesn't mean he is not able to exert his influence over the inhabitants of the town.

Garkah wasn't always a demonologist. Rumours say he originally was a very talented lawyer who managed to exploit a loophole in a demon lords contract and thus get his powers.

Unduara

As you can see on the map, Unduara and Thardevaal is seperated by a mountain range called the Jagged Peaks. (Suggestions for better name?)
The mountain range does not really belong to either country as there are no resources to claim there. Also it is quite filled with dangerous creatures such as harpies and other things that can fly.

To avoid raid parties from the south, old Thardevaalian kings erected garrisons to protect the mountain passages from Unduara to Thardevaal. These garrisons are where the bastard sons of nobles are sent to when they have no useful things to do elsewhere. (Inspiration from Game of Thrones here I guess.)


A large amount of the human population have settled by the coast or by the big lake that is placed in the middle of the country.

A big portion of the inhabitants of the country are tribes. These would be somewhat taurish in their looks.


The Grey Lands are rather unknown. What one do know about it, is that it is probably the most cursed place on the whole country. Nothing grows, the sun doesn't shine and the dead are restless.

The mountains to the north are populated by opportunistic harpies who tend to either help Unduarans, Thardevaalians or generally just plunder everyone who passed through depending on the situation.

The centaurs and/or the hoofed ones are a vegetarian race mized between humans and horses. They tend to help out with more physical work in exchange for pay. Most notably carrying stuff that would be too heavy for normal humans.

To the southeast lives the Carni-Taurs (Or the Pawed ones as they are called). Like the centaurs they have a human half, unlike the centaurs they have a feline half as well. Also, sphinxes and manticores tend to gather in this area. The various tribes in this area are carnivores in nature, but being somewhat civilized they rely on trading between the center town, the river villages and the towns by the coast.

To the west bordering the Gray lands lives the Scaled ones. Creatures who are somewhat humanoid in shape, but with snake and lizardlike behaviours and looks. They consist of rather warlike tribes.

The midst of the country lives the largest populations of humans ruled by a king who at some point in the past managed to gain the respect of the various tribes around the country. The capitol is situated around the big lake whereas it also has quite the trade with both the river villages and the coast towns.


At the south the islefolk lives. They originally joined the kingdom as to profit from the trading opportunities which the newly arranged country could provide.

At the very west the Gray lands are. Once upon a time it used to belong to the grand Necromancer Unduar, though once he vanished it became quite the point of attraction for various adventurers. Not all of them returns however.