The World

Etharion

“The snowed continent far to northwest. If you’re in need of Starsteel, snow, or a fresh batch of imperialists, Etharion’s where you’ll find all three. Despite all of them, most of ‘em keep to themselves. Save for Stormguard. Fuck that place and its king.”

— Aurian Advice by VPOC Captain Isabel Solani 

The northwestern continent and the Edge of the World, where snow and storms are more common than sunny days and clear skies. 

Stormguard. The militant nation of Stormguard  and their fearsome Stormdivers dominate Etharion’s southern coast. Ruled by the Astrato Primos Crescentius I, the city of Stormguard is the bastion and great protector of Etharion, though in recent years the ambitions of the Thunder King have pushed them to becoming an imperial power. 

Corillia. The international leader in Magitech innovation and the sole exporter of Starsteel, a powerful and easily enchantable metal that once armed legions of Ascended. Corillia’s capital of Elysia is a haven for the intellectual as a place where magic and science intersect. The nation has a markedly greater population of elves and dwarves, where the two normally disparate cultures have found perfect hybridity, creating a new cultural identity known as Kyelesar .

Ithris

 “Don’t let anyone else fool you. Ithris is the center of the world, ideologically and geographically. You can’t really escape them. They’ve got a hand in everything those Aurians eat, touch, or read. Which is why most Aurians aren't really a fan them.”

— Aurian Advice by VPOC Captain Isabel Solani 

Ithris is the largest and centermost continent in Known Auria. 

The Sandsea and Dor’Aen. Directly in its center is the expansive dunes of the Sandsea, home to the nomadic tribes of the Dor’aen who have mastered life among the sands. Their location exposes their people to aggression from both Caladium and Amaryllis; they are a people caught in the crossfire between either nation.

Caladium. To the west of the Sandsea is Caladium, a mountainous land home to warlords, horses, and revolutionaries alike, Caladium was once an Amaryllan colony before their successful rebellion. Its capital of Sommerset is an idyllic place, seemingly forever enveloped in a dream of daylight.  

La Riaza. Once a colonized part of Caladium and Ithris before it, at the Battle at Sun Gate (743 A.S.), La Riaza formally seceded from their mother nation following the chaos of the Spellblight. Now protected by that very same Sun Gate, La Riaza grew into a powerful mercantile country that centers education and virtue alike. Though this success comes at great cost to any Ascended, who are demonized and punished within the nation.

Amaryllis. In eastern Ithris  is Amaryllis, a nation that once controlled all of Ithris before the Caladian Rebellion. Enterprising, mercantile, and obscenely wealthy, Amaryllis’ pockets run deep as the greatest trading and finance city in all of Auria. Their capital city of Amarylla has stood as a beacon of triumph, glory, and power from its position at the zenith of Belladonna Bay. 

Kreza

“Carved into the immortal stones of the Kharzads are the stories and legends of our people. They will never be forgotten, so long as Kalegro stands. Hear the voices within the earth. Let the memories of those that came before walk with you.”

— Bragam Vokarun; Dravak 1:10

North of Thereldan and due west of Ithris, the Kharzads stand as the tallest mountain range in all of Auria. Snow-tipped peaks that reach into the highest reaches of the sky— that greatest of which is Mount Akkor, a piercing spire whose summit is said to be where the Eleven first touched Auria. 

Kalegro. The city-state of Kalegro is the oldest and most primordial city of the world, having survived the global obliteration wrought during the Age of Dragons. 

Gorun’arak. Located across the Kharzads are the scattered sun elf tribes of the Gorun’arak. They fled in droves to this far-off land following their exile from Niros. Universally cast away with the shame of guilt and betrayal, these sun elf tribes endure much to rebuild their identities. 

Raven Coast. Ghostly ruins of an old, and once powerful civilization cover the icy lands and snowy beaches of the Raven Coast. This landscape is rarely explored, for it is believed that a great curse befalls anyone who dares loot whatever remains of it.

Mystine. The homeland of Aurian giants of Mystine, who practice mysticism and commonly receive oracular visions. These visions are inscribed into murals that serve as both history and prediction of the Mystine giants. They are often visited by curious travelers, desperate wanderers, and the occasional inquisitive soul.

Astral Rift. Where the Astral Wind first entered Auria, leaving behind a sundered territory that allows the essence of other Realms to bleed into the world. It is a place of chaos and madness. 

Thereldan

“Thereldan’s got a history of deceiving not only each other, but themselves. You’d be hard-pressed to find a place more full of liars and backstabbers. ‘Cept maybe La Riaza. The Autumn War changed everything for these folks. It’ll take centuries of hard work— or, gods forbid, another war— to fix itself.”

— Aurian Advice by VPOC Captain Isabel Solani 

Due west of Ithris lies the continent of Thereldan. Formerly a single empire, it fell into war following the destruction of the Spellblight. After nearly three centuries of conflict, they eventually signed the Treaty of Autumn. And now, each of these independent city-states wield their own ambitions.

Alraia. Once the seat of the Thereldan Empire, the Spellblight destroyed Alraia from within, transforming it into a cityscape rife with magical anomalies and dangers. Scattered and shattered, Alraia and its citizens now find themselves lost in a city they once called home.

Antiga. Towering black spires, grim weather, and a single ruler command this dark city. The Immortal King claimed power millennia ago, and stands in defiance to the ordinances of divinity. Unassailable by the gods, it will take a group of exceptional mortals to take him down.

Bourdeaux. A city on the eve of revolution, Bourdeaux navigates a narrow path between the freedom found in magic and technology, and the dangers of unrestricted ingenuity of its people and the world beyond.

Roanesse. Long-believing in the righteousness of Rhene, the people of Roanesse are fiercely insular and protective of their beloved city-state. Though she may present herself as an open, kind, and peaceful city, malevolent forces and dark machinations thrive within her bastion of walls and fortifications. 

Tor

“You’d think that a city made by adventurers would’ve crashed and burned in a year’s time. But Hearth— as always, it seems— is different. Times are changing rapidly, however, and the ambitions of forces and people more powerful and influential will soon set their sights on the Frontier of the World.”

— Aurian Advice by VPOC Captain Isabel Solan  

Newly discovered and only freshly settled, the continent of Tor lies south of Thereldan and southwest of Ithris, beyond the dangerous waters of the Broken Sea. The first expeditionary vessel to reach the shores of this continent was tasked with establishing its first city, and through innumerable trials, they were successful. They built Hearth— a ringed city beneath the protective arms of the Weldtree.

However, those first settlers were hardly the first residents of this continent. When they arrived, only the ruins of three previous civilizations remained: the technologically hyper-advanced Kaldarians, the powerful and necromantic Tharsians, and the mysterious, arcane Aelinarans.

Youko

 “Every word he uttered came with the roar of thunder, the cries of generations lost to weakness. He proclaimed that the unification of Lotus would finally bring peace to the continent, and a sea of faces shouted their allegiance to him. He is the Herald of the Eleven; He Who Mastered Lightning; The Speaker of Roaring Thunder; Grand Marshal of Sahan; and the Son of Keratis.”

— Snippet taken from a Lotesian broadsheet  

The easternmost continent in Known Auria, Youko is a powder keg waiting to blow. Splintering the continent in two is the awe-inspiring and deadly  Arashizake, an eternal lightning storm wrought form the death of an ancient Dragon God. 

Lotus. Previously the greatest military force on Youko, and the only nation to have united the continent under a single banner, the Spellblight brought ruin to Lotus. The country splintered into the four countries it is now. However, a revolutionary unification movement spreads across its lands, led by a self-proclaimed Herald of the Eleven: Raikoro, the Son of Keratis.

Andirra. Once a nation united under the leadership of Prince Javed Shahez, his assassination immediately destroyed any semblance of further cooperation across Andirra. Now, Andirra is on the verge of destruction from within as nobility and courtsmen reach for whatever pieces of power remain, even if it means destroying the people they once called neighbors.

Ilsangari. A rising economic powerhouse within Lotus, the discovery of an incredibly ore and mineral rich caverns beneath its capital city known as the Caverns of Wonder. Ilsangari’s neighbors, now wary of the strength it holds within its banks, observe every one of the fledgling nation’s moves with keen, threatening eyes.

Shundao. Following the Spellblight, the subsequent splintering of Lotus, Shundao swiftly entered a period of great unrest and deadly civil war between the Five Kings who sought unabated control over the country. This civil war came and went, but never truly ended, until only the last century with the rise of Yuxuan Feng, the Herald of Wisdom and Golden Emperor of Shundao.