Solivagante
UTC -6
The state of the continent:
Seven years ago, the Volhynian people overthrew their monarchy to establish a new and better society. This uprising, followed by a civil war, has shaken the continent, as dynasties now have reason to fear not only their nation's enemies, but perhaps their own people as well. The establishment of an entirely anarchist nation in (name to come), a breakaway state which was previously part of the Volhynian Empire, is yet another threat, especially as it had previously been held by a monarchist faction. The leader-in-exile of the monarchists has just been assassinated on the streets of Senonces, and the east appears increasingly to be a hotbed of revolution and chaos which threatens to spread to other countries.
Before the revolution, Volhynia was an imperial power of extremes, known for the opulence of its palaces and extravagances of its rulers as much as the bitter cold of its winters. The royal family and nobility claimed that they alone held magic, but even before the revolution there were whispers that in fact, they simply killed every commoner mage they found - or worse. The revolutionaries have since publicized documents which, they claim, prove this took place, though other nations have cast aspersions on their validity.
Unique among the region's monarchies, Volhynia allowed royal women to inherit in rare instances: if they had proven themselves in some extraordinary way, or if there were no male heirs. This tradition dates back to Empress Ekaterin, who deposed her own husband to seize control of the nation and ably led it to prosperity. In the generations since, however, inheritance by women has been rare, and the expectation remains that even if a woman were to inherit, she would marry a man who would do much of the actual business of ruling.
Volhynia's patron god is Svyatibog, associated with evergreen forests, deep snows, and the dark of winter. He is often represented as an enormous bear, and Imperial heraldry features a rampant bear on a field of white and green. Svyatibog is a god of strength and endurance, and Volhynian magic is especially known for spells to augment physical characteristics, which were often applied to their military. Stories of (presumably enchanted) Volhynian soldiers fighting after taking terrible mortal wounds, a crazed light in their eyes, are widespread.
- Behind the Scenes
- Volhynia is Russian in this equation. The breakaway anarchist state is analogous to Ukraine, ironicaly founded by a pro-monarchist conservative military faction which, prior to winning their independence, committed war crimes against magic users and minorities during the civil war. Their leader has just been assassinated on the streets of Senonces, and Mikhail Benson, the man who killed him, is in jail, his fate not yet determined. Not-Ukraine has now been given over to an anarchist faction.
On the temperate western edge of the continent, Lutecia is a roughly hexagonal country bordered by the sea to the north, west, and south, and by mountains to the east and southwest. Its monarchs rule from their palace just outside of the capital, Senonces, and have enjoyed remarkable stability for centuries. The nation is blessed with fertile land and natural resources, but as industrial manufacturing is on the rise, the people of the countryside are starting to migrate from their ancestral lands to cities, especially the capital itself where they hope to find better-paying factory jobs. Senonces, which is several centuries old, is increasingly crowded and dirty, while just a short distance from the city, the royals enjoy the luxury and open spaces of their glittering estates.
(in progress)
Lutecia's patron goddess is Sulevae, associated with the sun, flowering plants, and freshwater springs. She is represented in religious art as a young deer, but this is not used in heraldry; instead, the Lutecian monarchy uses a stylized iris, a spring flower which grows in marshy ground, as their emblem. She is a goddess of growth and rebirth, and popular belief is that Lutecian healing spells are uniquely potent, though this is subject to debate. There are whispers that her patronage of 'new life' extends to spells which erase or lock away a person's memories, allowing them to be 'reborn' as someone new... whether they wanted to be or not.
- Behind the Scenes
- Lutecia is France, with a slightly different timeline. In this world, the French Revolution hasn't happened yet (but might), and neither has Haussmann's remodeling of the capital. It remains a monarchy, but especially after the Volhynian Revolution, that feels more and more precarious. There is a stark contrast between the gilded lives of the nobility and the poverty of many commoners.
Off the north coast of Lutecia, this archipelago is largely unknown to the folk of the continent, as its inhabitants have resisted outside influence or attempts at colonization for centuries. It appears to be largely, if not entirely, covered in deep old-growth forest. A single trading settlement has been established on the island of Guith, just off the southern coast of the largest landmass; the Pritani sell raw metals, worked jewelry, and textiles dyed in beautiful colors. They do not sell anything made of wood, though they are clearly adept at its use and shaping, and have refused staggeringly generous offers for items such as carved wooden bowls or decorative lintel pieces.
The government of Pritani appears to be a loose confederation of tribes, with multiple hierarchical levels of regional governance similar to the command structure of an army. All those who interact with foreigners have been cagey about explaining these details, and while a few Pritani have visited the continent as "ambassadors", it has never been clear if they are in fact specifically deputized, or simply using the term for its convenience and the access it grants.
Pritani's patron god is The Dagda, associated with autumn harvests,
- Behind the Scenes
- Pritani is an un-Romanized Celtic British Isles.
Zentralimperium is Lutecia's neighbor to the east. the two nations fought the Prusso-Lutecian over some border territories belonging to Lutecia that ended with effectively no change, but high casualties. while relations have been tenuous in the past, the two nations have gotten closer as a result of the Volhynian Revolution
- Behind the Scenes
- Austria-hungary+germany
wip
- Behind the Scenes
- Placeholder
wip
- Behind the Scenes
- Placeholder
Last edited by a moderator: